There are… flashes. Little pops and bursts of fulfilment. And a conversation. The shape of it's there, but none of the details.
"… We talked about this, didn't we? Before…?"
Zeke nods, peeling open one eye. "Yep, we did. Don't worry, darling." He stretches and yawns. "Preheat memories can take a little while to settle. Give it a bit of time." He pushes my hair away from my face, making me wince a little when his fingers snag on a knot.
"Sorry. Couldn't get all the tangles out." I turn my head towards James' deep grumble as he pads out of the bathroom, clad only in tight black boxers, rubbing a towel over his damp hair. His half smile seems apologetic.
I smile back. "It was really thoughtful of you to try."
There's a warmth in my chest. A satisfaction. More than just mine.
Another flash of memory. I stumble out of the nest, my head spinning, falling over as I try to stand. James lunges for me, catching me before I hit the ground. He eases me down onto my knees.
"Take it easy, lovely. You've hardly eaten anything for the last four days."
There's a scoff from the bathroom. "Not for lack of trying." Seb's voice echoes against the tiles.
"Four days? So it's… uh…" I look up at James. He crouches down next to me, his hand warm against my cheek. I feel myself leaning into his palm. My gaze falls on his collarbone.
Something calming, soothing and safe bursts into my chest.
"It's okay, lovely. It's Friday morning. Gotta give your brain time to catch back up. C'mon, let's get you a drink, hey?"
James scoops me up, making me squeak. I lean my head against his chest as he carries me into the kitchen. He sits me on the bench, and pulls a yellow sports drink from the fridge.
I wrinkle my nose. He chuckles, putting it back. "Shit. Sorry."
I hear Seb snort as he follows us in. "Good luck with that." There's a perfect half-moon of scabbed-over teeth marks behind his ear.
James pulls out a bottle of water and a high-protein yoghurt sachet. "Here you go. Try that."
I gulp the water down gratefully. My stomach is still a bit sensitive, but I manage a few swallows of yoghurt.
"So, um, just double checking. I… I didn't… Did I? Um. Did I do anything you didn't want?"
Crap. I hope I didn't cross a line.
My breath catches in my chest. But the second it does, a flood of gratitude and affection swamps me. It's so strong I almost fall off the bench.
I squeal.
Apparently my face is telling a story, because Seb takes one look at it and bursts out laughing. He strolls over and plants a kiss on the top of my head, then plants one hand on either side of my thighs, and leans forward.
"Balga, trust me when I say this on behalf of all of us, everything that happened in that nest was something we wanted."
Something in my chest releases. My head drops as I exhale. "Okay. That's… that's good. Um. My brain is still… catching up, I think? Um."
Another little flash of memory. A conversation. Words dropping into place.
"I… I asked for your bond, didn't I…?"
James nods. I can feel a flicker of worry in my chest, but it isn't mine. I close my eyes, probing the feeling. It's coming from that safe, protective place. James.
"Oh. Um. I… I haven't changed my mind, or anything. I mean, it might have been a good idea to, like, talk a few practicalities through first, but—"
The worry peters out. James' smile grows a little easier.
Seb leans his head on my shoulder. "Can we talk that stuff through later, Balga? Yeah, there are things to work out, but d'you reckon they will keep for a day or so? Right now, James' alpha just wants to get you fed and hydrated, and I knowZeke would really like some more snuggles. And I could really use some, too, if you're game."
