Page 59 of Miles's Pact
"Yeah, I don't think any of those women deserved to be called 'Mom,'" he said, making me wonder who he was talking about. I imagined it was the foster moms they'd been placed with before, but this didn't seem like the time to ask about it.
"Well, you have one now, and she's great. I can promise you that."
"Of course she is. She made you," Miles said, making me blush, which made Mateo snicker.
"You're so easy, Duckie," he teased, and I smacked his leg as my face flamed.
"Shut up," I grumbled, which made him laugh harder.
Shaking my head, I ripped off a big bite of my pizza, chewing furiously as I tried to ignore them both.
Of course, the universe wasn't having it because somehow I managed to get the pizza stuck in my throat, sending myself into a coughing fit as my mates scrambled to help. Mateo smacked my back while Miles thrust an uncapped bottle of water at me. I gulped down the cool liquid, feeling it wash down my throat and dislodge the errant morsel.
"Fuck," I mumbled when I'd caught my breath, and Miles rubbed my back, murmuring soothing words as I placed the water bottle on the table and glanced up to find all three parents watching us with a mix of warmth and amusement on their faces.
Miles
"I'm exhausted," Mateo groaned as he threw himself onto the couch, and I mumbled an agreement as I joined him, leaving space between us for Duckie, who'd taken Snowball outside to do his business.
We'd made it home minutes ago as the sun had dipped below the horizon, and just in time too. Rain pounded on the roof, the soft crackle of thunder filling the air as the sky flashed outside. I wondered if everything was okay with Raiden.
I turned my head as Mateo shuffled around, watching as he pulled his phone out and started typing. He pursed his lips as he stared at the screen. Then his gaze flicked up to me.
"Micah says one of the babies took a tumble when Raiden wasn't looking. They're okay, but Raiden's annoyed at himself."
I snorted. "Before the eggs, I never realized how dramatic Raiden could be."
"More like overprotective," Mateo corrected, and I hummed. I supposed it made sense, considering how rare dragons were. Five viable eggs in one go was nothing short of a miracle, so on some level, I could understand why Raiden was being so overly cautious. His instincts had to be in overdrive.
I glanced up as the back door slid open, and a soaked Snowball raced inside, followed by a just as wet Duckie. I raised a brow athim, and he sighed. "Snowball wouldn't come in, so I had to go and grab him."
"Damn. You should go change," Mateo suggested, and Duckie nodded morosely, eyeing the spot on the couch before sighing and trudging toward the stairs.
"I'll find Snow before he tracks muddy water everywhere," I said as I forced myself to my feet.
"Good boy," Mateo joked as he spread out on the couch with a sigh, and I grabbed the remote from the coffee table and threw it at his face. Of course, he caught it before it could hit him, giving me a cocky grin as he returned it to the table.
"Go on now. He's probably already finished a circuit of the house."
I found Snowball in the kitchen, lapping away at his water bowl, and after some bribing, I managed to lead him to the hall bathroom, where I washed the mud and rainwater off his fur before toweling him down and releasing him back into the house.
When I came outside, Mateo was mopping up the mud tracks, which made me smile. He could be a dumbass when he wanted to, but my brother was a good guy under all that sass.
"Wanna order in for dinner?" I asked since I didn't think either of us were up to cooking, and Mateo nodded instantly, leaning into the mop.
We waited for Duckie to get back before placing an order, and then settled in front of the TV while we waited for the food. Mateo started the show we'd been watching together the last few nights, and Duckie curled into my side as Mateo snuggled into him, the three of us cozy as we could be as the vampire hunter ran around chasing evil vamps on the screen.
When the food arrived, I slipped out of the warm cocoon with much reluctance, collecting our food and bringing it back to theliving room as Mateo and Duckie grabbed the dishes and some drinks.
We'd ordered Chinese, and we divided up the food as Snowball tried to get his paws on the food before giving up and curling up at the foot of the couch.
"Are there any shows where the supes are the good guys?" Duckie asked as he poked his fork into a dumpling. He was still struggling with using chopsticks, but as long as he enjoyed the food, I didn't care about what utensils he used.
"Of course! There are a few good ones. We can watch them after this one," Mateo said, and Duckie nodded before turning his attention back to the TV.
"Technically, Buffy's a supe too. She has powers," I said, waving toward the screen, and Duckie hummed.
"I guess," Duckie relented, while Mateo went, "No way."
And so our dinner was spent arguing over whether Buffy was a supe or not. By the time we finished our dinner, we hadn't reached a verdict yet, and Duckie—growing tired of us—declared it a tie as he stood up and started clearing the table, leaving us scrambling to help him and putting a stop to our discussion.
After we'd cleaned up, we retreated upstairs, Mateo to his bedroom, and Duckie and I to mine. We'd been sharing a bed for days now, and I still hadn't gotten used to it. Mateo was the only other person I'd ever shared a bed with—to sleep, at least—and it was obviously nothing like with Duckie.
Having him close made my heart race, but it also made my bones feel settled in a way sleeping alone never had. I was at peace, and I slept better than I did on my own.
"Thank you for helping Mom move today," Duckie murmured once we were under the covers, shifting closer and pressing his lips to mine. I kissed him back, though we were both too tired to take things further tonight.
"It was my pleasure," I said when he pulled back, and he smiled as he closed his eyes.
I watched him for a moment before I leaned back and turned off the lamps. I snuggled into him, and he wrapped his arms around me, holding me close as I sank into his warmth, finding it easy to drift away.
