29. Bravery

Chapter twenty-nine

Bravery

Later that afternoon, Oliver and his parents took everyone on a short trail ride. Glyma and Quin rode double on Bruno, the red dunn Quin had bonded with, as Glyma held the reins. Zef rode Queen Charlotte, and Willow looked like a natural perched on top of a Paint Horse named Picasso. Jude rode a grullo named Zeke, and Tad cackled gleefully as she sat behind Oliver's dad, backwards, facing the procession of horses behind her.

Oliver and Liel were on Starlight, of course, and Oliver's mother brought up the rear. Since Toni made the horses nervous, he'd opted to stay behind, and Gem joined him to keep him company. Rusty had chosen to stay as well, claiming similar reasoning as Toni, though Oliver suspected the horses were the ones making Rusty nervous.

"He was very competent," Zef was telling Jude as Zeke plodded alongside Queen Charlotte. "He cleaned and sutured the wound on the bull's leg. And he was kind enough to explain everything. It was fascinating."

"The animal doctor made quite an impression." Liel snickered into Oliver's shoulder. "I've never seen the Mantodea so spirited."

"I guess," Oliver said.

"And he was big," Tad commented. "Like, throw-you-around-and-smack-your-ass kind of big."

Zef shook their head with a frown. "He was a very gentle soul. I do not think he would be aggressive simply because of his large size."

With a chilling grin, Tad shrugged. "Sometimes, you want a person to be aggressive."

"Ah, you speak of intercourse," Zef said with a wrinkle of their mouth. "Violent mating sounds particularly unpleasant."

"Depends on the kind of violence," Tad said. "A good spanking, with some light knife play—

"Hey, Tad," Oliver interrupted before his mother had an aneurysm, "maybe some things should be saved for private conversations. Or maybe left as inside thoughts. Forever."

Tad scowled at Oliver. "Well, Zef started it."

"I most certainly did not!" Zef said, wispy voice strung taut with offense. "Just because the large human was aesthetically pleasing and knowledgeable and easily flustered and kind does not mean…" They cocked their head with a confused frown. "Wait, what was my point?"

"Ooh, Zef, do you have a crush?" Jude asked good-naturedly.

"That is utterly preposterous," Zef said, wings buzzing in agitation. "I simply enjoyed his company and his expertise."

"There's nothing wrong with that, Zef," Glyma called back from her spot perched on Bruno's back. "Making new friends is so nice!"

"Thank you, Glyma. I do like to meet new and interesting people," Zef sniffed haughtily.

"Did you get his number?" Jude asked.

"Why would I do that? I have no animals that require his healing hands."

"Sweetie, maybe you require his healing hands," Liel chimed in with a snicker.

Zef shook their head in bewilderment. "Whatever for?"

Quin sighed forlornly. "They're hopeless."

"Hey, stop teasing Zef!" Tad barked, webbed hands on her hips. "Only I'm allowed to do that."

On the last leg of the return journey, Oliver told Liel to hold tight as he guided Starlight away from the group and pressed his heels to her sides. She started to trot, then quickened to a canter.

"We're gonna gallop now," Oliver warned, and Liel tightened his grip around Oliver's waist.

"Okay. I'm ready," Liel said.

"Let's go, Star," Oliver said with another click of his tongue, and Starlight snorted as she broke into a gallop.

Wind rushed past them, nearly blowing Oliver's hat off, and Liel squealed out a laugh as his hands twisted in Oliver's shirt. Whooping into the sky, Oliver laughed too as the ground blurred by underneath them. He closed his eyes and let the rush fill him up until he felt like he was flying.

And Liel, shrieking with half-hysterical laughter, flew right along with him.

After dinner, Maggie brought out a cake covered in twenty-seven candles, and everyone sang a boisterous, off-key rendition of Happy Birthday . Then the demons sang the Hell version of a birthday song, which sounded more like a funeral dirge than a celebratory number. Oliver blew out his candles, grinning ear-to-ear when Liel hugged him from behind and kissed his cheek.

When the cake had been eaten in its entirety—

"Maggie, baby, this is so good." Toni hooked an arm around Maggie's shoulders, ignorant of the way she swallowed thickly as he grinned sharply down at her. "You gotta give Glym this recipe. Best cake I ever had."

—The demons requested another bonfire so they could roast marshmallows, and Oliver's dad obliged. Oliver joined his mother in the kitchen to help with the dishes.

"Your friends seem to be enjoying themselves," she said after they'd been washing in silence for more than a few expectant minutes. "Glyma and Willow are such lovely girls. And your… Liel. He seems very sweet."

"He is," Oliver said, scrubbing barbecue sauce off a fork. "He's a lawyer. In Hell. Corporate stuff."

"A lawyer? Well, that's impressive." She cleared her throat. "How long have you two been, you know?"

"Dating?" Oliver bit out, and her smile tightened. "About three months."

"And is it"—she swallowed thickly—"casual, or…"

"It's not casual, Mom. I really like him." When he handed her another plate, she took it, fingers covering his.

