Chapter 12 Only One Bed
ONLY ONE BED
“What was that about?” Titan asked.
Hamilton shrugged, his brow furrowed. “I didn’t hear anything odd.”
There was a trace of smoke in the air, rapidly fading. Titan blinked. Then he remembered that same scent from the last time Mathlin had disappeared.
He almost followed Mathlin out, to tell the omega he didn’t have to worry. But today was a day full of changes for Mathlin; Titan didn’t want to overwhelm him further.
“We need to acquire some fire-proofing spells,” Titan said. “Could you do that after dinner? I hate to impose. But we’ll probably sleep better knowing that the cabin won’t go up in smoke.”
“Yeah, I’ll do that,” Hamilton said dryly. “I won’t have anyone to enlighten with pickup lines if you’re all in the hospital.”
Titan groaned. “Thanks.”
“I’m so touched. All you really want is to be filled with pickup lines. Completely stuffed. They’ll dribble out of you like an omega who’s been freshly-fu—”
Titan buried his face in his hands. “Ham, what the actual f—”
A strangled noise came from the back door. “You want to be an omega who’s freshly-fucked?”
When Titan turned, he found Mathlin standing there, his mouth hanging open.
Titan groaned. “No!”
Hamilton waved his spatula. “I’m sure Titan wouldn’t mind being metaphorically boned by pickup lines. You can even rub them all over his body and massage them into his skin. Infuse him with their essence. He’ll become so suave with all that knowledge.”
Titan cringed. “Because those lines make someone so suave.”
“Of course.” Hamilton cleared his throat and whipped out that familiar pink book. He opened it to a random page and began to read.
“There’s a feeling in my little toe;
It’s hard and bumpy like a mole.
I think it’ll grow big and tall,
It’s just getting ready for you to fall...
Your butt will open around it!
I’ll do anything to make it fit!
Oh, precious, my toe and your hole
Will make our feelings grow
So won’t you be mine?
I’ll make sure you’ll look so fine
And all my ten toes will end up in your pretty butt hole.”
Hamilton closed the book with a snap, looking around with his chest puffed up.
Silence descended upon the cabin. Jannie broke it by babbling.
“That was... something else,” Mathlin finally said, looking like he had swallowed something wrong.
“I’m not courting anyone with that,” Titan muttered, mildly horrified that he had sat through the entire poem. All of it had gone into his ears. Into his brain. “In fact, let’s just pretend the last five minutes did not happen.”
“Yeah!” Mathlin said quickly.
Titan glanced at him. Mathlin hurriedly looked away, pretending to whistle.
“You can’t hide her from me forever, Math,” Titan said quietly.
Mathlin stiffened. “Hide what? I’m not hiding anything.”
“She has a fire affinity, doesn’t she?” Titan said. “I won’t tell anyone. Ham’s going to get some fireproofing supplies after dinner, so you don’t have to worry about Jannie setting anything on fire.”
“But... I never said what she is.”
Titan raised an eyebrow. “What about the mystery smoke?”
All at once, Mathlin sagged. “Y-you don’t mind?”
“I would love to know what she is. But I won’t force you to tell me, and I won’t force her to reveal her nature. I just want to be prepared in case we need damage control.”
Especially because Titan couldn’t afford to lose much right now.
“It’s just the fire, really,” Mathlin mumbled. “But mostly it’s puffs of smoke.”
Titan studied the tiny child in Mathlin’s arms, wondering how the hell he would care for her when he was so out of his element around her. But it shouldn’t even matter, because he wasn’t her dad.
Mathlin placed Jannie back in her high chair. She banged her fists on the tray table and kicked her legs, giggling when Titan made faces at her.
Titan swallowed. Then his skin prickled and he turned, only to find Mathlin watching them.
Mathlin blushed, whipping back to face the stove. He was so adorable.
As the night wore on, Titan warmed up to Jannie. Each of her smiles put more fuzzy feelings in his heart; he couldn’t help the ache in his chest that whispered for him to claim an omega, to make a family. He swallowed it all back down.
Dinner was pan-fried potatoes and seared steak. Mathlin set Titan’s plate on a stack of books so he wouldn’t have to lower his head all the way to the table to eat.
“I could feed you,” Mathlin whispered.
“I don’t need you to feed me food,” Titan said. “But if you’d like to feed me other things, such as yourself, that’s fine.”
Mathlin choked. Hamilton had to thump him on the back; Titan sorely wished he could have been the one to help.
“That was smooth,” Hamilton said admiringly. “But I still maintain that a pickup line would have worked better.”
Titan rolled his eyes, fighting off the warmth in his cheeks. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you choke,” he said to Mathlin. “On something that isn’t my—”
He cut himself off, embarrassed at the words falling out of his mouth. Was this what Mathlin felt like all the time?
