Chapter 15 – A Normal, Goddamn Date

Jakub put it off for as long as he could. He ignored the occasional twinge from his fingers, covering up any fumbles that occurred in front of others. It wasn’t that bad, he would tell himself. Better than not having an arm at all.

But eventually it wore him down. He could pretend not to notice when Cheshire restrained a look of sympathy, but ironically, it was when Cheshire mastered not reacting at all to his lapses of dexterity that proved the last straw. Jakub invited Miklos to his apartment, and they spread newspaper over the small work table in his living room.

“You could just take it back to Hallorran,” Miklos suggested as he pulled a lamp closer. “I’m sure they’d help you tune it up, especially if you pay them.”

Jakub laid out his tools in easy reach and sat down on the floor. “I don’t want Tully to see it like this,” he said, and his face screwed up briefly. “She’d scold me.”

Miklos smiled with understanding as he joined Jakub at the table. “Well, I’ll help however I can. Just tell me what to do.”

“I only need you to help me keep it steady,” said Jakub.

He disconnected his prosthetic and set it on the table, so that the dented plate on the forearm faced them.

“Sure.”

Miklos slipped his hand into Jakub’s, gripping it like he would if it were a flesh and blood hand, still attached to its owner. It gave Jakub a chill which he quickly tried to shake off. “Thanks,” he mumbled, and with a deep breath he began unscrewing the metal plate that served as his skin.

“Jersey has been pretty quiet lately,” Miklos chatted while Jakub worked. He must have sensed that the distraction was a welcome one. “But tense. I’ve seen more police on the streets at night. With the Union City Boys gone, I think everyone assumed that Lucky’s crew would make a showing, but I haven’t heard anything so far.”

“They did promise Cheshire they would stay low for a while.” Jakub placed the screws he’d removed on the table in an orderly line. “But Masterson will be healed up by now. I can’t imagine he’ll sit on his hands much longer.”

Miklos hummed thoughtfully. “And how is Cheshire?” he prodded, a note of gentle teasing in his voice. “I haven’t seen him in a long time.”

Jakub removed the last of the screws. “He’s fine,” he said. Try as he might, he couldn’t ignore the expectant look Miklos continued to fix on him, and his cheeks reddened. “We’re fine.”

Miklos’ smile deepened as he helped Jakub slide the plate free. “I’m glad to hear it.”

He placed the plate aside, and both of them quieted a moment with the inner workings of Jakub’s prosthetic exposed. Rods and pistons replaced bone and muscle, grease smeared across the metal taking the place of sticky blood. Jakub swallowed hard, thoughtlessly reaching for his stump as a feeling of heat swarmed up the limb he no longer had. The last time he had seen his own arm it had looked like this: gruesomely laid open, surreal and unfamiliar to him. He could taste smoke in his throat.

Miklos rubbed his back through the thin cotton of his undershirt. “Take a breath,” he said quietly, and Jakub did so, letting the stale air of the apartment take the place of unwanted memories.

“Thanks,” said Jakub. After another moment to steel his nerves, he leaned over the opened arm. “I’m all right.”

“It’s okay if you’re not,” Miklos offered, but when Jakub shook his head, he took the hint. “The dent was around here,” he said, pointing out the spot halfway down the forearm. “But this is the closest piston and it doesn’t look damaged.”

“Maybe the impact shook something out of place,” Jakub mused. He tugged the lamp closer, and while Miklos held the arm steady he reached gingerly into the mechanisms. As eerie as it was, he forced himself to remember Tully’s instructions, and the smooth, deft certainty of her hands. By following the piston down toward his wrist, he discovered one of the tension wires had slipped its track and was pinned behind an exposed screw head.

“There’s your culprit,” said Miklos. “How bad is it?”

Jakub drew a magnifying glass closer to be sure. “The wire itself isn’t damaged,” he said, and gradually the tension began to unwind from between his shoulders. “I think if I replace that screw, get the wire back in its track and tighten it up…it should be fine.”

“Good.” Miklos grinned and gave Jakub a gentle clap on the shoulder. “See? Not so bad. How long have you been putting this off?”

Jakub    grimaced    with    embarrassment    and    began loosening the screw. “Too long,” he admitted. “I should have done this right after, but…” He sighed and confessed the truth. “I didn’t want to find out it was something I couldn’t fix myself.”

“Would it really be so bad?” said Miklos, but he didn’t wait for an answer. As soon as the screw was high enough he twisted it free and compared it to Jakub’s collection of spares. “I know how important your self-reliance is to you, Kuba. But you have people to lean on when you need it.”

“I know,” Jakub replied, meaning it. He threaded the wire back into its proper track and could have sworn he felt his left pinky twitch. “Thank you.”

Jakub finished the repair and took the opportunity to apply fresh grease where necessary. Before they replaced the forearm plate, he guided Miklos through carefully tapping the dent out of it. As the last screw was tightened he even allowed himself to wonder if he could reinforce the metal with something stronger, or even possibly to embellish it…

Jakub shook his head. He wound the mainsprings tight and then connected the limb. After a few deep breaths he clenched his fist, and was relieved to see all five fingers respond. He stretched and even wiggled each digit to be sure. Nothing caught or fumbled.

“It looks pretty good,” said Miklos, leaning back on his hands. “How does it feel?”

“Better,” Jakub admitted. “Much better.” He relaxed and even smiled with relief as he waved to Miklos. “Thank you for your help.”

“Of course.”

The phone rang, and Miklos began tidying up their supplies while Jakub answered. There were only so many people who called his apartment, but his heart still skipped when Cheshire’s voice sang through the receiver.

“Jakub! It’s me.” Cheshire laughed as if that itself was somehow amusing. “Sorry, this is short notice, but are you busy tonight?”

Jakub glanced to the clock—it was nearing five o’clock. A little late to be planning a job for the same night. “Why, what’s going on?”

“Can you come for dinner tonight?” Cheshire asked, downright effervescent. “Herb held a table for us in the Olivier’s VIP room, but it has to be tonight. Are you free?”

Jakub leaned back as his head spun. “Dinner with Masterson,” he said slowly, “at the most expensive restaurant in town?”

Cheshire laughed some more. “Wild, huh? But not with Herb—Herb adjacent. It’ll be us and Grace. Apparently he wants to sweet-talk her into performing at the Thrones, so it’s a two- birds one-stone kinda thing. She’s bringing her new girlfriend.” Cheshire’s voice lowered then to a near conspiratorial whisper. “It’ll be like a double date.”

“A date?” Jakub repeated dumbly, and he flushed when he noticed Miklos raising his head.

“Yeah. Are you in? I’ll come pick you up, if you are.” Jakub could easily imagine Cheshire’s playful smirk as he spoke. “I won’t even ask you to wear a tie, if you’re that convinced it’s bad luck. Just grab that black jacket and you’ll be fine.”

Jakub plucked at his grease-stained undershirt. “I’ll have to…clean up.”

“So, you’re in?” Cheshire pressed. He chuckled, sounding so much younger than himself. “You’ll come to dinner with me?”

“Y…Yeah.” Jakub gulped. “Yeah, it’s a date,” he said,

and in a fit of self-consciousness he hung up.

Miklos raised his eyebrows as Jakub turned toward him. “Chesh?” he supposed.

“Yeah. Sorry, Miksa, I—” Jakub frowned suddenly, glancing to the phone and back. “I just hung up on him,” he realized aloud. “Shit. Should I call him back?”

Miklos chuckled as he climbed to his feet. “You should take a shower,” he said, and he steered Jakub toward the bathroom. “I’ll finish cleaning up in here.”

“Sorry. I was going to ask you to stay for drinks…”

“We can do that any time,” Miklos reassured him. “I’ll go bother your friend Eggy for booze if I get thirsty.” He gave Jakub a gentle push. “Go get ready for your date.”

