Chapter 12

TWELVE

By the end of the weekend, Linus was well and truly exhausted in both the best and worst ways. The best being all the time he spent with Miko, both alone and with their families and friends, celebrating them being bondmates. The worst being the exact same thing. The few moments he and Miko stole alone were so brief they felt more like dreams than events, and he hoped that they'd get more time once the new work week started.

The first dinner with his parents and Miko's parents was a calm, joyful event at a fancy restaurant downtown Linus had never been to before. He was a little nervous going out in public (well, a public place besides the hospital or rehab) with his prosthetic. He chose to use his crutches for support, because they were less unusual for someone his age to use them versus a walker.

Linus felt like every pair of eyes in the restaurant was watching his family walk to their table. Of course, that was ridiculous. He'd seen clippings of some of the articles written about his accident, most of which had a university spin on them, because of his position on the soccer team. A few mentioned his infamous parents and one, naturally, expounded on Demir's cutting edge medical research.

The meal was so freaking normal Linus could occasionally forget that a piece of himself was missing. He still "felt" his leg sometimes, and he'd done plenty of reading on phantom pain, so he wasn't going crazy. It was normal.

It still sucked.

Miko's smile always made his mood slips brighten, and Linus occasionally berated himself for not realizing sooner what his entire being now understood. Miko was his bondmate. His future. The other half of his heart. If that accident had happened differently, one or both of them could be dead. The idea was unfathomable, and only now did Linus have a clear understanding of the pain his older brother Layne had gone through during Peyton's coma.

The next day, when Layne, Peyton and Caleb came over in response to Miko's "We've got news to share" text, Linus hugged Layne tight, and told his big brother how much he loved him. Miko had sent the text to both Emory and Caden, too, and those respective groups stopped by for more congratulations and hugs. No one was all that surprised, as if everyone had put "Linus and Miko are bondmates" on their checklist years ago, so the outcome was predetermined.

After that, word got around. He and Miko both fielded dozens of texts, a few phone calls, and some visits from their expanded circle of friends and family. Aven, Yosef and Tobias came over with a small cake, and while they were cutting into it, Tarius arrived home. Linus had told Tarius the news last night, and Tarius had left not long after breakfast to do whatever he'd already planned for the day.

Tarius showing up mid-afternoon didn't surprise anyone, but he did surprise Linus by showing up with a plus-one: Branson Cross. No one made a big deal over it, since the Higgs and Cross families were friends, but Linus hadn't known that Tarius and Branson were particularly close. Other than both being beta, they didn't have a lot in common, and Tarius was sixteen years older than Branson.

Whatever. His brother could be friends with whoever he wanted.

The only person in Linus's family who didn't stop by that day was Demir. His husbands slipped over right before dinner with hearty congratulations and a bottle of wine, and with Demir's excuses. Patient emergency or some familiar bullshit Linus tried to let roll off his shoulders. But he was sick of Demir's excuses, sick of other people taking priority over huge moments in Linus's life.

Maybe today hadn't been an official mating celebration, but still. Demir hadn't shown up.

Again.

By ten-thirty, their guests had departed, and Linus couldn't stop yawning. Tarius had been in his room since eight, and Dad had already gone to bed an hour ago. Papa had stayed up with him and Miko to watch the evening news. Nothing too exciting was happening around the province for a change, so it was a lot of human interest stories, versus breaking news. It also had Linus nodding off where he was cuddled up with Miko on one end of the couch.

Linus startled awake when Papa turned off the TV.

"You boys should go to bed," Papa said. "Miko, you're welcome to stay over if you don't feel like taking the bus home." Before Linus or Miko could clarify, Papa smiled. "You can sleep with Linus, as long as you both promise to behave. I know you're adults, but you're my youngest, Linus."

"It's okay, Papa," Linus replied, smiling. "I'm way too tired to do more than kiss Miko goodnight. Thank you, though, for letting us spend the night together." Miko going home last night had been torture, and when Papa helped him rise for a hug, he felt Papa's understanding in the force of his embrace. Papa knew Linus was bothered by something, but he respected Linus enough not to ask.

Yet.

"I love you," Papa whispered. "Get some rest."

