Chapter 237

Dream retires to the apartment that had been offered to him, it was just down the hallway away from Hayden's and he's not surprised when the other shows up not long after, cradling Apple and offering company.

"You don't have to babysit me, Hay." Dream says fondly as soon as he shows up, already taking Apple from him. "I'm used to staying in an empty house."

It sounded sad but he was being honest.

"I'm not, I need company too, Virgil says I'm distracting him." Hayden complains with a pout, following Dream's lead to his new living room.

Dream snickers at this. "I can imagine, how is it getting married to a Werewolf?"

Hayden plops down on a sofa, socked feet raised in the air. "It's... strangely normal." He shrugs. "Or maybe it's because I've known Virgil all my life but that aside, how did it go with Dale?"

Dream just stops himself from rolling his eyes. "Fine, Hay, I'm not going to attack him or something." He says at the worried expression on Hayden's face.

"So you're friends?" He prompts with glassy eyes.

Dream winces, remembering their plain truce. "Well... you... you could say that." 

Hayden breathes out a sigh of relief. "That's good." His phone dings and he checks it with a furrowed brow which immediately melts to a smile.

Shana and Mae were coming over to dinner!

It had been so long, hmm... thinking about it he could also ask Dale over, it would be fun.

It would help his friendship with Dream... but...

"Dream? Mae and Shana are coming over for dinner, do you mind?" He asks considerately.

Dream blinks, Hayden was asking him... him! If he's other older friends could come over. 

"No, I don't." 

He rather liked Mae's company, she was open, honest, and warm plus the stories he had heard of Shana was enough to put her high up on his like list.

"That's great!" Hayden cheers, deciding to omit the fact that Dale might be coming over as well.

Dream just smiles, he could handle Mae and Shana, no biggie as long as Dale stayed on his own turf.

It wasn't that he despised the Alpha, rather, on the contrary, he was scared of falling in love and getting his heart broken.

•~•

"Why are you dragging me away from work?" Virgil asks with amusement in his voice, watching Hayden seriously tug on his wrist, which he allows obviously, following his cute husband's lead.

"It's almost time for dinner." Hayden explains with a serious expression.

"I know that, love but I still have some time to get a couple things done, dinner isn't ready yet." Virgil says as they get closer to their apartment.

Hayden gives him a look. "Shana and Mae are coming over." 

"Yeah, I know, you told me earlier, do I have to put on a suit or something?" He asks with barely concealed disgust.

Hayden laughs, leading him inside their house. "No, silly, your hair is wild and your shirt is crinkly." 

Virgil glances down at his top. "Do you mind it?"

Hayden pauses at this. "Um, no?"

"Then I look perfect." He announces, pulling Hayden backward gently to kiss him.

"Virgil..." Hayden warns teasingly against his lips, letting himself be kissed.

"Fine, do what you want." Virgil eventually agrees, settling on the bed.

Hayden gives him a 'thank you' kiss which escalates when Virgil tugs him down, making him lose his balance.

But Hayden wasn't about to fall for that, extricating himself from his husband's hold to go grab a comb and rifle through their shared wardrobe.

"Take your shirt off." He orders distractedly, busy looking only to turn around and panic. "I didn't say get naked, V!" 

Virgil pauses in yanking down his jeans, a 'faux' innocent expression on his face. "You didn't?"

"Yes." Hayden affirms, blushing a violent shade of red.

"It's strange for Shana and Mae to want to come over so suddenly." Virgil mumbles much later while Hayden is combing out his hair.

Hayden bites his lower lip, trying to concentrate which is more than a little hard when Virgil keeps nuzzling his stomach and slipping his hands up his shirt.

"I... I don't think so." He swallows, using his hands to thread through the pale blonde locks of Virgil's hair. "It's... It's been... ah! Don't tickle me!" He cuts himself off to complain, distancing himself from Virgil to glare at him.

Virgil just has an unrepentant look in his hooded eyes, settling his arms on his legs.

"As... As I w-was saying..." Hayden stutters, pushing his hair behind an ear. "It's b-been a while, I was thinking of a get-together or something." He shrugs dismissively, going over to the mirror to comb his own hair.

