Chapter Seventeen
Toby
His mate was splashing around in the shower and humming to himself, and though Toby wasn’t a morning person, he liked it because with it came a flood of happiness through his mate bond.
He put on the coffeepot and let it do its thing as he pulled out a loaf of homemade bread Morty made, slicing it thickly to slip into the toaster oven. He went and retrieved butter and some of the strawberry jam he’d made. Grabbing plates, cups, and cutlery to place on the table.
Toby closed off his thoughts as he sipped his first cup of coffee, waiting for Ernest to finish dressing.
What came across last night was that Ernest was a worrier.
His mind was often a tumble of thoughts.
Toby didn’t mind, he found it quite intriguing following them.
It made the mating bond very handy beyond the ‘having a special person,’ which was just wonderful.
He grinned to himself, then sipped at the hot brew, feeling the caffeine do its job and wake up his body.
He considered all the things they’d talked about before they’d made the mattress sag a little more.
Toby lined them up in his mind, ready to talk them through with his friends.
Because Toby needed to prove that it was his mission to make Ernest happy as much as the other way around.
It struck how Ernest didn’t quite believe that.
Yes, compromise was one of Ernest's biggest concerns. It seemed in the past he’d always been the one doing it.
It was the reason Toby would willingly give up his new apartment.
It wasn’t because he wanted to live in Ernest’s home particularly, he just wanted to be with his mate, wherever that was.
He’d gotten the sense that space was important to Ernest, and Toby figured it was because his animal half was big.
When are we going to get an introduction?
We’ve literally just claimed each other, so keep your feathers on. We have the rest of the week to work, and it’s only Tuesday.
On the weekend, it’s happening.
Alrighhtttt… but after we’ve moved in.
“Is everything alright? I think the toast is burning.”
Toby spun, coffee flinging over Ernest, who was closer than he realized. A brown stain spread as Ernest reached and removed the charred pieces of smoking bread.
“Oops,” he groaned, plonking the now half-empty cup down to waft one hand over the smoking bread, while the other rubbed at the stain, making things worse.
Ernest cough-chuckled, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “It’s fine, I need to change when I get home. And it was lovely that you thought to make me some breakfast before I leave.” He eyed the set table.
“It’s all my bird side's fault, he’s so pushy.
If you’ve time, I could cut some more bread?
Morty makes it, it’s great when it doesn’t look like someone took a blowtorch to it,” he offered, giving his sexiest smirk, while trailing a hand down the chest, feeling the muscles bunch and flex beneath his fingers.
“Huh.” Ernest gave him a confused look that made Toby giggle when he could scent his mate's arousal. “What?” he finally asked, looking at Toby and not his hand.
“Do you have time for me to make you something?”
“I’ve got to get home.” That he didn’t look happy made Toby feel better about wanting a little more time to act on what caused the scent that was battling with charred toast. “Later…” He lost the confidence he’d had when in the shower.
“You’ll come and collect me, yes?”
The nod was so vigorous that Toby worried about Ernest’s head. “What time should I be here for?”
“We shut the café at five, then I take another half an hour to tidy and wash up. I’ll also need to pack a few things up… you know, to move to your place.”
“Our place. It’s ours. You’re my mate,” he said empathically.
Toby puckered up for a kiss feeling just how happy Ernest was when he said it. The kiss went on longer than Toby realized it had, when he heard someone knocking on his door.
“Come on, lazybones, we’ve got work to do.” It was Morty.
“Coming,” he shouted back.
“I wish,” Ernest rumbled, blushing as he stepped back and did some adjustments to the front of his trousers.
Toby reached up and kissed Ernest, then murmured. “Me too. We haven’t finished ruining my mattress.”
“Yes, well… I better be off. I’ll be here at five-thirty to help with some of that packing. I’ve some boxes in the sheds I’ll bring too. My truck, the back seats can go down, if it’s not big enough for the chair and chest, then I’ll hire a van.”
“Cool.” Another knock at his door stopped Toby from taking the time for another kiss. He groaned and rolled his eyes. “It seems I need to get moving.”
“Yes… fine.” Ernest looked as reluctant as Toby felt about his leaving, but there was little either could do.
Toby walked Ernest to his truck and gave him a quick peck on the lips, waving him off a minute later. He rubbed his chest, unsure if the disquiet was his or Ernest’s.
Taking a deep breath, he returned to his apartment, grabbed his apron, and went upstairs.
“Look who’s finally decided to start work,” Morty chortled. His gaze landed on Toby’s neck, the hands in the doughy goo came up, and Toby ducked before a glob of goo hit him. “You claimed each other!” he squealed as Niall came through the door. “Did you see!”
“No, but I heard plenty! I think we need Brad to come back and add extra insulation to block sound.”
Toby wasn’t sure if he should be embarrassed or proud. He went for proud when Niall came and gave him a big hug, slapping him on the back. “What can I say? You saw how big he is.”
