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“Sure thing, Boss Daddy.”
***
It takes us a surprisingly short amount of time to get everything set up and packed away. That could be because I came in halfway through when all the heavy lifting was done, leaving us with just hanging the curtains and putting away clothes and unboxing all the kitchen things.
Watching Theo fill the bookshelves with his old books, the same bookshelves that held my family's belongings for centuries, feels so inexplicably right.
He’s exactly where he belongs. The thought flitters through my mind watching him boss us all around.
Everyone pitches in for the final touches and, by the time the dark falls, we are officially moved in. Mauvy brings us dinner on her break, joining us for a picnic in the sun room. Tor and Caelan went on a small shopping spree as a housewarming gift, and the room is once again filled with ferns and house plants, along with the mountains of cushions, pillows, and blankets Theo bought in Twin Heads.
We’re laid out around the large coffee table, currently covered in Mauvy’s homemade pizza, laughing over Tor’s latest adventures in learning on the homestead.
“I still think we should get the heissenfreur cows.” Tor demands from where he is laid out, leaning against Caelan’s reclined body. This is obviously a well-worn argument because Caelan’s head falls back in weary exasperation.
“We arenotgetting cows,Tor. Do you know how much work they are?” Tor waves his hand away with all the care of someone who wouldnotbe responsible for said work.
“But they are adorable!” He’s met with a round of agreement, because he’s not wrong there—heissenfreurs are a rare breed of miniature cows with long, shaggy fur. With their big eyes, they do look adorable, but I think this is one fight Tor is not going to win.
“Yes! You should do that! Get the cows!” Edith exclaims with far too much enthusiasm and a mouth full of pizza, elbowing Mauvy as she claps excitedly.
“No, you arefar too excitedabout them, Edith. Absolutely no cows.” Caelan points in Edith’s direction with absolutely no malice in his voice. She just laughs manically, while Tor boos loudly.
I can feel Theo laughing against me, snuggled up tight like he should be, picking at a pizza slice. Seff is by his feet, laughing as well. The night, our laughter, is a reprieve we’ve all needed after the stress of everything that’s happened.
“You lot are all impossible,” Caelan grumbles, shoving more pizza into his mouth.
The conversation changes course to one of Edith’s rambling stories from the Woods, but I’m only half listening, distracted by the way Theo is drawing patterns on my arm.
“And,then!” Wine sloshes precariously as Edith gestures wildly. “They had theaudacityto accuse me of stealing their sacred emerald!” I’ve obviously missed something, by the way Tor rolls his eyes and throws a small pillow in Edith’s direction.
“Edith, youdidsteal their sacred emerald.” Theo and I snort at the same time, and he tilts his face up to smile at me, wrinkling his upturned nose at me. I drop a quick kiss to his head and squeeze my arm around him. Edith scoffs indignantly at Tor’s retort, glaring in his direction.
“Well,yes. But I needed it and I—” Whatever insane reason she was going to use to defend herself is cut off by the harsh sound of a phone vibrating on the glass topped side table.
Seff reaches out and picks it up, eyes lighting up at whatever is on the screen. He quickly reads whatever message is on the screen before launching himself to his feet, sending the trays of half-finished food flying in his rush.
“Fuck, sorry!” He tries to help Seldon tidy the mess but only makes it worse, so he gives up, patting himself down to make sure he has everything.
“Look guys, sorry to dine and dash, but I gotta run. Love you, enjoy your new home, and congrats and all that. Don’t touch the paint in the downstairs toilet, it’s wet.” He shouts the warning down the hallway, not even letting us say goodbye before he’s out the door.
“That was a guy right?” Caelan asks the room at large when we hear the slam of the front door.
“Oh, one hundred-percent, that was a guy.” Seldon sighs, snuggling back into the cushions.
“Not justanyguy. It has to be that Rafe right? You saw them the other day? The way Seff was basically panting all over himself—”
“You should have seen them at Slash!” Seldon cuts Tor off excitedly, sitting up to gossip more effectively. Edith is the only one not into it, groaning loudly and cutting the moment off.
“I love you lot, but if you could all go a week without some life-changing drama, that would be amazing.” She pins us all with a glare but then ruins it by smiling affectionately. “Right, so I’mdone with people for the night. I’ll see you all when I see you.” She kisses us all goodbye in turn and leaves by the back door to make her way through the garden to the Woods that lead to the Falls.
After her white hair disappears into the black, Mauvy leaves, too, taking Seldon with her. Caelan and Tor are the last to leave, Tor lingering at our door, giving his brother one last hug.
“Tor, I will see you in the morning. Go away,” Theo teases his brother, but I can see him give one last extra tight squeeze before he pushes him away.
“Fine! Good night. Enjoy your new home, baby brother.” Theo slams the door shut on them but only after flipping the bird. I can hear their laughter through the door as we flip the lock. Coming in behind him before he can turn, I crowd Theo against the door until he is trapped against the wood. His breath catches when I drag my nose along the sensitive skin of his neck, breathing in his scent.
“Want to go to bed?” I whisper against his ear, grinding my half-hard erection into his back, cursing our height difference.
