Ian leaned into Brad, sick to his stomach. “What if it all goes to hell? I can’t—can’t lose my job.”
He whimpered, burying his face in Brad’s shoulder.
“It’ll be fine,” Brad rumbled, stroking Ian’s back.
“No, it won’t. Your dad has already tried to replace me with June. She said no, but... I don’t know. I’m really uncomfortable with it.”
Brad swore; his grip tightened around Ian. “He did what?”
“I could’ve been taken down a rank.” Ian breathed out the tightness in his chest. He couldn’t shake off the sense that he was in danger. “I don’t have much job security here. All it takes is for June to agree to a promotion.”
“You’re tenured,” Brad said. “That’s not fucking fair.”
“Nothing in life ever is.”
Ian hugged himself, his hands shaking. Already, he could imagine Sue returning home, telling her friends what she’d seen. How long until the news traveled?
All it had taken was one kiss, a reckless moment. If Ian lost his job... he wouldn’t be able to afford his baby. Or Gwen’s hospital visits.
Disgusted with himself, Ian pulled away from Brad, shoving his things into his bag. He needed to get home, pull out the scalpel he’d hidden away from Brad. Maybe lock himself in the bathroom.
“Hey.” Brad slid his fingers into Ian’s hair. Ian eased away from him.
“No more. Not here.” Ian looked away, clipping his bag shut. He needed to look at the noticeboard. See if Harold had put up any other announcements about staffing changes.
“C’mon, Ian.”
“No. It’s too dangerous.” Ian glared, and Brad frowned.
“Fine,” Brad said. He returned to his desk, tossing his things into his own bag. Then he rounded the teacher’s desk, catching Ian’s hand. “C’mon. Let’s go home.”
Ian savored the warmth of his alpha’s fingers. Then, just before they opened the classroom door, Ian eased his hand out of Brad’s, stepping away from him.
Brad growled as they strode down the hallways, barely glancing around them. “You’re mine, you know. I don’t care who finds out.”
Ian sighed. “I do. I need this job, Brad. I don’t have the ability to get hired quite as quickly as you do.”
Brad frowned. “I hate that. It’s not fair, either.”
Ian wanted to get home, lock himself up. Carve out the discomfort that gnawed in his bones.
They stopped by the noticeboard outside the department office. The glass doors were locked, and the office beyond was dark, empty.
Right in the middle of the notices, there was a small announcement printed on white paper.
Upcoming staffing rotation. Dr. Larry Wicksworth will be joining the inorganic chemistry department. Possible nanoparticle lab reassignments. - Harold Saxon
Ian’s stomach dropped. That was his lab.
Brad swore. “He can’t do that to you.”
“It looks like he can.” Ian looked bonelessly at the sign, his pulse pounding in his ears. He hadn’t done anything wrong. Or had Harold found out, somehow?
“It doesn’t say anything about you,” Brad muttered. “At least, nothing conclusive.”
Ian closed his eyes, panic thrumming through his veins. Did this mean he had to meet with Harold again? Had Harold smelled Brad on him, somehow?
“I could talk to him,” Brad said. “Punch his lights out.”
“No, don’t.”
“What about I hunt him down and rip his balls off?”
Ian cracked a smile. “Not that, either. I appreciate the sentiment, though.”
Brad watched Ian, a tiny grin spreading through his face. “At least you’re smiling now.”
Ian looked down, his heart pattering. Through his fear, Brad was someone he clung to.
“No violence,” Ian said.
“Just in bed, right?” Brad murmured. “When you want it hard.”
Ian’s cheeks burned, and Brad smirked. They left the question hanging, heading back to the lab.
There, they found Gwen pasting stickers into her sticker book, sitting at her usual spot by the computer desks.
“Hey, kiddo,” Brad said, ruffling her hair.
Gwen scowled. “My hair!”
“One of these days, you gotta stop fussing so much about your hair,” Brad said, scooping her into his arms. “How’re you?”
“Good.” Gwen stuck her tongue out. “You’re like Daddy, always worrying.”
Ian sighed. “I want the best for you, hon.”
“I know, I know.” Gwen huffed, squirming around in Brad’s arms. Then she reached for Ian, and Ian’s heart fluttered.
It was comforting, knowing that Gwen still wanted him around. Especially now that she had Brad, too, and Brad had been helping her so much with her schoolwork.
He stepped up close to Brad, hugging their daughter. This had his arms brushing against Brad’s chest, and Ian couldn’t help wanting more of Brad’s warmth. He wanted to just sink into Brad’s chest, and forget today happened.
Instead, he hugged Gwen, burying his nose in her hair. She smelled like shampoo and sweat, and it calmed Ian to have her in his arms again.
“I’m strong,” Gwen said, flexing her arms. “Look!”
Brad laughed. “Just like me.”
“Daddy says I’ll probably be an alpha when I grow up.” Gwen puffed up her chest. “I wanna do all the things!”
“You will.” Brad set Gwen on her feet. Then he crouched before her. “You think? What do you wanna be?”
“I wanna be just like you,” Gwen said. Hesitantly, she added, “Daddy.”
Brad’s eyes grew round. Then he smiled so wide that Ian thought his face might crack. Brad glanced at Ian, as though he wanted to say, Did you hear that?
Ian laughed softly. Over the past few weeks, Gwen had been settling into the idea of Brad being her father. A couple days ago, she’d begun to call Brad Daddy, and Brad had been overjoyed each time.
It was amazing that Brad wanted to be part of their family.
“Yeah?” Brad asked. “You wanna be me when you grow up?”
“Yes! I wanna drive all the trucks!” Gwen wriggled, and Brad danced with her in a circle, careful not to crash into anything in the lab.
“So are you guys getting married?” On the other side of the lab, June looked up from her test tubes. “Sorry to interrupt.”
Ian blushed, glancing around. There wasn’t anyone else save for June—the undergrads had left, and the post-docs had gone out to dinner.
Brad met Ian’s eyes. “You wanna?”
Ian’s stomach flipped. Then he thought about Sue
