1. Almost Home #2
“For sure.” He nodded. "So, I'm going to have to ease him into things.” He gripped the wheel a little tighter. “Garrett always took everything so damn seriously."
"Did he?" Star asked, turning in her seat, eager for the stories she’d only ever heard fragments of.
"Oh, absolutely. The guy organized his toy swords by length and weight. He was the most disciplined kid you'd ever see. Reliable to a fault. Loyal above everything." Grey laughed, the memory warming his chest. "He only ever tattled on me exactly once in our entire childhood."
"Let me guess. You broke something expensive?"
"Worse," Grey grinned. "I accidentally set the barn on fire. He walked straight to our parents, completely calm, and said, 'Grey has compromised the structural integrity of the agricultural storage.' That was Garrett. Rigid. Methodical."
“I can’t even imagine.” Words coming between her laughter, Star went on, “Did he really say those exact words?”
“Well,” Grey put on his best shy-boy look. “That’s how I remember it.”
“Whatcha wanna bet that Garrett remembers just a little differently?”
Shrugging, trying to look as innocent as possible, he smirked, “Two different perspectives?”
“Yeah,” his Mate scoffed playfully. “We’ll just see about that.” Nodding slowly, she teased, “And you can bet that I’ll be gettin’ all the details about that barn fire.”
“I’m sure you will.” Grey snickered as he brought the SUV to a stop in front of the main house.
Before the dust could even settle, the front door swung open and out walked Carrick and who could only be the renowned Guardsman’s Mate, Ginnie. Walking hand in hand down the steps from the front porch, the couple made it to the gate just as Grey opened the door.
The moment he stepped out of the vehicle, Carrick enveloped him in a powerful, bone-crushing hug. The Head Elder was so relaxed, so at home, so at… peace that Grey could feel it flowing between them.
And his Mate was in perfect sync. The second Star had stepped up beside him, Ginnie wrapped her arms around her, and then also pulled Grey into the warm embrace. The atmosphere was thick with healing and comforting Magic.
It felt like a true homecoming. The weight of the world had lifted. There were no clouds in the sky. It was truly amazing.
Then, the sound of boot heels striking patio stones tickled Grey’s hearing.
There was no dramatic music. There was no sudden gust of wind. Garrett simply walked around the corner of the house like it was any other day.
Wearing a plain T-shirt, faded jeans, and holding a ceramic coffee mug, he looked good– really good. In the next breath, Sydney stepped out and stood right beside Garrett.
Grey would have known her anywhere. It didn’t matter that she’d matured triple time over the last thirteen years; she still had those blond curls, bright blue eyes, and a smile that lit up the world.
It also didn’t hurt that his brother’s hand automatically wrapped around hers, and the air filled with the scent of roses in bloom. Love, the whole homestead smelled like love, and it was pretty damn great.
But still…
Grey’s nerves got to him. He froze. His breath caught in his throat.
Across the yard, Garrett froze too.
For precisely one half of one second, everything stood still.
And that was exactly how long Grey waited.
Closing the distance between him and his brother in four giant, ground-eating strides, he threw his arms around Garrett and pulled him into the biggest, fiercest brother hug imaginable.
And Garrett hugged him back just as ferociously.
It was perfect.
At least... that's what everyone else would remember.
“He smells different. Not bad. Just... different,” Darwin chimed in.
“How?” Grey tried not to be pissed that the Dragon King was putting a damper on their reunion.
“Don’t get testy,” Darwin huffed. “It’s just an observation.”
“Explain.”
“I expected to smell residual smoke, blood, sulfur… But all I get is lavender soap. Sydney’s obviously a good influence in that department.”
“And?”
“Well, I expected to smell the Abyss,” Darwin added. “And I know you did, too.”
“Yeah, alright,” Grey reluctantly admitted. “You got me, but I don’t get any of that.” Pausing for a second, he happily added, “All I get is home. It is one of the best feelings ever. Garrett is home.”
Returning all his focus to his brother, Grey hugged him tighter. To everyone looking on, it had to seem idyllic.
But to Grey, something was off. Something that he was not going to share with his Dragon King… not just yet.
Garrett had paused for maybe just half a heartbeat. There had been a tiny fraction of stiffness before his arms came up to return the embrace.
It was almost nothing. Grey instantly dismissed it. The man had literally been through Hell and held by the Demon Lord of Envy itself. A little hesitation was entirely reasonable, right?
Then why did it bother Grey so much that his brother hesitated? Why couldn’t he chalk it up to trauma?
Within an hour, everyone gathered at a large wooden table on the back patio.
The morning rolled into the afternoon. There was plenty of food, fresh coffee, sweet tea, and lots of easy laughter.
The Acheson brothers took turns telling embarrassing stories from their childhood, trying to one-up each other.
There was no talk of politics, no mention of threats, and absolutely no plot to the conversation.
It was the perfect illusion of a seamless reunion.
But beneath the laughter, microscopic clues began to splinter the perfection. Grey tried to ignore it, but even Darwin was taking note.
Someone at the table cracked a joke. Everyone burst into immediate laughter. Garrett laughed too… but it happened exactly one beat later than everyone else, a delayed mimicry.
A few minutes later, Grey leaned forward, gesturing with his mug. "Hey, Garrett, remember when we sneaked out to the old orchard and tried to harvest those sour apples?"
Garrett smiled, his eyes bright. "I remember."