by Minerva Howe
“That’s the most telling sign, yes. If you were less a steam maker like me I would say it’s just your dragon presenting, but…” Eagan shrugged eloquently.
“Oh, I bet that’s it. Just going to learn to belch fire like the Danger Mouse.”
“Uh-huh.” One auburn eyebrow winged up. “That’s it.” Eagan was a butthead. A beautiful, loving one but a butthead. His butthead and Ollie thought he would keep him.
Even if he had no idea what to do if he was pregnant.
11
Eagan thought maybe Ollie didn’t quite believe it yet. He understood. They still had a holiday to get through, and it had been days, not weeks, since they’d created new life.
He, on the other hand, was absolutely certain. They were going to have a baby.
“You look happy,” Devon told him, sneaking more presents under the tree. They were wrapped with the Santa paper.
“Are you ready for Arielle-mageddon?” Eagan countered. It would start in very short order. Arielle was sure to catch the excitement and wake up soon.
“I so am. I bought her a lot of large breed dog toys,” Devon teased. Well, he assumed it was teasing. “How’s Ollie? He seems…distracted.”
“He’s trying to decide if he’s pregnant or gassy.” Eagan winked, knowing Devon would understand if anyone could.
“Yeah. It’s not like he can pee on a stick and find out, right? He’ll start to show soon. Has he found his dragon yet? Have you seen it?” Devon glanced at him curiously.
“I have. Not fully, but you don’t have my basement. It’s so cold out.” Ollie could hardly assume his full true form in a bedroom or a hot tub.
“Ah, and you’re into the water. You need a pool or something, right?”
“Mmm. That would help, but hot sand would work. Simulating a beach. Like my basement.” He winked. “Christmas first.”
“You’re going back to Denver? Even with the whole pregnant thing?” Now those bright eyes went wide, Devon’s worry showing. The vampire situation was still unresolved, after all.
“Mmm. I want us to hunker down here…” There was safety in numbers, and the head vamp DiMarco did seem to want a dragon baby very badly.
“Hang out with us. I bet he won’t go full-on dragon, large size, until after. I didn’t.” Devon patted his flat belly. “Ollie and I have been taught to be human all our lives. He’ll face being preggers best in his human body. If you guys need a sandpit or something, I’ll tell Brand to make it happen. I want my family comfortable, dammit.”
He had to chuckle. His fierce new brother had the best parental instincts for all of them now. “I told Tyson we needed an indoor pool.”
“Oh, that would be amazing. And we’ll have to put in a playground in your backyard.” Devon shook a box lightly, listening. Bad man.
“We will. And we’ll have to make sure your Lyle is safe from bitey, flamey children.”
“Mmm. He’s pretty canny. The goats, now…” Devon trailed off, grinning, a little toothy dragon showing through, his eyes glowing for a moment.
Eagan’s eyes went wide, the thought of crispy cabrito rather unappealing. “Yeah…keep Arielle away from the livestock.”
“I know. I’ll have to get a leash.” Devon winked, then grabbed a doughnut off the plate on an end table. “Brand had these delivered last night. They’re so yummy.”
“Oh, I should take one to Ollie, shouldn’t I?”
“Ease him into awake, for sure.” Devon handed him a napkin with three doughnuts. They smelled like cinnamon and sugar and yeast.
Lovely. Just yummy.
“Mmhmm. I’m good at that, waking him up,” Eagan said with a wink.
Devon chuckled softly. “Wait until he’s the size of a boat. Then you might wake him from ten feet away. With a stick.”
“Will he bite me?” Eagan teased. “I can’t wait, Devon. Honestly.”
He got a sweet, kind of longing glance. “Yeah. You guys are good at that. Chivalry and all.”
“And you created the most perfect Danger Mouse in history.” He had a feeling Devon was missing the baby love stage now that he had a fire-breathing monster on his hands.
“We did.” Devon winked. “Go. I’ll finish playing Santa.”
“I’ll help.” Brand appeared like the smoke dragon he was, wrapping around Devon. “She’s still asleep. Can you believe it?”
“Do you think that means she’s about to grow?” Devon went wide-eyed, the thought clearly one of total dismay.
