Niko’s habit of spending most of his time in the basement studio was starting to wear on Mallomor’s patience. He went down there, hearing loud, aggressive music sung in Faroese. 

 

“Niko? What the Heaven are you listening to?”

Niko paused the music. “Tyr? Why?”

 

“This is what music is like these days?”

 

“No, it came out in…’97, I think. A while ago.”

 

Mallomor was in shock. “What the hell happened to ragtime?”

 

“Oh, y’know, changing trends. Do you have anything particular you want to hear?”

 

Mallomor’s mind was blank. 

 

“Well, tell me when you remember.”

 

Niko went back to making his 141st thumbnail. 

 

Mallomor got an idea to get Niko out of the basement. Niko was sitting on a stool, allowing him to wrap his arms around Niko.

 

Niko put down his pencil. “Mallomor,  I’m busy.”

 

“Then take a break. I want to see you. Please?”

 

“I have work to do right now. See you later, OK?”

 

Mallomor lightly kissed Niko’s neck and disappeared. 

 

Niko was surprised, rubbing the area where he was kissed, and shrugged it off. He liked Mallomor’s touch, but he had work to do. 

 

When he walked out of the basement to get a refill of water, Mallomor ambushed him.

 

“Are you done yet?”

 

“Not yet. Just be patient, like you were before.”

 

Niko walked over to the fridge to the ice machine. Mallomor was frustrated.

 

“But we weren’t beaus before!”

 

Niko glanced over at his shoulder. “Beaus?”

 

“Sorry-I meant to say boyfriends.” 

Niko nodded, filling up his water bottle. He went back to the basement, but Mallomor blocked his path.

 

“How about a dinner date?”

 

Niko was confused. “How can we? We’re nearly a hundred miles from the nearest port-”

 

“Let’s do it here. I can make something Turkish easily.”

 

“Well, I’m kind of a picky eater…”

 

Mallomor sighed. “Make a list, but don’t worry, it’ll be good.”

 

The next time he got out of the basement, he saw Mallomor setting the table. 

 

“Looks good, smells terrific!”

 

“Not as romantic as I’d like, but there are no flowers in the ocean.”

 

Niko scoffed. “There’s coral and sea anemones! They can serve as flowers!

What did you mean by ‘not as romantic as you’d like’?” 

 

“It looks a bit too...simple for a date, don’t you think?”

 

“I don’t care if we’re having an outdoor dinner with a white tablecloth and fine wine looking over Paris. If the food is good, that’s all that matters.”

 

Mallomor smiled. “This is why I love you, you’re practical.”

 

“Thank you. Now, let’s eat.”

 

Mallomor hadn’t let Niko down, it was really good. It was inegol kofte, grilled meat cylinders made of lamb, breadcrumbs, and onions. Like Lay’s Potato Chips, Niko couldn’t eat just one. 

 

After the dinner, Niko and Mallomor loaded the dishwasher and sat in the living room. 

 

Niko chose old fashioned furniture, like the ones in your grandmother’s house, but instead of having bright, floral patterns on them, they had rich, dark colors with damask print.

 

Mallomor had taken the couch, and Niko the armchair. It bothered Mallo that he wasn’t sitting with Niko.

 

“Niko, get over here.”

 

Niko stopped scratching the armrest. “Hm? Why?”

 

“I want to hold you.”

 

Niko blushed a bit. “Fine, if it makes you happy.”

 

Being this close to Mallomor was different. He simultaneously was able to ignore and be hyper aware of how demonic he was. His touch was warm and inviting, but he couldn’t forget the swishing of his tail or the fluttering of his wings.

 

It bothered Mallomor that Niko would just not stay still. He’d always shift and squirm, not in any position for long. 

 

“Why won’t you stay still?”

 

“I can stay still when I’m dead!”

 

Mallomor laughed. “Don’t change, Niko.”

 

Tsarina walked by, observing. Not in a judgemental way, just observing, her amber eyes were dewy in the fading light. 

 

Niko noticed her. “Hi Tsarina, want a pet?”

 

Tsarina jumped up to the couch. Niko stroked her fur, and she purred.

 

Mallomor put a hand on Niko’s shoulder. “Can we resume?”

 

Niko nodded, putting an arm around Mallomor’s waist. His second mouth began to drool.

 

“Stop, or I’ll stitch your mouth shut!” It stopped drooling, taking on an expression of fear. 

 

When he looked at Niko again, he felt like kissing him, right then and there. His slit pupils narrowed, his ears perked up. He nudged Niko on his back, Mallomor on top of him.

 

Niko noticed something was different with Mallomor, but wasn’t sure what. “Mallo? What happened?”

 

“I want to kiss you. I need to kiss you.”

 

Niko was still aloof. “Alright, where do you want to kiss me?”

 

“Everywhere.” Mallomor said this without thinking.

 

“Out of the question. Try something else.”

 

Mallomor touched his forehead to Niko. “Lips?”

 

Niko flushed a bit more. “Isn’t it a bit too quick for a first kiss? We’ve only been together for 2 days.”

 

“Time doesn’t matter. If you want it, tell me.”

 

“I want it.” 

 

The kiss they shared was full of longing and passion on both their parts. When it was over, Niko was out of breath.

 

“That was really fucking good!” 

 

Mallomor grinned, putting a claw on Niko’s thigh.

“We can do other things, you know…”

 

Niko laughed. “Well, I had to tell you eventually. I’m asexual.”

 

Mallomor was stunned. The one thing he’d always wanted to do with Niko turned out to be impossible. Well, he could still do it, but if Niko wasn’t into it, what was the point?

 

He saw Tsarina, her smoky gray coat glowing in the moonlight. Standing on her hind legs, he swore she was grinning at him. 

 

He glared at her, and went back to looking at Niko, who was rubbing his lips with the back of his hand. 

 

“Why are you doing that?”

 

“Just something I do. Don’t worry about it.”

 

Mallomor laid on top of Niko.

“It’s refreshing to find someone so...comfortable, you know?”

 

Niko understood this statement. 

 

“I see. It’s not something I like to make a fuss about.” 

 

Niko meant to say that his romantic attraction didn’t define him, but Mallomor interpreted it as him hiding it from most people. 

 

It’s not as if this difference in interpretation will cause tension, will it? 

WRONG!