"Still worried about Lake?" Asher leaned close to ask, another dance was on so the event hall was noisy.
Caspian’s smile was sweet, Asher had only worn his wedding ring to the engagement party, and now another ring joined the simple gold band. "No, I’ll give him a call tomorrow."
The crowd in the hall had thinned out a bit now, Quinn had even come to say his goodbyes already, the guests left behind were those who were already drunk and didn’t want to end the festivities.
Caspian had a glass of wine in hand, "I thought you’d stop me from drinking," He rested his cheek on a palm to ask.
"It’s our engagement, I’ll allow it." Asher said generously.
"It’s not like I can drink at a baby shower," Caspian tagged on, his filter nonexistent the more wine glasses he emptied.
Asher didn’t respond to that, an inscrutable look in his hazel eyes. "Do you want to ditch the party and go home?" He asked after a lull in conversation.
Caspian looked away from the dance floor, crystal blue eyes unfocused. "But it’s our engagement." He leaned in to whisper like they were committing a crime.
Asher was really close to taking the flute of champagne from Caspian’s slender fingers, "You just want to keep drinking."
Caspian made a face, "Who was the person who said that they would allow it?"
"You’ll feel awful tomorrow," Asher kept verbally trying to get him to stop.
He couldn’t care less about the guests at the party he knew how much the engagement party meant to Caspian though so he got serious about it, but if it were up to him, they would have left hours ago.
His persuasive words must have worked because Caspian placed the half-empty glass on the table, looking at him with concern. "Are you tired?"
Amusement quickly crept up Asher’s face, "If I say yes, will we go home?"
Caspian took his time loudly processing his question, the Omega’s flushed face was scrunched up in concentration, his eyes narrowed.
That was Asher’s cue to get to his feet and pull Caspian into his arms. "I’ll take that as a yes, let’s go home." He decided for them, easily picking Caspian up.
It wasn’t that late yet, but there was really no other reason for them to stay behind.
Asher slipped out through a back door, ignoring the pairs in dark corners making out.
Jael easily saw them and came over, "Leaving?"
Caspian lifted his head, his arms went around Asher’s shoulders, and his legs were crossed around the Alpha’s waist. "We are. Are you coming along?"
Jael cocked a brow at Caspian audibly slurring his words, he had been about to offer to drive them back to the mansion, but now, he thought better of it. "I’ll stay till the party ends." He said as he walked past Asher.
Caspian could still see Jael from his position, and it was an odd thought that struck him, but the Beta’s back seemed a little lonely, it sobered him up a little.
He wanted to ask Asher if Jael would be okay, but he would be better off asking Jael that instead.
"How do you feel?" Asher asked when he got them in a car, one of the men driving them back to the mansion.
"Like I’m spinning," Caspian whispered with a quiet giggle. His voice sounded loud in his head so he was constantly whispering.
Asher smiled, he had stayed off alcohol himself. Caspian got drunk so easily, and the Omega was clingy and giggly when he did, it made him disinterested in drinking.
Caspian straddled him in the car, and although the night was cold, the window was down, making the Omega snuggle closer for body heat.
"What are you thinking about?" Asher asked quietly although the partition was up, it was a clear starry night and he wanted the drive to last a little longer.
Caspian snickered like there was a joke only he had heard, "When I first came to Haines, I almost slept on a metal bench in a park."
Asher frowned, there was nothing funny about that. He had heard about this before, it was right before Caspian had been lured away and taken to be sold to the auction.
"I was just thinking about how nice it would be if we all went camping." Caspian sighed.
"And by we all, you mean?" He prompted.
Asher couldn’t tell how camping related to sleeping on a bench but he didn’t push it, knowing that he would agree to going camping with everyone Caspian listed even though he would prefer it to be just the two of them.
"You and I... Jael, Lake, I think Davian would want to come too. I don’t know if Quinn would be up for it..."
"Why don’t you plan the camping trip later?" Asher interrupted, worried that the list was endless.
Caspian leaned back to get a better look at Asher, pouty lips stained red. "We can really go camping?"
Asher’s eyes were like burning coals as they fixed on his mate’s lips. "There’s a stretch of safe woods next to the mansion, I don’t see why not."
Caspian smile was beautiful, just like the rest of him, lace-covered hands resting lightly against the suit jacket he wore. "Alright! First thing tomorrow morning, I’ll make plans."
They had gotten home then, so Asher just stepped out with his giggling husband in his arms, knowing that Caspian just liked to keep busy.
The engagement party had kept him occupied for an entire month, he had even stopped paying as much attention to learning to cook as before. But now that that was over, it was no surprise that he found something else to latch onto.
Asher would let him do a lot of things, and that was already being generous enough. As long as it didn’t put any strain on his mate, and didn’t keep his mate away from him, he was good.
He had also exhibited a lot of self-control all night. He wasn’t drunk but focusing on Caspian’s words had gotten harder as the drive went on.
Now that it was just them in the hallway, he stopped holding back and kissed those lips that had tempted him all night.