Chapter 11

D ate night! Date night!

It was freaking date night!

Salem didn't know this, of course. Gregori was going off his own schedule for their dates. The last home date had worked out really well, but today he felt like pushing boundaries and taking Salem out. Salem had complained of being tired of only going to work and home, nowhere else, so Gregori had suggested a change of scenery would do them both good. Maybe have dinner out on the town. The grumpy surgeon had caved to Gregori's proposal of going out to celebrate Salem's much deserved night off.

It being Sunday, Gregori had checked in with Ha Na, and he'd done it early in the morning while Salem still slept. For the most part, Salem's day off work was spent sleeping. Not that he blamed the man in the least. He put in some extremely long hours at the hospital, and when he came home, he spent more hours picking at Gregori, trying to convince the dragon they were a horrible match. It had to be draining.

Gregori had said as much to Ha Na, but he'd put it in terms of but improvements ! And there were improvements. Salem didn't argue with him on a daily basis anymore. In fact, he quite liked having Gregori living with him, even if he didn't say it.

What Gregori did not mention were his body aches, especially along the spine, so as not to worry Ha Na. In truth, he wasn't used to staying in human form like this for weeks on end. He clearly wasn't flying enough. But that was a later him problem. He'd fly some after Salem went back to work tomorrow. His dragon was being rumbly and irritable, so a flight was definitely in order.

Tonight wasn't about mates, bonding, or their eventual happily ever after.

It was about getting to know each other. Sure, they'd screwed like rabbits, and Gregori had a detailed catalogue in his brain of all the secret spots on Salem's body where he could lick or suck and make Salem scream himself hoarse, but how much did he actually know about his mate that didn't involve sex or Salem's work?

Next to nothing.

He trusted his dragon's instincts, which said they were mates. He could feel they were meant for each other deep down in his soul. It was just that the rest of him was waiting to understand what made them so perfect for each other.

"So, let's get the most cliché question out of the way," Gregori started as he carefully maneuvered Salem's car on the somewhat busy street. The sun had set a little over an hour ago and the car headlights shone brightly on the wet streets. The temperature had warmed up just enough to melt some of the piles of snow around the city. Thankfully, the roads were well treated against ice, but Gregori had no intention of risking Salem's life for a silly date.

The plan was a little fun and a quick, quiet dinner before whisking him back to the apartment for some under-the-covers snuggling. And yeah, probably sex. It was the one thing they were getting right at the moment.

Plus, his mate was ridiculously sexy. Why in the world would he pass that up?

"I'm afraid to find out what you're thinking," Salem muttered from the passenger seat.

"What made you decide to be a pediatric surgeon?"

"Oh, that. I was trying to one-up my brother."

Gregori had been slowing down for a red light, but he might have tapped the brakes a little harder than he'd expected at Salem's words. They both lurched forward, but he quickly recovered, smoothing out their deceleration with no problem.

"What?" he choked out. He glanced over when they were fully stopped to find Salem had the cheekiest grin. God, he wanted to lean over and kiss it right off.

Salem slumped a little more in his seat and leaned against the door.

"Sam and I have always been incredibly competitive. Especially after we discovered he couldn't do magic. It was like he decided he had to be better than me in everything he did to make up for the fact I could do magic and he couldn't." Salem paused and made a dismissive scoff. "Like my magic is impressive at all. My parents never had any great formal training. They just passed on what little they knew to me, and then it was always with the warning to not let any outsider see me using magic. I told Sam he wasn't missing out on anything interesting, but he never believed me."

"Probably because he couldn't stand the idea of being left out of something his twin could do," Gregori suggested.

"True." Salem sighed and scrubbed a hand across his face. When he resumed speaking, his tone was lighter again. "Sam figured out pretty quick that the one place we were evenly matched was in school. He just had to be better in everything, and well…I couldn't stand it. If one of us got an A in chemistry, the other had to get an A-plus. For a while, our high school was worried they'd have two valedictorians, but then I discovered I'm not very good at Spanish, and Sam ended up being the class valedictorian."

"Spanish was your demise?" Gregori teased.

