10

I look at my reflection once again, making sure I look perfect. Not a crease in my black dress. It is simple, the body of the dress sticking to my body, showing the right places. The sheer sleeves flare out at the wrists. I picked a simple silver set of necklace and earrings.

My makeup is semi-natural with smoked eyeliner. My curls down, going to my shoulders. I had Agatha condition my wings for the second time today, making sure not a feather is out of place. My  phone pings and I jump towards the phone to check the text,

'We are here.'

I hear a knock on the door, I quickly grab my black handbag and run down the stairs.

Opening the door. Fabian stands there dressed in a navy blue suit. His brown hair falling over his forehead. He looks nervous when he hesitantly holds his hand out to me. Pink dusting his cheeks as he adverts his gaze.

"you look gorgeous"

He says, and then snaps his mouth shut, regret on his face. I giggle, taking his hand and closing the door behind me, quickly locking it on the inside.

"You look beautiful as well"

We walk towards the car, with the other man in the driver's side, Fabian opens the back door for me. I get in, and then he goes to the other side of the car to sit beside me.

"You look beautiful."

Adonis says, looking through the rearview mirror at me.

"You and Fabian look good too."

I say, looking at my hands. Afraid of meeting his eyes. Fabian slides in next to me, and I feel the car begin to move. We all make small talk, getting to know each other to fill the silence as we drive back to the restaurant. Towards the end of the drive, Adonis asks.

"How did you meet Agatha and Louis?" 

"I had an accident a few weeks ago, and they took me in." 

"What kind of accident?"

"It was a freak accident... I was dumb and decided to take flight while it was storming. And got burned, broke a few bones including my wing." 

Fabian flinches at that, his wing fluttering at the thought. 

"I'm sorry about that. Shouldn't have asked." 

"It's no biggie"

I simply say, the car now uncomfortably silent until we reach a restaurant. 

"You don't need to bother to hide your wings here, the owner is a shapeshifter, and he accommodates everyone."

He says as he pulls into a smaller separate parking lot, and turns the car off. 

The smell of food and their colognes mix in the car. Suddenly a thought came to mind

"Adonis, do you have like, heightened smell?" 

He turns back a little, leaning against the door to look at me.

"Yeah, I can smell everyone's natural scent, you smell like lavender, amber, and baby powder., and fabian smells like rain, lavender, and something spicy."  

"This sounds weird, but can you smell yourself?"

He chuckles, 

"No, but Fabian can. When you become mated you can smell your mates, no matter what you are."

Fabian speaks up 

"He smells like vanilla, leather, and patchouli. My momma used to tell me that your scent shows how you were raised. Somebody who lived in luxury might have the scent of a fireplace, baby powder, or other things like that. Someone who led an average life might smell floral, or fruity. And someone who lived in poverty might smell more natural, like the woods, or ocean. But she also said that their scent translates to who they are as a person." 

He rests back against the seat, his wings pressed between him and the surface. 

"Which do you believe?" I ask him, watching as he closes his eyes, and rests. he turns his head, to look at me.

"I believe both, and that our scents are meant to soothe our mates."

Suddenly Adonis opens the door and gets out of the car, and we both do the same. We all walk to the entrance. The inside of the restaurant is dim, with curtains covering each table to give the customers some privacy. The couple lead me to a table towards the back, and we sit down. My wings brush against Fabians, and he nearly jumps out of his skin.

"They tickle, a lot, are yours sensitive?"

I tell him no, 

He sits at the table looking a little lost, hesitant about what to say next. 

I sit beside him, Adonis already in the seat across from me. 

"Can I feel them, you can touch mine?"

I nod, excited to feel them. 

He slowly reaches a hand out to feel my feathers, gentle. They attempt to flap, but can't as they're pinned under me. 

"They kinda have a mind of their own, I can control them but sometimes they do their own thing."

"He turns his back towards me, so I can feel them.  I reach my hand out, to feel, and they feel very similar to a moth. Except no powder comes off, they're thin. Almost translucent, the gold in his wings a little more prominent than before. They flutter under my hands as Fabian giggles. 

"They're so pretty."

I whisper out, Fabian muttering a thank you and he turns back in his seat properly. Adonis watching us with a small smile on his face. A man pulls the curtain back to step in,

"What can I get you guys to drink?"

He asks, I slightly panic reaching for the menu on the table to pick something, 

" Tokaji aszu please." 

The server leaves, and I look over the menu, my eyes building at the prices

'I should either get the cheapest thing and if it's messy, then the cleanest.' 

The cheapest thing is the french onion soup, I hate french onion soup. But ill eat it. The server comes back with the wine, and asks if we are ready to order, Adonis orders a 14 oz new york strip and some sort of fancy cheesy tater tots. Fabian orders a vegetable roll, and an ahi tuna roll and I say what I want, the server writes it down as Adonis raises his eyebrow at me.

"You want that?"

I nod, attempting to convince him, but it doesn't work.

"Well get everything else on the menu"

My eyes widen, and a pitiful squeak attempts to leave my mouth, the server watches with disinterest. Used to this. Fabian taps my legs,

"Just get what you want, he will get everything if you don't."

I look over the menu again and reorder, I get an 8 oz filet mignon. He gets some other things. Sides. As Fabian and I stare at each other, we are thinking the same thing. 

"He did this to me too, on our first date. All the maids were having lobster and steaks for a week."

Adonis finishes ordering, and opens the wine bottle, giving us all a glass. 

"Hadria, with us you don't have to worry. You can get whatever you want, with my money, and yours eventually." 

I look down at my hands, unsure of what to say. Fabian's wings flutter as he looks at adonis,

"That's kinda hot"

He says, I accidentally snort, as he tosses his head back laughing.  Adonis turns red as he scoffs, looking away.

" So what do you do for work?" 

Fabian asks me after the moment passes. 

"I... I do some transporting for some organizations. They pay generously so I only do it every few months, and live on that money for the most part. What do you do?"

"Well, I haven't been working since... About a year Adonis and I mated. But I was a cashier at a grocery store back home."

"How did you meet?" 

Adonis takes a sip of his drink and speaks

"I was taking a tour with Ezekiel, and when we stayed a night in Ushuaia, a city in Argentina. Fabian just knew I was there, and he was just knocking on doors in the hotel until he came across me."

"I don't know why I felt like he was there, I just knew it. He invited me into his room, and we spoke. The next morning we left together. My mother had just passed, and I didn't care if he was a good or bad person. I shouldn't have been so reckless but I'm glad I did." 

The server comes back with the food, placing it all on the table, adonis gives me some of the extra sides he ordered. My favorite is probably the black truffle mac and cheese. The wine was sweet, and a little bitter.  Wine now in our systems, we all loosed up a little bit. Fabian and I almost cuddling as we all talk, getting to know each other.

We all stand up eventually, Adonis tipping the server and paying, we all leave, Fabian and I falling asleep in the backseat on the way to their home.