Jakub’s face burned all the way to the bathroom. He stripped out of his filthy clothes and set his prosthetic aside so he could step beneath the shower spray. He and Cheshire had shared plenty of meals before, even dinners—even dinners alone—but they’d never used that word before. Date. It made him feel silly and ridiculous for it as he scrubbed vigorously.

Dressing wasn’t too difficult, as he only had a few items in his wardrobe that would have been appropriate for the Olivier’s caliber anyway. He picked a black shirt that would disguise his lack of a necktie and a jacket to match, then dug around his room for a comb.

Miklos will  have  to  help  me  here, he thought, taking it with him into the living room. There he stopped, only then realizing that Miklos wasn’t the only one waiting for him.

Hannah was seated on the sofa next to Miklos, the two of them chatting about the same New Jersey news shared earlier. She glanced up at Jakub’s entrance and looked surprised; Jakub could only depend on instinct to turn his expression to stone.

“Hannah,” he greeted. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“You look very handsome,” said Hannah, though there was suspicion in her sincerity. “All this for Masterson?”

Miklos leaned forward against his knees. “I told her about the call,” he said, and Jakub trusted him enough to relax. “When Manhattan says ‘jump’ there’s not much else you can do, right?”

“I don’t want to make waves,” Jakub said. He waved the comb at Miklos. “Help?”

Miklos happily moved to assist. Relax, he mouthed as he accepted the comb, and Jakub managed a slight nod before holding still.

“I’m a little nervous about how quiet it’s been,” Hannah admitted as she watched. “Barney’s been hoping to hear something we can move on, but there’s no news on a job, and they haven’t asked to use the pier for months.” She frowned.

“But you and Bloom are going to dinner with them?”

“We’re just making nice,” Jakub said. “Bloom saved Masterson’s life—they’re showing their appreciation.”

“I know.” Hannah sighed and folded her arms. “That’s what worries me.”

Something’s on her mind, Jakub thought. Did Burke say something to her? He caught Miklos’ eye, and Miklos seemed to understand at once; he handed Jakub back the comb.

“That’s the best I can do for you,” he teased, and then he straightened Jakub’s collar. “I’ll pop downstairs and see if Eggy has that drink for me after all.”

“Sure,” said Jakub. “Thanks for your help today.”

“You said that already.” Miklos nodded to Hannah as he stepped into his shoes by the door. “Nice to see you, Hannah.”

“You, too,” she replied, and Miklos showed himself out.

Now that they were alone, Jakub sat down on the arm of the sofa to better face Hannah seriously. “I know we’re all nerved up over Lucky,” he said, “but Bloom’s just trying to keep the peace. It’s just us, and them, and Harlem now, and Big Mitts is thrown in with Lucky. Peace is the best we can do.”

“I know,” Hannah said quickly. “And I agree. But hell, Jakub you know what Barney’s like.” She ran her fingers back through her hair; she seemed uncharacteristically anxious over it. “All he wants is to get even, and I can’t blame him. And the more Bloom chummies up to Masterson, the worse it gets.”

“Bloom is playing nice with Lucky’s people because Barney keeps trying to rile them up,” Jakub argued. “We can’t go to war with them. They can hit harder than us, and if Barney goes after them without a plan, they’ll do to him what they did to Napoliello.”

“I know,” Hannah said again, frustrated. “But he and the boss are set on doing something. A plan is what we need.” She uncrossed her arms and turned to face him better. “Barney may not admit it, but you and I know we used to be able to count on Bloom for that.”

“Used to?” Jakub repeated, and he hoped Hannah didn’t think too hard on how sharply it came out.

If she did, she didn’t show it. “He helped us undercut the Foleys at every turn,” she carried on. “And this thing with Manhattan started the same way. I’m just…” She frowned down at the cushions a moment to collect her thoughts. “He seems more interested now in showing off to them than showing them up. I’m just worried.”

Jakub ground his teeth. He was tempted to glance to the door, fearful that at any moment Cheshire would appear and blunder right into a conversation that required better preparation than either of them had done. “‘If you can’t beat them, join them,’ you mean?”

“That’s not an option for Kozlow, we both know that.”

“Yeah.” Jakub sighed, and with a day of tension already winding him tight, he found himself resorting to honesty. “But maybe Kozlow is wrong. Aren’t you tired of trying to leash

Barney? It’s only going to get worse once his father is gone.”

Hannah leaned back slightly, though her surprise twisted soon after into resignation. “I was hoping being a father would help,” she admitted. “Maybe calm him down a little, but…”

Hannah sighed and pushed to her feet. “He’s family,” she said. “All I can do is try to protect him. That’s all any of us can do until he learns for himself. Right?”

Jakub stared back at her. Her loyalty was as heartbreaking as it was admirable, and it exhausted him. “Right,” he said, but only because he didn’t know what else to say. “If I get the chance to talk to him…I’ll try, too.”

“Thanks, Jakub.” Hannah fussed with her hair again, and Jakub offered her his comb. She smiled crookedly and accepted. “If you’re going through with dinner, keep your ears open,” she said as she brushed her long hair out. “Maybe Masterson will let something slip, if he’s with Bloom. Something we can use.”

“Sure.” He accepted the comb  back  when  Hannah finished, and before she could turn for the door, he stood. “Just so you know, what Bloom is doing is also protecting Barney,” he said. “I know you can admit that even if Barney can’t.”

Hannah surrendered a long sigh. “I know. But what can I say to him? Whenever someone encourages him, he gets carried away.” She fixed Jakub with a look that was playful, but unmistakably serious beneath it. “Even when it’s you. We don’t need that, either.”

Jakub tucked the comb into his jacket as an excuse to break the unwanted eye contact. “I’ll try to talk to him, too.”

Hannah nodded, seemingly satisfied. “We’ll find a way through this,” she said. “We always have.” She gave him a pat on the arm and then headed for the door. “Make sure you order a huge chunk of meat if Masterson is paying.”

“I will,” said Jakub, and as soon as she was out of the apartment, he hurried to find a cigarette.

***

Cheshire’s day had gotten off to a slow start: waking up late to a thrumming headache and a scratchy throat, telltale signs of an incoming spring cold, only to be swamped by piles of paperwork from Burke. The call from Herb late in the afternoon turned everything around. By the time Cheshire arrived at the Kozlow building, he was sure he was glowing, all ailments and concerns long gone. He had settled on his champagne-gold suit for the occasion, determined to give it a good showing after having missed its intended audience at the Morey dinner. He’ll be in all black anyway, he reasoned as he bounded up the steps. So it’ll be a good match. He hummed a jaunty tune as he showed himself into the building, only to have the melody killed in his throat.

Miklos Horvay was waiting in the lobby—in fact, he was standing just beside the elevator, completely unavoidable in his lavender hair. Cheshire gulped. He had only seen Miklos in passing a handful of times since Jakub’s accident, and more to the point, since he and Jakub had started sleeping together. In that time he had yet to develop a decent strategy for how to approach a reunion.

If he’s waiting for Jakub, he won’t be happy to see me, Cheshire thought as he faked a casual smile. He and Jakub used to… “Hey, Mik,” he greeted. “Long time no see.”

Miklos glanced over and smiled. He didn’t look put out or even surprised to see Cheshire heading his way. “Hey, Chesh,” he said. “How have you been?”

“Good! Super good.” Cheshire pressed the button for the elevator, and immediately the doors opened. “You? You look good!”

Miklos arched an eyebrow and swept his gaze up and down Cheshire’s suit. “So do you.”

“Thanks!”

