Chapter Twenty-Six
Twenty-Six
Miles
It'd been three days since Duckie and my bond settled into place, and the difference it made was staggering.
I was more connected to Duckie, and the need to be close to him was almost unbearable, so much so that I'd gone to Papa looking for advice.
He'd told me that those feelings would mellow out in a few weeks, though they'd never truly disappear.
We'd had sex every night since, and once during the day when Mateo had been off working on the haunted house.
It was a struggle to keep my hands to myself, something Mateo had teased us about more than once, though he hadn't been too pushy since he was dealing with the withdrawal too.
While their bond was different, it was still a growing mate bond, and the three of us felt at our best when we were together.
I glanced over at Duckie, who was humming under his breath as he set the table. He leaned over to set a plate on the other side, and I swallowed hard as my gaze dropped to his ass. I wanted to walk over and drape myself over him, and kiss that soft spot beneath his ear.
"Stop drooling," Mateo said as he walked past, and I jumped, then wiped at my perfectly drool-free mouth, making him snicker.
Duckie glanced back with a puzzled look on his face, and I shook my head, turning my attention back to the pasta I was making. Damn, these two were going to be the death of me.
Once the food was ready, we settled around the dining table.
"It smells delicious," Duckie praised as he served himself some of the pasta.
"Thank you," I replied, offering him a soft smile as I added some buttered toast to his plate.
"I'm thinking of taking Cam up on his offer of running the haunted house," Mateo said, and I paused with a bite halfway to my mouth.
"Yeah?"
He nodded, then shrugged like it wasn't a big deal, but I knew him better than that. Mat was excited about the opportunity, though I had no idea why he was trying to downplay it. At least, not until he asked his next question.
"Do you want to do it with me, Duckie?"
Duckie blinked, then glanced between us. "You think I can help?"
"Hell yeah! It's not like I've run a business before either. We can figure it out together. And we can ask people for help if we can't," Mateo said, some of his excitement spilling into his voice in his eagerness.
"I think you should do it." I was sure Duckie would figure it out, and I knew he'd been feeling a little untethered. Having a job might make him feel more settled, and it would give him a purpose.
"You do?" he asked, cautious and a little hopeful.
"Very much so. I think you two will be great at it. As long as you don't make me help," I added, making him laugh.
While Mateo and I had gone through the same shit as kids, I'd come out of it with a healthy fear of all things horror, while Mateo had taken the opposite route. I didn't understand how he could watch those shocking things and not remember the things we'd been through.
"Okay, then," Duckie said, and Mateo grinned widely, slapping his palm on the table.
"Yes! It'll be so much fun. You'll see."
As we continued our meal, it looked like Mateo wanted to say something else. He kept opening his mouth and then closing it without saying a word, and when I shot him a questioning look, he merely shook his head and glanced away.
Should I push him, or let him speak on his terms?
Duckie spoke up before I could decide, and our conversation turned to Snowball's latest antics, Mateo jumping right into the topic and shaking off whatever he'd been wanting to say. I'd ask him about it later, I decided.
After our meal, we cleaned up, then settled on the couch for our nightly cuddle and TV session.
We were still watching Buffy, though we were almost done with it.
Mateo had a long list of shows he wanted to show Duckie, which meant this was going to become a long-standing tradition.
Not that I minded, of course. I liked that at the end of the day, the three of us always got together and spent some time with each other, no matter how busy we'd been all day.
"Guys," Mateo said halfway through the first episode, hitting pause on the show as he turned to face us. He was on the far side of the couch as usual, with Duckie between us, and I glanced over at him, wondering if he was finally ready to say whatever was on his mind.
"Yeah?" Duckie asked, a curious look on his face.
Mateo bit his lip, glancing between us with uncharacteristic hesitation.
"What is it?" I prompted, and he blew out a breath, pushing his fingers through his messy blond hair.
"Now that you're all mated up," he started, and I raised a brow at the phrase. "I was wondering if maybe you'd like me to move out."
I blinked, feeling like he'd slapped me. Where the hell had that come from?
I glanced over at Duckie, and he looked just as surprised.
"You want to move out?" I asked, wondering if maybe he'd gotten tired of all the PDA. He'd told us he didn't mind, but maybe he'd lied?
"Not really," he hedged, then shrugged. "But I'd understand if you wanted privacy. I know we're mates and all, but obviously, my bond with you two isn't the same."
Duckie and I shared a glance, and he raised a brow at me. As I nodded, I wondered when reading Duckie's face had become as easy as reading Mateo's.
Turning, Duckie smacked the back of Mateo's head, making him jump.
"Hey! What was that for?" he demanded as he rubbed his head, giving Duckie a betrayed look.
"That was for asking such an idiotic question," I said, and he sighed.
"It's not an idiotic question."
"It is," Duckie insisted, and Mateo smiled, though it was easy to see he still doubted us.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, you dumbass," I grumbled as Duckie nodded, and Mateo smiled sheepishly.
"All right, then. Forget I asked."
"Mm-hmm," I murmured as Duckie shook his head, still surprised Mateo could ever think we'd want him to leave. I was surprised too, and while Mateo had promised to tell me, I wondered if he'd been feeling neglected and had kept it to himself.
