by Toni Aleo
“I went to your house and got everything you needed. Erik didn’t want to leave y’all,” Elli said, placing the things on the chair before coming toward the bed.
“Oh my stars, look at him,” she gushed as she grinned back at Piper. “Gorgeous, just like his daddy, but he’s got your eyes.”
“You think?” Piper asked with a grin.
Everyone nodded as Elli said, “I wouldn’t be surprised if they turn blue. My goodness, he is beautiful.”
“Thank you,” Piper gushed as she looked around the room for Erik. She was going to ask if he thought Dimitri had her eyes, but he was gone.
Where’d he go?
* * *
Erik was on cloud nine, but he was sick and tired of people interrupting his time with Piper. He knew it was expected with the new addition to the family, so he tried not to be that mad, especially knowing that he and Piper had the rest of their lives together.
Or at least he hoped they did.
Coming out of the room, Erik found himself almost running right into Shea. Looking up at his captain, he smiled before asking, “Did you get that for me?”
Shea nodded. “Yeah, Elli got pissed because she didn’t want to stop by the store, but I explained that you didn’t have time to get it.”
Erik smiled as Shea handed him a bag that held something for Piper. “Thank you.”
“No problem; make sure you consider what we discussed, okay? Elli will need to know and I think you’d make a great alternate captain,” Shea said before reaching for the door to Piper’s room.
“Thanks, Shea. I’m thinking yes, but I’ll talk it over with Piper first.”
“Sounds like a good idea,” She said. “I’m going to go check this kid out, and hopefully he’ll be my right winger for the next generation of Assassins.”
Erik laughed as Shea disappeared into the room. With Piper’s gift in his pocket, he looked to the left to see his father standing with Blake. Just the man I was looking for, he thought as he made a beeline. Blake looked up and smiled as Erik approached.
“Gorgeous boy, Erik. He’s perfect,” Blake said as he grinned at Erik. Blake and Erik had always gotten along but he still felt there was tension between them. He figured there was a lot of reason for that and he was ready to take the steps to make things good between them, because he wasn’t going anywhere.
“We are so proud of you two,” Cooper said.
“We really are,” Blake said, squeezing Erik’s shoulder.
“Thank you, but I need to ask you something,” Erik said to Blake.
His eyebrows came together as he nodded. “Sure.”
“My father always taught me that when you meet that girl, the one that would make it hard for you to breathe, you should marry her but not to forget to ask her father first.”
Blake looked confused but nodded. “That’s good advice.”
“It is, but I didn’t do it,” Erik said, his eyes never leaving Blake’s. “And I know that bothers you.”
Blake nodded. “It did, but it’s no big deal now, son. You are family now, and also a good man for my amazing daughter.”
“I am becoming one and that is because of your daughter, but I wasn’t before. I’m ready to make things right, Blake, and first I want to ask you if I can have your blessing to marry Piper.” Erik paused and swallowed loudly. Cooper stood by, a small smile pulling at his lips as Erik went on. “I want to marry her. I can’t promise that I’ll be the best husband. I might do something to make her cry, or I might not say the right things or tell her everything I’m thinking. But I’ll love her, I’ll wipe her tears, and I’ll apologize when I say those things I shouldn’t. I’ll love her until my last breath, and I’ll make her happy. Or at least I’ll try.” Erik’s hand moved to the pocket that held his gift for Piper. “I just want to love her for the rest of my life. I want to be the father I’ve been raised to be, and I want to be the husband your daughter deserves. I just want your blessing to do that.”
Blake looked to Cooper before looking back at Erik. He then started laughing and said, “I thought y’all were already married.”
“We are, but I want it to be for the rest of our lives.”
Blake crossed his arms, his brows coming together as he looked deep into Erik’s eyes. “So when you married her three months ago, you didn’t feel this way?”
“No, sir.” Blake’s eyes narrowed as Erik continued. “I didn’t know what I had in front of me. I didn’t know that I was married to the most spectacular woman ever. The one with the kiss-me grin and flighty way of life. She may not have it all together and she may change her mind more than she changes her underwear, but together, me, her, and now Dimitri, we have it all, or at least I think we will. If you’ll give me your blessing and she’ll have me, too.”