Cheshire slipped into the elevator and gulped again when Miklos joined him. “Going up?” he said, and then he chuckled as he hit Jakub’s floor. “I assume you’re here for Jakub, but um, he and I…”

He hesitated, knowing how insensitive it would be to brag, when that was all he felt like doing given the monumental occasion. Miklos watched him curiously, and when he took too long to recover, he prodded, “You have plans?”

“Yes! Dinner plans.” Cheshire rubbed the back of his neck. “I’d invite you to come with, but it’s not my dime.”

“Oh, I know,” said Miklos. “You…do?”

“Uh-huh.”

Cheshire eyed him, unsure if he was meant to ask how. “Oh. Well, maybe next time, huh?”

The elevator stopped on Jakub’s floor, but when Cheshire moved to the door, Miklos took his arm to prevent him. He stopped, breath held. Though he was prepared for it, he still sometimes got the shivers when their conflicting magics interacted through touch. “Yes?”

“Give it a minute,” said Miklos, and just as he said so, Jakub’s door opened. It was Hannah who emerged, and Cheshire ducked deeper into the elevator until she had passed by on her way to the stairs.

“She was in a serious mood,” Miklos explained as Cheshire breathed a quiet sigh. “I figured you didn’t want to be in the middle of that.”

“Thanks.” Cheshire flashed him a grateful smile, but then he paused. The mature thing to do would be to say something, he thought, and he cleared his throat. He and Jakub are still good friends, after all. “Hey, Miklos. Sorry if this is awkward, but I just wanted to say…well, sorry.”

Miklos looked at him, puzzled, as they stepped out into the hall. “What for?”

“Because you and Jake…” Cheshire squirmed awkwardly and shoved his hands into his pockets. “You were a thing, right? Right up until, well, he and I were a thing.” He gave a huge shrug. “I’m glad you guys worked it out but I didn’t want you to think I’m, you know, some kind of ratfink for…”

He trailed off at the sound of Miklos laughing at him. “What?”

“He and I were never ‘a thing’,” Miklos said, and his hair almost seemed to glitter with good humor. “We’re just friends, Chesh.”

“But…” Cheshire frowned at him intensely; he could very clearly remember things he had heard through the walls, back when his and Jakub’s apartments were side by side. He had even caught Miklos once or twice leaving Jakub’s place early in the morning in those years before the accident, and the week he’d spent living with him immediately after. “But you were,” he tried again, thinking Miklos hadn’t caught his use of past tense.

That only made Miklos grin wider. “No, it really wasn’t like that.” He gestured past Cheshire with his chin. “Ask him yourself.”

“Ask me what?”

Cheshire turned and was rendered speechless. He had seen Jakub well-dressed before, even recently, but there was definitely something different and striking about him—more than just that his hair was so neatly combed. He seemed… lighter, even eager, as if he might defy all expectations and break out in a smile at any moment. Cheshire couldn’t bring himself to look away in case he might miss it.

It took him an awkward moment too long to realize that Jakub was holding up a cigarette. He lit it with a snap, and the tiny puff of smoke jolted him back to almost half his full senses. “Jakub! Wow, you look fantastic.” He grinned and felt himself blushing as he reached into his jacket. “I brought you something—I promise it’s not a necktie.”

He tugged out a gold, silk handkerchief, delicately folded, to tuck into Jakub’s jacket pocket. “You don’t have to wear it,” he said, even as he smoothed it into place. “I just thought it might…complete the look. You know?”

Jakub spared it only a glance before returning his gaze to Cheshire’s face. His eyes pinched happily. “Thanks.”

Oh, I want to kiss him so bad, Cheshire thought as he dragged his hands back. He knew just how Jakub would taste, of smoke and magic, and it made his fingertips tingle.

“You match now,” Miklos noted slyly, and Cheshire and Jakub both blushed darker as they followed him back into the elevator.

“What were you going to ask me?” said Jakub as they began the descent toward the lobby.

Cheshire’s grin twitched. “Oh, nothing! It’s nothing.

Just a misunderstanding.”

Miklos glanced at him sideways; apparently he was in a mood for mischief. “Did you really think that all this time?” he asked with clearly fake innocence.

Cheshire began to sweat as Jakub frowned curiously between the two of them. “Well, yes! Of course I did!” He lifted his hat so he could smooth his hair back. “But if I was wrong and everything is fine now, great!”

“Oh, it’s fine,” Miklos assured him. “More than fine.”

“Good!”

Jakub looked back and forth, his brow furrowing. “What are you talking about?”

“Nothing!” Cheshire laughed, and was saved by the elevator doors opening. “We’d better get going if we’re going to make it in time. See you later, Mik!”

Miklos saw them off with a wave. “Enjoy your dinner!”

The pair of them climbed into Cheshire’s car and they sped off, into the traffic headed for the Williamsburg Bridge. Cheshire drummed his fingers against the steering wheel in a swift, aimless rhythm. “Sorry this is such short notice,” he said. The silence was too daunting not to fill. “I called you right after Herb called me. But it’s just too good of a chance to pass up! Even with a woman on the inside I haven’t been able to score the VIP room before now. He must have been saving up for this since the funeral, that prick.”

Jakub rolled his window down so he could flick the ash off his cigarette. “He can’t help but throw his weight around,” he said. “He only does a favor if you have to rush to accept it. Just like the Morey dinner.”

Cheshire surrendered a crooked grin. “Yeah, you’re probably right. But how could I say no?”

“The fact you can’t is the point,” said Jakub, but then he lightened up again. “Still…thanks for inviting me.”

“Of course! Just don’t tell Burke, or I’ll never hear the end of it. I’ll make it up to him somehow.” He chuckled, determined to reclaim the joyful momentum that had carried him to Jakub’s building in the first place. “We’ll make a night of it. Grace will be there—she has some new beau she wants to show off. Sounds like this one might be a keeper.”

Jakub hummed to show he was listening, but he didn’t offer more than that. After a brief silence had passed, which Cheshire spent with more anxious finger-drumming, he realized he couldn’t contain his curiosity after all. “So, um.” He aimed squarely for casual inquiry and fired. “Were you and Miklos ever a thing?”

Jakub snorted smoke through his nose. “What? What kind of thing?”

“You know, you were…” Cheshire caught his brow wrinkling; he wrangled an easy smile back in place. “I know for a fact you fooled around,” he teased, and Jakub flushed red. “But Miklos said you were never steady.”

“That’s what you were talking about?” Jakub asked, exasperated. When Cheshire could only shrug, he took a long breath from his cigarette and let it out. “No, that was just…as friends. Miklos isn’t interested in going steady with anyone.”

“No? Oh.” Cheshire frowned as the image unexpectedly tightened his stomach. The thought of Jakub that night of the wedding leaving with Miklos, the two of them slipping into bed together… He fidgeted. “I guess that makes sense,” he said, and he laughed. “For a long time I couldn’t imagine you going steady with anyone, either.”

Jakub turned to look out the window and fell still. His silence prickled against Cheshire’s skin with an almost nauseating suspense, and when he finally replied, it was so mumbled Cheshire couldn’t make it out.

No possible way could he let that pass without knowing. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Me, either,” said Jakub without looking back, though his red ears gave away his embarrassment. “I haven’t…before now.”

“Really?” Cheshire blurted out before he could stop himself. He quickly shook his head; it was suddenly hard to think, or even breathe, with the rush of giddy relief bubbling in his chest. “Well sorry, but you’re pretty damn steady now, huh?” He laughed some more and couldn’t stop grinning. “I may not be paying for dinner, but this is still a proper date, so I hope I can count on you for dessert.”

His chuckling was cut short by Jakub’s hand coming to rest on his thigh. The firm pressure of metal digits sent his heart pumping and he was hard pressed to keep his eyes on the road.

