His younger and admittedly more foolish and hotheaded self wouldn't have stood for this; he would probably have been too proud to accept their help, and he would've walked out on them without a single word of thanks.
But things were different now, and with how these people hadn't fucking wavered even after all the shit the world had thrown at him—-
Thank you.
He knew it would've been better to actually say the words, but a part of him still didn't think he was someone worth anyone's love, and that same part of him still needed to keep its distance, in case they realized he wasn't good enough.
Thank you.
The words might still be stuck in his throat, but Andreus strove to show this as he forced himself to smile and nod when Mrs. Aston passionately decried the vulgar ways of the masses. This, from the same homophobic widow who had quickly organized a luncheon the following day after his leaked video, and all so she could gossip about his "gross" past.
Since his heart was still struggling to accept that his family would never leave him, Andreus' mind subsequently refused to let his lips utter any words of gratitude. Exercising patience and courtesy to shitty individuals was the least he could do for now, but when he got to his feet, and he heard MJ insist for his brothers to accompany him—-
MJ caught sight of Andreus' dark eyes boring through hers, and everyone laughed as all Helios' wife could say was a sheepish 'oops'.
It was this memory that sustained him the most when he was back in his hotel room, and thoughts of Hallie once again started invading his mind.
I love you, Hallie.
I love you.
I love you.
And he always would, even if she had finally accepted that she deserved someone better than him.
ANOTHER WEEK PASSED. The Pratts' legal team had moved heaven and earth to speed up divorce proceedings, and just like that, he was once again a single man.
Thank fuck.
It felt undeniably liberating to finally get rid of his wedding ring. Wearing another woman's mark of possession had never felt right, and in the ten or so weeks that he had been married to Monique, Andreus had never allowed himself to even look at it.
Out of sight, out of mind.
The principle had worked as far as his wedding ring was concerned, but the fact that it did made him now wonder if it was the same for Hallie. Was that why she had moved back to Tokyo? To get all thoughts of Andreus out of her mind, for good?
Jealousy seethed inside of him, and spending subsequent hours working out in the hotel's fitness center did nothing to temper his growing restlessness.
Have you really forgotten me, princess?
All it would take was one fucking call.
Just one call for the people he knew to give him a report about where Hallie was, what she had been doing, and who she was with.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
He was seriously contemplating throwing his phone away for good, just to keep him from succumbing to the temptation of stalking her, when the same fucking phone suddenly started vibrating in his hand.
And of course it had to be Hallie's own brother calling him.
Is this supposed to tell me something, God?
Andreus reluctantly answered the call...and the words just rolled down his tongue before Yuri could even speak.
"When was the last time you got to talk to her?"
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
"Will it kill you to say my sister's name?" Yuri's tone was part amused, part irritated. But he was also expecting Andreus to deny this, the way the other man had always seemed determined to deny anything he felt about Hallie.
"Yes."
But he was wrong, obviously, and it was only then did Yuri realize how much he had underestimated the depth of the other man's feelings for his sister.
"I'm sorry—-"
"I don't need your apology," Andreus cut in. "I just...I just need to know she's okay."
"I don't know."
The words felt like a punch to Andreus' guts. "What the hell do you mean you don't know?"
"If you're so concerned about my sister, why don't you check on her yourself?"
"You know I can't do that."
Yuri could only suck his breath at the unexpected rawness underscoring Andreus' tone. The Andreus he knew had always hidden his pain behind a fiery temper, and when that hadn't been enough, there had been too many fucking times that Andreus would recklessly risk his life to do the things that no other member of the Afxisi had been willing to do.
The old Andreus would never have exposed his pain like this, and it fucking killed Yuri, now that he knew that pain had always been there—-and none of them had ever noticed it.
"Do you know..." Yuri had to clear his fucking throat since it kept tightening to the point that he was unable to speak. "I've always thought you'd end up married to my sister—-"
"Then you're fucking insane—-"
"And I still think that."
All the other things Andreus had to say were forgotten.
No. Fuck. No.
Andreus could feel Yuri's words doing its best to fucking sneak into his system like a thief. But instead of having something to steal, what all those words he didn't deserve—-it had far something worse in mind.
No. Goddammit. No.
All those words wanted was to tear down the walls he had built around his heart, and he just couldn't let it happen.
Shouldn't.
For her sake.
"I'll pretend you didn't say that—-"
"Then I'll just have to say it again. I want you to be my brother-in-law—-"
"Goddammit, Yuri!"
"So stop wasting time—-"
"Why the fuck—-"
Hearing the way Andreus' voice cracked nearly destroyed Yuri.
"Why the fuck can't you see I don't deserve her?"
"Because you do—-"
"Do I have to fucking spell it out for you?" Just thinking of what he had to say was already killing him, but Andreus knew he had to say them, had to fucking make Hallie's brother realize that the truth about him. "I know what almost happened to Hallie, Yuri. I fucking know, so how the hell can someone like me—-"
"Someone like you...is exactly the kind of man I'd want my sister to marry. Someone who'd destroy his entire world just to protect her."
"Shut the fuck up—-"
"Someone who'd love her for all fucking eternity, even if she had left him—-"
"Damn you."
A hoarse chuckle escaped Yuri even as he tried his best to ignore how his eyes were starting to itch. Fucking bromance moment. Not once had he ever imagined he would be forced to bare his feelings like this. But because this was Andreus, and this was for Hallie—-
"Love you, too, brother. We always have, always will."
"Fuck you."
Yuri only laughed as he ended the call, and Andreus wasn't all too surprised when the scratchy sound of the other man's laughter had his eyes starting to itch.
Fucking bromance moment.
But his eyes just kept itching and itching until he realized that his cheeks had become wet.
Could he allow himself to hope, like Yuri was telling him to?
Was there still a chance for Hallie to love him again?