Mathlin coughed harder, his ears red. “Am I imagining things? Or did you want me to choke on your, uh, meat stick?”
Titan made himself meet Mathlin’s gaze. “Yes.”
Mathlin turned bright red. His throat was long and pale, covered with twin lovebites but missing a bonding mark.
Titan’s teeth ached.
“You’re going to bed early tonight,” Titan made himself say. “If you’re serious about helping out at the bakery, you’ll have to be up early to start baking.”
For a second, Mathlin looked dismayed. Then he shook himself and straightened his shoulders. “I’ll do it.”
“Good,” Titan rumbled, his instincts pressing just beneath his skin. Mathlin would be such an amazing mate.
“Don’t forget the magical healing,” Hamilton whispered.
Titan exchanged a look with Mathlin. They had come a lot of times today. “We’ll rest tonight,” Titan said, even though his cock grew warm between his legs. “We filled a lot more vials than I was expecting.”
“Maybe that’s also part of the magical healing.” Hamilton wriggled his eyebrows. “You should put more up for sale.”
“Yeah,” Titan agreed.
After the dishes were cleared, Mathlin brought Jannie to the guestroom. Titan listened with half an ear as Mathlin changed Jannie’s diapers and put the pup to bed.
He stopped eavesdropping. With voice-activated commands, he checked his different business emails and put up more batches of cum for sale. It didn’t take long before those were sold out, too.
Sooner than later, he needed to post another video of himself, if only to update his fans on his dismal situation.
Titan was about to plan that video when Mathlin released a long, slow breath.
He stopped and listened. There were no sounds of movement, only soft breathing that hitched and grew uneven.
Was Mathlin upset?
Before he knew it, he was prowling out of his bedroom, peeking through the open guestroom door.
Mathlin was wringing his hands.
“Math, what’s wrong?”
Mathlin jumped a foot into the air. “Eek!”
Titan grimaced. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to surprise you.”
“No, no, it’s fine.” Mathlin shook his head quickly. But shadows lingered in his eyes.
“What’s wrong?” Titan murmured, taking a step closer. “If there’s anything that makes you uncomfortable in my home, please tell me.”
Mathlin bit his plush lower lip. “It’s just... I’m not used to having this much space.”
He gestured at the guestroom.
“You’re not? Weren’t you staying in Crush’s safehouse for a while?” Titan’s younger brother, Crush, co-owned a few properties with some of their alpha friends. They used those properties as safehouses, and had been sheltering some rescued omegas in them.
“Oh... I had a room there, but I was sleeping under the bed.”
“Under the—” Titan stared at Mathlin, horrified. “Why?”
Mathlin looked at his feet. “I don’t feel safe in open spaces. When I sleep, I mean. I don’t have to watch my back as hard under the bed. Usually I have Jannie in there with me, but I thought maybe this time she should know what sleeping in a crib feels like.”
“Fuck,” Titan whispered. Now wasn’t the time to ask what had happened to make Mathlin feel this way. “Do you think... sleeping in my bedroom will help? Under my bed, or in my bed. I’ll watch your back.”
Mathlin fidgeted, unsure.
“What did you do at Ottis’ place?” Titan asked gently. “He doesn’t have a guestroom.”
“I slept on his couch, under a pile of blankets. It was kind of stuffy.” Mathlin made a face, but at least his shoulders were relaxing.
“You don’t have to use as many blankets on my bed,” Titan pointed out. “If you’d like, we can move Jannie’s crib into my bedroom. I promise my bed is a lot more comfy than the space under it. Hell, I can sleep on the floor if that makes you feel better.”
Mathlin’s eyes grew wide. “I’m not kicking you out of your bed!”
Titan shrugged. “I want you to feel safe, Math. Whatever it takes.”
Mathlin stared at him for a long moment. “I... don’t know. I’ve never fallen asleep next to an alpha I trust.”
Suddenly, Titan felt achingly sad. “You can trust that I won’t hurt you. If I make you feel unsafe in any way, you know I have two huge weaknesses in my arms.”
“I’m not going to hurt your arms!” Mathlin looked scandalized.
“You’re such a sweetheart.” Titan grinned. “I’ll let you think about it. You don’t have to make a decision tonight. In fact, you can even lie in my bed for a bit to see how you like it.”
Mathlin seemed to mull over his offer. “I’ll... see what it’s like.”
Titan’s heart leaped. “Yeah?” He led the way to his bedroom, nodding at his queen-sized bed. “It’s not the biggest bed, but it’s comfortable.”
“There’s only one size that matters in the bedroom,” Mathlin blurted. He promptly clapped his hands over his mouth. “Oh gods! I don’t mean your cock or anything!”
His pulse missed a beat. Titan stifled his laugh. “What’s the important size, then?”