Chapter Text
Roach had been permitted to come home, at Price’s request, and Soap had came with him, with Ghost over almost every day. In fact, he was there now and Kyle was watching as Soap sketched something in the garden, while Ghost appeared to be reading to Roach, who was bundled warm but wanted to be outside in any way he could, resting in a chair meant for the field.
Kyle did smile to himself as he watched them. Sometimes, Ghost would pause for too long and Roach would huff and sign for him to keep going, causing the alpha to shake his head and then keep reading, while Soap laughed in amusement.
When Ghost was gone, Roach was working on a massive painting of a moth landing on a skull, for Ghost, though he claimed it was for the manor. Soap had just given Kyle a knowing smile, having seemed content to sit back and encourage whatever flame he could between the two. Kyle liked Soap, he was very sweet and always able to put Roach in hyper spirits.
Though, Soap was also being careful to keep Roach from over exerting himself. Price had already came around to being quite friendly with Soap, treating him as if he had always been there and asking if he would like to help in the preparations for Christmas.
Unfortunately, Rodolfo was usually the one who planned but he was with Alejandro, planning for a dinner that was to be hosted on Christmas Eve, so all of it had fallen on Kyle. Kyle had taken the opportunity, however, to teach Soap about some of the inner workings of a household, informing him that Roach hated most of it.
Soap, though, really seemed to take to it, having fun with place settings and menu planning. Kyle was glad, as he just passed most of it off to him, under the guise of teaching. He knew Soap likely knew, but the other omega genuinely didn’t seem to mind, so Kyle continued.
He startled at the door suddenly opening, and a maid came in. “A Lieutenant Alex Keller to see you, miss.” She said and curtsied before leaving, and Kyle hardly had a chance to ask what she meant before Alex stepped into the room.
His demeanour was awkward, but he still smiled brightly at seeing Kyle. “Miss Kyle,” he murmured before curtsying and Kyle was too shocked to do anything but curtsy in return.
“Please sit.” He quickly offered, remembering his manners, and Alex blinked before nodding and coming over to sit on one of the couches, so Kyle sat on another one.
Alex continued to look rather awkward, almost appearing to be gathering words. So, Kyle took a chance to fill the silence, and to try to distract himself from the already growing heartache. “How is Mrs Keller?”
Alex, in fact, looked startled. “Mrs Keller?”
“Yes, are you both at Echo Delta or do you stay elsewhere? Is Mrs Keller in town with you?” Kyle asked, hoping if he repeatedly reminded himself of the fact, it may make his heart accept it and move on.
“No… My mother and I have not spoken in many years…” Alex laughed, though he looked very confused. “She lives further up north.”
Kyle frowned, now confused himself. He had not, at all, been speaking about Alex’s mother, he’d very much been speaking about Hadir. “No… I mean… I mean Mrs Alex Keller… I mean… your wife.”
Alex shook his head, eyes widening. “No, no, Miss Kyle… You must be mistaken. Has your father not informed you?”
“There were… pressing circumstances…” Kyle frowned, looking down at his lap and then furrowing his brows. He must be mistaken? How? He’d clearly heard that Alex was married… He looked up at Alex, who was watching him. “I don’t understand…”
Alex sighed and stood, moving to the fireplace, where he touched a small globe and appeared to gather his thoughts. “I… I met Hadir when I was very young and very foolish. I had not much to occupy myself with, save for the army, and I felt so very alone. I only had Farah at the time. Hadir was… charming and he was intelligent and very beautiful. However, I feel as if I had spent more than the month I did before proposing and all of that would have very quickly fallen apart.”
Kyle frowned, watching the alpha as he spun the globe while speaking and desperately trying to keep his heart from fooling him into gaining hope.
“You see, Kyle… Hadir is… all of those things, but only on the surface. Well… not the intelligent part. He was older than me and he knew how to use that to his advantage. I only remained in love, after a certain point, because Hadir wanted me to. When he started to mistreat Malika, who I came to love as a sister, I started to fall out of love. When he saw fit to slap her in front of her entire engagement party for the simple crime of being young and beautiful, I broke it off that night. I refused to budge, even when he threatened to tell Farah. And I never renewed the engagement.” Alex sighed, turning to look at Kyle.
