“Oh yes, Spike. I remember your strange obsession with him.” Dre chuckled. Barion shot him a nasty look.
“Spike was great. That British accent paired with that platinum-blond hair and those cheekbones sharp enough to cut glass? I would have loved to get acquainted with him.”
“You mean you would have loved fucking him through the mattress, little brother.”
“Details, details.” Barion twirled some spaghetti with his fork. “What else, Sammy? So far, I want to praise you for your good taste.”
Sammy grinned. “Let’s hope it stays that way.American Gods. I loved the book and I can’t decide who’s sexier, Ian McShane or Ricky Whittle.”
“Is there something you want to tell me,mo grah thu?” Dre stole a mussel from Sammy’s plate. Sammy grinned and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
“Do not worry, my demon in shining red. None of them can hold a candle to you.”
“That’s all I wanted to hear,mo grah thu.”
“Bah, could you please stop with the sweetness? I’m trying to keep my meal down.” Barion’s voice was teasing, but when Sammy looked in his direction, he saw the pure longing in the demon’s eyes. His heart hurt for Barion, so he tried to distract him.
“I’ve told you my favorite series. What are yours?”
Barion shoved a fork of spaghetti into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. “I’m a bit of a swing watcher and a sucker for everything fantasy or historical. SoGame of ThronesandThe ShannaraChroniclesare high on my list, as well asDr. Who. I can’t wait to see what Jodie Whittaker is going to do with the role.”
“Yes, her taking over the role was quite the surprise.” Sammy nodded and saw Dre rolling his eyes.Dr. Whowas so far one of the few things where they didn’t see eye-to-eye. Dre found the series terrible, while Sammy liked it well enough. And what would a relationship be without some friction here and there?
They finished the delicious meal with easy chatter about TV series, games and actors, and Sammy was getting completely relaxed around Barion. Meeting the family wasn’t as bad as he’d thought.
“Before we have our dessert, how about I give you a tour of the house? I’m very proud of it.” Barion sounded so eager, and Sammy couldn’t wait. All he had seen so far were the huge dining room and the hall leading to it.
Since it was closest, they first went into the kitchen, which was an impressive mixture of old and new. Barion had kept the old fireplace, the massive pipes and broad chimney, as well as the brick construction, and had it all equipped with modern appliances. It was beautiful in a very big way, which made Sammy grateful for Dre’s more modest taste. He couldn’t imagine cooking in a kitchen like that. They toured the entire house, with the library coming last, at Dre’s insistence. When they entered the huge two-story room, Sammy knew why. There was no way he would be leaving here anytime soon.
“Oh my God! It’s beautiful. Can I look around?”
Barion nodded with an amused twinkle in his eyes. “Of course. Feel free to explore. To give you some time, how about Dre and I go and get dessert while you have fun in here?”
Sammy looked at him wide-eyed. “You would leave me here alone?”
“Only if you want,mo grah thu. And definitely not for long. If you don’t feel safe, I can stay with you.”
“It’s not about me being safe. It’s just a lot of trust Barion puts into a complete stranger.”
“Hey, man, you’re my brother’s boyfriend. It’s fine. We won’t be gone long enough for you to steal anything.” Barion winked. “What do you like for dessert?”
The almost two weeks Sammy had spent with Dre had taught him to answer this question truthfully, because there was nothing Dre—and probably Barion—couldn’t get him. “I’d like that mousse au chocolat from the little café in Nimes where we went last Sunday. And thetartuffonefrom thatGelateriain Rome. You know, the one with the forty different flavors?”
Dre kissed him. “Done,mo grah thu. Have fun.” He turned to Barion. “You know theGelateria, don’t you?”
Barion snorted. “I know all your hunting grounds, big bro. I’ll get thetartuffone. You go to Nimes. Let’s see who’s back first.” He sliced space and time and was gone in an instant.
“Cheater!” Dre roared and followed his brother. Sammy chuckled and shook his head. He had always wished for siblings, fantasizing about how wonderful his relationship with them would be. Seeing Barion and Dre interact was like all those fantasies had come true.
Sammy turned toward the rows and rows of books. This was heaven. He started wandering between the shelves, pulling out books at random, admiring their leather bindings and reveling in the familiar smell only matured books emanated. If there was an order to them, Sammy couldn’t find it. They were roughly in alphabetical order, sometimes apparently using the first letter of the title, then the author’s surname, only to switch to the first name. Occult books were mixed with romance novels, essays with guidebooks about gardening, astrology with cookbooks. Sammy itched to catalog them all and order them in a sensible way, but he withstood temptation. This was Barion’s library and he was only a guest. Before he could get too worked up, Barion returned, shortly followed by Dre. The bickering of the brothers lured Sammy from behind the shelves.
“You’re just a sore loser!” Dre was glaring at Barion, his fangs elongating. He had definitely grown as well. The shirt he was wearing was already ripping at the seams. Barion was not better, his claws digging into the package that Sammy hoped wasn’t holding histartuffone—or mashed ice cream if the two demons didn’t stop.
“How can I be a loser when I won this round?” Barion was pointing one razor-sharp claw in Dre’s direction.
“You’re a sore loser because you can’t stand to lose and therefore resort to cheating to get your way, just like a toddler.”
Barion sneered. “Toddlers aren’t as good as me!”
