9. How To Unravel Blade’s Identity

Joey's stomach clenched.

He scrambled off Blade's lap and leaped to his feet, lunging across the bed to smack the flames down.

The fire skidded several inches out of his reach. Then it faded into thin air, and there wasn't even a scorch mark on the ivory fabric.

"H-how?" Joey stuttered.

Katie had amassed several burnt spots on every surface of the safe house, and on every single piece of her own and Joey's clothes.

And yet Blade's sheets were pristine and burn-free.

Blade slowly rose to his feet, a smile tugging on the corners of his lips. "I told you. My house is fireproof, remember?"

Joey vaguely remembered that. His thoughts ground to a halt. "B-but why would you need to fireproof your house?"

"I like not setting things on fire when I sneeze." Blade met his gaze.

The words processed slowly in Joey's brain. "Are you a... some sort of... fire person?"

Because there were those, too. Men made of flames, who walked around and burned things. Or... were there other supernatural creatures who could set things alight, too? Was Blade some kind of witch?

Blade sat on the bed, pulling Joey into his lap. "Guess what I am."

"No! Tell me!"

Blade grinned. "Guess."

"A... a fire-breathing octopus who can also shapeshift." Because it was impossible.

Blade's laughter was loud and hearty, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He was so far out of Joey's league. "You've seen my... my house, Joey. There are no pools for an octopus here."

"You paused before you said ‘house'." Joey squinted at him. "That's not what you usually call this place."

A proud smile lit up Blade's face. "Nope."

Joey leaned in to sniff at Blade, catching that trace of smoke again. Which made sense if he could sneeze fire. "Is this your octopus lair?"

Blade snorted. The faintest trail of smoke curled from his nose, and Katie reached for him.

Blade glanced at her, his expression longing. Like he wanted to hold her.

Joey swallowed. If Blade liked her... maybe he might help Joey keep her? He could hope, right? "You can hold her."

Blade made a soft sound. He eased Joey off his lap, and scooped Katie into his arms like he'd been waiting all day for permission.

Katie burst into a smile immediately. Joey swallowed his envy as Blade grinned down at her, tickling her chin.

"Hey there," Blade rumbled.

Katie dipped her voice ever so slightly, like she was trying to rumble, too. She'd never done that with Joey.

"Joey?" Blade murmured.

"Yeah?"

"Don't panic, okay? I know what I'm doing."

"O...kay?"

Blade turned Katie away from Joey. Then he parted his lips and blew a plume of orange fire straight at Katie's face.

Flames surrounded the upper half of her body. Katie's clothes caught on fire.

Joey yelped, panic stabbing through him.

Just that Katie squealed, giggling and kicking her legs like it was the best surprise in the world.

She was fine. She really was. Joey made himself breathe; he made himself acknowledge that Katie wasn't the slightest bit hurt.

Blade glanced sidelong at Joey. Then he stopped breathing fire, and let Joey look Katie over.

Katie smiled delightedly, a tiny flame spluttering out of her mouth.

"We do that with the little ones," Blade said quietly. "They love it."

"But her clothes."

"I have fireproof ones for her. I have a fireproof crib on the way, too, complete with fireproof bedding."

Actually, Blade sounded like a better parent than Joey was, giving Katie things that she actually needed.

"Figured it out yet?" Blade murmured.

Oh, right.They'd been talking about what Blade was.

Joey almost didn't want to put a name to it. "Are you going to take her away from me?"

"Why would I?" Blade nuzzled Katie's forehead, before handing her back.

Then his irises turned bright red, his pupils elongating into reptilian slits.

Joey almost dropped Katie. He squawked, his heart tripping. "You—"

Blade's eyes returned to that familiar shade of reddish-brown. He grinned. "You weren't expecting that?"

"I thought dragons were rare."

"We are." Blade's gaze fell to Katie. "How did you get her?"

Joey clamped his mouth shut. "She's mine."

"But clearly you didn't birth her. Like you've said multiple times, you're a virgin."

"She's mine."

