“Did you have to be mean to him?”
Kami blinked. “I wasn’t trying to be mean to him.”
“Well, you have to remember he hasn’t lived liked we have. He hasn’t been out in the world for years and years. Everyone he’s ever known has been mean to him. And then you grill him like he’s some kind of prized piece of swordfish.” Talon needed Kami to understand that Mercury wasn’t ready for that kind of hardcore questioning yet.
Miranda finally woke up and she realized who was holding her. She started to grin and coo. She wasn’t quite talking yet, but she was getting there. She could make her happiness known by climbing him like a ladder, however, and she immediately grabbed his nose.
“Hey, I didn’t mean to make you mad.” Kami looked at the hallway where Mercury had disappeared. “Honestly, I thought I was just?—”
“Digging for information?” He bounced Miranda all over the place, flying her around like she was an airplane.
“Making sure that he was going to be safe for my best friend. I don’t know him yet. You, I know and love, and I want you to be happy and also to make certain that no one is trying to attack you.”
“You think he’s going to attack me?” Who did he even know at that keep to the far north? Nobody. It had been a job. And now Mercury was his.
“No, but he could certainly just disappear with you, and we’d never know where you’d gone.”
“Yeah, but he’s not gonna do that. You heard him yourself. He has to have somebody to guide him where to go. And when I think of home, it’s here.” Miranda squawked at him, her displeasure clear. She didn’t want him and her daddy fighting.
Kami sighed, holding out his arms to take his daughter back, and Talon handed her over. “Okay, I’m sorry. I would tell him, but I don’t think he’s going to come out here and face me again today.” The last was said with a slight chuckle. “So why don’t you go find him? Take him something amazing, like a doughnut or a blanket, and then curl up with him and watch that movie. We’ll try again to make nice tomorrow.”
“That sounds like the best idea you’ve had all day.” Talon moved in to give Kami a one-armed hug and kiss Miranda on top of her head. “I appreciate everything, okay? I really do. You’re my best friend. But this is going to be hard enough without you scaring him.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Kami winked and patted his arm. “All right, I’ll see you maybe for lunch tomorrow.”
“Sounds fantastic. We’ll have something to really tempt him. Maybe pizza or lasagna or something from the kitchen.” Talon walked his best friend and goddaughter to the door. It was weird to have someone try to defend him, but he should be used to it. Kami acted way more like an alpha than an omega most of the time.
“Later.” Kami headed out, tossing over his shoulder. “Don’t let him drag you off into the ether somewhere.”
“Ha ha ha.” He closed the door and then he set about deciding what he would use to tempt Mercury into snuggling with him.
Finally, he chose a fluffy blanket. He didn’t think Mercury had room in his belly to eat any more food after all the things Talon had stuffed down his gullet like he was a baby bird. He grabbed that though and headed for the bedroom, wanting Mercury to know that he was not alone. And that no one was going to upset him anymore.
When he peeked into the bedroom, Mercury was just a lump under the covers, his head even buried under a pillow. He was hiding, trying to become as small as possible.
“Hailee? I brought an extra soft blanket. I thought maybe we could lay in bed together and watch that movie.”
Mercury’s voice came from under the pillow, almost completely muffled, barely audible. “I don’t want to upset your friend anymore. I know he thinks I’m not normal.”
Of course Mercury wasn’t normal. He was amazing. Absolutely stunning.
“He’s just a worrywart. You absolutely belong here with me.”
Mercury peeked one eye out at him. “Are you sure? I didn’t mean to make him mad.”
“He’s not upset, only worried that he disturbed you. Kami’s a good guy, I swear.”
“I am too, I think. I want to be friends. The little baby was so sweet.” Mercury glanced up at him. “Am I in trouble?”
“Absolutely not.” He held the light tan blanket up, kind of waving it around. “It’s super soft. We could just watch a movie together, you and me, right here in bed.”
“That sounds like heaven.”
“Cool.” He crawled up on the bed, getting Mercury excavated so they could roll up in the blanket. Then he grabbed the remote so he could cue up the movie, the theme music as familiar as breathing.
He could quote this movie in his sleep.
Watching Mercury watch it for the first time, though, was a revelation.
