Chapter 313: What About All The Broken Happy-Ever-Afters

[FROLO]

Katya was in the bedroom getting ready to leave when he heard a pan fall in the kitchen.

For a moment, he froze because he’d just watched Volkov leave, and no one in their right mind would willingly walk into Sergei Moskowsky’s penthouse unless they were part of the family.

And of course, his next thought was Anya.

So, he rushed out, hoping to the gods that the woman knew where the barbarian had gone...

Only to find a soup-soaked Sergei with yet another fresh burn mark on his left hand.

"Vladimir?" Katya called out softly, and Sergei tripped on nothing, holding himself just fast enough before he could plummet onto the ground because of how slippery the kitchen was.

What the fuck had become of him?

"Uhh... H... Hi, lyubim," Sergei said awkwardly, using the apron he was wearing to try and hide the fact that he’d made a mess of things.

"You’re back," Katya breathed before he rushed to hug the man who was staring at him like a child caught with his hand in the soup pot.

"Wh..." Sergei began in shock, and when Katya didn’t pull back, he held onto his Solnyshka.

"This feels nice," the alpha breathed, returning the hug.

"I thought I lost you," Katya mumbled, and Sergei froze.

"You WHAT?" he asked, the concern in his voice evident as he gently pulled an equally soaked Katya from him.

"You were gone the whole night... And morning," Katya said quietly, and Sergei’s heart leaped in his chest.

"I... You noticed?" the barbarian mused dreamily.

"You burnt yourself again... Come on, let’s get you cleaned up," Katya said instead, dragging the alpha to the sink to clean his burn first while untying the apron he was wearing.

’Solnyshka missed me,’ Sergei thought to himself, a small smile playing on his lips.

He’d never thought that was a possibility with Katya, and now here he was, getting scolded for burning himself and not getting enough sleep while Katya was touching him.

Oh, but Doctor Belyaeva would hear about this, too.

"You’re hurt, and you’re smiling?" Katya groaned, like he couldn’t believe that this was what they had both been roped into.

"You look so beautiful," Sergei breathed.

"You’re unbelievable. Go take a shower. I’ll clean up here," Katya said, and Sergei just stared at him, eyes all soft, the smile evident on his face this time. He looked like he wanted to stay in this moment for the longest time.

Gods, he was hopeless.

"I’m sorry I worried you," Sergei mumbled, holding Katya’s eyes as the omega wiped the mess on his shirt.

"Take this off," Katya said, pulling the shirt off of Sergei...

Only for both of them to freeze.

At the proximity.

At the fact that Sergei was shirtless in the same room as Katya.

At the fact that Katya could see Sergei’s well-toned chest.

And Sergei? He followed Katya’s eyes. He saw how the omega gulped as his eyes raked down his chest and down to his abdomen.

His V-line was obvious, staring back at Katya, and when Katya’s eyes stopped right at his waistband, Sergei forgot how to breathe for a moment there.

"Didn’t you say he went rogue?" Andre’s voice interrupted them both, making Katya step back suddenly from Sergei, as if he’d been burnt.

"You... Uhh... Go clean up. I’ll be here when... when you’re done," Katya stammered, and Sergei didn’t wait.

He bolted.

"Did the big bad wolf of Frolo just... Run away?" Svet mused, standing at the kitchen door while watching Sergei’s back disappear through the other kitchen entrance.

"What were you both doing, Romanov?" Andre teased, making Katya’s cheeks turn pink suddenly.

"Did we interrupt your moment? You guys were undressing," Svet added, knowing damn well that the omega in question was already red in the ears and cheeks.

Oh, he was adorable.

"We were not undressing... also, why are you guys here?" Katya said as he grabbed the mop to clean up the mess.

"Oh wow, did we just cockblock Romanov?" Andre laughed as he stared at his red friend.

"They were about to K-I-S-S."

"They looked so hungry for each other. I’m gonna be traumatized for the rest of my life."

"He was looking at Romanov like our friend was the only person in the world."

