To Hive and To Hold

Arthur is an apothecarist in the witches' district of a city that might have once been London, before the magic came. He also keeps magic bees in the greenhouse on his roof and teaches his trade to his apprentice, Ariadne. His life is settled, his customers are happy, and his heart is finally ready to open itself to more.Jade was a student of sorcery, but although he values the skills he learned there, he doesn't agree with their values up on the hill. He's taken himself, his newly-acquired tattooist's license, and the familiar under his skin, and moved down to the witches' district. He's determined to make this work, and when he needs botanical references for his first client, Arthur's Apothecary across the way is the obvious place to start.While Arthur builds a hive for a new swarm of bees, Jade builds a business and a new life. Together, can they cultivate a love as sweet as honey?Tags: m/m Romance, Slow Burn, Nonbinary & Genderqueer characters, Adult Communication, Found Family, Bees, Food, Magic as Science, Science as Magic, Mythological Mishmash, Post-Post Apocalyptic Hopepunk, Solarpunk, Shopping, Nesting, Domesticity, Community Building

Arthur is an apothecarist in the witches' district of a city that might have once been London, before the magic came. He also keeps magic bees in the greenhouse on his roof and teaches his trade to his apprentice, Ariadne. His life is settled, his customers are happy, and his heart is finally ready to open itself to more.Jade was a student of sorcery, but although he values the skills he learned there, he doesn't agree with their values up on the hill. He's taken himself, his newly-acquired tattooist's license, and the familiar under his skin, and moved down to the witches' district. He's determined to make this work, and when he needs botanical references for his first client, Arthur's Apothecary across the way is the obvious place to start.While Arthur builds a hive for a new swarm of bees, Jade builds a business and a new life. Together, can they cultivate a love as sweet as honey?Tags: m/m Romance, Slow Burn, Nonbinary & Genderqueer characters, Adult Communication, Found Family, Bees, Food, Magic as Science, Science as Magic, Mythological Mishmash, Post-Post Apocalyptic Hopepunk, Solarpunk, Shopping, Nesting, Domesticity, Community Building