“Once we settle this case, I promise we can do all three. But I’m sure Casey wants to go home and see her mom,” Mal said, poking Nico’s ribs. “Come on, I’ll buy you breakfast.”
“Ugh,” Nico groaned. “Low blow. But fine, let’s go solve a mystery or whatever.”
They decided to eat at a little cafe across town. Nico had taken one look at their window display and dragged Mal inside with pleading eyes. What was he going to do? Say no? Besides, the place was quaint, cozy, and—best of all—quiet. There were a few people sitting at the small tables, but their conversations were barely more than a low murmur. Lo-fi music played, but it was turned low, pouring out from well-hidden speakers.
It smelled like frosting and freshly brewed coffee. It was plain to see that Nico was instantly in love with the place. It was also plain to see that the older woman behind the counter—the owner, it turned out—was instantly in love with him.
They started chatting almost immediately. Nico gushed about the atmosphere and the decor. Within minutes, she knew that Nico was in college but had no idea what to major in and Nico knew that she was a retired surgeon, who was finally living out her dream of owning a bakery.
Mal ordered a hot tea and just stood back, watching as Nico peppered the woman with questions about every single dessert under the glass display. Was the frosting buttercream or whipped cream? Did that cake have strawberries or strawberry filling? How did they get that chocolate chip cookie to sit so perfectly inside the brownies? Did they bake the bread fresh every day?
Mal had no doubt Nico would have stood there for the next three hours had more customers not arrived. His boy had never met a stranger. Nico hurriedly placed his order and apologized for holding up the line. The owner then handed him her card and told him to call her if he ever wanted a job.
Nico was practically floating by the time they reached the small little back patio with its tin roof and hundreds of hanging plants. The rain pelting softly above them made the whole patio smell like the gardenias blooming behind him. It wasn’t a bad way to waste an afternoon. At least, if they weren’t trying to find a missing person.
Mal sat sipping his Earl Grey while his boyfriend attempted to eat the largest slice of chocolate cake Mal had ever seen.
When he felt Mal’s eyes on him, Nico stopped chewing, giving him a suspicious look. “Wha’?” he asked.
Mal shrugged. “Nothing. I just like watching you eat,” he said fondly.
Nico chewed slowly, glowering at him. When he swallowed the bite in his mouth, he muttered, “Weirdo.”
Mal chuckled softly. “That’s not new information, Fidget.”
Nico stuck his tongue out at him, then dove back in for another bite. Mal just smiled, staring at the chocolate frosting smeared on his chin. He could tell him, but it wasn’t like there was anyone else out there to see it.
When Nico finished his next bite, he huffed, face forming a pout as he said, “You couldn’t have gotten something to eat just so I didn’t look stupid with this big ass piece of cake?” he whined.
Mal rolled his eyes. “Look stupid to who? The ficus in the corner? We’re all alone out here. Besides, we both know you’ve got three to four more bites left in you and then you’re gonna push it over to me and insist I eat it while you study me like you have a feeder kink.”
“You’re mean,” Nico muttered.
“You have no idea,” Mal taunted, raising his brows in a way that had Nico turning red.
“Don’t you dare get me all worked up in public,” Nico warned.
Mal just smiled. Three bites later, Nico relinquished his treat, sliding it across the table without making eye contact, slumping in his chair as he sipped his caramel latte.
Mal picked at the cake, only taking a bite when Nico started to sulk. When the plate was empty, Nico asked, “Now what?”
“We should actually start questioning people,” Mal said. “But I don’t know who to start with. All we have are vague rumors. Nothing concrete.”
Nico made a whiny noise, then sat forward, propping his chin on his palm. “I don’t know if you’re taking requests, but can you wake up tomorrow as a private investigator or—I don’t know—a psychic?”
Before Mal could answer, Nico rose to come around the table, perching on Mal’s knee before looping an arm around his neck, just resting his temple against Mal’s. He had no control over whohe’d be when he woke in the morning—Plain ol’ Mal or some different version of himself. If he did, he’d probably choose to be himself. Or whichever version of himself Nico loved the most.
Still, he said, “I’ll see what I can do.” Nico gave a small nod but made no move to leave. “What are we doing?”
“Two brains are better than one. I thought, maybe, if they were closer together, it might give us some kind of idea.”
Cute.
Mal laughed. “I’m not quite sure it works that way.”
“Why did we think we could solve this? We don’t look for people. We don’t solve crimes. We just kill bad guys. I just want to go back to killing bad guys. What if the cops would have already solved this by now?”
“The cops don’t care about the people in our neighborhood. They would have said she abandoned Casey and they would have shoved her in foster care.”
