Caught

37.

It was still very early, but my mobile's screen was already flashing again with a silent ringtone. The tenth missed call.

 Our night was over and with the new day, I had to face the reality of the outside world.

I reached for my clothes lying on the floor and got dressed quietly. Taking one last look at Shira, who was still asleep, I grabbed my phone and slipped out of the bedroom so as not to wake him.

"Maya?" I called back to her from the kitchen, deciding that I could finally make that coffee. Holding the phone in my right hand, I clumsily poured water into the kettle with my left and set it on the stove to boil.

"You're in big trouble," she said instead of a greeting, but despite the dramatic opening, the tone of her voice was amused.

I already suspected something was up. The missed calls from the Councillors, Hanarra and even some unknown numbers gave me a few clues.

"How bad is it?"

"Didn't you see the news this morning?" She continued before I could answer. "Of course not, what a stupid question, you must have had other responsibilities," she laughed cheerfully.

Her voice radiated enthusiasm and good humour. Maya was also happy about Shira's return. She wouldn't let me speak at all and went on.

"And Shira? What did he say? Where is he? In your bed, I suppose."

I smiled, Maya could always guess right.

"So are they finally going to kick me off the Council?" I interrupted her while preparing the cups and the can of coffee, wondering if there was any food in the fridge. 

I poured boiling water into the coffee cups and grabbed one.

"The Councillors aren't very happy with you at the moment," Maya admitted. "Still, it's a rather symbolic end of the war, isn't it?" she laughed. "Resistance General Taira Imara and the Emperor's former assassin Shira. Together."

Well, that didn't sound like something from Maya's head. It sounded like the headline of one of those news reports I'd thankfully not seen. Oh, God.

The young woman was still saying something, but I stopped listening. Shira appeared in the doorway. And the sight of him was enough to distract me completely.

He was wearing jeans, low on his hips and skin-tight in a way that made it almost impossible for me to suppress a spark of arousal.

He didn't have a shirt on, he wasn't hiding his scars this time, and that reassured me that my speech last night had worked.

"I have to go," I ended the call and hung up.

The black-haired man stepped closer, snatched the cup from my hand and took a sip. He grimaced at the bitter taste and it occurred to me that I had no idea what kind of coffee he liked.

If Shira drank it at all, if he liked it black and sugarfree like me, or perhaps with milk. I wished I could find out. I wished I could find out everything about him.

"Did I cause you trouble?" He asked, handing the cup back to me.

"Your spectacular return has attracted attention."

Shira wasn't stupid, he must have expected something like that to happen. Still, he'd made a big show of his return. It wasn't like him at all.

But the important thing was that he came back. It didn't matter which way it happened. I wouldn't have minded even if he'd marched straight into the palace and kissed me in front of all the Council members.

He sighed and said with a guilty smile, "I wanted to wait until you were alone, but..." he gave me a strange look, "I couldn't stand watching you flirt with that barmaid."

"I wasn't flirting with h..." I paused, my mouth forming a pleased smile. "Wait, you were jealous?"

Shira gave me that deadly, cold-blooded killer stare of his, hoping it would shut me up.

It worked, though I couldn't stop grinning. It seemed unbelievable that he, always so confident and in control, had felt something as mundane as jealousy; it shouldn't have pleased me so much, but I couldn't help it.

He watched me annoyed, his face sullen, lips pursed. I knew that look. Shira always got it when I had made him say something he didn't want to.

I moved closer to him, running my finger lightly along his collarbone.

"Shira, there was no one else. I would never..." I paused and looked intently into his striking eyes, which would always remind me of a stormy ocean.

He shrugged. "You thought I was dead."

"Yes, I did. But to forget you... I just couldn't."

His eyes lit up and he smiled beautifully. His thumb touched my lower lip.

"I tried to send a message, but it wasn't possible. I didn't even know that the Council had pardoned me. It wasn't until I returned to the city."

His palms came down to my shoulders. "I've also heard of your promotion," he smiled. "General Taira Imara."

I blushed, "I have done nothing to deserve this. The Resistance's victory was mostly your doing."

"I don't care about the Resistance, Taira, if it wasn't for you, I would have died fighting for the Emperor. The General's uniform is rightfully yours."

Even if that were the case, he should have received more than a pardon. I knew he didn't do it for the Resistance, but without him we wouldn't have escaped, the rebels wouldn't have won, the Emperor would have lived. The war could have dragged on for many months with no end in sight.

"You deserve honours and glory anyway."

"Why? I don't need any of it," he laughed, reaching out to take me in his arms. "I already have my reward."

~~~

Shira was sitting on the bed reading one of my books. Those blue-grey eyes held a focused expression, his teeth lightly biting his lower lip, the dark hair falling into his face.

For several minutes I stood in the doorway, watching him in silence. I didn't know how long it would take me to get used to the fact that Shira was here. That he had returned and was back with me. A certain part of me still refused to believe it.

The other man closed the book and lifted his head. He must have known about me all along.

Without breaking the silence, I stepped closer and looked down at him. I studied his face closely and then carefully brushed one of the unruly strands aside. His eyes met mine.

"I love you, Shira."

Even though I knew he found those words unimportant and trivial, I wanted to say them to him at least once.

He kept silent, just smiled, saying nothing in return. Clearly he felt it was unnecessary after all he had done for me. For Shira, actions always spoke louder than words. I understood him perfectly and didn't need to hear it from him. I was sure of his feelings for me.

So sure, in fact, that I didn't miss the opportunity to tease him a little.

"Really? After all that, you're not going to tell me anything?" I said with a cheerful grin, determined to provoke him even more. "Something like...'Oh, Taira, I love you too, and I'll love you until...'"

Shira grabbed me in a flash and threw me onto the bed, silencing my tirade with a kiss. After pulling away, he smiled softly and finished my line,

"Until my heart stops beating."

~~~The end~~~

So we've finally come to the end. Thanks to everyone who made it this far and read the whole story, I really appreciate it.

I hope you enjoyed it.

Terra❤️