I turn towards Christian and take his hands in my own. His hair has grown a bit, the ends curling around his ears and forehead. His dark eyes watch me, so soft and full of love. His thumbs run over the backs of my hands.
“Christian,” I say softly, doing my best to keep my voice from shaking. “It is my great honor to call you mine. I promise to never run away when things get tough. I promise to always seek you out when things are bothering me. I promise to help you hold up every burden that falls before us. I promise to co-parent our children together to the best of my ability so they will never know loneliness. If I am breathing, then you are loved.”
Christian squeezes my hands. He clears his throat a few times before finally speaking.
“Ghenie. Thank you for waiting for me. Thank you for keeping hope even when I was angry at everyone around me. I might not be able to promise I will never run but I can promise I will always come back to you. I promise to keep our children happy and healthy to the best of my ability and just like you, I promise to make sure they never know true loneliness. I promise to help you with the weight on your shoulders. I promise to never leave things unsaid. I promise to care for you when you’re sick, to celebrate your wins, and comfort you through hardships.” Christian licks his lips, his voice catching. “This is the sappiest shit I’ve ever said out loud but you deserve all the cavity-inducing sweetness. Ghenie, I promise to be yours and yours alone. If I am breathing, then you are loved.”
I can hear my parents sniffling from their seats and oh, I am crying too. With our declarations said, we seal our promises with a kiss.
The crowd cheers for us. When we pull back, Timalah shakes my shoulders while Miles slaps Christian on the back. Our bond is sealed physically but now it’s sealed publicly as well.
Thank you for this.
Christian looks up at me, shaking his head.Thank you for sticking with me even when I was a little shithead. I love you, Ghenie.
It is alright because you aremyshithead.
Christian lets out a startled laugh before pulling me into a tight hug. We spend the rest of the day together celebrating our newly sealed mating. I may no longer have the Ancestors in my head but after my visit with them this morning, I know they approve as well. Things are changing, but that is a good thing. Stagnation is what makes a people stumble and fall. We will keep moving, and I will keep hope that we are moving in the right direction.
If there’s one thing I am good at, it’s hoping.
Bonus Scene
Christian
The excitement of the day eventually comes to an end. Ghenie’s parents have taken the kids for the night, allowing us the rest of the night to ourselves. Everyone has gone back home and finally, it’s just me and my new mate.
Ghenie lets out a long yawn as we walk into our kitchen.
“Tired?”
“A bit,” he says, stretching his arms over his head. “Today was a lot, but it was wonderful.”
“It was,” I say with a soft smile. I walk over to him, wrapping my arms around his waist and tugging him against me. “Youwere wonderful, my mate.”
Ghenie shivers, his smile turning wicked. “I am suddenly much less tired.”
“Good,” I say before pulling him down into a kiss. Ghenie makes a pleased noise as our lips connect.
I love this man so much. I might not be able to declare it so openly as Ghenie, but I hope that I can show him just what hemeans to me through my actions, through my touches, through my kisses. I love him.
As we trade kisses that start soft and quickly grow more hurried, I take Ghenie’s shirt off. We break the kiss only long enough to pull it over his head before coming together once more. His hands reach down and grip my ass. I rub against his front until we can feel our erections brush together through our pants.
It hits me all over again that Ghenie is my mate. He loves me. We’re in this together until the end. We have a family. Fuck, I’m overwhelmed with how much this all means to me.
“Fuck,” I breathe out, pulling back so only our foreheads are touching. “Fuck, Ghenie.”
“I know,” he says back, running a hand through my hair. “I feel it too. I love you.”
I hum, unable to keep myself from grinning. Every time Ghenie says that, it leaves me floored with emotions.
“Get on the table,” I breathe out. I nip Ghenie’s bottom lip before he pulls away and gets up on the kitchen table. “Fuck, look at you. You look good enough to eat, sweetheart.”
“Then do it.”
I don’t need to be told twice. I quickly get Ghenie out of his pants and underwear, leaving him gloriously naked spread across the kitchen table. Fuck, he looks so good, his pale skin glowing in the fading light coming in through the windows.
I lean myself across his body in order to kiss his lips just once. Then I move down to his cock. No teasing, no stretching things out. No, I want to devour him and I refuse to wait a second longer.