“I think it does.” Brand chuckled wickedly. “She has to compete soon, so she’s going to try to turn into Godzilla.”
“We’re going to have to get her some baby dolls and teach her not to eat them.” Devon sounded rather thoughtful, which was ever so kind of him.
“Good idea,” Eagan said on the way out of the room. “I would be cross if she ate my wee one.” He climbed the stairs, wondering if he should have brought milk.
Oliver was sleeping hard, holding his pillow, hugging it.
He put the doughnuts on the night table and slid into bed. It seemed ages since Yule, but it had only been days. “Merry Christmas, love.”
“Merry Christmas, Dragon.” Oliver lifted the blanket and invited him in.
He pushed under where it was dark and warm, releasing a little steam. “Mmm. I brought some doughnuts.”
“I like doughnuts. Is Danger Mouse waiting for us?”
“She was still sleeping, believe it or not. It’s a bit early, but Tyson will be up and singing ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’ soon.” Tyson was a big kid who loved Christmas so much.
“Oh man. I want to hear that. Later.” Ollie nuzzled in. “It’s warm and cozy here.”
“It is. How are you feeling?” He rubbed Ollie’s belly, knowing it helped with the acidy stuff. He had no idea if it was the warmth or the feeling of his hands on the baby bean.
Either way he was glad he could help.
“Mmm…good. Good, just snuggly. How’re you?”
“Most excellent. The eggnog was very congenial last night.” Eagan kissed Ollie’s neck. There was really no time to get all revved up, but he loved being together this way.
“Are you excited about your presents?” Ollie kissed under his jaw, tickling him.
“I’m excited to see you open yours, love.” Their first Christmas. He was… Words couldn’t express the joy he felt. Eagan had everything a dragon could desire.
“Right? Our first official Christmas together. Although, I knew last year I was in love with you.”
“Mmmm. My Ollie. I’m so glad to be able to hold you.” He nuzzled in, then licked at Oliver’s neck.
Oliver let him, then suddenly he stiffened and hurtled out of the bed and into the bathroom.
Uh-oh.
He moved slowly, quietly, to check on Ollie in case he was self-conscious. “Are you all right, love?” Poor baby sounded awful.
“Can I have a glass of water, please? The acid is just whoa.”
“Of course, love.” He kept ice and glasses in the bedroom, so he grabbed what was left from the night before and poured it for Ollie. “Here you are. Drink it up, then have a bite of doughnut. I can see I shall have to feed you early.”
“Thank you. I’m just…Sorry.” Ollie brushed his teeth and drank the water, sitting on the edge of the bed.
“Shhh.” He stroked Ollie’s back. “This is the hard part. So Devon says.” He hoped that was true, and that things would settle. Until it was time for labor. Eagan dreaded that for his lover.
“You believe, don’t you? That we’re having a baby? It’s real?”
“I do. Devon says yes. The brothers agree. It starts to show itself fast with dragon babies.” Not that he was an expert, but they did have one of six under their belts.
“I’m scared. And excited.” Oliver took the doughnut he offered. “Yeah, that about covers it—scared and excited.”
“I am too. I love you so much. Anything you need, Ollie. You know that.”
“I know. I’m just going to have to live with the idea for a bit.”
“I know.” He understood. Ollie had far more warning than Brand had given his Devon, but Ollie had also been convinced he wasn’t a dragon.
“Are you excited? I mean, to be a father?” Oliver’s voice was tentative, begging for reassurance.
“I am ecstatic, my Oliver. But I truly want you to know it would not have mattered.” He pulled Ollie back against him, hands on that still flat belly. “But I will love you, and our little dragonet, forever.”
“Our baby. Danger Mouse is going to have a cousin.” Oliver leaned in hard. “She’s going to be so mad.”
“I beg to differ. I was thrilled to finally have a little brother when Brand came along. She’s going to love our bean.” He hoped…
“She is. She’ll teach it to be her lookout when she’s learning to reroute the security systems.”
He had to chuckle at that. “Tyson’s offspring will be jewel thieves.”
“Now, now,” Ollie teased. “Arielle would destroy any attempt for someone to steal a second of her Uncle Ty’s time.”
