37. Volt #4
Wallace still clung to Volt with one hand, so he was wrapped into the hug as well, folding over his love and his… his mother, maybe.
Every time Volt thought he couldn’t love Wallace any more, and then he would go and do something like this. His baby was so resilient. So brave. No matter what he’d been through, he had such an infinite capacity for love.
Wallace finally sat up and the two of them looked at each other, grinned, giggled, and went in for another hug.
“I’d adopt you,” Magnolia swore. “Except that then you would already be related to my son. And wouldn’t that be naughty!”
Volt was too stunned to even reply. Had Magnolia always thought of him as her son? How had he not known?
Wallace laughed, silly and free. Then he slipped in shyly, “Maybe in-laws one day?”
Volt’s jaw dropped, and his knees almost crumpled.
He hadn’t even known, as a spark, that he could go weak in the knees.
But here was the proof, because Wallace hadn’t just suggested marriage in a sleepy murmur as he drifted off to sleep, but said it right out loud to the only parental figure Volt had ever had.
His… mother.
Magnolia. His mother.
And now Wallace was talking about wedding plans. Out loud. Making it real.
Volt had stayed up half of last night running over the words that Wallace had dropped into the conversation as they writhed against each other, kissing and touching in the wee hours of the night. Were they dreams? Fantasies? Plans?
He’d analyzed each sentence. Did Wallace want those things now, or were they hopes for years down the road when he was ready? Wallace hadn’t even been ready to commit to living together for more than a few months.
He’d worried that Wallace wouldn’t even remember what he’d said in the morning.
But apparently the wedding was real enough for Wallace to mention it to Magnolia.
Wallace wanted to marry him. And to wear his collar.
Fuck.
“I think we broke your Daddy,” Magnolia giggled, and suddenly there were two bright pairs of eyes looking at him.
“I, um, yes?” What was he supposed to say?
Magnolia cackled. “Now you can tell everyone that you proposed and he said yes,” she told Wallace. “But you tell your Daddy to get you a ring. A pretty one. Unless you want a collaring ceremony?”
Now Wallace was blushing, shaking his head. “Not in public,” he whispered. The same thing that he’d said last night. Because it was real.
“Oh, you’re no fun. But you can still plan something good for the end of your wedding reception. White dress for the ceremony of course. Then white leather, some handcuffs, and a collar when Daddy sits you on his lap and feeds you your cake. Or are you more of a lingerie and rope kind of girl?”
Wallace was spluttering, though he shouldn’t have expected anything else from Magnolia.
Volt’s limbs still didn’t seem to be working, because he just stood there, bowled over that the conversation was real. Or maybe he just needed all of his focus on listening to any details that Wallace wanted to let slip.
“Oooh! We’re going to go shopping together,” Magnolia barreled on. “We’ll get you all dressed up for your Daddy. Like a present.”
“Oh, um…” Wallace started to interrupt, face as red as a traffic light.
Volt knew what Wallace was about to say, but their new rule still felt too precious to share. It was just for the two of them. Magnolia and Angel would certainly figure it out before too long, but for now, he wanted to share it with Wallace first.
Volt cut in, his mouth finally coming unglued. “I suppose the groom shouldn’t see the wedding dress before the wedding day.”
Wallace looked up at him, eyes wide. Because he’d as good as said they were getting married, and because they both knew who was supposed to pick out Wallace’s clothes.
“We can discuss it more when we get there, hamster,” Volt added, already finding himself saying when instead of if. Because Wallace was the love of his life, and he was the lucky man who would someday slip a ring on his finger.
As for Magnolia’s plan… Volt knew plenty of ways that he could give Wallace rules for a dress that would let the two of them have their girly fun bonding over patterns and fabrics while still letting Wallace know that he was absolutely owned.
Magnolia yawned, her excitement clearly warring with her fatigue. “Damn. I get so tired these days. And I’ve got to pee before I go to sleep. So much bother. I already went to the bathroom.”
“Do you want some help?” Wallace gallantly offered as he stood.
“I’ve got it. Calliope?” she called out. “I’d like to use the toilet.”
The still, silent bot sprang into action with a sexy strut, repositioning the bar on the side of the hospital bed and offering its arms for assistance.
“We’ll leave you to it,” Volt told her. They both gave her one more hug, then headed for the door.
“Sleep well,” Wallace chimed in. “We’ll be back later.”
She scowled, but didn’t argue as the sexbot nurse stepped in smoothly to help her from the bed.
“Bunch of nonsense,” she mumbled as she tottered toward the bathroom, using the nursebot’s arm like a crutch for stability.
Love welled up in him again. Magnolia. His mother.