Cresswell: The Lunar Chronicles

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Seven

"Cookies anyone?"

Thorne perked up, sliding his table away from the coffee table and taking the entire plate from Cress.

"Um, there's other people here, you know," Scarlet said.

"I know. I'm saving you. These cookies are just terrible," he mumbled, shoving an entire cookie in his mouth and then mock shuddering.

"A moment on the lips, forever on the hips," Scarlet added flippantly.

"For you maybe. Not me."

Scarlet rolled her eyes, snatching the plate when Thorne let his guard down.

"Hey!"

Scarlet moved beside Wolf, who was concentrating on the game he and Iko were playing.

"That's cheating."

"I know, I love it."

"Kai!"

Scarlet rolled her eyes and Thorne could hear Cress, already back in the kitchen, groan.

"What is it now?" Kai asked with a glare as he and Cinder were starting inside from their walk.

"Scarlets hogging all the cookies, she's gonna get fat."

Scarlet barked out a laugh. "With all the work I do at the farm? Fat chance."

Kai rolled his eyes, crossing the living room floor and taking a handful of cookies from the plate. Neither Scarlet nor Wolf made any kind of protest.

"You kids need to learn to share. Here," Kai added with another head shake, handing them to Thorne.

"I was going to share but she took them all," Thorne retorted.

"Where's Winter and Jacin?"

"They're still upstairs."

Cress came out with another plate of breakfast. Iko had insisted on cooking and didn't disappoint with homemade bagels, a whole mess of fixings, eggs, sausage, and fresh orange juice.

"Any predictions if it's a boy or girl?"

Cress shook her head, a grin creeping onto her face. "No but I can't wait!"

"You're gonna do a gender reveal, right?" Iko asked.

Cress blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Like have some fun way to either tell all of us or tell yourself."

"I hadn't planned on it." Cress shrugged with a glance at Thorne who also shrugged.

Iko visibly perked up. "Ooh can we? You can have the doctor write down if it's a boy or girl and then I'll come up with something cute for you to do!"

"Iko I won't be able to wait another few days!" Cress laughed.

"We could do it the same day! You find out tomorrow, right?"

Cress nodded.

"Then I'll figure out the details today and get everything ready so when you come home with the sealed envelope, I'll just finish it up and we can do it right away."

Cress looked at Thorne.

"It's up to you—if you wanna wait a few minutes, fine, but if not that's fine too."

"Of course," Iko added, nodding her head.

Cress bit her lip, smiling. "Okay but only if we can find out as soon as we get home!"

"Deal. Wolf I forgot, you won—I got stuff to do." Iko fairly leapt up and darted upstairs.

"I'm scared all of a sudden," Thorne murmured. "I hope she won't blow anything up."

Cress giggled. "I doubt it. I hope no one thinks we're trying to make everything all about us," she murmured.

"I doubt it."

"Me too, but like a gender reveal doesn't really seem like something Jacin's into."

"Cress I'm pretty sure Jacin would be 'into' anything if you asked him to," Scarlet added.

Cress smirked. "Maybe."

"I think a gender reveal will be cute," Wolf said as he reached for a cookie.

Thorne could see the visible relief on Cress's face and he winked at her. "Great, glad we're all good."

"Though I'm pretty sure I know if it's a boy or girl."

"Uh-huh, sure. Tell us now what you think so you can't say 'oh I knew that' after we all find out."

"I'm guessing based on his or her scent."

Cress's jaw dropped. "Wait really?"

Wolf nodded.

"Don't give it away, but what does he or she smell like?"

Wolf thought about it for a second. "There's some of you and Thorne, but also... something else. I cant say or it might tip you off."

Thorne wasn't convinced. "Here," he said, tossed Wolf a pad of paper. "Write down your guess and then give it to me. I won't look until tomorrow."

"Can I see?" Scarlet asked.

Wolf shook his head. "You have to wait."

Scarlet made a face but Wolf was already handing his paper to Thorne, who stuffed it in his pocket.

"If he's right what happens?" Scarlet asked.

"He's right. Isn't that enough?"

"I think you should give him something since you're so smug about it."

Thorne made a face, picking his tablet up and finishing the outline he'd been working on. At some point Wolf and Scarlet got up to go workout, leaving Cress and Thorne by themselves for the first time in what felt like forever.

"It got quiet all of a sudden," Cress said with a smirk.

"I know." Thorne tossed his tablet down, scooting over and sweeping an arm beneath Cress, crushing her in a hug. She let out a tired groan, melting into him.

"You should sleep if you're tired," he murmured, kissing her cheek.

"I know but I know the moment I start to fall asleep something fun is going to break out."

"I doubt it. Cinder and Kai are on a video call for the next hour, Wolf always works out for forever, and Winter and Jacin aren't 'loud fun' kinda people."

Cress drew another steady inhale and let it out. "Yeah, I guess."

"C'mon." Thorne swiped his other arm beneath her legs, lifting her up as he stood and started toward their room.

"This is actually really comfortable, could I maybe stay here and you just walk around the house for an hour."

"You're overestimating my stamina," Thorne said around a chuckle. He nudged their room door open with the toe of his boot, setting Cress down on the bed and then pulling the balcony drapes closed. "You want me to leave the window open?"

"Yeah, it's nice outside," Cress said as she kicked her shoes off and pulled her dress over her head.

Thorne nodded. He stooped to kiss her, pausing to lightly rub her stomach and then reaching for the blankets.

Cress smiled up at him. "I love you."

"Love you too."