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Chapter 22

"Steve!" his lover greeted him with a smile.

"So, it's him," the other man said.

The military man walked over to Charlie, who extended his hand, while looking at the stranger. He too had red hair, medium-length, tied in a bun, and darker blue eyes than his lover's. He seemed to be slightly taller than Charlie but thinner, and most notably, three long scars streaked the left side of his face.

"I guess you're Bill?" the Hawaiian asked, remembering that his lover's older brother had been injured by a werewolf during the wizarding war.

"That's right," the wizard smiled, shaking his hand. "Is it a tradition in your family for the in-laws to attempt to assassinate the newcomer?"

Steve looked at him perplexed, while Charlie uttered what he suspected was a swear word in a language both brothers shared. Bill said a few words in the same language, and the younger of the two spoke up.

"He's joking, Steve."

The named man wasn't entirely sure; however, what he was certain of was that Bill was very protective of his younger brother (and he suspected it was the same for the rest of the siblings) and didn't appreciate seeing him in a hospital bed because of his mother.

"Our mother has a rather unique clock," Charlie continued. "When it indicated her I was in danger, she contacted Bill to find me."

"And you know she's not going to let go of me until I tell her where to find you and then she'll swoop in."

Both brothers cast apologetic glances at the former military man, who became concerned.

"Do I need to expect her to try and kill me?"

"It would level the playing field."

"Bill!"

Steve realized he would have to have a conversation with Charlie's older brother if he didn't want to have his lover's, very large, family on his case.

"Let's just say she can be suffocating," Charlie explained.

"Both literally and figuratively," his brother added.

There was a moment of silence during which Steve recalled his lover's remarks about his mother, including the one where she had killed a very powerful witch who had targeted her daughter after Fred's death. There were seven children in their family; six had fought and survived the last wizarding war. Except for Charlie, all had married wizards who had also fought and survived. Some had even been decorated for their actions. The parents of this... dangerous... family had participated in both wars, both in battles and in the resistance. Steve suddenly had no desire to meet them. Charlie had almost died because of him; he almost felt like Bill was giving him a warm welcome considering what he could have expected.

"Alright, what's next?" Bill asked, cutting off the former military man's anxious thoughts.

Charlie looked at him with concern; he must have read on Steve's face or through their connection that he had just played a horror movie in his head.

"I'm going to move in with Charlie to the reserve. Start a life together there."

Charlie's brilliant smile erased all the doubts he had just had about his new family. As long as he saw him happy like this every day, he was ready to take the risk.

"Are your things ready?"

"In the car's trunk."

"And what are you planning to do with the car?"

"Give it back to Danny."

"And come back here on foot?"

"Do you have an idea?" Steve asked, tired of Bill's questioning.