Guarded by waters [wriolette]

Chapter 16: Gnawing Worry

Notes:

I always think it's been ages since I've updated then I look and it was like. Yesterday or the day before and then I remember I'm just a weird, feral writing gremlin cooking her rotisserie chicken in her cave. Also that cold royally fucked with my sense of time and sleep schedule. I'm now thoroughly convinced that time is merely a construct man created in which to measure things.

Anyway, we're back to dear Wriothesley.
Enjoy.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

💪😩📴🏃‍♀️🐐🇬🇧🍭🛐💋🩷☕️

Wriothesley putters in the meantime.

He hasn't performed anything like a domestic chore in years, not counting the dishes that he and Neuvillette tend to do together. This leads to Wriothesley just idly wandering the home. Nudging things into place that, to him at least, seem off-center and rubbing dust off of things that have gotten too thick of a layer.

The Alpha isn't too sure how long getting groceries is supposed to take, but Wriothesley would be lying to himself if he didn't admit that the anxiety started eating at him the moment Neuvillette walked out that door. Being left to wait while his mate is out there, where the traffickers are and Wriothesley is not able to back him up should anyone try anything. It's driving Wriothesley's protective instincts absolutely nuts.

Especially because Hydro Dragon or not, Wriothesley still fears what circles those bastards would sell an Omega as beautiful as his Neuvillette into.

At the very least, the time ticking by at least gives Wriothesley time to reflect on how, even if he feels that he cannot yet fully give Neuvillette his trust, he can't help but already call the Omega his. For crying out loud, the number of days they've known each other can still be counted on Wriothesley's fingers! On the one hand!

Is the "call" Neuvillette described between them truly that strong? Wriothesley considers it as he putters around, gnawing on his own bottom lip as he switches from puttering and idle chores to snooping through Neuvillette's things again. Scoffing, albeit rather fondly, as he finds a few neatly pressed, identical judge's robes in that walk-in closet of Neuvillette's.

Shuffling through the drawers at least proves that, when Wriothesley gets his clothing order in, there would be ample room to store them alongside Neuvillette's. Wriothesley finds that he is not opposed to how much the thought pleases him. There could be worse things, and Wriothesley has lived some of them, than to have a beautiful Omega spoil him as Neuvillette has done and continues to do.

Wriothesley thinks of their first night together, how earnest Neuvillette had been when he took the Alpha's hand in his and promised he'd do whatever he could in his power to help Wriothesley. Now Neuvillette is out there, doing pretty much as he said he would. Using himself as bait to lure the traffickers where they want them.

Rather belatedly, Wriothesley realizes that he does trust Neuvillette to do exactly that. That indeed, even despite himself, that battered and broken vessel of Wriothesley's trust has made it to safer waters. He only hopes now that he can rebuild what's left of it, sheltered and aided by Neuvillette.

Please, Wriothesley thinks as he exits Neuvillette's closet and moves to the window of Neuvillette's room, to part the curtains just enough to peek at the street below, Come home safe to me.

There's a knock downstairs, interrupting Wriothesley's thoughts, and the Alpha makes his way to the main floor cautiously. It could just be Neuvillette returned from his tasks, but Wriothesley wants to make sure. He creeps up to the door, but just as he's about to call out for Neuvillette, a familiar voice calls out and the knock sounds again. It is not Neuvillette.