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He lifted his chin to glare at Rowan and found him tilting his head at him, staring at his eyes.
“WHAT?” he barked, and Rowan pointed a claw at his face. “Are you threatening me now? On top of everything else?”
“Jesus Christ, you’re completely unhinged,” Rowan said finally. “I’m not threatening you. You’re just showing your dragon and I was going to point it out!”
“I’M NOT A DRAGON!” Milo snapped, turning to the mirror and glaring at his very human reflection. He leaned against the small sink and lowered his head between his shoulders. “I’d fucking know if I was…right?”
His voice should not have sounded as small as it was.
He felt movement behind him. Heard Rowan shift on his feet and shuffle in the small space. And only then did he realize Rowan was naked. Like…actually buck naked behind him.
He could see a full leg and a hint of a dangerously deep V-line peeking out from behind Milo’s reflection.
“Put some fucking clothes on,” he said, even though he wasn’t completely sure he wanted that. It was nice having that chest to look at. Made him feel better.
Rowan only seemed to realize his state of dress after Milo pointed it out and he hurried toward a vending machine in the corner of the bathroom, a flush working itself all the way down his neck. He located his wallet in the remains of a pocket trailing after him from the scrap of fabric still wrapped around his ankle, put some money into the machine, and accepted a pair of paper-thin pants and a tank top. He stuffed himself into them, and Milo swore he could hear the seams ripping.
“I’m dressed.” The words carried a boatload of embarrassment Rowan couldn’t hide.
“Congratulations,” Milo said with a huff, refusing to be softened by it.
“Were you really not aware?” Rowan asked, bringing them back to the earlier conversation.
Milo looked up and caught his own eyes in the mirror. “I grew up in the human foster system.” He frowned at the personal detail that spilled from his lips. Rowan didn’t need any ammo to use against him. And yet, the small, cramped bathroom somehow felt like the perfect setting to just spill his guts. “I have no records of my parents. I never showed any traits or shifted. I’m human.”
“But you’re not,” Rowan said.
Milo felt exhausted. “So I’ve been told. All fucking day.”
“Someone else said it?”
“My best friend,” he said. “And Ethel, one of the old-timers in the building.”
“And nobody ever mentioned anything before?”
“Apparently they all thought I’m a sensitive little flower who would implode if it came up, so they just kept quiet about it.” Milo lifted a hand to run it through his hair and looked at Rowan as if he held all the answers. “Is that even possible? That I’ve lived my whole life not knowing?”
“I’m pretty sure all kinds of things are possible.” Rowan shrugged.
“Thank you, newspaper horoscope section on legs.” He gave Rowan a once-over and decided something on the spot. “How do I get it to happen?”
“Get what to happen?”
“The dragon thing,” Milo said.
A crease settled between Rowan’s brows. “It just does when you want it to. I can’t really explain it when it’s as natural as breathing to me.”
“You are so helpful.”
“I’ve never had to train a dragon to be a dragon, so forgive me for not being a walking instruction manual,” Rowan grumbled. “But from what I’ve seen so far, anger helps you.”
“Not right now,” Milo said.
“Maybe you’re not angry enough?”
“Oh, I’m downright pissed,” Milo said. “But it’s not happening, so what now?”
“I know teenage dragons sometimes shift without much control over it during intense emotions.” Rowan said it like he was reciting information from a book.
