Chapter Three
Zephyr was on the phone with a client when Tony and Taron came into his office.
They were both in discussion about something but lowered their voices to a whisper when they noticed he was still busy.
They moved to sit on the couch, waiting for him to be finished.
They always headed home together so it wasn’t that unusual that they showed up at the end of the day.
Though, usually they met in the lobby so Tony could avoid extra standing. What made them head up here instead?
He hummed a few acknowledgements to the man on the other end of the line.
They were discussing a tech expo Zephyr used to attend back when he was running his old company.
Generally, Spellbound didn’t join in on those expos, they didn’t need to, but it was a good place to network, and sometimes Zephyr found a smaller company he wanted to work with at those events. It was worth the effort to show up.
“I think that’s a good idea. I’ll talk to the research department, see what they want to bring to the table. Yeah. You too. Have a good night.”
He hung up, scribbling down a note to check with research the following morning about what they might like to demonstrate at the expo.
“All done?” Taron chirped when he finally looked up.
Zephyr nodded, stacking the paperwork neatly on his desk as he stood. He hated coming back to a messy desk. He couldn’t concentrate if there was too much going on.
“Hey, who do you think I should talk to about a demonstration at a tech expo?” he queried, coming around the desk and bending to press a soft kiss to Tony’s lips before doing the same to Taron.
Taron, being Taron, grabbed his tie, pulling him back down for a kiss that was half a battle for dominance, half flirty fun. His mate was such a brat.
When they pulled apart, Taron grinned at him. “I love that suit by the way. I’ve wanted to do that all day.” He popped to his feet like he hadn’t just gotten Zephyr half hard with just a kiss. “As for research, talk to Hugo. He’s the genius for all that tech-y goodness.”
Tony was slower to stand, but that was normal this close to one of his appointments.
His body got stiff near the end, and he’d need a procedure to move more fluidly.
Luckily, Zephyr’s magic helped a little too, so he moved to Tony’s good side, putting his arm around him so his hand could rest on Tony’s bad hip, giving him a gentle flow of magic.
Tony sighed in relief, leaning into him with a soft smile. “Thanks.”
“Any time, baby. What are you two doing up here, anyway? I thought we were meeting in the lobby.”
Taron shot a pointed look at their mate. “Someone overdid it today. I thought it was better to bring him to you so he can get some help before the long car ride.”
While he was glad his mates knew he was there to help and sought him out when something was wrong, he also worried the elevator ride up was a little much for Tony.
Unlike the CEOs, Zephyr’s office didn’t have a fancy gold elevator to bring him to the right floor.
Elevators stopped a lot along the way in such a big company.
Coming to him might have inadvertently made things worse.
“Look at him. Big mother hen,” Taron teased. “Don’t worry, I asked first what Tony wanted to do. He wanted to see you. Win-win.”
Zephyr rolled his eyes. “Like you’re any better.”
He didn’t keep up the argument and neither did Taron.
They still followed the rule to limit arguments around Tony.
They’d learned how to better communicate since coming back together, but they still butted heads sometimes.
They just found better ways to work those issues out instead of screaming and make up sex.
“Oh, Tony. Tell him about the party.”
Zephyr kept his hand on Tony’s hip as they headed for the elevator, listening as his mate explained a party he’d been discussing with his friends.
“A party sounds like fun. My family doesn’t celebrate anything until the end of the year, so we’ve got no obligations to visit right now.”
“Oh, but we should invite Shima to the party!” Taron beamed, bouncing a little beside them. “Everyone needs to meet her. She’s awesome.”
Zephyr smiled fondly at Taron’s affection for his grandmother. Those two troublemakers adored each other. “I’ll ask her when I go to visit next week. Is there anything we need to bring to the party?”
“There’s a gift exchange,” Tony informed him hesitantly. “But if you’re too busy, you don’t have to. We can just put everyone’s names on one gift.”
Taron made a tick sound behind his teeth, waving him off. “No way. I love buying gifts. This will be fun.”
Zephyr waited before making his own comments. He knew when Tony’s tone said there was something he was leaving out. He wouldn’t be anxious about a gift exchange unless there was more to it than just buying presents.
“The gifts have to be handmade,” Tony corrected.
That made Taron pause, spinning around to look at him. “Handmade? But–” He looked panicked for a second before shaking his head and plastering on a smile. “I’m sure we can each make time to make some things. Is there a guest list yet? How many things are we expected to make?”
Zephyr tried his best to hold back his grin. Their mate was definitely panicking. Taron had tried plenty of hobbies in the past. He wasn’t sure if the chaotic shapeshifter ever stuck with any of them.
Taron noticed the look on his face and stuck out his tongue. “You aren’t in any better shape than I am.”
He just raised an eyebrow at him. He had plenty of ideas to make for his friends. He’d need to ask one of the guys in his convocation to help him, but the guy owed him a favor anyway for helping fix his roof a few months ago.
They discussed the party the entire way home, and Zephyr was glad to see some of the sadness ease in Tony’s expression as he told them about the human traditions he and Avery were going to share with everyone.
He looked forward to helping in the kitchen, he enjoyed cooking, and he’d heard Tony talk about Ozen’s media room before.
