KIRAN watched Astrid as he spoke. The way his eyes softened. The way his smile stayed even after he finished talking. It was not the usual look he saw on his friend’s face. There was something different about it, something that made Kiran pause. He had wanted to ask if Astrid was sure about all of this. But looking at him now, he felt like he already had his answer. Astrid really loved the general. So Kiran kept his worries to himself. If this was what Astrid wanted, then he would support him.

Snow stared at Astrid, his usual calm expression cracking just a little. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, not sure what to say. His surprise was obvious on his face now, more than when Astrid first told them about becoming official with the prince. Snow had assumed it was something casual, maybe just testing things out. But hearing Astrid say that he loved the prince, seeing the way his face looked when he said it, made Snow realize this was serious. He honestly didn’t know how to react to that. But he knew it was not his place to approve or disapprove. If Astrid was happy about this, then that’s all that mattered.

"Well, if you’re really sure about the general, then go for it," Kiran said, leaning back against his seat with a shrug. His tone was light, but there was a hint of seriousness underneath it. "Just know that if he ever hurts you, I might end up doing something that gets me thrown into a military jail."

"Can I join you?" Snow asked, the serious look on his face not quite matching the absurdity of what he was saying. "I might as well get thrown in there with you."

"Yeah, we can do it together," Kiran said with a grin. "At least if we get caught, we can share a cell."

Astrid laughed at their reactions, his whole face lighting up with amusement. He shook his head, still smiling. "Don’t worry. If he ever hurts me, I’ll be the first one to get back at him."

"Good." Kiran nodded. "Just remember, there’s a long line of people who’d kill to take his spot. So if he’s stupid enough to mess this up, you’ve got options."

"Kill is a bit overboard, but I get what you mean," Astrid said, still looking amused. "Now that you know why we’re having a feast, let’s eat before the food gets cold."

They ate in comfortable silence after that. Kiran filled his plate twice. Snow ate at his usual slow pace. Astrid just smiled and let them enjoy the food.

***

After his last class ended, Astrid headed straight back to his apartment. He had no work scheduled for the remaining days of the week, which meant he could actually attend all his classes with no interruptions for once.

After playing with his AI butler cat for a bit, he poured hot water into a cup with a tea bag and let it steep. While waiting, his mind drifted back to the conversation with Snow and Kiran at lunch. He was glad neither of them had reacted badly to the news of his relationship with Wulfric. Sure, they looked surprised, and for a moment they stared at him like he might have lost his mind. But in the end, they did not question his decision or ask why. They just gave him their support. And he appreciated that more than they probably realized.

Speaking of sharing the news, he had a lot of calls to make now that Wulfric was officially his boyfriend. He needed to tell his parents and Reas. He would call his parents later and then tell Reas in person over the weekend when he came home from school. Maybe he could invite Lauren too, if he was free, and tell them both at the same time.

He also wondered if he should tell the Grimaldis. His parents would probably share the news with the Duke anyway, since he was still staying on the farm in Delryria. He had no problem telling Casey. The man had been nothing but supportive. Astrid was sure that if people knew about their family connection, Casey would post about Astrid’s work constantly. And even though he was not as close to Thomas, he still felt like he should know too. Maybe he would visit them over the weekend.

Yeah, he should do that.

But before any of that, he needed to contact Ellis first. It was important to tell her about the relationship so they could plan ahead in case news of it got out. Especially since he and Wulfric were not planning to go public anytime soon.

The tea finally finished steeping. He sat down on one of the bar stools at the kitchen counter, picked up the cup, and took a slow sip, the warmth spreading through his chest.

Astrid opened his Terminal to call Ellis, but before he could, a notification for an incoming video call popped up. It was from Ellis. He let out a small laugh. It was like they were on the same wavelength. He accepted the call right away.

"Hey, Sister Ellis," he said first.

"Astrid, I just wanted to remind you about your schedule for next week," Ellis began. "As you know, the [Blind Justice] movie premieres next weekend, and you’ve been invited to attend."

Astrid nodded. He already knew about that. He had asked before if it would be a problem, since his role in the movie was still supposed to be a surprise. But Ellis said that because he had been a guest star on the show, attending would just look like he was there to support the cast.

"Will you still wear something from the EMMA collection? The one they designed around you for your ambassadorship," she asked.

"Yeah. I still have a lot of pieces I haven’t worn yet. It would be a waste not to use them," Astrid answered. The outfit he had worn to the [The Shadow Within] premiere was also from that collection. "By the way, Sister Ellis, there’s something I need to tell you."

Ellis tilted her head, clearly curious. "What is it?"

Astrid took a deep breath, then said it in one go. "Wulf and I are officially together now."

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