His father didn’t seem much happier about this.
“But what about you, Sora? It’s all well and good to want to prioritize Ravi, but a healthy relationship requires that both partners’ needs are met. You can’t let him take priority when it comes to a decision this big.”
Sora was shaking his head before his father could trot all of that out.
“I’m needed here. Respected and valued here. Of course, my family loves me, I’m in no doubt of that. But I’m not needed. I can’t describe this right. But I feel a strong satisfaction in this clan. I adore the people here and how they love and respect each other. I love the unquestioning support they give to one another.”
He lifted his hands, opening and closing them as if trying to grasp at the right words that would make them finally understand.
“I’m like a puzzle piece that has finally been slotted into the right place. Look at you two. Why are you frowning like you object to this? I’ve spent the past forty-one years traveling around the world, restless and on edge, not at all settled in the clan. Once I hit twenty-two, I never spent more than six months at home in one stretch. It’s obvious that I was seeking the right place.”
“No, you were seeking your mate,” his mother corrected immediately, lips pinched together. “And you found him. And now you can come home.”
“I did find him,” Sora agreed calmly. Then, he edged his chair back, ready to duck. “But, Kaa-san, I think I am home.”
As expected, she picked up the nearest object—a pen, in this case—and chucked it at his head.
Sora ducked handily to the side, his reflexes honed over the years. He’d rather expected that response, as his mother’s desires were firm and her temper short. He peeked back over the top of the table, judging her anger level. Her skin was a dark red, edging toward purple.
Hmm. Apparently livid.
Ryu hastily intervened before his wife could murder their only child.
“Sora, why don’t you properly talk to Ravi about this before you make any decisions? Yuki, it could well be that Ravi might decide to come with us, instead. He’s got family in the clan, after all.”
Yuki’s ire died a mite. But she still sounded like she was chewing on steel cables as she ground out, “Yes, go talk to Ravi, my son. Make it very clear where your family stands. And that we want him with us.”
It was a good compromise. “I’ll do that.”
But Sora wasn’t giving that option very high odds.
Did he say that? Of course not. He had better survival skills than that.
Ravi frowned at his phone. Alric was refusing to answer his texts, wouldn’t even answer his calls. What the hell was going on?
As he charged down the hallway, he tapped out a quick text to Baldewin. He needed to find out if the king was acting strangely with him, as well. He didn’t get more than a few meters before a pair of strong hands grabbed him. Ravi yelped, his head popping up. He found himself faced with Sora’s warm smile. Some of the tension and worry flowed out of his body. It was nice to see this man first thing in the morning.
Yeah, he melted. He always melted when Sora was smiling at him.
“What’s your hurry?” Sora asked.
Ravi blinked, his brain coming back online.
“Hoheit. He’s acting weird. He said I have the day off today, and now he’s not answering my texts.” Ravi lifted up on the tips of his toes and quickly kissed Sora before dropping back down again. “I need to find him so he can tell me what’s going on.”
Sora winced a little, his nose wrinkling. “I hope you’re not mad, but I asked him to give you the day off.”
“What? Seriously? But I can’t.”
Ravi’s heart broke a little, and he quickly tucked his phone into his pocket before pulling Sora into a hard hug. He could feel his dragon join in on the snuggle as if he were trying to magically wrap his wings around both of them. “I would love nothing more than to spend the entire day with you, but we’re up to our eyeballs in kings and queens in the castle. We’ve got the Jaeggi causing problems, and there could still be mages outside the castle gates. Baldewin needs all the help he can get with security. I—”
Whatever he was going to say got trapped in his throat as Sora cupped the side of his face and covered his mouth with his own. The sexy mage licked into his mouth, sliding their tongues together so that Ravi got lost in the sinuous dance. He relaxed against the taller man, falling into the kiss as it stole away his worries.
Sora ended the kiss with a series of nips and a bump of their noses.
“Relaxed?”
Ravi hummed happily. “That’s some amazing magic you’ve got there.”
“Not my magic. The magic we make together.”
“Still pretty amazing.”
“And while I would love to spend the day with you, I didn’t ask King Alric to give you a day off for us. I have a surprise for you.”
Ravi jerked upright, his eyes widening. Maybe he was struggling to not bounce on the balls of his feet, but Sora had gotten him a surprise.
“What is it?”
Threading their fingers together, Sora pulled Ravi down the hall, heading in the opposite direction. “Let me show you.”
Ravi picked up the pace so he was now a step ahead of Sora, and maybe he bounced just a little. The mage had gotten him a surprise!
“You can’t give me a hint?”
“Nope.”
“Does Alric know about it?”
“Yes.”
“And he approves?”
Sora’s smile grew even wider. “Yes, he does.”
“And this is why he gave me the day off?”
“Yes.”
“Is it possible to die from excitement? I can’t believe you got me something! Is it bigger than a bread box? Well, it has to be if you’re not carrying it.” Ravi stopped his rambling only long enough to look around and see that Sora was leading them toward the side entrance of the castle that led to the open courtyard. “Is it being delivered? Did you get me a car? Or a motorcycle? A hot-air balloon? No, is it a motorcycle like the one I found you on? We can ride together!”
“You can ask all the questions you want, but I’m not going to say anything,” Sora taunted.
“Evil mage. I’m dying here. You’ve got to give me a little hint!”
Sora chuckled and pushed open the door. He stepped into the courtyard with Ravi directly on his heels. He poked his head around the taller man, eyes scanning the area, but he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Guards stood at their regular stations, a handful of reporters at the gates, and the usual line of would-be mages waiting to be tested.
“I don’t see anything. Where is it?”
Sora placed his hands on Ravi’s shoulders and pulled him into the center of the courtyard. He then moved behind him and wrapped his arms around him, hugging him tight. “Look up.”
Ravi’s heart fluttered as he gazed up at the bright blue sky. There were only a few wispy clouds about as the sun was still rising. It looked like it was going to be a perfect spring day.
Had Sora gotten a dragon and a mage to write a sweet message in the sky? Or maybe a dragon had one of those banners tied to his tail, and it held a loving message from Sora to Ravi? That had to be it. Sora was all kinds of sweet, thoughtful, and romantic.