10. Sunny
Chapter 10
Sunny
I was still feeling a little self-conscious after the grocery and clothing store. The guys were generous. Beyond generous. I had no idea how to thank them.
Blaze’s excitement over the cookies had given me an idea, and when I mentioned fresh cookies to him, he ran with it. I had imagined getting a few ingredients to make a single batch of cookies, but I now had enough ingredients and equipment to run a small bakery. It was shocking that there was anything left in the baking section of the grocery store.
By the time we got back from the clothing store, it was already getting late, so I turned in early. I hadn’t seen Blaze or Walker, but I knew they were near. Their scents were everywhere. It was setting my omega on edge, but not in a bad way. I was simply very… aware of the scents.
The next day, I woke up late. It was already past midday when Luka started waking me up by slapping my face in that playful way only a child could.
“Morning, baby,” I hummed, pulling him in for a cuddle. “I bet you're hungry, aren't you?”
“Baba.” He nodded, like he understood what I just said.
With a groan, I stretched, standing and scooping up my baby.
The place was silent. The guys weren’t on shift, but that didn’t mean they were tied to the firehouse or owed me information on their location, even though there was an uneasy feeling in my stomach not knowing where they were. Padding into the kitchen, I smiled when I saw Luka’s sippy cup sitting on the draining board, freshly cleaned. I suspected Rune had something to do with that. Picking up the cup in one hand, I did a little maneuvering and grabbed the whole milk, filling it up and handing it to the wiggling child in my arms.
Once he was content, I looked around the kitchen, and an idea sprang to mind.
Returning to the bedroom, I grabbed the folding travel cot Walker had given me that first night. It was light and easy to carry, so lugging it to the kitchen was no problem.
Setting it up in a corner of the kitchen, I added a blanket. Rune had found a few unopened wooden block toys in the donation pile and given them to Luka. So, while he sat on the blanket, alternating between chewing on his new blocks and drinking out of his sippy cup, I gathered ingredients. Luka was relatively calm, probably because we had only been there a few days and everything was new, but I had no doubt he would be crawling around, causing chaos, in no time.
The kitchen was huge, which I appreciated. It meant that Luka could play a safe distance away but still be in my eyesight. He would be walking soon, and then I would be well and truly screwed. For now, he was safe, contained and happy, and I had my hands free so I could work.
Most children his age were already toddling around, but Luka was taking his time. I had taken him to the doctor to check everything was okay and he had assured me Luka would do things at his own pace. If he wasn’t toddling around unaided by two I would have to go back.
Still, it stressed me out and made me feel like a failure a times that babies his age were more advanced than him.
Studying all the ingredients we’d purchased yesterday, I did the mental math on how much of each we would need to make cookies.
A batch of chocolate chip and a batch of butterscotch pretzel seemed like a good start.
The kitchen itself was a dream. It was spacious, and everything was in excellent condition. Making a quick dough, I hummed to myself, constantly turning back to check on Luka, who was chomping on a handful of cereal I had given him. He had already ate several meals throughout the day but he was a hungry boy and always wanted a snack.
In between cookie batches, I slowly worked on deep cleaning the kitchen. It was clearly well-kept, but I imagined they didn’t have the time for a true deep clean often, given the nature of their work.
The fourth batch of cookies was going into the oven when I heard the sounds of doors opening and closing, footsteps on the stairs, and general sounds of people returning to the station.
They had been out for hours; it was already early evening.
“Hello,” a warm voice greeted me as a strange firefighter entered the room. He was an older gentleman with salt and pepper hair. He was wearing a pair of sweatpants and an LAFD T-shirt.
“Hi… Gil?” I asked.
He nodded. “Gil Warwick, second of Station Sixteen. Nice to meet you.”
“Did you guys go on a call? Also, do you want a cookie?” I asked, holding up the plate.
