Instead, he let a smile draw up the corner of his mouth, and he bent and lifted Shaw in his arms, cradling Shaw against his chest. He took a step toward the bedroom and then kissed Shaw again.

“I believe I said something about not letting you leave the bed all weekend.”

SHAW ALDRICH AND THE CASE OF THE MISSING LEASH

This story takes place after Declination.

1

SHAW WAS STANDING IN the kitchen of North’s duplex, hands in the pockets of his cargo shorts, wishing he had worn pants instead. Or maybe an invisibility cloak, if he had one.

North ran a hand through his thatch of blond hair, mussing it even more, and held out the card. It was a simple thing, cut out of construction paper with uneven lines, and stained along one side from spilled coffee. The lettering on it was done with Crayola markers: aquamarine and fluorescent orange.

“It was really more of a joke,” Shaw said.

“Huh.”

“Kind of retro.”

“Hm.”

“Not really—I mean, not really something to take seriously.”

North nodded. He wasn’t smiling. He wasn’t laughing. His eyes weren’t sparkling with suppressed mirth. But Shaw wanted to slap him anyway.

“Technically, this was your birthday present to me.”

“Yeah, but, like.” Shaw was having a hard time finding the right words. “A goof.”

Another of those noncommittal nods.

“You get it,” Shaw said.

“Well.”

“No, you totally get it.”

“Actually.”

“And anyway, my real present to you was those costumes. You know. The Ryo and Akira costumes.”

North just nodded.

Shaw couldn’t explain why he kept talking faster. Why the words just seemed to come pouring out. “So you get it, right? I mean. I gave you the costumes. That was awesome. We both liked that. And the card, I mean, I just kind of—” The room was suddenly hot. Shaw couldn’t quite get enough air. Or words. “You know. You get it.”

“A goof.”

“Yes. Thank you. Yes, a goof.”

“But you did give it to me for my birthday.”

“Right, but—”

“And you didn’t write anywhere on it to make it clear it was a goof. Or a joke. Or retro.”

“Well, I didn’t—”

“You could have written something really clever like COUPON NOT HONORED ON DAYS THAT END IN Y. Or CASH VALUE 1/20 OF A CENT.”

“Just to be technical, it doesn’t have any cash value.”

North just kept talking with that same unflappable calm. “And since you didn’t write any of that stuff on there, it kind of feels like you never thought I’d actually use the coupon. Kind of like you were calling my bluff.” A single frown line appeared between North’s blond brows. “Kind of like you didn’t remember my birthday so you just found a piece of construction paper and made something at the last minute.”

“North.”

“I’m not saying that’s what you did.”

“I honestly cannot believe you.”