Erik could see that Blake was still confused and maybe a little mad but that didn’t keep Erik from going on. “I’ve messed up and I intend to make it right. I apologize for the pain I’ve put her through and I promise I’ll never do it again.”
He could see Blake’s hesitation and Erik held his breath as his stomach dropped. He wanted to do right by Piper, and asking for her hand seemed like the right step to take to make things right between them. Not only would it help with her dad, but it would also make her feel like she was special enough to have a man ask for her. Erik meant what he said and he intended to stay true to those words.
They both didn’t have it together, but together they had it all.
Looking back up at Blake, he found him nodding his head as he said, “I have no clue what has been going on, and honestly I don’t want to know. You know, Rowan and I consider you family and we know Piper loves you, so yeah, you have my blessing to marry my daughter again.”
Blake was quick to grin as Cooper laughed beside him, but all Erik could do was try to catch his breath.
One step down, a billion more to go.
“I won’t let you down, either of you,” Erik said earnestly.
Cooper grabbed Erik’s shoulder and smiled. “You haven’t let me down yet.”
They shared a long, loving look and at that moment, Erik’s only wish was that he could be half the man Cooper was, because then Erik knew he would be the best damn dad imaginable, and a devoted husband, too.
He wanted those things.
And he wanted them with Piper.
* * *
“Oh, I can’t wait to have mine,” Audrey gushed as she leaned against Piper, looking down at Dimitri. “I can’t believe you went into labor during my wedding.”
“Who you telling? Erik thought I pissed on myself!” Piper laughed, and soon everyone in the room was laughing.
“That sounds like something that bonehead would think,” Phillip said as he munched on the chips Elli had brought for Piper.
Piper shook her head as he grinned at her and she figured that Phillip was going to be a permanent fixture in her life if things worked out with Erik. So she might as well get used to him.
“How was the delivery? Did Erik pass out or anything?” Fallon asked, cutting a look to Lucas.
Lucas glared as he wrapped his arms around a laughing Fallon. “That was a one-time thing.”
“Okay,” she teased as she giggled.
“No, he was amazing,” Piper said lovingly. “A total lifesaver. I don’t think I could have done it without him.”
“Aw, that’s so sweet,” Audrey gushed as she looked up at Tate. “You should go take notes from Erik, baby!”
Tate smiled as Shea said, “Notes won’t help till you’re in there. It has been different all three times, huh, babe?”
Shea wrapped his arm around Elli as she nodded. “Yup, each time and I had C-sections, which are all pretty much the same, but each time was different than the last. The boys being the worst.”
Piper watched as Shea leaned down and kissed Elli on the lips; she couldn’t help but hope for a love like theirs. She then looked over to see that Tate was looking a little scared, but when Audrey looked up at him, he gri
nned widely at her. They were so cute and she couldn’t wait to meet their little girl. With a smile she looked back at Elli.
“That reminds me, isn’t it about time for y’all to be pregnant again?”
The room erupted in a roar of laughter as Elli turned deep red. Shea grinned down at her as she said, “We are waiting till the boys are one, thank you.”
“Sure you are,” Harper said with a laugh as she leaned her head against Jakob’s arm. “They are pregnant right now, but don’t want to steal your glory, Piper.”
Everyone started to laugh as Elli shook her head, a grin on her beautiful face as she looked up at her husband lovingly. “Not yet.”
Looking around the room, Piper cherished all of these people; they loved and cared about her and it felt amazing to have them in her life. She smiled as she thought that Dimitri was never going to be alone. He would always have friends and family, and cousins to gush over him and love him.
Piper looked up to see Erik enter the room and her heart began to race at the sight. When he looked over at her and smiled, she knew that both she and Dimitri were also lucky to have him. She just hoped that it would be forever. Watching as he greeted and hugged his teammates, he made his way toward her and then looked down at Reese with a grin.