Kyle covered his mouth, all of Alex’s words hitting him. “I…”
“I was going to propose to you.” Alex murmured, looking down at his hands. “I made plans to three separate times. The first was the day Hadir arrived. Farah had written to him, expressing joy that I may have found love and that is why he showed up, as he intended to convince me away from it. Then, he threatened me with telling you how I had grievously mistreated him and I… I feared that he would, and that you would believe him, so I backed off.
The second was at the ball, in London. I wanted to explain, then, and beg you to marry me, anyway, but then Malika stole you away to look for your brother and I completely lost my nerve.”
Kyle felt like he couldn’t breathe, having to tear his eyes away from the alpha as he tried to process just how close everything he had desired had been. But… something rang in his head. “And… the third?” He asked, those being the only words he could possibly find to speak.
Alex moved from the fireplace and came to in front of Kyle, moving to one knee and then carefully taking Kyle’s hand. “I wish for you to understand, before I ask, that since the moment I met you, I was taken by you. Your curiosity and willingness to listen, your sweetness of temper, and most of all those gorgeous eyes that I know take in everything they possibly can… All of it drew me in in the most intoxicating of manners, and from that moment and every moment afterwards… My heart has only belonged to you, and so it shall for the rest of my life. It has ached more than any pain in my leg, and only has been eased with your presence.”
Tears of relief filled Kyle’s eyes and he moved to touch his mouth, as Alex continued to speak. “I beg you, Kyle Price, to do me the honour of relieving my heart ache, entirely, by becoming my wife.”
“I… I don’t understand, though… I heard you were married to Hadir, that he demanded marriage in order to call off the other marriage!” Kyle burst before covering his mouth fully. “That’s… That’s what I heard…”
Alex sighed and then he moved to sit by Kyle on the small couch, shaking his head. “No, Kyle… He did demand that, yes… But Farah would not hear it. I had resolved myself to marry him, simply for Farah’s sake. I told myself that you would not have me, anyway, and so… It was better to just save Hadir for Farah, but the minute she heard about it, she laughed and told Hadir that she hoped he had a blessed marriage and that he was completely cut off from her. That he was dead to her.”
Kyle frowned, surprised, and then furrowed his brows. “She… wouldn’t allow the marriage?”
“Farah told me that if I dared to even think about going through with it, I’d be cut off from her as well. That she would not allow me to condemn myself to a life with her brother. Then… told me that you were very obviously in love with me and that I would be foolish not to come here and marry you, instead. I cannot convey the relief I felt… I would have been here, faster, but… There was much to be dealt with, in regards to everything Hadir had destroyed. I wanted everything to be settled, and now it is. I um… was sent with word from Malika that she will never forgive you if you don’t say yes, so there’s that.” Alex smiled, soft and gentle.
Kyle finally could just fully melt with complete relief, nodding. “I’ll marry you… I wish for nothing else out of this lifetime than to be your wife…”
Alex looked almost as relieved as Gaz felt, before he was grinning and taking Gaz’s hand, slipping a very simple engagement ring onto it. “Anything you ever ask for, you will have. Anything you could ever want.”
“All I will ever want, is you…” Kyle promised, already adoring the ring. It was simple, it wasn’t heavy, and god it was beautiful. “To be by your side… That’s all I could ever ask for.”
“My darling, you will never leave it.” Alex murmured, softly, and then brought Kyle’s hand up to his lips.
Kyle softened and then closed his eyes as Alex then moved forward to kiss his forehead, putting it on Alex’s own forehead. “I don’t know how I could possibly convey how badly I wished for you to ask me… When I thought… When I thought you’d been married, I didn’t believe my heart would ever break in such a way, again… I was resolved that maybe I could love another alpha, but… it was hard to truly believe it.”
“I’ve been such a fool, I’m sorry… I wish that I had been able to get over my own insecurities and ask you to marry me, in spite of everything. I knew, in my heart, that you wouldn’t judge me, but I was still afraid.” Alex murmured, his voice full of sorrow and guilt. “I feared your rejection.”
“I would have never, I promise…” Kyle shook his head, softening. “If anything had been explained to me, I would have understand. I mean… I understand, now… I… I saw you and Hadir kiss, though-”
“No, Kyle.” Alex sighed and lifted his head. “You saw Hadir kiss me . I suspect you didn’t see the end, but I shoved him off as soon as my brain caught up to what was happening…”
“No, I wasn’t- I wasn’t accusing you.” Kyle quickly said, shaking his head. “I was… more trying to tell you why I left… Rodolfo told me that you had came to ask for me…”
“Yes, I had again resolved myself to ask you to marry me, but it was more leftover from that second resolve. I wanted to ask you when you were at Sahkra Manor, but then Hadir was there and my focus was getting him to leave Malika alone, so I put it to the side. When I finally had my head clear enough to try again, you had left. I need you to know, Kyle, that if today hadn’t had worked out, I would have hunted you down and begged in the middle of the street, I have been… so very desperate.” Alex winced, his face going red. “No matter what, I would have asked today.”