“Miklos came over today to help me with this,” he said, and Cheshire’s mind buzzed with uncomprehending white until the subtle flex of Jakub’s fingers made his meaning clear. “We tuned it up. It’s a lot easier to work, now.”

“Really?” Cheshire’s grin softened, and he lowered his hand to cover Jakub’s. “I’m glad,” he said simply, though he hoped to convey that he understood what an effort that must have been for him.

Then Jakub’s hand squirmed higher, dipping toward the inside of his thigh, and Cheshire’s elation snapped back into simmering excitement. He tightened his grip on Jakub’s hand to keep it from sneaking further. “If I pull over, we’re not going to make the first course,” he said breathlessly.

“Herb can wait,” Jakub replied, and his steely insistence had Cheshire’s toes curling. He stretched his pinky to press against Cheshire’s groin.

Cheshire made a quick look of their surroundings; they had already moved into the bridge traffic and would soon be over water, with only the shoulder to pull off on. In broad daylight that was a bit too bold even for him; he pulled Jakub’s hand from his thigh and kissed the back of his palm. “Save it for the hotel,” he said, but he kept hold of Jakub as they continued on. They chatted about business for the rest of the drive:

safe, easy topics to keep Cheshire’s mind off the heavy look Jakub was fixing him with. Several times he considered skipping dinner to instead drag Jakub into one of the hotel’s lavish rooms. They arrived at the Olivier in good time and met Herb in the lobby, who was well dressed in a double-breasted jacket and red silk tie.

“Chesh!” Herb greeted. He gripped Cheshire’s hand and pumped it mightily, as if he still had something to prove even if his arm was no longer confined to a sling. “I told you to bring a date, and you brought your bodyguard. What gives?”

Cheshire laughed to cover up his momentary falter. He sure wished he had mapped out a clever explanation ahead of time. “Well, Herb, quite frankly, you scare me,” he said, continuing to shake Herb’s hand. “And Eggy wasn’t available— what’s a poor fellow to do?”

Herb laughed back, and after a few more seconds, he was forced to extricate himself from Cheshire’s grip first. “All right, all right, I’ll allow it, since he cleans up so well. Good to see you, Freckles.”

He thumped Jakub on the shoulder, who remained still and stony beneath the attention. “Thank you, Mr. Masterson.”

“Mr. Masterson,” Herb echoed, raising his eyebrows at Cheshire. “If only everyone at Kozlow was so respectful, eh?” He waved for them to follow him across the foyer. “Ms. Overgaard is already seated—let’s not keep the ladies waiting.”

Jakub cast Cheshire a look that he was, for once, at no loss to interpret: Is he eating with us? Cheshire gave a helpless shrug and felt his fatigue from earlier in the day creeping up on him. But he was determined to make the most of it, and just before they stepped into the elevator he gave Jakub’s hand a reassuring squeeze, which Jakub returned.

The hotel’s VIP lounge was on the tenth floor, and as soon as they stepped out of the elevator they were greeted with sweeping, tall-windowed views of the evening Manhattan skyline. The lighting was soft, warm, and intimate, wooden furniture and cream tablecloths, knock-offs of classical artists on the walls. The clientele was mostly older, and Cheshire thought he even recognized a face or two from the papers.

I guess this is  what  Manhattan  gratitude  really  looks like, Cheshire thought with a smirk as they followed Herb toward a table near the windows. He was relieved even more so to see that it only seated four. Grace and Camila were already seated there, Grace in a shimmering blue dress and Camila wrapped in a mink stole. They leaned close together as they chatted like fond sisters.

The third woman at the table Cheshire had never seen before: an African American woman with a glossy white dress over her dark skin, thick hair fanned out in tight, natural curls. Her features were soft and elegant. But when she raised her gaze in their direction, her wide, brown eyes gave Cheshire a chill. Long before they were within each other’s space he could feel goosebumps prickling up and down his neck, not unlike the electric warning of magic. Her eyes narrowed—she must have felt it, too.

She’s a witch? Cheshire thought, and for some reason his throat grew tighter the closer they approached. He dug his fingertips into his itching palms. It feels like Miklos, but…more than that. A lot more than that.

“Cheshire,” Grace said warmly once they had reached the table. She stood, and he snapped into instinct, greeting her with a peck on the cheek. “It’s so good to see you! I want to introduce you.” She gestured to her guest, who had also risen from her chair. “This is Emma Peabody.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” Cheshire said brightly. “I’m Cheshire Bloom.” He braced himself and offered his hand; as expected, the moment they touched the backlash of magic skittered up the length of his arm. His heart skipped and his stomach clenched with nausea, so much stronger than anything he had encountered before.

Emma squeezed his hand, showing no flinch or surprise. “I’m happy to meet you,” she said. “Grace has told me a lot about you.”

“Oh, no,” Cheshire lamented, prompting laughter from Grace and Herb. He nudged Jakub forward. “This is Jakub Danowicz, my…partner.”

Jakub’s shoulders crept up, but he shook Emma’s hand with only his usual amount of social awkwardness. “Hello.”

“Pleased to meet you, Jakub.”

Herb clapped his hands together. “Well, everyone acquainted,” he said jovially. “And you have your table—my work is done.” He helped Camila out of her seat and then moved behind Emma to help her back into hers. “Enjoy your meal, everyone. And go easy on the wine?” He fixed Cheshire with a playfully stern look. “I mean you, mister.”

“It’s your tab,” Cheshire teased back, and had to brace himself again as Herb thumped him on the back.

“Two-bit thug is what you are,” Herb retorted. “Well, enjoy spending my money, then.” He offered Camila his arm, and the two of them headed toward another table that awaited them. “You owe me.”

Cheshire rolled his eyes as he held Grace’s chair for her. “This is supposed to be making us even,” he complained to the table. “I saved his life, you know.”

“Oh? He didn’t mention that.” Grace sat down and filled her glass from a bottle of wine already on the table. “I thought you were here to help butter me up so I’ll do another gig for him.”

“Since when do you take my advice?” Cheshire moved to the next chair, and was a little disappointed to see Jakub had already seated himself. Even if it might have raised some eyebrows, he would have liked to offer him some gentlemanly courtesy. He cleared his throat and took a seat. “Butter can come later. I want to know how you two met!”

“Emma’s the newest member of the band,” Grace said proudly, and she reached across the table to take Emma’s hand. “She plays the meanest saxophone I’ve ever heard! And she has a lovely voice, too, when I can convince her to sing.”

Emma smiled shyly. “I’m not that good; she’s just being kind.”

“My ears know talent, believe me,” Grace shot back. She was positively aglow when she smiled back at Emma; Cheshire imagined he knew just how she felt, and he wondered if his face gave as much away as hers did. “If we do perform at the Thrones it would be a good chance to try out a new set with a duet, so you’d better convince me to do it, Chesh.”

“You should be careful about doing business with Masterson,” said Jakub. “He has deep pockets but he has a funny idea of how favors work.”

“It’s not my first time dealing with career criminals,” Grace reassured him, and she cast Cheshire a sly glance. He shrugged innocently. “At most it only has to be the once. And it’ll put me in a good position to renegotiate my contract here.” She tipped her wine glass in a salute.

“We’ll be very careful,” added Emma. “I wouldn’t let her do anything reckless.”

“Oh, I believe it,” said Cheshire. He glanced between the two women, burning with curiosity. Does Grace know she’s a witch? He poured glasses for Jakub and himself. What could her magic be like? “I can tell already, she’s lucky to have you.” Emma returned his seeking look with a brief, tight-lipped frown. “That’s very kind of you to say,” she said.

Grace doesn’t  know,  then,  Cheshire took it to mean. Is  it  really  my place to say anything? He glanced at Jakub, who was taking a ginger sip of his wine. I haven’t told him everything, either. He gulped. “It’s just the truth,” he carried on. “I’ve known Grace for a long time, and I’ve never seen her light up as much as when she introduced you.”

