“Oh, you’re kinda sappy.”
We both chuckle softly. I lean into the tub and steal a quick kiss. Then I pull the plug on the tub, letting the water drain.
“Let me help you stand so you can rinse off.”
After fully rinsing off, I help Leo out of the tub. I dry him off and make sure the bite on his neck is clean. While Leo dresses himself, I take a quick shower myself. Once I’m clean and dried, Leo is already back by his nest, pulling things out and tossing them into different laundry baskets.
“Laundry time?”
Leo sighs. “So. Much. Laundry.”
We spend the day like that, recovering and cleaning. It feels so domestic in the most delightful way. Even just doing laundry is amazing because I get to do it with Leo. I think I’d find paint drying interesting if I got to do it side by side with my mate.
Chapter Twelve
Leo
“That can go intothe living room,” I say, directing Bren as he carries a box into the house. I rest one hand on my hip, the other on my belly which is impossibly wide. Well, impossibly wide forme.
I didn’t even know my skin could stretch this much this quickly but that’s what I get for being full of an egg. I’m not quite as round as an average pregnant person. As a phoenix shifter, I’m carrying an egg which I’ll deliver any day now. Once the egg is out, it’ll continue to grow outside my body before hatching a few months later.
It’s perfect timing that we’re moving into our new house now. This place is a dream come true. It’s in a really lovely neighborhood, not far from where Wentworth and Pip, two people in our local government, live with their little one.Everyone we’ve met so far has been really kind, welcoming us to the area. Plus, the most important thing, I’ll have time to properly make my nest before the egg makes its way out of me.
“That one is going into the spare room,” I tell Nicolai and Gadreel as they carry a mattress into the house. That’s going to be for my nesting room. I have an entire room just for my nest! It’s incredible!
“Last few things!” Raphael lets me know, carrying a lamp inside and bringing it to the living room. Everything is a mess but there’s a warmth stirring inside of me. We have a lot of work ahead of us in order to make this properly into our home, but this is the perfect start.
We’re surrounded by our closest friends, in a place we get to call our own. My life is no longer gray and routine. There’s life breathed into every aspect of my day, every aspect of my life. I feel the sun on my skin every single day because I get to wake up beside Jin, my wonderful mate.
I feel strong arms wrap around my waist from behind and I lean back against Jin’s chest. I breathe in his scent, letting the soft smoky smell wash over me. One of his hands rests on my belly, the other he reaches up, rubbing his wrist against both sides of my neck, scent marking me. It makes my chest flutter with affection at the gesture. At the same time, my cheeks heat up at being scented in front of our friends. Usually, that’s something mates do only when they’re alone.
Bren gives me a wink, having caught the action. My cheeks flush even brighter.
“Not a word,” I grumble under my breath, making Bren chuckle.
“That’s what your mom said last night too.”
“I’m actually gonna murder you and bury your body in the backyard.”
“I ordered pizza,” Jin says to everyone as we all gather in the living room, cutting me off before I can threaten Bren further. Thankfully, all our furniture is already here so there’s plenty of places to sit with a coffee table in the middle. “Should be here pretty soon. Thank you again for all your help.”
“You know what they say,” Damien says as he sits down, “it takes a village to crack an egg.”
“That isnothow the saying goes,” Andras hisses out, reaching over and pinching his brother.
“That’s totally how it goes! Or wait, you have to crack a few eggs to make a horse drink?"
Gadreel blinks slowly, staring at his brother. “What?”
Damien turns towards Raphael, looking for help. He just ruffles Damien’s hair. “It takes a village to raise a child.”
“Exactly? That’s what I said?”
“That isn’t even close to what you said,” Bren says with a snort and suddenly, Bren, Damien, and Andras are wrestling on the floor. Jin pulls the table to the side, giving them room so they don’t hurt themselves.
Nicolai sits down, tugging Gadreel into his lap, the rest of us just watching the action.
“Five dollars on Bren,” Nicolai says softly, making Gadreel giggle.
