Minding Azura #2
I carried her from the bedroom, rocking her slightly to sooth her.
“Look, Azura! It’s Peppa Pig.”
“Wiyam watch stupid Peppa! I want Mama!”
Her face was bright red and, well, black, purple, and blue, too, but that wasn’t the point right then. The smell of something burning made my gaze fall to the gas cooker.
Shit! The custard! Fuck, fuck, fuck!
“One second, pumpkin!”
I ran to the kitchen and switched it off. The smell of burned custard filled my nose, and I sighed. There goes that…
She writhed and kicked, wanting to be put down, so I took her to the sofa. I put her down and crouched before her.
“Okay, Azura, come on, baby girl, don’t cry, please? How can I make it up to you?” She continued screaming and crying. “Please, Azura, come on, I’ll do anything? Tell me, what do you want? Sweets? Coke? Chocolates?”
Her screaming suddenly stopped, and I narrowed my eyes. Wasn’t that a bit too fast for tears to just stop? But… her cheeks were soaking wet… I don’t trust kids… Our own mini Joker sat up, staring at me, and I could almost see the cogs in her brain working.
“Wiyam make me sad,” she stated, her eyes blurring with tears all over again.
“And Liam is sorry. I just miss seeing my beautiful baby sister’s face without this makeup,” I said gently. The urge to wash her face was hard to fight.
“But Wiyam like Waven wearing make-up,” she sobbed.
“But my sister is more beautiful. Look, Mom, Kiara, and Raven wear make-up because they are getting older and ugly.”
Please don’t kill me, ladies.
“But you don’t need it because you are a beautiful princess. You don’t need makeup,” I said as she wiped her eyes, smearing the makeup over her hands.
“I tell Mama that,” she promised, looking so sorrowful my heart squeezed. Goddess, kids are hard.
“It won’t be our secret?”
“No, Mama say never keep secrets from Mama. If anyone make me sad or upset, no secrets. I tell Mama now. Phone Mama!”
I nodded, quickly taking my phone out and video-calling Mom. I’m sure it was still day over there. Sure enough, they answered, the sun shining down on them both, and I could see Mom and Dad were lounging on the beach.
“Baby girl!” Mom said, her smile vanishing when she saw Azura’s face.
“Mama! Liam no like my make-up!”
“Fuck…” Dad commented, trying to suppress his smile.
“Oh my baby… why don’t you take it off, and Raven can apply something pretty and pink?” Mom suggested.
“Raven is not here…” I reminded her.
“Then you can.”
“Pink sparkly make-up?” Azura asked hopefully. “I no see any pink.”
“Yes, Liam will put some pretty pink makeup on you, okay? I’m sure there’s something there, okay?” Mom replied, smiling.
“Okay, Mama! Liam said you and Waven are ugly with no make-up,” she added quickly. I narrowed my eyes. I was sure she just said ‘Liam’ correctly… that kid was shady.
“I will sort Liam out when I come home. Now go wash your face, and, Liam, put some glittery make-up on her, okay?”
“Right,” I sighed in defeat.
This was going to be a long evening…
An hour later, I had wiped her face clean, taken the roast out of the oven and put the sliced steak fries into the oil before I was once again in front of Raven’s makeup table. I had salvaged what I could from her palettes that Azura had dug into, and I was currently putting make-up on her face.
Raven had mind-linked not long ago, telling me she was close and would be home soon.
“No Wiyam, you use this one,” she said, pointing to a glittery royal blue.
“No, I think this pink is nicer…”
The tears were beginning, and I quickly dabbed the brush into the blue glitter and patted it lightly onto her eyes.
“Okay, now lipstick, Wiyam.”
I nodded and added some lipstick lightly. Raven’s make-up was dark… I realised Kiara used to have a lot of pinks and glitters in comparison to Raven’s, which were so much darker. This girl… well, she had to go and touch Raven’s stuff. I sighed and hoped Raven didn’t get mad…
We finished with some gold polish, and I felt drained. This was worse than ten hours of extreme training…
We left the bedroom, and I looked at Azura, who was smiling contently.
“Okay, now you watch TV, and I’ll go set the table. Raven will be back soon.”
“You pomised me coke and sweets.”
I looked down at the little gremlin. She sure knew how to get what she wanted. I poured a little coke into a glass alongside a small, fun size pack of chocolates. She needed to have dinner.
I returned to the kitchen, making sure I kept my eyes on her, not trusting her not to wander off again.
When Raven finally opened the door, her scent hit me like a wave of calmness.
I walked over to her before she even managed to put the bags down, pulling her into my arms and lifting her off the ground as I spun her around. Goddess, I fucking missed her.
“Liam!” She exclaimed, dropping the bags as she locked her arms around my neck.
“Thank Goddess you’re home.”
Pulling her head down, I kissed her with everything I had. The tingles of the bond and the feel of her ever so soft lips against mine felt so fucking good that all I wanted to do was pin her up against the wall and never let her go.
“Waven!” Azura exclaimed, and I pulled away, thinking we only had a few weeks left… We got this!
“Wow, you look so beautiful!” Raven cooed as she gave me a final smile, her gaze lingering on my lips before she pulled Azura into her arms.
“Thank you, Waven.” Her eyes turned to me, and I knew from the spark in those blue ones that she was ready to complain about me. “Liam was a meanie!”
The tears began flowing and I shut the door, wanting to bang my head against it.
Goddess, I know you want the Deimos line to live on, but let me live a few years or a decade in peace… without any kids. Please.
Dinner was over, and Raven had put Azura to bed. I had just washed up and dropped onto the sofa.
“Tired?” Raven asked sympathetically, stepping out of Azura’s bedroom wearing a black silk cami and those tiny shorts with an open gown on top.
“Not that tired…” I said, my eyes trailing over her.
She smiled in amusement, coming over and walking behind the sofa. She placed her hands on my shoulders before she began massaging them. I closed my eyes, groaning in satisfaction.
“You’re tense? It’s hard to believe one toddler did this.” She bent forward, kissing my lips as I stared up at her.
“That one is not just an ordinary pup,” I said. “Oh, she kinda ruined some of your makeup… maybe you could buy replacements?”
“I saw. They’re not that ruined; they’re okay, still useable,” she reassured me, kissing my neck. “But it seems my Alpha has been rather stressed. How about I take good care of you?”
I hardened in my pants, her hand running down my chest as she placed sensual kisses along my neck.
“I think I’d like that.”
I tangled my hand into her hair, pulling her down just as her hand cupped my crotch, sending pleasure flowing through me.
But before I could flip her over my shoulder into my lap, the guest room door opened with a creak and Raven jerked away as Azura appeared in the doorway, clearly sleepy, all dressed in her penguin onesie holding a matching penguin plushie in her hand.
“Waven, I’m scared.”
“Aw, baby, don’t worry. Come on,” Raven cooed, hurrying over to her, leaving me with just a reminder of her scent and a view of her ass before she cast me an apologetic look and closed the door behind them.
I stretched my arms over the top of the sofa, resting my head back as I stared at the ceiling.
Yep, definitely no kids for a few years.
Twenty minutes later, I decided to go check if Azura was asleep.
Opening the door, I stopped in the doorway, seeing both fast asleep and snuggled together.
I smiled slightly. Okay, maybe kids weren’t so bad.
I walked over to the bed, slowly pulling the blanket over them, and planted a kiss on both of their foreheads before I left the room, closing the door behind me.