Grace blushed and gave his shoulder a push. “God, you’re so embarrassing,” she scolded, but he was telling the truth: nothing could have squashed the happy gleam in her eyes. “But she is incredible.”

Emma ducked slightly into her shoulders. “What about you two?” she changed the subject. “How did you two meet?”

Jakub tipped his head back in a gulp while Cheshire let out a nervous chuckle. I guess she would be sharper than Herb. “Oh, well, that’s a long story,” he said, caught between cheer and trepidation. “A long and illegal story. We were breaking into people’s houses to steal money for booze.”

Emma looked to Grace with surprise, who grinned and said, “See? I wasn’t joking.”

“Oh, my.” Emma frowned dubiously despite her efforts to remain polite. “How…exciting.”

“Are we going to order?” Jakub asked loudly, which raised a chuckle from all of them that left him deeply flushed.

“Yes, let’s order,” said Cheshire, and he caught the eye of one of the waiters. “Then I can tell you a few of our tamer adventures.”

As promised, Cheshire filled the time waiting for their food with the mildest of their many criminal encounters: the impersonation trick he and Grace had pulled against the Foleys in Astoria, the inside peeks at Hallorran’s headquarters, and most especially, the Robin Hooding of the Olivier delivery truck. Emma was a gracious audience, expressing interest and congratulations where appropriate. She even put a few questions to Jakub and coaxed answers out of him. Once or twice Cheshire caught Herb and Camila glancing their way, but they didn’t make a repeat appearance. All in all, it was a very pleasant evening.

Even so, by the time dinner was finished, Cheshire found himself exhausted. He tried to blame it on the possible onset of a simple cold, but whenever his eyes met Emma’s, he felt their heat pound between his temples. His palms by then were clammy inside his gloves and he couldn’t shake the goose bumps. When the table began debating which expensive dessert to charge to Herb’s tab, he finally pushed out of his chair.

“I’m going to find a washroom,” Cheshire said. “I’ll split whatever Jakub has.” He cast Jakub a wink, who blushed and stumbled over a protest as he headed toward the far end of the dining room. He’s going to be mad I left him with them, he thought with a wince. But I just need a moment to clear my head.

***

Jakub watched, dismayed, as Cheshire abandoned him at the table. He buried himself in the dessert menu. “Chocolate cake,” he said, only because after a dinner of expensive dishes he’d enjoyed but couldn’t pronounce, he was eager for something a bit more familiar. He peeked over the menu, hoping that Grace and Emma would entertain each other in Cheshire’s absence without any effort from him, only to realize that Emma was also standing up from the table.

“I think I’ll visit the powder room myself,” she said. “Something light for me, please?”

“Oh—of course,” said Grace, who looked half ready to follow her. But she settled again as Emma moved on, leaving the pair of them alone and facing each other.

Grace took in a deep breath. “So. Jakub.”

“Grace,” Jakub replied, placing the folded menu back on the table in resignation.

“You look very handsome tonight,” Grace continued, and Jakub did his best not to shift self-consciously. “You know, when Cheshire first told me about you two, I could hardly believe it! But now that I’m really seeing you together, I think I understand.”

Jakub frowned. What the hell does that mean? Am I giving us away with my face after all? That time he couldn’t help scrubbing the back of his hand across his mouth. “Um. Thank you.”

The waiter approached, and Jakub finished the wine in his glass as Grace related their dessert order. Once the waiter moved away both of them glanced longingly toward the restrooms, and in catching each other in the act, an awkward understanding calmed them both. Jakub picked up the mostly drained wine bottle, and Grace nodded, nudging her glass toward him.

I guess I’ve known her as long as Cheshire has, Jakub thought as he refilled each of them a modest portion. Not…as well, though. He swallowed his embarrassment when reminded of those nights when they were teenagers, and he could hear Grace and Cheshire fooling around through the walls of their apartments. He had tried so hard then, to make himself forget about any hope of having Cheshire for himself. They had simply been too handsome of a couple, too well matched in looks and humor to think he could have ever competed.

This might be your only chance to ask, Jakub thought, and with another sip of drink to build his courage, he faced her. “Can I ask you something? Personal?”

“Oh, boy,” said Grace, though she was smiling. “Here it comes. Go ahead, I’m ready.”

Jakub frowned again in befuddlement and almost lost his nerve. “Um. Why did Cheshire break up with you?”

Grace gave a mighty snort. “Is that what he told you?” She rolled her eyes. “Let me tell you, then, don’t believe whatever he said. I broke up with him.”

Jakub’s prosthetic tightened reflexively against the tablecloth. “Why?”

“Well, it was…” Faced with having to actually answer, Grace faltered uncomfortably. She took a sip of her wine to stall. “He’s charming, and attentive, and generous—all those wonderful things. But the one thing he isn’t is honest.”

Jakub continued to tense defensively, though the distant hurt she was trying to banish from her expression quickly began to wear that down. “He’s not…dishonest,” he said. “He just exaggerates sometimes.”

“And that’s fine!” Grace said quickly. “Really, but it was more than just that.” She scooted her chair closer so that she could lower her voice; the secretiveness didn’t sit well with Jakub, but he did lean closer to hear. “You have to know what I’m talking about,” Grace continued. “It’s so hard to get him to admit to anything really serious.” She began gesturing with her hands as she spoke. “He and I were steady for a year—I told him everything. But in all that time he never said one word about himself that was really real. Not about his family, his parents, why he came here, what he wants to do with himself. He wouldn’t even tell me where he lived before Brooklyn, because he’s not from here any more than either of us are.”

Jakub listened, his brow furrowing. “He’s from Albany,” he said without thinking, remembering their first meeting on the steps of the Kozlow building.

Grace reared back and regarded him with as much confused surprise as if he’d produced a live mouse from his jacket pocket. Then her shoulders drooped, and she laughed weakly. “There, see? You already know more than I ever did.”

It was such a simple, trivial piece of information, but the thought that he was the only one to know it filled Jakub with an unseemly amount of pride. “He doesn’t like to talk about the past,” he admitted carefully, thinking of Cheshire’s faraway expression from the cemetery. “But…neither do I, I guess.”

Grace smiled crookedly. “Yeah, I guess so.” She lowered her chin into her palm. “Maybe you’re just that good for each other, then.”

Jakub’s chest swelled; the thought that someone would see him and Cheshire as as much of a match as he’d seen Cheshire and Grace was almost overwhelming. “Yeah,” he said, eager for Cheshire to return to the table. “I hope so.”

***

Cheshire entered the washroom and was relieved to find it empty. I just need a minute, he told himself again as he moved to the sink. He tucked his gloves into his pockets and turned on the sink. Everything has gone so well, after dessert we can go home and it’ll just be us.

He pushed his glasses up to splash some water on his face, letting the coolness refresh his weary eyes. The door opened, but he didn’t think anything of it until he heard the click of the lock.

“Herb?” Cheshire guessed, fumbling for a towel. “Don’t give me lip about that lobster tail.” But as he straightened up, glasses back in place, he startled to see it was Emma leaning back against the door.

“Ms. Peabody?” Cheshire gulped, though he tried not to let his nerves show. “I think you misread the sign.”

“I know what you are,” Emma said, her gentle demeanor from dinner long gone. She faced him with near defiance that made the chill of her magic frightfully pronounced; Cheshire couldn’t help but shudder. “Let me see your brand.”

Cheshire’s smile contorted with his efforts to keep it in place. “I don’t know what you mean…?”