“Well, I was just gonna grab a coffee before I go shower, but I can't say no to that, now, can I?” He smiled before plucking a cookie off the plate. “We went over to Station Seventeen to help them run some drills, even though we aren’t on shift.” He beamed down at Luka. “God, it's hard to believe my babies were ever that age.”
“How many do you have?”
“Two. Both of them teenagers. Trust me, you've got some joy to look forward to there.” He chuckled.
“Luckily, I've got some time before that.” I was immediately at ease with this alpha, there was something so warm and almost fatherly about Gil.
“Thank you for this,” he said, holding up the cookie as he wandered out of the kitchen, a smile on his face. “This smells divine!”
He hadn’t been gone three seconds when another firefighter entered the room.
“You taking over my kitchen, Cher?” a warm, Cajun lilt asked from behind me.
Turning with a smile, I met Rune’s gaze. He was wearing sweats and a dark gray T-shirt that molded to every muscle on his chest. His hair was slightly damp, and I could smell the clean, freshly washed scent. He must have showered as soon as he got back.
Yummy.
“Well, Blaze said you don’t bake, and when I mentioned fresh cookies…”
“You created a monster?” Rune asked, raising a brow and crossing his arms.
“Let’s just say, he was a tad excited,” I said, scrunching my nose playfully. “It’s been quiet around here today. Where are Blaze and Walker?”
Truth be told, I was happy for the distraction. All I could think about was what was going to happen next. Most of my possessions were gone, and Luka and I were technically homeless.
Studying wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. I was probably going to have to repeat a semester, but that was the least of my worries at the moment.
Rune took another step into the kitchen, his sweet graham cracker scent washing over me, making my body tingle with desire.
Maybe I could make some s’mores cookies, or would that be too on the nose?
He smiled. “Even though we just watched and judged everyone else on the call, we still got a little dirty. I rushed to shower, but the others are probably still washing the smoke off them. You don't have to bake for Blaze just because he got over excited. In fact, don't feel like you have to at all.”
I shook my head. “I enjoy baking, honestly, but if I'm in your way, let me know.”
“Not at all. In fact, I didn't feel like cooking tonight, due to how late that call ran, and was considering ordering pizzas. What toppings do you like?”
“I’m a barbecue chicken girl.” I smiled.
“Good to know… must admit, whatever you're making smells damn good. I'm surprised Blaze isn't sitting here already, begging for scraps.”
Rune walked over to Luka, crouching down so he was closer to his level. “Little man, are you enjoying that cereal?” He reached over, grabbing a cloth off the counter. “How about we wipe some of this off your hands?”
He cooed gently at my son as he wiped the worst of the cereal carnage from his fingers. I couldn't help but watch in amazement as he handled Luka with such care. Despite his gigantic size, he treated my baby like he was precious, and it was doing something to me.
“I'm sorry he's managed to make such a mess of himself.”
Rune shrugged. “Babies are messy creatures by nature. It's no trouble.”
I pulled out the cookie scoop Blaze had bought me and started portioning the dough onto the cookie sheets that had also somehow ended up in our cart. Blaze must have put them in when I wasn't looking.
“Mama! Up!” Luka squealed, reaching his hands out for me.
Looking back at the cookie dough, I put the scoop down and was about to turn around and pick up my son, when Rune scooped him up and stood.
“Can I hold you for a while, little man, so Mama can keep doing what she's doing?”
My son immediately stopped fussing and snuggled into the alpha, nuzzling his head into the crook of his neck.
“You calmed him down incredibly fast,” I said, playfully glowering at the giant. “Usually he’s a wriggly monster if he’s not tired.”
“Nah, I’m just new and exciting,” Rune insisted, slowly bobbing up and down as Luka relaxed in his arms.
“If you keep doing that, he's going to fall asleep on you.” I grimaced. “I can take him off you if you want.”
“I am more than happy to keep this little one in my arms. We're friends now, he and I. We have an understanding that Mama must be allowed to make cookies. That is, if you don’t mind?” He directed the last question at me. “If you're not comfortable with me holding him, I can totally put him back.”
