“Yeah, yeah, whatever.Isn’t it time we opened up?”
Toby nodded, strolled to the door, then glanced back, looking at both men, feeling the love of the gift they were in his heart.“When I count my blessings, I always count you both twice, never forget that.”With that he walked into the café smiling.Everything was going to be fine, Toby felt it, deep down, all he needed to do was show Ernest.And he would because he had the best friends in the world.
Chapter Eighteen
Ernest
It was moving day.Technically, Ernest knew it wouldn’t make any difference to their relationship.Toby had been happily staying at his house since Tuesday.Well, Tuesday they had actually had dinner with Morty and Niall, Hector and Kaya, which Ernest was totally unprepared for.It was really sweet, seeing Toby with all his friends.And Hector had taken him aside to chat!
Ernest was only a little disconcerted by Hector—it was difficult to get a handle on his personality, only because the man was so quiet.When the three younger men were all giggling and carrying on over something Morty had found on his phone, Hector motioned for Ernest to follow him down to Kaya’s room.
“Don’t ever be threatened by these threes friendship,” he said in a low, deep voice.“Those three are tight.They’re family to each other, and now that you’ve claimed Toby, they’ll include you as one of their own.That’s what they do.”
“They did that to you?”
Hector nodded, giving Kaya a last cuddle before putting her down for a nap.“When I met Morty, I was living in a big house all by myself.It was completely set up for a mate.Then I met Morty and saw his love for his business.And yeah, I bought the building.That probably makes you feel uneasy.I would feel like that in your position.”
Of course, Hector would understand.For all his quietness, he was another alpha personality.“I didn’t know what to think, to be honest,” he admitted.“I mean, his apartment is new.You’ve clearly spent a lot of money and time on it, which is very generous of you.”
“Don’t let that stop you moving Toby into yours.”Hector chuckled.“I can understand you wanting to have Toby at your own place.At one point I wanted that with Morty, too.This place means a lot to Morty—probably more than the other two men, and since the redevelopment, it works for us.
“I don’t know what Niall will decide to do when he finds his mate, but I am glad that Toby is willing to move in with you.It’s what we’re raised for isn’t it, providing a home for our mate.”
“Are you talking about the caring, the protection, or the utter panic that you don’t know that you’re going to be doing right by your mate, and you really want to?”
Hector paused for a moment, tickling Kaya’s belly gently as she lay in the cot they had prepared for her.“Actually, yes, something like that.I was never made to believe I was worth anything.And don’t get me started on mothers who have very fixed ideas about what they want for their sons.But Morty has really helped soothe a lot of the fears I had at the beginning.”
“I don’t have parental concerns,” Ernest said.“But thank you.I don’t want to feel like a tag-along in Toby’s life.I was really hoping we could build a life together.”
“It’s what we all want with our mates,” Hector agreed, carefully covering Kaya, who had already closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep.“I can already tell you’re not the type to keep him from his friends.I would advise you to go one step further, though, and embrace his friends.We’re not bad people.”Hector chuckled again.“You haven’t met Toby’s family yet, have you?”
Considering Ernest and Toby had barely a chance to get to know each other, Ernest shook his head.“Have you?”
“Oh, yep.They’ll make you feel welcome, too,” Hector said.
Ernest wondered why he laughed.
But that was Tuesday.It was now Saturday, and while Toby had stayed the night at the house, he had asked if Ernest would take him back to his place, for a bit—on his own—so he could do some last-minute packing.
The plan was to move the furniture pieces that Toby wanted to take with him today.The bed was not included, thank goodness, but Toby said he wanted to give the apartment a thorough clean.
Ernest was torn.On one hand, he wanted to help Toby, on the other Toby’s mention of cleaning had Ernest suddenly worried that maybe his house wasn’t up to scratch.Yes, there was a good chance his common sense had flown out of the window.In his defense, Toby moving in was a milestone moment in Ernest’s life.This time, Ernest knew it would be permanent.
In those two hours, Toby said he’d be at his apartment, Ernest had used it well by chasing out those dust bunnies that always seemed to collect in corners.Moving furniture around so at least there was room for the chair, and then for Toby’s dressing table.
That took a bit more maneuvering.Ernest didn’t have a lot of spare wall space in the bedroom.He didn’t think Toby would want his dressing table sitting in front of a window that let light in, because it would fade the wood.So yes, there was some moving around, some shoving too.
Ernest wondered at one point if he should just collect everything in his house and put it in the shed.Then Toby could pick out which bits he wanted to go back into the house.He got so far as picking up one end of his couch, and then he remembered Toby said he liked the couch.
Oh, my gods, he thought, collapsing onto the couch he’d been about to move, and gripping his head with his hands.Toby is not ‘he who will not be named’.Toby cares about me.Toby already loves this house.Toby…
The shrill noise of his alarm jolted him from his little mantra.It was time to go and pick up Toby.Time for the final move of Toby’s things.It was really happening.Even though Toby had spent every night in his house since they’d claimed each other, this move made things final.
Ernest looked around.Please be enough, he thought as he got up and grabbed his keys.Please let me be enough,followed him out to the truck.
In town, Ernest parked just outside the front of the building.It was a weekend, so they were lucky there was available parking.
He went around to the side entrance, hearing the excited squeals and giggles of Toby and his friends before he’d even knocked on the door.Knocking and then letting himself in, Morty shrieked and then fell against the table, giggling, Niall grinned, and Toby’s face flushed red.
