Three

Joe

Joseph Choe enjoyed playing all sorts of games, but anything that required days of waiting and watching got old quick for him. Sure, he'd agreed to this particular job. And he'd get back to his post. He would. As soon as he indulged in this little break from the tedium.

After all, all work and no play made Joe a boring partner.

He rushed down the stairwell to the ground floor and emerged on the street, then walked at a brisk pace up a few blocks. If the witch continued on the path she'd been on, with luck, he'd already be at the corner as she passed. Better, he thought, than him trailing behind her and chasing her to catch up. That could be creepy.

He reached the street corner he had in mind and deliberately leaned against the pole supporting the streetlight. She was easy to spot approaching, rocking that gorgeous suit and walking at an easy pace, her heels making a decisive click-click on the pavement. Her gaze was directed straight ahead, but he caught the slight movements as she noted anyone and anything to the sides of her. She gave off a distinct person-with-things-to-do-and-places-to-be vibe, which was smart in any city environment. When her glance swept over him, he gave her his brightest, sauciest grin.

Eye contact achieved.

She gave him her full, undivided attention. The force of her personality sent a jolt through him, traveling through his center and straight to his groin. Now that was chemistry.

If she felt the same—surely she must feel something—she didn't show it. Her gaze swept smoothly away from him as she continued forward as if she hadn't stared at him for the space of an endless moment in time. She didn't even slow her pace. So he decided to help fate, just a little. He sent a pulse of his magic through the pole at his back, changing the traffic signal and pedestrian crossing so she'd need to pause.

And she did, coming to a stop a step or two short of him, just out of arm's reach.

"Hello, again," he greeted her cheerfully.

He continued to lean against the pole, not wanting to move toward her too soon. That could be interpreted as aggressive. He was going for open and friendly.

Hopefully not too eager, but hey, he kind of was. He could own it.

The force of her gaze landed on him again. A pang of doubt hit him in the chest. She might not remember him, especially without Kuro. It'd been dark that night, at least for human eyes. Her expression now was a sort of pleasant neutral. No frown, nothing to indicate any negative sentiment. But also, no sign she was happy to see him, either.

"I know you." Her voice was low and rich, a decadent contralto that flowed over his skin.

He wanted to roll over and invite her to pet his belly, but he was in human form and it was a little too soon to be asking for that. Or maybe not too soon, just a little too public. Kuro would scowl over it.

Instead, he nodded and let himself push away from the pole to stand a little closer to her. Close enough to fill his nose with her scent. "You remember me."

She had to tilt her face up to keep eye contact. "You and your partner."

He almost bounced on the balls of his feet as elation bubbled up inside him. Sure, she might be using the word in the context of a working arrangement, but Kuro was his partner in every way, and hearing it from the lips of another person never got old.

Wait. He shook himself slightly and took a deep breath. He normally didn't let himself get this carried away on the happy feels with anyone but Kuro, even someone as interesting as this witch was.

"I'm Joe," he offered. "We didn't get the chance to exchange names last time."

He thought one of the corners of her mouth quirked up, just a little. "You can call me Marie."

"Okay, Marie." He let his voice drop a little into his deeper register.

Neither of them was offering a full name yet, and that wasn't a bad thing. Certain people could wield all sorts of power with one's full, true name. Even if you didn't take into account the supernatural considerations of her being a witch and him being a gumiho, humans were cautious with how much personal information they gave out, too.

"Did you just happen to catch sight of me out here in the streets of Seattle?" Marie asked. "Or were you playing another game of hide-and-seek?"

Joe grinned at the reference. Their initial meeting had been spur of the moment, and all of them had been in a place they weren't particularly welcome. Evading the perimeter security patrols had been easy for him and Kuro, but stealth wasn't one of the witch's strengths apparently. So they'd decided to help her out.

They'd owed her friend anyway, which was a longer story and not as interesting to ponder as the witch in front of him now.

"While the game was very fun," he drawled, "I think you prefer honesty, so I'll admit I caught sight of you. But I did rush over here to make sure our paths crossed."

She smiled again, her lips curving upward just a bit. He was going to have to work harder.

