War

Chapter Forty-Six

A/N - a lifetime later...

FANCY FORMATTING IS BACK‼️

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Aniyah
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"There's egg all over my fucking hands", I watched Eli scrunch up his hands and rush over to the sink with a gag, Zeke just rolled his eyes and continued mixing the cake batter.

"You're like a child", he commented, "this is gonna make loads". He wasn't wrong, we'd decided to double up the recipe, but now we were gonna be left with tons of cupcakes.

"Well, we are celebrating", I smiled, peering over my shoulder at the birthday boy- or man himself.

"We don't need to celebrate", Rio snorted, "I'm twenty-nine, not even an exciting number". Eli chuckled, pulling Zeke into a random headlock and ruffling his hair- the latter just stood there and accepted it.

"Our birthday is the best day of the year", he claimed, "I'll rinse Marco for as long as he lives". Something told me my husband wouldn't have a problem with that at all.

"He just wants a new car or bike every year", Zeke reiterated, my lips lifting into a smile, "you'll have a whole showroom before you know it".

"That's the dream", Eli beamed from ear to ear, "and I'm sure you'll have a library soon".

"Apparently, a home library classifies as one when you have one-thousand books", he replied, "about seven hundred and fifty to go".

"I could never", Rio snorted, entering the kitchen with both twins in each arm just as Marco came into the room: dress pants, unbuttoned white shirt, hair still dripping wet into the towel around his neck, "here".

I watched Rio hand each twin to Eli who took them without a complaint, my husband's best friend muttering something about using the bathroom before slapping Marco on the shoulder and disappearing.

"Are we having a bake sale?", an arm snaked around my waist and I smiled, sighing when Marco held me against his front, "how long have you been on your feet?". I could bet money on the fact he'd come downstairs half dressed to check that I was okay.

"Not long", I replied, smoothing a hand over my stomach, "I'm fine".

"Never said you weren't", he mused, kissing my temple then stepping back to take Sol from Eli, "not attached to your boyfriend for once?".

"He's on his way here now, actually", my brother in law smirked, "at least I can go a few hours without my significant other". Marco rolled his eyes and I chuckled, knowing we didn't really have any way of defending ourselves there.

"You're all crazy", Zeke shook his head with a small smile, continuing to stir the cupcake batter, "are we adding chocolate chips to these?".

"Fuck yes", Eli groaned, tipping his head back, "hear that Rey? Chocolate chip cupcakes". The one year old just smiled as if she knew what had been said, reaching out and grabbing a fistful of Eli's black hair.

"What are the cakes for?", Marco asked, peering over Zeke's shoulder and narrowing his eyes just as Rio came back into the room.