"Given medical advances I doubt that you'll have to suffer any pain, the drugs are really very good. And there are ways to combat the sickness and other pregnancy problems." Pressing a kiss to her cheek, Ansell hugged her to him. "We'll figure it all out, Lacey. Together, and as a family unit."
"Good. That's what I had to know. What I needed to feel." She rubbed her cheek to his and sighed happily. "Goodness, this is nice. Thank you for reassuring me." He always was doing that for her, reassuring her and loving her.
"Part of the gig of being your mate," he said with a chuckle. Hugging her close, he relaxed his hold on her and, dropping a hand to her thigh, gently rubbed at her leg. "It's one of the better ones, actually."
"Well, I happen to love that part of it," she assured him with a grin. "Especially when you touch me. I know that's part of the gig as well and I really, really love it. I think that perhaps I need to have more touches, more caresses. I think that I need to be able to touch and caress you as well, often."
"You know you can whenever you get the urge, even in the office. Though you should try and refrain when in front of the Captain. As much as that pulsating vein on his forehead fascinates me, it could one day lead to something very bad. For him of course." He grinned.
"Yes, good point. As much as he is on the board with the men and women from the other side of the Veil coming over here I think he really, really hates the fact that so many human women are being bonded to those from the other side. Does that make sense?"
"Doesn't matter what he thinks or believes," Ansell said quietly. "The universe has chosen the human women as our mates and that's all that truly matters. We didn't make this happen, we didn't do anything to cause this to occur, it just is. And I for one am extremely grateful and glad that it did happen. There is no other woman I could ever think of or create in my head that is more perfect than you, Lacey."
"I am as well. I'm happier than I can possibly tell you that fate or the cosmos or karma put us all together. I could care less what he thinks. You and Zhubin are the only ones that matter to me. I'm happy that you are mine and I am yours. I would thank whoever tied us together if I possibly could."
"There are many theories about that, but nothing proven. It just is," he said with a shrug. "Which I am happy enough to go along with, the results cannot be argued with after all."
"What results?" Zhubin asked as he walked into the bathroom. "Move over, you two bathtub hogs."
Chuckling, Ansell shifted their position to give Zhubin room to climb in without having to step over them. "The results of us having our mate. I was telling her I didn't know how the whole thing worked, just that the results were great."
"Oh," he nodded, sliding in next to them with a sigh. "Well, that's true enough. We have the best mate there is so I'd have to agree that the results are all that truly matter."
Blushing Lacey shook her head. "And I have the two most handsome mates alive." Which she knew without the shadow of a doubt that she did. She loved her mates. So very much. "So tell me, Zhubin, what have you been doing while Ansell and I have been sitting here in the tub getting all nice and comfortable with each other?"
"Making you something to eat. Which is waiting for you to eat in the other room. It can wait, so don't worry about that part. Just relax and enjoy the bath and don't forget to wash your hair. That stuff they use to clean the medical ward may kill all germs but it's particularly harsh on Luhpyne noses."
"I couldn't agree more. I want to be able to get clean. I really, really hate smelling bad. And I hate offending your senses even more." She would do anything for her mates, always. "So we will ensure that I'm nice and clean all over and get the Luhpyne stamp of approval."
"More like a sniff of approval," Ansell pointed out with a grin. Then he snickered and once he started he didn't appear able to stop. Even Zhubin started to chuckle and they were both soon laughing hysterically.
Lacey's lips twitched once, twice and then she broke out into laughter as well. "Oh that was bad. So very bad." She teased the men between the giggles. "Good thing that I love you both like crazy or I would seriously have to have you boys checked out or something." Not really, they had great senses of humor and she loved it.
Both were wiping tears from their faces. "Oh Gods that was horrible," Zhubin said with another snort of laughter. "True, but absolutely horrible."
"I know, but I couldn't help myself. It just popped out before it fully processed in my brain," Ansell said with a huge grin. "Gods that was terrible though."
"That was too funny. It was perfect. The timing was amazing. I swear I don't think that anyone could ever have pulled that off in that moment, unlike you," she teased and leaned back against Ansell once more. "So good. That was so good."
Chuckling he gave a shrug, "Timing is everything, I guess." For the rest of the bath they chatted about mundane things, just enjoying being together and having her home. Her mates bathed her, washing her from head to toe and everything in between with care.
Then, once everyone was dried off, they tucked her into bed and she got the tray Zhubin had brought up set over her lap. There was a glass of juice and a plate of fruits, little breads and slices of meat and cheese. All finger foods and nothing too heavy, which was perfect given she wasn't up to a full meal yet.
"You both are so very good to me," she told them with an honest and open smile. "You make me so happy. Thank you for being you. For being in my life and for loving me enough to give me time to pull my head out of my ass. Life will be good, right?"
"We knew you'd get there eventually," Zhubin said, flopping onto the bed on one side. "And if not we would have started to send you emails with directions and helpful hints." Smiling, he lay back, hands behind his head, and closed his eyes.
She began to laugh. Lordy, if anyone would do something like that it was her men. They would totally have sent her step-by-step instructions on how to get over life and simply live in the moment. "I'm glad that I have you to show me instead," she told him with a smile.
"We do like demonstrating better," he said with a chuckle. "Besides, you got there all on your own, thank the Gods. And you never once even had to throw anything at our heads to warn us off. Though we were a bit worried that one day when you were going on about the … Shit, what was it, Ansell?"
"Mm." He frowned and stole a chunk of her cheese to nibble on. "I think the first time was that big-ass tape dispenser that was on the boss's desk. The second time was the chair she had been sitting in, the metal one with the sharp edges. The third and fourth time were the pair of razor-sharp scissors she used for nearly three months to stab at the corner of her desk because we were ignoring her. The fifth time through the tenth was the clock someone sent her for her birthday. And pretty much after that it was anything right at hand that she would brandish in a threatening and yet adorable manner."
"You guys are such dorks," she told them with a grin. "But yes, I was about to brain you both with the nearest hard object I could find if you didn't stop moving the stuff on my desk around. I swear I was ready to kill you both. Mostly because I was in desperate sexual need, you asses. You never failed to heat me up when you were around and I was trying so hard to fight it." Like an idiot.
"We know," Zhubin said. Shrugging when she looked his way he smiled. "We always knew when you were thinking of sex. Of course, so did every other person of the races that worked in the same area. But we'll just avoid thinking on that too heavily as Ansell and I can't kill them like we want to."
Lacey began to blush. "Well hell. I keep forgetting that you guys can scent a woman's need, and even when she is ovulating and everything. Crap. I need to figure out how to hide my scent I do believe or else I'm going to be carrying around a cast iron skillet to bang some heads with."
He chuckled and shook his head. "You are mated, they won't touch you, sweetheart. They know the consequences of touching you without permission. Which, in our culture, is harsh. A mate is a sacred being, especially when she or he is not of the races. To be cherished and protected, inappropriate contact except in a life-or-death situation where there is an imminent threat, can get the perpetrator of the offence killed."