Page 16 of Shifter Omegaverse AU

“Are they genderqueer?” Milo asked, leaning forward against the side of the counter.

The barista inclined her head. “They do use that term, but recently they’ve also started saying they’re gender nonconforming.”

Milo mouthed the words gender nonconforming a few times. “That’s… I’m going to give that some thought. I think for now—” Milo turned to look up at Rowan. “I think I like using they/them pronouns with you, but more than that, I really appreciate you asking. It’s given me the chance to actually stop and think about my gender in ways I haven’t in a long time. Like today, I’m feeling quite femme, and this skirt is giving me all the happy euphoric bubbles in my chest. But tomorrow or even later today, it might not.”

“I’m happy to keep asking,” Rowan said.

Milo’s smile was somehow brighter than their outfit. They had perfectly straight teeth that were on the larger size but didn’t seem disproportionate to their mouth. Their face was actually quite symmetrical, and when their eyes lit up the way they were now, they were downright beautiful.

Rowan couldn’t think of the last time he’d so openly stared at another person. He mostly went about his life trying to avoid being noticed, but it seemed like he and his hawk didn’t mind being noticed by Milo.

The gray in their eyes shifted again, almost like rays of sun shining through storm clouds. Milo had such an obvious light inside them that shone through with every laugh and grin. No wonder his hawk had him leaning in, as if they could somehow bask in Milo’s light without having to face the fact that there was no way someone as wild and bright as Milo would ever want anything from Rowan.

Not that…Rowan wanted anything from Milo, either. His life was fine the way it was. This was merely a casual hangout with a stranger-turned-potential-friend, and that was all it ever could be.

“Would you both like your usual coffees?” the barista asked, pulling their attention away from each other and to her all-too-knowing grin. “Or is something more exciting in order since it’s a Friday night?”

Rowan straightened his shoulders, pulling himself up to his full height and out of the lean he’d been doing towards Milo. “Could we get one of every muffin you have, and—” Rowan glanced down at the seasonal menu and picked two of the wildest-sounding drinks, hoping that would be exciting enough for Milo. “A hot blueberry pancake latte and raspberry iced coffee with strawberry cold foam.”

Milo was staring at Rowan like he’d hung the moon and then come back to add the stars—as Raina liked to say.

“And anything else for you, Milo?” the barista asked, her bright red nails tapping away on the touch screen.

“Maybe something salty to go with all that sweet? But on purpose this time,” Milo said, a smirk pulling at their lips.

Their elbow came out just like it had in the movie theater, but this time they quickly pulled it back on their own.

“How does a cheddar bay croissant sound?” the barista asked.

“Splendid!” Milo said, whipping their backpack around off their back.

They turned away from Rowan, sparing him of the knapsack’s wrath—except they went a little too far in the other direction and nearly upended a display of granola bars.

“Shit, sorry, just…let me find…”

Milo opened their bag and began pulling things out, including yet another apple, a laptop only half inside its protective case, and a crumpled-up newspaper.

Rowan slowly reached for his back pocket to pull out his wallet. “How about I get this one since—”

“Ta-da!” Milo said, brandishing a zebra-print wallet with a green tassel hanging from it. “My treat, since buying out half the pastry case was my idea. You can get the next one.”

Rowan’s mind caught and held on “next one,” so he didn’t put up much of a fight; he simply thanked Milo and the barista.

“And thank you so much for the insight on your partner! Seriously, that’s…really interesting. I’m going to give it some more thought,” Milo said, before shoving everything back into their backpack and zipping it up.

They walked to the other end of the counter to wait for their drinks. Milo noticeably left several inches of space between them, whereas they had been practically standing on top of Ray the last time they were here.

Rowan kept that thought to himself while they accepted their multiple bags of pastries and two drinks. He continued holding his tongue as they left the cafe until they reached the park, and he couldn’t contain it anymore.

Apparently, Milo had also been ruminating because, as Rowan said, “Could I ask—” Milo blurted out, “So, what kind of hawk are you?”

Rowan’s hawk jumped from foot to foot excitedly, and the back of Rowan’s head prickled. “I’m a red-tailed hawk. Although we do have a decent wingspan, my alpha ma is an albatross. That’s why me and my siblings are all really tall, despite three of the four of us being hawk shifters.”

Milo yanked their phone out of the side pocket of their backpack and pulled up a picture of a red-tailed hawk. “Oh my gods, I can totally see it! I bet your hawk is absolutely gorgeous, like you and your hair.”

This time, Rowan found himself shifting from foot to foot, but since he was walking, he managed to trip himself.

The coffee and pastries would have gone flying if not for Milo’s hand shooting out and grabbing the cuff of Rowan’s sleeve. Milo curled their fingers in such a way that no part of them was touching any part of Rowan.