"Are you sure, Oliver?" she said in a hushed tone. "I'm sure it's very exciting, with your new job and being surrounded by different types of people—"

"Mom," Oliver warned, but she shushed him.

"Just listen for a moment. You know we love you, no matter what. But people won't understand. Do you really want to make your life more difficult—"

"You don't know anything about my life," Oliver snapped, jerking his hand away. The plate slipped through his mother's wet fingers, and she squeaked when it clanged against the floor, splattering the cabinets with suds. "Liel doesn't make my life difficult. Everything with him is easy. Being with him is easy , Mom.

"Yes, life is hard, but being with Liel isn't. It's not a phase or some new, exciting experiment. I love him, okay? And maybe that's insane because we've only known each other a few months. Maybe it's too fast, and maybe it won't be forever. I don't know.But Liel is one of the most amazing people I've ever met.

"He's funny and passionate and driven. He's bougie and likes name brand clothes and high thread-counts on his sheets, and I don't even know what that means half the time. He can't cook for shit, and he's kind of a klepto, but for some crazy reason, he likes me too. He's kind and accepting; he supports and encourages me. He… he makes me happy.

"Mom, when I'm with him, I'm so happy. And I don't care if people don't understand. I don't care if they look down their noses at us or sneer when we hold hands in public. I don't care if people call me a freak or a sinner or a deviant. I choose him anyway. He's my person, and I'm going to keep choosing him, because he is the only thing that has ever made this much sense, the only thing that has ever felt this right.

"And I hope you can accept that." Oliver's chest heaved with feeling, his eyesight blurring. "But if you can't, then I still choose him. Because I'm tired of trying to be the son you want me to be and always falling short. I'm tired of never being enough for you."

"Oh, Oliver." Tears streaked down his mother's face, but when she reached for him, he shook his head.

"But I'm enough for him. I have always been enough for him. So as long as he wants me, I'm gonna choose him." Swiping angrily at the hot tears in his eyes, Oliver sniffled and swallowed the lump of emotion swelling his throat shut.

With a soft sob, Maggie closed the distance and cupped his face in her weathered hands. They were callused and wet from the water, but they felt so familiar. She smelled like hand cream and hay and the dirt embedded in the creases of her palms. She smelled like a home Oliver hadn't known in so long.

"My baby. My sweet boy." She cried openly, chin trembling. "I love you. Your father loves you. And I'm so sorry we made you feel like you had to earn that. I've never been anything but proud of you, even when I didn't always understand you." Their foreheads met as Oliver choked on a sob. "You are my son, and you have always been enough."

Like a child, Oliver burst into tears, burying his face in his mother's neck. She made comforting shushing noises in the back of her throat as she petted his head. He wanted to hide in her forever, but she drew him back with a watery smile. Her eyes drifted over his shoulder, and they softened.

"You are enough, Oliver, and judging by the way that boy looks at you, he knows it too."

Following his mother's gaze, Oliver craned his neck over his shoulder, meeting bright yellow eyes. "Liel," he gasped out, wiping at his wet cheeks. "Shit, I—"

"I was eavesdropping," Liel confessed immediately.

"I'm sorry," Oliver blurted, and Liel's brow creased in confusion. "I'm trying to be brave, but I know that was a lot, and I get that some of what I said sounds crazy. You don't have to say anything. I don't want to freak you out or put pressure on you or…"

As Oliver rambled, Liel slowly approached until they were toe-to-toe. Liel framed Oliver's neck with his hands and blinked rapidly, eyes glassy. He smiled up at Oliver like he was the reason the universe existed. Which was just ridiculous.

"Do you remember when we went to the shop? The little Avia girl who talked to you?" Oliver nodded, and Liel sniffed. "Do you know what she said to her mother, at the end?"

Oliver shook his head. "You said you didn't know."

"I lied," Liel laughed wetly. "She said, ‘Look, Mommy, they're in love.'"

"But you nodded," Oliver said, heart racing inside his chest. "You nodded at her."

"I did. Because I knew, Oliver. Even then, I knew."

Electricity danced along Oliver's skin, sinking in deep until his blood sang. It felt like he was dreaming. It felt like he was galloping with Starlight, flying above the fields. It felt like he was lost in the stars, floating without an anchor.

Until Liel drew him down and pressed their foreheads together, and Oliver crashed back to earth. He was rooted to the floor. He was here, and Liel was so close. And it was real. Oh god, it was real .

"What did you know?" Oliver asked.

And Liel said, "I knew that loving you would be the easiest thing I'd ever do."

Chest full to bursting, Oliver laughed and sobbed simultaneously as he hauled Liel onto his toes to kiss him. It was messy, and their teeth clinked together as they kissed around their shared laughter. Oliver's cheeks ached, but he couldn't stop smiling as he peppered Liel's face with kisses.

His brow, the crease between his eyes, his gently sloping nose, and each eyelid. His chin and both corners of his mouth, before ending with one last tender caress to his lips.

"I love you," Oliver whispered like a secret between them.