"Rolling those fucking R's," Salem grumbled. "Anyway, we both went Ivy League for college. Thankfully, separate colleges, because we probably would have driven each other crazy. His freshman year, Sam sent an email to me and my parents announcing he was going to work toward getting his doctorate in archaeology and become a professor. Naturally, my parents were over the moon at the idea of having a child with a PhD."

"So, you had to one-up him," Gregori said as he hit the blinker to indicate they were turning right.

"Of course! Changed my major to biology and emailed the next day that I was planning to go into pediatrics with the goal of becoming a surgeon. They'd have two doctors in the family."

Gregori chuckled and shook his head. "And you're just stubborn enough to stick with it regardless of how difficult the course ahead of you."

"Yep," Salem said, popping the P. "School was a freaking nightmare, but I discovered early on I was good at memorizing things and applying them quickly. I didn't struggle as much as I thought I would." He sat up in his seat and turned toward Gregori, leaning his left arm on the center console. "Don't get me wrong; I love what I do. I love my job. Healing sick kids is the best job in the entire world." He stopped and snorted. "But I don't have some great altruistic reason for becoming a doctor. It's all Sam's fault."

"I have a feeling he would take pride in your statement."

"Probably so," Salem said, his voice sounding distracted as he looked around at the park they'd just pulled into. "I thought you said we were going ice skating. I figured we'd go to the small rink they set up downtown."

"I considered it, but I was afraid of how busy it would be. I wanted something a little more private."

"Yeah, but the pond isn't set up for ice skating. We can't even be sure it's properly frozen before we…" He stared at Gregori. The ice dragon only smiled at his mate. He'd figured it out. Nothing was going to stop Gregori from having a little private time with his man.

Salem huffed and slumped in his seat. "You're not as smooth as you think you are."

Challenge accepted. He was more than happy to show Salem exactly how smooth he could be.

He parked the car in an open spot within view of the pond and turned off the engine. Just as he'd hoped, the small park was completely empty. Some lamps were lit, illuminating a scattering of picnic tables covered in snow and playground equipment with small footprints around it from children who'd ventured out during the day.

He glanced over to see Salem pulling the knit hat lower on his ears and then resettling his scarf around his neck before tugging on a pair of gloves. "Are you sure that's going to be enough to keep you warm?"

"Of course. I'm used to these winters." Salem smirked and leaned in close to him, taunting laughter glittering in his eyes. "Have you forgotten what it's like to be out in the cold after so many years in Brazil?"

Gregori shifted in his seat so his face was only a handspan from Salem's. "The cold doesn't bother ice dragons. We're built for it." He swooped in and planted a quick kiss on the tip of Salem's nose before the man could jerk away.

"Ah!" Salem cried out and Gregori laughed as he climbed out of the car. He strolled around to Salem's side and waited for his date to finish bundling up so he could get out.

Together, they crossed the field, which had only a decimeter of snow covering the ground. The last storm hadn't dumped a lot of the white stuff. Just enough to make the scenery pretty and the roads annoying.

As they reached the pond, Gregori took hold of Salem's elbow, stopping him from getting too close. There was a layer of ice on the pond, but even from a glance he could tell it wasn't nearly thick enough to hold their weight. "Stay here for a minute. Let me fix the ice."

"Work your magic," Salem urged, motioning toward the pond.

With one last look at Salem to reassure himself he wasn't going to do anything rash, Gregori edged the last few feet to the pond and knelt. He pressed his fingers to the thin coating of ice and called on his magic, sending it racing across the pond, adding several decimeters of thickness to what was already there. When he was done, the ice on the small pond was thick enough to hold a full-size dragon, let alone two men.

Satisfied his mate was going to be safe, Gregori straightened and walked out onto the ice. He turned toward Salem and held out his hand. "It's okay now. Join me."

"You know, it might have been smarter if we'd bothered to get some actual ice skates," Salem observed even as he shuffled to the edge of the pond and took Gregori's hand. His fingers instantly tightened on Gregori's, clasping him in a death grip. He lifted one foot to step on the ice and stopped. "You're sure this is thick enough to hold both of us?"

