Wish (Scales 'n' Spells 3)

“Is that why you didn’t put on your colors today?” Warin asked carefully. As he spoke, he tenderly brushed the tip of his finger just above North’s left eye and then across his cheekbone, places he’d applied make-up the previous day.

“Oh. Yeah. I didn’t want to take up a lot of time this morning when we arrived in town, and then I thought, maybe, you might not want to be seen with a man wearing make-up. Most people aren’t comforta—”

Warin ducked in and kissed North sweetly, lips lingering. North sighed into it, loving this too. That Warin would kiss him in public without thinking twice about it. God, was this man real? North couldn’t possibly have dreamed him up, could he?

Warin pulled back, touching their foreheads together, and murmured, “I think you are beautiful with and without it, but you will wear it because it puts a sparkle of happiness in your eyes. I will also buy you every colorful thing that catches your fancy, ja?”

North had to kiss him again for that. It was official. Warin was the best ever, and North would latch onto him like a barnacle. The dragon saw him—really saw him!—for who he was, and accepted it. The feeling simply floored him and left unshed tears burning in his eyes. “I’m really holding you to that.”

“Ja, do. Just maybe not this exact coat, it’s a bit too big. Let’s go one size smaller.”

He had to admit, Warin had a point there. “It does sort of feel like the coat is eating me.”

Warin laughed outright at that. “It looks it, too. Alright, not this one. Here, swap, try this.”

He swapped, found this coat fit much better, and smiled. “I love it.”

“Good. Hat and gloves next.”

They went through several gloves, mostly because the majority were black, but eventually he found a white pair with a plaid interior he liked. The hats were also mostly boring shades, but the black hat he landed on looked very good with the coat, and North was happy with the overall ensemble. Warin bought it all for him, they took off tags, and North wore it all out of the store. Which was a very redneck thing to do, but practical.

Warin stopped again on the sidewalk and looked at him in that shrewd, weighing way. “So far, I’ve only seen you with a backpack. Is that all the clothes you brought with you?”

“Uh…yes? I wanted to travel light and not be constantly stuck in customs.”

“So, you don’t really have adequate winter clothes, either.”

North saw where this was going. He was a-okay with it too. He wrapped an arm around Warin’s waist and snuggled in, grinning up at him with puckish glee. “Awww, sugar bear, are you really taking me shopping right now?”

“You’ll freeze at the castle otherwise.” Warin dropped a kiss on his mouth before drawing him further up the street. “I think there’s a men’s clothing store up here.”

“But the expense?”

Warin made a dismissive, grumbly noise in the back of his throat. “Do not worry about that. The only thing that matters is your comfort.”

North followed him, happy as a clam. Was this something like acquiring a sugar daddy? He totally understood the appeal now. It wasn’t so much the money as the thoughtfulness. It melted North more effectively than a roaring fire ever would.

The men’s clothing store didn’t have a wide variety of color, but Warin seemed to delight in finding every single bright thing in the store and giving it to North to try. Not knowing his German sizes made it challenging, sort of like a treasure hunt, and the employees were onboard with the game. North went with the flow, coming out of the dressing room while striking dramatic poses, getting a laugh in return.

They ended up with several corduroy pants, all of them colorful in either hunter green or pumpkin orange, a yummy cable knit sweater in a royal blue that paired very well with his new orange pants, several turtleneck sweaters of various bold shades, new fleece-lined boots, wool socks, and long johns for outdoor fun. Warin insisted on those, as apparently the dragons played some sort of outdoor winter sport.

It ended up costing a pretty penny, but it was also the most colorful collection of clothing he’d ever owned at one time. North didn’t know whether to hug him, hug the clothes, kiss Warin, or have his babies. He practically vibrated with the need to do all four at once.

Could he possibly steal Warin away for just a bit longer?

Warin should probably think of finding Gunter, loading the bags of clothes and North into the car, and getting back to the clan. He found himself lingering, instead. North was entirely to blame for that. The young man was so obviously delighted, his joy infectious. He kept petting the new coat with a grin, practically oozing glee.