“What are we doing here?” Mark asked.
Cyrus thought about his answer. He didn’t want to live day by day, not knowing love and being afraid of who and what he was. “I want to be with you,” he said.
Mark frowned. “It sure didn’t seem like that two days ago when you were calling me a cab.”
Ugh. Cyrus wished that had never happened. “I’m so sorry about that.”
“I know I was getting intense,” Mark said. “It’s just that, they killed my brother. If it weren’t for the dragons, he’d be alive. So I’m terrified and confused, and you just sent me away like, like, I don’t know.”
“I’m scared, too,” Cyrus said. At least he was being honest about that part. He was fucking terrified. “I don’t know what any of this means—I don’t know what it means that the dragons are out to the world again. And I don’t know exactly what it is between you and me. It’s strong, though, I know that. Do you feel it, too?”
Mark paced back and forth, kicking at the snow. “Yeah, I feel it.”
“I just, I feel like we’re meant to be together.”
Mark nodded, but he looked miserable.
“I had something serious before,” Cyrus said. “Back when I lived in New York. Great guy. We’d been seeing each other for a year, and we were talking about moving in together.”
“What happened?” Mark asked.
“I couldn’t—I got too scared. There are dark parts of me that no one can know about. And I didn’t think I could trust him with that, even though he was so understanding and he really loved me, I could tell. At least he thought he did. And I thought I loved him, too. But at the same time, I knew that if it came down to it and he learned more about me, and if I ever felt like I just couldn’t hide from him anymore, that he’d take off running.”
“It can’t be so bad,” Mark said.
“You have no idea. And I don’t want you to. But I want to try, and I completely understand if you aren’t on board with it. I just want you to know, up front, the things that hold me back in a relationship.”
“I’m—I’m tired of hurting,” Mark said. “The only time I’ve been really, truly happy is when I’m with you.”
Cyrus’s heart raced. “So you’re willing to give this a chance?”
“Yeah. I guess I am.” Mark looked up at Cyrus then, and their gazes locked.
“If you trust me with this, then I have hope that someday I’ll be able to share my secrets, those dark parts of myself, with you.”
“I hope for that, too. You’re so special, Cyrus, and I don’t think you realize what a great guy you are.”
“I was an asshole the other day,” Cyrus said, “but I’ll work for however long it takes to make things up to you.”
“No more cab rides home by myself the next day?”
“Never again.”
Mark nodded. “All right.”
“So you’ll go out with me? Dinner, tomorrow night?”
Stepping forward, Mark pulled Cyrus into a hug. For the first time in two days, Cyrus felt cared for and protected.
“Yes,” Mark whispered. “Yes, I’ll go out to dinner with you.”
Mark
At the hospital the next day, Mark waited in line with the other nurses. They’d arrived early to take the dragon test. The corridor was crowded with other people waiting for the test, too. Members of the public had been informed that the hospital was a testing center, and overflow from private physician facilities had come here.
Mark stamped his feet, feeling impatient. He was here to show his support for the testing movement. Everybody would prove they were fully human and get tattoos to show the rest of the world that they were absolutely pure, that they weren’t the enemy. The idea of having ink done didn’t thrill Mark, but he was willing to make the sacrifice to remind himself and others that he was on the side of humanity.
Dolf was in line behind him, as well as a few other nurses he was sort of friendly with. Sharise, however, eyed them from the counter. “I don’t agree with what y’all are doing,” she said pointedly.
“Aw, Sharise, why not?” Dolf asked. “It’s not hurting anyone.”
“Reminds me too much of a time in history when people tried to say one kind of person was better than another.” She snorted. “Oh wait, did I say ‘a time,’ singular? How about all the times when that happened. It never worked out well for anyone.”
“But that’s talking about people,” Dolf said. “We’re talking about dragons. Not the same, at all.”
Jenny, at the counter behind the testing station, gave Sharise and Dolf a dirty look. “It’s not time to be talking about this,” she said in warning.
