Page 35 of Hellfire & Tinsel
That didn’t really tell Kassel much.
“Is something wrong?” he asked, glancing down at himself. “Is this not properly human looking?”
“No, no!” Beau shook his head. Kassel caught the hint of a frown as he resumed his previous task of layering on as many clothes as he could find on the hook by the front door. “You look… very human.”
Kassel was unsure why that seemed to be a problem. Wasn’t that the point? Maybe Beau was upset about something else. They needed to get to the winter fair quickly so Beau could be happy again.
He conjured some thicker clothes and layers as well to match Beau’s dress code. He figured Beau knew what he was doing.
“You need a hat,” Beau said once he noticed. “And a scarf and some gloves.”
Kassel was about to conjure the items into reality when he felt something attacking his head. It was fuzzy, bright purple, and smelled like cinnamon sugar. It was also covering where one of his eyes would be in his true form, making it highly uncomfortable.
“I could have done it,” Kassel said, but Beau shook his head.
“I made this,” he said, and Kassel realized his pale cheeks had turned pink.
Beau reached out again and adjusted the hat, able to reach over his head with little problem with Kassel in this form. He shifted it back from where Kassel’s eye would have been in the middle of his forehead, as if he knew instinctively that it would bother him. He fussed with it for a moment more, adjusting the fuzzy ball on top before he stepped back.
“There,” Beau said. “That looks good.”
“Thank you.”
Beau smiled that shy smile again, but kept looking at him expectantly.
Kassel cast about for what it could be, cursing this form for its blocking of his natural vision. It was like having sheer gauze held in front of his face and he was still getting used to it.
“Am I supposed to do something now?” he asked.
Beau scuffed the toe of his boot on the floor. “Sometimes, when people really like a gift, they give one in return…”
Kassel patted his empty human pockets. “I don’t have anything.”
“You do.”
“I do?”
Beau nodded, puckering his lips slightly.
Kassel frowned. “You already exceeded the kiss limit we put in place, and it hasn’t even been twenty-four hours.”
“It doesn't count if it’s a gift.” Beau’s voice bordered a whine.
The deception was pathetic at best. Beau was too good to con or cheat. He was also too good to ignore the rules put in place and take a kiss for himself.
Finding himself wanting to smile in this human form, the muscles reacting differently to his thoughts, he bent down to place a kiss to Beau’s mouth… only the distance was different now and his depth perception was all off.
They ended up knocking noses and heads.
“Ow!” Beau complained, cupping his face.
Kassel jumped into action, checking him over with his stupid, clumsy hands. He cupped Beau’s ear with one while he removed Beau’s hand with the other. His red nose didn’t seem to be horribly mangled. He was pouting again though, which was worse.
“We need to get to the fair now,” Kassel declared.
“Wha—”
Beau barely had a chance to grab the rest of his outer attire before Kassel was yanking him from the house and down the darkening street.
