For a moment, the room was quiet, the tension still simmering, but then laughter broke out soft at first, then filling the space. It wasn't mocking. It wasn't relief. It was recognition. Acceptance.
Even Elena cracked a small smile, shaking her head at the audacity of it all. Matteo chuckled, letting the tension unravel. Kellan and Lucas shared a brief glance, both knowing the stakes but also appreciating the courage standing right in front of them.
And just like that, the weight that had pressed down on the room began to lift.
The familia wasn't the same anymore. Not after tonight. Neo and Aiden weren't the same either. But for the first time in a long while, they were all ready… together.
By the time the night finally dissolved into early morning, the mansion had gone quiet.
Neo and Aiden were escorted out safely, a silent understanding passed between them and the familia as the gates closed behind their car. Whatever had been set in motion tonight wasn't ending here it was only sleeping.
One by one, doors shut. Hallways emptied. The echoes of laughter, arguments, and revelations faded into the walls like secrets the house would remember forever.
Ethan dragged himself back to his room, exhaustion clinging to him like a second skin. His shoulders ached, his head buzzed, and all he wanted was his bed soft sheets, silence, and sleep.
He kicked off his shoes, shrugging out of his jacket before collapsing onto the edge of the mattress. The clock on his nightstand glowed faintly. Way too late. Or way too early.
He was halfway through loosening the tie at his neck when his phone lit up.
Cealan.
Ethan froze.
For a split second, his heart betrayed him, jumping stupidly before he could stop it. A whole week. Seven days. No calls. No texts. Nothing but unanswered messages and excuses from his own pride not to double-text.
He cleared his throat, schooling his face into indifference before answering.
"Hey, princess," Cealan's voice came through smooth and teasing, like it always did. "Missed you. How are you?"
Ethan rolled his eyes, even though a smile tugged at his lips. Annoyed yes. Relieved absolutely. He refused to let it show.
"You're calling now?" he said lightly. "Do you know what time it is?"
A pause. Then, "So you noticed I was gone."
Ethan scoffed softly. "Don't flatter yourself."
"Are you back?" he asked, a little too quickly.
"Yes," Cealan replied. "Just got in. Did you miss me too? Like I missed you?"
Ethan hesitated. He'd missed him more than he wanted to admit. The silence. The distance. The worry that crept in at night when his phone stayed dark.
"No," he said instead, lying badly. "I didn't. Look, I'm tired and sleepy. Had a long day today, so shoo away."
The words hung there.
No laugh.
No teasing comeback.
No dramatic gasp like Cealan usually did.
"Cealan?" Ethan frowned at the screen.
Silence.
Had the call dropped?
"Cealan—"
"Did you actually not miss me," Cealan interrupted, his tone different now, quieter, stripped of its usual playfulness, "even for a second, Ethan?"
Ethan's smile fell.
Cealan never called him by his name. Not like that.
His chest tightened. "Cealan… are you okay?" The worry slipped out before he could stop it.
Another pause.
"You're tired," Cealan said finally. "I'll leave you alone now. Good night."
"Wait....what-"
Ethan sat there for a solid five seconds, phone still pressed to his ear even though the call was long dead.
"…Cealan?" he whispered to absolutely no one.
The silence answered him back.
His brows knit together, irritation bubbling fast beneath the confusion. That tone. That name. Cealan never called him Ethan unless something was wrong. Like really wrong. And the way he'd hung up? Yeah, no. Absolutely not.
"Oh hell no," Ethan muttered, swinging his legs off the bed. "You don't get to act strange and disappear. That's my thing."
He stood, silk nightwear catching the low light of the room. The robe hung loose, clinging just enough to outline his petite frame, soft curves obvious beneath the fabric. Normally, he wouldn't care. Tonight? Not a chance. His worry outweighed his vanity.
Keys. Phone. Robe tied just enough to behave.
Ethan slipped into the hallway, the mansion quieter now post-chaos quiet. The kind that settles after something big shifts. Most doors were shut, lights dimmed. Everyone had retreated into themselves.
Lucas's door, however, still had light bleeding from underneath.
Of course.
Ethan knocked once before opening it slightly. "Lucas?"
Luca looked up from his desk, glasses pushed low on his nose, expression instantly sharpening when he saw Ethan dressed like that at this hour.
"…Why do you look like you're about to either seduce someone or commit a felony?"
Ethan scoffed. "First of all, rude. Second, I need to go out."
Luca leaned back slowly. "Out. Now."
"Yes."
"No."