Sharise processed paperwork for the next person up to be tested and said loudly, “Besides, a dragon could just as easily go somewhere and get the same tattoo.”
“No one would give it to them unless they had the paperwork,” Dolf argued.
She snorted again. “Unless they have a dragon friend who happens to be a tattoo artist.”
Mark threw his hands in the air. “I’m still getting the test done, Sharise, so leave me alone.”
“Putting a mark on you—a permanent mark—is like saying you bear the sign of goodness, and all dragons are evil.”
“That’s enough, Sharise,” Jenny said. “We have a job to do. Let’s just do it.”
Mark shuffled forward as the line moved. Maybe Sharise had a point, but it wasn’t his place to make that decision. He wanted the test to show whose side he was on, and what that meant for the dragons who’d been hiding in plain sight, well, he couldn’t care too much about them. If they were really all that harmless, why hadn’t they come forward before now?
How could dragons be harmless, anyway? They were the reason Eli had died. Eli had been trying to help people because the dragons had caused tsunamis and floods. Everything bad in Mark’s life was the direct result of the dragons trying to hurt people.
Jenny smiled at him when he reached the counter. “Sharise can’t talk you out of this?” she asked.
“Nope.”
“I suppose I can’t, either?”
“Et tu, Jenny?” he asked with a grin, but it still hurt that she didn’t agree with him.
“I just think that this whole blood test and tattoo thing, so soon, is like stating your allegiances before we even have all the information. That’s all. But I understand your decision.” She hugged him hard, and he hugged her back.
“Thanks, friend.”
Because Mark was a nurse, he didn’t have any hang-ups about blood. Still, he wasn’t crazy about having his own blood drawn. While his blood flowed into the little vial, he thought about his upcoming date with Cyrus. Dinner, Cyrus had said. Maybe afterward, the two of them could walk around the park in the center of town. Mark had heard that the city put up twinkle lights everywhere to give it a festive feel.
“You’ll have your results tomorrow,” the lab technician told him. “Good luck.”
He sniffed. He didn’t need good luck; he just needed to be able to get that tattoo and tell the world whose side he was on. Humanity’s side.
***
Choosing clothes to wear for the date was nearly impossible. Mark had gotten a few new things after the fire, because everything had smelled so strongly of smoke even after Jenny had so kindly washed them for him. But there wasn’t time to get anything new for going out. Mark frowned because it didn’t feel right. He and Cyrus were going to make a real effort at a relationship, but already Mark was at disadvantage.
Jenny came home, nudging the door closed behind her. “Got you something,” she said.
“Tell me it’s a whole new wardrobe,” Mark groaned.
“Ha. Close, though.” She tossed him a shopping bag.
Opening it, he felt a smile form on his face. An auburn sweater was inside. He reached in and caressed the soft fabric. “This is perfect! Normally I don’t do reds, but this is just, oh, Jenny, thank you!”
There was a knock at the door,
and Mark rushed to pull the sweater on. “He’s here!”
Mark started for the door, but Jenny stopped him with a laugh.
“Hang on there, cowboy,” she said, holding up the kitchen scissors. “I need to cut your tags off.”
“Oh, right.” He chuckled. “How much do I owe you for the sweater?”
“Not a penny. Consider it a thank-you gift.”
“A thank-you? For what? I’m the one who should be thanking you.”
She smiled. “You have no idea how much it means to me to see you finally meeting someone and falling for him. I’m so grateful.”
They hugged, and then he was at the door, drinking in Cyrus’s large, muscular form with his gaze.
“Hi,” Mark whispered.
Cyrus smiled. “Hi. You ready?”
Mark gave Jenny another quick hug and followed Cyrus down the hall. “Where are we going?”
“You like Thai food?”
“Love it.”
“Then that’s where we’re going.”
***
The restaurant was tiny and family-owned. The walls were a deep blue and covered in dozens of gilded mirrors. It made the place feel like a palace. “I can’t believe I’ve never been here,” Mark said. “I just never even noticed it.”