"Love you, too." Linus used the arm of the couch to maintain his balance while Papa hugged Miko goodnight. Papa headed down the hall. Miko pulled the walker over from its spot by the wall, and Linus situated himself behind it. "I wasn't kidding. I'm exhausted."

"So am I, it's okay," Miko replied with an indulgent smile. "As much as I want to be near you and make you feel good, I can be patient with how physical we get with each other. The last thing I want is for you to fall asleep in the middle of a blow job."

The blunt comment painted a delicious mental image in Linus's brain and sent a surge of pleasant warmth into his belly. But fatigue kept the positive feelings from developing further. "I definitely don't want that happening, either. So how about we table any sexy stuff for when we're both better rested?"

"Deal."

It had been years since Linus and Miko had a one-on-one sleepover, thanks to their genders, but nothing about getting ready for bed was awkward. They took turns in the bathroom, Linus found boxers and a t-shirt for Miko to wear, and they moved around each other like they did this routine every night. Linus allowed Miko to help him remove his prosthetic, and Miko watched while Linus applied the lotion his PT had recommended for his stump.

Sleeping positions took a minute to sort out. They were both used to being directly in the center, but since it was Linus's bed and it was easier for him to get up on the right, Miko slid under the covers on the left. Instead of curling up together or one of them spooning the other, they both stretched out on their backs with their shoulders touching. Linus clasped Miko's hand under the covers and squeezed.

"It'll be a while before we have this every night," Linus whispered. "But I'm so happy to have this with you now."

"Me too." Miko's dark eyes seemed to glow in the dim room. "Alpha."

"My omega."

They shared a chaste kiss but Linus couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. He drifted and woke to the wonderful heat of Miko plastered against his side, one arm draped across Linus's chest. His head was on his own pillow but Linus still felt the soft whispers of his breaths. Fast asleep and seemingly at peace.

So beautiful.

So fucking fragile. But Linus didn't want to think about how much worse the car accident could have been. If they'd been sitting on opposite sides in the backseat and Miko had taken the brunt of the impact. If Miko had lost his leg or, worse, his life because of their speeding driver. The thought was inconceivable, and Linus hated what-ifs anyway.

Miko let out a funny little snort and jerked awake. He blinked sleepy eyes at Linus while a slow smile crept across his face. "Morning," Miko said.

"Morning yourself." Linus leaned in and rubbed his nose against Miko's. "I love this. Waking up with you."

"Me too."

"You love waking up with you, too? You get to do that every morning."

Miko snorted laughter. "You're such a dork."

"I know. Can I kiss you good morning?"

"As long as you don't mind a little morning breath."

"If you don't mind, I don't mind." Linus rolled to his side and slid his arm across Miko's waist, completing their embrace. Miko gazed at him with so much affection in his eyes that Linus wanted to cry. He'd never imagined anyone looking at him like that, with his heart in his eyes and his soul in his smile. He nuzzled Miko's nose, then captured his mouth in a long, leisurely kiss. He didn't deepen it, because he'd promised Papa he'd behave if Miko slept over, but it left him wanting more.

Wanting everything.

But they both had to be ready and, unless Miko was keeping a big secret from him, they were both still virgins. Sure, Linus had fooled around some. He was a university soccer star who loved being the center of attention at parties, but he'd wanted to save intercourse for his bondmate, the same way Layne had. The way their omegin hadn't been able to because abusive men had stolen that choice away.

He shoved those dark thoughts down, pressed another soft kiss on his bondmate's mouth, and pulled back. Miko's cheeks were flushed and he definitely looked like someone who wanted more. Linus didn't dare glance down to check if Miko had morning wood, because he'd want to do something about it.

Miko helped by releasing a wide yawn, and then rubbing his eyes. "Time is it? Feels early."

Linus glanced at the alarm clock. "Feels early because we had a long day yesterday. It's actually almost ten. My parents let us sleep in. Wait, where's brunch today?"

"No idea. I think my parents are going to Peyton's place, but I didn't confirm I'd be anywhere." Miko rested his palm over Linus's heart. "Except with you. It doesn't sound like you had definitive plans."

"I'm impressed I remembered it's brunch day at all. Days have been running together since I got out of rehab. Things were so much more structured there, so I could manage my days better."

