Forbidden: Afterglow

Chapter 16

-DAKOTA'S P.O.V-

    I feel like something is wrong. It's noticeable. Everyone in the family feels it. The closer mom gets to her due date, the scarier things become.
    I'm worried. For many reasons. Many, many reasons. I can feel it in my heart that something is changing. Or maybe it's just nothing changing and we are all insane.
"Babe?"
"Hm?" Her voice draws me back.
"Do I need to help you focus, even though I'm the one with add?"
"I'm alright. Trying to get ready, you know?"
"You haven't moved an inch and we still have to make sure everything is set for the baby."
"I know. I know. I'm folding the blankets."
"This is cute.." she stops and looks at me. The cradle mom made me rests beside the crib.
"That's my cradle. Uh. Mom and ma didn't know what I was to be. So mom made that just so I had a safe place to lay until they went out and got more things."
"It's cute."
     I find myself in smiles. "Yeah, mom is pretty crafty."
     I gather things quicker. Putting them in their place while we all are in waits for our newest. I love Finnley but hopefully this one turns out better than he did.
"I never got to really ask. Mainly cause we are always busy. But how do you feel about children? Of our own."
    Her question makes me smile. "I wouldn't mind. In the future though."
"Yeah, of course. Just wondering."
     After setting down the folded blankets, I pull Charley into my arms.
"Oh. Hi."
"Hey."
"I love you for being random and all but we still have a lot to do here."
    I kiss her cheek. "I know. But can't I hold you for a second?"
"Of course you can."
     I almost get knocked off my feet by an incoming missle.
"SORRY DAKOTA. EM WANTS TO PLAY."
"Frankenstein why?"
"She wants to play." He runs around and out of the room with Emma giggling on his back. Riding him like a horse.
"You use to do that with me. Your mom's had to tell you that you couldn't do it any more because you were almost 7 and growing up fast."
"She did? That would have been so adorable to seeee." Charley says.
"Nuuu." I hide my face quickly.
"You is adorable."
     I feel like I'm going to die. Blush and die. I love and hate how she can get me to feel like this some times. Love it because it makes me feel so special. Hate it because only when in public.
"No."
    Charley just laughs and moves away from me. I relax. Just before moving my hands to see the world, I'm knocked onto my ass. Well. Back.
"Ow."
"I sorry Dakota. Emma says." Frankenstein says.
    I both love and hate Zack for his pets. Frankenstein is a good thing for Emma. She loves him. But she has way more friends than I did when I was her age. She's guarded by dogs, dragons, cats of all sizes, mom and ma, me and our family. The kid has the fucking liiiiffeee.
     My ass hurts. And the only thing ringing in my ear is my sister giggling. Until a large flop onto my stomach takes my breath away.
"Daaakooota."
"Hey Em."
"Hi."
    I make her in airplane. "Whatcha doing, sis?"
"FLYING." She yells with giggles.
"I'm going to teach you to fly. When you get your wings. We're going to have so much fun."
"Yaaaaay."
"Do you want to help us get this room ready for mom?"
"No."
    Charley starts laughing from the other side of the room.
"What if I promise to take you out for real flying?"
    Emma gasps. "YES."
"Alright. Ready?"
"YEEESSS."
    I laugh lightly. "Okay. 1. 2. 3." I throw her up in the air. She lands on her feet with giggles.
    Charley takes my hand and helps me up. The look in her eye is beautiful. I can tell she wants a family but I just don't know when. Not yet. Not now. But definitely in the future.
    We finish setting everything up in the baby's room. Charley and I asked to do this while ma is at school and mom is finishing her work with Finnley. Just wanted to get this all ready for our brother. Which Emma hasn't told us his name yet.
"Ready to go flying?"
"Yes."
"Alright. Let's go."
     Charley and I take Emma flying. I easily toss her in the air, letting her drop for a few seconds before rescuing her. We play like this for an hour. Until mom comes out and says dinner is ready.
    I help Emma wash her hands before we go into the kitchen for dinner. Everyone gathers in and we all start dinner. It seems nice and quiet.
"COMING THROUGH." Frankenstein runs under the table.
"Hey. No. Don't run under the table." Ma says.
"You seriously doing this again, Frankenstein?" Zack says.    
     He skids to a stop right into my knee. His head hits so hard it cracks my knee loudly. Luckily I heal but fuck that hurt.
"Jeeeez. Are you okay?" Zack asks.
"Fantastic. Not the first time your dog has broken something of mine today. First tailbone now knee. I'm great, bro."
"I'M GOING TO KILL THIS PUG." The dog growls at the fake dog sitting below Emma.
    ... I.. what? What? WHAT?
    Charley hand rests on my knee and heals it fully. Taking the pain away at the same time. Also soothing the anger of getting my knee broken because the real dog wants to kill the fake dog.
"It's not real, Frank. You know that."
"Then how did it bite me?"
    I roll my eyes between this conversation. "I am going to die." I groan.
"You'll be fine." Zack says.
    I ignore my brothers boyfriend. In hopes that maybe I can find better light somewhere besides the idea of socking him in the dick. Feeling and idea goes the same with Finnley.