“Zane, one of the guys at the station, told me about it.”
“The red-haired guy you were with the other night?”
“Yeah. I asked him where I should bring a date, and he suggested this place.”
After they ordered, Mark sipped his Thai iced tea and asked, “How’d you get into firefighting?”
“Good question,” Cyrus said. “Truth is, I never put a lot of thought into it. Mostly I wanted to do some good in the world. Save lives. I’ve never been particularly scared of fire, and I like the schedule, so it felt natural.”
“You sound like my brother,” Mark said. “He wanted to help people, too.”
“I wish I could have met him,” Cyrus said quietly.
“He’d have loved you. He had a knack for finding good friends.”
“Is that all I am?” Cyrus said in a teasing tone. “A friend?”
“God I hope not,” Mark said, laughing.
Cyrus sipped his beer. “So how did work go today?”
Mark frowned. “Super busy. People are panicking about the dragons, even here in Prospect. We had a lot of people show up to get their blood drawn.” He held up his arm and pointed to his elbow. “I even had blood drawn for testing.”
“Why’d you do that?” Cyrus’s tone was sharper than Mark expected.
“Well, because. It seems like the right thing to do. Test, tattoo, show the world I’m not dangerous. Nobody has to fear me, because I’m human. It’s a public service.”
Cyrus’s mouth had closed to a thin line. Shit, Mark hadn’t meant to upset him. What if Cyrus was one of the people advocating for dragon rights? Mark didn’t understand. Cyrus knew where he was coming from on this.
Cyrus
Cyrus needed to get his emotions under control before he ruined his date with Mark. It wasn’t Mark’s fault that people were being idiots about the dragon testing. This was shared, massive reaction to a major, worldwide trauma.
He tried to soften his tone. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to come off as judgmental for this choice. I just was thinking the testing will be just another way for people to show prejudice and hurt beings that are ‘other.’”
“But dragons are other,” Mark said.
“I know.” Cyrus knew it better than anyone else, actually.
He was even getting some pressure from the fire station to have testing done. Even Zane had gotten tested and gotten the tattoo. Cyrus had nearly exploded when he saw it over lunch with Zane that day. He’d pointed at the tiny shaded-in square, wordless.
“I might not agree with it,” Zane had said, frowning, “but if it helps the people we save feel more comfortable, then yeah, I’ll get the damn tattoo.”
Cyrus shook off the unpleasant memory. He’d felt so betrayed by Zane getting the tattoo, but that would be nothing to what he felt when Mark got it, too. Instead of brooding over it, he hunted for a new topic—they had to change the subject, and fast.
“Let’s talk about something else,” he said.
Their food had arrived, and Mark took a bite and closed his eyes, seeming blissful at the first mouthful of red curry.
“I can talk about how great the food is here,” Mark said, before quickly taking another bite.
Cyrus took a bite from his own dish of noodles. “Wow. That is amazing.”
Mark nodded. “You know, I can tell we don’t exactly see eye to eye on the whole dragon testing issue. But I love that we’re not going to let it interfere with our date.”
“Of course not,” Cyrus said. “You’re more important than that.”
“Or maybe you just really want to get laid tonight.”
Cyrus sputtered, then laughed as he recovered. “I’m hoping that means a sleepover is on the menu?”
Mark’s smile was nothing but wicked. “Who said anything about sleeping?”
“You’re killing me.” Cyrus shifted in his seat, trying to make more room in his jeans for his hardening cock.
Mark laughed and started telling Cyrus about the hospital. Cyrus was happy to listen to stories about drama between the doctors and nurses.
At the end of the meal, the two walked out to Cyrus’s truck. Cyrus couldn’t resist crowding Mark against the truck door as he opened it—it reminded him of how he’d pinned Mark against the wall during their first night together.
“Are you coming home with me?” he breathed into Mark’s ear.
“As if I could say no to you,” Mark said, brushing his lips against Cyrus’s cheek.