“It worked out, though…” Kyle softened, touching the alpha’s face.
“Thank god…” Alex smiled, before turning his face and kissing Kyle’s hand.
It wasn’t long before Alex left to go and talk to Price, who heartily gave his blessing to the marriage and told Alex that “it was about damn time”. Then, Rodolfo came home and Alex left back to Echo Delta in order to start making arrangements, with the promise that he would return to stay for a few days in about a week or so.
“So… he didn’t marry Hadir?” Rodolfo asked, furrowing his brows.
Now, Kyle, Roach, and Rodolfo were enjoying time together in Rodolfo’s bedroom, just them as brothers. “No!” Kyle laughed, embarrassed. “I shouldn’t have believed the rumours so easily… Apparently Farah forbid it, and promised to cut both of them out if they tried.”
“Thank god for Farah…” Rodolfo murmured and then softened. “So all three of us shall be married before the year is out…”
‘ Our poor father… ’ Roach signed, furrowing his brows. ‘ What will he do without at least one of us?’
“Move Nikolai in.” Rodolfo shrugged. “He’s already making plans. I mean… he’d be a lonely old alpha, it would make sense that his best friend would move in to give him company, since Nikolai is also a lonely old alpha. They can be very happy together. And, Roach and I shall live very close, as Ghost is looking into an estate in town, and Kyle will visit whenever is possible, I am sure-”
“Oh, no doubt.” Kyle agreed, already having plans. He was sure Alex was also under the understanding that they would very frequently visit. “Many times a year, if not more.”
“He will be alright, Roach.” Rodolfo promised, touching Roach’s arm. Roach did appear to relax and nod, so both of the others relaxed. “You know… I don’t think I will ever be fluent in the matters of love but… Well, I don’t think that’s possible. She’s a bit of a fickle thing.”
“Entirely.” Kyle agreed, blushing. “It can never be straightforward.”
‘ No, but… maybe that makes it better. Now we have something to tell. ’ Roach shrugged, smiling. ‘ Grand stories… Well, you both do. I think I’m going to keep mine close to my chest.’
“I think I will, as well.” Kyle snorted, unsure he quite wanted to completely recount his own heart break over and over, even if it was worked out in the end. “Maybe I will write it down, somewhere, but I don’t think I will be too entirely happy to share the story.”
“I will tell my children.” Rodolfo nodded. “So they learn from me. So they don’t make my mistakes, but neither of you intend to have any.”
“If Alex wants them, I will…” Kyle mumbled, though the idea made him slightly sick. He still wasn’t sure he could stomach the idea of pregnancy in any form.
Roach snorted. ‘I doubt that. Alex and Ghost talked before Alex left and… Ghost teased him about children and you should have seen his face. He said he’d only have them if you wanted them. ’
Kyle melted, completely. He and Alex really were so perfect for each other and he felt so foolish for letting fear of heartbreak make him blind to that. “Then I suppose we won’t have them.” He smiled. “I’d rather just have Alex, anyway.”
Roach smiled and then sighed, looking almost wistful. ‘ I suppose Ghost isn’t as bad as I thought he was… He’s actually very sweet. Soap loves him, and I love Soap, so… I suppose one day I will love Ghost. It’s an odd sort of relationship, but I don’t mind it… I don’t think I’d ever be happy in a normal one, anyway.’
“No, no you likely would not.” Rodolfo agreed, happy for his baby brother. “But now you will be happy with both Soap and Ghost, and both of them will surely be able to keep up with you.” He teased, and Roach huffed at him. “In the best ways, Roach…”
‘ All of the best ways. ’ Roach agreed, softening. ‘ Ghost wants something small, just so we can get it on paper. I think I do, too… I will enjoy your weddings, but big and grand is not what I want.’
“Oh, no, I just want to go to the chapel.” Kyle shook his head. “Something small and pretty, with just the people I care about. I don’t need anything else… I don’t think I will host many balls, either.”