"Annnnyywaaayy. I want to play games. And possibly stop getting walked on today." I get up to go.
"You sure you don't want cake, Dakota?" Mom says.
"Ooooooo. Oh that is so evil. But yes. If I don't get stomped on again, it would be great." I sit back down.
   The meal ends with me not getting trampled on anymore. But I can admit, I ate way too much cake. It was good.
    So flopping on the bed has never felt so heavenly. And then reality kicks in when my wife flops down on top of me.
"Hi." I choke out as she crushes me.
"Hey." She licks across my lips.
     It's. Like. Fire. Like liquid fire covers my body to her action.
"Oh?"
"You had icing on your lips."
"Oh."
"You thought it was something else?"
"No."
"You know, I don't have to actually have a reason behind the things I do. I could kiss you right now just because I feel like it. But I licked cause it got the icing off easier."
"Okay? You could do anything you want, babe. I wouldn't mind."
"Bath?"
"A bath? You want a bath."
"Yeah. With you. Nice and warm bath."
"Okay. Whatever you want."
   She gets off of me and drags me into the bathroom with her. The bath is actually nice. Mainly her wiping her bare feet on my stomach while we face each other. And me trying to ignore it because I dislike feet.
"Why do you do this?"
"Cause. It's funny. Your reaction is."
"I take a bath with you and you put your feet on me. It's creepy. Maybe I'm not going to bathe with you anymore."
"Mhm. Sure."
    I sigh. "You're so mean to me."
"I could be meaner. And you'd be in ties and wouldn't be able to complain."
"Being honest. I can't tell if that's deadly sexual or just deadly dead."
"Sexual. Definitely sexual. I would take you out."
"Bad Charley. Speaking of such bad things."
"Bad or good?"
"Bad. Very bad."
"Do you want something special to drink?"
"Oh? Like?"
"I don't know. Wine? You seem so tense today. Even up at the school. You were scaring me a little."
"Hm."
    She summons us wine and I laugh as she hands me a glass. Classy. Drinking sweet wine in a hot bath with my wife.
"Talk to me."
"Well.. The atmosphere is different."
"I don't know what you mean, Dakota."
"Things seem different lately. Think it has to do with moms carry. I don't think he's bad or anything. I just feel him differently from how I feel Finn or Em."
"Differently?"
"Not differently persay. He still has the same amount of power. I can just feel a change. It's tense."
"Like how Valerie is acting?"
"In a way, yeah. Mom is... weakening."
"And so are you."
    I sigh. "Yeah. I am. I can feel it. It's like we are all weakening with her. It's not exactly a bad thing, I don't feel it being bad. I'm just not as strong as usual."
"I can see it. It scares me. You know? I hate the thought of losing you."
    I smile. "You won't lose me, babe."
"Maybe you guys are draining a little to help Valerie. Like maybe when she has the baby she needs the strength to regain."
"Maybe? But mom has always bounced back. Always. Lucifer was brutal to her."
"I've heard some of the stories."
"And I've seen some of them in her nightmares. Trust me, she can handle pain."
"So maybe it's just an effect she has. She's protected you, Emma and Finn. Maybe with her body weakening for the birth, it's draining the protection?"
"Could be. I know her energy has been low for months. It's normal. It happened with Ma too."
"Yeah, but Ninfa isn't protecting you magically, Dakota."
"Good point. Whatever is going on, it doesn't feel dark."
"So it's light?" Charley says and shows her inner light. Blue birds circle her and fly around our bathroom.
    I laugh lightly. "Yeah, babe. It's light. But I just don't know what."
"Maybe it's the baby. Maybe he's ready to come out and annoy you like Finnley."
"Oh dear fuck no."
     She laughs at me. The birds disappear.
"I think Valerie is strong. Skylar is protecting your baby brother too. I think whatever is to happen will be good."
    I do feel, whatever this is, draining some of my magic. It's not a bad feeling. It's a light feeling.
   Maybe in some way I am giving mom strength as she works closer to her due date. But I can't help but feel an off feeling. Something is coming, I just cannot tell what.
    Whatever it is, we are all ready for it. Or at least I am.
"My junk is going to turn into a prune."
    I nearly choke on the wine. Laughing to the point of tears. "Then get out?"
"I can't."
"Why?"
"My ass went numb..."
"Charley." I burst into laughter. I give up trying to bathe in peace.
    I climb out of the tub and dry off. She remains in the tub, but stares at me intensively.
"See something you like?"
"Always."
    I smirk. "You're not getting anywhere stuck in that tub, babe."
"My ass is numb. Come ride me."
    I throb the the thought of riding her. But I really would rather not get my body back in the hot soothing tub because then I wouldn't want to really do anything but relax. So. Left with simple options.
"No. No. If you want me, CC. You'll have to come to me."
"But I'm paralyzed."
"Then you wouldn't even feel me, would you?" I walk out and flop on the bed again.
    I love swimming in the soft blankets naked. It's warm and cozy. But also fluffy.
   Enough to keep me busy while I wait. Wait for her. Her to love me until she cannot love me anymore.