Page 24 of How to Hide Your Angel Kid

Did she... know that Galent had been cursed?

And could she help him? What if the curse ended up hurting her? She was so small and defenseless.

“Guh guh wa,” Zarrie said to Galent, spit dribbling down her chin.

“You’re really cute,” Galent said.

“Don’t give her any baby talk,” Pinks said. “I’m trying to teach her as many words as I can.”

“Even ‘fuck’?”

Pinks turned around to scowl, and almost tripped.

A split second later, Galent was in front of him, strong hands grasping Pinks’ arms, holding him steady.

“All right,” Galent murmured. “No ‘fuck’s.”

Pinks glared daggers at him. Except it only made the giant smile wider.

“You’re cute when you’re mad,” Galent said. “Spicy. I like that in a mate.”

“I’m not your mate,” Pinks growled.

“Not yet.”

“Fuck off.” Yes, Pinks got the irony.

Galent released him, laughing quietly. He leaned in and said to Zarrie, “You’ve got a great dad. Don’t smack him too hard, okay?”

Zarrie babbled and reached for Galent again. Galent shook his fingers at her, and Zarrie wriggled excitedly.

Galent made it really difficult for Pinks to stay mad. Unsure what to feel about it, Pinks walked faster to put more distance between them.

Except Galent kept up easily with his long legs. His pants were so short, his calves were exposed, and it wasn’t even a turn-off.

They reached the department store some time later. Pinks eyed the shoppers flocking into the store, backing up to stand closer to the giant.

“Don’t turn into a rock,” Pinks muttered.

“I’ll try not to.”

A shopping cart wobbled nearby, one of its wheels bent off the ground. It seemed to contemplate joining the eager carts speeding toward the shoppers, except it turned back, as though hoping that Pinks might want it for himself.

Pinks melted.

There was magic in metals. It existed as wisps of energy in metal ores. As the ores were refined into pure metal, the energy gathered and grew, moreso when metal was shaped into movable objects such as locks and faucets. Over time, as the moving parts interacted, the magic in them caused the objects to turn sentient. It was how shopping carts could race around in grocery store parking lots, following ice cream trucks that played the sounds of jingling coins.

Unlike kidnappers, shopping carts were pure and innocent. Kind of like dogs.

Pinks turned Zarrie around to face the cart. “Look, Zee. This is a shopping cart. We use it to hold all our groceries.”

The shopping cart flipped its wheels excitedly.

“Here.” Galent crouched next to the cart, grasping its bum wheel. With sheer brute strength, he bent the wheel back so it was touching the asphalt. “How ‘bout that? Can you move better now?”

The cart rocked back and forth, flipping its wheels again. Galent grinned.

Pinks’ heart swelled without his permission. He patted the cart’s handle and pushed it toward the department store entrance, trying to ignore the warmth in his cheeks.

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