Cupiō

"Birdie, what are we doing in New Orleans?"

"We're going to make some love matches," she replies and I furrow my brows at her.

"You hate making love matches, it's why you're my assistant."

"But you love making love matches. I thought this might cheer you up," she says, and how in the world can I say no to that? She wants to do something she knows I like, even though she hates it—this is definitely the real deal.

"Holy shit. Can I shoot one? Love would never let me touch her bow and arrow," Gloom says, and Ladybird just hands her bow right over to him.

"How many arrows have you even shot off with that thing?" I joke and Ladybird rolls her eyes.

"It might be a little rusty, but it still works."

"What do I do?" Gloom asks, looking at Ladybird who just shakes her head.

"Here," I say, clearing my throat and stepping behind Gloom, adjusting his arms and fingers until they are in place. "You want to make sure your aim is true. This isn't a toy, it's a serious love tool," I tell him.

"Yes, daddy," he jokes, pushing his ass further against me.

I scoff, while Ladybird covers her mouth with her hand, trying but failing to suppress a giggle.

"How do you know who to shoot?" Gloom asks, and I'm nearly on top of him at this point. My face is next to his, one hand on his hip and the other on his elbow.

"You're not a cupid, so you might not be able to feel the love connection. But there are physical tells too. Are they both smiling? Facing each other? Are they physically touching?"

Gloom takes a moment, showing respect for the process. It makes me feel more endeared to him as he scans the crowded streets in the French Quarter. His gaze stills as he sees a woman standing on a curb. The man is on the street as they talk under a streetlamp. Her smile is wide, and the man is leaning in, showing his interest.

He can't feel their connection the way I can, but even as a reaper, he could clearly see they were a match.

"How about them?"

"They probably don't need it, but a little extra nudge never hurt nobody," I say.

"Which one do I hit?"

"Definitely the guy," Ladybird says while perched on a wrought-iron fence.

I glance up at her and she gives me a knowing smile as I help Gloom line up his shot. I'm impressed as he pulls back the bow and the arrow whistles in the air, before hitting the man right in the ass.

"I did it," Gloom says excitedly, handing Ladybird her bow and arrow back.

"You keep it for the night," she suggests.

"Seriously?"

"Never once in my very short career as a matchmaking cupid did I get that excited over making a match. You have fun with it tonight."

"Maybe I could take you soul collecting sometime?"

Ladybird grins wildly. "I think I'd like that. But for now, we have love matches to make, and hopefully a dash of voyeurism. That's really the only good part of the gig, anyway."

"Really, the only good part?" I ask as we walk down the street together.

"I much prefer being your assistant."

"Because you think he's hot? Because that would be enough reason for me," Gloom asks and my cheeks heat.

Ladybird slips her hand in mine on the left and Gloom does the same on the right. I do my best to keep my cool, but despite how terrible today has been, I feel truly cared for at this moment. It's a feeling I've been searching for endlessly.

"His looks were a perk, that's for sure. But mostly I like bossing people around and being mean to idiot cupids who think they can take advantage."

I squeeze her hand, and she leans a little closer into me. I like how both of them are tall, yet neither of them hit my shoulder.

"What about you? Do you enjoy being a reaper?" I ask Gloom, and he smiles.

"Honestly, I don't hate it. It's a job, you know? Somebody has to ferry souls to their final resting place, might as well be someone who can do it with a smile," he responds.

"It seems like a difficult job."

"It can be. But death happens, you know? It's a part of being a living being. It's not something to be feared, and it doesn't have to be a sad thing, it's just their next phase in existence."

I look down at Gloom, really looking at him. He's beautiful in a way I would have never expected for myself. But as his deep brown eyes gaze into mine, I realize he's extraordinarily special. I never really pictured myself with more than one person, let alone the two people being the cupid I've been pining after for years over, or this breath of fresh air reaper, but I'm not mad at it.

"Potential love match at three o'clock," I tell him.

"My three or your three?"

"It's the same three," I say with a laugh, pointing at the two women drinking cocktails at the semi-outdoor bar.

"Definitely the woman with the longer hair who needs a nudge," he confirms correctly.

"Do you need help?"

"I've got it, though I wouldn't be against you rubbing all over me again, either," he says.

But I give him space, letting him lineup his arrow and shoot. This time, his aim is right to the heart.

"Damn, you're better than most cupids on their first day," I say with astonishment. "I've had to retire so many cupids from the field because they couldn't shoot for shit."

"Guilty as charged," Ladybird chimes in. "How are you feeling?" she asks.

"Better. Thank you for turning around my shit day, Birdie."

She grabs my chin, and I smile down at her. "I'd do anything for you," she says, and I lean down and she places a chaste kiss on my cheek. "Let's get you home. We've got a big day of preparation for the event."