"Maybe you need to start using the calendar app on your mobile."

Linus chuckled. "Layne told me the same thing the other day when I was almost late for my therapy appointment."

"Layne sounds like a smart big brother. You should listen to him."

"He's the best big brother in the universe."

"Do Aven, Tarius and Demir know that?"

Despite Miko's teasing tone, Linus still frowned. "I have no idea what Demir knows, and as much as I love lounging here with you, I need to pee." Running away from the conversation was cowardly, and it wasn't as if he could get out of bed quickly anyway. Thankfully, Miko didn't press on his comment while Linus got up on his crutches and headed for the bathroom.

When he was finished, he paused in the hallway to listen. The house was quiet and he didn't smell anything cooking, so they definitely weren't hosting brunch. Miko joined him in the hall, still yawning, jeans in one hand and scratching his stomach with the other. Linus took a moment to admire Miko in Linus's clothes.

"If I take a shower, can I borrow a shirt?" Miko asked.

"Of course. I'll grab a shirt and clean boxers for you." He nearly offered a pair of his own jeans, just to see Miko wearing them. And they'd actually fit, because Miko was tall for an omega. Taller than his own alpha brother Peyton. Linus loved that he and Miko were almost the same size.

He got the clothes and handed them over to Miko. Miko kissed him lightly on the mouth, and then went into the bathroom. Tarius's bedroom was empty. Linus investigated the living room and kitchen, and he found both empty, too. The whiteboard on the fridge had a message in Dad's familiar scrawl, telling him that he and Papa had gone to the Danvers house for brunch. Mystery solved. Although, if he'd bothered checking his mobile, he probably had a text.

He made a pot of coffee, and then rummaged in the fridge for something to eat. Nothing stood out and it was too early to order a pizza. Maybe they could go out someplace. Weekend brunch was incredibly popular all around the province, though, so restaurants would be super-crowded. Perks might not be too bad at this time of the morning, because they only offered baked goods, not sandwiches.

Linus returned to his room, found his phone on the floor by his discarded jeans, and checked his texts. As expected, Papa had texted him with their plans. Tarius texted that he'd be at Aven's house for brunch. He had not expected to find a text from Demir, but Linus was still disappointed not to find one. Disappointed but not surprised.

Ugh. He really needed to stop caring so much.

Linus wasn't aware of walking to his bedroom window and staring out at the gray, winter day—not until Miko said his name. Linus turned, momentarily forgetting he was on his crutches, and he lost his balance. Miko was there in an instant, helping him not fall on his face like an idiot. Miko's hair was still damp and he smelled like Linus's soap.

"You were a million miles away," Miko said. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I was trying to figure out what to do for food." Partial truth. "There's nothing exciting in the fridge. How about I take a quick shower and we go out? You and me."

Miko beamed. "I'd love that. Are you sure? You were pretty nervous the other night."

"I'm positive. I'm kind of craving a cranberry scone from Perks, but if you want something else, we can go wherever you want."

"Perks sounds perfect. I haven't been there for food since the accident."

"Really? Your parents own it."

"I know, but it never felt right going there to enjoy coffee and a muffin while you were stuck indoors. First at the hospital and then rehab, but now that you're home and have some freedom, we can go together." He slid closer and put his hands on Linus's waist. "I can go back with my bondmate by my side."

"I love hearing you say that word. Bondmate. Who knew we were under each other's nose this entire time?"

"Just like our brothers."

Linus flinched.

"What?" Miko wrapped his hand around the back of Linus's neck, and the gentle touch kept Linus from looking away. "What did I say?"

"Nothing, I'm just not awake yet. I brewed coffee?—"

"Hey, I know you, Linus. Something is bothering you. You got weird before about Demir, and then I mentioned our brothers again, and you looked mad for a second." He gently pulled Linus forward until they could sit on the side of the bed. Linus leaned the crutches against the mattress and tried to wrangle his racing thoughts into something manageable.

"It's like what we talked about a few weeks ago," Linus finally admitted. "How we both always feel overshadowed by our brothers. All of their achievements, like mine, or all of their health drama, like Peyton's. Feeling like we're afterthoughts. And now we can't even have our own thing as best friends who discover they're bondmates, because our older brothers already did that. With each other. You know?"