"Lucas."
"Ethan."
They stared at each other. A silent battle. Luca already knew he was losing the set of Ethan's jaw said everything.
"…Cealan," Lucas guessed.
Ethan's shoulders dropped just a fraction. "He's acting weird. Hung up on me. Called me by my name. Lucas, he's never done that."
That did it.
Luca sighed, rubbing his temple. "You're not driving angry."
"I'm not angry," Ethan said immediately. Then paused. "…Okay maybe a little. But mostly worried."
Another sigh. "Location on. You take Matteo's car yours needs fuel. And you call me if anything feels off."
Ethan's eyes softened. "Thank you."
"Be back before sunrise," Luca added. "Or I'll lock you in your room for a week."
Ethan grinned, already backing toward the door. "Love you too."
The night air hit him the moment he stepped outside cool, sharp, grounding. He slid into the car, engine humming to life as the gates opened.
Cealan's place was far. Too far, actually. The thought twisted something in his chest.
Did you actually not miss me even for a second, Ethan?
Ethan tightened his grip on the wheel. "Idiot," he murmured. "Of course I missed you."
The city lights blurred past as he pulled up outside the familiar building. One light was on upstairs. Good. That meant Cealan was home.
Ethan stepped out, robe fluttering slightly in the breeze, heart pounding now for a different reason.
Whatever was going on....He was about to find out.
And Cealan?
Yeah. He wasn't getting away with this one so easily.
After passing through the small fence and wrought-iron gate, Ethan stopped in front of Cealan's house. The place was large too large and its architecture was complicated, layered and unpredictable, just like the man who lived inside it. He took a deep breath, steadying himself, then rang the doorbell not once, but three times in quick succession.
The door flew open with force, a gun immediately pointed straight at his chest. Ethan didn't even flinch. It had become almost routine Cealan had too many enemies to ever let his guard down.
"Ethan, wha—"
He didn't get to finish. Ethan shoved past him without a word, storming into the house and heading straight for the stairs like he already owned the place. Cealan cursed under his breath, shut the door quickly, and followed after him. By the time he reached his bedroom, Ethan was already there standing in the middle of the room, hair disheveled, eyes tired, body tense. He looked worn out… and more than anything else, annoyed.
Cealan's jaw tightened as Ethan stood there, looking up at him, eyes shining with frustration and something dangerously close to fear. The silence between them stretched, thick and suffocating.
For a second just once, Cealan looked like he was about to reach out.
Instead, he stepped back.
"Don't," he said quietly.
Ethan blinked. "Don't… what?"
"Don't look at me like that," Cealan replied, voice rough. "Like I owe you answers."
Ethan laughed once, sharp and humorless. "You do owe me answers. You disappear for a week. You come back acting like a stranger. You hang up on me like I'm nothing and now you're telling me not to look at you?"
Cealan turned away, running a hand through his hair. His room looked exactly how Ethan had imagined it, bed unmade, jacket tossed over a chair, glass on the table untouched. Like someone who hadn't slept. Or hadn't wanted to.
"You shouldn't be here," Cealan muttered.
"That's funny," Ethan shot back, following him. "Because you didn't seem to have a problem pulling me into your life when it suited you."
Cealan stopped.
Slowly, he turned back around.
"You think this is about convenience?" he asked, eyes dark. "You think I don't care?"
"Then explain it!" Ethan snapped. "Because right now, all I see is you pulling away and pretending it's for my own good."
Cealan exhaled shakily, like he'd been holding his breath for days.
"My boss didn't just take me on a business trip," he said.
Ethan stilled.
"What do you mean?"
Cealan hesitated, then laughed bitterly. "I should've known you'd come running. You always do."
Ethan frowned. "Cealan."
"They're watching me," Cealan continued. "Not just me us. They've been watching for a while."
Ethan's chest tightened. "Who is they?"
"The people I work for," Cealan said bluntly. "And the ones they answer to."
The room felt colder.
"So you decided," Ethan said slowly, "that the best solution was to push me away?"
Cealan's eyes flicked to him. "Yes."
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."
"It's the safest."
"For who?" Ethan demanded. "You?"
"For you."
Ethan shook his head, disbelief washing over his face. "You don't get to make that choice alone. You don't get to decide I'm better off without even asking me."
Cealan stepped closer, towering over him now. "You don't understand how dangerous this gets."
"I don't care," Ethan said immediately. "I didn't care when you first pulled a gun on me either, remember?"
That earned a breathy, almost broken laugh from Cealan."You're insane."
