He pulls me into his arms and keeps bouncing, much to my displeasure. “That’s T I double-Guh-Er to you!” A slobbery kiss lands on my cheek and he says, “I’m so proud of you for making a movie reference! Did you hear that, guys? I’m wearing off on her!” I shove him off with an elbow to the gut, and quickly make my way between the twins, before Alex tries to grab me again.
Marcus sets the timer again and moves it to the side, then puts his arm around me, kissing the side of my head. “So you made some pizza?” I ask him as I lean over the cheesy dishes, taking another mouth-watering sniff. He hums, and I ask another question, “What kind of pizza?”
I glance up and catch his smile. “I figured I’d make a variety so we can figure out what style is your favorite.” He points to the different pans in front of us sitting on racks to help them cool enough for him to cut into slices. “I made Chicago, New York, and Detroit style. Kept it simple with just cheese. We can figure out your favorite toppings at another time.”
Alex’s excitement must be contagious because I begin bouncing as I squeal and wrap Marcus up in a huge hug. “Eeek! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Yummm. I can’t wait to try them all!”
Our home fills with laughter as my men find joy in my excitement. “Hey, I helped make them! Don’t I get some lovin’ too?” William asks, holding his arms out for a hug. I fall into his hold, and after a moment, I turn around, keeping his arms wrapped around me.
The timer goes off, and Marcus jumps into action once again. He cuts into each of the three pizzas and grabs one of the plates to place a slice of each type onto it. I grab it from him when he hands it to me and wait for him to get a plate ready for each of my other guys. We bring our food to the kitchen table and I immediately pick up the deepest slice to try first. The moment it touches my tongue, a burst of flavor explodes in my mouth.
My moan makes each of my mates freeze amidst their activities. Derrick is holding his slice in front of his mouth. Alex is mid-bite with a string of cheese attached from his slice leading into his mouth. Klaus is using utensils to cut a bite so he doesn’t get any sauce on his hands. William is looking at me, yet his expression says he hasn’t tried pizza either. And then there’s Marcus.
Marcus hasn’t even touched his plate. It’s sitting in front of him, his hands folded together with his chin resting on them, and he’s staring me down. There’s an intensity in his eyes boring into me. “What?” I ask, wiping my mouth, thinking maybe there’s something on my face.
“I’m just waiting to see your reaction when you try each one. I want to remember the way you react when trying my food. Plus, this is the first time you’ve tasted my cooking. It’s a monumental moment for me, Babe. Just let me enjoy it, and make sure you voice out your every thought,” Marcus responds in answer to my question.
I almost find it disconcerting to have him staring me down as I taste each slice, but I try to ignore him.What a weirdo.I sample each one a few times before I’m able to pick which one is my favorite. “Okay, I think I’ve decided…” I pause to take a bite of the New York slice again. “Yep. I know how I want to rank them. Chicago style and Detroit are so close, but yet not tied, leaving Chicago as my favorite. The depth of the crust is my favorite, but then the cheese mix on the Detroit with the way the sauce is drizzled. Okay, maybe they’re tied. The New York style is also really good, but I just don’t like it as much as I enjoy the thicker crust.” I shrug my shoulders, hoping my explanation is good enough for Marcus to finally start eating his own food.
Marcus tilts his head to the side, thinking about what I said. After a moment, he speaks up. “But what do you think about it overall?” There’s a vulnerability to his question, and I realize I didn’t exactly say how much I loved it, just how I would rank them.
I immediately sing his praises over his cooking. “Oh, my Fates. I fucking love it! This is my new favorite food right after that candy Derrick gave me. Like... if I could eat this for every meal without getting sick of it, I would. Extra kisses go to the chef tonight!” He shows a cocky grin and picks up his own slice to eat.
The others jump in to praise his skills in the kitchen before our conversation gravitates to everyone’s day. It’s clear we’re all trying to share our day, while still avoiding the topic of going to war with Silas. We make it through the meal, polishing off every morsel of pizza, and clear the table. Derrick and Alex start washing the dishes, an act of normalcy that seems so at odds with our everyday lives. It doesn’t take long for them to get in a water fight, soaking themselves and the kitchen floor.
Knowing it’s inevitable for them to drag me into their fight if I stay, I turn and flee from the kitchen to find William and Marcus pulling some throw pillows from the couch to make more room. As I approach, Marcus gives me a stunning smile of pure joy. His hands go to my waist and mine slide up his chest before circling around his neck. “Thank you for such an amazing dinner. I may just have to pass you the list I’ve compiled of things I want to try,” I murmur just for him.
“I’ll be personally offended if you don’t. I want every moan to pass your lips belonging to one of your mates. If you try someone else’s food, you might let that glorious sound slip... I just can’t allow that to happen.” He nuzzles my nose and I pull him down for a slow, sweet, all-consuming kiss.
Pulling back, I say, “I wouldn’t dream of it. I can see your caveman dominating reaction right now.” My tease comes with a wink. “So what else do you have planned for family night?”
“Cuddling up and watching movies, while trying not to be driven nuts by Alex quoting them all night,” he says before chasing my lips again.
“Dibbs on sitting next to our girl,” Alex shouts from the kitchen.
Before anyone else can respond, I quip back, “Not unless you’re dry! I’m not snuggling up with a wet puppy!” The guys snicker as he pouts.
“Quite right, Angel. You’re the only one who should be constantly wet around here,” Alex retorts. So much for him not being so dirty while in his sweet mood.
“So what are we putting on first?” William asks the room. He picks up the remote and clicks through the huge catalog of movies Alex has available.
It’s not a surprise when Alex throws out the first idea. “Let’s watch300, it has some fantastic battle scenes.”
“Absolutely not! The good guys die in the end,” Klaus rejects the idea.
“Whoa! Spoilers much?” William complains.
“Okay, how aboutGladiator?” Alex tries again.
“His family dies in the beginning! Why would we want to watch that right now?” Derrick sounds thoroughly offended that Alex would suggest such a plot right now.
“Spoilers! Fuck’s sake! Some of us haven’t had the luxury of watching movies whenever they feel like it.” William is getting a tad heated and throws the remote onto the couch. “Call me when you’ve picked something,” he says before striding from the room.
“How about theAvengers?” Derrick throws out.
“Superhero movie? Really? We can do better than that,” Marcus says, jumping into the conversation and taking a step away from me.
They all busy themselves discussing the merits of several war movies. I even hear Alex making an argument for us to watchLord of the Rings, even if we don’t have enough time to watch all three tonight. I ignore them and take a seat on the middle cushion of our couch, knowing I’ll eventually be joined by a mate on each side. Picking up the abandoned remote, I flick through our options and a wide grin appears when I spot the movie I want to watch.
