Vamp Guards ✔️

E I G H T E E N

"Before you get all defensive, I'll tell you exactly what I told Iris, you just have to be patient."

Sage put her hands on Kai's chest to try to calm him and his already broke patience. He got in her face, his scowl going far from unnoticed. The sunset dying behind her casted a shadow under his eyes, making him look ruthlessly hurt.

"You said you'd tell me why he was acting up and instead you were taking behind my back?"

"It wasn't like that, seriously! He needed someone besides you to talk to, and I happened to have a hunch as to what was bugging him. Kai, you have to get your head out of the clouds and understand how crucial this could all be."

"You think I don't understand," Kai placed his once calm and collected hands on Sage's shoulders and stared at her with wide eyes, his fingers  trembling. "The freaking prince of Vridora just kissed me! How could I not take this lightly?"

Sage pursed her lips and slowly took his clamping hands off her shoulder. "Good, we're on the same page. I'm going to tell you this slowly and you getter listen."

Kai furrowed his eyebrows and was not prepared for Sage's outburst.

"Iris has always like you first, Kai. Why do you think the King picked you to he his guard?"

Kai held out his hand, already overwhelmed, but Sage was a loose cannon.

"But you know what he highly suppressed his feelings because he knew you wouldn't return them because it was against orders. Because you are all about following directions-but, oh, wait, here you come and start gaining feelings for the prince but you refuse to accept them because it's against the rules."

"Iris was right about you, you won't return his feelings when yet you clearly feel the same way about him, because you're both hiding in your fears. He needs you, Kai, and you need to believe this will work out. For him, you need to be there. And you, he'll be your solace. Iris has already been that-that mass that could feel your emptyness. I can't believe it took you guys so long to start spilling some of that tension. You're both idiots!"

Sage took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She didn't expect to lash out like that, but it felt good to say what has been on her mind for years. She crossed her arms when she felt satisfied with her lesson.

Kai..just stared at her. He was speechless, dried mouth and baffled. Had he not had a strong mental endurance, he would've been breaking down right now. He might have been slowly crumbling but that flash of hope Sage gave him was glue to keeping him together.

He inhaled a shaky breath before backing away from her. "W-what do I do?" He managed to stutter out.

Had Iris really liked him too, all these years? How could he-they-been so blind?

Sage smirked and put a strong reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"You go for it."

††

Iris paced in his bedroom, his bottom lip cried for being abused by his worry and his head was starting to get dizzy. He tried to relax his breathing, but when he did another set of anxiety punched his lungs and he grabbing his chest hurtfully.

He's never been so scared, and nervous, excited, and petrified, at the same time. This was a whole new emotion he wished he never had to experience. The reality he wished only remained a dream.

It was bound to happen, the cork on his bottled up feelings was going to pop off and something dreadful but weight lifting was going to spill out.