"And what are your intentions now?" There was amusement in her voice, and a touch of curiosity.

Good. He liked both of those things in a person.

"That is a good question." He hadn't really thought about what to do after he caught up to her.

All he knew was that things were finally not boring. Time with Kuro when Joe could have his undivided attention was always great. But there were too many things the two of them had to do that meant they were out and about and not wrapped up in each other. And Kuro was the responsible one who kept them on task. Even when the tasks were dull.

She shifted her weight slightly. The movement was minute, but still, he'd kept her standing a while now. Then he lost whatever he'd intended to say because she stepped closer, into his space, and every part of him warmed to her proximity. Every part.

"You can let the traffic lights get back on cycle," she said quietly. She quirked an eyebrow at him. "I'll stay long enough to hear you out."

"Oh. Yeah." He chuckled. He released the bit of magic he'd been maintaining and the traffic—both motor vehicle and pedestrian—resumed around them. "Thanks for the reminder."

"You're not worried about subtlety?" she asked, stepping back.

He followed, not reaching for her, but wanting to maintain the closeness she'd established. She tipped her head to one side, but didn't move away.

Good.

She'd asked a fair question. Not many humans were aware of the supernaturals living among them. It wasn't wise to do things to spook humans. But he didn't want that to be their first real conversation.

"Could I interest you in a boba tea?" He jerked his chin back toward the way she'd come and where Kuro was. "I have a craving."

He let his gaze fall to her lips for a full second before he focused back on her eyes. Her cheeks flushed a very lovely shade of pink.

"All right," she said slowly.

His veins with her acceptance of his invitation, and he thought his grin might split his face. He started back in the direction she'd come, and she fell in beside him. Conscious of his longer legs, he adjusted his pace to hers. It was nice, walking with her out in the sun.

Minutes later, Kuro came into view. As the other man caught sight of them, he rose from his seat on the bench and crossed the distance to meet them halfway. Kuro was a good-looking man under any circumstance, but Joe particularly enjoyed Kuro in motion. His posture was upright, his shoulders were squared, and his stride was sure. He had a rangy build, maybe a little broader and with a little more muscle through the upper body than most Japanese diaspora had in general, but that was a quirk of mixed genetics. Kuro moved all that muscle efficiently and smoothly and with an economy of energy. He made everything look effortless.

As Kuro approached, Joe cheerfully announced, "We're going to get some boba tea."

He watched Kuro carefully. His lover tended to project a serious expression to the world, but just the fact that Kuro had immediately gotten to his feet when they'd come into view and come to meet them indicated how eager he had been to connect with the witch again, too.

Kuro looked at Joe, giving him a slow blink, then transferred his attention to Marie. "We meet again."

"Indeed." Marie gave Kuro a smile as small as the one she'd offered Joe. "I'm told this was by chance."

Joe pouted. "I said it was."

Her lips curved upward further, and amusement danced in her eyes. She was teasing him, and he wasn't even going to try to pretend he didn't like it.

"It was a coincidence," Kuro confirmed. His voice was deeper than Joe's, and he was delighted as the pink bloomed fresh over her cheeks.

Yeah, Joe could relate. Kuro's voice had an effect on him, too.

They all stood there, considering each other. It was one of those moments when the world faded into background noise. A frisson of attraction was building between the three of them, filling their shared space. Kuro finally lifted his gaze from Marie's to meet Joe's, and Joe swallowed hard at the heat he saw in Kuro's eyes.

It wasn't often they were both attracted to the same person, but when it happened, the potential could be mind-blowing.

"I don't want to get in the way of anything," Marie said abruptly. She was already stepping back, straining the bubble of potential forming around them.

"You're not," both of them said equally as quickly.

She seemed like a straightforward kind of person. Joe figured it might be worth it to be up front about his and Kuro's shared interest in her. It might also be moving too fast, but better to get it out in the open than for her to withdraw in possible misunderstanding.

He started to give it a go. "The invitation was from both—"

Someone walked right through the three of them, cutting between him and Marie so she stumbled to the side. As she fell into Kuro, he caught her around the waist, steadying her.