“No, you can hold him.” In fact, the sight of him holding my son was downright adorable. “I just don't want you to feel like you have to. Babies aren't exactly common occurrences in a firehouse, are they?”
Rune shook his head. “They're not, which is why I'm quite enjoying this. I want to hold him, like you want to bake cookies.”
I snorted. He had me there. Without another word, I picked up the cookie scoop and continued portioning. As I did so, Rune walked around the kitchen, slowly rocking my son. It was almost sleep time, so sure enough, within a few minutes, Luka was drifting off.
Doing my best to focus on the task at hand, I put one tray in the oven and started cleaning up. I was doing everything in my power to avoid looking at the large, beautiful alpha who was treating my son so wonderfully. I could never imagine Luka's father holding him like that.
The asshole who had contributed the DNA that created Luka felt that child-rearing was an omega's job and wanted no part in it.
I had seen plenty of packs in my life, and I knew that was bullshit. My brother and his pack constantly supported their omega and their babies. The last time I had a video call with my twin brother, he had been sitting up in the middle of the night, his daughter splayed out on his chest because she had an ear infection and was fussy.
What I would do for that support.
“Do you want kids one day?” I asked as I washed one of the mixing bowls.
Rune smiled down at the sleeping baby in his arms. “Yeah, I would have a whole football team if I could, but that’s not up to me.”
I frowned. “What do you mean, it's not up to you?”
“Well, I can want as many babies as I want, but I'm only going to have as many babies as my omega is willing to have.”
“Most alphas don't seem to think that way,” I said.
“Well, they are idiots who really need to learn better. It doesn't matter if I want a football team. It comes down to what the woman who is building the children with her own body wants. What about you? Do you want more?”
“Maybe? I've been so busy with Luka, I haven't really thought about it.”
“What about if you had more support?”
“In that case, I probably would,” I said as I dried the dishes absentmindedly. “I'm actually trying to train to become a teacher because I love kids. Were my situation is different, I would probably also want a football team.”
“The idea of having little ones running around is exciting.”
“Exciting and exhausting. This one went through a phase where, for three weeks straight, he woke up every half an hour, no matter what, and screamed nonstop.”
Rune grimaced. “That sounds brutal. And you did it all on your own?”
“I had no choice. My brother helped out whenever he could, but he had his own life, and my parents… Let's just say, they weren’t exactly decent parents to me, so I doubted they’d be any good with my son.”
“Why weren’t your folks decent?” he asked, still rocking and bobbing Luka.
I sighed. “They had good intentions, but they are very free-spirited people. They thought teaching us to read and write would be oppressive and mean. If they had their way, we never would have gone to school in the first place. When Storm and I were fifteen, they declared we were old enough to take care of ourselves and decided to buy a van and start traveling around the country. Since then, I've only seen them a handful of times. I did call them when I found out I was pregnant, but they weren’t enthusiastic.”
Their abandonment had hurt, but it hadn't made much of a difference in our lives. We had been taking care of ourselves for a long time. The moment I found out I was pregnant, I knew I'd be getting no help from them. A baby would damage their carefree lifestyle. Also, they liked to pretend that they were still young, free-spirited teenagers themselves, so a grandchild would probably just make them feel old.
“Well, they sound like real winners.” Rune chuckled.
“Yep, they are complete hippies, hence why they called me Sunny and my twin brother Storm.”
“I see you opted out of unusual names when it came to your own child.”
I nodded, grabbing a cloth and checking on the cookies. They were baking up nicely and just starting to turn golden brown. “My name wasn't too bad, but my brother got teased for his. So, I decided that when it came to Luka, I was going to give him as normal a name as possible.”
“It's a beautiful name for a beautiful boy.” Rune beamed. “Those smell amazing,” he said as I pulled a tray out.
