Page 42 of Cosmo

When that didn’t get a response, he huffed out a breath that smelled vaguely reminiscent of brimstone.

“Are you all right?” Cosmo came hurrying over, expression concerned. “Is everything all right?”

“Oh, mate.” He sighed. “I itch. I itch most terribly.”

“It’s all right, I’ll scratch you. Here.” Cosmo held out his hands, and Hawk shook his head.

“No, no, no. I was wondering… I have tea and lovely sandwiches and cookies and chalk already in the bag. I have the urge to explore.”

A hint of light lit up his mate’s eyes, and he was on the right track. “Are you sure it’s safe?”

“Absolutely not. It could be incredibly naughty. Let’s go down to the basement.” He went for his best grin, which could at times be considered incredibly toothy. Thank goodness Cosmo loved him.

“Oh, the basement. Do you think we could go right now? Would be so nice to just do something rather than…nothing.”

He held up his little pack. He hadn’t put it together, of course. His wonderful housemates had, but it was all meant well. He’d asked for it. “We could go right now.”

Then he held out his hand, and he was so pleased when Cosmo’s fingers twined with his. They were warm, the touch solid for the first time in days. Present.

They didn’t even tell Corbin and Cullen where they were going, but they didn’t have to.

The triplets were eternally bonded, and there was absolutely no doubt they could feel Cosmo’s excitement, his eagerness to go wander.

The big basement door was in the kitchen, and he pulled it open, laughing as it made it horrific screech.

“No matter how many times I oil this door,” he told Cosmo. “It makes this noise. I think it’s haunted.”

Cosmo peered at the door, taking specific interest in the hinges. “I think perhaps you’re right, at least partially. More inhabited and less haunted. It seems as if there may be a tiny sprite living inside the upper hinge.”

“Well, I’ll stop pouring oil into your home,” he yelled toward the door, and he swore he heard a tiny?—

“That would be much appreciated.”

His Cosmo was handy as a pocket on a shirt.

They wandered down the big stairs, which were nowhere near as terrifying as one would think basement stairs ought to be. They were wide and stone and suitable for a dragon who might have to shift in very close quarters, especially a very big dragon, and so it was quite the easy wander down.

The walls were covered in tapestries to warm everything a bit. There were some images of dragons, some of mighty towers, some familial crests.

But for the most part, they were bucolic landscapes.

Hawk liked the idea of the sun being down in the basement and flowers and growing things. Not that things in the dark didn’t grow, but for the most part, they could be unpleasant.

“These are beautiful,” Cosmo told him. “I don’t remember them being here when I peeked in.”

“No, no, that basement is the not-me basement.”

“The not-you basement?” Cosmo chuckled softly.

“Yes, it takes a certain will, if you would like, to see my basement. The other basement is more for show. Like a pretend basement. It’s quite dank, and I let odd things grow there. It discourages too much investigation.”

Cosmo rolled with his laughter. “I like it.”

“Thank you, my love. I thought it was rather clever.” He smiled and bounced, because it was all brand new, showing things to Cosmo. In all honesty, some of it was new to him anyway. There were so many things that were different, but he knew where they were going. Vaguely.

Hawk led Cosmo down a large flagstone hallway. The walls were covered in more tapestries, and as they got farther down, the stones warmed under their feet. Like most dragon hideouts, his had a geothermal pocket to it. It didn’t have hot springs, but it did have the handy sandpit.

He really did enjoy that. He could smell the vaguely sulfurous smell that one usually associated with mineral waters. But in this case, it would be the heat rising off the sand, so they had to be close.

---