“I love you, too.” I wiggle out of the blanket and shift to straddle him. “Think Allecto will agree to babysit?”
For a second, actual alarm flickers through his joy. “You’re joking, right? She’ll have the kid for an hour and be teaching them knife-work.”
“Mmm.” I drape my arms around his neck. There’s still a tiny bit of unease, but I don’t know if I’ll ever truly banish it. From what I understand, most parents live in fear of fucking up their kids. I guess that makes me startlingly normal, at least in this. I don’t know why that’s weirdly reassuring, but it is. Regardless, it feels like talking through it was enough to take away the worst of the fear, paving the way for excitement to take hold. “Want to start practicing now?”
He hooks an arm around my waist and turns, bearing me down to the couch. “Fuck yeah.” Hook settles between my thighs. But instead of kissing me, he props himself on his elbows and looks down at me. “Thank you for telling me what you were feeling. I know that shit doesn’t come easy to you, and I value the trust you put in me.”
Gods, he’s going to make my heart melt with that kind of talk. I reach up and cup his jaw, his beard tickling my palm. “It’s not easy, no, but you make it easier. I know I’m a mess; I’m going to be a mess for our entire lives.”
He turns his head and kisses my palm. “Haven’t you figured it out by now, wife? We’re both messes. That’s the human condition. It doesn’t define us any more than any one thing does. It’s just part of us.”
“When did you get so smart?”
He pretends to think. “Well, I married this really smart lady. She’s kind of an asshole sometimes, but she makes me up my game.”
That startles a laugh out of me. “I’m not the only one who’s an asshole.”
“Guilty.”
“And you’re right. Our kids are probably going to be assholes, too.”
He grins. “Good thing I’m great at dealing with assholes then, huh?”
I give his shoulders a playful shove, toppling him off the couch and onto the floor. I don’t expect him to take me with him, but I land on my knees, straddling his waist. I frown down at him. “Was this all a ploy to get me to ride your cock?”
“Nah.” He pushes up my skirt, his fingers unerringly finding my panties. “It’s so you can sit on my face.”
That startles a laugh out of me. “Well, when you put it like that, how can I resist?”
“You can’t.” He shifts down until his head is between my thighs and presses a kiss to my pussy through my panties. “Just close your eyes and try to enjoy it.”
“Mmm.” I whimper as he keeps kissing me.
Hook always knows what I need. Whether it’s tough conversations or orgasms or cuddles. The last of my doubts drift away against the onslaught of pleasure he deals. He’s right. We’ll probably stumble and fuck up, but we aren’t our parents. Our children will be loved and taken care of and fucking happy.
This is our happily ever after.
This short originally appeared as the September 2020 short for my Patreon. Each month, patrons nominate their favorite couples and characters, vote on one, and I write a brand new short featuring the winner. For more bonus stories, please consider joining my Patreon.
9
Valentine’s Day in the Underworld
Aurora
February 2019 Patreon
Valentine’s Day in the Underworld
Aurora
* * *
Everything is as it should be.
The club won’t open for another ten minutes, but I’m finally starting to understand why Meg and Tink used to make the rounds through the empty rooms before each shift. There’s a strange kind of ownership one feels when they know that they’re responsible.
I wasn’t sure about taking the promotion when Meg offered. I am not Tink. I’ll never be Tink. She’s so fierce and unafraid and willing to step to any line drawn in the sand to ensure those under her are protected. I’m not fierce. I don’t remember what it’s like to be unafraid, though I have long since learned to hide my fear. Once, my survival depended on it. Now, it’s both habit and a comfort. Even my friends only see what I let them see. It’s better that way. Simpler.
How am I supposed to explain the truth?
Hades saved me, though he’ll never admit as much. The one time I pressed him, he claimed it was a deal like any other, but he conveniently forgets to mention that I had nothing to offer. Just myself, broken as I am. It shouldn’t be enough for someone like Hades, not in exchange for all he’s done for me. And yet here we are, years later and untold experience grown.
It should make me less afraid, less likely to wait for the other foot to drop. But the longer this strange fortune lasts, the more sure I am that when it’s time to pay the piper, the cost will be higher than I can comprehend.
But that day is not today. Another twenty-four-hour cycle passed and an incoming bullet I continue to dodge. I’ve learned to appreciate these things, learned to cling to the half full bit of the glass and embrace life with everything I have. It’s not forever, after all.
“Aurora.”
I turn as Meg walks into the public playroom. She’s dressed in what’s become her customary sexy menswear; tonight it’s wide-legged trousers and a vest that displays her breasts to perfection. Her dark hair is pulled back into a sleek ponytail and her red lipstick is flawless. She gives me a warm smile. “You ready for tonight?”
“Of course.” I look around the room again. “Though I’d be more ready if you and Hades weren’t so adverse to Valentine’s Day décor.” Every table in the room has a classy vase containing a bouquet of red roses. It creates a pretty picture, but it’s nowhere near the level Hercules and I wanted to bring to the place.
“It’s tacky.” She slings an arm around my shoulders and gives me a squeeze. “And weirdly triggering for some of the people who come here to forget about the people they’re in love with and can’t be with.”
I know exactly who she’s talking about. Gaeton and Beast. I’m sure there are others, but they’re the two who have kept everyone captivated since they broke off their respective relationships with Isabelle Belmont a year ago. The fact that both are grieving the Man in Black this Valentine’s Day only makes things more complicated. “I’m sure it will be fine.”
“It will be.” She says it with such confidence, a shiver of unease goes through me. Meg gives me another squeeze and releases me. “Now that Alaric’s back in town, I have him on Beast tonight. I’d like you to take Gaeton.”
My unease fades. What she’s asking is easy enough. I enjoy scening with Gaeton. He can be brash and arrogant, but he’s got an ooey-gooey center and he’s incredibly tender during aftercare. I like Beast just fine, but I consider Gaeton a friend. “Of course. Are you sure he’s going to be here tonight?”
Meg looks around the room, her dark eyes taking in every detail. “I’m sure. He’ll probably be in a foul mood, too. Can you handle it?”