I want to tug her face back to mine, but then I realize that would probably be even more confusing. I asked everyone to take things slow, and now I may have completely screwed myself over.

"Right, lots of party prep," I say as she pulls away.

"I'll see you boys tomorrow," she says, kissing Gloom on the cheek before she pops out of existence.

"Is it me, or did her exit seem a bit sudden?" Gloom asks.

"That's Ladybird for you," I reply, realizing I don't want to go home just yet. It appears like Gloom doesn't either, as he walks alongside me.

"So, just how long have you been in love with her and suffering in silence?"

"Too long," I groan.

"What's it like?" Gloom asks. We trail over to a cemetery and sit on a stone bench.

"What's what like?"

"Loving someone," Gloom replies, and my stupid, massive cupid heart shrinks at the question.

"Well. Do you love your friends?" I ask him.

"Of course I do."

"Magnify that. Love can be different for everybody. But the truly lasting kind? They're your friend and your partner. It's like having a best friend who makes your body and heart stand on edge. It's the greatest feeling there is."

"I want that."

"You deserve it," I tell him honestly.

"Do you think…"

"What?"

"Do you think you and Ladybird could ever feel like that about me? I know we're just getting to know each other and there's an attraction here. But I gotta be real with you, Cupiō, if this is only physical for the two of you, I think I need to excuse myself before we go any further," he says, looking down at the gravel like he has something to be ashamed of.

"This is more than attraction. It's new, but I'm not looking for something just sexual. If anything, far from it."

"What do you mean?" he asks, finally looking up at me with a furrowed brow.

"It's hard for me to be intimate with someone unless there are underlying feelings there. That's why I had to put a pause on the other night. It was too much and too confusing for me to really verbalize what was going on through my head. But I wanted it. I want you and Ladybird. I'd like to see where this goes."

He bumps into my shoulder, and I smile to myself. "I'm sorry you had a rough day."

"You cooking dinner and having this time with you and Ladybird have turned this day around for me."

"Is there anything else an uncharacteristically charming reaper can do for you on this fine night to make it even better?" he asks, a smirk overtaking the side of his mouth.

Now's the time to be bold.

I grab his chin and his eyes search mine, and all I see in those deep pools is desire.

I shut my worries away and lean forward, pressing my lips against his. It's not the first time we've kissed, but this feels far more meaningful. He kisses me back and I can feel the excitement of his touch ripping through my body.

His lips are pliant against mine, and when he moans against my lips, I nearly bring him back to my home and show him exactly how much I like him, but it's too soon. I know the more I get to know Gloom, the better the sex will be. Not that I plan on waiting much longer. Cupids are on a much quicker timeline with feelings and romance.

Gloom grips my neck as we kiss, using his fingertips to toy with the ends of my hair, and I shiver at the touch.

Gods, I've missed being touched.

"You're fucking perfect," I mumble against his lips, and he moans.

"So are you," he replies breathlessly, which only makes me more ravenous for him.

There's this overwhelming need to have him close, and I can't resist any longer. So I grab his arm and shuffle him over my lap. He takes it all in stride as he straddles my legs.

Both of his hands explore my chest as he deepens the kiss, and I even take it a little further by gripping his ass and pushing our bodies even closer together. It feels right, more than right, it feels perfect.

My hand slides up the back of his shirt, feeling the warmth of his skin, and I shiver.

"Too fast?" Gloom asks, pulling back, and I shake my head.

"Just right," I tell him and he smiles back at me. It's devastating in the best way possible. He leans back toward me, our kisses soft and exploratory, a change in pace from the frantic make out we were just having and this is just as nice.

Maybe it's because I'm a cupid, or because I've gone so long without intimacy, but I feel myself come alive from this encounter.

I've seen the man on his knees, hell he licked my cock and went down on Ladybird in front of me. But this kiss? This kiss has made my bad day completely disappear.

"You're special, you know that?" I say, and Gloom pulls back from me. His normal confident grin isn't in place, and it's then I see a lot of myself in Gloom. We're both just two people trying to work past our insecurities and find the people who light up our life.

I think Gloom could be the light that both Ladybird and I need.

"You're pretty special yourself. I don't know how much work it takes to run a realm or what you're going through with your son, but you're strong and kind." His neck is slightly red as he regrettably removes himself from my lap. "It's really important to me that I don't fuck this up. I've never felt like I do when I'm around you and Ladybird."

"Me either," I reply, hoping that he understands we're in the same boat. "Let's get home. We've got a big couple of days coming up."

He nods his head, and we share a soft kiss before I trail my thumb along his slightly swollen lips.

"Maybe after the event, me, you and Birdie can plan on coming back to my place."

"I'd like that," he agrees, and we both portal back to our homes.

The instant the silence of my lonely home hits my ears, I regret not bringing him home with me.