To Love a Knight

Only One For Me

"Let's all sit and eat." I guided Leo to the end seat and placed Ren on Leo's left. I put Vicurl in the seat on Leo's right across from Ren. I sat next to Vicrul on his right with Cardo sitting next to me on my right. Trudgen sat across from me next to Ren with Kuruk on his other side across from Cardo.

Vicrul and I had ordered from Pauly's like always and they had delivered it just ten minutes before Leo had arrived. The huge serving bowl of penne alla vodka sat in front of me and all around the table were other dishes. We had ordered the steak diane, chicken piccata, a house salad with Pauly's secret recipe dressing that was to die for and filled with romano cheese, and spaghetti carbonara was the last item besides my penne. I had gotten one large tiramisu for dessert and it was hanging out in the fridge until it was time for that and the expresso that Pauly had sent in a large heat proof thermos.

"So how long did you know Ap'lek?" Cardo spoke as he started putting salad on his plate.

Most of the Knights started to dig in and I filled the plate in front of me before nudging Vicrul to switch the full plate for the empty one in front of Leo. Vicrul handed me the empty plate and set the full one down in front of our guest. Leo knew me enough to know that I was a feeder. It was just who I was. And I knew him enough to know that carbonara and chicken piccata were some of his favorite dishes. That's why I had ordered them.

"Three years." Leo spoke as I filled Vic's plate and then Ren's. Trudgen, Kuruk, and Cardo had wasted no time to fill their own plates.

"How long were you two a couple?" Trudgen looked sideways at the man.

"Almost two years." Leo responded as Vicrul finished pouring wine into everyone's glasses.

"Vic, you just poured Kara wine." Trudgen furrowed his brow and looked at me and then Vic.

"It's a low alcohol one. Sarah said she can have two glasses and it won't hurt anything." Vicrul smirked and turned to Leo. "So almost two years. How did you guys meet?"

"At a museum exhibit in Chicago." Leo slowly cut his chicken with his knife before taking a dainty little bite. I was used to the way he ate and wondered what all the others were thinking right now. "We were on opposite sides of a large statue and were both so enthralled that we bumped into each other as we came around it."

I knew this story. Ap'lek had told me all about it. I sipped my wine and looked over at Leo. "The first thing he noticed was your eyes."

"I noticed his glare." Leo laughed. "He always had such an intense gaze when he looked at anything. It was something else. But when he smiled," Leo paused as his words caught. "When he smiled it was like nothing else existed."

"I wish he had told us about you." Ren stared at his plate as he pushed his food around with his fork. "We would have welcomed you with open arms."

"I told him that. But I think his childhood trauma was too hard to overcome." Leo sighed and picked up his water.

"What childhood trauma?" Kuruk looked over at Leo and I could see the feelings of betrayal in his eyes. Leo knew things Ap'lek hadn't even shared with him. And I knew it bothered Kuruk since he thought they had shared everything.

"His father tried to send him to a conversion camp when he was a teenager. It's why he ran away." Leo sat up straight and was stiff as he spoke. "He stopped being mad about it a long time ago. All his decisions he made after that day led him to the Knights of Ren. And he has no regrets. He loved you all very much. He talked about you a lot. He loved his brothers and his little sister."

"He talked about us to you but he didn't tell us shit about you." Kuruk grumbled.

"Kuruk." I warned him gently and he looked up at me. "Don't."