20 Linus Wasn’t Terrified of the Mini-Human!

Cartoons played in the background, and he moved around the kitchen getting a bowl of cereal ready for the former parasite’s breakfast. He called the kid Craig when no one else was around. He liked busting his men’s balls when they got all offended and reminded him Craig had a name. He wasn’t a complete novice at this. He’d been in charge of Matty countless times since his nephew was born.

It was just the fact that he was going to be his kid. He didn’t know how Peaches pushed through the emergency custody, but he had a feeling her visit with Thorpe’s wife had something to do with it. The swiftness of the transfer of custody pissed him off. Who the hell gave up their kid that quickly?

He understood someone not being able to take care of the child or children they had due to a lot of fucked up shit, but over the time he’d investigated the Thorpes, he found the woman to be cold and calculated. Her fat bank account more important. His opinion of her hadn’t changed after he’d spent more time with Derrick.

The boy reminded him of Hunter. Derrick shied away from affection or compliments. Derrick seemed shocked when they offered to help him with his homework. Sometimes he ate like someone would take the plate away from him. They hadn’t commented on it because they didn’t want to embarrass him.

Hunter and Derrick were off to Atlanta for the day to visit the University campus and get set up with a dorm room or whatever.

“Linus,” Craig squealed.

He turned to find the kid making grabby hands at the bowl he was still holding.

Focus, Trenton, you got a kid to feed, he chided himself.

He grabbed the sippy cup of juice and made his way to the table. Craig was in a booster seat. He set the bowl, spoon, and cup in front of Craig. Just like Derrick, the kid devoured his food.

“Slow down, you’re gonna make yourself sick.”

He flopped down into the chair and picked up his coffee, he brought it to his mouth as he noticed Craig staring at it.

“Want a sip,” he asked and started to hand it to Craig.

“Don’t even think about it,” Wren ordered from the door.

“What, I wasn’t doing anything,” he said with a smile.

Wren’s hair was sticking up all over, and his eyes were still heavy with sleep. They’d had a rough week. Wren was on leave for a few weeks, and he knew the man was rethinking his position as a Deputy. He might give the man shit about his job, but he knew Wren loved what he did.

His man hadn’t taken the kill shot, but he knew Wren felt guilty and questioned whether the situation could’ve been handled differently. Him and Peaches, even Pelter assured him that it ended with the only logical outcome. Thorpe reached the point of no return, knew his days as a free man were numbered. He didn’t doubt the man was mentally unstable as well.

He grinned at Wren headed toward the coffeemaker, but made a b-line to him and leaned down to give him a slow, deep kiss.

“Kiss,” there was another squeal.

Wren’s lips curved into a smile against his, and then Wren straightened and turned to Craig. His man kissed Craig’s soft, blond hair. Craig giggled then continued eating.

Craig and Derrick were fitting in around his house just like Hunter and Wren. He was dreading the day they felt it was time to head back to their own places. He knew it would happen. He couldn’t keep them there forever. Part of him asked why not because Lily and Damon lived together pretty much since the day they met.

They weren’t his parents, and not everything was a fairy tale like it appeared to be for Lily and Damon. He didn’t remember his parents ever having a serious fight.

“What time are Hunter and Derrick due back,” Wren asked as he poured himself a huge mug of coffee.

“I don’t know, I think they said they were probably going to grab dinner before they headed back.”

“So, they left you in charge of Craig?”

“Man, I’ve watched kids before, I ain’t ‘fraid of no mini-human.”

“I didn’t say you were.”

“I can see you smiling, asshole.”

“Asshole,” Craig said with a giggle.

“Now, see what you did?”

“I didn’t do anything, I can’t help the former parasite was a parrot in a past life.”

“I didn’t think Atheists believed in past lives.”

“Figure of speech. Don’t be a dick.” He shot a look at Craig and saw the boy’s mouth opening, “Don’t even think about saying it. Bad words.”

Wren chuckled and turned to lean back against the counter.

He stood, removed Craig from the chair, and placed him in the pinned off area in the corner of the kitchen. The kid loved to play hide and seek, and the little shit was professional level. He’d already lost him twice. “No jail breaks. If you’re anything like your new family, you better get used to small, confined spaces.”

“Linus, don’t say that to him,” Wren admonished.

He strode slowly across the kitchen to Wren and plucked the mug from the man’s hand, and he set it on the counter. He slipped his arms around Wren’s waist and tugged the man closer. Wren’s skin was smooth and warm against his.

“What are you doing,” Wren asked as he draped his arms over his shoulders.