Blade eyed him, and didn't reply.

Nervous now, Joey blurted, "I think I liked you better when you were a fire-breathing octopus."

Blade snorted. "That's a lie."

Joey scowled.

Katie's wing unfurled from her back, purple and leathery, and hit him in the face. "Ow! Katie!"

Katie giggled, flapping her wing.

"Oh, a purple dragon," Blade said quietly.

Joey broke his self-imposed silence. "Are they special?"

Blade's mouth twitched. "My favorite color is purple."

Maybe Operation: Make Blade Love Katie was The way to a happy ending.

"What color dragon are you?" Joey blurted.

Blade smirked and didn't reply. "Tell me your secret, and I'll tell you mine."

That wasn't fair! Joey mimed zipping his lips.

Blade was about to speak when Katie made a small, hungry sound. Joey turned his attention back to her. "I'm gonna need some warm water for her formula."

"Kitchen. Marion will get you all the warm water you need."

"‘Kay." Joey dressed Katie in some fresh clothes, clipped her back into his chest carrier, and grabbed her supply bag from the end of the bed.

Blade trailed after them like a shadow. In the kitchen, Joey found a portly woman with curly hair and an easy smile. "Marion?"

"That's me!" Marion glanced curiously at Blade. "What can I get for you?"

"Um, just warm water. I need to prepare some formula for Katie."

Marion's gaze fell upon Katie, and she beamed. "Warm water, coming right up!"

She bustled around the kitchen and presented Joey with a small jug. Joey poured water into a bottle, added formula and shook it up, and tested its temperature.

Blade drew closer. "May I feed her?"

Joey gulped. His brain said no. What if Blade fell in love with Katie, and wanted to keep Katie for himself?

But he also remembered Why steal the golden egg when you can take the goose?

"Y-yeah, sure," Joey mumbled.

Carefully, he transferred Katie into Blade's arms. Blade cradled her like his entire life depended on it, only reaching for the bottle when he was sure she wouldn't fall.

Katie took to his feeding immediately. She nursed greedily, quiet and calm.

And Blade watched her with the gentlest expression.

Suddenly, Joey understood what his friends meant by I want to have his babies.

The urge was raw and instinctual. He couldn't remember why it'd be bad for Blade to put a child inside him.

If Blade was paying, if Blade gave Katie and their baby a safe place to grow up, then what more could Joey ask for?

It freaked him out a little, how easily the idea sank into his bones.

How much he liked the thought of Blade being surrounded by little children, grabbing at him with their hair tousled and their faces smudged with dirt.

He dragged his gaze away from Blade, only to catch Marion's eye. She was grinning to herself.

Was Joey obvious? What had she seen?

Joey turned away, his face hot.

When he looked back, he found Blade watching him.

Joey squeaked and tumbled sideways into the cabinets.

Blade sighed, his mouth pulling into a smile. "Joey."

"I didn't say anything!"

"Don't hurt yourself."

"I'm not!" Joey stood up and straightened his clothes, inching away from the cabinets like he hadn't just crashed into them for absolutely no reason.

To his relief, Hong waltzed into the kitchen with a flourish. "Katie's crib has been delivered and installed. It's one room down from the mastering room."

"You mean, next door?" Joey blurted.

Hong slid him a meaningful look. "Nope. One guest room in between."

"Why?"

Blade sighed. "Because there's no soundproofing in this place."

"Soundproofing? You can't soundproof the nursery!" Joey blurted. "What if she cries and we can't hear?"

"No. I meant there's no soundproofing for my bedroom."

Joey opened his mouth, about to ask why Blade needed that much soundproofing, when it struck him.

I'll fuck you till you scream and come, and come again.

Blade had said that.

He had meant it.

"Oh, gods," Joey whispered, turning away. He covered his cheeks to hide how hard he was blushing. "Oh gods, oh gods."

"I can withdraw that promise," Blade offered mildly.

"No!" Joey blurted. He pulled up the neckline of his shirt to hide his face.

