After talking with Evius Anteros was going back on his magicarriage when he suddenly started shuffling through his pockets.
"What happened, Sir?" Zephyr asked seeing his boss searching for something.
"I think I left my Mavto back in Grimalkin's mansion," Anteros was checking his pockets again.
"Oh, then shall I tell the driver to turn back?" Zephyr was about to get up.
"No need. You go back home in the magicarriage. I will fly back and collect it myself," Anteros instructed and opened the door.
"But sir-," Zephyr was cut off.
"Do as I say, Mr. Cewalskii," Anteros spread his wings and flew off to the Grimalkin's mansion at high speed.
In a few minutes he landed on the front lawn of the mansion and was about to walk inside but a little fluffy thing banged into his chest and was about to fall back.
Instinctively, he extended his hands to catch and saw the pink-cheeked Elion who stared at him continuously for a minute long.
"Ah, you know I told Evanie *hiccup* we didn't kiss but he was still *hiccup* insisting that we did. I told him it was a *hiccup* accident~"
Anteros was too stunned to speak anything at that sudden comment of the little Mainecoon in his arms.
He tried to make Elion stand straight but the little Mainecoon clutched onto his shirt and looked into his eyes directly,
"... um... but why are you here, *hiccup* do you also want to drink to enjoy your single *hiccup* days before marrige huh~?"
Anteros narrowed his eyes.
>>>Is he drunk?
"No, I forgot my Mavto-"
He tried to reply but then his words were swallowed back when Elion pulled him down by his collar and placed his plump lips against Anteros's thin ones.
The slightly spicy and sweet taste left on his lips made him realize that the little Mainecoon was indeed drunk.
>>>This is the third time today...
Anteros didn't move his lips and stayed still curious to see what Elion would do next.
The little Mainecoon wasn't experienced at all in relationships. Naturally, he didn't know what to do next. He just smooched making an ummah sound then pulled back.
With slurry words and foolish giggles, he spoke,
"See, hehe~ this is a kiss, the one we did in the afternoon was *hiccup* an accident, right?"
The big raven irises of the Ice dragon shrank as a glint of darkness passed through his eyes.
His Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he stared at the little Mainecoon in his arms all giggly in his drunken state.
Evander and Evius were sound asleep without any care in the world. They had no idea of what Elion was doing outside.
Only Anteros knew how much he struggled inside his head to stop his urge to grab the little Mainecoon by his nape and show him what a real kiss would be.
The Ice dragon took a deep breath and exhaled controlling himself.
>>>This kitten...
He grabbed the little Mainecoon's jaw tightly, "Do you even know what you are doing right now, Elion Grimalkin?"
Anteros's voice was cold and dominant enough to make the little Mainecoon shudder in his hold.
"Youuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..." Elion elongated pointing his index finger straight in front of the Ice dragon's face. Then extended it to his glabella and drew rounds on it.
"If you frown like this *hiccup* you will look old with so many wrinkles," Elion voiced out with a little worried tone trying to ease out the frown of the Ice dragon.
"Kitten, now you are calling me old, huh? You are so drunk that all your fear of me vanished into thin air," Anteros smiled a little while pinching Elion's soft cheeks.
"Ahhhh! You are hurting me," Elion's eyes teared up as he looked at the Ice dragon like he was such a big bully just for a little pull of his cheek.
"Am I now? Let me blow it for you," Anteros chuckled as he leaned in to blow on the reddened area where he pinched him before.
But on an impulse, he bit down the cheek right after a few blows and was shocked himself when Elion winced in pain and hit him on his chest with teary eyes.
"Boohoo, you are such a meanie," Elion continued giving punches with his kitten paws which had no effect on Anteros's hard dragon-scaled body.
Anteros chuckled again seeing the little Mainecoon's cute cries. He let him hit him as long as he wanted feeling a little guilty that he bit his cheek losing control which was blood red with his teeth marks.
He rubbed it with his thumb gently, "Sorry for being a meanie," Anteros apologized showing a million-dollar smile that made Elion stop his sobs.
The little Mainecoon locked his eyes with the Ice dragon and was lost.
"Will you still remember this tomorrow, little kitten?" Anteros questioned caressing the little Mainecoon's plump lips with his thumb.
"Hm?" Elion's eyes were droopy. He tried so hard to keep his eyes open and didn't realize the Ice Dragon was closing the gap between them.
Before Anteros could feel those plump lips Elion moved his face forward hitting the Ice dragon's nose, rested his head on his chest, and fell asleep.
Anteros closed his eyes feeling the stinging pain. He surrounded his arms around the little Mainecoon's waist not letting him fall back losing balance.
>>>What the hell am I doing here again?
The Ice Dragon sighed shaking his head.
...
The next morning, Evius, and Evander who were knocked out on the couches woke up with heavy heads, and then seeing Mr. and Mrs. Grimalkin in front of them they immediately went on their knees, heads down and remained silent.
Evander nudged his best friend to wake him up
"Argh!" Elion felt like nails were hammered into his skull.
He rubbed his bleary eyes, "Ah, brother Evius what did we even drink last night? I feel like my skull is going to break open."
Elion spoke with half-opened eyes not realizing his mother and father were sitting in front of him with an amused expression on their faces.
"Ahem!" Mr. Grimalkin cleared his throat.
The little Mainecoon opened his eyes hearing it and saw his brother and best friend on their knees in front of his parents who were looking at him.
He immediately knelt beside Evius quietly realizing what was going on.
