Chapter 24
Chapter
Twenty-Four
Trent gazed up at Malachi, who caressed his hair.
“You are amazing,” Malachi said.
Trent closed his eyes, basking in the praise and the gentle touch. Pleasure sang through his veins. He could feel Malachi’s warm spend on his face. One of his legs had started to fall asleep. But he didn’t care. He would happily remain on his knees for Malachi forever.
But after several seconds, Malachi unfortunately dropped his hand from Trent’s hair. “We should get cleaned up.”
Malachi helped Trent to his feet and undressed him. He led him to the washbasin and pitcher of water. When Trent reached for a cloth, the siren shook his head. He then washed Trent, brushing the wet cloth against his skin with gentle care. Then he got another cloth and dried Trent.
“There,” Malachi said. “It isn’t particularly late. Are you tired?”
“A little. But I’m probably not ready to sleep just yet.” Trent wondered if he was expected to leave. He’d slept here the previous night. But maybe tonight would be different.
“We can sit a bit longer if you like.” Malachi gestured to the chairs. “There are still some of the baked goods that you brought. I can put on more tea.”
“Sounds wonderful,” he said with relief.
Malachi handed him a robe. Trent wrapped it around himself. He inhaled, and it smelled of Malachi. He took a chair.
Malachi walked to the fireplace. He placed more wood on the fire and put the kettle back over the flames.
Then Trent remembered. “Oh! I have something else too!” He reached for one of the packages he had brought with him.
“What?” Malachi sat on the other chair.
“I know you didn’t like the Christmas markets.” Trent hesitated, suddenly worried this would seem a little silly. After all, this was something he’d started doing as a boy. Would Malachi think it childish?
It was too late now.
He pulled out a box from the paper bag. He lifted the lid, revealing greenery, twine, dried berries, dried citrus slices, ribbon, pine cones, and two wreath bases. “It’s a wreath-making kit.”
Malachi leaned forward, examining the contents. He adjusted his glasses. “A wreath-making kit?”
“We saw a stall yesterday where you could buy Christmas wreaths or make your own,” Trent said. “But you can also buy kits. If you felt like it, I thought we could make them together. Then we could put them up, since you don’t have any Christmas decorations. But only if you wanted,” he rushed out.
Malachi picked up a wreath base. He examined it, tilting the woven branches from side to side. “Sounds like fun. But you’ll have to instruct me. I’ve never made a Christmas wreath before.”
“Of course!” Trent laughed. “I’ve made them a million times.”
They packed away the food and placed the wreath elements on the table.
Malachi brewed fresh tea. Trent showed Malachi how to attach greenery with twine to the base.
Malachi wrapped red ribbon around the evergreen leaves. “So you would do this at the Christmas markets?”
“I think we did that when I was very young.” But Trent barely remembered that. “Then my parents died, and we stopped. We didn’t have the money to keep making them at the Christmas markets, so we started making them at home. First, we’d go and collect things from the forest.”
Trent remembered holding Ordelia’s hand as their boots crunched in the snow and leaves that littered the forest floor. Cas had flown ahead, pointing out what to collect. Lacy would run after Cas, giggling and shoving the different bits into her basket.
“Then we’d take our collection home. Cas would weave branches together to make the bases. Then we’d decorate them. For years we did it together.” Trent remembered laughing and crafting before the fireplace with his siblings.
“Cas always led the family in making Christmas decorations. He loves Christmas so much that he calls himself the Christmas pixie.”
Malachi frowned. “He’s a pixie?” He wrapped gold ribbon around his wreath.
“Oh yes.” Trent laughed, realising that might be confusing. “He’s adopted. We don’t know what happened to his parents. But my mum and dad took him in when I was still very young. I don’t remember a time when he wasn’t around. He moved out this year to be with his mate, Graal.”
Trent paused. “That’s why I haven’t made any decorations with him this year. Of course, Cas still decorated the bakery and the family apartment. But I wasn’t around for either. So I missed all that.”
“Are you all right?” Malachi asked.
Trent realised he’d stopped smiling. “It’s fine.
Things are just different now. Cas and Ordelia don’t live at home.
Nor do Lacy, Briar, or Jack. And everyone is so busy with their partners.
A lot of the things, including the Christmas traditions, have fallen away.
” Trent slid twine through a dried citrus slice before attaching it to his wreath.
