Five to Love Him (Phoenix Immortal: Hive #1)

22. HIVE

twenty-two

L eo grew more comfortable around us with each moment, each minute that passed. Perhaps we imagined this, but he was at ease during dinner, the conversation flowing easily even though we forgot to speak with one only.

He was too tired for much more after, the rings under his eyes speaking volumes, and he said he was going to bed even before we could suggest it. He’d not seen the nest we’d built in his room. That it wasn’t the largest upstairs put us at ease, and with the colors, blue and gold which had perhaps been his favorite childhood colors, it made us feel especially close to our gleaming one.

We straightened the kitchen while leading him up the stairs, the mood changing slightly.

“We’re both going to be sleeping on the floor, are we?”

“Only if that’s okay with you.” “We promise we don’t snore, and our feet are warm.”

He huffed. “Good to know.”

We’d left the small desk lamp on in his room, and his jaw dropped when he saw what we had done.

It really was nothing fancy, but we’d managed, with the mattress and the comfortable pillows as well as with several blankets we’d found and spread over everything, to create something that was big enough for us and him, a rough oval that would allow him to sleep without any part of him hanging out over the bed. We’d put his teddy bear Bruno next to his pillow so that the old, well-loved creature faced him.

We watched, anxious for his reaction. “Do you think this will be fine?”

Our gleaming one nodded, heat rising to his cheeks. “I…yeah. I’m really tired though. I just want to sleep.”

“We want you to sleep,” we assured him. “All we’ll do is keep you warm.”

He hugged us, brushing the smallest of kisses against our cheek, and excused himself to the bathroom.

While we put the leftovers away, we washed up and brushed our teeth in the bathroom downstairs, wondering what would be easiest for Leo. Two would be fine, we thought, not too crowded, and we’d be able to watch over him while we slept ourselves.

With three remaining awake, we’d easily be able to keep the house safe and plan for our interview with the yoga werewolf tomorrow.

Leo being so tired worked in our favor. He didn’t even flinch when he saw one of us in bed already nor when we joined with a second, that one only wearing sweatpants since we preferred sleeping that way. Leo himself wore a cute set of pajamas that we would have liked to tease him about. It was blue, patterned with teddy bears not unlike Bruno, who he’d placed outside of the floor nest rather than taking him in his arms.

As we turned off the desk light and closed the door, we were left hopeful in the darkness about him maybe hugging us throughout the night, a greedy thought that we couldn’t help thinking.

Much like Leo, we fell asleep quickly, even the second one dozing off, something we’d barely managed ever since we’d escaped. We dimmed the lights throughout the house and closed the window shutters, walking around for about an hour before our mind could settle, before we felt like we could rest, savor this joy we had found.

After spending some time reading the news on our phone, we decided to text the other hive.

Hello. This is the hive you met at the Moonlight Diner. We have spent the day with our gleaming one, and he allowed us to spend the night at his house. He is asleep now, two of us beside him.

It didn’t take long for them to respond.

??????What wonderful news! He must be comfortable around you. Well done.

Thank you. He’s very understanding, kind. He cares for us.

We have wondered, with our own gleaming one, if that is why they are a hive’s. Maybe they have to be empathic for us to recognize them, you know?

We considered this, saw how it could be the case.

We think our mother was like that as well. She is the only other gleaming one we know of.

We think it’s a good theory. Empathic people with a big heart will thrive with a hive at their side, don’t you think? We think our gleaming one is better off with us, but we're biased.

That was an interesting view. It rang true.

We can make sure our gleaming ones aren’t taken advantage of.

YES. That’s what we think. It’s difficult. At least ours likes to be helpful, but he listens to us. Most of the time.

The hive’s words made us feel more certain about what we were doing, finding work and helping Leo with his, about spoiling him as he put it.

We think we’ll have time for breakfast tomorrow at the Moonlight Diner. Would you like to meet again?

Of course, we’d be happy to. When will you be there?

The werewolf had told us to come by his studio between eleven and twelve rather than giving us a fixed time for the interview. We’d be able to leave with two before Leo woke up, have breakfast, then go to the interview.

Ten?

We can make that work. Unless Hawthorne needs extra disposal done. But let’s say ten in the morning at the Moonlight. It’s always good to spend time with another hive.

Yes. We are grateful to have met you.

So are we. See you in the morning. And enjoy the night with your gleaming one.

We put the phone away and leaned back in the window seat. In the nest, Leo stirred, turned, his arm coming to rest on our chest. A smile spread over each of our faces, even on the one who slept.

***

We hadn’t had a restful night like the one in Leo’s house in a long time, and we only really realized that we’d needed it when the two with Leo both drifted off to deep sleep and two others ended up dozing in the window seat. We jerked awake in the early hours—we should have been more watchful—but the neighborhood was a safe one. When we walked around the house just as morning broke, looking out windows as we went, we saw nothing, and found our fears drowned in birdsong.

Leo was deep asleep for several more hours. He was warm in our arms, his breathing deep and rhythmic, and we watched him in the semi-darkness of his room.

He stirred, eyelids fluttering, a few minutes past eight.

“Good morning,” we whispered to him when he nuzzled against our chest, his hair tickling our chin.

“Hmm. Morning.”

He was disinclined to lift his head, and we approved. He had chosen to cuddle with the one who wore no shirt, perhaps our gleaming one’s subconscious pushing him to seek our nearness.

Then again, maybe we were making something out of nothing, and he was simply not a morning person.

Either way, not long after, he was rubbing up against us, and his fingers brushed the waistband of our pants.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. His breath felt wonderful against our naked skin.

“Don’t be. Can we hold you a little closer?”

“Yeah,” he said after a moment’s hesitation.

We cozied up to him on either side, not sure where this was going but wanting to be open to anything. If Leo let us, we would give of ourselves and take only the joy it brought him as our reward.

Close as we were, we felt Leo wiggling away from us under the blankets, but that meant he was also rubbing against us. The reason we could guess. We knew it wasn’t an invitation, and so we did nothing, nothing except curl our fingers around his shirt when he moaned against us, the exhale tickling all the way down to our belly.