“Good luck!” The librarian could sense the smile in Adam’s voice. “Can you please switch on the camera? Your son Sean wants to meet you.”
Brian did as told. “Hi, little one,” he cooed. “He is perfect, thank you so much.” The pain made the librarian grimace again. “We’re almost at the clinic, I have to end the call.”He continued after a short pause. “I'll have Bart or Luca call you if I can't right away.”
Brian ended the call and, closing his eyes, he prayed to all the gods he knew for him to have a safe, complications-free delivery. All the way to the surgery room, he protectively put his hands on his baby bump, and promised himself and his unborn daughter to always be there to keep her out of harm's way, watch over her, and support her in everything.
When he discussed the surgery procedure with the specialist in charge of it, Brian opted for local anesthesia, because it allowed him to interact with the baby from her very first seconds of life out of the womb. Indeed, hearing his daughter’s first cry gave him an almost supernatural energy, and, in that moment, looking at that tiny piece of him and Adam, the librarian felt there was nothing in the world he couldn’t do for her.
Papa is here,Brian murmured, caressing the small head of the baby girl laying on his chest when she started to yawn and writhe.I’ll take care of you and watch you grow into a beautiful, intelligent, strong young lady. A Cavallieri girl, stubborn like your older sisters and everyone else in the family,he smiled at the thought.
And, since we are talking about the ladies of the family, you have a Nonna who will turn the world upside down to make you happy, and a beautiful, but also fierce Zia, who will buy you all the pretty dresses and dolls. Or, all gods forbid, will show you different self-defense techniques and teach you to throw daggers, Brian huffed a laugh.
Even if your papa’s enemies would prove to be stronger than him,the librarian continued his internal monologue as the nurses cleaned baby Zelda up and dressed her, your dad and uncles will still be around to keep you safe for many, many years. Your Uncle Reardon was right earlier, don’t be scared, because you’ll have the best possible life, princess.
***********
One year later
Brian dialed his sub’s number and started speaking before the other one had a chance to say something. “Hi, beautiful pet, it’s me. I really want to sit by the pool and not move for a week.”
Luca smiled against the phone upon hearing the librarian’s words. “We can do that at my place, of course, or, if you prefer it… Reardon has a pool, you know.”
Brian cleared his throat.“Hmm… which pool should we choose, my lovely? What do you think?”
Luca’s voice became seductive. “I really don’t know, Sir, whichever you choose. You’re the Dom,” he added playfully.
Brian thought for a moment. “Your house it is,” he gave the verdict. “I’m going to tell my bratty husband, and we’ll be there in about…let’s say…an hour? Or do you folks have some private business you’d prefer to finish before we arrive?”
“No, nothing like that.” Luca answered right away. “And even if we’d have, the more, the merrier,” he said, a tinge of mischief in his voice.
“Oh, when did my sub become so…daring? I like that,” Brian asked in a half-amused, half-mischievous voice. “Joke aside, I’m proud of you, pet,” he continued in a serious tone.
“Thank you, Master.” The three simple words were spoken in a warm, gratitude-filled voice. “If you excuse me, I’ll go tell Martino to get ready to greet our special guests.”
“Very well, my beautiful pet, see you in an hour,” Brian said with a smile, then ended the call.
“Uh-oh, here comes trouble,” Bart walked into the room, almost singing the words. “My husband is talking to handsome strangers behind my back.”
“Yep,” Brian popped the p, “a handsome stranger named Luca, who happens to have a pool in the backyard. Since your parents were so kind to take the children for the weekend, I thought we could use some relaxation. It’s been quite a long time since we spent some quality time in the company of my sub and his beautiful husband, so…”
“Yay, pool party!” Bart exclaimed, wiggling his fist into the air. “Plus, I have some things in mind I’m planning to try with Martino,” he winked suggestively.
“Brat!” Brian shook his head, smiling. “Better get your ass in gear, or else those good people will think we changed our mind.”
“Oh, Mafia Daddy, I love when you talk dirty to me, it gets me rock-hard,” Bart stepped out of the room, shaking the said ass.
Two hours later, Brian was laying on an inflatable mattress, floating in Luca’s pool, completely relaxed, sighing in contentment. I really needed this, we all did, he said to himself, thinking about the past few months that passed in a haze of work for both him and his husband. They spent every spare minute they had with the kids, so there was little to no time left for them.
Besides the occasional quickie, Brian and Bart didn’t engage in any sort of sexual activity involving the deep intimacy on both physical and emotional level they experienced so many times in the first few years of their marriage. Strangely enough, however, this didn’t affect their relationship, as the librarian had feared.
On the contrary, he and Bart communicated more than before, openly talking about their feelings, especially Brian, who was still marked by the horrors he experienced while being held captive by Donna Fabrizia. For a long time, the thought that he raped Adam, even if he fought it as hard as possible, haunted the librarian and gave him nightmares.
Bart stepping in and reminding him in a gentle voice how many innocent teens did he save from the claws of the sexualpredators and how he protected the heirs at the cost of his physical integrity helped Brian to get rid of the guilt which was eating him alive. Once again, he was grateful to the Fates for giving him such a loving, supporting husband.
Brian wasn’t the only one Bart showered with affection; from the very first second he saw little Zelda, the man welcomed her into the family and made his arms a warm crib for the baby girl. She seemed to sense the sincerity of his feelings and intentions, because she bonded with him as tightly and quickly as she did with the one who gave birth to her.
Eyes half-lidded, Brian looked in the direction of his sub, who was also laying splayed on an inflatable mattress, his heart filled with gratitude and love for the man, who was always there for him over the last year. He instinctively seemed to know when his Dom needed words of encouragement and support, and when he needed space and time to process what happened to him.
Just like Bart used words to communicate his feelings, Luca used silence; when he sat next to Brian, gazing over him, his stormy-grey eyes spoke volumes, even if his lips didn’t move. The Sicilian’s simple presence managed to soothe his Dominant’s aching soul and make him hope things would be back to normal sooner rather than later. In his darkest moments, his sub and his husband were the man’s rock and lighthouse on a stormy sea, each of them in their unique way.