Gregori lifted both of his brows at Salem. "Do you really think I'd put your life in danger?"

"Good point," Salem muttered as he stepped onto the ice.

With an evil chuckle, Gregori pulled Salem into his arms, squeezing a startled yelp out of him as he slid easily across the ice. Salem's free hand was twisted in the front of Gregori's coat while his face was smashed into his chest. His entire body was tense as if he was just waiting for the icy water to close over his slender frame.

Not a fucking chance.

"See? You're safe. The ice isn't going to crack. I won't even let you fall. Just hold on to me," Gregori murmured in Salem's ear.

Was there a better way to spend the evening than having his mate wrapped in his arms as they glided around the ice?

Slowly, Salem lifted his head and looked around as Gregori slid on the ice in another lazy circle. Gregori was holding nearly all of Salem's weight with ease.

"You can do this without skates?" Salem's grip on his coat eased slightly and he relaxed, leaning on Gregori.

"Of course. I've been sliding around on the ice for centuries without ice skates, chasing around my clanmates and playing games."

"But how—" Salem's question died off as he snapped his head up, eyes wide. "You don't mean in Brazil, do you? Sam mentioned your clan is originally from Russia."

Gregori nodded. "We could do this in Brazil if we wanted. We can freeze entire lakes if we're in the mood. But most of the time, we lounge on the warm sand, soaking up all the sun."

Salem chuckled. "Like the giant iguanas you are."

"Oh, I think you find me far more attractive than a giant iguana."

A low huff escaped Salem, and even in the low light, Gregori could make out the blush starting to spread across the apples of his cheeks. The man could deny it all he wanted, but he still recalled the pictures Salem had taken when he was in his dragon form with the kids. The surgeon had been impressed, which had pleased his dragon to no end. The silly beast had preened and purred at the knowledge that Salem had watched it for so long.

"Whatever. Do you miss Russia?"

Gregori slowed his sliding around the pond and shifted Salem so his back was pressed to Gregori's front while he wrapped one stabilizing arm around his waist. This way Salem could see where they were going without awkwardly craning his neck.

"No, not really. We've lived in Brazil for so long, it feels like home. We love the sun and warm weather. So many of us have become surfers over the years. The tropical colors are nice, and the local food is delicious. Even if I had a craving for the fare I grew up on, there's plenty of dragons living within the clan who can make it exactly as they did when we lived there."

He turned his face into Salem's dark brown hair, unable to resist breathing in deeply the haunting floral scent of his shampoo. It reminded him of waking up early in the morning and breathing in Salem while he still slept. The same scent had also lingered faintly on his own pillow back in his apartment in Brazil. The pleasant smell would have faded by now, the last traces of his mate disappearing from his personal space.

He shoved the thought away. This was going to work. Salem would eventually fall in love with him, and they'd find a way to build a life together. It didn't matter if it was here or in Brazil. The important thing was having each other.

"That's good," Salem said, breaking into his thoughts. "I figured you might get homesick every now and again."

Gregori shook his head, rubbing those fine strands against his lips. "Not homesick for Russia. But occasionally for the people who lived with us there who are no longer with us."

Salem stiffened. "Because of the war," he whispered.

Fuck. No, this wasn't the romantic conversation they were supposed to be having. He was supposed to be asking him silly, unimportant things, like favorite movies and favorite types of music. War was not romantic.

The man in his arms started to move on his own and Gregori aided him, steadying him when he nearly fell twice as he fought to face Gregori again. Salem stared up at him for several seconds in silence, those deep ocean blue eyes narrowed like he was trying to peer straight into Gregori's soul.

"It's so weird."

Gregori cocked his head to the side. "What is?"

"We learn about the Great Dragon War in school. I think as early as grade school. Then again in more detail during high school, but it doesn't ever feel real because it happened centuries ago. My own country wasn't even a thing yet when it happened. We were taught the major events and some of the names. The important thing was all the dragons died off, and the mages were pretty much on the same path to extinction." One of Salem's hands drifted up so that the fingertips of his thick gloves grazed Gregori's cheek.

