Chapter 11: Morning

_You’re missing a hoodie? Check with Priscilla, she treats them like Pokémon. Has to steal them all! - Porthos_

Priscilla could hear Athos and Aramis speaking outside in the hall. For a brief moment, she thought that she had heard Porthos. But he was in Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, or as he called it – Fort Lost in the Wood. He sent them a video of it snowing only to admit that it was a life size snow globe.

Snow would be a drastic change from the mid-eighties that they had been having recently. Priscilla was ready for the temperature to drop and wearing her leathers without them sticking to her. Or having sweat in places that it should not be. Boob sweat had to be the worst.

Ever.

But in the mornings, the dining hall was cold, so she rummaged through the closet for a hoodie. Chuckling, she found one that Ink had left when he moved out of the room and into Tank’s room full time. When he moved out, Athos moved in and claimed the big bed where the five friends would huddle together. Even though Athos now stayed there, everyone still called it Ink’s room.

Pulling on the United States Air Force Academy Association of Graduates hoodie over her tank top and denim cut offs, she headed for the door to the hallway.  Tugging the thick cotton material down, it brushed against her midthighs covering everything that Camille had dropped off for her to wear.

Athos and Aramis stood in the hallway; Athos held his phone between them. Stepping closer, Aramis held his arm out to her as Porthos spoke from the phone.

“… bunkmate from hell. Uber conservative and keeps telling me I’m going to hell because I have tattoos.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “I guess Ink is going to take over?”

“No shit,” Athos laughed.

“Oh, God,” Aramis chuckled. “Can you imagine him meeting the Trio?”

Priscilla’s body shook with laughter. “What would he say about my dad with five wives?”

The three friends joined her in laughing.

“Ah, hell. I got to go if I want breakfast before my first class,” Porthos groaned as they heard an alarm going off in the background. “Love you, Priss. Tolerate you two fuckers.”

Priscilla chuckled as the other two guys told Porthos to fuck off as their way of telling their friend that they loved him. After the call ended, the three of them headed down the hall to the stairs.

“Where’s Megan?” Priscilla asked as they started down to the first floor.

“Dakota was fussy this morning, she got up and went down to see Nes,” Aramis yawned.

“Why are you tired?” Athos teased, and his friend gave him a friendly shove off the last few steps.

Smiling to herself, she rolled her eyes at their antics. Athos jumped down the last two steps and stopped in front of Priscilla. She automatically jumped onto his back and he hooked his hands under her knees.

When they started spending more time at the university, he was going to miss this. They had an easy camaraderie that came from years of friendship. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed Athos on his cheek.

“What’s that for?”

“Just thinking that when classes start, I’m not going to see you as much,” she admitted as he entered the dining hall.

“Whatever,” he smiled at her over his shoulder. “You’re just waiting for us to get new hoodies for you to steal.”

“There’s always an upside to every down,” she quoted her mother.

“I know the other half of that little saying from Momma Becks,” Athos chuckled.

He sat her on her feet in front of the line that was filled with breakfast foods. Looking at each other, they grinned and made stabbing motions.

“There’s always an upside to every down, your down stroke needs to be swift and strong.” The two friends said.

“Blade out to direct the blood away from you,” Aramis advised with a smile. “Nice hoodie.”

“Can you imagine if she stole one of Tank’s?” Athos asked as the three of them filled their plates.

“Who says that I don’t already have one?” she asked innocently.

The two men stopped and looked at each other before looking at the woman between them. “Do you?”

“No. But now I have a challenge.”

Shaking their heads, they watched her walk towards the order window and Karan brought her a fresh waffle with strawberries and cream. They followed her and got their own custom orders that they got every morning. Athos always got three fried eggs, sunny side up, while Aramis got a veggie and meat omelet.

The three friends sat at their regular table where Megan was already seated with a formerly fussy baby sleeping in her arms. Aramis put his arm around her and pulled her and the chair to him. Curling into his warmth, she rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes.

“Hey, little pretty,” Molly said softly as he kissed Priscilla on the top of her head. He rested his hand on her shoulder to let her know that he was there for her.

She reached up and squeezed his fingers as she leaned her head against his arm. The silent conversation that they had said more with their actions than the few words that they shared ever could. “Hey, daddy.”

Assured that she was okay, he squeezed her shoulder lightly. “Carly wants to see you.”

“Good, I want to go see Biscuit,” she smiled up at him as her hand dropped from his.

With that settled, he stepped over to Megan and carefully took the two-week-old baby from her mother and placed a kiss on Megan’s head as he softly whispered comforting words to the new mother. “It’s okay, little pretty. I’ve got her.”

Megan started to object, but Aramis shushed her and pulled her into his lap. “Get some sleep, babe.”

“You’re eating,” she objected sleepily.

“He’s eaten in my house enough times to master eating with someone in his lap,” Priscilla said as she cut up her waffle.

Megan murmured something and then drifted off to sleep.

“What?” Molly laughed from the other side of the room where he settled among his wives who were glaring at him. “It’s my first unofficial grandbaby.”

“Your moms are in trouble,” Aramis murmured as he chased down a mushroom on his plate.

“Like they object to any of the babies?” Athos countered as he put salt and pepper on his eggs.

“Or any of the actions that lead to them,” Priscilla added dryly.

Leo set his plate on the table next to her before sitting on the chair. She smiled at him, and he leaned over and pressed a light kiss to her lips.

“How are you feeling this morning?” he asked as he pushed some of her loose hair behind her ear.

The simple motion made her feel squishy inside and her heart rate picked up slightly. Smiling, she ignored the blush that she could feel creeping up her face.

“I’m doing good.”

“What are your plans for today?” he asked as he tucked into the plate piled high with scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon and sausage links. A second plate held four half slices of toast.

“Coffee?” Athos asked Leo as he stood up. He knew what the others wanted and aimed the question at Leo.

“Yeah, that would be great,” Leo smiled at him and at the cocked eyebrow, he quickly amended his statement. “Yes, sir, that would be great. Would you like some assistance?”

“That would be great, prospect.”

Priscilla turned away from her boyfriend so that he did not see her hiding her laughter. Aramis waited until the other two men left the table, before he turned his attention to Priscilla.

“You don’t think that we’re going to give him a free pass just because you’re dating him, do you?”

“Well, no,” she sighed softly and gave him a smile. “Doesn’t it feel weird since he’s the same age as you?”

“A little, but he’s a prospect. He’s going to earn his colors. And don’t expect the brothers to go easy on you either. If anything, they will be harder on you than they have been on Camille. You’re a third-generation legacy.”