“Go you,” Niall said, grinning. “And big is he? Are we talking big everywhere?”
“The quiet ones are always the worst.” Morty came and hugged them both. “I don’t know about everywhere, but if his feet are anything to go by, I’d say everywhere.”
“Have you just covered me in goo?” Toby asked to change the topic of conversation away from the size of Ernest’s cock, because heat was spreading up his neck and they weren’t wrong.
“Oh, dear, sorry.” Morty didn’t look sorry, he looked amused as he went to grab a damp cloth to wipe his hands, then offered it to Toby. “But you aren’t changing the subject.”
Toby wiped at the side of his apron. “I don’t ask about you and Hector.”
Niall had gone to the coffeepot that Morty set up when he had come in to bake.
“Can you pour me one too? My first cup ended up on Ernest.”
Reaching for another cup, Niall’s shoulders shook with his laughter. “Do I even want to know? You aren’t turning into Morty, are you, on the clumsy scale?”
“No. I was thinking about all of Ernest’s worries and lining them up to talk to you guys, and I forgot about the toast,”—Toby shrugged it off—“it was nothing, really.”
“Is there a problem?” Morty, who was back at the counter cutting the dough to roll into balls, wore a frown. “You’ve only just mated.”
“Not with that. Ernest has an ex, as it turns out, it was the guy flying the hot air balloon, though that’s not the issue,” he quickly assured his friends when Niall got a look that said he was pissed off.
“He used Ernest for his money and treated him like nothing about him or his life was as important as Pierre’s.
He seems to be a little bit of a worrier too. ”
Toby sighed and took the coffee from Niall and sipped it.
“So what’s the actual issue?” Niall perched his ass against the counter, meeting Toby’s gaze.
“It’s like he doesn’t believe in his own worth. Like he’ll always have to be the one to compromise.”
“That’s sad,” Morty said, sniffing, eyes all shiny with tears.
“Please don’t cry,” Toby begged.
“Hormones, I can’t help it. I cry at the slightest thing. But it is upsetting not to feel you count. I know what that’s like.”
Niall was there leaning a shoulder against Morty’s. “You always have to us.”
“I did and do. We’ll be that for Ernest.” Morty nodded, a light of conviction in his eyes saying that Ernest would have no say in it.
Toby really loved his friends. “I want to show Ernest he’s wrong. So this weekend I’ll be moving out of the apartment and in with Ernest.”
“Wow, I thought you loved the new apartment.” Niall sounded wary.
“I do. But you know that home isn’t a place, it’s a person.
It’s my mate.” Toby believed that wholeheartedly, and when Ernest claimed him last night, it confirmed it to Toby.
“My home is where he is. It doesn’t matter if it’s here or there.
What is important is that Ernest has a big house he loves, which is where his business is.
Those things are important to him. Space is the main thing he loves. He’s an elephant, so I get why.”
“What about your things? The new bed you really wanted?”
“Niall, that mattress isn’t up to…” he coughed, and back was the heat.
“No wonder I couldn’t block out the noise.” Niall was back to chuckling.
“What do you need from us?” Morty questioned.
“Ernest is coming tonight to help me pack up some things. I thought it might be nice if I introduced you all officially. So he can see that my friends are his too.”
Niall scratched at his jaw. “I’m okay with that.”
“Me too, and I’m sure Hector and Kaya would love to meet him. You could come up to ours and I’ll make dinner.”
Toby drained his coffee. “Are you sure? You have Kaya to take care of.” He placed his cup down, considering whether he should have another cup.
“Hector takes her for an afternoon walk in the baby sling. It’s the highlight of his day showing her off to everyone.” Morty wasn’t much better, except Toby would never point that out.
“Great, I accept. I’m going to be spending my nights with him, and he’ll drive me to and from work, so not having to cook tonight would be good. I can start the packing.”
“It feels like the end of an era,” Niall spoke quietly.
Toby went and cupped Niall’s cheeks. “I’m not leaving you guys, that will never happen! And I’ve a feeling it won’t be long before you find your mate.”
“Don’t be wishing that on me when there are so many fish in the pond to hook.”
Toby roared with laughter. “Give over, you want to find your mate as much as I did.”
There was a cheeky grin. “You called it. But I wish they’d hurry because really what’s left in the pond isn’t all that tasty.”
Morty laughed as hard as Toby, which was exactly why Niall had put it that way. “Then you need to sign up for a Bucket List Buddy event. It’s the key, I swear it.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Isn’t it time we opened up?”
Toby nodded, strolled to the door, then glanced back, looking at both men, feeling the love of the gift they were in his heart.
“When I count my blessings, I always count you both twice, never forget that.” With that he walked into the café smiling.
Everything was going to be fine, Toby felt it, deep down, all he needed to do was show Ernest. And he would because he had the best friends in the world.