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I glanced at Jess for a translation. The newer words in the gay community always made me feel ancient.

Jess cleared her throat. “Straight women who beard for or have a lavender marriage with a gay man—only like… Just friends.”

That made more sense. I snorted. “Fruit fly.”

“I’m all over it!” Bitty sipped her coffee. “So, why are you here at Satan’s buttcrack in the morning?”

“We were stopping by to check on the library before we left to go visit my parents. We kinda need to see them before this becomes too obvious.” Lex gestured toward his belly.

“Ahh! This, I can help with.” Bitty jumped from the arm of the couch and dug in her bag, turning it over a few times before pulling out a little woven friendship bracelet like they made on one of those little kid looms. Little rainbow threads had been woven together at odd intervals, the pattern nonsensical until an upsetting yellow had been introduced to spell out the word yaoi in all caps with a heart next to it.

Lex eyed the bracelet as Bitty forced his arm over and tied it.

“Yaoi, really?” He gave her a look.

Bitty shrugged. “I make them for my friends.”

“What’s that mean?” I felt like I was missing something until Jess gasped, eyes wide, lips turned into a gleeful smile.

She opened her mouth to start explaining. “It’s a—”

“Right. Boys kissing. Gotcha.” Depriving her of that joy, the singular joy of explaining one of her fandom niches to me… It felt good.

“Soooo?” Jess bounced in her seat.

“You did good. I think.” I eyed Bitty warily. There was time to change our minds, at least.

When Bitty tied the bracelet, she traced her fingers over the woven band as carmines often did. “Forest for the trees.”

“This will make everyone instinctively look elsewhere.” Bitty pulled another bracelet out, some equally gaudy thing with Korean writing on it.

I wasn’t very familiar with the strange sigils, but it was only two characters. 부시.

“Boo—shii… See…” Lex stared at it. “Oh, what the fuck? Really?” The muted gray bracelet with black text apparently meant something more.

“What’s Bu si mean?”

“Bussy.” Jess laughed.

“Look, nobody told me I’d have to do charms on the spot. I hand wove these, so my magic is already in them.” Bitty huffed and added some more idioms to the bracelet to hide in plain sight. “Now, don’t take them off. People shouldn’t even notice the bracelets, but it should keep you nice and tidy.”

“Okay. Still going to wear the hoodie anyway.” Lex tugged at his shirt anxiously. I wished so dearly that we could tell his parents. But in time, we’d have a cover story. Or, his parents would just…never know.

“Good! Now I have you protected and coffee’d. Even though it’s decaf… Sugar helps, though!” She clapped her hands. “We’ll hold down the fort while you’re gone and make sure the library stays kept. I’m going to stay here with Jess for the time being until Mesmer closes the deal on a house.”

“Wait. Wait wait.” Lex held up his hands. “I don’t even know if I can afford a h—”

“Mesmer is paying for it. All yours. Well, it’ll be in a trust in your family’s name, but since archivists live so long, that’s often for the best!” Bitty beamed.

“Why?” Lex’s brow furrowed.

“Because you’re a valuable asset to have, he likes you, and Messy only knows how to apologize with money.” Bitty rolled her eyes and huffed.

Lex nodded and rubbed at the bracelets, and from the moment he put them on, it was like my mind refused to take in his body, eyes refusing to linger at his belly. Good stuff.

“As long as I get to stay with you, I don’t care, Lex.” I took a hard drink of the last of my coffee and held my hand out to my mate. “Ready to go meet your parents?”

He took a long sip from his coffee drink. “Yeah. Let’s go.”