Chapter 260: Of My Family

Runze’s POV

I lie in bed for a few moments after setting my phone down, but sleep doesn’t come. The room is quiet, but my mind remains restless, pulled by a quiet urge to be near Bael.

I pull myself off the bed, slip into my house slippers, and step out into the hallway.

The nursery is just a few steps down the corridor, the door resting slightly open. I push it back without a sound, intending to quietly slip inside.

Bael is kneeling by the wooden crib, holding his phone in one hand as he takes photos of Siying while she sleeps. He has taken off his jacket, tossing it over the back of the nursing chair, his collar unbuttoned and sleeves rolled up past his forearms. Watching him crouched there so carefully over our daughter makes something warm bloom in my chest.

It makes me want to grab my phone from the nightstand to take a picture of them both.

I turn slightly to head back to the bedroom, but the quiet rustle of my clothes gives me away.

"Runze?" Bael turns his head, his dark eyes landing on me. He stands up from the crib, stepping away from Siying. "I told you to go rest."

"I was going to," I say, stepping into the room as he walks across the floor to meet me halfway.

Before he can say anything else, I step directly into his space, throwing my hands around his shoulders and pulling him down to kiss him.

Bael catches his breath in surprise for a split second before his arm wraps firmly around my waist, pulling me flush against his chest. His mouth opens under mine, warm and ready, and the kiss deepens fast. His tongue slides against mine, slow and thorough, tasting me like he has been waiting for this all morning. One of his hands presses into the small of my back, holding me tight against him so I can feel the solid heat of his body through our clothes. The other hand comes up to cup the back of my neck, fingers sliding into my hair as he tilts my head to deepen the kiss even further.

I make a small sound against his mouth. He answers by sucking gently on my lower lip before pushing his tongue back in, stroking it against mine with a steady, hungry rhythm that sends heat straight down my spine. My fingers dig into his shoulders, then slide up into his hair, holding him close while the kiss grows wetter and more open. Every time I try to pull back for air he follows, chasing my mouth, kissing me deeper, like he cannot get enough of the taste of me.

When I finally break the kiss we are both breathing harder. I rest my forehead against his collarbone, letting out a quiet exhale. "I just miss you."

I slide my hands off his shoulders, letting them drift down to wrap around his waist instead, feeling the solid steady warmth of his body beneath his shirt. His arm stays tight around me, and for a moment neither of us moves, just standing there in the quiet nursery with our daughter sleeping a few feet away.

"You keep doing all the work and telling me to rest," I say at last into his shirt. "I feel like I’m bullying you."

Bael lets out a loud, sudden laugh.

I immediately smack his arm with a sharp thwack, glaring up at him. "Shh! Keep it down, you’ll wake Siying!"

Bael chuckles quietly this time, raising one hand in apology while his eyes crinkle with amusement. "Sorry, sorry. It was just funny. As if a tiny Omega like you could bully me."

I narrow my eyes at him. "Why not? You think I can’t?"

Bael raises both hands in playful surrender, a faint smirk lingering on his lips. "I didn’t say that. Please don’t take it seriously. I don’t want to sleep outside tonight."

I eye him up and down, letting my lips form a small pout. "You think I’d make you sleep outside?"

Bael’s mouth curves. "You just threatened to bully me."

"I said I feel like I’m bullying you."

"That’s how it starts."

I almost laugh, catching myself just in time when I remember Siying is sleeping only a few feet away. I press my lips together and shake my head.

"You’re ridiculous," I murmur.

"And yet you married me."

"I was clearly not thinking properly."

Bael smiles, his gaze soft and completely open. "Too late now."

I eye him for a second, but before I can say another word, Bael reaches down and wraps his hand around my waist, drawing me closer against him. His other hand reaches up, his thumb gently tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers brushing softly against my skin.

His smile fades into something far gentler, his expression sobering. "Don’t think you’re bullying me, Runze. I’m the one who got you pregnant. I made you pass through so much pain and couldn’t do anything but watch... But Runze, I don’t regret it, because we get to meet Siying. So the least I can do is take responsibility and let your body have the rest it deserves."

A quiet warmth spreads through my chest. I reach up, gently fixing his slightly ruffled hair, smoothing down the dark strands over his forehead.

"I was actually about to go back to our room to get my phone for a picture," I say softly, pulling him down for another quick, sweet kiss.

Bael blinks, looking slightly confused. "Of Siying?"

"No," I reply. "Of you."

Bael looks genuinely surprised. "Me?"

"Yes, you."

"Why?"

I shrug softly. "Because I wanted one."

Before he can ask anything else, I reach out and slide his phone right out of his hand. I point toward the crib. "Go stand there."

Bael assumes I want a solo portrait of him, so he steps back toward the railing, adjusting his stance. But instead of raising the phone from a distance, I walk right over and stand beside him, stepping close enough that our shoulders touch as we both lean slightly over the crib.

Bael turns his head to look down at me. "You wanted a picture of me."

"I changed my mind," I say smoothly, raising the phone and angling the wide camera angle downward so the screen cleanly frames our faces side-by-side, with Siying sleeping peacefully in her swaddle right below us in the frame.

"So now you want one of us?"

I look down at Siying, then up at him.

"Of my family," I whisper.