Chapter 30 Buckle
BUCKLE
Pax: It’s a baby!
Buckle: Congrats! Sorry we barged in. I knew you were close, probably should have checked before we showed up.
Aaron: No worries! We probably should have told you Pax was in labor. But all thoughts went out the window. Thanks for cleaning up the living room. I kind of panicked.
Pax: You always panic. ::kisses::
Aaron: I hate seeing you in pain baby.
Gods, they are so adorable.
Abel: We made you a lot of food so you don’t have to worry about what to eat for a while.
Aaron: OMG that’s so sweet! Thank you!
Buckle: Probably a month. We went all out. Even made some homemade pizzas! Yum!
Pax: Fucckkkk I would kill for some pizza right now.
Abel: We can bring it over! Like right now! We’re all dressed.
Abel scrambles to his feet, but I grab his arm and yank him back to me. I can’t help the snort. All three of us took a nice long shower together, and we cuddled naked for a while. Then Abel got antsy and wanted to work on desserts.
Pax: I will never say no to pizza.
“Let’s go,” Abel says.
“Yeah,” Perry says. “I wanna see the new baby.”
“I bet they are so cute.” Abel presses his hands to his cheeks and makes an adorable silly face. “Did they ever tell you what they were planning to name them?”
I shake my head, and my eyes twitch involuntarily at the memory of the last naming event, which turned into a three-day bender fueled by wine, beer cheese, and increasingly unhinged baby name suggestions.
“They like waiting until they see the baby. I still don’t know where Willow or Forest came from, but it totally works for those two.
I’m wondering if it’ll be another woodland name. ”
“That would be so cute. Gah! The cuteness!” Abel says.
“Birch?” Perry offers.
Abel wrinkles his nose. “Too close to bitch. They need something cute and unique. Like Thistle, or—”
“Aspen,” Perry says.
“Blossom,” I offer.
I grab my phone, thumbs tapping before the idea escapes.
Buckle: We’re heading over and early name predictions from the peanut gallery are Birch, Thistle, Aspen, or Blossom. Something tree related again.
The group text explodes with emojis. Pax sends a row of heart eyes. Aaron sends a string of little mushroom dudes for some reason, and then a voice memo: “We’re not saying until you get here, but you’re all very close. Love you guys. See you soon!”
I catch Abel’s eye before he rushes to the kitchen. He’s electric, supercharged on the prospect of a sweet new baby to coo over.
“He’s going to be an excellent father,” Perry murmurs, so quietly I almost miss it.
I turn to him, trying to imagine it. Abel with a child, cradling something so tiny and breakable with those elegant hands. It’s a vision that makes my chest ache in a way I can’t explain.
I pull Perry to me and press a kiss to his lips. “So will you. I was a mess earlier.”
“It wasn’t your fault. The pheromones were heavy. It’d been a long time since I’d been in a room with an Omega giving birth. I forgot how it felt.” Perry nuzzles his head against my chest. “But I think you panicked because it was Pax and it wasn’t your Omega.”
“I think you’re right. My brain went haywire because of Aaron’s scent. While he wasn’t aggressive, his pheromones gave out ‘stay away, Alpha’ vibes.”
I kiss Perry again. I break the kiss to stare at him, searching for any hint of uncertainty. “You sure about this?” I ask, voice barely above a whisper. I rest a palm against his lower belly, not daring to press.
His hand joins mine, fingers warm. “I am. I would have liked to have waited a little longer, but I don’t think it’s a mistake.
I’m twenty-eight, have an amazing business, and two mates I adore more than anything.
We won’t let that bitch Anya take our Beta, and we’re going to live happily ever after together. Understand?”
“Yeah.” I grin. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.
Then, as if on cue, the kitchen explodes with the sound of shattering glass.
“I’m okay!” Abel’s voice echoes from the kitchen, a little too loud. “Just dropped a thing!”
Perry rolls his eyes and tugs me by the wrist. “Come on. He’s going to over do it if we don’t help.”
We find Abel crouched on the linoleum, picking up pieces of a glass baking dish. There’s no blood, just a white dusting of flour across his shirt and a wild, slightly guilty look in his eyes.
