Together [BL]

Epilogue 2

Ants crawl on my skin all over when I hear Leo is pregnant again. He looks happy and so does our daughter.

"Can't we, papa? Beef noodles for dinner?" Her eyes simmer and her lips pout.

I allow myself to lean on Leo's shoulder and smell his smell. This precious body is carrying another child for me. My loving husband who endures all sufferings.

"Papa?"

"What's wrong?" Leo runs his fingers through my hair. "Are you upset?"

"I'm very happy... But I'm also scared." I look up and see his scary confused face. I wrap my arms around his warm body, "I can't give birth to our children, so all I can do is protect you and care for you and feel helpless when you're in pain."

Leo's hand slides from under the comforter and rubs the place between my eyebrows. He frowns and turns to our daughter, "Papa is a worrywart isn't he?"

She nods and slips in between us.

"Papa, it is both our duty to protect mommy," she shakes her head in disappointment, making me giggle a little.

My husband wouldn't eat tomato and mushroom soup no matter how much I try to convince him. I couldn't let him go hungry so I order them beef noodles.

Before I put my phone away, a pop-up text appears. It says: The cow jumps over the moon. And the dish ran away with the spoon.

My heart fastens and I clear the message. I take three deep breaths and returns to the room with my husband and daughter. They cuddle and giggle together. The god lights hit them just right throw the sheer curtains, creating a film like ascetic before me.

"Papa! Come feel mommy's belly! My sibling's inside." She notices my slow movements and gets off the bed to come get me. She places my hand against your stomach.

"Papa feels my sibling?"

I look up at Leo's blushing gaze, shy and daring. Leo smiles then averts his eyes as if he is troubled by my actions again.

"Shall we nap until the beef noodles get here?" Leo pushes my hand aside and pulls our daughter close to him. "Mommy is sleepy."

"Okay! I'll sleep with mommy!"

They lie quietly on the bed. I pull the cover over them and watch them slowly drift into the world of dreams. The face of the man I love is at peace while I know that I've hurt him again unknowingly. I fear that I may have to hurt him again if I want to protect him like ten years ago.

I hear the doorbell ring and gets up. I return with the beef noodles and tries to wake Leo up. As soon as his eyes open a little, his lips smile at me, "Is the food here?"

"Yes. Try to eat a little." I help him sit up and look over at our daughter, "She'll eat it for dinner. Let her sleep."

Leo stays leaning on me even when he is fully sitting up. He holds onto my shirt, "Didn't you always joke about giving our daughter a sibling? Now that I'm pregnant, are you..."

His voice trails off with a knot in his throat. I pulls his body close to mine. I shake my head, "I'm not backing out. I'm worried about you, about the danger that will come when you're vulnerable—I'll prepare a even safer home for us, how about that?"

"But I love this house," Leo mumbles in my ear.

"I know you do. Our new home will be a replica of this house. The furnitures will be the same. Would you like that?"

"It wouldn't feel the same. The sun will hit the curtains differently. The wind will blow form a different direction. The park won't be a block away."

I cup his rosy cheeks, "Then I'll build you a garden as big as a park. I'll make sure the sun and the wind feel the same on your skin. Will you live in our new home with me?"

"I—I don't need those things. Wherever you are, I'll live with you... The beef noodles smell good. Should we eat before it gets cold?"

He smiles and reach for the food, but I know in his heart he is unwilling. His eyes smile when he slurps the noodles. Then he holds my hand and whispers, "Don't worry. I'm willing. Wherever you live, I'll live with you. I am your husband, am I not?"

I tighten my grip on his hand, "I love you."

"I love you too," he answers.

After Leo eats his fill, I let him sleep with our daughter. I go out to put away the takeout and reply to the text earlier.

Our cooperation is not ours anymore. During the time when Leo was unconscious, I sold my stakes and built an organization with data tracing and energy storage companies and individuals.

The text earlier is regarding a breach in contract. Someone stole a great deal of information shared among the organizations. Someone calls me, "Mister President. We caught the people who stole the information, but the information is already sold. As to whom, it's the conglomerate that your husband has a huge stake in..."

"What information was stolen?"

"Project GIT, Sanddollar, and 6701."

These projects are now worthless to me. "Who was in charge of those projects?"

"Noel, Kid, and Qwerty... Mister President, what should we—"

"Nothing. Wait until I get there. While I'm away, triple the watch on my family."