Page 52 of Shifter Omegaverse AU

It seemed a little late to deploy that simple approach with Rowan, so instead, Milo was going to list everything that they liked about Rowan. Hopefully, that would provide a decent argument as to why they should start dating…and then mate and live happily ever after.

Milo’s pony whinnied their approval of this very well thought out and robust plan.

“I also really enjoy talking to you and hanging out with you, and I want to do a lot more of both,” Milo said.

“As do I,” Rowan said, nudging the glass syrup bottle closer to Milo’s plate as they polished off their second pancake.

Naturally, this amazing man had a glass syrup bottle with real maple syrup in it. Ray had something like it for olive oil. Milo would be lucky if they had either of those in their pantry, and if they did, they were probably in the back of a cabinet somewhere in the plastic bottles they’d come in.

Clearly, between the two of them, Rowan was and always would be the catch.

Maybe Milo should switch tactics.

“I think that although I may be an unconventional candidate, I bring a lot to the table.”

Rowan opened his mouth, but Milo held up one finger, and he shut it again.

“Exhibit A…or…one, I guess. Exhibit One! I am down for almost anything, anywhere, at any time. Want to try that new jalapeño themed restaurant? Let’s go. Interested in taking up whale watching? I know a place. Need someone to sit on your bed and cheer you on as you put away your clothes? I’m there.”

Given the impressively clean state of Rowan's apartment, he probably didn’t need that last one as much as Milo and Ray did, but that didn’t make it untrue.

Milo held up a second finger. “Exhibit Two. I can provide my own transportation, and as soon as I take my car to the shop, it will even have a working glove box!”

Rowan’s mouth had opened again, in a sort of slack-jawed expression that clearly meant he was impressed with Milo’s offerings. They had a few more up their sleeve, so they held up a third finger.

“Exhibit Three. I am very good with my mouth. I can—“

“Milo,” Rowan choked, this time without even having drunk any tea. “You said ‘make a good candidate’… Do you mean to date?”

“To date and I guess potentially one day to mate?” Milo said, still holding up their three fingers. “If that’s something you want, of course, but I wanted to talk to you about this before even finding out we were fated mates. I think we should date, so I started by listing the reasons I want to date you, but you’re amazing and have an amazing job and live in an amazing apartment, so that should go without saying. Now I’m listing the reasons why I think you might want to date me. So, as I was saying, Exhibit Three—“

“Milo, baby, you don’t have to convince me. That’s also what I wanted to talk to you about.”

Milo’s fingers drooped. “Oh…really?”

“Yes,” Rowan said, placing his hand down in the middle of the table, slightly more on Milo’s side than his own.

Milo placed their hand next to his, not touching but leaving the potential open.

“It’s why I got so worked up over Ray and Ruben leaving together. I was worried I may have missed my chance to ask if you’d be open to exploring more with me. Romantically and…intimately,” Rowan said, staring down at their hands. “Keeping in mind that that’s probably not going to look the same for me as it has with your past partners.”

Milo could barely contain their snort. Their pony didn’t even try. “You mean you’re not going to have a live-in boyfriend for years and lie to me about it?”

Just like the night before, Rowan’s pinky nudged Milo’s, and they kept their hand very still while grabbing the syrup with their other hand.

“I would never cheat on you,” Rowan said, pressing against Milo’s pinky more firmly. “If we do this, it’s you and only you. That’s regardless of being fated mates, but I guess that also plays a part. I would never deny a fated mate bond without giving it my absolute all—but, again, with the understanding that my all might not be what you want or need.”

Milo’s fingers flexed involuntarily, and Rowan jerked his hand away.

“Shit, sor—”

“See? This is exactly what I mean,” Rowan said. He pulled his hand back to his side of the table and dropped it into his lap. “I’m well aware that—how did you put it? I’m an ‘unconventional candidate’ to be a fated mate, especially to someone like you, who clearly enjoys physical intimacy and adventure. I’ve never even heard of a jalapeño themed restaurant, and I definitely wouldn’t know where to go to whale watch.”

“And you might be a neat freak, which, uh, I am not,” Milo said, pulling at the collar of their shirt in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Milo genuinely wasn’t worried about Rowan’s touch aversion, but clearly, it was part of their relationship that would need to be handled with care.

“That’s alright, I’m sure we could work on that together,” Rowan said, his eyes fixed on his full plate. “I was actually already considering going back to therapy, but now I think that’s probably not only necessary but urgent, so that I can work on my touch…stuff.”