"I get that, trust me. And I've thought that way, too, but you know what makes our romance unique? It's us. We are not Peyton and Layne. We are the first best friends who are bondmates in our age group." Miko rested his hand on Linus's thigh. "And we will get something they never will. Something that will be one-hundred-percent unique to us when it's time."

Linus's heart skipped and he smiled. "Heat."

"Exactly."

Linus hadn't quite understood it all the night Layne and Peyton announced they were pregnant without Layne having ever had a heat. He'd never heard of gamma-omega before, and he hadn't truly understood how upset Layne was about it until he'd overheard Layne talking to Papa one night. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop—okay, yes, he had, because he'd stood there and listened without making his presence known to his brother or omegin.

Layne had aired his fears over being gamma, over never going into heat, and that Peyton would hold it against him. Linus had sympathized with Layne, and he'd tried to see things from an alpha's perspective. The idea of never experiencing heat, never developing a knot and being tied to his chosen omega? Okay, that would suck, but it wasn't the end of the world. At least, that's how teenaged Linus saw it.

Now? At twenty-one, after nearly dying himself, and sitting beside his bondmate and best friend? Now he couldn't imagine never experiencing heat with Miko. And he had a new perspective on exactly what Peyton and Layne would never get to share. He was sad for their brothers, but beyond thrilled for himself and Miko.

"You're amazing," Linus said.

"Oh yeah?" Miko batted his eyelashes. "Tell me why."

"Because you know exactly what to say to keep me focused on the positive, instead of stewing on the things I'm angry about. I don't know if I'd have made it through rehab without you, Miko, honest. Not without a lot more cussing, screaming and tears, and there was already plenty of that."

"I never saw any of it."

"I didn't want you to." Linus had saved the worst of his tantrums for the long, lonely nights he'd spent alone in his rehab room, mourning the life he'd known and terrified of a future he'd never planned for. One of the night nurses, an older beta named Douglas, had tried to befriend him and had listened to a few of Linus's angry rants before he was transferred to a different wing of the facility. Those rants had helped Linus expel a lot of pent-up rage, and he still needed to send Douglas a thank-you note.

"Call it alpha pride if you want," Linus continued, "but yeah, I didn't want you to see me upset all the time. And never mind my parents. I couldn't add more stress to their shoulders, especially not Dad. And you were recovering, too. I still see you flinch sometimes because of your ribs."

"Bruised ribs can take a long time to heal, but they don't make my shoulders any smaller. If we're going to be mates, then we need to be able to share our burdens with each other. Please, don't ever be scared to let me share the load for a while."

"I'll do my best."

"Good enough for now. Thank you for being honest with me."

"You're welcome. So Perks?"

"Yes, go shower so we can get some food. I'm starving."

"Yes, sir." Linus collected clean clothes for himself and slung them over his shoulder for the brief journey to the bathroom. He smiled at the tub. Miko had put the small shower seat in for him. He'd tried to shower standing a few days ago, but his left leg simply wasn't strong enough to bear all his weight for that long. Not yet. He was working his way up to that.

It's a marathon, not a sprint.

After he showered, he debated a quick shave but kind of liked the dark stubble on his chin and cheeks. He frequently toyed with the idea of growing a full beard like Dad had done a couple of years ago. Maybe when Linus was a bit older. Besides, Linus heard through team gossip that stubble could be very effective as a foreplay tool, and he wanted to know if that was true.

Soon. He hoped soon.

After he strapped on the prosthetic, Linus put his pants on and went looking for his bondmate. Miko was sipping coffee in the living room when Linus joined him. Even though they'd probably both get coffee at Perks, Linus didn't want to waste what he'd brewed here, so Miko poured the rest into two travel mugs.

Miko had also proved himself a master of forethought, because by the time they were ready, a car had pulled up in front of the house. At first, Linus thought Miko had called a friend—then he saw the small private taxi sign on the blue car's front door panel. Smart move with all the family cars in use.

And why would his parents have left a car for Linus? It would be a while before he mastered driving with his new circumstances.

