Love and Other Magical Adventures

sixteen

We sat drinking coffee mixed with chocolate the next day just before noon, lazy as we awaited Grim's return. Our beds had become one during the night, and waking up tangled together made reality a lot less harsh. We were easy together, which was not always the case after romance gets physical, but I'd known we would be.

She pushed the small marshmallows in her cup down with her spoon. "Can you still talk to Grimmer telepathically?"

I shook my head. "No. It only can be maintained for a certain distance." The little puffball clouds in the sky were being blown aside by darker, larger ones. I hoped it wasn't going to rain. 

She winced a little in sympathy. "That must be strange for you."

"Oh, it is," I agreed mildly. "Kinda like that feeling where you know you're forgetting something you're supposed to do, but you can't think of what it is. Only, um, a lot stronger." Part of me was constantly in alarm mode, anxiously questioning, "Where's Grim? Where's Grim? Where's Grim?" It was annoying and unsettling. "He'll probably be back soon though."

I'd no sooner said it than I could feel him suddenly, safe and in a much improved mood. Did I miss anything good? he sent and then picked up my vibes. Damn, never mind. I see congratulations are in order.

They so are, I replied happily. And you're one to talk, I added, because his mental images included a grey dragon who happened to be female. Luckily the pictures were free from intimate moments; we'd gotten good at hiding those sorts of things, more from politeness than secrecy. We didn't have secrets from each other.

"He's returned," Sylvie observed, and I looked at her quizzically. She smiled. "You sort of tune out when the two of you are talking. Communicating. Whatever it's called."

"Sorry," I said sheepishly. "I know it's kind of rude."

"No, not at all," she protested, putting her hand up a little against the apology. "Its not rude. I get it."

"Thanks for understanding." It was a relief that she wasn't put off by it, that she was so accepting of me the way I was. I hoped it would last.

Because one thing I'd learned in my life was I seemed to often be both not enough and too much, somehow.

Oh stop it, Grim sent, even though he knew it was the truth. Those are not our people, and we do not care what they think, because they are wrong and stupid and don't deserve us, he reminded me.

You're right, I admitted.

Naturally.

I thought of something else. "So," I said aloud, reluctant to point out any drawbacks of being with me but wanting her to be fully aware of what she could expect. "Just so you get what you're getting into," I half-joked. "I'm pretty much always going to know how you are feeling, especially as we become more familiar with each other and your guard is down most of the time. If you're sad, I'm going to know it. If you're mad at me, I'm going to know it." I shrugged. "It can be a real pain, not having private emotions."

She appraised me. "I've considered that, and find it unconcerning. Even if you couldn't see my feelings I'm sure you would recognize them anyway." She took my hand. "I accept you for who you are, Lorali, all of you. More than that, I celebrate who you are."

"Same," I whispered, meaning it. This was too good to be true. She's too good to be true, right? I sent Grim, genuinely a little worried. There's a catch I'm missing?

He snorted with laughter, very close now. I think not, he said. But of course only time will tell.

I hoped time would be kind.