Page 38 of Office of the Lost

“Look!”Crispin held up Leo’s hand.“Your skin.”

Leopold sat up and peered at his arm.“It looks like skin.”

“Exactly.The more boring and human you act, the more human you become.”

“Like Pinocchio?”

Crispin racked his brain.“Oh, yes, the story from the wooden world of Geppettoso.They always did take a shine to your kind.”

“You mean Pinocchio… he was real?”

“Of course he was.But that whole claptrap about him becoming human was just a story.”

“I’m not though, am I?”Leo’s eyes were wet.

“Not what?”

“Human.”His lanky brown hair fell over his eyes.“That’s what the arkysore was saying.”

Crispin sighed.Close enough.“Listen, maybe you weren’t human to begin with.I wasn’t fae to begin with, either, just a small magical cell that divided and divided again to make me the stunning example of office faedom that you see before you today.You didn’t start out that way, but you are as human a human as I’ve ever met.Maybe that’s what counts.”

Leo reached up, gently pulled Crispin near, and kissed him.Crispin gave in, the warmth of Leo’s lips melting his insides.

He allowed himself—just for a second—to imagine a life with the strange human… waking up in bed with him in the treehouse, feeding Minkis together, taking quiet walks in the forest under the scintillating canopy of the Greatwoods… even coming home after work to recount stories of his long day at the office?—

He pushed Leopold away.“I… we… can’t.”

Leo’s eyebrow arched.“Why not?Is it ‘cause… I am what I am?”

“Yes.”Crispin regretted it immediately, seeing Leopold’s crestfallen look.“Oh, not that.Like I said, you’re as human as anyone I’ve ever met.”

“Then what?”His eyes widened.“You’re a virgin!”

Crispin barked a laugh.“I most certainly am not.I’ve played in the berry bushes with my share of men before.”Though not many, and not for a long time.Not since Qyl.The ache in his nethers reminded him of that.Their affair had been both short-lived and disastrous.

“Then what?”

Crispin sighed.“You’re a—” he had been about to say “a recoverable,” but that didn’t sound right.“A client.”He’d never hear the end of it from Bidulla if he got too involved with the merchandise.

“Oh.”Leopold lay back on the white beigey gray nothing and stared at the white beigey gray sky.“So you can’t but you want to.”A grin teased the edges of his lips.“I can work with that.”

Crispin huffed.“I never said I wanted to.”

“Your lips did.”

He sighed.He almost preferred Morose Leo to Smug Leo.He got up, casting about for something, anything, to get them out of there.Intentionally taking a few steps away from Leo.Just to check out the area.I can’t trust myself being close to him.

He pulled his portable transport device from his pocket.“Thea, can you get us home now?”

It was a long shot, but maybe here in the Un-Place, the bit of Chaos she’d ingested might be muffled?Or maybe pulled out of her altogether?

She whistled softly, but then, nothing.

Crispin abruptly sat down, out of ideas.He’d long since given up on his perfecality score.Now he just wanted to go home.

He shuddered and started to cry—something he never did, especially in front of others.Not since his brother had teased him mercilessly for crying over his last pet, a raccoon named Echo, who had wandered away from home one night just before his mother’s Estate had changed worlds.

He put his head in his hands, trying to hide his sobs.

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