He reached into his pockets for his gloves, but Emma moved too quickly, with too little space between them; she took his wrists and drew his hands in front of her, forcing his palms up. He was too startled to resist, and given the strength of her grip, he had the uneasy feeling that he wouldn’t have been able to.

Emma’s shoulders sagged in disappointed recognition. It was inexplicably humbling. “Grace told me about your magic,” she said quietly, as if relaying a great tragedy. “And she warned me not to tell anyone. I can see why.”

She pressed her thumbs into the center of the sigils branded on each palm; the contact burned, and Cheshire bit back a curse as he jerked both hands out of her grip. It frightened him more than he thought it should, and he was quick to shake out the sting.

“Um, yeah,” he said awkwardly. “I’d appreciate it if you kept it to yourself.” He chuckled. “Better than Grace did, at least. Are you going to show me yours, now?”

“I don’t have brands,” said Emma. She rubbed her thumbs into her palms as if also trying to dispel the pain from their encounter. “I’m not a familiar, like you.”

Is that what I should be called? “But you  do  have magic,” Cheshire pressed. Sweat collected along his spine but he clung to his charm. “I guess Grace has a type after all.”

Emma’s expression darkened with pity that had his skin crawling. “Your magic comes from a demon,” she said, and the last of Cheshire’s laughter died in his chest. “A powerful one. Humans aren’t supposed to have magic like that.”

Cheshire stared back at her, speechless. He remembered being on the other end of Detective Alice’s cold glare and felt just as small as he had then. Magic like that, Alice had said, shouldn’t exist in the world. He gulped. “What does that make you, then?”

Emma folded her arms. It took a few moments of lip chewing and downward eyes before she straightened up again, and above her head a length of soft white light began to form. Cheshire’s eyes widened as he watched the glow shape into a circlet. A halo.

“You’re…” Cheshire leaned back, dumbfounded. “You’re an angel?”

Emma tightened her arms self-consciously. “Yes.”

Cheshire blinked over and over; the light from the halo was making him ill, and thankfully it vanished only moments later. He had always known that demons were alive in the world, yet somehow it had never occurred to him that their opposites might be, too. “D…Does Grace know?” he stammered.

“No.” Emma looked away. “I’m not supposed to be here, either. But I will tell her,” she added quickly. “When it’s the right time.”

“Oh. Wow.” Cheshire finally tugged his gloves back on. “So I guess you and I will never get along, huh?” he teased weakly. “Not only your girlfriend’s ex, but…”

“A demon’s familiar?” Emma raised an eyebrow, though she didn’t share his levity. “You understand what you’ve done, don’t you?” she asked, and again the hint of sympathy in her tone made Cheshire cringe with shame. “You’ve used a demon’s magic against the living. Your soul doesn’t belong to you. If you’re not careful, your master will come for you.”

Cheshire shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “I’ll just have to be really careful then. It’s not like…” He couldn’t hide a wince. “Not like I can do anything about it now. Right?”

“No,” said Emma, with an immediacy that gut-punched him. “I’m sorry. If I could break a demon’s contract, I would have done it the moment I saw you.”

Cheshire licked his lips, and with a deep breath he regained his composure. “There you have it, then,” he said. “Careful it is.” He took a step to her side. “Thanks for the concern, but I think we should get back to the table. Jakub’s not comfortable in situations like these.”

Emma didn’t budge. “Does he know?” she pressed. “He knows enough for now,” Cheshire replied, faster and more sharply than he’d intended to, but the thought of Emma taking it upon herself to tell Jakub anything spread more cold sweat down his back. “Like you said—when the time is right.”

Emma didn’t look satisfied, but she nodded. She stood back and let Cheshire unlock the door. “I want to hear more about your story someday,” he said as they left the washroom together. “I’ve never heard of a rogue angel hiding out among humans.”

“I’m not a rogue,” Emma replied quickly. “Heaven is complicated.”

“I can only imagine!”

They approached the table, and Cheshire was surprised but pleased to see Grace and Jakub sitting closer together, apparently engaged in an easy conversation. When Jakub noticed them approaching he lifted his head, and the bright, welcoming face he made solidified Cheshire’s confidence.

Maybe we won’t have as much time as we want, he thought as he crossed the dining room behind Emma. That just means we have to make the most of it. By the time he retook his seat, he was smiling easily again.

“So, what did you order me?”

***

Dessert passed with more pleasant conversation. Jakub enjoyed the cake immensely, taking more than his fair share, though he quickly realized that Cheshire wasn’t interested in eating it anyway. By the time they had exhausted the reasonable limits of Herb’s credit and were ready to leave, Jakub could sense that Cheshire had also reached the limits of his exuberance, and he was eager for them to move on. As they bid their farewells to Grace and Emma, and Herb and Camila, Cheshire hesitated to take Emma’s hand.

“Good luck to you,” she told him, and Cheshire nodded solemnly, and he wished her the same.

They left the Olivier beneath a sky of roiling clouds. The wind had picked up, and its urgency fueled Jakub with anxious energy as they made their way to the car. “Do you want me to drive?” he offered. “You look tired.”

“Do I?” Cheshire rubbed his face. “I’m fine, but you know I trust you with my wheels, if you’d rather.”

He wasn’t particularly convincing for once, and Jakub held his hand up. “I would,” he said, and Cheshire had no qualms handing the keys over. They slipped into the car and sped off back toward Brooklyn.

Jakub tightened his hands on the steering wheel, and watching the metal knuckles of his left hand reminded him of his conversation with Miklos earlier. He took a deep breath. “It’s okay, if you’re not fine,” he said. “It’s just me.”

Cheshire shifted in his seat and surrendered the truth. “I’m a little tired, sure. Even just being in the same room as Herb can be exhausting.” He chuckled and cast Jakub an apologetic look. “Sorry about abandoning you with Grace.”

“It’s fine,” Jakub said automatically, only to realize he didn’t want to leave it at just that. “We had a good conversation.”

“Oh?” Cheshire perked up with great interest. “She didn’t give you a hard time?”

“Only a little. I’ve known her almost as long as you have, after all.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s true.” Cheshire fidgeted some more. “Emma was really something, too, huh? They seemed really happy together.”

“They did,” Jakub agreed, though his mind was still on his brief conversation with Grace. Is that what she saw, when she looked at us together? he wondered, casting peeks at Cheshire’s face. That we’re happy together? It was a dangerous thought—if Grace could see it, there was a chance more people would, too—but he clung to it. Because we are happy, right? I know him better than anyone.

Emboldened, Jakub took Cheshire’s hand, tugging it closer so he could wind their fingers together. Cheshire tensed at first. If Jakub looked at him, he was sure he would lose his nerve, so he kept his eyes on the road as he squeezed the soft leather of Cheshire’s gloves. “Thanks,” he said. “For the date.”

Cheshire didn’t relax; he turned his wrist just enough to grip Jakub back with an urgency that Jakub hadn’t expected and which tightened his chest. “Thanks for being my date,” he said. He kept hold of Jakub’s hand almost the entire drive back to Brooklyn.

The sky was heavy and starless by the time they reached Cheshire’s building, electricity in the air. Jakub breathed it in; the wind made him restless, and as eager as he was to drag Cheshire beneath cool sheets on a soft mattress, he hesitated. Something about the night felt new to them, and he wanted to hold onto it a while longer.

As they approached the entrance, Cheshire abruptly stopped, and as if having plucked the thoughts straight from his mind, he said, “Do you want to take a walk?”

“You said you were tired,” Jakub replied. He felt mysteriously guilty, as if he really had forced his wishes on Cheshire subconsciously.

“Not that tired,” said Cheshire, and he hooked his arm through Jakub’s. “Just down to the water for a little while. I haven’t been down there in ages.”

“Okay.” Blushing, Jakub leaned into Cheshire and let him lead the way down the sidewalk, toward the waterfront.