Movies on a big squashy couch with both his mates sounded divine.
Tony was deposited on the couch when they arrived home, and Taron bounced off to get his pain cream while Zephyr took off his shoes and got him more comfortable.
“I think it's the weather,” Tony commented with a grimace as he helped Zephyr remove his prosthetic. On bad pain days, it was easier on him just to remove it so he didn’t have any extra weight on the injury.
It didn’t cut him or hurt him anymore now that Hugo had upgraded it, but it was still technology and had enough weight to it to make Tony uncomfortable.
Zephyr nodded in agreement, helping to shift his poor mate on the couch so he was lying down. “You do get stiff a lot faster when it’s cold. I’ll start a fire. It’ll help.”
He leaned over, sipping at Tony’s lips until he relaxed. Taron came back just as he stood, frowning at the tube that was looking a little low. “I’m glad the appointment is the day after tomorrow. We need a new prescription. Hey, should we invite Doctor Chapman to the party?”
When Zephyr visited home with his mates, he always drove, but there was something nice about being able to fly home too.
It was the day after Tony’s procedure, and he was home resting with Taron waiting on him hand and foot.
Zephyr had noticed Tony could get a little overwhelmed if he and Taron hovered too much, so he decided to give him some space to rest and Taron some time to settle his anxiety.
Cuddling in bed would make them both feel better, and it would ease Zephyr’s mind knowing they were both safe and comfortable while he visited home.
Lightning danced along his wings as he flew, and he let the magic energy ease the strain on his mind.
He always worried about Tony during his procedures but knowing he was also upset on top of that only made him want to hover more.
He was lucky he and Taron had found Tony.
Taron only accepted his hovering to a point.
Tony would let him baby him all day long and not utter a single complaint. His human mate loved to be pampered.
Landing in front of his home, he shifted and immediately pulled out his phone to check on his mates.
There was a message from Taron reminding him to invite Shima to the party, and then a picture of them cuddled in bed together because Taron was a brat who couldn’t help himself sometimes.
Tony’s smile was indulgent, but the text message he sent right after Taron’s message arrived said he looked forward to when Zephyr got home to join them and that made it easier to take Taron’s teasing in stride.
“Why are you here alone?”
Spinning around, he took in his grandmother, her long white hair in twin braids over her shoulders and a scowl on her face. “Your mates were supposed to join you this time.”
Sighing, he explained, “Tony had a procedure yesterday. He needed more rest. The winter weather doesn't agree with him.”
She sniffed, obviously disappointed but unwilling to argue about Tony getting the care he needed. He softened the blow by adding, “There’s a party being planned to celebrate the human holiday coming up. Taron and Tony both asked if you could come. They miss you.”
That did a lot to soften her up, and she smiled at him, all traces of annoyance gone. “I don’t remember the last time I went to a party. What holiday is it?”
“Christmas. I was going to visit with Ani for a little while and work on some gifts for my mates if you want to join me.”
She hummed a sound of agreement, taking his arm when he offered it.
They walked slowly toward Ani’s house while Shima pestered him for information about the party.
He was going to have to inform his father, he didn't like when Shima left their convocation, but Zephyr would keep an eye on her.
She might be getting older, but she was still full of energy and vinegar and deserved some time out.
“So, gifts are exchanged? What are you planning to make?”
“If Ani can show me how, I’d like to make Tony a rocking chair. He likes to sit outside and enjoy the sun. He deserves to be more comfortable, and I hate seeing him dragging a dining chair outside when we’re not there to help him.”
She nodded in agreement. “That boy needs all the world’s comforts. You’ll have to make three, though. He’ll be lonely if you don’t join him.”
He’d considered that. He was pretty sure Taron would like the gift as well, but it’d be harder to hide from him than it would be hiding it from Tony. His shapeshifter was a snoop, especially when it came to gifts.
“Think your friends would like some good fortune charms? I’m too old to make something new, but I can charge some of the ones I have in storage just fine.”
“That’s a good idea,” he agreed, knowing he wouldn’t be able to talk her into just going in with him on gifts. He was glad she was looking out for her health by using crafts she had saved from before.
“Now, tell me what’s wrong with Tony.”
He blinked, looking down at her in surprise. “What do you mean?”
“I can feel his heartache from here, chidi. Something bothers him. What is it?”
“I’m not sure yet.” When she raised an eyebrow at him, he made a face.
“I won’t push him to talk about it before he’s ready, Shima.
He puts up with enough of my hovering as it is.
I don’t want to be demanding. For now, he says he’s fine, and I’ll respect that.
When he’s ready to talk, he knows I’m here for him. ”
She pursed her lips against a scowl. “I still want to know.”
“Feel free to ask him yourself. He’s resting today, but he’d be happy for you to call him.”
Her eyes lit up at the prospect, and she put out a hand, silently demanding his phone. She said she was too old for one of her own, and usually just stole the phone of whoever was watching over her for the day.
“Let’s go. I want to talk to my sweet boy while you get to work. Then you’ll help me get the charms down from storage.”
“Yes, Shima,” he replied with a smile.