Nico
Nico had already got a call from Sarah and Mr and Mrs Levi. They wanted to know how his trip was going; the places he had been to so far and how he was dealing with the mate situation. Mrs Levi cried twice during the forty minute phone call and repeatedly apologized for being a horrible 'mom'. Nico had to tell her the whole 'bath episode with Louis' story twice before her mood showed any improvement. He felt like a rotten egg that had been left forgotten on the counter for days. Mr Levi had finally distracted his wife by calling Sarah and begging her to tell Nico 'The News'.
Sarah argued that it wasn't the right time to tell Nico yet, but Mr Levi insisted. She took the phone from him to go up into her room and locked her door and layed down on the bed before apologizing profusely for being a horrendous friend to Nico. Sentences like 'I should have known', 'I felt you were quieter, but I didn't think much into it' and 'I feel miserable' were frequently uttered. Only when Nico guessed that she was pregnant did Sarah shut up and start to cry. "You know everything about me and I didn't even know you were dying of hurt..." She had cried and had become inconsolable.
Nico spent the next twenty minutes calming her down. He told her how Emma didn't know anything yet and how he wanted her help to break it to his sister who would be nothing short of a tickled dragon. Sarah had finally joked that his arse would be on fire when he met Emma in three months. Nico had laughed along but he really was worried about his sister's reaction. He thought of getting her an expensive gift from Turkey where he would be heading to next in a few weeks. Perhaps that would neutralize some of the hurt she would feel. Nico realized that he had been selfish in keeping his family away from his hurt self. They lived through him as he lived through them.
Nico had asked questions about Sarah's health. How Jay had reacted when he found out. When her due date was and what she was planning to name her baby. He casually let it slip how good of a middle name 'Nico' would truly be. Sarah had harrumphed at that but also managed a grin. Nico was satisfied. He promised he would keep in touch with his best friend and just might-maybe- get something nice for her.
Sarah wanted to know whether Nox had called yet and then talked about what Nico would say to him. They discussed what Nico should wear and look like and what he ought to say to his mate. Nico wanted to know if it would be safe to wear earrings and eyeliner. Sarah just replied with a 'Hell yeah!' and Nico felt the least bit confident that perhaps it would work. Then again, Nico wasn't sure what his mate would like and whether Nox even approved of his mate being a male.
Nico knew that Nox would be next in line for becoming Alpha of the Suwariis and for that he needed an heir. Although democracy was favored among werewolves as well, but he knew that Nox would want a little boy or girl who could carry the Alpha gene. These questions kept Nico awake along with the wait- the anxiety that his mate would call him soon.
When Nico's phone rang at half past nine, he had just had dinner. He didn't have time to wear his earrings and eyeliner. Thankfully he was still wearing his plum dress shirt from work. He reached out to see that the caller was unknown and then picked up and put the phone to his ear while quickly clearing the table of his hotel room.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Nico Tailor." His voice was deep and sultry. A wave of pleasure went down Nico's back and traveled all the way to his toes. Nico felt like he had been sitting in his favorite spot on the sofa back home with a box of a dozen doughnuts placed precariously on his knees, waiting to be eaten. He smiled.
"Hi—I, I mean hello." Nico stuttered, then mentally cussed himself.
"As much as I admire seeing the darkness from the shell of your ear, I would very much like to see the rest of you." Nox said. There was a smile in his tone, Nico could somehow tell.
"What?" Nico didn't quite understand what his mate was talking about and dragged the phone away from his face only to realize that it had been a video call all along! He nearly dropped the phone when he saw his mate smiling! What a glorious sight it was!
Nico straightened up and sat down on the love-seat in the corner of his room and held his phone up to look at his mate. For thirty seconds no one talked. They gazed into each others eyes, memorizing the color and the planes of each others faces. Maybe it had been time, or perhaps the distance or maybe it was the screen itself between them that had effectively reduced Nico's shyness in front of his mate.
"You're very beautiful." Nico heard Nox say. Perhaps Nico should have felt insulted that his mate had called him with an adjective commonly reserved for females, but his wolf was purring in joy at the first compliment they had received from their mate.
Nico swallowed loudly and gazed down, "Thank you" he muttered softly as his cheeks tinted. "How have you been?"
"I've been much better since your Luna gave me your number. I had been trying to get your number from your alpha, but he was set on torturing me."
"Yes, Luna told me you visited. Thank you for the gifts you brought them."
"You don't have to thank me- ever. They were nothing compared to the pleasure of talking to you."
Nico pressed his lips so he could hide his smile. Why was this man so PERFECT?!! He mentally fanned himself and changed positions on the sofa to be more comfortable.
"How has your trip been so far?" Nox wanted to know. He tilted his head to one side and Nico saw some beaded dreaklocks fall to one side of his mate's face.
