by C. W. Gray
Marco started laughing and the chickens startled, squawking their displeasure.
“Stop laughing,” Bennett said, trying to hide his own giggles. “What are you doing home already?”
Marco wiped his eyes, still chuckling. “Dean and I checked on a few of the new calves. I thought I’d take care of your cow and chickens for you.”
Bennett smiled and kissed his cheek. “Thank you. Nate and I can go get you some coffee.”
Marco kissed him gently on the lips. “I still have some in my thermos. No sense in walking back and forth.”
Bennett handed Nate to his daddy and jumped up to perch on the railing of the coop. He watched Marco and Nate talk to the chickens and gather the few eggs. Chickens weren’t too keen on laying in the winter, but Marco had built a nice warm coop, so Bennett’s chickens were a little more productive.
Damn, his alpha looked good. The grey in his hair was a little thicker this year and his waist wasn’t quite so firm as it used to be, but Marco made it all look good. His husband’s broad shoulders still carried the world for Bennett, and his smile still made Bennett’s heart beat too fast.
Marco caught his eye and gave him a knowing grin. “Tali and I are going to take a ride before dinner. That okay?”
Bennett blew him a kiss. “Sure. Hannah has an English paper due tomorrow, and Drew is going to help her proofread it. I’ll help Terry with their homework. Just be home by six.”
Marco leaned up and kissed him again. “Yes, sir.”
Marco watched Tali from the corner of his eye. His girl had something to say but was taking her sweet time about it.
The earflaps of Tali’s warm hat bounced as they rode their horses along their favorite path. The teenager was warmly dressed in jeans, boots, and a pink and grey coat. Marco could almost see the stress drain from her the longer they rode through the quiet woods.
“Dad?”
Marco grinned. Finally. “Yeah?”
“I… I need to ask you something.” Tali’s dark face was full of worry. “Promise you’ll be honest?”
Marco nodded. “I will, Tali. What’s wrong?”
“I’m ready for hormone replacement therapy. I’ve thought a lot about it, and I’ll get an afterschool job and start saving up money.”
Marco frowned. Tali helped him with the ranch after school. It was their thing.
“I thought that since I’m not going to college, maybe you and Papa could pay for some of it?” She winced. “If not, that’s okay. I can save up until I can afford it.”
Marco felt a ball of worry leave him. Bennett and he had expected and planned for this. He was just happy Tali hadn’t been upset over her friend Tommy. He kept waiting on her to announce that the two of them were dating, and he didn’t know how he felt about that.
“If you’re ready, Bennett and I already researched the process and set aside the money,” Marco said. “We’ve been talking with a really nice psychologist that can walk you through the mental health evaluation, and he recommended an endocrinologist.”
Tali stopped her horse and looked at him, eyes wet with tears. “You already… I can really do it? It’s so hard, Dad. I know you all love me, but I can’t stand it sometimes. It’s like I’m wearing someone else’s body. I can feel my breasts missing. I know where my body is supposed to curve and it just doesn’t. It’s like I’m deformed and broken.”
Macro reached over and took her hand, wishing he could hug her. “Tali, we’ll get you an appointment made with Dr. Lyles. The way you feel is completely valid. You’re a beautiful young lady, and we want you to be comfortable with yourself. We love you, Tali, and we’ll always be there for you.”
She wiped the tears from her cheeks and nodded. “I love you too, Dad.”
They rode and talked for another hour before brushing the horses down and giving them some oats.
Bennett and Nate waited for them on the porch. “Are you two hungry yet? I think Nate may eat Drew.”
“Oh no,” Tali said, laughing. She scooped up the little boy and tossed him in the air. “You can’t eat your brother, Nate.”
Nate growled. “Hungry.”
Marco pulled Bennett into his arms and kissed him. “Tali is ready for HRT.”
Bennett grinned. “Finally. I know we decided not to push her, but I was starting to worry. I’ll make an appointment with Dr. Lyles tomorrow.”
Shawn and Tomás showed up right after Marco, so they all ate dinner, joking and laughing about school and work. After Drew and Terry washed dishes, they all dressed in their costumes.
