Page 81 of Breakaway
"You look good," Ingo responds. He met my brother during a lunch Mauve hosted as a sort of goodbye party for the Lokans and Reese. Bonds between Lokans and Sombrans are common enough, but none of us were really prepared for two grown men to all but maul one another before appetizers were served.
I step into the foyer, too curious about what Wyn looks like and not trusting him not to run off before I get a chance to see. What I'm not expecting is to see him in the same exact costume I'm wearing, stupid jingly shoes and all.
"Did they all plan this?" I ask, looking at Ingo, who's trying very hard to suppress his laughter. He's the largest of anyone in the family, so it's no surprise he's the one in the red and white suit.
"Gods," Wyn says, tossing his head back, his little green hat with a bell that matches our shoes attached to the end, jangles as he comes to terms with how awful our soulbonds have been to us this holiday season.
"Did Bree convince Yryff, or is he going to be the only one of us who got out of this?" I ask Ingo who's shaking with his laughter, though the sound has yet to escape him.
He doesn't get a chance to answer before the door swings open. There's an irritated look on Yryff's face as he shakes his feet to show how disruptive and annoying the shoes are. Bree is behind him, laughing with a hand on her swollen abdomen as the two of them join the rest of us. Yryff's eyes go wide as he looks from me to Wyn, and then casts a betrayed look to his soulbond, who is snorting with how hard she's laughing.
"We have to–" she waves her hand in front of her face as she keeps laughing. "We have to show your mom. Hurry before Yryff changes his mind." She waddles down the hall toward where my soulbond and parents are, and we can all hear when my family realizes that the rest of the group has arrived.
Mauve and Reese both squeal about Bree's belly and the little life growing inside. As much as Reese enjoys being around kids, it's not something she wants for herself. She's already said she's going to be the best aunt ever to the little ones that the crew and my brothers have, and that's more than fine by me. I never really thought about children. Some Sombrans have an innate urge to breed when they find their bond, but that was never in mine or my shadows' instincts.
Bree shows everyone back to the foyer so they can all get their laughs in about this whole ordeal. At least Reese's outfit is almost just as ridiculous as mine. Her brown onesie doesn't jingle, but the felt antlers she's wearing are adorned with multiple bells that make soft tinkling sounds with each move of her head.
"Oh, you three look adorable," Mauve says as she looks between her three very much not amused sons. Okay, we're all amused enough, but playing it up like we're put off by the wholething is only making it better for everyone else. "Let me go get my camera. I want pictures. Lots of them, boys!"
Mauve disappears deeper into the house in search of a camera that is probably somewhere. Dad follows behind her, chuckling to himself and shaking his head.
"There's eggnog?" Wyn asks, heading for the family room before I answer him. Of course, there's eggnog. Mom wouldn't have done all of this and not have had eggnog. Everyone else follows after him, and even Yryff looks like he's not going to make a run for it the first chance he gets.
"You three do look super cute," Reese tells me as she leans into my side. I glance down at her and see the grin she's wearing is more than a little devious.
"Are you proud of yourself?" I ask, having to fight my smile and the way my shadows aren't upset with Reese in the least. They think we look ridiculous when we're wearing anything other than our soulbond, so a silly costume is nothing to them.
"Oh, I'm more than proud of myself," she says, wrapping her arms around my neck and lifting herself up on her tiptoes so she's closer to my lips. Who am I to deny her? I lower my face to hers, and the little bell on my hat jingles, and Reese loses it. Whatever kiss she was about to bestow upon me has been thwarted by her laughter.
"I was being so good," she says, gasping for breath as she laughs harder.
"Yeah, yeah," I tell her, tapping my foot on the ground, adding to the jingle and causing Reese's laughter to become harder.
"If it makes you feel better, it was Bree's idea," Reese tells me, wiping at her eyes dramatically. "Ingo and I agreed to it without any fuss, but it was her idea."
"I'm in your mind, Reese," I tell her, making her think I already knew all of this. I had no idea, but I have a feeling she was scheming with my shadows to keep secrets.
Yes! We knew. Reese tells. We know, you don't. Hah.
"And what are you learning from my thoughts?" Reese asks, her fingers trailing down my bright red vest. "Because I know we were sneaky with the costumes."
"You were," I murmur. "What you're not sneaky about is how attracted to me you are when I'm dressed up as an elf."
Reese chokes on her laugh, but I don't give her a chance to deny it. She won't. Even without knowing most of her thoughts, I know her as a person. She never misses an opportunity to make some sort of salacious suggestion or brash comment to me. But she doesn't get the chance because I pull her to me, kissing away her need to make me flush for the time being. We stay in that moment for a long while until our breathing is heavy, and Reese lets out a needy little whimper.
"We should get back," I tell her, loosening the hold my shadows have on her.
Her lips press flat together, her pupils blown out with her need for more. "Zill, you can't just do that and tell me to go hang out with your family."
I shake my head, wrapping my arm around her shoulder and tugging her close to my side as I guide us back to the group. "I'm sure you'll think of plenty of devious ways to get back at me."
"Aren't I always?" she asks, smirking.
I kiss the top of her head. "I love you."
"I know," she says, stepping away from me, swaying her hips.
It shouldn't be as hot as it is when she's in a fuzzy onesie, but my soulbond is the sexiest person I've ever met. She grabs a cup of eggnog from Yryff, who's looking a lot less miserable as he smiles at Bree. I take in the whole picture, loving being with myfamily. The only thing that could make this better is if the crew could all make it this year.
Hey, Zill!Reese shouts into my mind. She's doing it on purpose because she knows very well how to speak to me mentally. I turn my attention to her, lifting a brow in question.I love you too.
A smile breaks across my face as someone knocks on the front door.
