The Holly and the Tentacles (Tinsel and Tentacles 2.0)

Chapter 14

Chapter

Fourteen

L egacy held Aeryn close, his heart heavy. He’d been home for two weeks, and they already wanted him to turn around and go to another job site. He was supposed to get a month, dammit.

“I’m sorry, love.” It was mid-August, and while it wasn’t hot on the space station, it was down on the main drilling site, the planet mimicking old Earth.

“I know.” Aeryn sighed. “I do.” He kissed Legacy’s chest, his belly, which was getting pretty rounded, pressing against Legacy’s ribs. “I just worry about you. All that transport, and you have to be tired when you’re working.”

“I am.” He worried too. If he, or one of the other guys screwed up, he could be ended, and then where would Aeryn be?

Aeryn never complained. Not ever. He called Legacy every night. He had welcome-home signs every time Legacy came back and a smile on his face.

He just—“I love you,” Legacy said. “And I hate this.”

“I do too, love.” Aeryn petted him, loving on him. Soothing him. Him .

His pregnant omega, who was trying to hold it all down at the space station, was comforting him.

“I love you too.” Aeryn kissed his neck.

“Good.” He pondered his options. He could ask one of the guys, one of his friends, to take the next off-site job. But the whole point of the deal he’d made was to have some extra money when the baby came, and to be able to make better choices then.

And if one of his friends got hurt, or worse, off-site… Well, Legacy would never forgive himself.

“You want to go out and get food tonight, baby?” he asked.

Aeryn glanced up at him, chewing on his lower lip. “I mean, sure.”

“Are you okay?” He frowned when Aeryn looked down, his cheeks red.

“I am. Of course.”

“Has someone been mean to you, baby?” He sat all the way up, staring at Aeryn.

“Define mean.” Aeryn sat up too, kind of straddling him, that adorable belly sticking out. “I mean, not much more than usual, but I did get a couple of snide comments this week.”

“Dammit. Well, I’ll get one of the guys to start walking you to and from work.” He had enough real friends, and casual buddies, that someone would be available every day, thanks to the shift work.

“You don’t have to…” Aeryn trailed off, his smile huge and blinding all of a sudden. “Oh. Feel.” He took Legacy’s hand and pressed it to his belly.

He felt the movement there, strong and good, and he hummed. “Wow. Oh, wow. Baby. How long have you been feeling it?”

“A few weeks. Barb had to tell me it wasn’t gas.” Aeryn snorted. “I felt like a dork.”

“That’s so awesome.” His baby. Moving. “Have you—I know you had to go to your check-up without me. Did you find out…”

“Not yet. I decided to wait until you could come.” Aeryn had told the docs not to tell him if it was a boy or a girl, because he wanted Legacy to be there.

“I’ll make it to your next appointment if I have to set the mines on fire so I have downtime.”

Aeryn snorted. “No getting sent to detainment.”

“No. That would never do.” Legacy stroked Aeryn’s hair. “I still want to take you out.”

“Oh, I?—”

“Maybe we can get Jameson and Garmon out with us.”

“Oh?” Aeryn brightened. “I would like that.”

“We could go to the place with the pizza and the games…” Aeryn’s morning sickness had finally eased off, and as long as he didn’t eat greasy meat toppings, pizza was back on the menu.

“I would love that.” Aeryn beamed at him, and Legacy felt ten feet tall.

He’d put that smile on Aeryn’s face.

“I’ll call Jameson while you go get dressed.” This way, he could take his friends out for pizza and ask them to help out Aeryn at the same time. He didn’t trust the rough, hidebound miners around him with his pregnant omega. Not one bit.

He wanted Aeryn safe. Legacy wanted a plan, just in case something happened to him too. He needed to speak to Aeryn’s super, Barb.

She would be able to get Aeryn someplace safe if?—

He took a deep breath, smiling as Aeryn dropped a kiss on his nose. “Be right back.”

“All right, baby.”

He grabbed his comm and called Jameson.

“Dude! You came up for air.” Jameson said when he answered.

“Ha-ha. You busy?”

“Nope. I was contemplating my navel.”

“Linty. You want to go out for pizza? Grab Garmon and a few guys? Aeryn is…feeling low and not having a good time of it.”

“Shit. They’re bothering him?”

“I think so, yeah. You know he never complains.” Legacy loved Aeryn, but sometimes information was good. He needed to know things.

“I know. I stop by to see him about once a week. Just to make sure he’s cleaning the apartment and doesn’t need me to walk him to work. He keeps feeding me.”

A little spurt of jealousy rushed through him. Jameson was seeing his omega more than he was.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t sound so sour, man. I don’t have designs on Aeryn. I just like him.”

“No, I know.” Legacy got up, taking his milk glass to the sink. They’d had a snack and a nap. “I just hate that you see him more than me.”

“How much longer on the thing you signed?”

“December.” Too damn long, and they were already fucking him on the terms, though the bonuses were amazing. “I want to be able to provide for him and the baby, so I’m hanging in, you know?”

“I do. Look, if you need me to volunteer?—”

“The conditions are not ideal for you, Jamey,” Legacy said. “It’s super hard rock. Your expertise is sandy, soft stuff.”

“Yeah. Maybe Gar.”

“I just have to push through. And also insist they follow the contract. No more pushing.” He could do that. For Aeryn. It wasn’t just about him anymore. He needed to stand up for his lover.

“Yeah. Okay, I’ll call Gar. Where are we going?”

“Pizza and games. Aeryn got excited.”

“Good deal. Half an hour?”

“Perfect.” He keyed off and went to change. He headed to the bedroom, finding Aeryn brushing his teeth.

“You get a hold of Jameson?”

“Mmhmmm.” He slid his arms around Aeryn. “He’ll meet us there.”

“Thanks, love.” Aeryn leaned. “This sounds like fun.”

Legacy nodded, kissing the top of Aeryn’s head. God knew they could all use a little of that.