“Sorry. Sorry. I was rushing,” Abel says. “I wanted to get the brownies on a plate, but then I dropped them.” He straightens, cradling the shards carefully, and I take them without thinking, feeling the prickle of glass against my palm. Perry flaps a dish towel, shooing Abel away from the mess.
“Grab the stuff from the fridge,” Perry says, and Abel obeys. I sweep the glass into a dustpan, then catch Perry’s eye. He’s grinning at the domestic chaos.
“You know,” Perry says, sidling up beside me, “this place is going to be even messier in a few months.” He nudges me with his hip.
“We’re going to have to baby proof everything.
It’s going to be a nightmare. Abel will research everything to death.
You’ll want to overdo it, and I’ll be the only one with an ounce of common sense. ”
I bark a laugh, then look over at Abel, who’s hunched over a notepad, scribbling a list with a determined frown.
“We’ll need those electric socket protector cap thingys.
Do we used zip ties to keep babies out of cabinets?
Or are there special thingys for that? I really do need to research what we need for baby proofing.
Especially for shifter babies. Tiny shifter babies.
” His eyes go wide. “What if they shift and get stuck somewhere that we can’t reach them? ”
“Everything is going to be okay.” I pull Abel back to his feet and hug him close.
“Plus, I’ve got eight siblings, tons of nibblings, and loads of practice with tiny shifter babies.
We won’t lose anyone someplace weird.” I kiss his forehead and lean back.
“And if we do, there are always tricks to help them out.” I keep to myself about my niece that fell into the air vent a couple years ago.
Mom was cleaning and forgot to put the vent cover back on and bloop Torrie fell right in.
My arm was too big to grab her, so I leaned a stick inside and Torrie climbed right out and up my arm.
Perry chuckles. “You’re both already great dads and we’re only days into this pregnancy.” He pulls our Beta to him. “And I know you’re gonna keep me fed so well.”
Abel nods and presses his lips to Perry’s. “You’re gonna be the best fed Omega in Mink Hollow.”
The group chat buzzes again.
Aaron: Take your time. We’re not going anywhere. But seriously, the pizza is a bribe. If you bring it, the baby will love you forever.
Pax: Stop threatening our child with pizza addiction. Love you, see you soon.
“Come on, let’s go cuddle a new baby,” I say.
Pax’s eyes go wide. “Squirrel shifters are only pregnant for six months? I’m so jealous.” He rubs his stomach as he shovels another slice of pizza into his mouth. “This is so good. Thanks, guys.”
“Our pleasure,” Abel says with a mouthful of pizza. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “So, what did you name the baby?”
Pax gives Aaron a look that not long ago I would have begged Fate for.
“Hazel,” they say together. I know it’s not a family name on Pax’s side, neither is Willow or Forest.
Aaron nods as he takes a drink of his water. “We named her Hazel after my dad’s mom. Granny Hazel knows how to have a good time.”
Pax smirks. “That she does.”
Hazel sleeps in a travel crib between Pax and Aaron. They’ve always been protective of their babies and I don’t blame them. I’m sure I’ll be the same. I’ll probably insist on baby wearing for as long as I can get away with.
Abel keeps eyeing the baby as if he’ll snatch her up as soon as Pax and Aaron’s backs are turned. It’s adorable. I’ve never seen him like this before. He practically vibrates in his seat.
“So, Abel,” Pax starts, catching my Beta’s attention. “Aaron says the Valentine’s Day shindig is going to be epic. What do you think?”
Abel’s bouncing stops, and he makes eye contact with Pax instead of staring at the baby. “Oh, we have lots of fun planned. Aaron even agreed to a Naughty Nook.”
Perry laughs. “And I’m pretty excited to be included in it. I think it’s almost entirely me.”
Abel nods. “You and a knitter that does fun naughty cat toys. And someone that makes penis popsicles. And boob cupcakes.”
Aaron pouts and picks a pepperoni off his next slice of pizza. “Did the cross-stitcher not respond? I loved their stuff.”