“I feel kinda stupid,” Drew said, pulling at the back of his tights. “What the heck am I wearing?”
Terry whacked him on the head with a plastic sword. They were dressed as a palace soldier. “You’re a prince, so stop pulling your pants out of your butt. It’s not princely.”
Hannah and Tali giggled, heads pressed together. They were dressed as princesses and were trying to get Choco, Hannah’s dog, into a goat costume. Butterscotch, Hannah’s hamster, perched on her shoulder. The poor thing was getting up there in age, but still as active as ever.
“Here, I’ll show you how to do it,” Shawn said, kneeling in front of Choco. The young man was dressed as a king with a long, white beard.
In Marco’s favorite story by Grey, two princesses compete with each other for the attention of a handsome prince. After plenty of shenanigans, the princesses, the prince, and the prince’s best friend decide they’d much rather go on adventures together than get married.
It was one of Grey’s books meant for older children, but Marco adored it. He wished Grey’s books had been around when he was a kid.
He looked up from tying the goblin costume onto Honey, his ranch dog. Bennett led Nate and Oggy into the room. They were both dressed as trolls.
Pickles slinked in, glaring at them. The calico cat was dressed as a dragon, tail swishing back and forth. Tomás followed, watching the cat carefully. “Pickles did not want to wear the costume.”
Terry grinned at him. “Aww, Tomás, you make a nice troll king.”
Tomás grinned and picked up Nate. “My loyal subject!”
“Where’s Frankie?” Hannah asked, looking around the room.
The white, fluffy cat came through the door. She wore a tiny crown of flowers on her head and a set of fairy wings.
Drew bowed deeply. “The Fairy Queen comes.”
Nate giggled and clapped his hands.
Bennett laughed. “Alright. Let’s get started. Our goal is to show Grey how awesome this story is, so get to work.”
Marco sighed happily and took pictures of his huge, chaotic family.
Dean and Ray
Dean put the unicorn hat back on Beau. His golden retriever shook his head, and the hat fell to the floor of the barn. “Beau, come on. We need a unicorn.”
Ray’s deep laugh sent a shiver up Dean’s back. Damn, he loved his man. “Jackie would be a good unicorn.”
Dean looked over his shoulder. “You just want your donkey to steal the show.”
Min ran past them, giggling. The little boy was dressed as a flower. Three miniature pigs chased him, all wearing fairy costumes.
Ray bounced their youngest, Jun, in his arms. The baby chewed on his fist and was also dressed as a flower. “Are you kidding? Min and Jun will steal the show.”
“Dad, I don’t want to be the mermaid,” Jake said, voice plaintive. “Why can’t Jules wear the tail?”
Dean smothered his laughter. Jake took baby steps, legs pulled tight together with a green shimmery tail. His blond wig was askew on his head, and his face wore a scowl somewhere beneath the thick makeup.
Dean couldn’t hold it in. He bent at the waist, laughing hard. Jake just looked so grumpy.
“I can’t be the mermaid,” Jules said, carrying his cat, Pounce, into the barn. “Pounce and I are frogs.”
Dean’s favorite story of Grey’s was about a little girl that got lost in a forest full of magical creatures. He had borrowed Olive for the
morning to be their little girl. She loved this story even more than Dean and his kids did, so she hadn’t been hard to convince.
Olive grinned widely and bounced behind Jules, Dean’s guinea pig, Bonny, following behind her in a guinea pig ball. “Jake, you look beautiful!”
Jake scowled and waddled over to the rock where his beagle sat wearing her own mermaid costume. “Grey better appreciate this.”
Dean started laughing again. “You are the grumpiest mermaid I’ve ever seen.”
Jules gasped and set Pounce down. “That could be Grey’s newest book – The Grumpiest Mermaid.”
Dean laughed harder, leaning against Ray until his phone dinged. He looked at the text full of images. “Jimmy and his friends at school dressed like the group of talking trees and took pictures for us to add to our album. Dang, his friend Lona did a good job with the costumes.”
Ray looked at his phone and grinned. “I love that boy.”
“He’s a young man,” Dean reminded Ray.