Marie stared after the middle-aged man wearing a lab coat. "He's not…"

Joe shifted closer to her and Kuro, his shoulder brushing hers. "No, he's not."

"No heartbeat." On her other side, Kuro leaned in close, his arm still around her waist. He spoke low to the both of them. "That was a dead man walking. Literally."

Joe was incredibly curious. Beside him, Marie was practically vibrating with energy, and he wondered if she would leave them behind. He was honestly torn. He didn't want to separate from her, but there was also a dead body walking through the streets of downtown Seattle in broad daylight. Marie took a few steps forward, then hesitated. She turned back to the two of them.

"Excuse me, while I—"

"We'll go with you," Kuro interjected.

Joe grinned. Excellent. Yes. Conflicting emotions resolved. "Okay then, let's follow the dead man."

"This really isn't the sort of thing I investigate with anyone outside…" She trailed off, biting her lower lip.

Joe let his eyebrows raise and he placed a hand over his chest. "Outside what? Are we not allowed to come with you because we're not part of the cool kids' consortium?"

Okay, that had been a little rude. But was she really hesitating to go off on an adventure with them because they weren't one of the stuffy academics in her precious consortium? Her expression hardened, and she glared at him.

"And coming with me wouldn't be some kind of conflict of interest for you and—what was it called? Babel?"

They were still speaking in lowered voices, but the heat between them had evolved into simmering temper. Joe wasn't any less turned on by it, though.

"Let's talk this out later," Kuro suggested, sounding completely unperturbed. "There's a person of interest we all want to follow. We're all headed in the same direction, regardless."

Joe closed his mouth, swallowing what he would have said next, and Marie seemed to have also paused the momentum they had been picking up. She would be fun in a debate, he just knew it.

Marie rolled her shoulders and addressed Kuro. "Good point. Casual stroll in whatever direction he went?"

Kuro nodded.

They started off, walking three across. That worked for about a block, but Seattle's sidewalks weren't empty in the middle of the day, and it wasn't exactly subtle to be the group forcing others to go around them. Eventually, Joe and Kuro starting taking turns falling back to bring up the rear as they passed others headed in the opposite direction. Their quarry didn't turn back to look at them, or even pause except when everyone did for pedestrian traffic signals.

"If I didn't know better," Marie said in a conversational tone, "I would think he was just someone headed somewhere absentmindedly. He seems preoccupied or distracted." She paused. "Not so different from how he acted when he was alive less than an hour ago."

Joe shot a glance her way. That was unexpected.

"You know him?" Kuro prompted.

She lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. "No. I encountered him during a client consult, but I wasn't the one interacting with him. Before you ask, he didn't seem unwell. The only notable thing about him was his interesting choice in accessories."

Joe tried to remember what the man had been wearing. It had been a fleeting impression, since Joe had been focused on Marie and Kuro. He mostly only remembered the lab coat. It was also the thing about their person of interest that made him so easy to follow at a distance. Joe glanced at Kuro over Marie's head.

His partner was unobtrusively sniffing, scenting the air as they went. Both of them had a heightened sense of smell as compared to humans, but Kuro hunted by scent more often than Joe did.

Joe looked from his companions to their target and back to his companions again. "What exactly are we going to do once we follow him to wherever he's going?"

"He needs to be separated from the human populace," Kuro responded immediately.

Marie waited until a few tourists had passed them before adding her thoughts. "Agreed. Any instance of animated corpses I've heard of generally turns out badly for healthy, living humans in the nearby vicinity."

It was a good thing everyone on the streets was absorbed in their own lives. It was a convenient aspect of city living. Whether they were wearing headphones or not, humans tended to let the conversations around them blur into white noise when they were on the move.

Marie continued, "I'd like to observe him more closely, if possible. How much thought process does he have? Is he aware of his state of being?"

Joe nodded. "In summary, we follow him until he gets to wherever he's going, make sure he's alone where he can't eat anyone's brains but ours, and ask him, hey, do you know you're dead? Great. This plan doesn't have any holes in it at all."