Chapter 23 Nicholas #2
“There’s no stopping them,” Andrew sighs with a shake of his head, turning accusing eyes on Charlie. “This was all you, wasn’t it?”
“Aw, don’t be mad at me, Annie.”
“Did you steal my clothes?” Andrew asks, gripping the large white box in his hands.
“How about I put the cake in the kitchen,” Alec offers, taking the cake box from Andrew then making his way down the hallway with Theo hot on his trail.
“Me and Emerson will help them,” Jason announces before pulling Emerson up and off the couch to follow.
Nicholas can’t fathom how the fuck two grown men need help carrying a cake box, but he doesn’t bother voicing that out loud, beyond trying to understand how attached at the hip Jason, Theo, Emerson and Alec seem to be. Once they’re gone, it’s just Nicholas, Andrew, Charlie and Eden.
“Annie.”
“Don’t Annie me,” Andrew grumbles, the barest hint of unease in his voice. Not liking that one fucking bit, Nicholas crowds behind him, settling his chin on Andrew’s shoulder and wrapping his arms around him in a protective embrace.
“He’s like a large, tattooed guard dog,” Eden muses.
“Fuck off, Polly Pocket.”
Eden smiles, like he’s delighted to be cursed out. “You fuck off.”
“No. I’m staying. Forever.”
“Forever?” Charlie questions with a raised eyebrow.
“Forever.”
“Guess we’re stuck with him,” Eden shrugs, flopping back onto the couch. “At least it'll be fun to annoy him.”
“Be nice, Eden.”
“That’s not fun.” Eden opens his mouth to say something else when a small child sprints past them and barrels into Eden. Her long braids obscure Eden’s face when she envelops him in a hug.
“Happy birthday, Eden.”
“Sorry, the front door was open,” someone says, coming into the room carrying a helium balloon, a gift bag with a dinosaur on it and a huge purse.
It’s a younger woman Nicholas doesn’t recognize.
She’s clearly the child’s mother, their resemblance uncanny.
The only difference is the small child has her hair done in tight braids while the woman’s hair is natural and short.
“Do I want to know why Charlie is dressed like Andrew?”
Nicholas has no idea who this beautiful woman is, but he likes her immediately. Finally, someone with taste.
“Charlie was being an idiot,” Eden explains.
“Right,” the woman laughs, lowering her stuff to the ground. She turns to face Nicholas and Andrew, something appraising in her gaze as she takes in Nicholas. “You must be the new boyfriend. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“The last and only boyfriend,” Nicholas corrects.
“Oh, you’re something else, aren’t you,” she laughs. “I’m Addy, Eden’s best friend.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Addy.” Nicholas unwraps his right arm from Andrew’s chest to hold it out.
“He’s handsome and a gentleman.”
“How come Nicholas is polite to her?” Charlie demands.
Before anyone can answer, the little girl on the couch sits up.
“I’m Ella,” she declares. “Why are you so big?”
“Ella,” Addy groans while Eden snickers. “Don’t ask people that. It’s rude.”
“Nicholas ate all his enemies, and he has a lot of them, so it made him very big,” Charlie says so seriously it’s clear Ella isn’t sure how to reply.
“Charlie is joking,” Andrew clarifies.
Ella narrows her eyes at Charlie. “Momma says it’s not nice to lie, Tío Charlie.”
“I wasn’t lying, I was just trying to annoy Nicholas.”
“Why?” Ella asks.
“How about you go in the kitchen,” Eden suggests in a clear attempt to distract her. “Pretty sure Alec made those sprinkle cookies you love.”
Ella gasps, leaping off the couch then running down the hallway shouting, “Tío Alec, did you make me cookies?”
“Is she yours?” Nicholas asks Eden.
“She’s not my daughter,” Eden answers, rising from the couch. “But she’s mine. She’s part of this family, blood or not.”
His tone is defiant, as if Nicholas might argue. He’s an asshole but not to fucking kids. Even he has some boundaries.
“Okay.”
His easy agreement clearly takes Eden by surprise because he curses under his breath before grabbing Charlie’s wrist. “Come on, let's get you changed. You look too neat, it’s weirding me out.”
“You could make me messier,” Charlie says in a flirtatious tone that makes Andrew groan and Eden drag him out of the room faster.
“I’m going to go check on Ella and make sure she’s not weaseling too many cookies out of your brothers.”
“Probably a good idea. They’re over the moon to have a niece and don’t know how to say no,” Andrew laughs. “She’s got Jason and Alec wrapped around her little finger. All of them honestly. Remember when she called Theo uncle for the first time a few weeks ago and he started crying?”
Addy smiles. “You guys are good people. We’re lucky to have you. You didn’t have to welcome me and Ella like this, but—”
“Yes, we did,” Andrew interrupts. “You’re Eden’s family which makes you ours. You know that.”
