Chapter 21 #2
“Shh. Just moving you to sleep better,” I whispered.
I used magic to turn off the lights in the room and bathroom, then slid down beside my mate.
Immediately, he curled next to me, and I wrapped my arm around him and held him close.
Banner sighed, and I could tell he was already on his way to sleep again.
I held him while he fell asleep, but my mind wouldn’t allow for such things.
My mind was too busy wondering why my mate was so worried about the things that he was.
He’d given birth only three days ago. Granted, up until the day before he’d had Blaze, we’d been intimate just about every day since we’d claimed each other.
There were days there in the beginning where I’d held him and taken care of him when he wasn’t feeling the best because of pregnancy sickness, but otherwise, we were incredibly active.
Still, I had to wonder if this was something we needed to discuss with the doctor.
Banner was falling into a deeper sleep, and I took the opportunity to probe into his thoughts.
I searched for anything that would make him feel as if I no longer wanted or desired him but found nothing.
I found a memory that I hadn’t been home for, where he was looking in the mirror and wondering if he’d ever be skinny again, and that caused me to tighten my hold on my mate just slightly.
I watched that memory for a bit longer and vowed to talk to him about it later in the day.
He hadn’t been fat. He’d been pregnant, and it was a beautiful thing.
Apparently, he’d been feeling especially large, and it hadn’t been the best morning for him that day.
I had thought I’d done a good job making him feel loved and cherished, but perhaps not.
I tried to think back on all of our moments, but I wasn’t coming up with anything that would make me believe I wasn’t showing my mate the proper care.
I started to fight off a yawn but decided not to fight sleep as I’d not had much lately either.
I’d most likely be able to think more clearly after a little more sleep, and there were certain things that Banner and I needed to discuss with much clearer heads.
I smiled as I tugged my mate just a little closer and let sleep claim me.
Banner jerking upright beside me instantly had me on alert, and my beast was ready to take out the threat to my mate and child. Only, there wasn’t any danger. Banner had been woken up by Blaze, who had started to fuss.
“I’ll get him,” I told my mate.
“You fed him last time,” Banner said.
I looked at my mate as I walked over toward our son. “Yes, I did. I simply said I would get him. You are welcome to feed him though. Did you want to go to the bathroom first?”
Banner lay on the bed for a moment, rubbed a hand down his face, and then rolled over to get off the bed.
He hurried to the bathroom, and I picked up the baby.
He was certainly ready for a new diaper, and although I could actually change a diaper, I used magic instead.
It was just faster, and our little guy was clean all the quicker.
I picked him up, cuddling him to my bare chest, and started walking toward the bed with him.
Banner came out with a smile on his face, making grabby hands. “If you sit wherever it is you want to feed him, I’ll pass him to you there.”
“That makes more sense.” Banner rushed to the bed, situated the pillows how he wanted them, and then reached for our son. I passed the baby off, and then with a bit more magic, I handed Banner a bottle that was the perfect temperature.
“Thank you.”
I leaned in and gave first Blaze a quick kiss on his head, then a slightly lingering one to my mate. “You’re very welcome,” I told him. “I’m going to dive through the shower really quick, but when I get out, I’ll get us some breakfast, all right?”
Banner grinned. “Breakfast sounds perfect.”
I ran my fingers across Blaze’s head before I smiled at my mate and then went to the bathroom.
I turned the water on, letting it warm up while I looked at my beard in the mirror.
It could use a cleanup and trim, but I didn’t feel like messing with it, so I used magic to get it shaped back up.
Once that was accomplished, I brushed my teeth and then climbed into the shower.
I didn’t linger. I had a mate to take care of, and I’d told him I would get breakfast. I shampooed my hair, then washed my body and rinsed.
I probably took all of five minutes in the shower once I was under the water, and then I was drying myself off.
I tossed the towel toward the rack, using magic to clean and hang it up.
When I walked out into the bedroom, I was naked, and even though Banner was busy burping our son, he definitely noticed, and his eyes tracked me as I crossed over to the dresser to pull out a clean pair of thin lounge pants.
I winked at my mate as I pulled them up and tucked everything in. “What would you like for breakfast?” I asked. “And do you want to eat up here or venture downstairs?”
Banner gave me a look that said he wanted out of these rooms. “The kitchen. Or even the back room? I’d love to look outside at the snow.
I’ve not really left our bedroom or bathroom for three days.
We’ve been super busy with this little guy, but I’m ready to venture outside of our room for a change. ”
I smiled at my mate before pulling on a black T-shirt. “Then we’ll go eat downstairs. Did you want a shirt?” I asked. He was still wearing his flannel pajama pants from after his shower earlier.
Banner looked down at his bare torso before giving me a cheesy grin. “Please?”
I had him in a long-sleeve T-shirt before I helped him up off the bed since he was still holding Blaze. “What would you like to eat?”
“Sausage. Waffles. Fried eggs. But the runny kind. Toast with lots of butter. Coffee. Ugh, please, coffee. With your vanilla creamer you like.”
I chuckled but did exactly as he’d wanted.
By the time we made it downstairs, I had a full breakfast waiting for us on our table.
There was a second bassinet waiting for Blaze, and it was adorable seeing Banner do a little dance on the way toward the baby bed and food.
Something as simple as providing a meal at the table meant a lot to my mate, and I was more than happy to do something that made him feel as he was.
Banner carefully placed our son in the bassinet and then sat in the chair I was holding out for him. He took a deep breath and moaned. “Oh, this smells wonderful.”
“I’m hopeful that it tastes wonderful as well.”
Banner picked up his coffee, took a long sip, and closed his eyes while swallowing.
“Yep, it’s so good.” He set the coffee down and looked at me, suddenly serious.
“I’m sorry about earlier,” he said. “I was being insecure, and I apologize. I know it’s too soon, and we’re both too tired to even think about anything more than taking care of Blaze and getting a shower once every couple of days. ”
I reached for Banner’s hand, and when he placed his in mine, I gave it a gentle squeeze before I laced our fingers together. “I’ll happen. I promise it will. But yeah, it’s too early. I would never forgive myself if I hurt you while making love to you.”
Banner nodded. “I know. I just wanted to say I’m sorry for what I asked earlier. I’ve slept a bit more now and was thinking about it while I was feeding Blaze.”
I brought Banner’s hand to mine and kissed his knuckles. “All’s good,” I told him. “We’ll just wait and see how things progress, and I’m sure it will surprise both of us.”
Banner seemed relieved that I wasn’t upset. And I truly wasn’t. More concerned than anything, but now that we’d discussed it a bit more, I was happy to let the subject drop. At least for the time being. I did want to ask why he was so insecure, but now wasn’t the time.
I passed Banner a plate full of waffles with blueberry compote on them, and he groaned. I knew my mate, and I’d spoil him any chance I got. If it was blueberry-smothered waffles that he wanted, he’d get them.