Iwas mourning the loss of direct contact with Spiro’s tentacles, but my new coat kicked ass. It was soft and comfortable, and I knew it was ethically made.
Holding Kaos’s hand seemed simple in theory, but in reality felt monumental. Here we were, two guys who’d met a mere week ago, walking around the city like a proper couple. The day we’d spent outside didn’t feel like the dates I used to go on before. I’d be stressed and worried I’d fuck everything up, keep most opinions to myself, and make sure my ears and tail stayed hidden.
Not with Spiro.
I was still trying not to ruin the day, but I was certain that if I did something stupid by accident, Spiro would roll with it and not make a big deal about it. The level of my comfort with this tentacled god was scaring me. Soon, I’d have to go back home and be miserable without him. But a little voice in my heart kept telling me that maybe, just maybe, we could figure out how to prolong our time in this heaven we’d created.
For now, I didn’t have the guts to address the elephant in the room, and Spiro had never mentioned reconsidering our holiday fling arrangement either.
Even holding Spiro’s hand, I missed his tentacles, so I guided one under my sleeve and purred happily when Spiro indulged me and slithered around my forearm all the way to my elbow. After a chilly but romantic walk through Chicago, my face felt like I had a mask made of ice on it, so I was glad we reached our destination.
I opened the door to a cosy-looking diner at a corner underneath the exposed steel rails of the L train tracks. “This is the only place I could find downtown with gluten-free Deep Dish.”
“I took the spare epi pen just in case,” Spiro patted his jacket pocket.
“Thanks. I have mine, and I also brought some gluten and lactose pills with me. Better to be safe than sorry.”
Spiro had mentioned bringing the spare pen as if it were a normal thing to do. No one I’d dated had ever remembered all my food issues and allergies. Not to the extent Spiro did, and they definitely wouldn’t have ever cared to grab the extra pen. I wouldn’t expect anyone to do that, but my heart warmed at Spiro’s thoughtfulness.
Had we already gotten used to each other's ways in the short time we'd been living together? If not, could Spiro be just that perfect for me? I recalled reading a blog about fated mates,but none of my friends were cryptid, or at least embraced their cryptid nature enough to talk about stuff like that. Was it even a real thing? Doubtful.
Spiro held the diner door open with a hand above my head as I entered first. A blast of warm air filled with the smell of oregano, tomatoes, and garlic hit me in the face, and I inhaled it with maximum lung capacity.
“Are you enjoying the aroma or the warmth?” Spiro asked as we took a booth by the window, overlooking a series of small stores shadowed by the rails above the ground.
“Both.” I grinned and reached for the laminated menus standing in a vertical holder.
“Are you ready to order?” A cute server with green hair appeared to my left. The name tag read Lily, He/Him.
“Hi. I’ve seen in your reviews that you offer a gluten-free deep dish.” As usual, I steeled myself for a grimace or an eye roll.
“Yes, we do. It’s an extra wait, if that’s okay with you.” Lily offered a pleasant smile, devoid of judgement.
“Yeah, that’s fine. I’ll take it. Thank you so much.”
“And for you, sir?” Lily turned to Spiro.
Spiro scanned the menu and set it aside. “Do you have anything else gluten and dairy free that you’d recommend?”
“Yes. Our calzone is very good. I personally love it.” Lily tapped his pen on the notebook he was holding.
“I’ll have that and a glass of orange juice, please.”
The server nodded once, his smile genuinely radiant. Spiro deserved someone nice and organized like that. I couldn’t balance a plate without making a mess, let alone carry a tray with drinks and food.
I was expecting Spiro to follow the cute guy with his gaze, but when I turned to him, that was not the case. Sitting back with his tentacles falling loosely on both sides of him, he was looking at me as if I were walking down the stairs ready for prom, whereasI had my scarf halfway on, my hat crooked on my head full of disheveled hair, and I must have been pale as death from the cold.
I’ve seen that look before when we were naked but chalked it up to Spiro being aroused. But now he had other people around, and he still chose to focus on me.
“You’re thinking so hard about something your brows are meeting in the middle.” Spiro reached a tentacle over and brushed a strand of hair from my forehead with the tip of it.
“I’m planning what to say in the video about this place so far. Let’s hope the food will be good.”
It was.
In no time, both Spiro and I were grunting appreciatively, consuming the no-bellyache deliciousness. I took short videos and several pictures throughout to put together into a proper post later.
Holding Spiro by the tentacle, I skipped all the way to the train, but I had to smile with my lips closed because the cold air hurt my teeth. I slipped at least three times, ending up in Spiro’s arms and giggling uncontrollably. Only one of them was on purpose.
