Archie stood there, his lips parted in disbelief as he watched her leave. Wait... this was strange. Wasn’t he the one who initiated their kiss before Orion entered? He was also the one who whispered dirty words in her ear just now, and rubbed her against him because he felt like molding her body against his, to tell her her place was in his arms. Even if he couldn’t act on the burning lust coursing through his veins because of obvious reasons.
Then why was he shocked just because she kissed him? Not even on his lips, but at the corner of his lips.
Three and a half years of celibacy had surely taken its toll on him.
"I guess it’s her first ti calling you ’love’," Orion spoke up, a hint of a smile breaking out on his face for the first ti since he stepped into the office. "You look so shocked," he observed.
"I don’t just look shocked. I actually am," Archie admitted, still staring at the door Avery had gone through to leave the room. "And you’re right. That’s the first ti she’s calling love. It’s pretty obvious, ain’t it?"
Orion eyes widened slightly, a flicker of relief crossing his face.
"She doesn’t love you then. You have been married for three years but it’s her first ti calling you that. It couldn’t be more obvious than that," he pointed out.
"And so?" Archie’s gaze hardened. He turned to pierce his friend’s younger brother with the sharpest glare ever. "Would you love if you were her; if you had her face and her personality?"
"Well, that depends..."
"No, you wouldn’t," Archie cut him off. "No man is worthy of soone as dumb and clueless as she is. And that’s why she’s mine. At least, I can protect her from others. How about you, Orion, can you protect her?"
Orion hesitated. He hadn’t expected the intense glare and discussion he had just been pulled into after what he witnessed upon stepping into the office. Therefore, instead of answering, he asked, "Why are you telling this? And asking if I can protect her." He tilted his head. "You challenged to a race the other day and when I lost—an inevitable loss by the way—you drained of all the money in my main bank account. And that was just because I lent her my napkin. I don’t hold a grudge against you for that, and I got your ssage loud and clear, and I will also stop liking her so spare from the torture of—"
"Don’t stop," Archie interrupted again.
Orion blinked, blinking in confusion.
"Don’t stop liking her," Archie repeated. "Even if you try, I don’t think you’ll succeed. If there was a way to stop, you think I would be standing here, willing to put a bullet through my own head if she so much as wishes for it?"
"We are different," Orion shook his head, his eyes darkening slightly. "I like her, or I might love her, seeing as the feelings didn’t leave even though I didn’t see her for the whole of two years. But you... you are obsessed with her. And that’s dangerous, both to you and her. I’m not trying to snatch her from you though —at least not while she still wants to stay with you. What I don’t understand is why you are asking not to stop liking her when your actions are telling to keep off."
"She’s mine," Archie growled. "That’s what my actions are telling you. As for the reason I asked you not to stop liking her, Orion, it’s cause it is relaxing to know there’s soone else behind her other than . Like you said, I’m dangerous. In case I go overboard one day, you will be there to protect her, from ."
"You won’t hurt her," Orion pointed out, then corrected himself at the last minute, "At least not physically."
"And emotionally?"
"I think you will. A lot," Orion replied.
A smirk tugged at one corner of his lips, "There, you have your answer. You have to like her, to remain smitten by her before you can protect her from soone like . Neil might try to go against but he will falter at so point; Ian is out of the question, he won’t even look in her direction not to talk of knowing she’s in danger, and Donald... Do I have to say anything about that one?"
"He listens to you, and you alone."
"Exactly. The idiot would see strangling her and won’t even bat an eye, except to suggest appropriate locations to bury her body. You think he can protect her from that way?"
Orion sighed, shaking his head slightly.
"I don’t know whether to feel honored or not."
Archie shrugged, "I chose you because you are the only one stupid and brave enough to stand up against for sothing, or in this case, soone you want."
"This is..." Orion faltered, biting down on his lower lip. "It’s cruel. You know that, right? You are giving hope when you know very well there’s no chance for . You are holding down instead of telling to move on... like a good friend would."
"It’s a pity I’m not one then. I love only , myself, and Archibald Donovan." There was a long, taut, silence that stretched between the two n, one’s blue eyes clashing against the other’s black ones. "Thank you, Orion. I know you won’t let down."
Orion blinked. This ti; it wasn’t to clear confusion away but to hold back the pool of tears that were starting to form.
"You are cruel, Arch."
"And you are kind, Orion."
"You are selfish."
"I’m not arguing. You, on the other hand, are selfless."
"You hate ."
Archie chuckled, "And you pity . You think I’m physchotic because my family died and left behind when I was 12. And because you are this kind, selfless, and compassionate being, you will agree to what I just proposed."
"Well, you aren’t wrong," Orion chuckled, a sad laugh that seed forced.
"Great," Archie smiled. He stepped away from his desk, and sohow, it felt like the charged atmosphere between them for the past few minutes had disappeared. "Why are you here, anyway?"
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