With a sassy eyeroll, they wrapped their arms around his neck and shoulders, guiding him in until his face was cushioned on their stomach. He hugged them back, hooking his hands on their lower back above their waistband. They smelled like tea leaves and homemade soap and diesel from the truck, and he nuzzled their belly and drank them in.
Long fingers carted through his hair, and he nearly groaned in bliss. He loved the way they touched him, even more so given how it wasn’t their first inclination. They weren’t tactile the way he was, and even when they initiated physical closeness, it was usually a hand-hold or a knock of the shoulders. Yet, they still offered hugs, knowing how much he liked them.
“You’re amazing,” he mumbled into their shirt.
“I am simply who I am,” they said dismissively, petting the back of his neck.
Lifting his head, he propped his chin on their tummy and gazed up at them. “I know, and I am in awe of you.”
Stricken, like the sentiment had hurt, they swallowed thickly, cupping his face again. They petted his beard as they shook their head, a series ofwhirs bubbling up their throat. Then they leaned down and pressed their mouth to his forehead.
They didn’t pucker their lips, but it was a kiss all the same. It had to be, judging from the way Bryce’s entire body ignited. He shuddered, tangling his fists in their shirt, and they thrummed as they turned their head, so it was their cheek, not their mouth pressed to his brow.
“Good or bad?” he asked, terrified of the answer.
It was Zef’s turn to shiver. “Good, I think.”
He did groan then, smothering the sound in their stomach. “You’re gonna be the death of me.”
“Isthatgood or bad?”
He shrugged. “Both. Some things are both.”
“Bryce, stop necking with your paramour and get down here,” Nan barked from downstairs, effectively ruining the moment.
“Do I want to know whatneckingmeans?” Zef said as they released him and stepped back, pressing the back of their hand to their flushed face.
“Probably not.” Giving himself a moment to calm down, he pretended to dig through his bag until he found his toothbrush. “I’ll show you where the bathroom is.”
“And where I will sleep?” they asked.
“You’re sleeping here,” he said, patting the bed, and Zef’s eyes went wide.
“I beg your pardon?”
And okay, that stung a little, but Bryce pushed through it. “Not with me. I’ll be in the office on the air mattress.”
They sighed in relief, another sting, even as they shook their head. “No, I will sleep in the office. You should sleep in your bed.”
“You’re theguest—”
“No, you do not understand. I cannot sleep in your bed,” they insisted, fidgeting again. “In my culture, you only share beds with those closest to you, like a life partner—barring extenuating circumstances like safety or absolute necessity, of course. To sleep side-by-side is the ultimate show of trust and intimacy. But even to sleep in your bed without you there, it would be… I would feel uncomfortable. I cannot. Do you understand?”
That explained their reaction when he’d sat on the edge of their bed after their fertility cycle, and why, even now, Zef remained standing instead of ever joining him on the bed. Even though all they were doing was talking.
“I understand,” he said, and the tension in their body loosened. “Full disclosure, I’m good with sleeping in the same bed. So if you ever want to, just know it’s okay with me.” He stood and retrieved their bag, tossing it over his shoulder as he grazed his knuckle over the swell of their cheek. “It’d be nice to sleep next to you.”
They looked frightened at that, but they nodded all the same. “Thank you for your honesty and for your understanding.”
“I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping then.”
After Zef was situated in the office beside his bedroom, he gave them a full tour of the house, then the farm. Rascal and Stratus trailed them around the grounds, and Zef even braved a pat to Rascal’s head, which the dog ate up with enthusiasm.
The baby goats didn’t look like babies anymore, but Zef still cooed at them, laughing as they pranced around inside their pen. Their herd of cows were in the field, but Bryce pointed them out in the distance. They only had two horses, but Zef was very excited to meet them.
Walking through the pasture, Zef lifted their face to the sun and spread their wings wide. They had the space for it, after all. Their wings were mostly see-through and a light green like their skin. But when they caughtthe light just right, Bryce could see swirling designs and iridescent colors. They were flat and layered, like a dragonfly, and his fingers itched to touch them.
The quarter horses watched their approach with interest, tails flicking at the flies buzzing around them. Trinket was chocolate brown and pregnant as all get-out. Sparrow was jet black with a white marking on his forehead. He stamped his hoof in warning as they got closer, nostrils flaring as he eyed Zef suspiciously.
