Chapter 16

Chapter

Sixteen

H awk watched Cosmo dance around the kitchen with Corbin, the waltz getting to the point where it needed to sweep out to the dining room, or cookies were going to start flying…

There was something different about him. Something Hawk couldn't put a finger on. A glow, he thought. It seemed to light his Rose from within, making his pink skin shine, making his eyes light up.

Who knew? Hawk felt as though he was glowing half the time now. He was polished and loved and admired on a regular basis. His scales gleamed. And he was… present. Every day.

He wasn't just slogging through time, waiting for sleep to take him again so he could hide. He had pride in his life again.

He was a guardian of at least three realms. Maybe more.

Cullen plopped down next to him. "Not dancing?"

"No, they wanted to dance together. What about you?"

"Not a dancer. I like to sing though. I'm more of an entertainer." Cullen clapped his hands together and flower petals sprayed everywhere. "It's a gift."

"It's a pretty cool gift." Cullen was getting really good at making complicated shapes, not just fast-flying things. Although you did have to watch the little dragon. When they were playing games, he could invent new pieces and hold them just long enough for him to convince them they were doing something wrong. "How's your house going?"

"Good. I've decided to create it like a giant escape room where I know all the answers to all the riddles."

"Okay, that's fair." A little strange, but he knew he had a sort of hidden super hoard room. So he really couldn't judge.

"Do you think that Cosmo's pregnant?"

"What?"

"Cosmo, the pink one. You know him, right? You've been like doing the—" Cullen stuck his index finger through the ring that his thumb and his other index finger made, and performed a definitive, penetrative act motion.

"Yes, Cullen, I know who he is. And yes. We've been intimate."

"Oh, fancy. I guess that's better than just fucking. Still, that wasn't my question. Do you think he is with child? Knocked up? Preggers? Cooking a bun in the oven? Hatching an egg?"

"Well, he hasn't said anything, and he hasn't been throwing up in the mornings…"

"You know that that's not, like, absolutely necessary. Some people don't."

"Honestly, the number of dragons I've known that have been pregnant I can count on one hand," Hawk admitted.

"We need at least two, possibly also a foot. And you don't have to have morning sickness. But he looks different. He seems different."

"Maybe he's simply happy."

"Does happy make you smell different? I mean, I guess it could. I don't think so, though. We've been happy and unhappy a bunch. I don't remember ever being like ‘Oh, you stink with unhappiness. Hmm, you smell like roses. You must be so happy'."

Hawk stopped and stared at him. "You think he smells like roses?"

Hawk had always thought Cosmo smelled like roses, but the boys had always suggested that he was insane.

"Yeah, kind of. Kind of a lot like roses."

"Hmmm." Hawk pondered that. "I suppose we'll know soon enough if he is." Their several-day binge on each other had rather seemed like heat sex.

"That would be cool. To have a baby around. It's so not fair you can't go to Lunastra."

"Mmm." Hawk had learned to keep his noises noncommittal when it came to the dragonlands. It was a moot point. If he went through, he couldn't come back. So he stayed where he was.

"Yeah, I know. I've talked to Cosmo about it." Cullen gave him a quick little glance. "I think it's cool that you're not being a bitch about this whole thing, you know. I think it's… I mean we're triplets. We need each other, and he needs you. And that makes you family."

"Thank you, Cullen. I'm honored to be your family."

"I wish you could meet the boss though. You'd like him. You two would get along great."

He still couldn't believe that his Cosmo had been part of some sort of strange rescue team. It seemed to him that Cosmo was this sweet, gentle, innocent omega, and he just… He simply couldn't see it. He simply couldn't see Cosmo and the others out there rescuing dragons.

Part of him wondered if perhaps he had somehow misunderstood what they said they did. But he didn't know.

He just couldn't see it.

"Yeah. Ah well." Cullen waved a hand. "Anyway. Cosmo. Preggers."

"I'll just ask him how he feels," Hawk murmured.

"Oh, cool. That way we don't have to."

Hawk chuckled, watching Corbin dip Cosmo in a most dramatic way. "No. That will be my job."

"Coolios." Cullen surprised him with a kiss to his cheek. "You want a cookie?"

"Hmm. Yes. I would love a white chocolate one with the nuts."

"Those are the best! Want to play Yahtzee?" Cullen got up to grab cookies, even as Corbin and Cosmo said?—

"Ooh! Yahtzee!"