“She might at that.” Maybe Ty would wait until Arielle was a wee bit older. He nuzzled Ollie’s neck. “A bite of doughnut, then we’ll go get you some milk.” He would bet all their Danger Mouse talk had stirred their girl.
“Yeah. It’s good—the doughnut. I don’t like the acid.”
“I know. We own stock in goat milk. I wonder if that would help as much as the other.” He steered Oliver toward a robe, then headed downstairs.
He couldn’t help his urge to hold Ollie on the stair, protect his mate. But he didn’t carry him, exactly. That was a win, yes?
“Silly dragon,” Ollie murmured. “I do love you.”
“Mmm. Good.”
Arielle was screaming, blowing flames and having a temper tantrum.
“Uh-oh,” Ollie whispered.
“Daddy told her no, she couldn’t get into the presents.” Devon was trying not to laugh. “Brand is having a little snow walk. Tyson is up in his room until she’s done.”
“Mmm. We’ll go have a glass of milk.” Eagan pushed Ollie in a circuit around the room. “She’ll learn how stubborn her daddies and uncles are.”
Her roar filled the air, making Eagan blink, and then he heard, “Young lady, I don’t think so.”
And then Devon picked up her and took her back to her room, closing the room firmly behind him. “Ty? Come have coffee. Arielle can come down when she calms down. Eagan, be a dear and get your brother before he freezes.”
“Yes, of course.”
“He’s so brave,” Ollie murmured, then sipped his milk.
“He assures me it’s warfare.” He stepped out the back door. “Brand? Come on, brother. Have some coffee.”
“She’s insane. I’m considering dumping her in a snowbank.”
“This is very exciting for her,” Eagan soothed. “All those presents probably overstimulated her some.”
Brand raised a brow at him, and he chuckled.
“I didn’t tell you not to dump her in the snowbank.”
“Is Devon all right?”
Eagan chuckled. “He told her no more, put her in her crib, and shut the door. He’s fierce.”
Brand smiled, the corner of his mouth pulling up. “He is at that.”
“He’s right here. I need another doughnut.” Devon moved to beg a kiss from Brand.
“Mmmm. Anything for my sweet dragon.”
Eagan grinned when Tyson appeared, peeking into the kitchen. “Is it safe?”
“Yes. You wanted to just give in,” Devon accused.
“She has me where she wants me, I admit it.”
“Everyone needs a champion, Ty.” Devon went to hug Tyson hard. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas, brother.” Tyson hugged him, then worked his way around the room, hugging Ollie as hard as anyone.
“Are you ready for Christmas?” Oliver asked, laughing as Ty swung him around.
“I am!”
“Be gentle with my mate!”
Ollie laughed out loud. “I’m fine, you silly man.”
“He’s safe as houses with me, I’ll have you know. I would never drop him.” Tyson gave him a faux haughty look.
“None of you would. I’m safe as anything. Remember, Devon barbecued a vampire.”
“This is true.” Tyson waggled his eyebrows. “We haven’t heard from them again, have we?”
“Not yet, no.” Brand grinned.
“No, even Halle says no one has been haunting the store,” Ollie murmured.
“Good. Good.” Eagan rubbed his Oliver’s back, ready to be done with vampire talk. He thought it still worried his sweet lover.
Oliver looked up at him. We can’t let them near our baby.
We won’t, my love. We’ll stay here and keep both babies safe until DiMarco is dealt with. Perhaps Tyson should pay the vamp a visit, if they could figure out where he was.
He rubbed Oliver’s belly, petting and soothing, sending love to his mate.
Ollie relaxed against him, and he saw Brand do the same for Devon, giving him some love. The whole situation had scared him badly, despite the flames he’d spewed.
We’ll be safe, love. I promise.
I trust you. You came for me when I called for you. You are my dragon.
I am.
Devon tilted his head. “Okay, I hear a quiet sniffling. Shall I try again?”
Brand chuckled. “I’ll come with you, and we’ll explain the rules in her room. She does seem to understand most of the time.”
“I’ll get her bottle ready, okay?” Tyson looked almost as distressed as Arielle sounded. “She’ll need uncle-snuggles.”
