Az squeezed him tight as he let the wonder of it flood through him again, but he grew serious again thinking about what could have happened.
“Michael, I could have lost that because of your actions. You have offered excuses but not an apology. I love you, but you fucked up.”
Michael looked up at Gabe, and he looked like he finally understood the gravity of what he had done.
Michael sighed, stood up, and walked toward the door. He stopped when he got there.
“I am sorry,” he whispered. “I tried… well, it doesn’t matter what I tried. I did think I knew best, and for that I am sorry. I love you too, Gabe, and I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Gabe nodded his head, accepting Michael’s apology. He was still angry, however. Michael had always looked out for them, but Gabe didn’t remember him ever circumventing their decisions like he’d done this time.
“I just… I need you to be my big brother, but that doesn’t mean I don’t get input. That doesn’t mean you fix everything all the time,” Gabe said quietly
Michael nodded. “I understand. And I am sorry. I should have trusted you,” he murmured, then he turned and left.
Everyone sat for a moment in heavy silence, but of course Ser couldn’t let that last.
“Well,” she said airily as she got up, “you don’t do things by half measures, do you, big brother? You don’t date for years, then you go off and get yourself an eternal soulmate or some such thing.” She laughed a little as she walked over to them both.
She leaned down and kissed Gabe on the forehead, whispering, “He does love us, even if he goes about it in the wrong way sometimes. He tries too hard to be a parent and a brother. It can’t be easy being oldest.”
She then reached over, and much to Az’s noticeable astonishment, gave him a kiss on the forehead as well. “Welcome to the family, sexy demon.” She raised her eyebrows suggestively then. “Do you think your lust powers could work on the floor below? Like, if I happened to bring home a guy, and…”
Gabe barked out a laugh, and Ser smiled. That had probably been her intention all along.
Ser looked back at Grams then. “Alright, come on, time to leave the lovebirds to it. There will be plenty of time to grill them later. It sounds like they had quite a day.”
He could tell Grams was itching to ask more questions, and apparently so could Ser, because she marched over, grabbed Grams’s hand, and pulled her off the couch. She practically dragged her out of the room, but they heard Grams yelling, “We must chat more later! But you go ahead and get fucked good! You boys deserve it!”
Gabe just chuckled again, leaning back into Az, who squeezed him tightly.
Alone at last.
Chapter28
Asmodeus
Az was still a bit shell shocked. In all of eternity, he had never quite imagined that he could feel this way. It was like he had been broken in half, but he hadn’t even realized such a thing. He had not understood what had been missing from his life until Gabe had come into it.
The fact that Gabe washis, well, perhaps in a few decades it would really sink in. In the meantime, he welcomed the shock that hit him every time it occurred to him.
His love, hissoul, also apparently had a few surprises in him. Az understood that Gabe was mad at his brother, but he knew the love and devotion Gabe felt for his family. He had expected some grumbling and some eye rolling, but not how truly upset Gabe had gotten.
He understood that it was for him, and while it thrilled him, it also made him a little sad. When Seraphina pulled Grams out of the house (after a parting Grams-style comment, of course) and they were finally alone, Az squeezed Gabe tightly.
“My love,” Az started, and Gabe gave a sigh of pleasure. Az couldn’t help nuzzling his neck a bit at that, which only made Gabe sigh even more. Az had to keep himself on track, though. Things needed to be said between them before they had fun.
Demons must be capable of change and growth, he thought humorously. How else would a lust demon put a conversation before sex (especially a conversation that wasn’t about sex)?
“You are my soul; I have no doubt of that. I could not be more thankful or blessed for such a thing,” Az began. Gabe moved off Az then, shifting his body so that he was leaning against the side of the chair, his legs splayed over Az’s, their eyes meeting.
“I sense a ‘but’ in that statement,” Gabe prodded. He didn’t look particularly worried; he almost looked amused.
“Well…” Az started, unsure how to continue.
Gabe took both his hands and put them on Az’s face, holding him steady to look him in the eyes. “I love you. I regret nothing. Nothing at all. I would have given it all up for you, and I would have regretted nothing. I am just as thankful and blessed.” He kissed Az on the lips firmly then before pulling back and settling in, waiting for him to continue.
Az breathed out a sigh. Perhaps he had been worried and not even realized it. Gabe’s words calmed something in him. Still, there was the matter of Gabe’s family.
