Unattainable Fruit

Chapter 24: Responsibilities & Acrylics

James' POV

Glad that the meeting was short and I was able to slip out in under an hour, I watch Cody as he swings slightly in his sensory swing, reading up on autism and over stuffing his brain as usual.

He told me that once he settled with the fact that he was different beyond his DNA, everything started to make sense. His extra sensitivity towards stimulus, his emotional reactivity as well as his trouble understanding and interpreting social situations. I try my best to learn and listen as much as I can, even doing my own research to see how I can help , hoping to be the person that sticks around and supports Cody from his corner.

He catches me watching me and smiles at me, earning one in return, before I sit up, beckoning him over with a pat on the bed. He sets his phone down and settles in next to me, drawing his legs up and resting his head on his chin as he turns to look at me.

"I already brought it up during the meeting, so this is entirely up to you and what your comfortable with. I would love for you to start getting more involved with the pack. Maybe training with the commanders? Spend some time down at the nursery?" I offer, leaving the door open for him to decline if he's not ready, but I find him considering it for a moment before answering.

"Would I have to meet the elders? Or attend meetings?" He asks me, the aversion disgust towards those option obvious.

I shake my head, reaching towards him to give him a comforting hand, raising it to my lips for a kiss. "Of course not, you don't have to do anything until you are ready. If you want to wait until after your birthday, we can do that." I assure him, not wanting him to feel pressured into doing something he doesn't want.

I can see the relieve that settles around him like a blanket, his posture and smile softening as he thinks about it this time. "I kind of like the idea of waiting at the nursery. It would remind me of my mother. And I would be open to training with the commanders." He tells me and my heart swells with pride and grace, feeling blessed to be bound to someone so caring. So amazing.

I reach forward and pull Cody towards me, planting a kiss upon his forehead before resting my head atop of his. "Thank you for being willing to give things a try. Thank you for not taking off the minute I came to you." I tell him and he nuzzles into me, my shirt becoming damp with his answering tears as he nods and I chuckle peppering my sweet bean's head with kisses. "I'll make sure to set up some time for you guys to officially meet." I confirm when he pulls away.

"I look forward to it. They kind have a better memory of my parents than I do. It would be great to hear about them again." He confesses and I answer with understanding. We spend a few minutes just talking between the two of us before things get quiet, and I catch Cody gnawing at his lip as if contemplating.

"Penny for your thoughts?" I inquire and it takes a second for him to come back to realization of the world before he chuckles and rolls his eyes at me.

"They're worth a lot more than that." He sasses before answering. "But I was just thinking about the fact that I haven't met your wolf and I wonder what they're like." He tells me and with a shock, I realize that he's right. I've been so caught up with everything else going on, I've neglected to share with him my other half of the wolf he and Jessie are promised to.

'Oh, now you realize.' Sloan mutters, but I can tell that it means a lot to him that it's Cody that brought it up.

"That's true. Guilty as charged." I admit. "Would you like to meet him?" I ask, sure that Sloan would be more than welcome to tell him everything he wants to know himself. After a second of thinking about it, I get a shy nod, Cody's cheeks splashed with a rosy pink, his cuteness intoxicating.