Page 57 of The Loneliest Dragon at Christmas
CHAPTER 29
“Well. Time to set off.” Jack pulled his coat on.
Avery stepped in close and did up Jack’s buttons, fingers lingering. Avery ran his hands along the front of Jack’s coat, stroking the material. He raised his golden gaze to Jack’s and leaned forward to kiss him.
After a long kiss, Avery stepped back. “All right. Let’s go.”
Five days they’d been snowed in together. It had to come to an end sometime.
But that didn’t mean they had to end.
They set out from Avery’s apartments. Already the streets in this area had been cleared now that the snow had stopped. But some snow still piled up against the sides of buildings. The sun shone weakly, and the remaining snow glistened.
Jack threaded his fingers through Avery’s as they made their way through the city. A brisk breeze brushed Jack’s cheeks.
He tried not to feel nervous. Avery had been to the bakery before. Avery liked the bakery. Still, Jack couldn’t help but compare Avery’s home to his own. And with every step, his self-consciousness grew.
As they walked, the districts they entered became poorer. The streets narrowed. The snow had not been cleared away.Instead, it turned to slush and mud beneath carriage wheels and pedestrians’ feet. The houses grew smaller. Roofs sagged. Paint faded and chipped.
Jack kept glancing at Avery, expecting to see judgement. But instead, he saw Avery gazing at some children playing in the snow. Avery laughed as a wayward snowball almost hit him, as if completely unaware that most rich snobs wouldn’t be caught dead in this part of town.
They reached the bakery and went around the back.
Avery looked around the shabby alley. “I’ve never been this way before.” But he sounded interested, not judgemental.
Jack gripped the door handle. He noticed the chipped door-frame and the paint on the door flaking. He’d never noticed any of that before. But with Avery with him, he suddenly noticed all the imperfections of his home.
Taking a deep breath, he turned the handle and stepped in.
“Jack!” Cas dropped the dough from his hands and flew across the room, throwing his arms around Jack.
Jack hugged him back. “Hi, Cas.”
The rest of his siblings who were present gathered around him.
“Good to see you are alive.” Leo chuckled.
“I’m sorry if I worried you.” Guilt tightened Jack’s gut. “Did Uzoth tell you I was all right?”
“He did,” Jasper said. “But it’s good to see you for ourselves.”
“We’re just glad he was safe with you.” Lacy smiled at Avery. She glanced at Jack, a question glinting in her eyes. She opened her mouth.
The back door banged open, and Grady came in. He paused when he saw Jack. “Oh, good. You’re back.” Grady looked over the room. “Anyone actually working in here?”
With a flurry of apologies, everyone returned to work.
Grady came over to Jack. “You good?”
Jack nodded. He placed a hand on Avery’s arm. “Avery looked after me.”
Grady gave a half-smile. “I’m glad.”
“And since when do you have a gargoyle running around for you?” Jack asked.
“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later.” Grady looked at Avery. “Thank you for looking after Jack. You should stick around for a bit.”
“Oh no.” Avery held up his hands. “I wouldn’t want to impose.”
