“I’m here,” I told Markie. “You’re fine.”
The sound cut off mid-scream, then he clicked once as he stared at me.
I reached the cage and adjusted the latch he liked to pretend offended him. He leaned toward me and settled back a fraction.
Behind me, Liam was still frozen in place.
Markie turned his head slowly. “HOW MAY I FUCKING HELP YOU, SHITBIRD?”
Liam let out a startled laugh. He clamped his mouth shut a second too late, like he’d just realized this was not a comedy club and he was, in fact, being screamed at by an animal with opinions.
His hand landed lightly against the middle of my back before I even registered he’d moved. Just one quick, warm contact. The laugh must have knocked his guard down and his body had gone looking for somewhere to put the extra energy.
I went still for half a second.
Ordinarily that would have annoyed me, or at least made me aware of him in a way that put my shoulders up around myears. Instead, I liked it. The touch was brief, thoughtless, almost boyish. Or puppyish. What made it worse was that it felt natural.
I closed my eyes. “I’m sorry about Markie.”
“That was excellent,” Liam said, still smiling despite himself. “Direct. Efficient to scare off intruders.”
Markie answered immediately. “FUCK OFF.” Then: “PLEASE HOLD, MOTHERFUCKER.” He rattled the bars hard, wings flaring, eyes locked on Liam. “RESTART YOUR SHIT.”
Another rattle. Another pause.
“HAVE YOU TRIED TURNING YOUR ASS OFF?”
Liam’s mouth twitched as he took a step toward the cage.
Markie exploded. “NO NO NO. FUCK YOU, SHITBIRD.”
Wings hit metal. His beak cracked against the bars. The sound filled the room.
I didn’t raise my voice. “Don’t.”
Liam stopped mid-step.
Markie screamed once more anyway, then slammed his beak against the metal again. Suddenly, he went completely still and tilted his head.
Liam stepped back.
Markie clicked, then started grooming himself.
I turned and looked at Liam.
He wasn’t annoyed. He was watching Markie with focused interest, like he was committing the bird’s rules to memory.
“Most people try to push past that,” I said.
“He told me no,” Liam said. “I respect that. Even if he had a roundabout way of saying it.”
Oh boy. Liam cared about bird-consent. I was totally and completely fucked.
Markie fluffed himself and turned away, no longer hostile but still quiet. As I looked from my parrot to Liam, the tightness in my chest loosened.
“Well,” I said. “Congratulations. You survived first contact.”
Liam nodded once. Serious. “I’ll try not to screw up the sequel.”
