THIRTY-THREE

He was so lost in his thoughts, he didn’t see the wall of human flesh until he almost ran into it, “Aargh!” he screamed, clutching his runaway heart, “What the hell do you think you’re all doing?”

Cali, Diana, Axel, Darius, and Dex were blocking the doorway, arms crossed, faces looking serious. He felt his belly clutch, “What is it? What’s happened?”

“Nothing’s happened. Everything’s cool,” Axel immediately reassured him.

Lark was glad to hear it but something was clearly bothering them and he didn’t allow himself to relax, “What’s going on, then?”

Cali cleared her throat, “It’s an intervention.”

“Pardon?” he asked, sure he was hearing incorrectly.

“An intervention,” Cali repeated. “Like the one you guys held for me.”

Lark eyed the five of them now with a mixture of annoyance and amusement. He allowed the amusement to win – for now, “And why exactly would I need a Dex-sex intervention? I promise we haven’t been together like that since I found out about the baby.” That made them all laugh, even the ever-serious Darius.

“It’s not about you and Dex and your sordid affair,” Cali informed him.

“Then what’s this all about?” he was positive he already knew but he wanted to make them say it.

“It’s about Ivy,” Diana said.

Just as he suspected and that’s why he was equal parts annoyed and amused. They had been home for exactly fifteen hours and thirteen of those had been spent debriefing and catching everybody up on what had transpired over the last four weeks. He was beyond pleased to hear the redeemed chades were doing well and their friends were happy and safe monitoring and serving them. He had been more than a little shocked to learn Knox was Kane, Kai, and Kellan’s father. The man hadn’t once mentioned it the entire time they’d been away. Thinking about it now, he couldn’t believe he had missed the signs. The triplets certainly resembled their father, particularly their grey eyes.

They had also discussed the episode with the ‘evil’ chades, although he had glossed right over the part about him being born a potentate. It didn’t escape his notice that Ryker hadn’t brought it up either and he knew the other man was just biding his time. The upcoming confrontation bothered him a little but there was nothing he could do about it, so he chose not to dwell on it. He and Ivy had rehashed their theories about the council, the chades, and the massacre. Many of their points had not been well-received at first but as they began to toss the ideas around, everyone agreed it all made a terrible kind of sense. Lark had other theories – big ones – but he was keeping them to himself for now. It wasn’t something he could afford to bring up and then be wrong about.

After thirteen hours of talking and thirty minutes of hugging he had finally managed to escape to his room with Ivy for a shower – and shower sex. He had made no attempt to hide his affections for the ranger but he also hadn’t been obvious either. He knew she wasn’t ready for that yet. However, given they had both emerged from the spiral staircase ten minutes ago with wet hair and satisfied smiles, he knew the gang would be wanting answers.

“What about her?” he asked them in response to their comment.

“You’re in love with her,” Cali pointed out.

He nodded once, “I am.” Even if he hadn’t told her that yet, he knew it was obvious to the people who knew him the best.

“But she’s not in love with you,” Axel added.

Lark scowled at his friend. How dare he make assumptions about Ivy’s feelings! So what if she didn’t love him? He sincerely hoped she would one day but he would never pressure her or expect more from her than she was capable of giving. What they shared now was more than enough for him. He told them as much and they all clearly heard his anger in his waspish tone.

“I’m sorry, man. I just don’t want to see you get hurt. I know what it’s like to be in a one-sided relationship,” Axel’s voice echoed with past hurt.

Lark felt his irritation deflate. He knew they were just concerned for him. He had been the same when he realised Cali was sleeping with Dex – an ex-chade. And as loud and as brash as Axel could be at times, he really was a genuine, caring guy who’d been crushed by a past relationship. He sighed, “I appreciate the concern – I truly do. But you don’t need to worry about my feelings. Or Ivy’s.”

“You sound very sure of her,” Cali stated.

“I am,” he promised.

She fidgeted a little, “Well, it’s just, she’s not exactly the most demonstrative person. How can you be sure?”

“Not demonstrative?” he questioned in surprise, his mind immediately going to the bedroom last night when Ivy had ridden him like a cowgirl and proceeded to sleep ranged over his chest for the remainder of the evening. He couldn’t help the raunchy grin that tilted his lips as he looked at his friends.

“Okay, ick. I can tell your mind has reverted to the gutter,” Cali shook her head at him.

He laughed, “Trust me, Ivy shows her affection more than enough. Just because she’s not as touchy feely as the rest of you, or into kinky public sex acts –”

“Hey! It was one time and you were supposed to be in bed!” Darius interjected, blushing and making them all laugh.

Diana picked up his hand, “It’s not that we’re not happy for you, Lark. We just want to make sure you’re not alone in your feelings.”

“I’m not,” he assured them, completely confident in Ivy’s feelings for him. They were hard-won by him and so darn reluctant on her part, he knew there was no way she would be with him if she didn’t feel something special for him down to her very bones.

“Okay, Lark. We believe you,” Diana smiled brilliantly at him.

“But would it kill her to hold your hand or something?” Cali demanded.

He shook his head at her, she was like a dog with a bone and her protective instincts had gone up ten-fold since she became pregnant, “I’ll tell you what, we’ll hold hands and skip along the beach at sunset, holding a bunch of white daisies and singing a love song. How about that?”

She pouted at him a little and Dex wrapped an arm around her, his dark eyes twinkling, “That ought to do it. I mean, that’s how we prove our love, isn’t it?”

Cali huffed, “Fine, fine. You win. I give up.”

Lark walked over to her, kissing her on the cheek and giving her far rounder tummy an affectionate pat, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she responded, quietly.

“Am I interrupting?”

Ivy’s voice had them all whirling to the doorway and Lark grinned at his lover. She looked decidedly uncomfortable, as if she were encroaching on him and his circle of friends. But she didn’t back away or excuse herself. That more than anything told Lark she was determined to give their relationship a chance.

“We were just discussing public displays of affection,” he informed her. “Cali believes hand-holding is the only way to show someone they are liked.”

“Not the only way,” the woman in question said, “just an easy way.”

“Is that so?” Ivy queried, her face remaining impassive and her tone dry as per usual.

Cali finally had the good grace to squirm, “I’m just sayin’, a little hand-holding wouldn’t kill you,” she mumbled.

The corner of Ivy’s mouth kicked up minutely and Lark felt the impact of that tiny smile in the skipping of his heart. Such a small sign of amusement and yet to him it was as warm and as beautiful as the sun. He knew his woman now, knew her nuances and he recognised the mischievous glint in her eye. Sure, to most her feelings, thoughts, and affections weren’t obvious. But with his photographic memory and his high IQ, he was overly skilled in reading the smallest of facial expressions and body language. Ivy’s small reactions were like glaring beacons of light to him. He didn’t need or want her to suddenly become a giggly, bouncy, loved-up female with small hearts in her eyes and a spring in her step. She was absolutely perfect just as she was.

The small flash of amusement left Ivy’s face as she walked over to Cali, grabbing her hand and holding it without a word. Everyone was staring dumbstruck; “What?” Ivy demanded, “I thought you wanted to hold hands?”

A full ten seconds of silence met Ivy’s attempt at humour before they all erupted into unrestrained laughter. Cali pursed her lips before joining in the laughter and giving Ivy a quick hug, “You’re all right.”