Call You Mine

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

When the doorbell rang, Lancelot rose to answer it, his brows furrowed in confusion. Who would be at the door, had he forgotten someone was coming? He shook his head to clear his memories. Taking a glance around the room, he saw almost everyone was already there; The Pup (Gwain), Tinder (Bors), HolyGrail (Galahad), and Heartmender (Dagnoet) were all there. The only people missing from their tight-knit group were Mustang (Arthur), and Raptor (Tristan). He opened the door and found it was just the pizza delivery person, but he didn't remember ordering food. The questioning look on his face must have been unsettling to the delivery person as they glanced at their order sheet, and then back at Saint, "I have an order for Bors?" the delivery person inquired tentatively, intimated by Lancelot's imposing stance in the doorway.

"Tinder! Did you order pizza?" Saint yelled across the room, the impatience in his tone evident. Not waiting for an answer, he signed for the pizzas and quickly pulled out a wad of cash to tip the driver. Taking the pizzas, he turned to close the door only to be greeted by Tinder who was grinning like a mad man.

"Finally, food's here boys! Come and get it." Tinder shouted to the group, who were still in the living room drinking and talking.
Saint rolled his eyes at Tinder's eagerness at the sight and smell of the pizzas; while deftly evading multiple attempts to snatch the pizzas as he made his way into the kitchen. Grabbing some paper plates and napkins from a nearby cabinet he set them on the counter. "If you drop a slice, you're footing the bill for the cleaning," Saint warned, fully aware of the dire consequences he'd face if his sister discovered any stains on her expensive, imported furniture.

"Your cup's empty Saint, that's a problem that needs to be fixed at once." The Pup chimed in as he pointed to the empty glass while reaching around to grab a plate and some pizza.

'Did I drink all that already? I swear I just refilled it, and when did the bottle get so low? It was almost full earlier.' Saint thought to himself, as he shrugged and poured himself another drink. He walked back to the living room where the rest of his fellow Airmen were, taking a seat next to Tinder he continued their conversation from earlier.

The living room buzzed with laughter and the clinking of glasses as their comrades enjoyed their drinks.

"Tinder, this sense of uneasiness I've got because I haven't heard from Robin, and this longing if he's not around...what does it all mean?" Saint's voice cut through the cheerful chatter, his expression reflecting a mix of confusion and vulnerability. He had an idea as to what these feelings meant, and he wasn't a complete idiot; as much as his sister would sometimes disagree; however, when it came to matters of the heart, he was lost.

Tinder, slouching in his chair, took a hearty gulp from his beer before responding. "Ah, matters of the heart. They're like navigating a mission with constantly changing coordinates."

Saint nodded, "I know it sounds crazy," he slurred slightly, his words weaving through the room like a tipsy dance, "but it's like my heart's caught in the middle of this wild hurricane, you know? A storm of feelings, spinning out of control."

Tinder giving a boisterous laugh, raised his beer in a casual salute. "Love is a tricky thing, Saint. It can be exhilarating and terrifying all at once, trust me on this."

"And you know," Tinder added with a tipsy grin, "Vanora will be over the moon about this. She might finally stop pestering me every day, wanting to know if the two of you have made it official or not."

Saint's eyes widened, a mix of disbelief and amusement crossing his face. He swayed a little in his seat, trying to process the revelation through the alcohol-induced fog in his mind. "Vanora's been asking about us?" he repeated, his voice a tad louder than he intended, drawing the attention of his nearby squad members who exchanged amused glances.

Tinder, grinning and getting to his feet, was slightly unsteady, he nodded with exaggerated seriousness. "Oh, you have no idea, my friend. It's like interrogating a suspect. 'Are they exclusive?', 'Have they moved in with each other yet?', 'When's the wedding?' I'm telling you; it's been a daily thing."

The revelation added a new layer of drunken humor to the conversation, and Saint couldn't help but join in the inebriated laughter.

"Hey Saint, can we turn on some music? We need to liven up this party!" The Pup whined, interrupting the conversation. Known for his knack for always finding something to complain about when intoxicated, the youngest of the group seemed to be on a roll with his constant grumbling tonight.

Saint felt a sharp pang of irritation rising within him, intensified by the buzz of the alcohol and the incessant nature of The Pup's complaints, he could practically feel the annoyance welling up, manifesting as a tightening in his jaw. The ambiance of the room, once filled with laughter and friendship, now felt overshadowed by The Pup's relentless dissatisfaction. The music request, a seemingly harmless suggestion, grated on Saint's nerves like sandpaper. It wasn't just about the music; it was about The Pup's persistent negativity, amongst other things. Saint took a deep breath, attempting to quell the irritation before it spilled into the atmosphere, but the annoyance lingered. Silently promising himself that if The Pup didn't shut up soon, he'd give him a real reason to complain, even if it meant facing consequences with his commander.

For the moment, Saint decided to take the high road, recognizing that indulging in The Pup's negativity wouldn't help anyone.

"Yeah, that's fine by me. Eve has just about every music service imaginable. Are there any requests?" Saint inquired as he rose to find the TV remote to jump-start the music. As he waited for the men to decide on what they wanted, he turned on the TV, inadvertently setting off Taylor Swift's "Love Story". Saint was going to change it when some of the men started singing along with it and he was taken aback by that. He hadn't expected anyone, other than Tinder, to know this song, taking into account that he and Vanora had over a dozen children, with each of them having their own particular tastes in music.