They sat on the same side of one of the tiny iron tables along the sidewalk. The morning was cool but promised a warmer day, the sun shining and the air almost dewy. The trees that rose out of the sidewalk had small green leaves and the last of their pink spring flowers on their branches.

Arthur seemed quieter than normal that morning as he sipped black coffee. Rory passed him the sugar. “You okay?”

Arthur smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Thanks for asking.”

“That’s not an answer,” Rory pointed out. “You know, your ex is full of it. I’m not young. You don’t need to overprotect me.”

“You’re an adorable paranormal who believes twenty-one is so old you don’t need protection,” Arthur said dryly, stirring a heaping spoonful of sugar into his coffee. “That’s not going to trigger my anxiety at all.”

Rory rolled his eyes. “I told you back in Boston and I’ll tell you again: keeping secrets to protect me needs to stop. You gotta tell me when something’s wrong, so I know if I gotta kick someone’s ass.”

Arthur’s smile turned more real at that. “My hero,” he said, playfully but not sarcastically. He absently touched his chest, over his heart.

Sometimes you had to give people enough quiet space for their words and feelings before they’d feel comfortable enough to share them. Rory could wait. He picked up one of the pastries and pulled off a corner, revealing buttery layers and an apricot jam filling. Geez. Forget the siphon, he was gonna sit here and eat forever.

“There is something I should tell you,” Arthur finally said.

“Okay, admitting that much is progress.” Rory popped the bite in his mouth. “You gonna tell me what it is?”

Arthur made a face. “Eventually?” he hedged. “I am...having some difficulty with it.”

Rory swallowed, a horrible thought occurring to him. “You leaving me?”

Arthur actually sputtered. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he said severely.

Rory broke into a smile. “All right, then. Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out, okay? Together.”

Arthur watched him for a long moment. He opened his mouth—

And then closed it as the others appeared on the sidewalk. “Bonjour,” Jade said, taking one of the empty chairs as Zhang spoke to the waiter.

Rory pursed his lips. Their friends had the worst timing, but then, it wasn’t like he’d forget something was bugging Arthur.

Ellis pulled out Gwen’s chair for her, then snagged an extra chair from another table for himself. “No word from Sebastian,” he said, as he lit up a cigarette.

Rory frowned.

“He’s tough as nails,” Ellis added, with faith. “As long as he doesn’t get too close to Zeppler’s lackey with the blood magic, the Puppeteer, he’ll make it.”