They came together in a kiss that started gently and quickly turned heated, two months of touches and exploration making them confident in what the other needed. Cord would never get tired of Billy’s taste, his scent, the little sounds he made when Cord found just the right spot.
“Best day ever,” Billy gasped when they broke for air.
Cord grinned, already working on Billy’s tie. “Day’s not over yet.”
Billy’s answering smile was wicked and full of promise. “Then we better make the most of it, alpha.”
And they did.
Epilogue
Billy’s stomach heaved again, and he gripped the toilet bowl with trembling hands. The cool tile beneath his knees did little to ease the nausea rolling through him in waves. He’d barely made it to the bathroom this time - the fourth morning in a row he’d woken up feeling like his insides were trying to escape.
“Babe?” Cord’s worried voice came from the doorway, followed by the soft pad of bare feet on tile. “Billy, sweetheart, what’s wrong?”
“I’m fine,” Billy managed between dry heaves, though they both knew that was a lie. His glasses sat crooked on his nose, and his dark, wavy hair stuck up at odd angles from sleep. “Just something I ate, maybe.”
Cord knelt beside him, one large hand rubbing soothing circles on Billy’s back while the other gently pushed his hair away from his clammy forehead. “Four days of food poisoning? I don’t think so.”
The concern radiating through their bond made Billy’s chest tight. He hated worrying his alpha, especially after everything they’d been through. Their honeymoon had been perfect - two weeks on the coast, just the two of them, no missions or work deadlines. Billy had gone into heat again while they were away, but that just added to the happiness and their closeness, locked together by Cord’s knot, listening to the waves smashing on the shoreline outside of the seaside cabin. They’d only been home three days when Billy started getting sick.
“Maybe it’s a bug,” Billy suggested weakly, leaning back against Cord’s solid chest when the worst of the nausea passed. His mate’s arms wrapped around him instantly, protective and warm.
“Hmm.” Cord pressed a kiss to Billy’s temple, his nose brushing against Billy’s hair. “Or maybe...”
Billy stiffened slightly. The thought had crossed his mind - of course it had. They’d talked about children, planned for them even. And with the recent heat… But so soon? They’d only been mated for three months, and had barely gotten over the wedding.
“I should probably take a test,” Billy whispered, as he reached up to adjust his glasses. “Just to rule it out.”
Cord’s arms tightened around him, and Billy could feel his alpha’s heart rate pick up through their bond - excitement mixed with worry and something that felt suspiciously like hope. “I’ll go get one. Several, actually. Different brands, just to be sure.”
“Cord…”
“No arguments. I’m going to get you settled on the couch with some ginger tea and crackers.” Cord helped him to his feet, steadying him when the room spun slightly. “I’ll be back in twenty minutes.”
Billy found himself bundled onto their living room couch with a soft blanket, a glass of water, and the TV remote before he could protest further. Cord was already pulling on jeans and searching for his car keys with single-minded determination.
“I love you,” Billy called out, emotion making his voice thick. Even after everything, the wedding, the house, the way Cord looked at him like he hung the moon… Sometimes, Billy still couldn’t believe this was his life.
Cord paused at the door, his expression softening as he looked back. “Love you, too, baby. So much.” His voice dropped, gentle but firm. “Whatever those tests say, we’ll handle it together. Yeah?”
Billy nodded, pulling the blanket up to his chin as Cord disappeared out the door. His hand drifted to his flat stomach almost unconsciously. Could there really be...?
His phone buzzed on the coffee table. A text from Cece:Brunch tomorrow? Tristan found this new place that serves bottomless mimosas!
Billy stared at the message, a slightly hysterical laugh bubbling up. Mimosas. Right. If his suspicions were correct, he wouldn’t be drinking those for a while.
Twenty-three minutes later (not that Billy was counting), Cord burst through the door with a pharmacy bag that looked suspiciously full.
“Did you buy out the entire pregnancy test aisle?” Billy asked, eyeing the bag with a mixture of amusement and nerves.
“Maybe.” Cord looked slightly sheepish as he unpacked box after box onto the coffee table. “I wanted to be thorough. Plus, the pharmacist recommended these vitamins, just in case, and I grabbed some more ginger tea, and those crackers you like, and…”
“Cord.” Billy caught his mate’s hand, stilling the nervous unpacking. “Breathe.”
They looked at each other for a long moment, years of loneliness and pain balanced against months of love and belonging. Love would always win. Whatever those tests showed, they’d built something together that could weather any storm.
“Okay,” Billy said finally, gathering up several of the boxes. “Let’s do this.”