“Thanks, Ty.”
“We’ll wait in the front room, get the fire going,” Eagan murmured, then poured another glass of milk for Eagan. They would get the scene well set.
He got Ollie settled on a sofa, wrapped in blankets, and he went to light the fire. Arielle was just overwhelmed by lights and noise. She would be happily tossing wrapping paper at any moment.
He sat next to Ollie once the fire was going, pulling a box out of his robe pocket. “I want to give you this now, before the others come, love.” He held his breath. Tyson had made the ring for him, and the turquoise and sapphire and emerald stones twined together in the gold like a peacock feather.
“Oh…” Ollie blinked up. “Really? It’s beautiful. It’s us. Together. Our scales.”
“It is. I asked Tyson to make it for you. Quite a while ago. He chose the stones.” Tyson was a bit psychic at times, he thought.
“Tyson loves you. He’s a good brother.”
“He adores you as well. It takes time for him to start acting like it.” Eagan slid the ring on his lover’s finger. His Oliver.
His mate.
His soul.
“I love you, dragon,” Ollie whispered.
“I love you too, my own. So much.” They heard Arielle squeal, and they both laughed. “Are you ready for this?”
“Not even a little bit. It’s going to be amazing.”
“It is.”
Then hurricane Arielle was there, Devon holding her back just enough to keep her from knocking down the tree. Tyson took pictures like a maniac, Brand handing out gifts in a Santa hat that had appeared from nowhere.
She loved the wrapping paper and ribbons. Loved it. Rolling and tossing and hooting with laughter.
Ollie took pictures too, and he hadn’t even realized Ollie had his phone. There were stuffed toys and my first books and a dragon hoard freshwater pearl from Tyson nearly as big as her head.
Then the storm was over as fast as it started. Arielle curled up with Ty, sucking her bottle, and the rest of them settled in with gifts.
Brand and Devon were drowning in books, Eagan loved everything in his pile of weird goodies. Tyson was happy with his new loups and chemistry set to share with Danger Mouse. Ollie had a new table for the reading r
oom, plans for a pool just for him at Ty’s, and a Devon-annotated copy of What to Expect When You’re Expecting.
He leaned back in his seat on the couch, holding Ollie close. “Happy, love?” he asked, nuzzling at Ollie’s hair.
“I am. You’re going to have to make an entire floor for her toys, Brand.”
“We’ll clear out a wing.” Brand laughed. “Or yes, build on.” He sounded so very pleased at the idea.
“I need to build her a science room at my house,” Tyson murmured.
“And we’ll have a huge schoolroom at ours, hmm? So they can learn what they need to,” Oliver offered.
“Oh, I love it.” Devon clapped his hands. “There’s so much for her to see in the city once she’s old enough. I’m so excited.”
Tyson nodded and kissed Arielle’s head. “Do you think…what if I…” He sighed.
“We all think.” Eagan gave him a stern glare. “It will happen. And until then, you will have your niece, and another bean here to love as well.” He put his hand over Ollie’s belly.
“And then we’ll have yours, and we’ll be a huge, goofy family.” Devon came to Tyson and hugged him. “Babies and mates and dragons and flying.”
“I don’t mean to be jealous.” Tyson was such a big softy. “I love you all more than I can say. You know that.”
“You heard him. I remember. He’ll call you again.” Devon sounded so sure, so serious.
Tyson pulled the empty bottle away from Arielle, then pulled her to his shoulder to pat her back. “If you believe it, I will.”
“I do.”
Oliver nodded. “Me too. It will happen. Anything can happen.”
“It’s the season to believe, yes?” Brand got up to go to the kitchen, returning minutes later with a pot of tea and some doughnuts and cookies. “Let’s toast to the joy of being together.”
Ollie sniffed. “Peppermint tea? You so rock.”
“You’re welcome, Ollie. There’s caramel apple for you, Ty. And black with milk for Dev and me.”
Eagan had taken a shine to peppermint tea, so he would bet that was in his cup.
Peppermint would always mean joy to him. Joy and new promises.
That was what he would remember when he looked back on this year in his long life.
