"Marriage? God, no." House said it like Nyx had asked if he wanted to take up competitive birdwatching.

Then after a moment he added, "I mean, I get the appeal. Legally binding affection. Tax breaks. An audience to witness your slow moral decay."

His fingers trailed down Nyx's arm. "People think marriage is about love. It’s not. It’s about tolerance. It’s about saying ‘yes, I agree to this person’s entire catalog of flaws, even the ones they haven’t discovered yet."

He shrugged. "I admire that kind of delusion. I just don’t share it."