Gregori turned his head and pressed a quick kiss to those fingers. "But you know that isn't true. Dragons and mages aren't going anywhere. We have a chance to grow. To make a new age for both of our kinds."

"True. But you were there. All the stuff I memorized for school was actually real for you. It just blows my mind. I'm sorry for all the clanmates you lost in the war."

"Thank you, but let's—" Gregori had been about to redirect the conversation to something lighter, but he lost his footing. He'd attempted to push off to send them casually sliding across the ice, but his balance wobbled as his left foot tried to slip in the wrong direction. He gripped Salem tightly around the waist and a Russian curse might have tumbled from his lips as he regained his balance.

"Whoa!" Salem gasped, his fingers digging into Gregori's shoulders. "That was close."

Gregori was now bent in an awkward position, and he was forced to tip his head up to meet Salem's eyes. "Yeah. Too close."

"Maybe we should?—"

Salem never got the chance to finish. One of them moved. In the end, Gregori wasn't even sure which of them it was.

In the blink of an eye, they were crashing hard to the ice, a loud "oof" jumping from both of them. Gregori landed on his back, knocking the wind out of his lungs, while Salem at least landed mostly on top of him.

That was not supposed to happen.

He was an ice dragon. King of the motherfucking ice. Always in control.

And he'd slipped like a newborn dragon after making his first icy patch.

This. Was. Embarrassing.

It didn't matter though. The only important thing was the well-being of his mate.

"Salem! Are you okay? Did you hit the ice anywhere? Are you hurt?" The questions surged from Gregori, but he doubted Salem heard him as a loud burst of laughter rocketed from him.

His mate's entire body shook with laughter. Gregori lay completely still, soaking in the glorious sound, memorizing it for later. Salem laughed far too rarely, and it was nice to know what his deep belly laughs sounded like.

Salem slipped and struggled, finally shifting so he was lying on Gregori with his forearms braced on his chest, staring down at him. Salem's knit hat was askew, barely on his head any longer, and his cheeks were now bright red from his amusement and the bitter cold.

"You fell!" Salem cackled. "Mister Powerful Ice Dragon fell on the ice ."

"You distracted me!" Gregori felt sure the embarrassment burning through him was in danger of melting the ice.

Salem's chuckles changed to snickers, and he bent his head even closer. "And I bet I'm the best distraction you've ever met."

Gregori reached up and cupped Salem's frozen cheek, all the humiliation forgotten under the intense warmth of Salem's smile. He wanted this. A lifetime of smiles just like this one, where Salem stared down at him like he was the only person in all the world. He didn't care how ridiculous or silly they were being. Didn't care if they were in the United States or Brazil. He just wanted this smile. God, he loved this man beyond reason.

It was such a terrifying and elating realization, but he felt the truth of it seep into his bones. He loved Salem with every fiber of his being.

And he had no idea how to tell him.

As the seconds ticked by, Salem's broad grin melted into something softer. He leaned into Gregori's touch and his eyes closed as if he was soaking in the affection. Gregori carefully pulled him in, wanting to seal the moment with a kiss.

But just as their lips were about to touch, Salem's eyes popped open in something akin to horror and he shouted, "Dinner!" right in Gregori's face.

Salem jerked back out of Gregori's touch and smiled again, though this one seemed a little tense. "Dinner! You promised me dinner. We go. I mean, should go. We should go. Now. Let's go get dinner. I'm starving."

As he spoke, Salem fought against the slippery ice, trying to push back up to his feet. Gregori bit the inside of his cheek. He wasn't the only one who'd gotten sucked into the moment. Yes, this was excellent progress.

With his head clear and a little more confidence to bolster his mood, Gregori climbed to his feet and helped to steady Salem as they made their way across the pond.

"I was looking online and saw there is this Thai place with very good reviews not far from here. Would you be?—"

His words were cut off by the scream of screeching tires in the distance, followed by the loud bang of metal slamming into metal and the shattering of glass. But it didn't happen just once. The crashing kept rolling on and on, as if several cars had collided not too far from them.

Dinner was definitely on hold.