“Don’t remind me.”
“Can we get a move on here?” Jake pouted. “I want out of this costume as soon as possible.”
“I have the last of the fairies,” Min-Jun said, coming from the back of the barn with his two cats, Betty and Lucy. They looked especially lovely in their fairy costumes.
Dean chuckled. “Everyone, take your places. Papa, will you get Beau to keep his unicorn hat on? Where’s El Paso? We can’t have a magical forest without our troll.”
A few hours later, Dean had a ton of pictures and Jackie the donkey was the official unicorn. Beau had decided he would just help Dean and Ray take pictures.
“Good job, everyone. Let’s get some lunch.”
Jake pulled the mermaid skirt off and ran toward the house in his underwear.
Dean looked at Ray. “He’s your son when he does things like that.”
“There’s three inches of snow out there,” Ray said, shaking his head. “Jules, will you take Jun on to the house? I’ll help your papa put everything away.”
“Okay.” Jules put the baby on his hip. “You too, Mini-boo. I’ll read you a story, okay?”
“Bear story?” Min watched his brother with big eyes. “Please?”
“I love that one,” Olive said, picking Min up and spinning him. “Mr. Ray made cookies too. Stories and cookies are the best.”
Dean smiled when they ran from the barn. He started undressing the animals and putting the costumes into a bag. It took him a minute to notice his papa was helping Ray and him.
“Papa, don’t you have to get ready for your date?”
Min-Jun blushed. “I have a little time.”
“Are you going to tell us who you’ve been dating the last two weeks?” Dean loved watching his papa flush from the teasing. Min-Jun had been seeing someone almost every night for two weeks. He was smitten, and it was fucking adorable.
“We’ll be going together to Rue’s birthday party this weekend, nosy.” Min-Jun handed him the costume bag. “I think I’ll go soak in the bathtub for an hour before my date.”
Ray laughed. “You tell him, Min-Jun. It’s none of our business.”
Dean kissed his papa’s cheek. “Have a good soak. Love you, Papa.”
“Love you too.”
After lunch, Ray swayed slowly, arms around his omega. Dean’s head was settled against his chest as they danced in the kitchen. The kids were decorating the photo album in the living room, and Ray was enjoying the quiet moment. The snow fell slowly outside the window, but it was warm and cozy in their home.
“What do you get when you cross a snowman and a vampire?” He kissed Dean’s head and stroked a hand down his back.
Dean laughed and dug his fingers into Ray’s shoulder. “What?”
“Frostbite.”
Dean’s laughter filled the room and heat filled Ray. He loved it when his omega smiled and laughed. He was meant for laughter.
“Ray, who do you think Papa is dating?”
Ray smiled into Dean’s hair. “I think it really isn’t any of our business.”
“What if he’s a horrible person? What if he’s just like my dad?”
Ray thought for a moment. “He can’t be. Min-Jun smiles too much for it to be a man like your dad.”
Dean sighed and pressed his face against Ray. “I just worry about him. Hobson Hills isn’t that big, so I wonder who it is.”
Ray thought for a moment. “Most of the men Min-Jun’s age are married already. I guess Sheriff McKenzie is about his age and single. His omega passed away about ten years ago. At least that’s what Tanner told me. Then there’s the owner of the hardware store, Benjamin Cordell. He seems like a nice guy.”
“It could be someone younger,” Dean said, eyes dancing. “Younger men have more stamina.”
Ray laughed and bent to kiss his husband. Dean’s familiar taste made him shudder, and it didn’t take long for him to want more. He pulled Dean down the hallway, pausing to peek in on the kids.
Poor Beau and Lola were covered in glitter, and Olive stood above the boys, Jun in her arms. She watched them work with a close eye. “Min, that’s perfect. Will you help Jules and Beau with their page? Jake, Lola’s paw prints are great, but those colors don’t go together. Maybe use the blue and green glitter to bring it all together?”
Jake grinned over his shoulder. “Yes, ma’am.”
Ray bit his lip to hold in his laughter and tugged Dean into their bedroom, shutting and locking the door behind him.
Dean pulled him down for another kiss and slid his hands under Ray’s shirt to slide them across Ray’s stomach and chest.