“I thought I was getting close to my man, but if you—”

A smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth as Wren rolled his eyes. He nudged Wren’s chin with his nose until the man tipped his head back. He sucked at Wren’s Adam’s apple, nuzzled Wren’s perfectly trimmed beard, and tongued the rapid pace of Wren’s pulse.

“Fuck, you’re sexy. I hated you the first time I saw you.”

“Thanks,” Wren asked sarcastically.

“You know what I mean.”

“I saw you and Hunter together…I felt like an outsider.”

“Do you still feel like an outsider?”

He wanted the answer to be no, he was amazed how Scary, Elijah, and Tank made it work. They’d spent time together, learned about each other, but it still didn’t seem like enough. With the threat of Thorpe gone, it should’ve felt easier, yet it caused more complications. Then the fact he decided Derrick and Craig weren’t going anywhere. They were his, and he could see how much Wren and Hunter had come to care for them. Maybe it was too fast, and he’d admit it, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try to keep the five of them together as long as possible.

“No, I don’t. I’m just…”

“Just what?”

Wren’s lightly calloused hands came to rest on his chest and combed his fingers through the thick mat of hair.

He watched Wren’s expression, he had become adept at sensing both his men’s moods, but Wren kept his emotions a lot more in check than Hunter. The uncertainty Wren felt about the three of them caused him to feel helpless, and he didn’t know how to reassure Wren.

“Everything just seemed to go to Hell. You were shot because you’re a dumbass—”

“Hey, I knew what I was doing.”

Wren snorted. “Your version of reality is majorly fucking skewed, but you’re not distracting me. Thorpe and all his bullshit, the shooting. I’m lost on what to do.”

Wren dropped his forehead to his shoulder, and he lifted his hand to massage the back of Wren’s neck.

“What you’re going to do is take your leave. Spend some time with us. All that other shit will work itself out.”

“What am I going to do for work?”

“If you don’t want to go back to the Sheriff’s department, then come to work for me.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, and what do you mean really?”

“Have you met your own crew?”

“They’re a little…eccentric.” He barely said that with a straight face. His guys became family over the short years they’d worked together. He’d recruited them from everywhere. Their pasts not his to reveal, a few of them survived the worst humanity could throw at them. He welcomed them with every quirk, big or small. They had his back, and he’d always have theirs.

“That title is usually reserved for reclusive billionaires and doesn’t Little live in his van?”

“He doesn’t live in his van, but we’re not exactly sure where he does live. He suffers from paranoia. You want a lecture on every conspiracy theory ever, then he’s the man to talk to.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

Wren’s husky laugh seemed to lighten the heavy stress which weighted Wren down.

“There’s the smile I’ve been looking for.” He brushed his lips to the corners of Wren’s mouth.

He pressed his body fully to Wren. The man was hard and muscled, only slightly shorter than him. He loved the contrast between his men, but they were both sweet and loving, the softness he needed.

“I don’t want you and Hunter to leave.”

“We’ve been living here for almost two months. Hell, we’ve moved in half our shit.”

“I know it ain’t going to be easy. Couples like my parents, and Peaches and Gib, are exceptions to the rule, but I can’t imagine not coming home and you two not being here.”

“Shouldn’t we have this conversation with Hunter?”

“He’s pulling away.”

“I don’t think it’s so much he’s pulling away as he’s unsure of how we feel.”

“What do you mean unsure, I love him, have for a long time. He should—”

“Linus, our man is a bit insecure, I’m sure you’ve noticed that.”

“But we compliment him. Touch him. Show him we care.”

“But have we told him?”

“Fuck, and we still haven’t sat down and talked.”

“Why don’t we see if Lily would like some Grandma time with Craig and Derrick? A night of just the three of us before it’s the five of us full-time.”

“I’ll give her a call. Watch the heathen?”

“I think I got the newest inmate covered.”

“Good.” He kissed Wren roughly, then stepped to the side and poured Wren a fresh cup of coffee. “I’ll see if Ma would watch Matty too.”

“Please have a conversation about appropriate behavior around our kids.”

He nearly lost it at the thought of anything being appropriate when it came to his mother. He didn’t bother answering and left Wren warning Craig about spending time with his new grandmother.

Lily would jump at the chance to spend time with her grandchildren. She’d waited a long time. He wanted alone time with his men to make his and Wren’s intention clear to Hunter. He hadn’t made the best impression on Hunter, and he’d never masked his aversion to monogamy.

He needed Wren and Hunter to understand they were it for him. They were everything he had wanted but was afraid to hope for. Okay, the two boyfriends’ thing was a bit of a shocker, yet it felt perfect and right. He entered his office and grabbed his phone from his desk. First, get his mother to watch the newest Trentons, and plan a date with his men, then make sure his new family stuck together.