"And you love me," Ethan said softly.
That did it.
Cealan's composure cracked, just for a second. His hand came up, stopping inches from Ethan's face before dropping again.
"I do," he admitted. "That's the problem."
Ethan's voice softened. "Then stop trying to protect me by hurting me."
"…please."
The word barely left Ethan's lips before the silence swallowed it whole.
Cealan didn't move. Didn't speak. He just stood there, towering over him, jaw clenched so tight the muscle twitched, eyes fixed somewhere just past Ethan's face like looking directly at him would break something he was barely holding together.
Ethan waited.
Seconds dragged. His chest felt tight, like every breath was scraping on the way in. He hated this feeling this uncertainty, this distance that hadn't existed before. He hated that Cealan could make him feel small without even trying.
"Say something," Ethan whispered, voice cracking despite himself. "Don't just stand there like that." "Please don't make me feel this way I haven't felt it before and I don't like it at all" his voice cracked in between.
Cealan finally looked down at him.
And oh there it was.
Not anger. Not annoyance.
Fear.
Raw and ugly and completely out of place on a man like Cealan.
"Ethan...you look tired"
Oh, please spare me all that bullshit," Ethan snapped, finally letting it spill. "Stop avoiding the point. You hung up on me. You talked to me like I'd done something wrong, like I was supposed to feel guilty for existing."
Cealan's jaw tightened. His voice dropped, slow and deliberate. "So that's it," he said quietly. "You're here because you feel guilty, Ethan."
Ethan laughed once short, bitter and stepped closer. "Don't call me that," he said, voice cracking despite himself. "What happened to princess? What happened to my love… to my wife?" His eyes searched Cealan's face, desperate now. "Where did all of that go? Because I don't recognize this version of you. What changed? Tell me what happened to us?"
"You shouldn't have come here," Cealan said again, but this time his voice wasn't firm. It was strained. Like saying it out loud hurt.
Ethan scoffed, blinking rapidly. "You keep saying that like it'll magically make sense if you repeat it enough times."
He took another step closer, so close now that he could feel Cealan's warmth, smell the faint trace of cologne mixed with something sharper stress, exhaustion.
"You don't get to shut me out and then act like I'm the problem for asking why," Ethan continued, voice rising. "You don't get to change overnight and expect me to just accept it."
Cealan's hands curled into fists at his sides.
"I didn't change overnight," he muttered.
"Then when?" Ethan snapped. "Because last week you were calling me five times a day. Last week you couldn't sleep without hearing my voice. Last week you called me princess like it meant something."
He swallowed hard.
"So tell me, Cealan when exactly did I stop meaning that much to you?"
That hit.
Cealan's head snapped up, eyes darkening. "Don't say that."
"Then correct me," Ethan shot back. "Because right now, it feels like you're already halfway out the door."
Cealan laughed under his breath, but there was no humor in it. "You think I want to be?"
"Then why are you pushing me away?" Ethan demanded. "Why did you hang up on me like that? Why did you call me by my name like I was a stranger?"
Cealan took a sharp breath, pacing once, then twice, like a caged animal. "Because every time I hear your voice, I forget."
"Forget what?"
"Forget that this ends badly," Cealan said, stopping abruptly. "Forget that the closer you are to me, the more dangerous it gets."
Ethan frowned. "Dangerous how?"
Cealan turned to him again, eyes burning now. "You think my life is just guns and threats for show? You think the people I work with or for don't notice things?"
Ethan's stomach twisted. "Notice what?"
"You," Cealan said simply.
The word landed heavy between them.
"They notice who calls. Who I answer immediately. Who can talk to me however they want and walk away alive," Cealan continued. "They notice who I soften around."
Ethan's voice dropped. "So your solution was to hurt me first."
Cealan didn't deny it.
"Yes."
That single word cut deeper than anything else.
Ethan laughed, shaky and broken. "Wow. That's… that's impressive. You really thought that would make things better?"
"I thought it would make you safer," Cealan snapped back.
"And what about me?" Ethan shot back. "Did you think about how I'd feel? Or was I just something you could sacrifice for your peace of mind?"
Cealan stepped forward suddenly, hands slamming against the wall on either side of Ethan's head, boxing him in. His voice dropped, dangerous and desperate.
"You think I don't think about you?" he growled. "You think there's a moment you're not in my head?"
Ethan froze, heart slamming against his ribs.
"Then why does it feel like you're letting me go?" he whispered.