Ray pulled his shirt off and picked Dean up, carrying him to the bed. “Love you, cowboy.”
Dean smiled softly, eyes full of warmth. “Love you too, hero. Come here.” He pulled Ray down and kissed him.
Ray ran his hands up and down Dean’s back, enjoying the feel of the hard muscles his cowboy carried. He especially loved his omega’s firm ass. He reached for the lube and nuzzled his face against Dean’s neck, slowly stroking his omega’s dick.
Dean arched his hips and spread his legs wide. “I love it when you touch me.”
Ray hummed and stretched Dean’s hole with a lubed finger. “Probably not as much as I love touching you.”
When he was stretched, Ray positioned himself and slowly entered Dean. His omega moaned and lifted his hips, wrapping his legs around Ray’s waist. They moved together, and Ray gritted his teeth, the tightness around his dick driving him to move faster.
When he came, he felt Dean’s cum splatter against his stomach. “Fuck, Dean.” He panted. “The things you do to me.”
Dean smiled and pulled him close. “My sweet beta.”
They only had a few minutes of peace before Jake knocked on the door. “Papa, I think we’re done. Come look.”
They pulled apart, then hurriedly wiped down and dressed. Ray jumped when Dean smacked his butt. “Move it, hero.”
“Like my ass, do you?”
Dean waggled his eyebrows. “Oh yeah. Hey, if you were ground coffee, you'd be Espresso ‘cause you're so fine.”
Ray laughed so hard he snorted. “What the hell was that?”
Dean chuckled. “Noah’s trying out pick-up lines.” He gave Ray a sultry look. “I was wondering if you had an extra heart. Mine seems to have been stolen.”
They were laughing when they got to the living room, and Jake gave them a curious look. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing,” Dean said, shaking his head.
Jules sighed. “You two were kissing again, weren’t you?” He turned to Olive. “They do this all the time. It’s so annoying.”
Olive nodded. “Dad and Daddy do the same thing. Adults are weird.”
Jake grinned and gave them a knowing look. “They really are.”
Justin and Tanner
Justin watched Tanner from the doorway of the nursery. Justin and his friends had spent a lot of time putting together Rhonda’s room. They had
painted the walls a light green and covered one in 3D butterfly decals. His mom’s snow globes were displayed on a white shelf above the changing table, and a bookshelf full of Grey’s books stood next to a comfortable rocking chair.
Grey’s husband, Harper, had insisted on making all of the furniture. Justin still didn’t understand how Harper could forgive him for being such a jerk for years. It felt odd accepting gifts from him even though Grey and Justin were best friends. Hell, it still felt odd to have friends.
Justin shook himself and watched his alpha gently rock their newborn daughter who was currently bundled up in a wombat costume. Tanner’s eyes were full of absolute wonder. He had barely set Rhonda down since she was born, and it was sweet, but also kind of annoying.
“Are you almost ready?” Justin bit his lip, fighting laughter, when Tanner jumped.
Tanner grinned sheepishly. “Yeah. Sorry. I get lost watching her sometimes. Isn’t she the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?”
Justin pressed his lips together, amused. “You have changed her diapers, right? That was you who got up to feed her three times last night?”
Tanner made a face. “You’re just as bad as me. You were relieved when I had to start back to work.”
Justin snorted. “It was the only way I got to hold our daughter.”
Tanner chuckled. “You make a good point.”
Buttons, their guinea pig, rolled through Justin’s legs in his ball. “Are you ready to go? Buttons here thinks you’re dragging your feet.”
Tanner groaned. “I don’t want to wear a costume. All the other families are just dressing up the kids and pets.”
“We only have two pets and one baby.”
Tanner arched an eyebrow. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
Justin laughed. “Compared to the rest of the Wilsons, it is.”
“You two are holding up the photoshoot,” Griff called from the living room. “Laura just texted me to drag your butts downstairs.”
Justin felt a little hand on the side of his leg and looked down. His niece, Bea, watched him with big blue eyes. The little girl wore a koala costume, and her dark hair was styled into two buns on top of her head.