"So, you drank like there is no tomorrow yesterday night that you are all knocked out till late noon. Do you realize what time is it now?" Mrs. Grimalkin questioned walking before the three who looked at each other.
The three of them didn't know what time it was.
"Answer me!" Mrs. Grimalkin roared making them flinch.
"We... don't know. Sorry mother-" Evius was cut off.
"I am not angry that you drank. You are all adults, drinking now and then is okay. But you drank so much that you blocked out. Don't you know how dangerous it would be if we didn't return home last night? You even sent back all the servants, Evy, I didn't expect this from you! You are the eldest-"
"Alright, alright calm down Nymeria. They know they are wrong, right kids?" Mr. Grimalkin back hugged her and signed them to apologize immediately.
"But Cassian, they-"
"We are sorry, mother. It won't happen again," Evius and Elion spoke while Evander stood up and held Mr. Grimalkin's hands, "Sorry Aunty, please forgive us, hm?" He showed his puppy eyes.
Mrs. Grimalkin sighed seeing them, "There is no next time, got it?"
Evius and Elion immediately stood up nodding their heads like puppies.
"And you, little charmer. Do you know how many times your mother called me till now? I gave her some excuses but if she catches on, you are dead," Mrs. Grimalkin pinched Evander's ear.
"Ow! Mother called you? Did you say I was blocked out all drunk, Aunty? Then she will kill me if I go back home. Why don't you adopt me and let me stay in Grimalkin's mansion, um?" Evander's heart thundered hearing his mother's name.
Mrs. Grimalkin shook her head holding her forehead, "I didn't. I told her that you were sleeping till now tired from yesterday's shopping."
"Aunty, do you know how much I love you? You are a lifesaver, thank you so much, ummah!" Evander gave a peck on her cheek, hugging her tight.
"Ahem, leave her brat, she is my wife," Mr. Grimalkin pulled his wife to his side.
"Ugh, uncle you are still possessive of your wife?" Evander scrunched his nose.
"Of course, don't you know my wife is the most beautiful woman in the whole Aeonia empire? I should protect her all the time," Mr. Grimalkin proudly announced.
Evius and Elion laughed at their father's remark and Evander rolled his eyes.
"Cassian, be mindful of your age, what are you doing in front of our kids?" Mrs. Grimalkin tried to shove his husband away feeling shy.
"Nymeria, what's wrong with showing off our love in front of them? They already know that I can't live without you, right kids?" Mr. Grimalkin spoke.
"Of course we know," Evius and Elion chorused chuckling seeing their parents.
"Oh, by the way, you are running late, Elie. You should start getting ready if you don't want your fiance to wait for you on your first date," Mr. Grimalkin voiced out casually.
"Huh?" Elion and Evander had a question mark on their faces.
"What date, father?" Evius queried with a frown.
"Elie, don't you remember what happened last night? You even fell and hurt your cheek," Mrs. Grimalkin asked sitting on the couch followed by her husband.
"What happened last night?" Elion was perplexed.
"After drinking you were out on the lawn and Anteros came back to fetch his Mavto that he forgot and you fell to the ground losing balance he helped you up and you got unconscious in his arms. He was carrying you inside when we came back," Mrs. Grimalkin explained.
"WHAT?" Elion shouted and Evander was smiling, "Oh~~~ was he princess carrying our Elie? Oy, your fiance is so romantic."
"Shut up, Evanie," Elion closed his mouth and looked at his parents, "Is it true? He... he carried me inside?"
"Yes, don't you remember? You were blocked out when we saw you in his arms and were really worried that something happened to you. He patiently explained that you were drunk and walking to the fountain to drink water from it on the way you fell and hurt your cheek and then he held you and..."
Mr. Grimalkin was telling what Anteros told them when Elion started remembering something and his face exploded red.
The little Mainecoon remembered vaguely that he kissed Anteros... Boom!
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh! What the hell did I do?" Elion screamed abruptly holding his head.
All of them were shocked hearing his scream all of a sudden.
"Elie?" Mr. and Mrs. Grimalkin shot him a glare.
"Sorry mother, sorry father," Elion bowed his head.
"Young man, you nearly made us deaf," Mr. Grimalkin shook his head,
"He has a habit of doing that," Evander mumbled and got a glare from his friend so he closed his mouth again.
Mr. Grimalkin shook his head and continued explaining,
"Anyway, after carrying you inside and placing you on the couch he said that he wants to pick the rings with you alone and it will be a date before the wedding so that you both can spend some time to understand each other. We agreed as we thought it was reasonable."
"Right, he will be arriving in an hour so if you don't go to your room now and wash up, you will make a wrong impression on your first date, Elie," Mrs. Grimalkin remarked checking her pocket watch.
"Oh, no!" Elion exclaimed loudly and immediately ran off upstairs to his room.
Evander giggled seeing his friend, "I will go help him," he said and followed his best friend upstairs.
"Is this date necessary? It's just a marriage on paper. Why send them alone?" Evius's voice was serious.
"Evy, it's not a marriage on paper. I know you are possessive of your little brother but he is getting married in not less than five days. They both should spend time together and I don't think Elie doesn't like the idea of it. So, you should be supportive too," Mrs. Grimalkin patted her son's shoulder.
Evius became frustrated at that.
"I don't think I could do that. I don't like Prince Anteros. If not for this business merging I would have never let that cold dragon lurk near my brother. Elie deserves much better, no the best-"
The Whale-shark was cut off when,
"Is there anyone in the entire Ravenire kingdom more deserving than me, Mr. Rhincodark?" Anteros's voice boomed in the hall of Grimalkin's mansion.
****