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“I can’t come in, but I can SING,” yelled Hunner from somewhere in the forest. “Long Hose Consort, there are several pickup lines I can sing to you on behalf of Long Hose Master!”

“Please stop calling me by that name,” Bruiser groaned.

“Your hose is so long, it makes me want to break into song

It goes so deep that I could weep

Oh Long Hose Master

Won’t you thrust faster

When you and I come together

We’ll be like two popsicles melted into a puddle”

“That is so terrible, I can’t even,” Uriel said into his hands.

Bruiser sighed. “I can manage the courtship by myself, Hunner.”

“Really?” Hunner said doubtfully. “If I remember correctly, you fucked up for a year.”

Oh gods.

“Fuck off,” Bruiser growled, his face turning hot. “The reasons are none of your business!”

“Fine.” Hunner sounded like he was flouncing away. “I’ll leave the holy pink book on your doorstep!”

“I’m muting him,” Uriel grumbled, flicking his fingers.

The background sounds vanished, leaving them in quiet—no more forest noises or Hunner’s presence, just the hum of the fridge, and the sounds of their breathing and heartbeats. It was unnerving, not having his hearing to warn him of any danger, but Bruiser trusted that Uriel’s shield spell was enough to keep out any dangers, for now.

“That’s some amazing spell work,” Bruiser said.

Uriel stared. “What?”

“You know that wordless casting is rare and much sought-after, right?”

Uriel’s cheeks turned pink. “It’s not all that amazing.”

“It is rare, and a good thing.”

“Eh.” A shadow flickered through Uriel’s eyes. “It’s not always appreciated.”

Bruiser stiffened. “No?”

Uriel shrugged uncomfortably. “My parents are normal humans. Humans without any supernatural abilities. They never liked it when I did anything out of the ordinary; I’d get punished for it.”

“What?” Bruiser sat up, affronted. “But magic manifests when you’re a kid. It’s passed down from a parent, unless—”

Uriel sighed. “Yeah. I suspect that my mom cheated on my dad with someone else, someone with powers. So I never looked like either of my parents, and my dad hated it. But my mom never had my side, either. She always blamed me whenever something went wrong. They kept me out of a sense of obligation, and I learned to hide my magic from them.”

Bruiser frowned, trying to imagine Uriel as a tiny child huddling into a corner because he’d broken a rule he wasn’t aware of.

It made him unspeakably furious. But now wasn’t the time to charge off and confront Uriel’s parents. Instead, he shuffled over and wrapped his paw around Uriel, dragging him close.

Uriel relaxed slightly against him. “Thanks.”

They sat together for a while, watching as Cassie sniffed around Bruiser and tried to gnaw on his snout.