All I see is him flipping me the bird as the door swings shut.
Standing on the steps of The Magnifitestique Mage with my duffel bag slung over my back and the early morning fog rolling through the dark street, I have an eerie sense of déjà vu.
It’s been one of those nights, what with the mammoth revelation about my feelings and all.
Okay. That’s an exaggeration. It’s not like when they rip the mask off the villain in cartoons. I knew my feelings were there. I knew they were growing. I just didn't realise how big they’ve gotten. Like a plant that you water every day and then you’re like, ‘Fuck, there’s a fucking tree in my backyard. When did that happen?’.
Thankfully, Kai was determined to cram as much make-up bonding time as he could before our shift, which meant I didn’t have time to over analyse things and send myself into a tailspin. I swear he dragged us to every shop in town before we made it to Bloody Temptations.
After we clocked out for the night we parted ways, him heading off to Finn’s place and me heading back to our apartment—but only to get my bag, shower, change, and pretend like we both still live there. With the next couple of nights off, there’s only a slim chance I’ll head back until I need to get my shit for work.
We really are growing up, moving on to the next stages of our lives.
It’s really fucking cool. So long as I don’t think about it—or what comes next—too hard.
I hold my hand against the doorknob, the locks clicking open loudly in the otherwise silent street. I’ve been added to the ward, specifically for nights like this, so I can come in without disrupting Willan’s sleep.
The door seals itself shut behind me. Without anyone around to witness it, I stare at the door, wondering if it will really sink in this time—that I,Nikolo, the one the parents would tut about and warn their kids to stay away from, have the metaphorical, magical keys to the Mazheri clan shop.
Apparently, today is not the day, a lump of emotion settling in my chest. I rub at the spot, like I can massage it away, but it stays right there.
“You ‘right there, Nikolo?” Egbert scares the shit out of me. I jump a foot in the air, almost knocking over a display of phoenix feathers that Willan spent an hour arranging perfectly yesterday. Egbert’s booming laugh echoes through the shop, and I spin on my heel to glare at him, clutching at my surging heart.
“You scared the shit out of me!” I rasp. Egbert’s laughter doesn’t dim in the slightest. In fact, he has to wipe away tears. “I haven’t got nearly enough blood in me for my heart to be working this hard.”
“Well, why don’t we fix that? Come and have a cuppa with us before you go to bed, yeah?” Egbert’s over by the kitchen, but he tips his head and raises a hand towards the stairs.
“Us?” I keep rubbing at my chest. It fucking hurts—I wasn’t lying about the blood. At least the jump scare dislodged the uncomfortable emotion that’d been lodged there.
“Kroy’s upstairs at my place. I was just getting some polyflu tea. I was out upstairs.”
My eyebrow arches questioning at my clan uncle, and I turn slowly to the stairs and back again.
“Awful early for tea isn’t it?” I bite my lip to keep my smirk in check.
Egbert guffaws. “Nothing like that, you muppet. We’re old. Insomnia happens. Get your butt upstairs, Kroy’ll be happy to see you. C’mon.”
“Suuuuure.” I tease, winking at Egbert before he disappears back into the small kitchen to grab a bottle of blood. He meets me at the stairs, probably hoping that I’ll let it go. I don’t, bumping his shoulder with mine when he draws level with me. “Totally innocent, 4 a.m. tea. In your pyjamas and robe.”
Egbert scoffs, shoving me up the first step, leaving a little sizzle from the magic he puts into the touch.
“Look who I found!” Egbert announces, swinging the door to his apartment on the fourth level wide open. He’s a little out of breath, so I let him fuss a second at the door and slip past, throwing my arms wide.
“Nikolo! Fancy seeing you here!” Kroy’s large body is reclined on the plush burgundy velvet couch in the centre of the living room.
From the entrance, it appears like Egbert’s apartment is an exact replica of Willan’s—except for two distinct differences. The first is that the apartment is flipped. Where Willan’s kitchen is on the left, and the bedrooms are on the left of the living room, in Egbert’s, it’s reversed.
And the second is the colour. While Willan’s apartment is drenched in black, Egbert’s is the same maximalist jewel-toned madness as the shop. Two tea cups rest on the dark wood coffee table.
Hooking my thumbs in the waistband of my skirt, I stroll to the couches.
“Funny. Was going to say the same thing toyou.” I lean down to give Kroy a hug hello.
“Insolent little shit was going to imply we were fooling around, is what he was going to say.” Egbert grouches, shuffling past us to go make the tea.
Behind Egbert’s back Kroy gives him a long look, from the tip of his head to the socks on his feet and back up again. Just like Egbert, Kroy is in a robe and pyjamas. But where Egbert’s are a dark, inky blue, almost resembling an oqic over silky pyjama bottoms, Kroy’s robe is a glamorous hot pink concoction made with a stunning mixture of satin, chiffon, and trimmed in feathers. There’s so much fabric I can’t even see what—if anything—he’s wearing underneath. And it’s afarcry from the simple terrycloth thing I’ve seen him in before.
Finishing his inspection, Kroy raises his eyebrow at me and cocks his head, a coy smile on his lips. I’m not entirely sure what it means, and really, I’m not entirely sure I want to know.