Their driver found Perks with no fuss, and as soon as they stepped inside the small coffee shop, Linus was hit with a flood of familiar things: coffee, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla—and more than scents, with memories. Linus had been ten-years-old when Miko's omegin inherited Perks from the former owner. Linus had thousands of happy memories in this place, everything from after-school study sessions to a few birthday parties.

Brogan and Mikel usually took off this morning so they could spend brunch with family and friends, so Linus wasn't surprised to see someone else manning the counter. He was surprised, though, that the person was a stranger, alpha, and in his twenties-ish? He was tall with copper skin and black hair that reminded Linus a bit of Ronin Cross.

"Did your parents hire someone new?" Linus asked Miko.

"They did mention they'd hired two new people right after the accident, because they were away so much," Miko replied. "I never did ask their names though." He grinned at Linus. "Maybe we can be, like, secret shoppers and see how he does?"

"Miko, Linus, hey!" Symon Lee's voice carried to them at the front door and foiled Miko's reconnaissance plan. Head baker at Perks, Symon carried a tray of fresh scones to the display case. Linus's mouth nearly watered when Symon slid the tray into the slot for cranberry scones.

Symon came out from behind the counter to briefly hug them both. "It's so great to see you guys, especially you, Linus. I get updates from Hyatt and from Miko's parents, but seeing you is…you know."

"Thank you," Linus replied with a smile. "It's actually nice to be seen again. I'm easing back into things."

"Take your time. I know how it feels to think the entire world is staring at you because of how you look. But I promise, not everyone is."

Linus nodded, heart swelling with affection for his half-uncle-in-law. Or something. Three, almost four years ago, Symon had been badly burned in a chemical explosion, and he had some pretty gnarly burns on his hands, arms and neck. Linus almost never saw him wear short sleeves, even while baking in the hot kitchen, and Linus completely sympathized with feeling like everyone was staring at his flaws. All Linus could manage around the lump in his throat was a firm nod yes.

"I can't chat, I have a batch of muffins that need to come out any second," Symon continued. "Emilio will take care of you guys." With that, he darted back into the kitchen.

Emilio. The name seemed familiar but Linus couldn't recall ever meeting anyone with that name. Maybe they'd run across each other on campus or something. No one was in line to order, so Linus led Miko over to the register.

Emilio flashed them a toothy grin. "Judging from the way Symon greeted you guys, you must be Miko Tovey," he said to Miko. "And Linus Higgs? I'm Emilio Costas."

"Costas." Miko's entire body jerked. "Wait, are you the Emilio Costas who got the Donal Syndrome cure right before my brother Peyton?"

"Well, not the full cure, no, but my symptoms are in full remission. Had to adjust to some crazy side effects, but I'm alive. Trying to get out there, work, contribute to the world, you know?"

Now Linus remembered the name and his heart banged with sympathy. If he was recalling right, some of the "crazy side effects" included complete loss of his sense of smell and taste—two things Linus could empathize with like crazy, even though his issues were slowly improving. At least, they'd improved enough to allow Linus to scent his bondmate.

"It's great to meet you," Linus said, echoing Miko's similar sentiment. "Welcome to the Perks family."

"Thanks. What can I get you guys?"

"Cranberry scone and a plain large coffee."

"Cherry chocolate muffin and a white chocolate mocha. Um, medium," Miko said.

"On it," Emilio said as he rang their order up. "Linus, room for cream or sugar in your coffee?"

"Room for cream," Linus replied. The place would add cream and sugar for you if you asked, but Linus preferred doing it himself. After he swiped his credit card, they moved down the counter to the pickup area. Only then did Linus realize he couldn't help Miko bring anything to their table, not with his crutches.

"Let's grab a table," Miko said. "There's one left by the windows, come on."

Linus allowed Miko to take charge. They took off their coats, unwound scarves, and Linus relaxed into one of the chairs. Miko managed both cups and plates in one trip, probably a trick he'd learned by working here off-and-on during his university summers. Linus could maneuver a soccer ball through a swarm of opposing players, but he was helpless as a waiter. That was a kind of multi-tasking he could not juggle.

Miko also brought him the cream pitcher from the condiment station, so Linus could stir in what he wanted. The gesture was sweet and attentive and perfectly Miko. Everything between them was too easy, too perfect. Exactly what he'd always been missing in his life.

And Linus was scared out of his mind of losing it.