“At least you’re not pregnant,” Felix answers. And Kade smiles, stepping over to pull Felix against himself.
“Remember how I said that store manager waddles?” Felix says a little over eight months into the pregnancy. “Now I’m the one waddling.”
“You don’t waddle,” Kade murmurs, rubbing his swollen ankles. “You move fine.”
“I waddle, Kade. Don’t lie.” Felix pouts. Kade massages Felix’s calves, pressing his fingertips into Felix’s muscles, dragging them down, firm and warm. Felix moans, his fingers digging into the bed sheets. “That feels good. But it doesn’t mean you’re right.”
Kade grins. “Speaking of store manager, we never went back for the giraffe. Remember?”
“Crap. Yeah.” Felix sags, smoothing his hand over his belly. After the rush of moving into Kade’s place, unpacking, and getting his tenancy sorted out, he’d forgotten about the giraffe. “I never returned the key. Guess they hired someone else and they’re using another locker. I should text Susan.”
“Find a good time to visit,” Kade says, leaning in to kiss his knee. “We’ll grab the giraffe and go. Although I think you might be too big to fit on the bike.”
The child’s growing bigger now. Felix feels as though he’s always full, or he always needs to pee. He looks down at his swollen belly, at his heavy thighs and arms. “I don’t look that great now.”
“You look like you’re carrying our child,” Kade says, warm eyes coasting up Felix’s body. Felix has been wearing Kade’s sweaters, their extra width fitting snug around his belly. Kade’s nostrils flare. “You smell like it, too. Like a bit of honey mixed in with the lavender.”
“Oh, good. I thought I’d smell bad.”
“C’mon, you smell good.”
Felix picks at the hem of his sweater. Does he really? Maybe he shouldn’t be bothering Kade. They have things to buy for the baby, money to earn. He heaves himself up. “I should let you get back to work. Do a new painting for sale.”
Kade leans up, catching him around the waist. “It can wait,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to Felix’s forehead. Then he kisses Felix on the lips, a light, quick touch. Before Felix can move, Kade grabs his hip, rolling him onto his knees. “Heard being on all fours is good for you.”
Felix laughs.“Are you saying that just to keep me bent over?”
“You like bending over anyway,” Kade says, a smile in his voice. He slides his hand down between Felix’s legs, and Felix pushes into his palm.
“You might be making false accusations,” Felix says, wriggling his hips. The baby kicks inside his belly. “Oh!”
Kade leans in, flattening his hand against his abdomen. “It kicked?”
“Mm-hm. If you hold still, you might feel it again.”
Kade pulls a pillow over, tucking it under Felix’s belly for support. Then he slips Felix’s pants down, exposing his ass. “While I wait.”
“I wasn’t expecting you to multi-task,” Felix says. Cool air brushes over his skin, and Kade rubs his callused hand over his cheeks, slipping down his inner thighs. “And I don’t expect to tell any of our children this. ‘Did you know? Your dad fondled me while he was waiting for you to kick.’”
“More than one kid?” Kade grins.
“Do you want more?”
“Sure. We’ll see what you say after this one.” Kade slaps his ass lightly, kissing up Felix’s spine. Just as he reaches Felix’s shoulder, the baby kicks again. Kade’s breath catches. “I felt it!”
“I thought you might,” Felix says, smiling. Sometimes, it still amazes him how Kade is still around, how Kade is just as excited about the baby as he is.
“Can’t wait,” Kade says, biting lightly into Felix’s shoulder. “Want to see you with our baby.”
“And you will.” Felix grins, pushing back on him.
“Comfortable?” Kade runs his palm over Felix’s belly, a warm, comforting touch, and Felix grows damp, just thinking about how much Kade cares.
“Yes,” he say. Kade grinds up against him, holding Felix snug against himself.
Days like this are the best, Felix thinks. Just him and Kade, and their little bubble of safety.
51
Kade
“Why don’t you hand the key over, and I’ll grab the giraffe for you,” Kade says, pulling the connecting door open. “Not like you need to be there, right?”
“But I haven’t seen Susan in months,” Felix whines, following him into the garage. “I’ll be stuck at home once the baby arrives.”
Kade sighs. Doesn’t mean Susan can’t visit you. “You’re nine months pregnant. And my mom just went out with the car. I’m not taking you on the bike.”
“You’ve taken me on the bike other times.” Felix waggles his eyebrows.
Kade rolls his eyes. He studies the swollen curve of Felix’s abdomen, then the bike. It’s a horrible idea. “If you get on the bike right now, it’ll be a tough fit. I don’t wanna squash you.”
“It’ll be fine,” Felix says. “I promise. I’ll hold you away from my belly.”
“Still a bad idea,” Kade says, clicking the garage door remote. The door rumbles up, and cool winter air rolls into the garage, so goosebumps march down his skin. Felix shivers. So Kade shrugs off his coat, pulling it over Felix’s head. “Not gonna put you in danger.”
The thought of his pregnant bondmate out in traffic sends unease coiling through his gut. They could face speeding cars, or trucks cutting into their lane.
“It’s just a fifteen-minute ride,” Felix says, shrugging into the oversized sweater. “If we take the back roads and go slow, it’ll be safe.”
Kade sighs. There won’t be as much traffic if they wind through the housing estates. At 10 AM, few cars zoom down the roads. “You’re due next week. That’s a bad idea.”
Felix rubs his hands down his belly, his eyes pitifully wide. “The baby has been kicking, but I haven’t had contractions yet. See?”
Kade slips his hands under Felix’s sweaters, cradling his abdomen. It’s firm against his palms, warm, and their baby kicks against his hand.
Male omegas have a higher risk, the doctor said. The pregnancy has been fine so far, though. They’ve been through more doctor visits, and Felix has always checked
