Chapter 111: Chapter 111
"Don’t stand there like some broody statue," she muttered, giving his arm a sharp pull. She needed to kill the sudden tension between them. "Be human for once, will you?"
Dominic’s lips curved with deliberate laziness, the sort of smile that never reached his eyes but still made her pulse jump. "Human? And here I thought you liked my broody statue routine."
"I tolerate it," she corrected with a sniff, pulling him along toward another entrance of the pack grounds. "Big difference."
Domimic walked beside her, and fixed his body like an armor around her like the world bent around him. He was silent yet impossible to overlook.
"You dragged me out here," Dominic said finally, his tone soft but laced with amusement. He noticed how she tried to push things away to be lighter, so he decided to play along. He didn’t want her feeling uncomfortable even for a second. "What exactly do you expect me to do? Start skipping?"
Celeste’s eyes widened at the thought of that. "I’d pay money to see that," she shot back. "But no. I just... I don’t want you shutting down every time life looks too ordinary. Sometimes it’s okay to be—"
"Ordinary?" he interrupted. One of his brows arched in surprise.
"Human," she insisted, rolling her eyes.
He stopped walking. He tugged her gently so she turned to face him. His gaze pinned on her. "I need you," he said, the words slipping past his lips like they’d been waiting for years to be spoken.
He didn’t want to drop a lot on her, but he couldn’t help this. Keeping how much he loved and needed her in him only hurts his chest.
Celeste blinked, her throat tightening. This was sudden.
"Not because I am weak," Dominic continued, voice low, steady. "But because you are my compass. One smile, and the whole world feels lighter. One frown, and even the sun hides behind clouds. It terrifies me, how I’ve let you hold the strings. Your silence ruins me, and your anger unravels me. I don’t breathe freely, unless you allow it."
The air thickened between them, so charged that Celeste felt her knees wobble. Maybe it was the morning, maybe it was the echo of his mouth on her skin, or maybe the bruising reminder of how badly he wanted her, and how much she had given. Maybe it was simply him.
She shifted her weight, but the soreness in her knees betrayed her. Her foot caught the uneven stone path, and she gasped, pitching forward.
"Celeste—"
Dominic’s arm shot out, steadying her before she could tumble. His grip was firm, and unyielding, yet tender. He positioned her properly so effortlessly, and she found herself flush against his chest, staring up at him like the world had shrunk to his heartbeat.
"You okay?" His tone was threaded with concern, but a naughty smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Fine," she mumbled, heat blooming across her cheeks. "Just... sore knees."
His brow quirked, a dangerous glint lighting his gaze. "From this morning?"
"Shut up." She shoved lightly at his chest, mortified at how breathless she sounded.
Dominic chuckled under his breath, but instead of teasing further, he bent and scooped the ridiculous oversized stuffed giraffe she’d insisted on bringing along. He slung it over his shoulder with absurd ease, as though carrying a four-foot plush toy was the most natural thing for him to do.
"Let me," he said simply, when her eyes demanded he returned the giraffe back to her.
Celeste folded her arms, arching a brow. "You? Carrying a giraffe? That’s not very... statue-like."
"Maybe I’m practicing being human," he said, flashing her a rare grin that softened the edges of his face.
She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling too wide. "You’re ridiculous."
"And yet, you dragged me here." He countered.
He let out a sigh. Not caring about anything in the world, he kept the giraffe on a close space, pulled her in from her waist, and kissed her.
Celeste’s fingers gripped the front of his shirt instinctively. Her knees weakened all over again, as her body molded against him like she had no choice. The taste of him stole her balance. The steadiness of his hand at her back reminded her she wouldn’t fall.
And then, a tiny tug at Dominic’s leg broke the moment.
Dominic stilled first. His mouth left hers reluctantly, as though the separation was a wound. His gaze darkened instantly, and he looked down with the kind of stiffness she’d learned was his armor of snapping back into place and coldness.
When they looked down, a little boy no older than six grinned up at him. His small fingers still held onto Dominic’s trouser leg with unshakable boldness. In his other hand, he clutched a plush penguin. Identical to the one Dominic had just won for Celeste earlier.
The boy giggled, his eyes sparkling with pride as he lifted the penguin high, right at Dominic. "Look! We’re twins!"
Celeste blinked, startled. Her lips still tingled from Dominic’s kiss.
Dominic didn’t reply.
His jaw locked tight, and his shoulders stiffened like the boy’s presence was an intrusion and something raw he couldn’t afford to acknowledge. He didn’t even lower his gaze again. He stood frozen, and silent. That softness Celeste had pried from him moments ago already retreating back into shadow.
Celeste’s chest squeezed. She felt it. He felt uneasy. His silence this time wasn’t indifference but discomfort. It was the sharp kind that left him wordless.
So, she bent. Slowly, and carefully, she lowered herself until she was at the boy’s eye level, softening her features into a smile as natural as breathing.
"Twins, huh?" Her voice was light, and warm, carrying a gentleness she knew Dominic couldn’t summon right now.
The boy’s grin widened, his penguin bobbing with his excitement. "Yes! My mom said this one was the last left, but I got it. And now you got one too!" He looked between Celeste and Dominic, brimming with delight. "You both can keep them! Twins forever!"
Celeste laughed softly, and it wasn’t forced. She reached out and brushed the penguin’s soft flipper with her fingertips. "That’s a very special penguin you have. You must be really lucky."
He nodded vigorously, his little curls bouncing. He looked so happy, that it warmed her heart. "I’m lucky! And now you are too!"