“Oh, that’s right! They did and they’re in! I knew I was forgetting someone. Don’t worry though, I have everything in my spreadsheets.”
“You and those spreadsheets save my bacon.”
Abel waves to Perry. “He’s helped vamp them up and made them even more functional. If you like mine, Perry’s are amazing.”
Perry goes a little pink. “I just like being organized. It helps keep the shop running.”
Aaron sighs as he looks down at Hazel, then to Pax. “If I didn’t have Pax helping with the stuffie business now, I don’t know how I’d keep up. He knows all the programs and everything. I just design and create.”
“You do so much more than that.” Pax leans over Hazel and kisses Aaron’s cheek.
Aaron sighs. “If only little Hazel could have waited three more days. She could have shared her birthday with her daddy, uncles, and auntie.” He blows a kiss to his baby.
“But it’s okay. This way, she gets her own day all to herself.
Have the three of you thought about names?
Never too early to think about them. Especially if you only have six months instead of nine. ”
I snort. “This coming from a man that wants to feel the vibes of his babies before naming them.”
Pax shrugs. “Doesn’t mean we’re not constantly thinking about names. You know how indecisive I can be sometimes.”
Abel pushes his seat back. “If I wash my hands, can I please hold Hazel?” He throws his paper plate away and faces Pax.
“Of course.”
My sweet Beta squeals and bounces on his toes. He’s still so damn young, but I know he’s good with kids. And I know in my gut he’s going to be an amazing parent with Perry and me.
Steam rolls off the water and he grits his teeth as he washes his hands with water that’s probably hotter than his pain tolerance. He dries his hands, then scoops Hazel into his arms.
“She’s so tiny. And cute. And I want to nibble her wittle nose.
” He does a chompy face, making us all giggle, even Pax.
Abel sways softly, babbling soft words before he looks up to us all watching him.
“I don’t have siblings. At least that I know of.
But I’ve always liked kids and wished I had little siblings to love on.
” He goes back to talking to Hazel about her dads and siblings.
About how amazing Mink Hollow is and how he’s so happy she doesn’t have to live some place like Hawk Ridge. “Where are Willow and Forest?”
Aaron chuckles and wipes his mouth with a napkin. “My parents got a very frantic call this morning. We’ll pick them up tomorrow sometime.”
Abel makes a noncommital noise as his eyes flit across Hazel’s face.
Pax leans his head on Aaron’s shoulder. “Buckle, I seriously can’t say enough how happy I am you found your mates.”
“Same,” Aaron says. “I think this is the happiest I’ve seen you since I’ve known you, and it makes my heart happy.”
Perry gives me a soft smile and squeezes my hand. “Buckle is the best surprise I’ve ever gotten.”
Abel nods. “I might have tried to eat him, but Buckle and Perry saved me from myself.” He gently puts Hazel back in the crib.
“I really don’t know where I’d be without them.
And therapy.” He grins and smashes a kiss to my cheek, then Perry’s.
He hasn’t been in therapy for very long at all, but talking to someone outside of us and work has already done him so much help.
There’s still a lot of work to be done, but it’s a damn good start.
We don’t stay much longer. Pax looks like he’s ready to pass out after giving birth and eating. Abel, Perry, and I clean up what little mess the five of us made with dinner.
The walk back to my place is lighter. Abel has a pep to his step, and he keeps spinning with his arms out. It’s as if baby cuddles fueled him. Or maybe this is the real Abel after he told off Anya earlier. He’s been lighter ever since and I love seeing him less afraid.
“I love the name Olivia. And Layla. And Octavia.” Abel spins and spins with each name. “And Joshua. And Liam. And Charlie. And Quin. And River. And Sage. And Nova. And Everly. And—”
Perry grabs Abel’s hand and yanks him close. He leads our Beta in a dance. They’re both so elegant. “We have plenty of time to name our child.”
“I know.” Abel takes charge and dips Perry in their dance before they both hold their hands out for mine. “Dance with us, Alpha.”
And I do. We play all night until we pass out, exhausted, in a heap in my bed.