“So kiss me.”
Ian’s cheeks darkened. He glanced at the other couples, but Brad had been telling the truth. No one even paid them the slightest attention.
Ian leaned in, and Brad held his breath. The times Ian initiated public kisses were few and far between. So having him slant his lips, his eyelids fluttering shut... Brad savored the sight.
Ian’s kiss was soft, hesitant. But he did it of his own accord, and Brad’s heart swelled.
He cupped the back of Ian’s head, deepening the kiss until their tongues tangled and Ian gasped against him. Musk coiled lightly from his omega’s skin; Brad growled, slipping his hand down Ian’s chest.
“We’re in public,” Ian hissed.
Brad dragged his palm down Ian’s midriff, sliding it along Ian’s abdomen. At twenty weeks, Ian’s belly was bigger now—half the size of a basketball. Their baby was in there, and Brad was waiting for him to kick. Couldn’t wait to feel their baby reacting to them, listening to their voices.
He grinned, nuzzling Ian’s ear. Ian blushed.
“So tell me,” Brad whispered. “Do I need to go beat up your mom or something?”
“Brad!” Ian squawked. “You can’t do that!”
Brad narrowed his eyes. “She made you cry, didn’t she?”
Ian looked away. “Well.”
“From the things you’ve told me about her, she isn’t that great a person.”
Ian sighed. “I don’t want to cast judgments.”
“Sometimes you have to, though,” Brad said. “So you know you’re not the one going insane. Sometimes you need to draw the line so you can tell where others fucked up, and it’s not your fault.”
Ian looked at his hands. “It’s harder when it’s your own parent.”
“I know, and I don’t mean you need to completely agree with me right now. But you’ve gotta acknowledge that the way you see yourself—that’s gotta change. You don’t deserve to beat yourself up, Ian.”
Ian swallowed, breathing out. “That sounds almost too easy.”
“It is. You know, I want you to tell yourself something every day. Every morning, when you wake up... Look in the mirror and say, ‘I am worthy.’”
Ian gave him an incredulous look.
“I mean it,” Brad said. “That’s how I think of you, anyway.”
“But I’m not!”
Brad rolled his eyes, nudging him. “That’s why you have me, isn’t it? So I can tell you that you’re being an ass.”
Ian grumbled. “I’m not an ass.”
“So do the thing. Look in the mirror. Once a day, more often if you want. Tell yourself what a beautiful person you are.”
Ian still looked doubtful, so Brad leaned their heads together, holding him close. “I wish you could meet my mom, you know. She’s the best mom ever. She’ll mom you like no other.”
Ian chuckled at that. “She’ll mom me? Is that a word?”
“Yup. It totally is.”
“I wouldn’t be much younger than her, would I?”
Brad chewed on his lip, imagining Ian and his mom in the same room. It still hurt to think about his mom, but now that he had his omega in his arms, it took the edge off his grief. “Well, maybe you and she will get along like normal human beings. It’ll probably feel strange, though. I mean, I wouldn’t know what it’d be like.”
Ian snorted. “Imagine Gwen dating someone a couple years younger than you.”
Brad imagined Gwen with some faceless person in their twenties. “That’s just creepy, Ian. She’s six!”
Ian laughed. “Then you know how I feel when I look at you.”
“I’m an adult!”
“You’re still almost two decades younger than I am.”
Brad met his eyes. Murmured, “In bed, when you’re asking me to fuck you, you don’t care how old I am. You just like my cock inside.”
Ian’s cheeks turned a dark red. “That’s not appropriate to talk about here. Or anywhere.”
“You aren’t denying it,” Brad said smugly.
Ian muttered under his breath, but he was smiling now, looking a whole lot better than he did in the car. Brad nuzzled his shoulder, stroking Ian’s waist.
“Ian McMillan!” a nurse called.
Ian jerked, shoving into Brad’s jaw. Brad bit hard on his tongue. “Ow, fuck!”
“I’m sorry!” Ian leaned away from Brad, horror flickering through his face. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine,” Brad said, tasting the tang of copper in his mouth. “Get going.”
He stood with Ian, following the nurse through a doorway. The nurse took Ian’s weight, and Brad sucked on his throbbing tongue. Ian looked worriedly at him.
“Stop fussing,” Brad said, nudging Ian. “I’ll give you something to fuss about in bed.”
The nurse chuckled, and Ian groaned. “Brad!”
“Gotta make someone laugh, right?” Brad grinned, squeezing Ian’s ass. Ian didn’t look appeased. Then they knocked on the door to the doctor’s office, and Ian led the way in.
Dr. Smith’s office smelled like hay—that was the first thing Brad noticed. Past the exam bed by the wall, and past the desk that occupied the other side of the room, Smith stood, reaching out to shake their hands. She was an older beta, with graying blond hair and crow’s feet around her eyes.
“Ian,” Dr. Smith said, nodding. “How have you been?”
Ian smiled wanly. “Decent. After I was last here... I had a baby girl. She was diagnosed with tetralogy of Fallot.”
Smith winced, gesturing for them to sit. “I’m sorry to hear that. How is she doing now?”
“She’s had a complete repair.” Behind the desk, Ian squeezed Brad’s hand tightly. “She had to have her pulmonary arteries widened a couple months back, but she’s recovering well.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” Smith pulled on her stethoscope, pressing it to Ian’s chest. Then, his belly. “Any other health issues?”
Brad listened as the doctor asked about Gwen. Then, they went through Ian’s health, diet, and exercise routines, and Brad stroked the back of Ian’s hand, pleased to know he was guessing Ian’s answers correctly.
“We’ll be doing an ultrasound first, and then we’ll be drawing some of the amniotic fluid for genetic deficiency tests,” Smith said. “Will that be okay?”
Ian nodded, wincing. “It will.”
Brad didn’t envy his omega at all, having to go through all those tests.
“Do lie down on the exam bed, Ian. Pull your shirt up.” Smith turned to the computer
