A Reunion of Lips

XIX

Scott was doing his best to keep his grin from tearing his face in half and get his hands to stop shaking so hard. He stepped back from the growing group hug when Avi wormed his way back into the mix and Matt's head peering around the corner at all the yelling turned into another set of reaching arms.

He can have his own reunion with Mitch later. Everyone else can say hi now, before he starts sobbing inconsolably. He took a deep breath and tore his eyes away from Mitch and turned to the shocked faces of Mitch's friends.

"Hi," he offered his hand to the tall lady standing closest to him.

"Hannah, Your Highness—"

He shook his head lightly. "Just Scott is fine."

The young woman next to Hannah introduced herself as Cleo and the man introduced himself as Darien as he extended his hand to them as well.

"It's nice to meet you all."

"Likewise," Hannah nodded.

"So I've been told you have information for me?" He looked between them curiously.

"Yes, sir. We've been collecting information on the rebel activity in Alluvia and across the country—"

He held up his hand quickly. "Hold on—you what?"

Cleo and Darien exchanged a quick glance behind Hannah that he couldn't quite read.

Hannah looked a little confused. "We're here representing the loyalist group in Alluvia and we have urgent information we need to share with you concerning, um, the rebels' plans."

Scott's eyes went wide and he glanced back at Mitch, extracting himself from the Kaplans and Matt.

"Jesus Christ, Mitch." He met Mitch's amused eyes. "You've really outdone yourself. Okay," he turned back to the loyalists. "How about we relocate this to somewhere a bit more comfortable. Esther—" Esther was already pulling a phone out of her pocket, "—get Kirstie here, and call Nicole and Leigh, too. Avi, can you run and get Kevin, Ryan, and Ben, and tell them to meet us in the lounge across from the guest rooms?"

He got two thumbs up as Avi sprinted out the door and Esther put the phone to her ear and followed him. He turned to the loyalists. "Are you staying anywhere in particular?"

Cleo shook her head. "No, sir. Mitch just said he'd take care of it."

Scott smirked. "I assume he meant I would take care of it, then. Matt, can you get them set up in the guest rooms so they can put their stuff down before we meet? I have a feeling this might be a long meeting."

Matt waved them out and Scott didn't miss the glare Cleo focused at a sheepish Mitch or the exasperated roll of Hannah's eyes at him when they passed. Mitch turned back to him when the door clicked shut behind them and the two were alone.

"We shouldn't wait up too long, or Avi will start telling everyone we're fucking," Mitch laughed and walked back over to him.

"I thought you were dead."

He didn't mean for that to be the first thing out of his mouth, but he couldn't take it back now even as he watched Mitch's face fall. Mitch reached out and grabbed both of Scott's hands.

"We kept getting reports—Mario was keeping us updated—about the death tolls from the Myrosian rebels. I kept waiting for one of the bodies to be yours and, and I couldn't—" He cut himself off and took a shaky breath as he searched Mitch's eyes, soaking in the life behind them that he'd spent so long trying to picture.

Mitch shook his head. "No—no, I'm fine. I promise you, Scott," his eyes were so beautiful, "I swear I'm fine. I'm not gonna go and die on you. I didn't last time and I didn't this time, and if there's another time—and there better not be—I'll be fine then, too."

"You can't promise that."

"Watch me." Mitch's jaw set and Scott took in the stubborn face he just couldn't get enough of. A smile slowly crept over his face, mirrored on Mitch's, and he tugged him in close to press another kiss to Mitch's head.

"We should go now before I start crying again," he mumbled into Mitch's hair.

Mitch smirked when he pulled back. "Let me just change quickly. It's been far too long since I've stolen a shirt from you, and I need to fix that."

Scott ended up changing out of his tear-soaked suit, too. Screw professionalism, t-shirts were comfy. Besides, the people he was meeting with were his best friends and a bunch of people who just saw him cry all over his boyfriend.

When he planted himself on a small couch in the lounge to wait for everyone else, Mitch plopped himself right down next to Scott and turned into him, leaning his head on Scott's shoulder and laying his legs across Scott's lap. Scott knew Mitch was doing this as much for Scott's benefit as he was his own.

"I love you," he whispered down at his boyfri—wait—fiancé. Fiancé. He'd almost forgotten about that in his desperation to find Mitch. He'd avoided thinking about that last day with Mitch as much as possible and instead on where how find Mitch please be alive. How on earth did he forget his stupid proposal and the stupid wire ring—wait the ring—

He reached down and grabbed Mitch's left hand.

"Did you think I was gonna take it off?" Mitch raised an eyebrow. Scott was hit with a wave of—of something, he had missed him so much.

"No, I just..." Scott trailed off with a shrug.

Mitch leaned back on his arm and intertwined his fingers with Scott's. "Kinda surprised you didn't try to take it back so you can try again on the train."

Scott stared down at their hands. "I was actually gonna beg for a second chance before we got home, but I think I missed my opportunity."

"Don't you dare try to now."

Scott shook his head. "Not planning on it. I missed my chance and I don't ever want to ask you to take it off. Although, you can have the actual ring whenever you want. It's in the back of my sock drawer. I figured that's the one place in my closet you would never break into."

Mitch laughed. "You're right. Why would I, when I can't steal your socks? Your feet are way bigger than mine."

"Well, you know what they say..." Scott grinned.

"Oh, yeah," Mitch wiggled his eyebrows back at him.

"Ew," Avi pretend-gagged from where he was claiming a squishy armchair.

Scott snickered at his face, but didn't start adding more commentary to make him squirm like he usually would as the rest of the group filtered in the door and found seats.