Cheshire’s building was only two blocks from the river. They took their time—hardly anyone was out, and the small park sprawled across the waterfront was dark and empty. The wind throwing waves against the shore served as a perfect backdrop to the flurry of nervous and excited emotion swirling in Jakub’s chest. This is real, he thought, hugging Cheshire’s arm to him, as raw as he had been that first morning waking up in Cheshire’s arms. It’s really real.

“Hey, Chesh.” He took a deep breath and leaned his head against Cheshire’s shoulder. “You’re from Albany, right?”

Cheshire hummed. “Why do you ask?”

Jakub’s ears grew hot, and he lifted his head back up; nuzzling was still a little too embarrassing in public, deserted night-time park or not. “You said you were, the first time we met. Remember?”

“Did I?” Cheshire sniffed and rubbed his nose. “Yeah, I was in Albany before I came to Brooklyn. Why?”

There wasn’t anything specific in his tone that came across as defensive, but Jakub sensed the hesitation anyway. He understood it so deeply that he ached, and after a long moment of still contemplation, he took another breath. “I’m…” He had to clear his throat and try again. “I’m from Krępiec.”

Cheshire turned his head toward him; Jakub ducked again against Cheshire’s shoulder, knowing he wouldn’t be able to continue beneath eye contact. “It’s a village,” he said. “We had a little house there, and some animals. But during the war…I had to leave.” He clutched Cheshire’s arm and forced the rest of the words out. “Soldiers killed my parents, and I had to leave. I just ran and didn’t look back… Ran until I met Miklos. We snuck aboard a ship together to come to America.”

Jakub stopped. He held his breath, waiting for he didn’t know what—as if the history was a spell he had unleashed, that would somehow take form. But nothing happened. Cheshire stayed quiet beside him, waiting to see if he would say more, until eventually offering, “I’m sorry.”

Jakub waited a few beats longer, just to be sure. “I’ve never told anyone that before,” he confessed softly.

“You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to,” Cheshire said quickly.

“No, I wanted to.” He hid a smile against Cheshire’s shoulder. “I want you to know me better than anyone.”

He hoped that Cheshire found that as exhilarating as he did, but the tremor that passed through Cheshire’s broad shoulders felt like something else entirely. Before he could put a name to it, Cheshire turned, slipping free of his arm so he could instead draw Jakub’s face to his for a kiss. His mouth was heavier than Jakub was accustomed to, more insistent, and he tasted like wine and chocolate.

Jakub gripped Cheshire’s jacket and wilted. Cheshire’s kisses were strong but his hands were shaking, and he didn’t know what to make of it. His knees trembled. But when Cheshire eased back, he was smiling again, his brow slanted with sympathy and understanding.

“You don’t make it easy,” he teased, and before Jakub could duck back in embarrassment, Cheshire kissed him again. He gave up trying to escape.

I know, Jakub thought, and he slipped his arms beneath Cheshire’s jacket to wrap around his back. But you’re still here. Thank you.

Something struck Jakub lightly in the back of the head, but he ignored it at first, too caught up in Cheshire’s uncommonly deep affections. It wasn’t until Cheshire pulled back and turned his face upward that he felt droplets against his shoulders and seeping down the back of his neck.

“I guess we should head back,” said Cheshire, and a fat raindrop splattered across his glasses, just before the gentle droplets turned to downpour.

They raced back down the sidewalk together, Cheshire laughing as he tried to protect his hat beneath his jacket. By the time they reached the lobby of Cheshire’s building, they were both soaked through and panting. Inside the elevator, Cheshire pulled out his hat and laughed some more at the soaked, crumpled state of it.

“Well, I tried,” he said. He plunked the hat onto Jakub and then urged his chin up for another kiss. Jakub melted into him happily.

They tumbled into Cheshire’s apartment together and immediately stripped off their soaked clothing between long kisses. By the time they reached the bedroom they were naked and shivering from the night air on their rain-dampened skin. Jakub drew Cheshire down to him on the mattress, wanting his broader body draped over him to banish the chill. Cheshire more than obliged; he pinned Jakub down, nibbled and sucked at the tender skin of his throat. His hands were strong and scorching as they groped down Jakub’s body to his ass. It wasn’t often that he employed so much of his strength, and Jakub groaned in encouragement, arching into his every touch.

“Chesh…” Jakub murmured, and he drew his knees up so Cheshire could squirm between his thighs. Excitement had been simmering just beneath his surface ever since Cheshire’s first call; their naked bodies twisting together atop soft sheets, Cheshire’s hefty erection stroking his, sent that arousal coursing through him. He clung to Cheshire’s shoulders and was happy to let him take the lead. There was something humbling and new in the hunger Cheshire had fixed on him then, and he was ready for it—so ready that he ached, squeezing Cheshire with his thighs.

Cheshire slid two fingers between Jakub’s ass cheeks. His breath was heavy and panting. “Do you want me to—”

“Yes.” Jakub dug his heels into the backs of Cheshire’s

thighs and craned his head to cast a meaningful look at the bedside table. “Yes—hurry.”

Cheshire laughed breathlessly. Jakub didn’t want to let him go for even a moment, forcing Cheshire to drag them both to the edge of the bed. He pawed a jar of lube out of the drawer and held it while Jakub unscrewed the lid—then passed it to Jakub so he could slick his fingers, chuckling all the while. Jakub tingled at the mirth in his voice as much as with anticipation. He bit his lip and spread his knees wider as Cheshire eased two fingers inside him.

“You looked really handsome tonight,” Cheshire said huskily as he massaged Jakub’s hole. “But I think I like this look even better.”

Jakub groaned through his teeth. He reached between them to tug Cheshire’s wrist; Cheshire took the hint beautifully, stroking and plying him with greater insistence that left him quivering. When he forced himself to meet Cheshire’s gaze, it was almost overwhelming—his body throbbed against Cheshire’s fingers and already he felt close to release. He swallowed hard. “Come on—I’m ready.”

Cheshire drew his hand back, but before going further he crawled back to the center of the bed. He grabbed Jakub by the hips to drag him along; Jakub held his breath at the unexpected show of strength, and was still holding it when Cheshire thrust deftly into him.

Jakub wasn’t prepared for how different it felt to be at Cheshire’s mercy. So often he had pinned Cheshire down, guided the pace. It felt good to have the man on his terms after so many years of helplessly pining. But Cheshire leaning over him, Cheshire shoving his knees up—Cheshire inside him, pushing in deep with every firm pump of his hips—shook him like nothing he’d felt before. At first he could only moan, startled and intoxicated, as he took Cheshire’s cock over and over. He hardly felt in control of his limbs as he gripped the back of Cheshire’s neck in desperate need of stability.

Then Cheshire whispered his name, and Jakub shuddered with renewed conviction. He arched against the mattress, angling his hips to better meet his partner; he let go of what remained of his self-conscious inhibitions. And he felt Cheshire respond in kind, each thrust becoming more confident than the last. As they sped up, every ounce of tension from the evening was seared away, leaving only white-hot pleasure streaking along thrilled nerves. Leaving only Cheshire’s deep voice, and his powerful body, and the grin tugging at his sweet lips as they rocked, and moaned, and sweated against each other into a blissful, earth-shaking climax.

Jakub collapsed against the bed, skin electric and cock spent, gasping for breath. Long before he had any semblance of composure back he dragged Cheshire down to him for a kiss. Their lips fumbled lazily against each other as he sucked from Cheshire’s mouth a low, rumbling chuckle of contentment. It was his lover’s signature and he would never tire of it.