Cealan leaned closer, forehead almost touching his. "Because if I don't… someone else will take you from me."
The room went still.
Ethan's breath hitched. "Take me how?"
Cealan closed his eyes...That was answer enough.
Ethan's hands trembled as he reached up, gripping Cealan's shirt, grounding himself. "You don't get to decide my limits for me," he said softly. "You don't get to love me and then pretend I'm fragile."
Cealan opened his eyes, pain etched deep into them.
"You are not fragile," he said hoarsely. "You're the strongest thing in my life. And that's exactly why this scares me."
Ethan tilted his head up, voice barely holding. "Then stop treating me like a weakness."
Silence again.
Heavy. Loaded.
Cealan swallowed hard, his voice breaking when he finally spoke.
"If I lose you," he said quietly, "I won't survive it."
Ethan's eyes softened.
"Then don't lose me," he whispered. "Stand with me or tell me to walk away for real."
Cealan stared at him like the choice was tearing him apart.
And for the first time since Ethan walked through that door… Cealan didn't know which option terrified him more.
Ethan looked on the verge of crying.
"Leave, Ethan."
The words hit him like a slap.
"You want me to walk out of your life?" Ethan's voice trembled, his chest tight. "Because if I walk out of that door, you will never see me again. Never, Cealan. So I'm begging you please don't do or say anything stupid."
Before Cealan could respond, Ethan stepped forward and wrapped his arms around him, holding on tightly as if letting go would shatter him. He buried his face against Cealan's chest, his shoulders shaking as soft, broken sobs slipped out.
Cealan went still.
"Ethan," he said quietly, his voice rough now. "Do you love me?" He hesitated for a second, then added, "Please… be sincere with your feelings. Just this once."
Ethan slowly lifted his head. His eyes were red, glassy, rimmed with unshed tears. He stared up at Cealan, breathing unevenly.
"If I didn't have feelings for you," he said, voice cracking, "would I let you kiss me in my own house? Would I let you this close to me? Would I be crying and begging you not to leave me right now?" His lips trembled. "Would I be shamelessly asking you to call me the name I pretend to hate?"
He swallowed hard.
"Cealan… I love you. Like crazy."
And with that, he buried his face back into Cealan's chest, clinging to him like he was the only thing keeping him upright.
For a moment, there was only silence.
Then Cealan's arms slowly came around him, firm, protective, real.
"Good," Cealan whispered against his hair. "That's all I wanted to hear from you, Ethan. At least for once."
"Wha....." Ethan murmured, lifting his head again, confused, his brows knitting together as he looked up at him.
"Ethan," Cealan said softly, his thumb brushing against Ethan's back, "I won't leave you. I can't leave you." He exhaled deeply. "That whole week we didn't see each other? We didn't talk? It was hell. I was distracted. I couldn't think straight. I couldn't do anything right."
His gaze softened, intense and honest.
"That's when I realized it was never just the teasing. Never just the jokes or the fun. I'm obsessed with you, Ethan. I love you more than you think."
"Cealan…" Ethan breathed.
"I called you during the week," Cealan continued, his voice low now. "You didn't answer. So I called Lucas. I asked him about you, if you were okay. He said you were fine. Then we talked… about you. About us."
Ethan stiffened slightly, listening.
"He asked me something," Cealan said. "He asked if what I felt for you was real. Not games. Not fun. Genuine feelings." Cealan paused. "I told him yes."
Ethan's heart skipped.
"Then he asked if you felt the same way." Cealan let out a quiet, humorless laugh. "And I couldn't answer that. Because I didn't know. I wasn't sure."
His eyes locked onto Ethan's.
"So I had to find out," he said simply. "Because he said we shouldn't be left in the dark with our feelings." A beat. "That's why I used this method."
Ethan's breath caught, his forehead pressed against Cealan's chest. He pulled back just enough to look up, eyes wide, searching.
"You… you tested me?" His voice shook, a mixture of shock, hurt, and disbelief. "All this time… you didn't… you didn't trust me?"
Cealan flinched slightly, his hands tightening for a second before releasing the pressure as if he could erase the moment. "No, no… it wasn't like that," he said quickly, voice low, almost a whisper. "I didn't mean… I didn't want to test you like that. I just… I needed to know. I had to know for sure, Ethan. After that week… after not hearing from you… I....I couldn't stop thinking, couldn't stop worrying, and I… I panicked."
Ethan's lips trembled, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. "You panicked… and you made me feel like I wasn't enough, like… like I wasn't important enough for you to trust me."