"The start was difficult. I had difficulty adjusting to new people and new schedules and there is a major time difference between eastern and western packs. Now I am doing much better. I am more open to peoples' opinions as well as cultural differences. It is quite a learning experience." Nico explained. They both knew why it was so difficult for Nico to adjust in the beginning and Nox heard it, even if Nico didn't mention it. He had hurt his mate and made him believe that he had been rejected.
"I am sorry I hurt you– believe me, it was unintended." Nox said earnestly and Nico nodded. He was unable to talk. He swallowed the large lump that had formed in his throat and managed a short "I am better now." Nox closed his eyes and placed his forehead on the screen— a gesture of comfort from miles away. Nico's wolf prodded him to do the same.
After a few seconds, they both gazed at each other again and Nox asked whether Nico had had dinner. Nico explained how he had just eaten leftover hummus with flat-bread from breakfast. Nox promised he would try hummus as well, just to see why Nico had liked it.
Nico noticed Nox wearing a familiar looking shirt and shyly asked what he was wearing. Nox stretched his arm to move the camera away so Nico could see his own Cookie monster shirt stretched across Nox's chest- nearly straining against the muscles because it was atleast two sizes too small.
"Where did you get that?!!" Exclaimed Nico. He had left that shirt on purpose while packing because it reminded him of Nox.
Nox shrugged cooly. "It's mine."
"No it's not! Who gave that to you?!" Asked Nico angrily– that was his favorite shirt. Who had entered his house and touched his belongings- including his favorite shirt, other than Nox?
Nox shrugged again. "The owner and his shirt are all mine."
That's when Nico realized that he had just been claimed in the smoothest way possible.
"You can keep it." He spoke softly, cheeks aflame.
"I intend to keep them both." Nox said, determined. Nico smiled.
"When are you coming back, mate?" Nox questioned apprehensively.
Nico's heart started to beat triple time. "I still have to visit the Turk pack, the Weheshi pack and the Ming pack. It's going to take another three months before I come home."
Nox inhaled sharply and then slowly breathed out in an attempt to calm himself down. "I will be waiting for you, mate." Nico felt his heart shatter. He smiled at his mate longingly. Duty was keeping them apart.
"Time will pass," Nico attempted to calm his mate, "and I will see you very soon." Nox sighed and lowered his head.
"I like your hair and the beading," Nico attempted to sway Nox's mood, "It reminds me of a crown. Does the color and pattern signify anything?"
"You love my hair?" Nox smirked childishly– his mood had shifted suddenly. "What else do you love about me?" Nico noticed a glint in his mates eyes and realized he was being teased.
"I didn't say love. I said I liked your hair." Nico felt his face heating again. All this flushing was not good for him. He got up quickly to turn on the wall-fan in his room.
"I definitely heard love." Nox insisted, obnoxiously prolonging the L word.
"You should get your ears checked." Nico rolled his eyes.
"I am an Alpha born werewolf and I have perfect hearing. Tell me what else you love about me." Nox coyly persisted. Nico swallowed, his heart hammered on.
"Since I can't see anything other than your head, I wouldn't know." Was his intelligent reply. This was followed by a minor kerfuffle at Nox's end and Nico, to his horror, discovered that his mate had handed his phone to a teenage boy and was now posing infront of the camera for him to see.
"How about now, baby dragon?!!" Nico heard his mate exclaim as he stood with a hip popped out, his large hand circling his lower back. Nico almost died when he saw his mate wearing black bermuda shorts with cookies on it to match with Nico's shirt. He was wearing blue trainers to finish the look. Nico goggled at his mate's exposed shins and cleared his throat noisily, a fact that Nox hadn't missed and grinned cheekily, seeming very pleased. Nico hadn't missed the nick-name his mate had called him lovingly. Before he could question his mate, a familiar voice interrupted the call and Nico saw Nina holding the phone. He smiled at her and was about to say hello when Nox interrupted them. "Nina wait! Nico was about to tell me how hot I looked!"
"Were you?" She questioned Nico, looking doubtful.
"Yes he was! He loves my look!" Nox teased on.
"Hello Nina, how are you and Alakay?" He asked to distract himself from the image of his mate that had formed in his head. Nina told him that she was well and that she had started to learn how to hunt within pack grounds. Alakay was taking classes with the pack Guardians and Omegas, and was learning about pack history and tactics: he aspired to be a head pack guardian one day. Nina said she couldn't wait for me to come home and that she had a lot of things planned for the four of us.
Only when Nico started to yawn at half past eleven, did Nox and Nina urge him to go to bed. Nina left the couple quickly by saying goodnight to Nico. Nox smiled at his mate, wished him a good sleep filled with dreams of himself and then kissed the screen before ending the call. Nico felt his heart grow bigger with all the love he was given.