Breaking Point (BWWM)

33. Atone

A/N: This chapter is pretty long. I appreciate you all waiting for so long between updates! Let me know what y'all think of the more slice-of-life approach to this. I may write more of it, who knows? 😉

Anyways, please leave comments! I love to know your thoughts throughout the chapter, it really makes writing these so much more worth it! I always look forward to y'all's input.

Also, please feel free to let me know more of what you'd like to see from Braxton and Lucy. The book will be concluding soon and I want to answer any inquiries within the chapters if I can. Until then, I'll see y'all in the next one!

Putting Aesir to bed took a little longer than Lucy had expected. The boy had stressed that he wasn't tired, despite his droopy eyes. He kept going on about how unfair it is that his little brother gets to stay awake and he doesn't.

The boy was in a grumpy mood after his nap, despite his parents' efforts to prevent it. The very moment he noticed his little brother in Lucy's arm, he began to mope and whine. Lucy had to keep insisting he keep it down while his father is working, though the toddler was in no mood to hear it.

Regrettably, Braxton had come out of his office anyway, despite her trying to avoid his recruitment. His eyes appeared sunken, more than usual. And he wore a frown rather than his typical stoic expression.

Though now that dinner has come and gone, and both the boys are washed up and in their respective beds, his expression hadn't changed. Not even in the slightest. Not to mention how quiet he is.

All they have left to do is head to bed, Lucy starts to move their things back to their actual bedroom. Faye must have gotten to it while they were busy. The bed is freshly dressed and a gentle, sweet scent permeates in the room.

  Braxton wordlessly rolls Tre's cot across the hall, positioning it beside the bed where Lucy typically sleeps. They both peer down at the infant inside, watching his pacifier bob. Braxton props up his wolf in the corner of his cot, away from Tre's face. Lucy smiles at the gesture, looking up to see her husband's face. Though, still, it hadn't changed. Normally, his eyes will catch hers, because he will have felt her gaze. But if he does at all, he doesn't let on.

  She bites her cheek for a moment, turning and heading to their closet to see what's been done. Though she pauses, doing a double take when she looks at their window. She blinks at the seat built into it, it's pale cushions accented with decorative pillows.

She turns back to her husband, "Did you do this?"

Finally, his green eyes lift up from Atreus, peering at the installment just past her. "It's nothing."

Lucy dithers, muttering to herself, "How did you even...?" She'd mentioned it in passing to the other Lunas when they were here. About a year ago, now. How could he have learned of it? "Thank you. It looks cozy. And we can see some of the garden from here..." she trails off at his lacking response, hearing him move past her and into the bathroom, where he busies himself with re-sorting their things.

"Like I said," his gruff voice has a slight echo from the bathroom, funneling into the bedroom. The reverberating echo makes her wince, though she's struck by his dismissal. "It's nothing."

He doesn't add any more, simply continues arranging his things in their cabinets. She'd brought all their toiletries back from Brooke's room, having set them on the counter to be sorted.

Lucy decides not to pry, keeping to herself in their closet. She'll definitely need to put more garments in the budget, she has so few left now.

After half an hour of their independent tidying, Braxton leaves their room without much of a word. Lucy figures he's got some things to finish up with his paperwork. He's trying to get as much of it out the way as he can, and she can't blame him. She ought to go help him with it in the morning.