“Give them a few minutes, and you'll be able to try one of the loaded cookies that I put in the oven a few minutes ago,” I said.
I didn’t want to toot my own horn, but they did look pretty perfect, with just the right amount of crispy edges and gooey center.
“You mean I could try one before Blaze does?” he asked with a cheeky grin. “Oh, Cher, you’re spoiling me.”
I didn’t tell him that Gil had already tried one.
“Hardly.” I snorted, picking up one of the cookies and checking it was an okay temperature before holding it out to him.
Rune looked down at Luka, then to the cookie in my outstretched hand. “I don't want to put him down.” He pouted.
I giggled. “That is a problem I regularly find myself in. The number of times my meal has gone cold because I've had him asleep in my arms is ridiculous.”
Breaking the cookie in half, I held up one of the pieces to his mouth. Rune, immediately understanding what I was doing, bent and thankfully took the entire half of the cookie into his mouth.
“Damn, Cher,” he moaned with a mouthful. “These are amazing. You're going to have to hide some from Blaze, or he’ll eat them all in minutes.”
“I’ll stash some behind the veggies.” I smirked.
Rune snorted. “He’ll never find them!” He smiled down at me. “Can you feed me a bit more?”
I would happily feed him as much cookie as he wanted, not just because he was holding my child, who was blissfully asleep, but because there was something oddly enjoyable about the experience.
Omega nature was something I couldn't deny. I loved pleasing alphas. Seeing Rune enjoy my baking made me almost giddy.
Our eyes met, and electricity sparked between us.
What would it be like to lean forward and kiss him? That was the only thing my mind could focus on as I stared at him. He was so warm and welcoming… I bet he tasted delicious.
The moment was quickly broken when I heard heavy footsteps thundering up the stairs. Throwing Rune a quick grin, I grabbed a plate of cookies and placed them in a drawer, leaving only the single plate I had put Rune’s cookie on, which still had a few crumbs.
“Sunshine! I smell cookies! I didn’t miss them, did I?” Blaze asked in a rush as he practically sprinted into the room.
Rune bit his lip as I gave Blaze a look of fake horror. “You were gone so long, I wasn't sure you still wanted some, so Rune demolished them. I'm so sorry.”
Blaze glanced between us, a look of abject horror on his face. “They’re gone already?”
I nodded.
He turned to Rune, glowering. “Well, luckily you're holding a sleeping baby, otherwise I would be pushing you down the stairs right now.”
Rune laughed, making Blaze pout even more.
A giggle escaped my chest, my cool facade cracking as he turned to me. “Why are you giggling, sunshine?”
I pulled the plate of cookies out of the drawer and placed it on the counter in front of him. “You made it too easy.” I shrugged, still giggling. When was the last time I’d had fun like this? It had been a while.
“You tricked me?” he gasped.
For a moment, his face was so heartbroken, I started to feel bad. Had I taken it too far? I was about to open my mouth and apologize when Blaze rushed toward me, wrapping his arms around my waist and swinging me around playfully.
“You minx!” he cried. “You know you owe me extra cookies for that?”
“How many extra?” I laughed as he put me down.
“Lots,” he said, his face playfully serious.
“And what exactly constitutes lots ?”
Blaze leaned forward and plucked a cookie from the plate, taking a large bite.
His eyes closed, and a pornographic moan left his chest. “Okay, this is perfect. Lots means a batch every day. Come rain or shine, I need a batch of cookies every single day.”
“He doesn't mean it,” Rune said, glaring at his pack mate. “He wants it, he doesn't need it.”
“I'll do anything you want for cookies, sunshine.”
Behind Blaze, Rune cocked his head to the side. “You could always make him run drills, that’ll make Walker happy.”
Blaze’s eyes widened. “Surely you wouldn’t?”
I shrugged, grabbing a cookie and taking a bite.
Blaze broke into laughter. “Oh, I am going to love having you here, sunshine.”