Page 23 of Blizzards and Brews
“Are you alright?” he asked softly.
“I’m fine,” I promised. “Just a bit thrown off from the blizzard.”
“Hey, I wasn’t trying to be an asshole,” Dustin said as he walked back out to join us.
“No, it’s true and I get it,” I said, shaking my head. “Sometimes it just reminds me we have a rift between us in a lot of ways.”
“Not one we can’t cross, Lindsay,” Ollie said gently. Raised voices had us freezing and looking at each other.
“Fuck, we left the alphas unattended,” Dustin said, grabbing my wrist and dragging me with him into the kitchen. Adam was chopping up some chicken while Spencer was washing and cutting up veggies. They were working together, though Adam was much more angry and Spencer seemed to be trying to not make it worse.
The stovetops were gas, so we at least had the ability to use the flames to cook, otherwise we would really be in trouble.
“I think they have it handled,” Ollie snorted.
“Ollie, tortillas. Dustin, drinks for everyone. Lindsay, could you please grab some plates?”
I was the only one he said it in a normal tone so I just nodded, laughing as I went off to do what he asked while Dustin raised hell at his barked orders.
Day one and no one had died, not too bad, right?
“If someone doesn’t stop snoring, I’m taping mouths closed!” Ollie protested as he punched his uncomfortable pillow and tried to get comfortable.
I’d seen Ollie’s bed at home and I’d seen his nest as well, one pillow and a sleeping bag was absolutely nothing to him. Unfortunately the air mattress had a hole we couldn’t patch. The mounds of pillows and blankets, of varying soft texture, that he favored were a far cry from our current predicament. I hated that I couldn’t make it better for him in that moment.
In reality, no one was actually snoring, it was just eerily silent in here thanks to the lack of power. I’d been up for an hour already and the sun was starting to stream in.
Trying to be as quiet as possible I snuck out of my sleeping bag and tiptoed into the kitchen so I could start the coffee maker. It wasn’t until I was there that I realized that wasn’t an option.
“Guess I’m getting creative,” I grumbled. I grabbed a pot and added water before putting coffee grounds into a filter and securing the top with butcher’s twine.
I’d rifled through these drawers enough to find everything fairly easy. Honestly, I was just impressed my morning brain could manage. Then again, there wasn’t a lot I wouldn’t do for coffee.
The door swung open and a sleepy Adam came stumbling in. He blinked over at me as his eyes adjusted to the lantern light.
“What are you doing?”
“Coffee,” I said as I pointed at the pot. “We can’t use the coffee maker, so I got creative.”
He smirked at that. “Anything for caffeine.”
“You know me so well.”
His eyes softened and he nodded. “I do.”
“You want some?” I asked as I grabbed a mug for myself. He gave a quick yes, so I grabbed two instead.
“Hey, sorry about the bad mood yesterday,” Adam said gently, not quite meeting my eyes. “I’ll work on it. Maybe we could talk–”
Ollie barreled through the door, his eyes bloodshot and brown hair askew. He had the sleeping bag wrapped around his shoulders and even with the frown he wore, he was absolutely adorable.
“Adam, please tell me there’s actual coffee and you’re not just scenting around our beta.”
Ollie made his way between us, tucking in close and all but demanding we make a little comfort bubble of an omega sandwich.
“There’s coffee, Roly Poly Olly,” I assured him, giving him what he needed and squeezing him tight.
Adam joined me, his hands covering mine as his eyes met mine above his brother’s head.