Darkness Returns | Darkness #2

3.

/DAISY WHITLOCK/

"You."

Michael scowls, pointing his finger at me while walking closer. I rise an eyebrow. 

"You are a monster."

I grin, unable to hide my laughter any longer. "It's not that bad."

"It fucking is."

"It's just a small cut!"

"Daisy, you can see my fucking nipples through those small cuts!"

I laugh harder, watching the way only his nipples are bare in his work shirt. I've cut it earlier this morning, knowing I would be in trouble but not being able to stop anyway.

"Give me another shirt," he sighs, giving up. "I can't work in this."

I point to the pile of freshly washed shirts. I always wash the shirts for my employees.

"Try to find one in your size, fucking bear." He glares at me, but decides to ignore me for the rest of the day. Like I care.

He smirks when he looks outside the window, at the parking lot. I decide to avoid asking questions. Just yesterday, he was laughing at a cat and a dog chasing each other.

"Oh, now you're getting it," he chuckles, a few seconds before the door of my coffee shop slams open. I look up, ready to serve the customer. Then, I see it's a grumpy Easton.

"Say you love me."

"Do I, though?"

His scowl darkens even more. One threatening step closer, and I'm a squealing mess. "I'm sorry! I love you! So much!"

With that, the dark clouds in his eyes clear up and he's slightly happier. But he's always been a grump, right? 

He points at my face, still silently threatening me. I roll my eyes and push his finger away. "Pointing is rude, Easton."

Michael nods, overly dramatic. "Yes, Easton, pointing is rude. You're lucky Daisy isn't as sensitive as me, because I would've cut off all kisses."

I act as though that hasn't crossed my mind and nod. "Yeah, that's a pretty good idea."

The glare Easton sends at Michael is so harsh, I'm surprised Michael doesn't even hesitate before laughing. "I fucking hate you."

I pat his shoulder, not wanting him to get upset. He does, sometimes, when I follow Michael's teases for a little while too long. I always feel bad for it then, because one time, he even got teary. 

"It's okay, you can get your kisses back with a sweet word about me," I smile. His glaring contest with Michael gets cut off. Instead, I get a very relieved smile.

He wraps his arms around me and rests his chin on my neck, being as affectionate as always. "Hm. I don't know. A sweet word about my wife? I need to think about that."

Knowing he's only joking, I return his hug and plant little kisses on his head. The moment is one of our daily ones, but that doesn't make it less special. These small parts of my day make my life worth it, and I never want it to change.

Until Michael start making gagging noises and our moment is ruined. Easton flips him the bird before continuing to hug me. "My sweet words of today are that I really love your hair in this ponytail. It's higher, right? And I love the way you laugh. It doesn't sound forced. It makes me feel like my day can't get any better."

Touched by his beautiful words, I drop a kiss on his lips. "Those were very sweet words, baby. Are you ready for your day at the office?"

He pouts. "Why can't I stay here all day?" 

I laugh. "Because you'd get nothing done! And, come on, your company needs its boss. What would they do without you?"

That makes him smirk in a very cocky way.Going for his ego always works with Easton. "They'd be nowhere."

Hearing Michael cough loudly at that, Easton slowly turns to look at his best friend. "What is the matter with you? You want me to interrupt your love life? Oh, wait, you don't have that, nevermind."

That makes Michael stop laughing. He immediately scowls and goes on sweeping the floor. I grin. "Awe, look, now he's sad."

"I am not sad."

"But you're crying!"

"I'm not!"

He points to his face, showing his dry eyes. I pat his head. "Sh, it was just a joke. Remember when you put a sharpie face on my belly? Yeah."

His scowl changes at the memory of that. "I am such a great person."

The bell rings, and I turn to see who came in. When it's just my other two husbands, I engage back in my conversation. "See, that's a debatable quote."

Dominic's arm wraps around my waist while he presses a soft kiss on my cheek. "Hello, kitten. Is Michael annoying you?"

I melt at his sweet behavior. Since we started up therapy, he's gotten so much more relaxed. I almost wouldn't recognize him if I met the person he was six years ago. 

"No, I'm not," Michael mocks and goes back to fighting Easton on the topic of having multiple women at a time. My baby Easton, of course, doesn't understand the attraction of it. He's too sweet.

"Kiss?" Asher pouts. I smile, wrapping my arms around his neck and giving him his kiss. Dominic doesn't let go of my waist, though, and soon enough, each of them has a part of me they need to hold on to. 

Of my three husbands, I know Ash is the most cuddly. He'll randomly get his needy hour, and if he doesn't get affection then, he's grumpy for the rest of the whole damn week. 

My life is really hard sometimes.

Easton is the most emotional one. He'll be upset when I wait with telling him goodnight or forget to give him his morning kiss in my haste.

Dominic? He too is very needy for hugs and get emotional when I get him a cute present. He just handles it better, or hides it more. I guess not all his trauma is incorporated with his therapy.

I try to be there as much as I have to for them. It sometimes gets difficult with the children and my work, but that's okay. We know we're there if we need to be.

And besides, now that they each work only a few days at the office, they have plenty of time to hang around in the coffee shop while I work. Which they do. They even have a schedule of who has to work when and who can have Daisy-time.

"How's the Dad Dance going?" I ask them. The Dad Dance is an event of the twins' school, where each kid has to bring their dad along and do a dance. The whole class does the same dance, but I think it's sweet.

Dominic groans. "I'm the worst dancer ever. We should be glad Camilla laughed instead of cried when I stepped on her feet."

Asher snickers. "Mine is going pretty well with Aiden. Maybe you're a loser."

Displeased with that comment, Dominic ignores him and gives me another kiss. I turn to Easton. "I thought you were dancing with Aiden?"

He gives a shrug, accompanied with a little, mischievous grin. "I'm dancing with another kid." 

I raise an eyebrow. "And who may that be?" Aiden is Easton's baby, and I never would have guess he changes kids.

"Sebastian. He's a friend of Aiden, his first friend, and his dad is a jerk. He got upset because his dad wasn't there at the practice, so I stepped in. You should have seen his face!"

I smile. That's actually so cute!

***

Guess who's back (back again)