Chapter Twenty-Four

Landyn needed to have a serious conversation with his mate, he just wasn't sure how to bring it up. It had been four days since the cyclops had come to visit. When Landyn regained consciousness he was in his human form, tucked up against Hephaestus's chest. The god looked as though he hadn't slept a wink, and Landyn felt awful when he'd found out he'd been unconscious for a full day.

There had been some tears of relief on both sides. Hephaestus wouldn't speak of what he'd done, but he was adamant the cyclops couldn't hurt him anymore. They both decided that worrying about who should protect who was counterproductive, and it didn't take long for Landyn's natural good humor to be restored.

It took Hephaestus a bit longer to relax. He started to talk about how bad he felt that Landyn had been attacked in the first place a few times, but Landyn refused to listen. "In any case of abuse," he said firmly, "the fault is on the one who raises their fist first. End of story." He wasn't sure Hephaestus was totally convinced, but he was slowly starting to smile more.

Which led to Landyn's current predicament. He didn't want to upset his mate, but he did feel some changes to the way they lived and where would make a positive difference for both of them. It was just a case of finding the right time to bring it up.

Hephaestus had taken him out to dinner at the same restaurant they'd been to the night they'd met. He decided it was their one month anniversary and wanted to celebrate their mating. Which was a beautiful gesture. Landyn just wasn't sure if it was the best time for a serious conversation.

He should never have underestimated his mate. Hephaestus waited until they'd had their appetizer, and had a break before the main course. The plates had been cleared, and Hephaestus reached across the table, taking his hands.

"You've had something on your mind these past few days, and I sense you're trying to hide it from me. Did you want to tell me what's wrong?"

"It's our anniversary dinner," Landyn hedged. "That's a time for happy conversations."

"Okay. So that tells me you think I'll be upset if you ask for something you want. Hmm." Hephaestus appeared to be thinking for a minute, but his eyes were sparkling. "Would this have something to do with you not wanting to go outside in the back garden anymore, or why, when I dropped the fry pan in the kitchen yesterday morning, you jumped a foot in the air? Or how, even when we're curled up together on the couch, you miss half the movie because your stressed out ferret is consciously cataloging every creak and groan in the house, likely worried we've got intruders?"

"When you put it like that, it sounds silly." Landyn met his mate's eyes. "Sorry?"

"You have absolutely no reason to be sorry and it's not silly at all. Your memories of that house so far aren't pleasant ones." Hephaestus's thumb was warm, running over the back of his hand.

"I've been doing some thinking these past few days, and after what happened in the kitchen, and then in the back garden, and the fact that the house we're in I've shared with three other people, whose names won't be mentioned, for a lot longer than you've been alive… I wondered how you felt about us looking for a house where we can make memories together. Possibly somewhere we could raise a family?"

"You knew how I was feeling?" Landyn checked around them, but no one was paying any attention to their table. "Are you sure you can't read my mind? That's what I wanted to talk to you about, but I didn't know how attached you were to your home."

"It wasn't difficult to work out, sweetling. You built a home for yourself after a rough upbringing, and then some asshole came along and wrecked that for you. There would've been no safety for you at all living on the streets, and then me, like a big buffoon, brings you into my house, thinking you should be safe, but you haven't been. That house has too many memories, but more than anything else, we need a place where we can feel safe. That's totally understandable."

"You have no idea." Landyn was so relieved he felt tears prickling his eyes. "I'm not crying, honestly I'm not." He sniffed and blinked quickly. "I know the cyclops are gone, but it wasn't just them. Thor and Orin, when they came to dinner, were the only people who visited us that actually knocked on the front door. Everyone else just appeared out of thin air, some of them dropping in so quickly they forgot they were meant to be wearing pants."

Hephaestus chuckled, as Landyn knew he would. Eros was fast becoming a joke between them. "We will definitely ward any new house against people who forget their pants." Hephaestus said, completely serious. "All we need to decide is where you want to go, what type of place you'd like to live…you know that idea that you had about a small farm with a workshop for me sounded like fun. Seeing as we might be bringing children into our place, the automatons could help with chores and house cleaning, things like that, at least until after the baby is born."

"I'd love it if they could come." Landyn grinned widely. "Again, I know you'll think I'm silly because you think they're just metal, but I've named them and I hate the thought of them being in that cupboard in the warehouse, all in the dark, and with no one to talk to."

"They can come with us. They can look after our house while we're continuing our culinary travels as well. At least while we can."

Landyn knew what Hephaestus was referring to. Once he was pregnant, they would have to stay out of the public view for a while. "You've been really patient with me," he lowered his voice. "I know I haven't felt much like doing stuff we'd both like to do…you know, in the bedroom."

"We've both been through a lot this past month," Hephaestus said warmly. "More than most, I reckon. Sex is fun, but you being in my arms every night means more to me than anything else."

"Me, too." Landyn winked. "But tell me. Did Thor seriously tell you he liked having his toes sucked over getting a blow job?"

"I think he was joking." Hephaestus laughed. "I think all the beatings he's taken over the years has him mixing up his analogies sometimes."

"Even so, it could be fun to give that another go for ourselves." As the server came back and Hephaestus sat back, releasing his hands to make room for the plates, Landyn lifted his glass. "Happy one month anniversary, my mate. I love you."

"Happy anniversary, sweetling, and I love you, too."