“You’re in my spot.”
She laughed and said, “You’re lucky I kind of like you.”
Erik smiled. “I am lucky.”
Reese shot him a grin as he scooted in close to Piper, moving a piece of hair off Dimitri’s forehead. It seemed like a waste for Dimitri to have so much hair, since he was a boy, but then again, Piper loved it.
“Look up, guys,” Elli said.
Piper did as she was asked to see that Elli was holding up her phone. Putting her hand up, she said, “Ew no, Elli. I look like poo.”
Erik laughed as he pushed her hand down and said, “You look gorgeous, now smile.”
Piper looked at him with a half grin and he smiled back, before leaning over to kiss her softly on the lips. Parting, they both turned to grin at the camera but Elli wasn’t looking.
“Elli!” Piper complained.
Elli looked up and laughed. “Oh, I took it of y’all kissing, but I’ll take this one, too.”
Satisfied with her picture, Elli said, “I’m putting it on the team’s Twitter so everyone knows about the addition to the Assassins family.”
Shea smiled over at them and said, “Erik, I’m pretty sure Dimitri will be a great right winger.”
“I think so, too. Look at those shoulders. Those are hockey shoulders.”
Piper laughed as she rolled her eyes. “Y’all are nuts.”
“You didn’t know that by now?” Fallon said with a laugh.
Erik smiled as he leaned into her, taking Dimitri’s little hand in his. “Tell Mommy, say, ‘I could fight for days with these fists, boom, boom,’ ” he said, pretending that Dimitri was throwing a punch. Piper shook her head as she laughed.
“Not to be rude,” Reese said, standing up and clapping her hands together, “but I think we all need to leave Mommy and Daddy alone with their baby.”
Piper wanted to jump up and kiss her sister.
“She’s right, we’ll come and bother y’all once you’re out of the hospital. Get some rest, Piper, and congratulations,” Elli said as she smiled down at them.
“Thank you, everyone, for coming,” Piper said as Erik stood up, hugging and shaking hands as everyone started to leave. Finally the room was clear and when Erik turned to grin at her she said, “Thank God.”
“Right?” he asked, coming to the bed and sitting back down, but right as his butt hit the bed, the door opened again and in came Alla and Cooper.
“For fuck sakes,” he whispered as he looked up at his parents.
“We’ll be quick, I promise,” Cooper said with a shake of his head.
Alla laughed. “We just wanted to bring y’all some dinner and to kiss Dimitri goodbye before we went home.”
That was when Piper noticed the bags they held. It was takeout from Virago, Piper’s favorite sushi place. Looking up at Alla like she had just given Piper a check for a million dollars, she said, “Oh God, bless you.”
“I know you said you missed sushi, so we went and got all your favorite rolls. Figure once you put the baby down for a few minutes, you two could eat.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Erik said as Cooper came to the bed, kissing the top of Piper’s head.
“Good job, kid; he is gorgeous,” Cooper said, taking Dimitri’s hand in his.
“Thanks, Cooper. He looks just like your son,” Piper said with a grin.
“Sure does.”
“He is just too cute for words, I can’t wait to get him home and play with him,” Alla gushed, pushing Erik off the bed so that she could get closer to Dimitri. Erik made a disgruntled noise as Piper giggled.
“Babushka will spoil you rotten.”
Piper leaned in to Alla and said, “What the heck did you say?”
Alla laughed. “Babushka, ‘grandma’ in Russian.”
“Oh, that’s neat, but don’t expect him to say that for a while,” Piper said with a grin.
Alla shook her head. “He’ll get it; don’t you worry about that.”
She took his little fist in her hand and smiled as she looked down at him.
“You two are very blessed; he is a beautiful miracle.”
Piper nodded as she looked up at where Erik was leaning on the wall and said, “Yeah, we are.”
Cooper leaned over and kissed Dimitri on the head before standing up. “All right, come on, woman, let’s go. These two need to eat and spend time with their little guy.”