"I love you too," Liel whispered back, like saying it louder would make it untrue.

"Oh my gods, that was so beautiful!" Gem wailed, effectively ruining the moment.

Oliver oomphed as the breath was forced from his body by Gem's six, enthusiastic arms. The Araknis crushed Oliver and Liel together and lifted them both off their feet as he squealed shrilly.

"You were eavesdropping too?" Oliver wheezed.

"We all were," Gem sniveled. "Toni said you were having a moment, and we just wanted to share it with you."

"Of course you did." Oliver grimaced as Liel snickered into his chest.

"I mean, that was pretty smooth, Ollie," Toni said as he propped his shoulder against the side of the archway.

"A lovely sentiment to experience," Zef agreed from behind Toni.

"I hate everything about this," Tad harrumphed from Zef's shoulders.

As Gem set them both back on their feet, Oliver glared at his friends as they crowded in, most of them smiling grandly. Rusty had his arms crossed over his chest, but his usual scowl was significantly softer. When they made eye contact, the Pyclon smirked and rolled his eyes.

"It was such a precious moment," Glyma simpered, hugging Quin's arm tightly. "Wasn't it, babe?"

"Oliver was very sweet," Quin agreed.

"I liked Liel's confession best." Willow sighed dreamily. "I love love."

Jude winked at Oliver, before leveling Liel with a cooler stare. "Hurt him, and your ass is mine."

"And you know he's tough 'cause he cut off his own tits," Toni said.

"Damn right," Jude said.

Without looking at each other, they high-fived above Jude's head.

Liel leaned into Oliver's side. "Duly noted."

"Okay, there are too many feelings," Gem fanned himself with several hands as he mopped at his many eyes with two others. "You two should go fuck or something. To commemorate the beauty of this moment."

Maggie made an uncomfortable squeaking sound, and Oliver grimaced. "Gem—"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Maggie." Gem inhaled deeply, plastering on an innocent smile. "I mean they should go somewhere and cuddle. Like, cuddle so hard."

"That's not better," Oliver said.

"Honestly, that's somehow worse," Liel said.

"We could join them," Gem suggested, and Maggie paled.

"What?" Oliver demanded

Gem splayed three hands like he didn't understand Oliver's horror. "For the cuddling, Ollie. Then it wouldn't be weird."

"That would be, like, a million times more weird," Jude said.

"Yeah," Toni agreed. "I don't want to have a big group cuddle."

"Hard pass," Rusty said.

"I think it would be wonderful," Willow said.

"Are we invited?" Glyma asked.

"That sounds like an HR nightmare, babe," Quin said.

"I will observe," Zef said.

"Can I bring my ninja stars?" Tad asked.

"I'd rather just cuddle with Oliver, thank you," Liel said.

"How is this my life?" Oliver asked no one in particular.

With a rude sound, Gem crossed his six arms over his torso. "You're ruining this! It's not like I was suggesting an orgy."

"Oh good Lord," Maggie said, touching the cross hanging from around her neck.

"Which I, for one, have never taken part in," Gem said quickly, shooting Oliver a panicked look. "None of us have, actually. We're all virgins. Waiting for marriage and all that crap. Especially Oliver. He definitely doesn't let Liel top him. Virgin asshole all the way!"

"Shut up, Gem!" Oliver shouted.

Covering his mouth with his top two hands, Gem said, "I'm so sorry! The conversation got away from me."

To Oliver's shock—and mortification—Maggie burst into laughter. She clutched her cross necklace with one hand as the other arm wrapped around her stomach. She doubled over, laughing so hard her face went bright pink.

"You wore a shirt," she gasped, "that said cum-dumpster on it. I think you're far from a virgin, dear. And I'm fully aware that Oliver isn't one either. He wasn't very stealthy as a teen."

"Oh my god, Mom!" Oliver whined.

"I knew you liked my shirt." Gem jabbed Oliver in the chest. "I told you she laughed at it."

"This is the weirdest birthday party I've ever experienced," Jude said. "Which is honestly saying something."

"This isn't the weirdest party I've ever been to," Toni said as he propped an arm on Jude's shoulder.

"Don't you dare bring that bitchass Connor into this memorable moment," Gem shrieked, pointing a threatening finger at Toni.

"Who's Connor?" Liel whispered.

Oliver leaned in and murmured, "I've found it's better not to ask."

"The fire's ready for marshmallow roasting," Oliver's father said as he walked into the very crowded kitchen. He looked around at everyone with a furrow of his bushy eyebrows. "What's going on? Did I miss something?"

In unison, almost everyone said, "No!"

Zef frowned. "Yes, Greg, you missed quite a lot. Oliver and Liel confessed their love in a touching, albeit emotional, exchange. Gem suggested we have a cuddle-orgy, then lied about everyone's status as a virgin. Except for mine. I have never engaged in sexual intercourse. I find it all very messy and unappealing."

Oliver's dad blinked. "Oh my."

Patting Zef's head, Tad grinned evilly. "I like this party much better now. Good job, Zef."