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“What is the vintner like?”
“Oh, she is very in touch with the land. Her scales are green and her hair looks like vines.” He smiled. “Jolana is cheerful, though.”
“Nice.” Brayden sighed and relaxed back in his seat. He looked at home here, being with Harden and among Harden’s things allowed him to fully enjoy the moment. In fact in all of the times Harden had seen Brayden, he didn’t remember him looking like this, not even when he was with his brothers at Sloan’s home.
It hovered on the tip of his tongue for a moment to ask Brayden to come stay with him for a while, but then he thought what madness that was. There was a birthday party tonight. He would go to that and then he had his choice of places to go. He had bachelor lodgings in the center of the village above the tavern, and he had his brother’s house. He was always welcome at any one of Tyr’s houses or his relatives’ houses, including Tor’s apartments and Tyr’s sisters home down by the seaside. And he could always stay with Cade and Poe.
It would be quite silly for Harden to ask Brayden to stay, so he kept his mouth closed instead and sipped his wonderful ale. He had many crunchy things to eat before he could let Brayden go on his rounds, so they needed to get on with it.
Chapter
Four
Brayden had taken the birthday party very much in the vein of what Harden had told him to; he had reminded himself that people loved him and that he needed to be fully in the moment and allow them to celebrate his freedom in this new land.
He opened presents. He blew out candles on a cake. He ate that along with some ice cream, which was a very human world tradition that he enjoyed. He smiled, and he laughed in all the right places, and he thanked Cade and Poe and their friends and family for making this party happen.
But he had to admit, the whole night all he could do was search out Harden. And he caught Harden looking at him just as often as he looked at Harden.
He had always admired the big dragon, but there was something about having spent time alone with him today, not at the tavern drinking with their friends or at someone’s home, awkwardly trying to make conversation.
No, today had felt different. It felt as if he were settling into a very comfortable set of clothing, one that he had worn in and adored so much that he couldn’t bear to get rid of it.
When the party started to break up and everybody was making their way out, Cade and Poe were standing just outside the door to tell everyone goodnight. He caught Harden by the arm, keeping him there.
“I wanted to say thank you for the pastries. They look amazing, and I can’t wait to have them with my breakfast tomorrow.”
Harden gave him a smile he thought was just for him, because he’d never seen it directed at anyone else tonight.
“You’re very welcome. I think it is a nice even trade — crunchy, Funyun things and ale for honey pastry.”
“Dude, you gave him Funyuns?” Riley came up and slapped him on the back. “That’s no fair. I didn’t know they were coming over the line.”
“Because you would have eaten them.” Brayden gave Riley a scowl. He really didn’t need to be interrupted right now.
“True that. What did you think of them, Harden?”
“I thought they tasted quite more-ish.”
“As in you want more of them?” Riley waggled his eyebrows.
“If Brayden were to want to bring me more, I would gladly take them, or I would barter for them but I would never ask. It would be rude.”
“And I would never call you rude, Harden.” Riley slapped them both on their shoulders before walking away laughing like a loon.
“Do you have plans? I mean, after this?” Harden’s words surprised him, but he shook his head.
“No. I don’t. Would you like to do something?”
Harden smiled at him. “I was thinking about going for a walk.”
“A walk?” Oh, that sounded nice, actually.
“Yes, it’s still pleasant, and I have a light coat if you need one. Spring is still a bit chilly, but I thought we could walk along the river. You could even stay at my house if you would like, if it gets late for you to go to Tyr’s.”
Brayden blinked at him because that was totally unexpected, but it sounded so perfect. “I would love that and if you don’t mind me staying over, I could bring some clothes and things with us.”
Harden beamed at him, the expression was totally foreign to Brayden. He’d never seen Harden smile so wide. “That would be most pleasing.”