Over the last few weeks, I'd made sure to spend some one-on-one time with Mateo, and to involve him in things with Duckie too, but maybe I should've done more.
Duckie
"For the record," I started, stunned that Mateo had thought either of us could want him to move out, "your bond with us is different, yes, but that doesn't make it any less important. It doesn't make you any less important."
"Duckie's right," Miles added, his voice soft. "Why would you even think it was? Did we do something to make you feel like you weren't wanted?"
"Not at all, I swear. I got in my head about it.
I know you've got the gold medal in overthinking, and I won't take it from you, but I am still your brother, and I think I could win a bronze if I tried," Mateo said, turning it into a joke like he always did when things got too serious for him.
"Can we forget I ever asked and watch Buffy kick some vampire ass now? "
"Sure," I said with a smile, sensing he needed a reprieve from the emotional conversation. I wasn't going to, though, and I doubted Miles would either.
Miles got up before Mateo could resume the show, and I glanced up, curious what he was up to.
"Could you move over?" he asked, and realizing what he wanted, I smiled, and shifted over to his empty spot, pulling a confused Mateo with me. Miles settled on his other side, then grabbed the throw blanket off the back of the couch, covering our legs with it.
"Okay, play it," he said as he snuggled into Mateo's other side, and Mateo nodded silently as he did just that.
For the next couple of episodes, we stayed like that, both of us curled around Mateo, holding him close with our hands meeting over his torso.
Snowball joined us at some point, spreading himself out on the carpet in front of us, and we enjoyed the quiet evening, watching the vampire slayer do her job.
When it was time to turn in for the night, I reluctantly got up as Mateo turned the TV off and Miles took Snowball out one last time.
As Mateo turned away from the TV, I stepped up to him and pulled him in a hug. He stiffened in surprise, then wrapped his arms around me, hugging me back. I held him tight, hoping he knew how important he was to me. I couldn't believe he'd thought we could ever ask him to leave.
"I'm okay. I promise. And I didn't really think you guys would want me to leave, but I still wanted to give you the option."
"Yeah, well, we don't want it."
"Trust me, I got it," he said with a chuckle, and I smiled, feeling a strange warmth bubble up in my chest as I kept hugging him. I'd felt it before, only days ago, in fact.
"Is that...?" Mateo murmured, and I hummed as our bond locked into place. Mateo sucked in a breath, and I pulled back as he placed his palm on his chest, giving me a look full of awe.
"It feels so... warm," he mumbled, and I nodded. Strangely enough, I could feel the difference between the bonds I shared with both brothers. While Miles and my bond had felt electric when it snapped into place, this bond was softer, warmer, gentler.
"It does," I agreed as Miles came back with Snowball in tow.
"What does what?" he asked curiously, and I smiled.
"Our bond clicked into place."
"That's great!"
"It is," Mateo agreed, giving me a grin. "How about we go out tomorrow to celebrate? All three of us?"
I glanced over at Miles, who nodded instantly.
"Sure. What do you have planned?"
"Nothing yet, but I'll figure something out. Do you have to go to the B&B tomorrow?"
"Nope. My work there is almost done, unless Neel and Pax decide to change something up again."
"Awesome. We'll head out after breakfast then."
"Can't wait," I said, and Mateo shot me a wink before heading up the stairs.
Miles closed the distance between us, pulling me into a soft kiss. I hummed as I kissed him back, grabbing his hips and pulling him closer still.
"Bedroom?" Miles asked, and I murmured an agreement, then regretfully stepped back, taking his hand and leading the way upstairs.
Snowball followed after us, but I closed the door before he could get in, knowing he'd go sleep with Mateo like he'd been doing for the past week.
"On the bed," I murmured, and Miles made a soft, needy sound as he did what I'd asked.
As I undressed him and slowly took him apart, I sent a silent thank you to Fate for bringing me into these two's lives. Now that I had them, I couldn't imagine going back to the life they'd rescued me from.
"Duckie, please," Miles begged, his dark eyes hooded, his blond hair messy and devoid of its usual order. He looked so good like this, so sexy, and I took a moment to admire him, to memorize the way he looked, the way he sounded.
I took my time prepping him, enjoying the way he moaned and writhed under me, and when I finally slid inside him, I had to grip his cock tight to keep him from coming, not that I was much farther behind.
I rocked into him slowly as I leaned down to kiss him, my lips dancing against his as I moved in and out of him, pushing him closer and closer to that edge.
When we finally leaped over it, the pleasure that met us on the other side was unlike anything I'd ever experienced before I met Miles.
He made me feel alive in a way nothing else did, and filling him with my cum made me feel invincible.
Miles was mine, like I was his, and the marks on our necks proved that.
"Fucking hell," Miles gasped out between pants, and I chuckled against his skin, nuzzling the bite mark I'd left days ago.
"I love you too," I murmured, and he sighed deeply, then wrapped his arms around me. "Don't let go."
"Never," he promised, and a soft smile tugged at my lips. I was going to hold him to that.