I'd had people in my bed plenty of times, but other than my brother, it had always been sexual before. And lying next to Marcus didn't feel anything like lying in bed with my brother. I would have given Marcus a pair of my pants to borrow, but his entire body would have fit in one leg, with room to spare. He did take one of my shirts, though. Even though I'd picked the smallest one I had, one I probably didn't fit in anymore, it still swam on him. I tried not to watch as he swapped shirts, but I caught a glimpse of the straight lines of his pale skin, the dusky tint of his nipples, and the glint of something metallic on them before my shirt covered him. Were those… nipple rings? I tried not to think about them, but that was hot. He didn't change out of his pants, though, which were so tight they were nearly plastered to him, and I wondered if he was wearing anything under there. 

Asking would have made it too sexual, but that and the nipple rings were all I could think of as I lay on my back, staring up at the ceiling, trying to fall asleep.

Marcus lay on his side facing me, his eyes closed and his breathing even. Was he asleep? Was he awake? I should just turn over and ask him. But would that be too weird? I'd just turn toward him and see if he opened his eyes. 

I flipped in the bed, and Marcus's eyes didn't open, but Sally stood with a huff, her apparently perfect position gone with my adjustment. She turned around a few times, scratching at the cover, but something was unsatisfactory, and she gave up on finding comfort at the end of the bed, and walked up to crash between us, her ear flopping over Marcus's nose and face.

He started cracking up with a sputter, too alert to have been asleep, and his eyes finally opened. 

"Is this a cock block or an invitation to a three-way," he joked, and I joined him.

"You have no idea," I said. "She's the worst cock blocker ever!" I nearly started in on the story where this one guy I'd brought home, Tom, had been going down on me when Sally had come up behind him and bit him on the ass, but stopped myself. It was totally gauche to bring up exes with... well, I wasn't sure what Marcus was to me. I think I could safely call him my friend, but I definitely was interested in more. Yet crush sounded so juvenile. My mother would call him my "romantic interest." That would work as well as anything else.

I realized I'd been stuck in my head too long when I saw Marcus looking at me with an inscrutable emotion. 

"What?" I asked. "Is it weird that the most stable relationship I've had outside of my family is with my dog?"

Marcus shrugged. "Mine is Blubby, so I don't have much room to talk. And I think it's a pretty good indicator of character if a man is loyal to his animals. And kind to animals in general."

"Loyalty is important to me," I said, realizing how unexpectedly serious my voice sounded as the words came out.

"I can see that." Marcus snuggled into his pillow. "Is that something your family is big on?"

"More from experience," I said, surprised at how easy it was to be open with Marcus. I didn't talk about my dad much. "My dad... he kinda decided the family thing wasn't for him after my brother was born. He sent a few birthday cards, but that only lasted a couple years." I rolled onto my back to look back up at the ceiling, the conversation too real and too much for me to be able to handle looking into Marcus's eyes.

"Your mom must be pretty amazing," Marcus said softly.

"She is. And my little brother, Coop, he's damn smart. We all took care of each other. Still do. That's why loyalty is so important to me." I wasn't used to someone listening to me as I pulled threads from so deep in my soul. I tended to keep that shit to myself with Mama and Coop. I'd never wanted to worry them more than I'd had to. "How about you? What's your family like?"

Marcus was silent for a while. "I have a twin brother," he said finally.

"That guy who came in to Café Om that day I took you home?"

"Yeah," Marcus said. "I didn't realize you'd seen him."

"It's hard to not notice someone who looks like your—you." I'd nearly said "your crush," even though just a little while ago I'd dismissed that word. 

"We... we've had a rough few years. Decade, really. But... things might be getting better." He didn't elaborate, and we fell back into silence until he yawned again, making me laugh.

"Okay, sleep. For real, this time."

The conversation had eased the tumultuous thoughts in my head, and with Sally pressed comfortingly against my side, putting a barrier between Marcus and I, it was easier to actually fall asleep this time.