"Like those shows where the main characters undress each other with their eyes."

"Romanov had the barbarian’s shirt in his hand already."

"Oh shit, you guys are freaky... were you about to do it in a dirty kitchen?"

"Given how that man is obsessed with Romanov’s meals, I bet he’d feed him while they ri—"

"Get ouuttttt!!!" Katya screeched, pointing his mop stick at them.

"We came to help you find your... man!"

"Wow, we’re useless now that he saw his husband naked. Romanov doesn’t like us anymore."

"These littl—" Katya huffed before he chased them out of the kitchen, his friends doing round and round in the damn space while teasing him about how they’d found him with Sergei.

The duo was having the time of their lives. It was even impossible to tell that they’d had a stabbing and hosing incident at the Romanov manor.

"He’s not my husband..." Katya grumbled once he was sure they were out of the kitchen.

"We can ask him for you!" Svet shouted from the living room, and Katya just sighed.

He was never going to live down today.

Damn.

But at the same time, he couldn’t deny the way he smiled when his friends called Sergei his husband.

"Get a grip, Romanov," he mumbled to himself before he went on with his cleaning.

Twenty minutes later, Katya was seated with his friends and a now dressed Sergei watching television in silence. It was awkward as hell with Sergei seated on the other couch because Svet and Andre decided to occupy the space beside Katya...

Much to Sergei’s disappointment.

"Mr. Moskowsky..." Svet began, her tone light, and Katya knew this was about to get shit into hell.

Maybe he needed new friends.

"Miss Vasilieva," Sergei said, and Andre snorted.

"What are your intentions for our friend?" Svet asked, pulling out her blade, only for Katya to grab it from her.

"No weapons allowed in here... You are not to hurt him," Katya grumbled, only pausing to realize what he had said and fuck if he didn’t want to suddenly disappear.

Sergei, on the other hand, was smiling from jaw to jaw.

"You keep smiling like that, you’ll get a stroke, and I doubt my friend would like you anymore, Mr. Moskowsky," Andre said, making Sergei straighten up like he’d learned another thing about Katya.

"Mr. Moskowsky, you didn’t answer my question," Svet reminded, and Katya let out a groan.

"I’m holding a press conference on the investigation in an hour’s time. I’ll clear his name so he can go back to doing what he loves the most. Research. As for the contract being announced to the realm, it doesn’t matter.

"I’d already terminated it because I don’t want Solnyshka to stay with me just because of a legal document," Sergei said, and Katya stared at him softly while his friends had their jaws on the floor.

"You ended the contract?" Andre asked excitedly.

"Wait... Are you making him pay you back?" Svet asked, once again pulling her laser pen from her hair.

And Katya was just about done.

"Get up, both of you," Katya said to his friends, and they glared at him while standing.

"Get them all out. Now. Put them on the table," Katya sighed, and his friends looked at each other before they pulled out the weapons they had walked in with.

Of course, Moskowsky security had flagged them with all this shit and still let them in while monitoring them, but damn was it an arsenal of small, mundane things that were actual weapons.

"Just so you know, your barbarian is way more dangerous without weapons on him," Andre huffed in disbelief.

"I can’t believe you’re protecting him," Svet added in exaggeration.

Sergei, on the other hand?

He couldn’t help the smile on his face anymore. Goodness, he was falling in love with Katya over and over again.

"I’m not making him pay back anything. Solnyshka has always been free, and I won’t pull my investments regardless of who he chooses to love," Sergei said in earnest when the last of the weapons was on the table.

"You’re conceding to Aleksandr fucking Petrov??" Svet asked, horrified.

"Loving Solnyshka is not a competition, Miss Vasilieva. I don’t mind him not choosing me. As long as he’s happy, I’m happy. Even if it’s not with me," Sergei said, unknowingly shutting Svet up.

"The devil of Frolo is in love... Fuck," Andre mused.

’Will you try to run away this time too?’ Katya’s subconscious taunted.

And for the first time, Katya was certain about his decision.