Wyatt gulped, his eyes disbelieving. “Hazel, too?”
“All of you are my family,” Raph murmured. “I’d adopt Hazel as my daughter. I’d love to have her.”
Wyatt’s chuckle began as a rumble in his chest. It lit up his eyes, his face, and when he laughed, tears glittered on his lashes.
Raph held his breath. “Gods, Wy. I didn’t mean to make you cry again.”
“I’m happy, Raph.” Wyatt clasped Raph’s hands, holding them tight. “I don’t—don’t believe I deserve you.”
Raph was about to protest, when Wyatt shook his head to stop him. “I’d love to have you be dads with me,” Wyatt said. “I think Hazel would love to have you, too. You’d have to ask her yourself. But what’s important—what’s most important—is that you’re here. I can’t... can’t thank you enough for tonight.”
“I hurt you tonight.”
Wyatt sucked in a deep breath, held it, and exhaled. His voice was still nasally from his stuffed nose. But he smiled, looking down at his belly. “I believe you,” he said. “It hurt when you said those things. But I asked you to do all that, and I knew you’d stop if I wanted.”
“I don’t understand why you’d want to get hurt,” Raph said. “Or how the hell you even get hard from that.”
Wyatt shivered. “I don’t know how I do, either. But when you say things like that... it goes straight down to my cock. Maybe I’m broken.”
If that was Wyatt’s thing, then that was fine. Raph would accept that. He leaned in, nuzzling Wyatt’s cheek. “Either way, I’m sorry for hurting you.”
“Don’t be.”
Raph scooped Wyatt up and rolled them around, so Wyatt lay on top of his chest. “No one else in the world like you.”
Wyatt dragged his nose along Raph’s skin. “Gods, I love you, Raph.”
“But tonight—you wanted to cry?” Raph asked, trailing his wrist down Wyatt’s back, all the way to his ass.
“Yeah. It feels good to just... let go.” Wyatt buried his face in Raph’s neck, the silvery scars of his bonding marks faint against his skin. “After the drive-in, with Max... I needed a cry. I’m feeling better now. Thank you.”
Raph stroked his hair, his skin. He’d witnessed Wyatt at his most vulnerable tonight, and it was humbling, knowing that Wyatt could have chosen not to share it. Wyatt was curled up against his chest now, languid, his eyes warm.
“I’m not shaming you again,” Raph said. “I can’t do it.”
Wyatt smiled crookedly. “It’s not something I’d want every week, no. Just on special occasions.”
And maybe Raph could do that, if Wyatt needed him to. He could bring Wyatt where he wanted, then lift him up after, show him he was loved.
“You’re worth everything in the world to me,” Raph murmured, pressing a kiss to Wyatt’s palm. “And whenever you’re ready... I want you to bite me.”
Wyatt’s eyes widened. Then he blushed, exquisite and beautiful, and he was Raph’s. “Really?”
“Yeah.” Raph held his wrist out to Wyatt, so Wyatt could accept it, bite him if he wanted.
Wyatt curled his fingers around Raph’s forearm, his eyes raking over Raph’s scent gland. He swallowed. “I don’t... don’t think I should, yet.”
Because they were still stepbrothers, and they’d been dancing around any concrete plans for the future. Raph shouldn’t even be doing this—he didn’t want to drag Wyatt into his own mess, when Wyatt had his worries to deal with.
“Will you ever?” Raph asked.
“When you move here,” Wyatt whispered, pressing a kiss to Raph’s wrist. “When... when it’s safe for us to go public about this.”
It wasn’t the best option. But for now, it would have to do.
22
Wyatt
Wyatt woke to the scrape of stubble on his belly. He groaned and shoved at it, only to realize he’d stuck his palm into Raph’s eye. Raph grunted.
“Oh, gods. I’m sorry. Are you hurt?”
Raph pressed a kiss to his belly. “No, I’m fine. Slept well?”
He caught Wyatt’s wrist, kissing his palm, then his fingers. Wyatt’s heart fluttered.
In the sunlight streaming across his bedroom, Raph had the hint of day-old stubble on his jaw. He snagged Wyatt’s fingers between his teeth, licking at his fingertips. Wyatt smiled, pulling his hand away.
“I’m fine,” Wyatt said. “How are you?”
“Good.” Raph studied him for a little longer. “No nightmares?”
“No, why would I?”
Raph shrugged. “Last night was... intense.”
It had been. Wyatt hadn’t thought Raph would agree. It had seemed like a stretch for him to ask, and more of a stretch for Raph to accept.
But Raph had. He’d slowly learned the words that would undo Wyatt, make him hard. It had been embarrassing. It had been painful. And Raph had cradled him afterward, had kissed him, and loved him.
Raph was nothing like Max had been. In this moment, with Raph pressing kisses to Wyatt’s belly, Wyatt felt wanted. Loved. Raph cupped the bump of Wyatt’s belly in his hands, pressing his lips to Wyatt’s skin.
“Hey,” he murmured. “I’m your dad. Wy’s your other dad. We’re both looking forward to meeting you.”
Wyatt’s cheeks heated. He hadn’t expected that. But Raph smiled, pressing kisses all over his abdomen. Wyatt ran his fingers through Raph’s hair, holding him close. He’d never had anyone want his baby this much, not like Raph did.
“I don’t know what I did to deserve you,” Wyatt said.
Raph met his gaze, his eyes sea-blue and solemn. “You didn’t need to do anything.”
Wyatt’s chest squeezed. He slid his hands around Raph’s face, pulled him up close. And then he kissed Raph hard, trying to show Raph everything he felt, that he had no words for.
Raph straddled him, tangling their tongues together, his breath heavy on Wyatt’s skin. “Love you,” Raph whispered, his hands cupping Wyatt’s belly. “Don’t know how else I can say it.”
Wyatt leaned into him, sighing. Months ago, he hadn’t been sure he could love Raph like an omega did his alpha. But he knew now, that Raph meant everything to him. Even if... “We’re brothers.”
“Stepbrothers.” Raph kissed him again, stealing