Alla made a sound of protest but did as she was asked after giving Dimitri and Piper a kiss. Standing up, she hugged Erik tightly and said, “Call us if you need anything.”
Erik smiled as they said goodbye and when the door shut, Erik asked, “Should I go lock it?”
“Can you?”
“I don’t know,” he said, glancing back at the door before grinning over at her. “The nurses might need to get in.”
“Yeah, just leave it.”
He nodded as he came back to the bed, and held his arms out for Dimitri. Piper smiled brightly up at him before handing Dimitri over to him. Once he was comfortable in Erik’s arms, Piper shook hers out while watching Erik kiss Dimitri’s head.
Sitting down beside her, Erik asked, “Are you hungry?”
“Not really,” she answered.
“Okay,” he said as he held Dimitri’s hand in his. Nothing was said as they both watched their son sleep. It was such a beautiful sight to see and watching him love his son made Piper love him a little bit more. Looking up at the side of his face, she smiled when he looked over at her.
“I think we need to talk.”
He smiled and with a nod said, “Yeah.”
When neither one of them said anything, Piper laughed nervously as she looked at her baby. Knowing that she needed to know what their future held, not only for her but for Dimitri, too, she started the conversation. “Are you coming home with us tomorrow?”
Looking up she saw Erik nod. “I want to.”
“For how long?” she asked, as her heart started to beat louder than a drum.
“Forever if you let me,” he said softly.
Her heart stopped as she looked deep into his eyes. “Really?”
He nodded. “You know what I was thinking yesterday, during the wedding?”
She paused, expecting him to tell her he loved her and never wanted to go anywhere else again, but like always, he never said what she thought he would.
“What?”
“I was thinking that I want that. I want to stand in front of all our friends and let them know how much you mean to me, how I never want to be with anyone but you.” He looked her deep in the eyes, and down at their son, Dimitri. “How my life wouldn’t be complete without you and Dimitri in it.”
Her eyes started to cloud as she asked, “
You were?”
He shot her a devilish grin. “Yeah, and I was also thinking about how hot you looked.”
She giggled. “All that, huh?”
“But most of all, I thought about how much I love you.”
Her lip wobbled as a tear escaped down her cheek. Choking back a sob, she asked, “You do?”
“God yes, baby. I love you so much it hurts and I can’t go another day without you. Hold this guy for me, real quick,” he said, handing her Dimitri as he got off the bed.
Taking him in her arms, she glanced down and saw that nestled in Dimitri’s small hand was a beautiful, platinum ring with a large round diamond surrounded with little diamonds. She took in a sharp breath and brought a hand up to cover her mouth. Swallowing in her sob, she glanced over at Erik to see he was on his knees looking up at her. His eyes were filling with what she swore were tears.
Erik Titov did not cry.
“Erik?” she asked, her heart pounding against her chest, her eyes holding his gaze.
His lip curved up to the side and he said, “I want to take the right steps to make everything right between us, and since I did this the wrong way last time, I think it’s time for me to do it the right way.”
Piper couldn’t breathe as she watched his every move.
“No prenup, no lawyers, I just want you,” he said, and then he cocked his head toward Dimitri and said, “and that guy.”
Piper was speechless. Slowly, Erik brought his eyes back up to Piper’s and smiled.
“I want to wake up every day to see your beautiful smile,” he said softly. “I want feel you laugh when I hold you and read with you every night. I want to be there when you decide to change careers and I want to support you when no one else will. I want to be the person to listen to all your ideas and to kiss away the doubts that I know could keep you from succeeding. I want to be the man you deserve, and I want to be the only person to ever hold that sweet body for the rest of your life, which basically means I want to make love to you every single day. Multiple times, probably every hour on the hour.”
She giggled as her emotions took over. Erik then touched her cheek saying, “I don’t ever cry, and I have never told anyone I love them, but you, you’ve changed everything, Piper. You’ve made me realize that I can love, that I can be a great father. I couldn’t have done this without you and I don’t know if I can go on without knowing that you are with anyone else but me.”