“Thank you,” he says, leaning his head back against the back of the couch, letting out a sigh. I can see his body is more relaxed than when I first got here. Is this because of me? Is my presence helping whatever is going on with him right now?
“So,” I say, wanting to get the conversation going. “You’re a phoenix shifter.”
“Yeah. I guess I should ask, what are you, Jin?”
“A Seraphim.”
“Oh, that’s really cool. I don’t really know much about angels. Do you have a pheromone nose?”
I shake my head. “Nah, no enhanced sniffing for me.”
“That’s okay. I do and it can be kind of annoying sometimes,” he says with the tiniest chuckle. “I don’t really know how to say this so I’m just gonna blurt it out and hope it doesn’t freak you out, okay?”
Reaching over, I take one of his hands in my own. His skin is clammy, like maybe he’s getting sick. His skin is still too pale and there’s a bead of sweat sliding down the side of his head. “Whatever you say won’t freak me out because it’s you and I care about you, Leo. I care about you a lot.”
“Oh,” he says softly, his brown eyes wide again. I don’t understand how he can be so surprised. So I say just that.
“Why are you so shocked? I already told you, Leo. I like you. I have feelings for you.”
Leo’s cheeks turn red which is far better than the pale color. “But you also called me your friend!”
I tilt my head to the side, not understanding. “Yes? Because youaremy friend, but you’re also so much more. I don’t kiss my friends, Leo. I don’t kiss anyone other than you.”
“Oh my gods,” he says, under his breath. He shakes his head before setting down the mug of tea on the table and turning on the couch to better face me. “I’m such an idiot. I care about you too, Jin. I umm, I more than like you actually.”
“You do?” Hope blooms in my chest, making me feel warm all over.
“Yes. So much so that my body agrees with my heart.”
“What does that mean?”
“I’m an omega phoenix shifter,” he says slowly. “My body is in pre-heat right now and soon, I’ll go into a mating heat. My body wants to mate you, Jin.” Then he quickly adds, “but it’s not just my body, it’s all of me. It’s my heart too! I’ve been stealing your clothes and using them in my nest and for the first time ever, I want someone to join me in my nest. I wantyouto join me in my nest.”
“Oh,” I say softly. I remember reading that nesting is a big part of phoenix culture. It’s sacred and special and only family members or mates or children are allowed in someone’s nest with them.
“At first, I thought maybe you were just excited to try out physical things with me, but that’s not the case, is it?”
I shake my head, squeezing his hands. “No! I want to try everything with you, Leo. I want to be your first and I want you to be my first. More importantly, I want us to be each other’s last as well.”
Leo smiles and his eyes water. “I want that too.”
I can’t hold myself back a moment longer. I let go of Leo’s hands and instead, cup his face between my palms. I lean over and kiss his lips. The kiss is gentle yet firm, a reminder that this is real, that this is a brand new start. We’re on the same page now, actively wanting each other. This is so much more than trying something new, this is the start of our relationship, one that I know in the pit of my soul will last forever.
“Jin,” Leo breathes out, “come to my nest with me?”
“Of course,” I say, taking Leo’s hand and standing up. I wrap my arm around his waist, following his lead as we walk into his bedroom.
In the corner of the room is a closed off area, surrounded by curtains that hang from the ceiling. Leo steps over to the curtains, pulling it to the side. He crawls in, waiting for me to join him.
This feels like such a huge moment and I don’t want to screw it up. Leo is letting me into something that is sacred, something that is precious to him.
“Should I take my pants off? They smell like outside and I don’t want to mess up your nest.”
“Sure,” Leo says softly, smiling up at me from where he’s kneeling in his nest. “Take your shirt off too. Here, you can put this one on,” he tells me, tossing me one of my own shirts that I brought in the garbage bag earlier.
After switching my shirt, I crawl into the nest with Leo. Leo pulls the curtain closed. It would be dark if it weren’t for the little lights dangling from the ceiling. Everything is so warm and so soft in here, just like Leo himself.
“Your nest is wonderful,” I say softly, sitting pretzel style next to him. “So cozy and inviting. Thank you for allowing me inside.”