“That’s okay, I want something big and grand.” Rodolfo laughed, softly. “Alejandro already has everything being set up, too. He has said that no expense will be spared.”
Kyle snorted, “that’s all he ever says.” Roach agreed, rolling his eyes.
Rodolfo shrugged, laughing again. “I will end up a very spoiled wife, I fear, but… well, I can’t exactly complain, can I?”
“No, no you cannot.” Kyle smiled and then yawned, relaxing. “Well, I think I will go to sleep, now. If you have anything else to say, please do it quietly.”
Roach shook his head, looking just as tired. ‘ No… I think I’m tired, too… I worry that I ran around too much, my body is sore.’
Rodolfo and Kyle both resisted scolding their brother, instead settling on all three just going to bed, sharing Rodolfo’s, and laying down to sleep. All were content, all were happy.
All were deeply and entirely in love.
-
Roach was the first to marry, the marriage finalised as soon as Roach was fully healthy. There was no ceremony, just a paper signing, and then some more things were legalised which ensured that Soap was legally taken care of in the case of Ghost’s death, as Roach and Soap would receive an even split of his estate.
Soap had insisted he didn’t need it, but neither of the others would hear it, and Roach’s entire estate went to Soap in the case of his death, as well as a clause that Soap and Ghost were to legally marry if Roach did die or his estate went back to his father. Roach knew them both well enough to know grief might separate them and he didn’t want that to happen. He wanted them to stay with each other and continue to love them.
Kyle was next to marry, having a very beautiful but small wedding in the Spring. Everyone they cared about was there, and not a person more. However, Kyle decided that leaving his family to go on his honeymoon, Alex had arranged a trip to see the rest of Europe, was one of the harder things he’d done. But, ultimately, Alex kept him too distracted for him to be homesick, and they ended up spending the better part of the year in Europe, only returning for Rodolfo and Alejandro’s wedding.
Speaking of… They had the wedding. Everyone was talking about it afterwards. It was grand and it had a lot of influence from their native culture. Any negative comments were a clear display of jealousy, but they were mostly positive, anyway. Alejandro had meant it when he said no expense was to be spared, and there wasn’t a single part of it that wasn’t described as “beautiful” or “the finest”.
Their honeymoon was an entire year, spent in their home country, reacquainting Rodolfo with everything he’d lost in the accident. He also returned very pregnant, and very very happy.
Kyle had feared that living in Echo Delta, so far away from his family, would be difficult but he ended up so busy that he hardly noticed! Alex had ran his household very well, but the introduction of a new mistress to it was still time consuming, and Kyle ended up taking full reign over the garden as well as decorating the home.
Thankfully, Malika was there to help, over almost every day to give advice and help Kyle with the more stressful parts. As promised, she painted many atlas pages for them, which were framed and put on the walls of their massive library, that Alex had expanded many many times over their lifetime. These pages were, of course, gifted to them on their wedding day.
As it was, both of his brothers were equally busy to him. Roach always had some new adventure to drag his partners on, and they were hardly ever at home. They even bought an estate in Scotland so Soap could see his home, frequently, spending a fair amount of time bouncing between their three homes.
Soap took up the mantle of wife more than Roach did, doing most of the maintaining of a household, but neither Roach nor Ghost minded, as Roach hated most of it and Ghost didn’t think it was necessary in the first place.
Rodolfo loved being a wife, he loved running his household, and he loved Alejandro. Alejandro took care of him in every single way that was necessary. Rodolfo, though, was still busy due to the birth of his child and then starting his own household. Both he and Roach made plenty of time to visit Price, though, and worked with Malika and Alex to make sure that Kyle could visit, too, able to manage once a month for a weekend at first, which then turned into a few weeks every season.
And then it turned into every Summer and Christmas, with Farah and Malika often accompanying them.
That wasn’t to say that Kyle and Alex never had everyone else to visit, hell after about five or so years it was either they were with Price or Price was visiting them with Nik.
Rodolfo and Roach also frequently visited them, and a house in London was soon bought by Alejandro so they would have somewhere comfortable to stay, and it ended up being similar, where fall was spent in London, when there wasn’t too terribly much good weather for hunting and fishing.
Regardless of any arrangements, though, one thing was understood… That they were all in love and they were all content.
No, none of the three brothers ever ended up considering themselves fluent in the matters of love, but they did know that they had truly lived happily ever after.
The End.