Virgil swoops to his feet at this and back hugs him, taking the comb from his hand to help him with the combing.

Hayden swallows, noting that Virgil is still very shirtless and pressed up against his back, their eyes meet in the mirror, and shivers ripple down Hayden's skin as he reminds himself to breathe.

Virgil very carefully Combs out his hair and then leans forward to kiss behind his ear and whisper. "Pretty." Before walking off to pull on the shirt that Hayden had picked out for him.

Hayden supports his weight with the dressing table, legs turned into jelly as he looks over to Virgil to get one of those his gummy grins.

"Ready for dinner, it should be about time." Virgil quips, coming over to offer a hand.

Hayden sighs with a soft smile and takes it. "Yeah." He says softly.

"You know it's going to be chaotic, you invited Dale." Virgil says conversationally as they leave the apartment.

Hayden frowns. "I didn't want him left out."

Virgil kisses his forehead. "I know, you're so precious." He says without hesitation.

Hayden blushes slightly at this, crossing his fingers and hoping it went well.

•~•

"Nana? Why are the stairs so many?" Ruby complains when they climb what seemed like the one-hundredth step to her.

"I don't know, baby. Mae supports her. "I keep telling the Alpha to put in an elevator.

Shana just gives them both a look, she was giving Ruby a piggyback ride while Mae held the little girl's hand at Ruby's insistence.

"We're almost there, okay." Shana reassures her. "Plus we can slide down the stairs on our way bac..."

"No, no!" Mae immediately cuts her off. "There will be none of that." She scolds.

Ruby giggles while Shana pouts. "Aw, you're no fun."

They had spent the last hour or so telling Ruby a little about the others but the only thing that seemed to stick to her was that she was going to eat food with Ma and Nana's friends - it was close enough for Shana.

They finally get to the third floor, while they were navigating the hallways they bumped into some members of the clinic who were pleased to see Ruby.

They take another way, not wanting to expose Ruby to the crowd of the dinner rush, heading for the special Alpha dining room.

They stop in front of the closed door and share a look, leaning in to listen in on what was happening inside.

"You go first, Mae." Shana whispers, gently lowering herself so that Ruby could slide down her back.

Mae nods at this and reaches out to open the door when Ruby interjects.

"No." She whispers furiously, not sure why her Ma and Nana were whispering but decides to do it too. "Let's all go in together." She begs, clasping her hands dramatically. "Pretty pwease." She lisps.

Shana and Mae share a quick look, knowing that there was no way they could say no to that.

"Alright, baby." Mae agrees, taking her hand.

Shana takes the other and pushes open the door. 

Everyone stops what they're doing and turns around at this, shocked expressions on their faces.

"So... Mae had a kid..." Shana starts to say to which Mae whips her head around in horror and swats her on the upside of her head.

"Don't mind Mae, we just had a little surprise to share, we adopted a daughter."

Dale picks this moment to stride in. "Whoa! Who's got the cute kid?" He asks with a smile.

Dream chokes on his glass of water at this while Jaxon knocks a couple cutleries over, the silverware crashing to the ground.

Virgil leans over to his frozen husband with a soft smile. "Enjoying the chaos, baby?"

Hayden gives him a small glare before standing up to try and restore sanity to the room.

"Congratulations, girls!" He walks over. "She's so pretty, what's her name?"

"Here let me help you with that." Leon offers, helping Jaxon pick up the littered spoons.

Dream drops the cup and tries to not die - as silently as possible - taking in large gulps of air because Dale was here! Dale was actually here in ripped skinny jeans and some kind of ratty t-shirt that looked like what a celebrity would wear.

Shana beams up at her friend, squatting slightly beside her daughter. "Her name is Ruby." She introduces as Hayden came closer.

"Ruby, this is Hayden, one of Ma and Nana's friends and your Luna." She says softly to the little girl.

Mae frowns slightly, something niggling at the back of her mind, she felt like she was missing something although she couldn't place a finger on it.

It doesn't hit till when Hayden is reaching out for Ruby, Hayden is human!