Ahh, nothing more satisfying than a full belly. Milo patted his, feeling pleased.
“I’m curious.” Rowan sipped his tea while his eyes did a visual sweep. “Where does all of the food go?”
“I’m hollow,” Milo said brightly. “Wait, why are you just agreeing with me? I’m clearly kidding!”
Rowan, who’d been nodding along, shrugged and said, “No, hollow body makes perfect sense.”
“It does not. I just burn through food fast. People do that, y’know.”
“Uh-huh.”
“That was not agreement. Don’t think I didn’t catch that.”
They continued this light banter as they carted their many bags out of the inn, threw said bags back into the cart, got saddled up, and hit the road once more. Milo simply loved their banter. He loved being able to tease and get teased back. He loved the almost-smile Rowan shot him from time to time, a twitch of lips beneath his beard.
This man was so incredibly good. And kind.
If Milo wasn’t careful, he’d fall for him completely. Frankly, he could feel himself diving headfirst already.
Milo had always been the type to fall quickly into love. His great-aunt used to despair of him. But he’d also been the type to swiftly realize when he was with a bad partner and had gotten himself out of it. Hence most of his boyfriends not lasting more than three dates. Andrew would make passive aggressive comments, then “apologize” for them, so Milo had stayed. But toward the end of their relationship, when Andrew had been the most verbally cruel, Milo’s great-aunt’s health had been on the decline, and Milo had desperately wanted something permanent, someone by his side. Even he wasn’t sure now why he’d stuck it out when his gut had told him to leave. Learning of Andrew’s infidelity had been the wake-up call he’d needed, though, to tell him this man was no good and staying was a shit decision.
Dating Rowan was literally a night and day difference. Which meant if he wanted to keep this man, he had to find a way to be permanently stationed in Gravegarde. It was the only way. Not that he thought it would be hard, considering how much trouble they’d had keeping a mage to begin with. If he petitioned the Magic Council for a permanent duty station in Gravegarde, they’d sign off on it immediately. It was a headache solved for them, after all.
Fortunately, with this wide empty road stretching ahead of him and few travelers at this early hour, he had all the time in the world to talk this over. “Hey, Rowan? I know your family runs the duchy, but do you have a specific role?”
“Captain of the guard.”
“Whoa, really? Actually, I can see how you’d be good at the position.”
From atop Stan’s saddle, Rowan looked at him askance. “You haven’t seen me fight.”
Honestly, Milo didn’t need to. His man oozed lethal grace. Like a large predator cat on the prowl. Riding along on a warhorse, greatsword strapped to his waist, he was clearly combat ready and looked incredibly impressive to boot. “I’m not talking about just fighting prowess. You’re observant. You see problems and present solutions without talking them to death first. I bet you’re really good at keeping the soldiers under you in line. At moving fast when the situation calls for it.”
“Well, yes,” Rowan admitted. Was he blushing? “Part of why I assumed the duty. My father felt I’d be a good fit and asked. I agreed to take on the role.”
“Makes sense, makes sense. So, uh, I have to ask, is there, like, a permanent position for a mage?”
“There is. If we can convince someone to stay.” Rowan almost smiled again, a slight uplift at the corners. “Planning ahead, are we?”
“Uh, yeah. Duh.”
There was his warm look again, the one that sent shivers through Milo’s heart, like the man had a finger directly on his heartstrings. “No one will stop you if you want to stay.”
“Good! ’Cause I’m not planning on returning to the capital. Not unless something goes super wrong.”
“Do you have a house or anything to take care of?”
“Down in Goldguard, you mean? Eh, not really. I shared a house with Ray. After I broke up with Andrew, I didn’t have a place I could go. Not in a hurry, anyway. Ray offered me a room, and I took it. It was so easy to live with him, I just never moved out. Ray encouraged this because he liked having a roommate. So I do have things I’ve left behind, and I’d like to eventually have them, but I’m in no rush to go back and get everything. The only real concern I have is Ethel, but she’s in a good place for the elderly and has lots of grandchildren nearby who visit her, so I think she’ll be all right. I can always talk to her through mirror, but I want to visit her occasionally, y’know? Make sure things stay fine.”
If he was still in Gravegarde by fall, he’d consider a trip down to get everything then. Milo sincerely hoped he still wanted to live there by the end of the year, that he and Rowan would survive this initial honeymoon phase.
Rowan accepted his words with a nod. “As a warning, my siblings will likely tease you.”
“Because I’m dating you?”
“Yes.”
“I mean, I don’t have siblings, but from what I’ve seen, isn’t teasing normal?”