Cyrus shivered. Tonight would be special, just like the other night had been. Something told him Mark would be his undoing.
Mark
Mark rushed into the hospital the next morning. It was tempting to veer off to the north wing and check in at the lab with Jenny, but he was already late.
Cyrus had tried to get him up early, but Mark had just snuggled into Cyrus’s warm embrace and begged for five more minutes. Then five more. Then five more.
“Why didn’t you make me get up?” he accused on the way to the hospital.
“I tried,” Cyrus said. “But you were so cute when you begged.”
Now in the hallway approaching the nurse’s locker room, Mark sighed. He’d begged Cyrus for a lot more than sleep last night. Numerous times Cyrus had brought him close to climax, then held off. In the end, Mark had to plead with Cyrus to let him come.
He forced himself to count backward from twenty so he wouldn’t get a hard-on. And he’d have to be careful all day because it would be even worse to get one while wearing his scrubs.
“Mark! Over here!”
He looked up and saw Jenny. She looked wan, and he rushed over to her in concern. “You okay?”
“Fine. Just up late.”
He pulled her into a hug. “Something bothering you?”
“No, not at all.” Her brow crinkled too much.
“I can tell when you’re lying, you know.”
“Fine. It’s just all this dragon testing stuff. But it’s okay. I mean, it will be.”
“So, look.” He lowered his voice. “I know you guys were slammed yesterday. But is there any chance my results might be in? The sooner I get my paperwork all signed, the sooner I can get my tattoo and move on, you know?”
“Oh, yeah. Um, let me check.” She hurried behind the counter and typed some commands into the computer. “Let’s see…Rollens…there you are. Results are in!”
“Great! Can you print that out for me? I’ll try to hit the tattoo parlor on my break.”
Her forehead crinkled again. “Yeah, sure, no problem. Here we go.”
She typed a few more things into the computer, and the printer started whirring behind her.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Mark aske
d.
“Totally.” She whipped the print-out from its tray and handed it to him. “Congratulations, human.”
***
“It would just be more fun if we could get our tattoos together,” Mark said.
Cyrus scowled at him from across his dining room table. “I don’t want a tattoo.”
Mark clenched his fork in his hand tighter so he could refrain from throwing it down on the table like a misbehaving child. But he really wanted to throw the fork.
The tattoo parlor had been completely booked when he’d gone in for his tattoo yesterday during his break, so he’d had to schedule an appointment. They wouldn’t be able to fit him in until the following week. He’d decided to look on the bright side and determined that at least this way, he could go in with Cyrus. If Cyrus would cooperate, anyway.
He got up from the table and started clearing dishes. “I guess I’ll just have to get the tattoo by myself. But Cyrus, dammit, would you at least come with me?”
“No.” Cyrus came up behind him, crowding Mark against the counter.
Instantly, Mark was turned on. “Don’t change the subject,” he said, but there was no real censure in his words.
“But I want to change the subject,” Cyrus breathed, nibbling at Mark’s ear. “I want to make you say something else. Like, please let me come, Cyrus, and oh, Cyrus, yes.”
Mark reached back, touching Cyrus’s hardness. He supposed he could be distracted for a little while.
But only for a little while, because he really wanted Cyrus to get his tattoo at the same time as him.
***
After the amazing session Cyrus had started in the kitchen, which had moved to the living room and finally up to the bedroom, Mark left the warmth of Cyrus’s arms. He walked into the bathroom and found the spare toothbrush Cyrus had given him. After flossing, he tossed the used string in the wastebasket and noticed a flash of color. Another toothbrush, but the end of it looked mangled.
No, not mangled. Melted.
Surely it couldn’t mean…
Mark felt cold all over. He wanted nothing more than to climb back into bed with Cyrus and pretend he’d never seen this toothbrush.
No, really, he reasoned with himself. It didn’t mean anything. Nothing at all.
Arrested by the Dragon: Gay Police Paranormal Romance Page 11