“You miss them,” Malachi said.
“I do.” Trent blew out a breath. “Which is ridiculous, since I still see them every day. And I know everyone loves me and is there for me. But…”
“But it’s different now?”
“It is. They just don’t have time for me anymore. Not that I blame them!” Trent stared down at the wreath in his hands as he tried to put his feelings into words. “They just have other priorities now.”
It hurt to say aloud, to admit that his siblings didn’t have the same place for him in their lives as they once had. For years he’d been the youngest, the baby. Everyone had always looked out for him.
Malachi leaned towards him. “Have you spoken to any of them about it?”
Trent shrugged. “I can’t expect their lives to revolve around me forever.
I’m not five anymore. I can look after myself.
” Trent rubbed the pine leaves between his fingers.
“I know it was hard for my siblings growing up. These days, they must relish having more time, more freedom, more money, and a life outside the bakery and the family.”
But for Trent, his family was his life. And now he found he didn’t quite know where he fit.
“I’m sorry, Trent,” Malachi said, voice soft and gentle.
“It’s fine.” Trent swallowed and pushed the sting of loss away. “Tonight is really nice.”
“It is.” Malachi smiled. “But it must seem pretty quiet compared to the family dynamic you grew up with. You don’t find it too dull? Just the two of us?”
Trent had an urge to mention that he’d been sucking Malachi’s cock not too long ago and had one of his tentacles in his arse. There was nothing dull about that!
But he knew what Malachi meant. “No. I think what I missed is actually just being with people. I’m really enjoying this.”
“Me too.” Malachi gripped his knee.
Trent’s whole body lightened.
“It is nice to have a friend to spend the long winter nights with.” Malachi squeezed his knee, released his grip, and returned to making his wreath.
Trent’s glow dimmed.
Friends. Right. We’re just friends. I’ve got to remember that.
They finished their wreaths. They hung Malachi’s over the fireplace and placed Trent’s on the shelf beside Kelby’s terrarium. Kelby turned and gazed at the wreath for several seconds. She croaked.
“They look good.” Malachi studied them. Then he chuckled.
“What’s funny?” Trent asked.
“You said you weren’t much of a hearth and kitchen witch. You said you weren’t good at brightening spaces. But you’ve definitely brightened this drab space.” Malachi gestured to the wreaths. “And this is only your second visit.”
Trent grinned.
Over the next days, Trent kept returning. They either ate or had sex as soon as Trent came over.
They’d yet to properly fuck. Trent got the sense Malachi was taking his time and working out what Trent liked first. And Trent had discovered quite a few things about himself.
He knew now that he liked to be restrained by Malachi’s tentacles. And he liked it when Malachi took control of him. He also loved it when Malachi praised him after sex when he was all sated and dirty. Then Malachi would wash him, dry him, feed him, and give him tea to drink.
Then they turned to Christmas crafts. Trent brought over salt dough that he’d made in the bakery along with some cookie cutters, and they made ornaments. They folded paper into stars. They made garlands. Their decorations filled and brightened Malachi’s room.
They talked about their days. Trent filled him in on the goings-on of the bakery. He talked about Jasper and his illness. He talked about the phoenix his brother had initially hated. But who had since been reborn, had lost his memory, and was now living in the apartment and working in the bakery.
And at the end of each night, Malachi welcomed Trent into his bed to sleep.
It was all perfect. Absolutely perfect.
Except for one thing. Malachi kept referring to the two of them as “friends.”
Which Trent had to remind himself was probably for the best. He needed to remember that the sex, conversation, companionship, and sleeping cuddled up together did not mean anything romantic.
Because Malachi had had a mate and he’d died. Trent could never replace him. It was that simple.
Trent thought about Malachi’s mate often. At work questions ran through his mind. Malachi had not mentioned his mate since that first time.
Would it be rude to ask?
Trent stared up at the garland of sliced dried oranges and pine cones. Kelby sat on his knee. Trent used his finger to scratch the top of her head. She ribbited softly.
Malachi placed more wood on the fire. Then filled their cups with tea.
“Can I ask you something?” Trent asked.
“Of course.” Malachi rose and handed Trent a cup before taking his seat.
“If you don’t want to answer, that’s fine.” Trent hesitated. “I was just wondering, what was your mate like?”