“She had no right to behave so disrespectfully. She’ll be lucky if she has a job by tomorrow.” Syrus stepped forward until he stood beside Eiri, but the other man still didn’t look at him.
“Her comment was fairly tame compared to most. Besides, why would you care how anyone here treats me?”
“Would it be too hard to believe that I’m actually trying to make peace with you?”
That finally garnered a reaction. Eiri glanced over at him, arching an eyebrow. “Less than a day ago, I told you I would never become like you and you threatened to break me. Today, you suddenly want to make peace? Yes, I do find that hard to believe.”
“I shouldn’t have said that. I was angry and we were fighting, but that’s no excuse.” His pride twinged, but if there was any hope of making this work, he’d have to make at least a few concessions.
“What changed?”
“What do you mean?”
Eiri turned to face him, and so Syrus did the same, giving Eiri his undivided attention.
“What changed between our fight yesterday and you suddenly wanting to make amends today?” Eiri asked. His eyes narrowed. “Did your mother order you to do this? If you’re trying to gain my trust by pretending to be nice again, it’s not going to work.”
“I’m not pretending this time, and my mother would likely be furious that I took you out of the palace without a full contingent of guards.” He wasn’t looking forward to the dressing-down he’d get when she inevitably found out, either.
“She should be. I could kill you and be long gone before anyone could stop me.”
“Probably, but I’m hoping we can at least talk before we go back to trying to stab each other.”
Eiri snorted, his lips twitching into a smile before he could smother it. “Fine. Let’s talk. But first, I’m going down to the water.” He didn’t wait for Syrus to reply. He slipped off his soft shoes, carrying them in one hand as he made his way through the rough sand, not stopping until he reached the water.
It was hardly an ideal day for beach-going. A storm was moving in, gray clouds hanging low on the horizon, the brisk wind creating choppy waves that surged up the beach. He could smell rain in the air, even over the salty brine of the ocean. He and Eiri were the only two people visible on the beach. Everyone else, it seemed, was wise enough to stay inside.
None of that deterred Eiri, though. The water lapped up around his ankles, soaking the hem of his pants and turning the soft yellow material to heavy gold. Syrus winced just imagining the chill of the early summer water, but he took off his boots anyway and walked down to join Eiri at the water’s edge.
The change he saw in his husband truly startled him. For the first time in their sordid history, Eiri looked content. Thespray coming off the waves stung Syrus’ cheeks, and the water was as chilly as he’d anticipated, but Eiri stood there as though it were a gorgeous, balmy day. He’d known, of course, that the Canjiri were most at home on the water, but he’d never realized to what extent until now.
“We can make time to come here more often, if you’d like,” he murmured.
Eiri didn’t respond for a long time, his eyes closed, head tilted back, just letting the water ebb and flow around him. When he finally spoke, he didn’t open his eyes, and Syrus could barely hear him over the surf.
“What is this really about, Syrus?”
The time for lies and arguing was past. If he wanted to have any chance at a real life, Syrus knew he had to be completely honest. He just wished that idea wasn’t so scary. Handing over truths about himself to his enemy of over ten years was completely insane, but giving those same truths to his husband was somehow even harder.
“I’m tired,” he admitted, staring out over the dark ocean. It was easier to admit the truth if he didn’t look at Eiri. “After our fight, I had a moment to really think about the future, and I didn’t like it.”
“Did it finally sink in that you and I are actually married?”
“In a way. I knew, of course, but after talking to Xan?—”
“Xan?” From the corner of his eye, he saw Eiri glance over at him for a second before closing his eyes again.
“My cousin. You met him at the wedding for a moment. Shoulder-length curly hair and no concept of propriety?”
“Of course. How could I forget?” There was a hint of a smile in Eiri’s voice. “So, he talked to you about us?”
“Unwillingly at first. He saw my arm and demanded to know what had happened.”
“And what did you tell him?”
“The truth.” Syrus shrugged when Eiri peeked over at him again. “I told him that we fought again, and he called me an idiot for trying to lie to you. Also, for resorting to violence like a child.”
“I like your cousin,” Eiri hummed, and Syrus startled himself by laughing.