"Should I move the crib? Two rooms down instead of one," Hong said, cackling. "In case you need more, ah, soundproofing."

Joey could almost feel Blade's gaze. "Yes. Move it."

How was he so confident he could make Joey scream?

Mortally embarrassed, Joey turned away and crouched on the floor, hugging his knees.

He heard footsteps behind him.

"Joey," Blade murmured.

And he slipped his hot, solid foot under Joey's ass, under his taint, his toes brushing Joey's balls through his pants.

Joey jumped.

A large hand clasped his shoulder, hauling him back. "Don't hurt yourself," Blade growled.

When Joey lowered his shirt, he found the kitchen cabinet inches from his nose. He'd been about to crash face-first into it.

Blade withdrew his foot and looked at Joey, his face upside down. Joey had to squirm around so Blade was right side up again.

"You, um, you really mean it," Joey blurted.

"We can do anything you want, after we put Katie to bed." Blade tickled her chin. "She's done with her milk."

Joey sprang to his feet, carefully ignoring the ‘we' in ‘after we put Katie to bed.' "I'll burp her."

When Blade leaned in to hand her back, Joey grew ever so aware of his own forearm brushing Blade's strong chest, Blade's breath in his hair.

Blade stood so close, all Joey could smell was him and Katie.

He hurriedly backed away with a blush, arranging Katie against his shoulder so he could rub her back.

Blade didn't move away. Just stood there with his warmth soaking into Joey's body until Katie finally burped.

"She'll probably get sleepy real soon," Joey said quietly. "I'll do a diaper change when she's ready, then I'll put her to bed."

"I'll grab a shower," Blade replied, but he didn't move away.

He kept watching Joey like he wanted to hang around. Joey gulped and brought Katie out of the kitchen, to show her any colorful thing he could find.

There weren't many brightly-colored things in the mansion, actually. The wooden stair railings and marble flooring were understated and elegant, but they weren't something a baby could appreciate.

"She needs toys," Joey blurted.

"What sort?"

"Um, stuffies. Or something she can chew on. Rattles. Or... I don't know. I'm not sure what baby dragons need," Joey admitted. "Something colorful."

Blade glanced around and frowned. "Yeah. This place isn't quite ready for a baby. I'll pick out some toys."

"You don't mind if a baby lives here?"

Blade stalked closer, his gaze intent. "I would very much like to breed you. I want some dragonets."

"Oh, gods," Joey squeaked.

He was saved by the smell from Katie's diaper. Joey hurried up the stairs, absolutely aware of the man following them.

Blade watched Joey through the diaper change. He hung around while Joey rocked her to sleep.

It grew almost unbearable, being watched by that man.

When Katie eventually dozed off, Blade murmured, "I'm going to take my shower."

Joey gulped. Was that... an invitation?

Blade left the sparsely-furnished nursery before Joey could speak.

When he could finally move, Joey crept out of the nursery and through the unlocked doors of Blade's bedroom.

The bathroom door was ajar, and the shower was on.

Had Blade already taken off his clothes?

Was he naked?

Joey blushed and squirmed.

He didn't have the confidence to step into the bathroom. Or even wait out in the bedroom. What was he supposed to do? What if he said something stupid?

In the greatest act of cowardice, Joey slipped out of Blade's bedroom and hurried down the hallway, his heart thumping.

He took the first corner, then made another turn at the next fork in the hallway. He kept taking random turns until he'd gotten truly lost, with no idea how to get back.

Only then did he realize he was in the part of the mansion with no windows at all.

The hallways here were dimly-lit, the carpet plush beneath his feet. There were a few doors, but not many. A large steel door sealed off the hallway at the far end, with a number pad and... Was that an iris scanner?

Joey held his breath and tiptoed over to the scanner. He'd never seen anything like this in real life. It felt like something out of a spy movie.

The scanner blinked quickly, more so when he got closer.

Then he tried to look into its camera, and—

Something huge and dangerous prowled up behind him, a veritable wall of heat.

A threat?

"Freeze," Blade growled.