Captive Mate BL-Chapter 654: - - -

"How did the meeting go?" Angelo asked as they made their way out of the tech company.

After getting off the phone with Lake, he hadn’t bothered going back into the office. It was a meeting of Mafia Kings, and he really wouldn’t have contributed anything.

"Good." Nikolai said with a pleased expression, ignoring the people who darted out of the elevator when he stopped in front of it. "Let’s go house hunting..."

"Nikolai, wait-" Angelo panicked slightly when the Alpha just pulled him into the elevator.

Angelo drew in a sharp breath when his back hit the glass and chrome walls of the elevator, watching the doors close with growing agitation.

"Scared?" Nikolai teased, pinning up one of Angelo’s hands to the wall, his other hand on the assassin’s waist as he crowded around him.

Now Angelo grew wary, but he didn’t let it distract him from the matter at hand. "Are you alright?" He asked gently, noting that Nikolai hadn’t looked away from him even for a moment.

They had used the stairs on their way up, so Angelo had been expecting the same on their way out, that was why he had been completely caught off guard when Nikolai stopped at the elevator instead.

"No, I’m scared," The Alpha said with a straight face, "I want a hug."

Angelo glanced down at their already joined bodies in concern, "I don’t think we can get any closer."

"A kiss then," Nikolai kept making demands.

Angelo humored him, lifting his head for a soft kiss. Because, despite Nikolai’s stoicism, the Alpha’s fingers were ice cold around his wrist, his grip punishing.

The elevator doors opened when he pulled away, and Angelo right away took them out of the metal box, all the way out to the parking lot and the gray skies overhead.

"Now, what were you saying about house hunting?" He asked calmly, still leading the way to their car, his thin fingers around Nikolai’s wrist.

"Do you want a mansion?" Nikolai happily let himself be led around.

Angelo thought back to the resort that Nikolai had emptied just for them to spend a night, "I’d rather not have to call you to find you in the house." He said, but he didn’t really mean it, the thought of a nice home for the two of them was very inviting.

Nikolai had to separate their joined hands when they got to the car, "You won’t have to." It was meant to be reassuring, but it felt more like a threat to Angelo.

Angelo’s hand drifted to the diamond choker he never took off, a soft smile on his face. "Sure, let’s go house hunting." He inadvertently agreed to getting a mansion, settling into the passenger seat.

’House hunting’ was a generous term considering that they would be checking out properties that already belonged to Nikolai.

The first property was a penthouse apartment in a completely different hotel from the resort they had spent the night in. Angelo turned to Nikolai as he slowed the car to a stop in the fenced-up parking lot, "That doesn’t look like a mansion to me." He pointed out the obvious.

"It doesn’t hurt to check it out," Nikolai shrugged.

Angelo made no move to leave the car, leaning across the car’s console. "I really don’t mind a mansion," He said seriously. Frankly, Lake’s and Caspian’s homes were pleasant, there were no elevators.

Nikolai still hesitated, he felt like he was constantly barrelling over Angelo’s true wants. It was something he always did, going for what he wanted without caring about the impact on others.

"You need to start taking me at my word," Angelo poked a finger into his chest, his tone light even though he wasn’t at all joking. "I’d like to find a house before lunchtime." He leaned back in the seat.

"Do you say what you really mean, though?" Nikolai prodded lightly, pulling out of the parking lot.

Angelo’s pale green eyes were gentle as he studied the Alpha nervously driving next to him. "I do. Do you?"

Nikolai went quiet at that. He did mean what he said, he just didn’t say everything he wanted to. He might have been projecting a bit, but it still stunned him that Angelo genuinely wanted to be with him, that the assassin would keep choosing him, day after day.

"What do you want to eat for lunch?" Angelo diverted the conversation to ease some of the pressure off Nikolai. "Do you want to crash Lake’s and grab a bite to eat?"

Nikolai hesitated at first, then he remembered that Davian was stuck at his company. The Mafia King couldn’t call his mate because if he did, he would hit his limit and immediately ditch work. Going to have lunch with Lake and then rubbing it in his face would put him in a great mood for days.

"Yeah, we could," He agreed after a beat, a devious smile slipping out.

Angelo caught this smile as he reached for his phone, deciding that he didn’t want to find out what was behind the expression.

While Angelo spoke on the phone with Lake, Nikolai snuck glances at the assassin. Memorizing all of his little gestures, like his new habit of touching the necklace he got him, and how often he tucked his hair behind his ear.

Angelo understood him, sometimes even better than he did himself, but Nikolai caught himself thinking - more often recently - that he didn’t completely understand the Omega. Or maybe he was simply seeking reassurance that Angelo would stay, even though the assassin had already proven that by staying at his side no matter where he went.

It was like earlier in the elevator, even though they were close together, he had still asked for a hug because he wanted to get even closer, to crawl into the Omega and wear his skin. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Lake is happy to have us over," Angelo said after he hung up, turning to him. "I didn’t tell him yet that we’ll be leaving soon, maybe we could get to invite the others for dinner." He murmured more to himself, pleased at the idea.

Inviting friends over for dinner was so normal and homely, something he had never had. He found himself really looking forward to it.