Chapter 8
“And that’s how I found out I hate Nutella.” Demarien finished, taking a long swig of his drink. A shudder ran through his body. “Nasty-ass, oily, knock-off chocolate.”
“Oooh, don’t let Patrick hear you say that. Lock that man in a room with a lifetime supply of that junk, and he would somehow bust out an hour later demanding more.”
Demarien chuckled. “You miss your friend, don’t you?”
Boone nodded. “We’ve been through a lot together.”
Before Demarien could respond, Wilma’s warm voice called out over the clamor, greeting a few burly workers.
“Wow. I haven’t seen the guys from the sawmill in a hot minute.” Demarien’s face lit up as his gaze landed on the newcomers. “Looks like they got a few newbies, too.”
Demarien waved them over, and their eyes lit up in recognition.
Despite their rugged looks, they were some of the nicest guys in town, and their old mill was one of Myrtlewood Bay’s staple buildings.
Boone recognized the older men in the group, but as they got a bit closer, the few fresh faces scattering the rowdy group came back to him.
“Hell, I graduated with a few of those guys.” Boone chuckled. “Never thought I’d see them working in the mill. They always seemed the type to find a cushy little office job.”
“Just goes to show you that people can always surprise you.” Demarien grinned before he turned back to greet the group, chattering away.
However, it seemed no matter how long Boone had known them, they couldn’t disguise the trepidation in their eyes when they looked at him, like they didn’t know what to say to him anymore.
But then, he was getting used to those eyes.
“Hey, you okay?”
Demarien’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. When Boone popped back to reality, the men from the sawmill were already pushing some tables together, eager to get some good food in their bellies.
“Feeling better than I have in years.” Boone leaned back in his seat. “Just the events of the night catching up with me.”
“Now you sound like Dad.” Demarien crinkled his nose. “Next, you’ll be complaining that the weather hurts your joints.”
“Well, it does.”
“See? What’d I tell you?” Demarien sighed. “Now, what’s really wrong? Your smile dropped faster than double-struck lightning.”
Boone forced a smile. “It’s nothing. Really.”
“Demarien narrowed his eyes. “Anyone ever tell you the right corner of your mouth twitches when you lie?”
“What’re you doing looking at my mouth, Mr. Watts?” Boone smirked.
“Can you blame me?” Demarien snorted. “Anyway, fess up.”
“It’s the way people look at my wounds,” Boone said quietly. “I don’t understand why they suddenly don’t know how to talk to me. Do these scars really change me that much? I sure as hell don’t think so.”
“Fuck no.” Demarien scoffed. “They’re just so used to you being the perfect boy next door.
And you are because you’re you. So what if you have a few scars?
Time will remind them that you’ve still got that golden heart, a never-ending well of kindness, and so much more.
” Demarien took a small bite of his food, his eyes dropping to the table. “Your perfect lips.”
“You think my lips are perfect?”
Demarien flushed and choked on his food. “Shit, did I say that out loud?”
“Loud and clear.”
Demarien hid his face behind his hands. “Hell, you're everything is still perfect, Boone. Don’t get me wrong, you’ve always caught my attention, ever since Freshman year when we met. You defended me from Doug Marsh. You didn’t have to, but you did. You even kicked his scrawny ass one time.”
“And it felt damn good, too.”
“You could’ve gotten in so much trouble if you got caught.” Demarien bit his lip. “Yet you did it anyway.”
“Because I couldn’t stand back and watch him harass you. There’s nothing I hate more than people like Doug Marsh.” Boone growled under his breath.
“I’m glad you didn’t get caught and expelled. I looked forward to seeing you each day.”
“Because you got to stare at my perfect everything?” Boone smirked.
“Didn’t you notice? Why do you think I always walked a step behind you?” Demarien chuckled.
“And here I thought you just liked hanging around me because I stole some of my dad’s cologne every once in a while. But here we are. Me without my Dad’s cologne and you able to defend yourself, and you still think I’m perfect, even after all these years. I’m touched.”
“Yeah, I totally followed you around for the cologne.” Demarien chuckled. “I didn’t have my eye on your ass or shoulders, I swear.”
“Well, you wouldn’t believe what I have my eye on right now.
A quirky chef, a guinea pig shepherd, a wonderful father-to-be,” Boone gently held Demarien’s hands and leaned forward, “a perfectly lovable omega. I can’t tell you just how long I’ve wanted to be near you, just how long I’ve dreamed of being able to talk to you like this.
All I know is that I want to kiss you more than anything else in the world. ”
“I dare you,” Demarien smirked.
Boone surged forward and captured Demarien’s lips in a kiss. PDA be damned, he needed this. It wasn’t hurried. It was careful. His hand curled into the fabric of Demarien’s shirt, and he fought the urge to put Demarien on the table, splayed out for Boone to feast on. I really needed this.
It felt like Demarien did, too. When they finally parted, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from Boone’s shoulders. His heart rose in his chest like a bird on its first flight, and it wasn’t coming down any time soon.
A loud commotion echoed in the diner, and a solid force slammed against Boone’s forehead.
“Son of a …” Boone cradled his head in his hand. “What was that?”
Boone looked up to see Demarien whirl around. Three people dressed in trench coats, large hats, and sunglasses smiled and waved at them from the corner booth. The smallest held a round hushpuppy in his hand, ready to throw it at Boone’s head.
“What the fuck?” Demarien’s eyes narrowed. “Can’t I leave you all alone for one day without you stalking me? You interrupted our first kiss.” He crossed his arms, glaring at his friends. “I won’t forgive you.”
“It’s your own fault for being so damn predictable,” Puck smirked as he sauntered up to the booth, Milo and Felix on his tail. “We found you too easily. You should have headed a couple of towns over. Then, when we got bored, we wouldn’t have been able to find you.”
“I swear, one day. '' Demarien grumbled and crossed his arms. “When you each get alphas, I’m going to embarrass the absolute snot out of you guys.”
Felix stared at the carrier, eyes full of hope. “Not to interrupt, but are those what I think they are?”
“Now’s as good a time as any.” Boone draped his arm over Demarien’s shoulders. “Guys, meet the council.”
“Oh, look at them!” Felix knelt in front of the carrier. “You three are the cutest little beans in the whole world. Let’s get them back to the estate so we can brainstorm some cute names. And I want to introduce them to Brownie and the cats.”
“Obviously, you should name them after us,” Milo said with a smirk. “Since we’re the cutest omegas in the whole world.”
Felix scrunched up his face. “Okay, but as much as I love the names Milo and Demarien, Puck’s just not the cutest name for my little piggies.”
“Are you saying I'm not a cute piggy?” Tears welled up in Puck’s eyes. “I can’t fucking believe you,” he whispered under his breath.
Felix looked panicked. “No, wait. You’re the cutest piggy. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, Puck.” Felix quickly pulled Puck into a hug, passing him a tissue.
“I am a cute guinea pig,” Puck whispered back.
Demarien snuggled into Boone’s side as Felix and Puck hugged it out. “So, you think you can put up with this family? Some of them are crazy, others are fuzzy, hell, one is even a feathery little demon.”
Puck scowled at Demarien. “Don’t you fucking sass Memphis like that. She owns part of your kitchen, you know? Show some respect.”
“Oh, just because she laid an egg in my oven mitt drawer, the place is partly hers now? I think not.”
Boone snorted, rubbing his hand up and down Demarien’s arm in a comforting gesture. “Yeah, so long as you’re by my side, I think I can work with crazy, fuzzy, feathery demons just fine.”