Chapter 410: Just Us… Here, Now… Together

[FROLO]

The drive to the Romanov manor had Katya more pissed than he should ever have been. He’d listened to the segment on his way home, and every moment Aleksandr spoke, Katya felt like committing real crimes.

He felt like going after the man because clearly Aleksandr was forgetting what it really meant to be a Romanov omega. He was forgetting that it wasn’t just a family name being thrown around; it meant more than anyone would be willing to mess with.

The man had managed to spin Katya as innocent in the crimes, which was good, but at the same time Alek was also highlighting Katya as a naive omega who had no choice in anything around Sergei.

As someone who didn’t have a choice because he was overpowered by Sergei Moskowsky.

That pissed Katya off even more... because this wasn’t Alek fighting the devil of Frolo.

This was Alek trying desperately to poke holes in a relationship that he had tried and failed multiple times in.

Attacking this early in the morning, right after the presidential address and everything that had happened yesterday, was low, but fuck was Katya a bit impressed by Aleksandr’s determination.

It was even interesting because the city seemed to believe him.

They believed the man who had fucked them up one too many times, and now they were accepting Alek as some selfless ex-boyfriend who wanted the best for Katya.

Katya couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity.

"This bastard thinks I don’t know he’s the Bratva leader?" Katya sighed, unamused, as he listened to Sierra’s station replay the key takes from the alpha’s statement that morning.

Gods, Aleksandr was a shameless man if this was what he was going for.

But what the hell, right?

"Are you alright? Did you watch or listen to the interview?" Svet and Andre had called during the replays, and Katya had just laughed at the way Alek was so convinced Katya was some manipulated man now.

No one knew the version of Sergei Katya had grown to see over the years.

Sure, he was not denying that Sergei was the devil of Frolo. But Katya had managed to see beyond the devil of Frolo, which was something Aleksandr was forgetting at the moment.

"He likes to just run his mouth; don’t pay attention to him," Katya had dismissed as he stepped on the gas to get to Sergei. He knew Sergei had to have seen it too, and knowing Sergei, there were three options.

The alpha was pissed, which was the most obvious one.

The alpha was going after Aleksandr in his own... unconventional way.

Or the alpha was sitting somewhere in Katya’s bedroom, wondering if Katya looked at him like Alek had suggested. Wondering if this was real or if this was just a side effect of the mate bond.

As much as Katya was all for an emotional alpha and the chaos along the way, he very much preferred the first two options.

Because the third was not okay.

Would never be okay.

He needed to get home fast.

He considered calling Sergei again this morning or his parents, but he wanted to see for himself. He knew things were a bit weird, and with Mr. Romanov in the same space as Sergei, a lot was bound to somehow go wrong, or so he thought.

There was no perfect way to get things going, especially given where they were, and honestly, it was understandable.

"Please be okay," Katya mumbled, worried more about Sergei’s ability to feel and wondering if Alek was right about him.

Gods, it was a sport, but one Katya was more than ready to translate for Sergei. Because the devil of Frolo, for all he was, only lived to make people happy.

But Katya wanted Sergei happy too.

He wanted Sergei to live a life that was fairly normal. One in which he didn’t have to do things for people just to feel wanted and loved. One that he didn’t have to question love when there were external attacks.

Katya loved Sergei.

He would always love Sergei.

It wasn’t even about the bond anymore.

It was just how they balanced each other out. Maybe it was a stretch for Katya to think like that given what and who Sergei was, not to mention Sergei’s world.

But Katya wasn’t scared.

And if after today he was expected to pick up arms and live up to the Romanov omega name and title...

For Sergei, Katya would do it.

He would fight back.

He would defend his boyfriend.

He wouldn’t let them get to him in the one language Sergei didn’t properly understand yet: emotions.

Katya didn’t even bother going to the parking lot the moment they drove through the gates. Instead, he just stepped out, letting one of the security personnel do it for him. It was a very shaky morning, and he hoped Sergei wasn’t questioning himself again.

With one last prayer, Katya pushed open his family door, only to get the shock of his life.

For starters, Sergei...

He was... talking to Mr. Romanov?

Sitting close?

Katya instantly looked at his father’s katana shelf. They were all sheathed. The blades too.

Was this real or was it just Katya’s imagination?

"Solnyshka..." Sergei smiled from ear to ear, getting up to embrace Katya, who was still standing at the door, shocked to the core.

This had to be some simulation because there was no way his father and Sergei were in the same space, and his father wasn’t looking at Sergei like he wanted to strangle the man.

And when Katya felt Sergei’s embrace, he breathed the alpha in. ℴℴ𝘮

Sergei smelled like Katya. He still reeked of the citrus in Katya’s bedroom, and boy, did Katya let out a sigh of relief.

Maybe this was not as delusional.

Maybe this was really happening.

His mother was in the kitchen talking to the staff, but hells be damned if Katya didn’t want to live in this reality for a little longer. So he hugged Sergei back, breathing him in from the scent gland.

The rainforest scent was so thick.

Way too thick for this to be an illusion. It was almost like Sergei was really here and he wasn’t delusional.

"Vladimir? Are you... Are you real?" Katya mumbled softly, and Sergei pulled back to smile at him.

"Of course, Lyubim. Your papa got me from Ale— the Bratva headquarters last night before I did something that I wouldn’t regret, but that would mess up my plans for the bastard behind the Bratva," Sergei said a little too calmly.

Katya looked at his father, like there had to be a better explanation for this.

"I still don’t like him for you," the old man grumbled, and Sergei chuckled lowly, casually. It was almost warm, and fuck if Katya’s heart didn’t leap a bit.

It was true.

His father.

His boyfriend.

His mother.

All in the same space, and his boyfriend wasn’t hurt.

"Don’t lock me out again, please," Katya said quietly, turning to Sergei, who was looking at Katya like there was an entire universe in Katya’s beautiful dark eyes.

"I didn’t mean to worry you," Sergei said apologetically, knowing damn well last night must have been really hard for Katya. But what the fuck was he to do yesterday, though?

He was feeling so many things at the same time, and it didn’t make his life any easier.

None of it made sense to him.

Honestly, up until Mr. Romanov picked him up, Sergei wasn’t sure if he was going to murder everyone at the Bratva or give them a slow, agonizing pain.

Now he knew.

The latter was his choice, and he would make it real.

"No... no... I’d rather be worried for you and know where you are than not know if you’re okay or not. So worry me, alpha. Give me your pain like you absorb all of mine," Katya said desperately, the horrors of the previous night something that he refused to experience again.

It was the hardest thing he had ever had to do.

Sleeping away from Sergei while knowing Sergei was probably hurting from everything that had happened. That was a cruel fate.

Maybe that’s why Katya continued:

"Share your fears with me. I love you, ALL of you. The good. The bad. Not the idea of how perfect you can be. I don’t want perfect, I want you. Just you. I love you, Vladimir. Please don’t run from me again," Katya said, cupping Sergei’s face in his tiny hands.

And Sergei...

Kissed Katya’s forehead in reassurance, since he didn’t have the proper words for him.

"If I die of hunger because of both of you, I’ll haunt you until the end of life," Mr. Romanov grumbled.