Berries and Greed

“What’s your usual order?” Greid asked, ducking down a little because of all the noise. The espresso machines were loud as the baristas pumped out steam, and all the tables inside were filled with people talking or tapping away on laptops.

“Uh…” I glanced around to make sure no one was listening to us. “I’ve never had coffee.”

His yellow eyes filled with horrified sympathy, as if I’d just told him I was the victim of some heinous crime. Glancing up at the board, he ducked down a little more and stretched out a long arm to point.

“The drinks that are safe for humans are marked with a little H, see?”

I stared at the board, trying not to think about how close he was. The sweet smell of shade still clung to him. Somehow, I was already beginning to associate that scent with comfort. With freedom. My gaze shifted from the board to the little, green-tinted claw on his extended finger. It was short and slightly curved. I bet he gave amazing scalp massages with those.

When he dropped his hand, I blinked and quickly nodded. “Okay. Wait, why would some not be safe for humans?”

Greid shrugged, straightening back up and stuffing his hands in his pockets. “I dunno. The ingredients or whatever? They’re just not. I’m not a human expert.”

I snorted, turning my attention back to the board. “Okay, so lattes are the milky ones right? I could happily go a long time without drinking milk.”

“Yeah.”

The line moved, so we shifted forward. Greid moved a touch closer to me when someone edged past him with a takeout cup in their hand. I stared hard at the board, pretending I wasn’t hyper aware of him.

Why am I hyper aware of him?

“How about a mocha?” he suddenly ducked down again to ask. “It’s hot chocolate with espresso. Still milky, but really good. And not super strong.”

“Okay, that sounds nice.”

“Or you can get more than one,” he added quickly. “If you want to try others as well.”

I chuckled. “I don’t think I should go too heavy on the caffeine after a lifetime without, right?”

“Ah, yeah. Probably not. Sometimes when I have too much coffee I get palpitations. And when you have two hearts, it’s pretty distracting.”

I laughed, glancing up at him. After a second he grinned down at me—a big, slightly rabid-looking grin thanks to all his sharp teeth—before a loud voice just in front made me jump.

“Are you trying to fuck me, Gorig?” The demiurgus ahead of us in the line was holding a phone to her ear, her long fingers topped with bright-purple painted claws. “Because I thought you made it very clear that you would rather be fucking that secretary of yours.”

Whirling around with a huff, she caught my eye and rolled hers. As a furious, muffled voice came from the phone, she pulled it away from her ear and told me, “Sorry, darling. My soon-to-be-ex bastard lifemate thinks he’s entitled to my art collection in the dissolution of our matehood.”

“Oh.” I shifted awkwardly. “Uh, I’m sorry—”

“Oh no, don’t be sorry. He’s a worm. Do you hear that, Gorig? You’re a worm,” she barked down the phone, then stepped out of the line. “Go ahead of me, darling. I’m not done ripping him to shreds.”

“Um, thank you.”

I stepped forward as she moved past, but then I saw her gaze land on Greid and grow hot with appreciation. Her yellow eyes trailed down his frame slowly. For some reason, I got the urge to grab his arm and tug him to me.

But Greid was already shuffling closer until his arm bumped mine. Strangely possessive satisfaction flowed through me, and something slightly ugly made me touch his arm and nod at the food in the display, just in case he was looking back at the other demiurgus as she left.

Which—what? What was wrong with me? I’d made it very clear I wasn’t interested in anything like that, and he’d made it equally clear. I was being silly.

“Some of those look interesting,” I said, unable to think of any other reason for diverting his attention. “Are you gonna get some?”

He gave me a dry look, which made me laugh. “Just because you can skip an entire meal doesn’t mean I can—or want to. I’ll get mean if I don’t get some food in me soon.”

Choosing not to bring up the yoghurt he’d been wolfing down when I found him in the kitchen, I snorted and shook my head. “I don’t think you have a mean bone in your body, Greid.”

The last person ahead of us finally stepped to the side to wait by the counter for their drink. Before I could move, I felt Greid place a warm hand between my shoulder blades. Tingles raced from the spot, but he whipped his hand away just as fast.

He cleared his throat. “Sorry.”

When I turned to look at him, his ears were fluttering. Smiling, I said, “Casual touches are okay, remember?”

“Oh, right. Yeah.” He let out a squawk of nervous laughter, then cringed as a few heads turned in our direction. “Sorry. Um, ready to order?”