Free Web NovelChapter 232: _Was Never About Control
Valentine’s penthouse, Aurelia
"Absolutely not." Gabriel eyed Valentine like he’d gone mad after he revealed his plans with Ambrose. "What were you thinking? Isn’t Hunter Ferguson—"
"His not-so-secret boyfriend?" Valentine snorted, crashing onto a couch in the living room. "Perhaps. It’s seeming more and more like the Guide is polygamous."
"... And Devon is fine with that?"
"Apparently," Valentine popped open a bottle of whiskey, pouring himself a glass. His eyes glided to the tall glass wall and its magnificent view of the Aurelia night skyline. "Whatever they are to each other doesn’t matter. We’re going on this dinner date and you’re tagging along with us."
Gabriel scowled. "You made me come here from Canada to hear out your plans for an orgy?"
"Oh, Gabriel. I never mentioned anything about an orgy. If that’s what you wanted you could’ve just asked. I have ways of—"
"Don’t you fucking dare."
"But it was your idea."
"You’re insane!" Gabriel was seconds away from sending him to the Atlantic. "I do not intend to partake in this madness. End of discussion, Lockwood."
"Now he’s addressing me by my last name," Valentine placed a hand on his forehead dramatically. "Why can’t you just do this one thing for me? For old times’ sake."
Gabriel didn’t answer him.
He turned away, space rippling as he prepared to open a portal and leave.
"When was the last time you actually let yourself have fun, Gabriel?" Valentine’s eyes lingered lazily on the greenish whisky swirling inside the glass. "When was the last time you did something outside of your boring Hunter duties?"
Somehow that got Gabriel to glance back. "I’m here talking to you right now. Aren’t I? I could literally be doing anything else."
"Cute. But I’m talking about letting yourself loose."
"You do remember the current state of the world, right?"
"And you do remember I lived in a time when dungeons, monsters and superheroes were never a thing, right?" Valentine didn’t falter. "Every era has its own version of ’normal’. We’re currently swerving away from one... but once upon a time even that wasn’t an acceptable norm in the world."
He slowly rose to his feet, downing everything in the glass with one gulp. Sighing with satisfaction, Valentine added.
"Yet it doesn’t stop people," he stretched a hand to the glass wall, "from living. Outside duty. Outside the hustle and bustle that can quickly get repetitive. Outside being a Hunter, Gabriel."
"The world is still moving, old friend. Despite its current turmoil. Will you?"
Silence.
Gabriel’s iridescent eyes glistened as he swerved his head away from Valentine.
Suddenly he tried remembering the last time he ever... ’lived’. Clubbing. Taking a stroll in the park. Heck, even watching the sun set without bouncing straight back to work.
After several seconds of deep thinking, he genuinely couldn’t recall when last he did any of that.
His fists balled.
’I hate when he’s right.’ Drawing in a few deep breaths, he finally swung his head back to Valentine. "You should consider taking a job as a therapist or something."
"Pretty sure I’d inject my own trauma into patients before ever getting the chance to help." Valentine arched his brow. "Does this mean...?"
The god of space sighed. "Yes, Valentine. I’ll follow you on your weird dinner date or whatever you’re calling it."
Valentine couldn’t help himself from grinning.
’I can’t believe all that talking actually worked.’
★★★★★
Night had settled over the city by the time Ambrose stepped out of the shower.
Steam still clung to his skin as he dragged a towel through his damp blonde hair. Another was secured loosely around his waist while droplets of water rolled down his shoulders and chest.
For the first time all day, he felt somewhat human again.
The raid.
The orcs.
The lies.
The questioning.
Everything seemed farther away beneath the comforting scent of soap and warm water.
Spatial Awareness suddenly stirred, making him pause mid-motion.
Someone was approaching his room.
The footsteps were familiar too.
He snorted. "You can come in, Viktor."
The door opened a second later.
Viktor stepped inside then immediately froze.
His icy blue eyes swept over Ambrose.
From the towel. To the exposed chest. The damp hair. The droplets still tracing paths across pale skin.
For several seconds he simply stared.
Ambrose arched a brow. "Something wrong?"
Viktor blinked. "No." His voice sounded oddly strained. "There doesn’t have to be something wrong."
That answer made Ambrose laugh softly.
The Ice Prince looked away first.
Which was honestly shocking.
Normally Viktor stared at people like he was trying to intimidate them into exploding.
Tonight he looked almost nervous.
"What did you need?" Ambrose asked.
Viktor hesitated... then sighed. "I wanted to apologise."
The amusement faded from Ambrose’s face. "What for?"
"The Guilds." A shadow crossed Viktor’s features. "The way I gave them the word to hire you and all."
Ambrose stayed silent while Viktor continued.
"I thought I was helping. I wasn’t trying to control your life." The confession sounded strangely vulnerable coming from him. "I know you value your freedom. Your choices. Your ability to decide things yourself."
His eyes finally lifted.
"But it was never about control, Ambrose."
A pause.
"It was about helping someone I care about."
The room fell silent.
Ambrose swallowed before slowly nodding. "I know."
Viktor looked surprised as the Guide rubbed the back of his neck.
"And... I probably shouldn’t have yelled at you."
That got a genuine reaction. "What?"
"I meant to say I’m sorry."
"You’re apologising?"
"Don’t make it weird."
A laugh escaped Viktor before he could stop it.
The tension eased slightly, so much so that Ambrose found himself smiling too.
Then Viktor’s expression softened.
The change was subtle but unmistakable.
"I love you."
The words slipped out so naturally that neither of them seemed prepared for them.
Silence followed, sucking the air out of the room.
Viktor’s eyes widened as though he couldn’t believe what he’d just said.
Meanwhile, Ambrose’s brain completely short-circuited.
His mouth opened and closed repeatedly. Words struggled somewhere inside his chest, clawing desperately to get out.
Because the truth was—he almost wanted to say it back. And that realization terrified him.
Neither moved.
The distance between them suddenly felt much smaller.
Then Viktor took one look at Ambrose’s silence and immediately panicked. "Forget I said that." He waved profusely. "Actually, no. Don’t forget it."
Another step.
"I mean—you can forget it if you want." His ears turned red. "I shouldn’t have said anything."
"Vik—"
"I’m sorry."
"Viktor."
"I wasn’t expecting—"
Ambrose crossed the room before he could finish.
The words died instantly.
His eyes widened as the apology vanished. Because Ambrose grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down.
Then kissed him.
Not because he had the perfect response. Not because he suddenly understood every confusing emotion inside him.
But because for once—he didn’t want to hide behind a mask.
