All the maids were already lined up at the palace door when they arrived. They bowed in perfect sync.
"Welcome back, Young Master. Welcome back, Boss."
Caspian smiled big. Zayden just nodded.
The second the doors shut behind them, the maids looked at each other. The kind of look that said _Did you see his shopping bags?_ and _Did you see the Boss let him talk so much?_
Caspian didn't notice. He was already running down the hall. "Mrs Gable! Mrs Gable, look! Zay bought me this, and this, and this— and the one I'm wearing right now!"
He turned around like a model in the kitchen doorway. The fancy collar of his new shirt almost hit a hanging spoon.
Mrs Gable wiped her hands on her apron, eyes full of smiles. "Ohhh, young master, these are beautiful! You look like a little prince. No— a little _cute_ prince."
"Thanks, Mrs Gable! But you know, at first I told him blue is better, but then Zay said this color makes my eyes—"
And he was off. Talking nonstop. Hands moving. Telling her about every shop, every laugh, every time Zayden bought him something he refused.
Mrs Gable listened like it was the most important news, nodding, making surprised sounds, smiling so much her face hurt.
Zayden watched from the hall for just few seconds. Caspian hadn't stopped talking once. He hadn't taken a breath.
_So. He's not quiet._ Zayden's mouth twiched a little. _He's just shy with the wrong person. Or... the right one._
He shook his head and left them to it, walking to his study. Some things were better heard than stopped.
----
*[At Dinner]*
Zayden sat at the head of the table. Caspian sat beside him, moving rice around his plate. He was too quiet except for the looks.
He took quick look. Chewed his food.Again quick look. Chewed. Like Zayden was something in a glass case he wasn't allowed to touch but _really_ wanted to.
Zayden knew that he was glancing. He always knew. But he let it happen. He'd never let any omega even _look_ at him at meals. He prefer if Omegas ate three tables away, eyes down.
Caspian was the exception,he was the one time he broke every rule he'd ever made.
"Beauty," Zayden said suddenly, turning. "I need to talk to you about something."
Caspian breathed in a mouthful of food so fast he choked. He swallowed hard, eyes wet. "Wh— what is it?"
Zayden put his chopsticks down. Slow. Serious. "You see..."
Caspian's spoon stopped in the air.
"I... uhm." Zayden rarely said uhm. "I have a problem at my office. I need a marriage paper to fix it.So I want someone"
Pause.
"Can you sign it?"
_Clang._
The spoon hit Caspian's dish as fear crawled in his eyes. His eyes went wide. Not happy-wide. Scared-wide.
_What if I say no? Will he leave me? Will he... hit me like the others did?_ His thoughts ran far ahead of his body. He stared at Zayden like he was seeing him for the first time — not Zay, not the man who console him lovingly everytime, but _The Mafia Boss_.
Zayden saw it. The small move he took back. The way Caspian moved in his chair, putting a little more space between them. Like a little space would keep him safe.
Then came the whisper. He barely hear it. "What if... I said no."
Something sharp and bad hurt Zayden right under his ribs. Caspian was trying to hide his fear, and failing.
Zayden forced the pain down. He kept his voice calm and quiet. "It's fine." A lie.
"You don't have to do anything else. Just sign."
It's so difficult to ask again but Zayden endured the pain because he was just trying to protect him from his uncle. But how can he told him about it when he just saw that how scared he was when Zayden mentioned marriage contract.
Caspian's head dropped. His voice was so small Mrs Gable wouldn't have heard it from the kitchen. "I... I don't want to sign."
The chair made a loud noise.
Zayden stood up.
Caspian moved without thinking — arms up, over his head, eyes shut tight, shoulders bent. Waiting for the hit. The one that always came.
Zayden stopped. He noticed everything. He _always_ noticed. The way Caspian tried to protect himself. The way his breath shook. The way he tried to pull his sleeves , like he was still trying to make himself small.
The pain in Zayden's throat was suddenly too much. He spoke with soft voice. The soft voice Zayden only used for Caspian. The soft voice that always made Caspian like him more.
"I understand..." He had to look away. His voice was rough and hoarse.
"But you must know that I never hit omegas."
He walked away. Each step sounded too loud in the dining room.
Caspian heard them. He heard him Leaving. He didn't believe his ears. Slowly, he opened one eye. Then the other. No one.
_Did he really not hit me? How can that be? Maybe he's just acting so I'll sign later._ Then it hit him hard as he thought. _Zay voice was rough. Did he... cry?_
He felt guilt crawling in his stomach. _No. How can mafia cry? I must be wrong._
"Young Master?"
Caspian turned around. Mrs Gable was at the doorway. In half a second he'd run to her and hid his face in her embrace, arms tight around her waist.
Then he started crying. Loud, messy crying. Crying into her like child.
"Young Master! What happened? Why are you crying? Did Boss yell at you? Tell me! I'll go talk to him right now!" She held up a wooden spoon like a sword.
Caspian shook his head fast against her. "I... I feel so bad," he said between cries. "My heart... it hurts too much... I must have made Zay sad. He was just asking to sign a marriage paper but I... I..." More crying.
Mrs Gable held him by the arms and looked at his red, messy face. Then she _laughed_. Soft, warm, like a happy sound. "Ohhh, young master. Why are you crying over such a small thing?" She wiped his tears away. "Just go tell Boss you're sorry and you want to sign. Everything will be fine. Ok?"
Caspian looked at her, needing her to tell him it was true. Like she knew everything.
She smiled wide and turned him toward the stairs with both hands. "Go. I promise you will never regret it."
Caspian took three steps. Stopped. Turned around. "What if he doesn't open the door? He must hate me now."
Mrs Gable immediately snatched the long-handled bristle brush from the corner and swung it through the air with deadly intent. Her face went stern. "Who _dare_ not open the door to my young master?"
Even with tears, Caspian laughed a little through his nose.
Seeing that, Mrs Gable's face went soft again. "That's it. Go."
So Caspian went. Each stair felt big. His heart was beating hard in his chest.
He stood outside Zayden's door. Looked back downstairs. Mrs Gable gave him a thumbs up and a nod that made him feel brave.
With quiet strength, and hands that only shook _a little_, Caspian opened the door.
---