Chapter 194: The joint council

Ira's POV

Today is different from other days, and we both know it.

By both I mean the man currently stretched out on my bed.

How this happened, I can’t really say, but I’m not complaining. When I first met him, I never thought he’d turn out to be this… whatever this is.

Someone I can actually understand, someone who just gets it in a way most people don’t.

I am standing in front of the mirror in my room trying to decide between two options when Omar pushes himself up from my bed, pointing a finger at one of the dresses in my hands.

"The green," he says.

"I was thinking the green," I agree.

"Then why are we still discussing it?" He rolls his eyes.

I toss the purple dress at him but he simply catches it and falls back on the bed with his arms folded under his head, staring at the ceiling.

“Do you need me to leave?” Omar asks, bending his neck a bit so he can meet my gaze.

I shake my head.

“I'm not even marked yet and I already feel like a large piece of my heart followed that loser.” Omar hisses. He has been this way for weeks.

I know he doesn't really think low of his mate, rather he's getting increasingly stressed with the time it's taking them to return.

And I can't blame him because I also think Ruel is a cunt for not sending at least one letter to me.

Once I'm done changing I walk out of the bathroom, picking up the conversation from where we left off.

“We both know you'd be jumping into his arms today.” I mutter, smiling when his face wrinkles in a glare.

Brushing my hair and hoping it stays calm today, I watch Omar's leg start bouncing in the mirror's reflection.

“You really miss him that much?” I say, pointing to his leg with a sly grin on my face.

"I don't really miss him that…" he lets out a heavy sigh. “I can't help it. Alpha Davan said they'll be here by dawn. This is eleven am.”

I walk over to the bed. "You're worse than I am."

Omar scoffs. "I am not worse than you are. You checked the gate twice this morning."

"I was going for a walk."

"In the direction of the gate. Both times."

I sit down beside him, and he straightens. For a moment, we both stay quiet.

"Are you going to go through with it?" I ask.

A flush rises up Omar’s neck instantly and he turns his gaze to the wall.

"We don't need to talk about that today," he mutters.

"Omar,"

"We don't." He repeats, his ears becoming redder.

"You were very clear about it last night," I push.

"I was drunk last night." He says.

"You had two cups."

"They were large cups." He finally looks at me.

“Of tea, Omar. You can't get drunk on tea.”

“Well I did,” he responds, sticking to his lie.

A calm laugh escapes me. “You're an idiot.”

"Whatever I said last night, I didn't mean it."

"The point is, are you going through with it?” I question.

Burying his face in his hands, Omar groans. “Ahh, this was easier to discuss in the dark.”

I lean forward slightly. "Did you prepare the way I told you to?"

He picks up the pillow from behind him and hits me with it.

"I've known what to do since…" he pauses, trying very hard not to smile.

I can't help but laugh when his blush deepens.

"What I'm saying is that it doesn't need to be today specifically. It could be any day. There's no requirement that it happen the moment he walks through the gate." He continues.

"There's no requirement," I agree. "I'm just saying that when you are him and the feeling hits you, don't talk yourself back from it."

He nods and we simply enjoy the silence for a second.

"Gods," Omar mutters eventually, pressing two fingers to the bridge of his nose. "I swear I can almost taste him on my tongue right now."

I exhale, pulling my feet to the bed. "I know exactly what you mean. I can smell Ruel already and he hasn't even crossed the border yet." I shake my head. "We are genuinely pathetic."

"Speak for yourself," Omar says, but he is already smiling again.

Calmly he reaches over and tucks a loose piece of hair back from my face. I let him because that's what this has become between us.

For some reason he has chosen to confide in me, and I could really do with a friend like him.

A soft sound comes from the doorway. We both turn.

Ruel stands in the doorway, one shoulder resting against the wood, watching me with dark eyes that haven’t left me since the moment they found me.

Elric is just behind him. His face has that look… like he’s just heard everything.

Omar jerks upright so fast I actually feel the mattress shift.

"You're back," I breathe, keeping my voice even and my face composed while my heart drums wildly in my chest.

I have spent several weeks missing him, yet I find myself pretending I haven't.

"Can taste me on your tongue, huh," Elric smirks, already sauntering into the room, heading directly for Omar, who I fear is red all over.

"Of course he heard that," Omar says, mostly to the floor.

Ruel doesn't look at either of them. He pushes off the doorframe and crosses the room in steady, unhurried strides, and I stay where I am, watching with a growing smile.

When he reaches me, his warm hands carefully hold my face. Then he kisses me.

I wrap both hands around his neck, deepening the kiss.

He pulls back, just far enough to speak.

"I missed you," he whispers, but before the words completely leave his mouth, my lips are on his again.