Chapter Forty-Two
Roman
It had been over a week since Garrick and Tan had officially adopted Oak’s new little siblings, and Oakley was so happy. They were so good with the kids, and I’d loved watching their relationships bloom.
I also loved just how much lighter Oakley seemed to feel. Knowing that the kids they cared so much about were safe and happy had done wonders for them.
“Ha!” Oakley laughed at the TV. “Take that, Kyle. You never deserved her!”
I totally agreed with them, but I felt like I had to say, “Why do you make me watch this crap?”
They laughed and threw a piece of popcorn at me. “Shut it, you. You love it.”
I did. Scales help me, I really did. But I wasn’t going to admit it out loud. Somehow, after years and years of avoiding crap TV, Oakley had pulled me in, and now, I was as addicted to it as they were.
After the show was over, they stood up, grabbed my hand, and yanked me to my feet before pulling me toward their bedroom. My eyebrows rose because hell yeah, I was totally on board for whatever bedroom activities they had planned.
When we reached the bedroom, my eyebrows shot up because Oak didn’t lead me to the bed; they walked right past it and to their closet.
Were we having a fashion show or something? I’d love to watch them strut around in different outfits.
Because my eyes were on their ass, and my brain was fully focused on seeing said ass naked, I didn’t realize what we were doing until Oak pulled me all the way into their closet.
They shot me a grin, turned around, and bent over right in front of me.
With their pretty, perky ass in the air.
My hands automatically went to it like it was a magnet, and Oak let out a laughing, “What’re you doing?”
“Mm. You have a nice ass.”
They laughed again, and then I heard a click and a hiss before they stood up, grabbed my hand again, and pulled me between their hanging clothes.
My mind was still on their ass, so I barely noticed the door they pulled me through until they released me, turned to meet my gaze, and did a ta-da gesture.
I blinked at them, then glanced around, and my mouth went dry. “Oak.”
“It isn’t much. When I left the cult, I didn’t have anything with me, and when I went back to check on the kids, my hoard was just… gone. So I had to start over. But, um, yeah… this is it.”
I glanced around, taking in the large space that was mostly empty, but I saw a few piles of gold—I had no doubt Garrick had given that to them from his own hoard—some books, and a few little odds and ends.
With a smile on my face, I stepped closer to Oak and pulled them into my arms, kissing their cheek. “Babydoll, this is… amazing. Thank you for showing me.”
They chuckled and draped their arms over my shoulders. “You didn’t even look at anything yet.”
I shrugged. “I know it’ll be amazing because it’s yours.”
They kissed the corner of my cheek, then took my hand and led me around the room.
There were so many shelves, and while largely empty, they actually had a pretty good collection going.
Knickknacks here and there, a big section of clothing they must’ve retired from wearing but wanted to keep, some makeup, although it looked like most of it was empty.
“Is that an empty nail polish bottle?” I asked, pointing at the item.
Oak smiled softly. “Yeah. It’s the first bottle Daddo bought me when I first moved here.” They shrugged. “I, um, kinda felt seen by him when he gave it to me, so I wanted to keep it.”
That was one of the sweetest things I’d ever heard, and I had to kiss their temple for it.
We continued on, walking the entire room and ending back where we started. My head tilted as I stared at a small object close to the door. “What’s that?”
They let out a long breath. “That’s the flash drive you and Daddo put together to… to help me see the truth of what happened to me when I was a baby and everything. You guys put a lot of effort into it, and it… helped me. It helped me a lot.”
My heart squeezed. “Oh, Oakley.” I pulled them into a tight embrace. “You are the sweetest person I’ve ever known.”
They snorted and shrugged. “Not really. I just… I wanted to always remember how much… how much you and Dad searched for me when I was growing up, and that I… that I was always wanted even when everyone around me acted like I wasn’t.”
My heart melted again, and all I could do was hold on tighter and push as much love and affection toward them as I possibly could.
I felt their returning love, along with a powerful amount of warmth—they felt loved and cared for, and that was all I could ask for.
After a long minute, I whispered, “You are the best person I’ve ever known, and I’m so very grateful to call you mine.”
They hugged me tight for a moment, then glanced up to meet my eyes. “I love you so fucking much, Roman Zohar Vidar Frewin Trevil.”
I rolled my eyes at the full naming, making them grin at me.
“Seriously, though, why do you have so many names?”
“My parents wanted me to sound distinguished and like I belonged beside the royal family or something, I don’t really know. It was stupid then, and it’s just as ridiculous now.”
They laughed and captured my mouth in a long, tender kiss that had me melting into them.
When they broke away, they asked, “Soooooo… how many boxes do you think we’ll need for this room?
My bedroom alone is going to need a billion because I have so many clothes.
But maybe we can start taking things up slowly or something.
Or we can just get everyone to come help, then buy them all pizza or something like that? What do you think?”
“What in the hell are you talking about?”
They snorted, rolled their eyes with a smirk, and booped me on the nose. “I’m moving in with you, you idiot.”
“You are?”
“Yes!” They threw their arms around me and kissed me hard and quick. “That okay?”
I nodded vigorously. Was this really happening right now? I’d been dying to move Oak into my condo since the moment I realized they were my viramore. “Yes. Please.”
Oak laughed lightly with a big smile on their face. “Will my hoard fit with yours, or will we need to make a separate room?”
My heart squeezed and almost burned with how joyous I felt. I never in a million years thought anyone would want to combine hoards with me. That was… more intimate than anything else I’d ever done. “We’ll make it fit.”
They snorted. “I don’t have a ton of stuff, but if I can collect this much in, like, two and a half years, I can’t imagine how much crap you have. You’re a million years old.”
I shook my head, trying not to laugh at them. “I’m not that old.”
“Do you hear yourself when we watch ParaHist? ‘Cause that shit isn’t something a person younger than a billion would say.”
“Oh, so now I’m a billion?”
“Yep.”
With a chuckle, I huffed. “I don’t have that much in my hoard.”
They laughed disbelievingly. “Uh-huh, whatever you say, old man.”
I shook my head and couldn’t help my laughter as I pulled them back into my arms. “I am absolutely positive we can fit our hoards together and make some room to collect things together.”
“Yeah?”
I nodded. “Definitely.”
They leaned in and brushed a soft kiss across my lips. “I love you, Roman.”
My heart burst into flame. “I love you too, babydoll. I love you too.”
I covered their mouth with mine and decided we wouldn’t be leaving their hoard room for a very long time.