"I like Yahtzee." Dice games he understood. Some of the cooperative games the trips owned baffled him. How did anyone win?

But Yahtzee was like an ancient game he remembered. And it was fun.

He would pour drinks.

S omething was wrong with Hawk.

Cosmo didn't know what, but there was something off. His mate was treating him like…

Like he was a piece of porcelain, like he was breakable, which he wasn't. He was strong, and he could fight. He knew how.

He came off a little dip-shitty because he really could. He was in a safe space with his brothers, and he didn't have to be all grr argh serious.

He could just be… Cosmo.

But that didn't mean that Hawk had permission to treat him like he was fragile. He was not fragile. It had been happening all evening too.

Through Yahtzee and Clue and a backgammon tournament, which had been kind of fierce. Corbin had won, of course. Jerk.

No, it was late, like the wee hours in the morning late, and he was sleepy.

They were getting ready for bed, Hawk stealing these weird little glances at him.

"What's wrong?" Cosmo finally asked.

"What?" Hawk tried for innocent, but he was shitty at it. He was way too old…

"Don't be weird. Something's wrong. I can tell. You keep looking at me like I'm a bug or something."

Hawk gasped, hand literally going to his heart. "I do not."

"You totally do. Like you're utterly giving me bug-looking vibes. What's the matter?"

Whatever it was, it would be fine. Cosmo knew it in his bones. They could fix it. So Hawk just needed to come out with it.

"Are you pregnant?" Hawk asked.

Okay. That hadn't been on his radar of things he needed to worry about today. "Well, I don't think so. I don't know, but I haven't thrown up yet. Isn't throwing up part of it?"

"Apparently Cullen says that no, throwing up does not necessarily have to be part of it."

"Oh, because Cullen's an expert. At any rate, I don't know. I mean it's not like we take dragon pregnancy tests. Maybe if they have some for lizards or big birds." That might work in a clinical setting.

Hawk glared at him. "I think you're supposed to know. Like. Can you feel them? Anything inside there like? Magic."

"Everything feels like magic, Hawk."

Hawk pursed his lips. "Well, I suppose you are made of two magical beings and so that would make sense. What does it feel like? Does the magic feel any different?"

"Not really. How did you know to ask?" That seemed to be an important question. His eyebrows lowered. "Not Corbin."

"Corbin. No, it was totally Cullen."

"But Corbin's the one who grows things."

Hawk shrugged. "I know. No, it was Cullen. He says you're more pink than normal."

"Huh. Maybe I should contact my mother?" Mom probably had a few things to say.

"Are you sure you'll be able to get back in if you leave?" Hawk's brows drew down in concern.

"Oh yeah. We don't have a problem going any of the directions. I've been to see Mom a few times, but it would be even better if she could come here and meet you."

"That doesn't seem fair."

He gave Hawk an arch glare. "Nobody ever said life was fair, and she can only come when it's like a direct descendant."

"Honestly?"

"That's what it seems to be, but who knows?" The fae had way more rules.

"Hmm. It would be interesting to meet more of your family. I am not opposed to meeting her at all. So I suppose if she will come here, then that would be lovely."

"I'll send word then."

Just like that. Boom. It didn't have to be difficult. Unless…

"You really are kinda wigged out by the idea, huh? When did your moms… um, leave?" Hawk never talked about his family, so Cosmo was curious.

"Oh, many years ago. So many I've lost count." He could feel Hawk try to picture his mothers, and they were a fuzzy, distant memory.

Goddess, that was…

"Hawk." Cosmo moved to lay a hand on Hawk's arm. "Are you going to be super disappointed if we aren't pregnant?"

Hawk stared at him. "I admit, I've had many sweet thoughts about what our baby might look like. A mix of you and me. That would be fun." Hawk chuckled. "But you know very well I can live without it. We've discussed this."

"We have. I just wanted to make sure you hadn't changed your mind."

Hawk blinked at Cosmo. "Of course not. I love you so much." Hawk reached for him, pulling him close, those lips hovering above his. "No matter what happens, you have that."

"I do." And that he felt inside him. Like the magic Hawk was talking about. "I love you too."

Hawk nodded. "Then that is all I need."

"Cool." He twined his arms around Hawk's neck. "That means you'll stop treating me like I'm made of glass? I want you."

Hawk's gaze heated, his eyes glowing gold for a moment. "No more glass."

"Now that," Cosmo said between kisses, "is what I want to hear."