“You okay?” Cheshire asked as he helped Jakub stretch his legs back out. “Sorry—I got a little—”

“I’m fine,” Jakub said quickly, and he kissed Cheshire again to prove it. His throat burned with sudden emotion and he turned his kisses instead on Cheshire’s neck and shoulder to hide whatever his face was doing. “More than fine.”

Cheshire relaxed and nuzzled Jakub’s ear with his nose. “Good. ‘Cause you’re incredible.” Jakub wriggled with the compliment and kissed little thank yous into his skin.

After only a few minutes to catch their breath, Jakub dragged himself out of bed. “I’m going to borrow your bathroom,” he said. “If you don’t mind.”

“By all means,” said Cheshire.

Jakub took his time in the bathroom. Though he wasn’t happy about the hot water erasing the warm imprints of Cheshire’s hands on his body, it did wonders for banishing the rest of the rain’s unwelcome chill. When finished, he toweled off thoroughly—paying close attention to his prosthetic—and hurried back to the bedroom, eager to be under the blankets. But once there, he was given pause.

Cheshire wasn’t still in bed; he was standing at the open bedroom window, smoking a cigarette as he watched the rain falling on the river. He hadn’t even bothered to put on any clothes. Jakub watched him for a while, and some of his euphoria deflated the longer Cheshire failed to notice his return. When he moved closer, he even thought he detected melancholy in Cheshire’s far-away eyes. “Cheshire?”

Cheshire turned over his shoulder, with an ease that suggested he had known Jakub was there after all. “Hey.” He rejoined Jakub and offered the cigarette. “My turn?”

“…Sure.” Jakub accepted, taking a long drag as he watched Cheshire head into the bathroom. A breeze from the window gave him goosebumps; he closed the pane and hurried back into bed.

Cheshire returned only a few minutes later, without having run the shower. His skin was still cool from the rain. By then Jakub had stripped the top sheet and replaced it with a thicker blanket, and he squirmed in tight against Cheshire’s back, determined to warm him up himself if need be. He must be more tired than he was letting on, he thought, and he tightened his arm protectively around Cheshire’s ribs. I’ll make sure he sleeps in tomorrow. “Good night, Chesh.”

He pressed a kiss to the back of Cheshire’s neck; Cheshire covered Jakub’s hand with his.

“G’night, Jakub.”

***

Cheshire kept still as he felt Jakub gradually relax into slumber. He was exhausted and painfully awake at the same time, the events of the evening playing over in his head. Jakub’s warmth against his back was comforting and stifling. He dug his fingernails into his palm, where his brand still itched from Emma touching it.

Jakub knows me better than anyone, he thought. It frightened him—frightened him even more thinking of how much more there was to know. What if he knew too much?

He drew his pillow in tighter but couldn’t sleep.

***

When Jakub woke up, he slipped out of bed as quietly as he could. Cheshire grumbled in his sleep but didn’t stir, so he tucked him in, borrowed a bathrobe, and headed into the next room. Their shed clothing he hung up around the room to better dry, and he started heating water for coffee. The storm had moved on during the night, leaving only a spattering of clouds and a cool breeze from the river. Jakub smiled to himself as he dug through Cheshire’s pantry in search of suitable breakfast ingredients.

Cheshire emerged half an hour later. “You had eggs,” said Jakub as he prodded them around a sizzling pan. “And there’s some cheese, if you want.”

“Sure,” said Cheshire as he took a seat at the kitchen table.

He smothered a harsh cough against his fist, and

Jakub turned to get a better look at him; he had dressed in long underwear and was leaning against the table, his chin in his palm. His eyes were half lidded with sleep and his brow was heavily creased as he stared blearily around the kitchen. Frowning, Jakub poured him some coffee and set the mug in front of him.

“Thanks,” said Cheshire, and that time Jakub could clearly hear a roughness in his voice.

“You all right?” Jakub asked, watching as Cheshire took a ginger sip. “You look like you should still be in bed.”

“‘m just tired,” Cheshire replied, but after having to cover another cough and enduring Jakub’s intense frown, he surrendered the truth. “I might be coming down with a cold.”

Jakub smoothed Cheshire’s hair back to palm his forehead. “You don’t feel warm. Let’s get you some breakfast and then back to bed.”

He carded his fingers back through Cheshire’s hair; Cheshire’s lazy smile at the affection made his heart flutter. “Thanks,” said Cheshire. “Smells good.”

Jakub returned to the stove, giving the eggs only another minute before sliding them onto plates. “You should have dried off better last night,” he scolded gently as he set Cheshire’s breakfast in front of him. “That rain couldn’t have helped.”

“Yeah, probably.” Cheshire managed a smirk as he cut the eggs with his fork. “What a night, though.”

Jakub blushed, hiding behind a gulp from his coffee. “What a night,” he agreed.

“Not only a great time,” Cheshire continued, “but I think we can call it the first successful evening we’ve spent with Herb. Maybe things are looking up.”

Jakub frowned around a bite of his eggs. It had been such a whirlwind evening he’d forgotten Hannah’s marching orders from back in his apartment. “Maybe because we didn’t spend the time with Herb,” he said carefully. “I’ll have to think of something to tell Hannah.”

Cheshire’s brow rose. “Hannah?”

“She stopped by right after I got your call,” Jakub explained. “It…would have been hard to explain how I was dressed without telling her something.”

“Very true.” Though Cheshire was smiling, he seemed too tired to disguise his trepidation. “So? What did she say?”

Jakub stalled with a mouthful of food; he suddenly wished he hadn’t brought it up at all. “She was hoping I could use this dinner to get some dirt on Masterson,” he admitted. “She’s…concerned. She thinks we should be trying to beat Manhattan rather than playing nice with them.”

“If she has a plan for that, I’m all ears,” said Cheshire. “Unless you mean, she’s still mad I didn’t just let Herb die when I had the chance.”

“She didn’t say that.” Jakub frowned, realizing that she had probably been thinking it all the same. “You did the right thing,” he said firmly. “And it’s not fair that they put so much on you. I tried to tell her that.”

Cheshire snorted quietly, which then prompted another round of coughing. “Thanks, but at this point I don’t know what it’s going to take to prove myself to any of them.”

This isn’t the morning I wanted, Jakub thought, his shoulders sinking. Last night was so incredible. He took one more gulp of coffee and then set his mug down loudly enough that Cheshire blinked at him in surprise. With a deep breath he scooted his chair closer.

“Don’t worry about them,” Jakub said, and he took Cheshire’s hand for a squeeze. “I trust your judgment. Just keep doing what you think is right.”

Cheshire smiled, still weary but sincere. He turned his wrist so he could grip Jakub back more easily. “Thank you.” He kissed the back of Jakub’s palm and then tried to slip free. “You should take off, though,” he said. “I don’t want to get you sick, too.”

Jakub scoffed and pushed to his feet. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said. “Who would take care of you?” He kissed the top of Cheshire’s head to prove it. “Finish your breakfast and go back to bed. I’ll clean up, and if Burke shows up about work I’ll scare him off.”

That provoked a chuckle out of Cheshire, and he drew his plate closer. “Yes, sir.”

Cheshire followed orders, finishing his eggs and coffee before retreating back to bed. Jakub, still enjoying the oversized bathrobe, cleaned their dishes and a few more things around the apartment. He still kept a set of tools at Cheshire’s place, so he even felt bold enough to take the forearm plate off his prosthetic, just to make sure the interior hadn’t taken too much moisture from the rain. Then he slipped back in the bedroom to check on Cheshire.

He was asleep again, though fitfully so. Jakub watched him for a while, and then at last he crawled back into bed with him. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, he thought, sidling in close against Cheshire’s back. Or what they know, or what they do. He has me. He unbuttoned Cheshire’s long johns at the chest so he could sneak his hand inside, and was relieved when Cheshire instinctively reached for him back. And I’m going to protect him.