Cealan's gaze softened, almost breaking. "Ethan… no. You are everything. I-" He swallowed, the words catching in his throat. "I messed up. I shouldn't have… I shouldn't have left you feeling guilty, feeling abandoned. That was never my intention."
Ethan shook his head, letting out a small, humorless laugh, part frustration, part relief. "You could've just said you missed me. You didn't have to… you didn't have to make me climb out of bed, drive across the city, beg you to not leave me, to make you call me that name you pretend to hate."
Cealan flinched again, guilt evident in every line of his face. "I know," he whispered. "I know… I wasn't thinking straight. I… I just… I was scared. Scared that if I didn't do something, I'd lose you. And I can't, Ethan. I can't lose you."
Ethan's chest tightened as he stepped closer, his small hand brushing against Cealan's, fingers entwining without a word. The hurt didn't vanish entirely, but the raw honesty, the confession, the vulnerability he felt it. He felt Cealan. And that made everything else fade.
"I love you, Cealan," Ethan murmured, his forehead resting against Cealan's again. "Even if you scare me half to death sometimes. Even if you drive me insane. I… I can't stop."
Cealan's arms wrapped around him again, firmer this time, protective, desperate. "And I love you, Ethan. More than I can say. I—" His voice cracked, then softened. "I won't ever make you feel like this again. Not if I can help it. I promise."
For a long moment, they just held each other, the world outside the room fading into silence. No tests, no games, no anger just the two of them, breathing, steadying each other, healing each other in the quiet aftermath of raw emotion.
After a few moments of just holding each other they moved to the bed lying under the duvet, the tension in the room began to dissolve. Cealan pulled back slightly, just enough to look down at Ethan, a sly smirk tugging at his lips. "So… princess," he began, voice low, teasing, "still mad at me, or are you finally going to admit you missed me this week?"
Ethan's brows furrowed, cheeks heating instantly. "Don't call me that!" he snapped, though the tremor in his voice betrayed the grin threatening to break through. "I mean… you don't get to just...ugh, stop it!"
Cealan chuckled softly, leaning in closer, letting his forehead brush against Ethan's. "Stop what? Admitting the truth? You missed me, didn't you?"
Ethan huffed, crossing his arms and pretending to look away, though his feet were already brushing against Cealan's under the duvet, a playful kick here, a nudge there. "Maybe I did. But it's none of your business!"
"Oh, it's very much my business," Cealan whispered, leaning down to press a soft kiss against Ethan's temple, then trailing one across the side of his cheek. "Because I'm obsessed with you. Always have been. You can't hide from me, princess."
Ethan's face turned a deeper shade of pink, and he tried to hide his grin behind his hand. "I'm not a princess!" he muttered, though his foot sneaking a deliberate kick against Cealan betrayed him completely.
"Mhm, yeah, right," Cealan teased, curling an arm around Ethan's waist and pulling him closer, letting their legs tangle under the duvet. "You love it when I call you that, don't you?"
Ethan squirmed, trying to wriggle away but failing spectacularly as Cealan tightened his hold. "I hate it! I...ugh! Stop being annoying!"
Cealan laughed, a low, warm sound that vibrated through the bed. "Hate it, do you? Funny… because I think you like it. Look at you, kicking your feet, squirming. Admit it you've missed me, and you love this little game."
Ethan groaned dramatically, burying his face into the pillow, but not before letting out a muffled, "You're impossible…"
"I'm your impossible," Cealan whispered into his hair, pressing another gentle kiss to the crown of his head. "And you love me for it, even if you pretend you don't."
Ethan's hands curled into fists under the duvet, and he let out a soft, defeated sigh. "Maybe I do," he muttered, voice muffled but warm. "But only a little."
Cealan grinned, finally letting the tension melt into soft, lazy touches. "That's all I needed to hear," he murmured, wrapping Ethan into his arms completely. Their legs intertwined, their feet nudging and kicking under the covers, a private little dance only they knew.
Ethan peeked up at him, eyes half-lidded with affection and mock annoyance. "You're ridiculous, you know that?"
"And you're perfect," Cealan replied, pressing a lingering kiss to Ethan's nose. "Now… princess, sleep. Tomorrow, I'm not letting you out of my sight."
Ethan groaned, rolling over to rest his head against Cealan's chest, feet still playfully nudging him. "Fine… but you're the ridiculous one," he mumbled, letting sleep pull him in while Cealan held him tight, heartbeats syncing, the quiet laughter and whispered promises carrying them into the night.