“You’re going to make me cry,” Addy huffs. “I’m going to leave before I turn into a blubbering mess. Where are your parents? I want to make sure and say hi.”
“They were in the backyard working the barbecue when I left to pick up the cake from the panaderia,” Andrew answers.
Addy gives them a smile and a half-wave before leaving them alone in the living room. Andrew is quiet, unusually so, and Nicholas turns him in his arms then tips his face up.
“What?”
“What do you mean, what?” Andrew tries, not fooling Nicholas one damn bit. His face is an open book, one Nicholas will never tire of reading.
“Princess.” He grips his chin, kissing him softly. “Spit it out.”
Andrew huffs in that adorable disgruntled way of his. “Did it work?”
“Did what work?” Nicholas asks, rubbing his thumb over Andrew’s bottom lip until his deep frown slowly starts to fade. He might understand Andrew’s moods, but he’s not actually a mind reader and has no idea what he’s talking about.
“Charlie’s clothes. Or I guess, my clothes.” Andrew swallows, eyes darkening with obvious unease. “Did uh…you know…did you think he was me?”
“No.”
“We look identical,” Andrew quietly points out.
“Most people can’t tell us apart. It’s part of why I started dressing like this.
Charlie hated khakis and polos, it was one of the only things he refused to wear in high school, and I just…
I wanted something that was only mine. That’s probably selfish. ”
“You know how I feel about you being selfish.”
Andrew drops his gaze, but Nicki doesn’t push the eye contact, instead tucking Andrew’s face into his neck. Immediately, Andrew breathes him in, tracing a circle on his lower back.
“I love Charlie, but I don’t think I could handle it if I ever thought you wanted him.”
“Not a fucking chance of that,” Nicki snorts. “Eden can keep that loud fucker.”
Andrew laughs, kissing the hollow of Nicki’s throat. “He is loud but he’s great.”
“If you say so.”
“You’ll love him one day.”
Nicholas is not entirely sure of that, but for Andrew he would do anything, including learning how to get along with the other most important person in his life.
“You really didn’t believe he was me?” Andrew asks, pulling out of the embrace to look at Nicki.
“Princess, no one in the fucking world can compare to you. You are one in a fucking million.”
“That feels like a slight exaggeration—”
Nicki cuts him off with a kiss, silencing Andrew’s protests until he’s humming with happiness.
“Forgot what I was saying, damnit.”
“Not sorry,” Nicki smirks.
“So you’re the man who won my Andrew’s heart.”
Nicholas jumps a damn foot in the air, startled to find a small spitfire of a woman staring at him.
She looks a lot like Alec actually, except more pale and female.
Her mess of curls are piled on top of her head, hands on her hips and a smile on her face.
There’s something shrewd in her expression as she inches forward, holding herself with the air of someone much taller.
“Mom, you’re scaring him.”
“I’m not scared,” Nicholas lies, more terrified of this five foot something little mom than he’s ever been of anyone, even an opponent on the ice.
“Bullshit,” she says, startling Nicholas.
“Fuck.”
She laughs, crossing her arms. “Tell me one thing.”
“Mom,” Andrew groans.
“You have never once brought a boyfriend or girlfriend home, excuse me for being a little overprotective.”
“I am a grown man—”
“You are my baby,” she finishes, kissing his cheek when he bends down to her level. “You and Charlie were my first. I made some mistakes. I didn’t know what I was doing, and your father and I worked too much, but we did our best and you did, too.”
“You did good, Mom.”
“I know I did. Look at you. Couldn’t ask for a better son. But I could ask for one who isn’t so hard on himself. Of all my boys, I’ve always worried about you the most.”
“But I didn’t get in trouble,” Andrew frowns, looking like someone just pulled the rug out from beneath him. “You worried about the rest of them so much.”
“Of course I did. Your brothers, bless their hearts, were absolute terrors. Endless energy, boundary testing, noisy little monsters. But not you. You were always calm and quiet as can be. You remember when you broke your arm when you were five. We didn’t know until the next day when you woke up with it all swollen. ”
“I didn’t wanna worry anyone,” Andrew mumbles.
“Exactly. You never wanted to worry anyone.
At five. I knew then you were the one I needed to worry about.
You were so independent, so strong-willed, that it was easy to always think you were fine which had to be hard since your dad and I weren't always around when you were younger. We worked too much, but you did good, Andrew. Your father and I are so proud of you.”
“Damn right we are,” a man who can only be Andrew’s father echoes.
He’s wearing a ruffled apron that reads Kiss the Cook across the chest and a congenial smile as he makes his way further into the living room.
“A little birdie told me my son was in here with his boyfriend, and I didn’t get to meet him yet. Outrageous.”