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The Brahmses came over after dinner to figure out a game plan for the students. Noe still felt emotionally wrung out from arguing with his brother. Petar put a great deal of stock in his reputation—in his place in society—often to the detriment of everything else. Noe had always borne the brunt of that obsession, and he could feel that black cloud of pressure forming around him once more.

All that said, he refused to be pulled into it. Luca had his back, clearly; he recognized the possible pitfall yawning in front of them and reminded Noe there was no reason to go tripping into it.

In all honesty, he felt himself fall a little more in love with the man due to his unwavering support. Some might grow frustrated with Noe because of his reaction, but Luca seemed aware that he was battling through conditioning. He was supportive without being accusatory—precisely what Noe needed in this moment. Whenever he slipped into those bad habits, Luca would put an arm around him and whisper to stand tall. Or he’d give him this look that said he had Noe’s back. Noe could conquer the world so long as Luca looked at him like that. It was quite likely the first time in his life he’d had such unwavering support. Noe struggled to think of another time he’d been offered it and came up short of any memory.

Even now, Luca’s only concern was how Noe was feeling and handling this abrupt surprise. If they didn’t have an audience, Noe would kiss him for it. He might yet still.

Ren dropped onto a cushion with the ease of a lifetime of practice, General Brahms less graceful, although he managed to get comfortable without too much struggle. They seemed tired, frustrated, and ready for this day to end. Noe quite agreed with them.

“First, a lesson plan for them to start with.” Ren pulled out a sheet from his coat pocket and laid it on the table. “I think what Princess Alexandria is honestly doing is using this as a trial run for our exchange program, so let’s treat it as such. I’ve made a list of the fifty main words they need to ask directions, get help, and order food.”

“Oooh.” Noe lifted the page to read through it, finding a few words even he hadn’t known. Then again, his Shiirein was very hit or miss, having learned it on the fly. “Have them learn these first?”

“Might as well.” Ren shrugged. “Half their job here is to learn language and culture, correct? I say, the first week they’re here, let them enjoy the New Year’s festival. Tell them they are to learn this list of words and soak in the culture. After festivities have ended, we’ll pull them in and test them on how much they’ve learned and clarify anything they didn’t quite grasp. Then divvy them up depending on their expertise. I sent a message asking the teacher be dispatched as soon as possible, but with these winter conditions, it might take the better part of two weeks, if not three.”

“So we’ve got to keep them occupied for at least two weeks.” Luca ran a hand over his face. “This might get interesting.”

“I, er, heard about Noe’s brother being here.”

Noe grimaced. “Yeah. He is.”

“Oh dear, I don’t like your reaction. I know you corrected me recently about your family not being accepting…?”

“Yeah. They’re really not, and Petar is…” Noe gave another grimace. “Um, he’s the least accepting, shall we say.”

“Fuck. So him being here isn’t sunshine and sake.” With a wince, the former Shiirein general asked, “How bad is it?”

Considering Noe had told them all how his family didn’t understand or support him, it was a fair question to ask.

“My brother lost his shit,” Noe stated factually.

“I didn’t realize it was Noe’s brother when I kissed Noe hello,” Luca tacked on. “Which didn’t help matters.”

“Ohhh fuck.” Ren blew out a long breath. “Yeah. Yeah, I can see how it went over poorly. Um. Did he calm down after you talked?”

“No.” Luca found Noe’s hand and held it, reassuring and comforting at once. “No, although we tried talking him down. He made it clear he won’t accept anything less than Noe marrying a woman and pretending to be ‘normal,’ whatever the fuck that is.”

“It’s always been the case,” Noe muttered, feeling stressed all over again. “I hate confrontation the most, but whenever I see Petar, that’s all I end up doing. I keep getting into arguments with him over this. He just won’t accept any compromise.”

“I told him if he didn’t pull his head out of his ass, he’d lose you entirely, especially after you move to Bhodhsa with me.” Luca shook his head, mouth tilted up in a merciless way. “I think he wanted to kill me on the spot. For all that he disapproves of you, he’s also highly possessive of you. It’s a strange mix.”

“I’m rather happy you told him so. I’m not surprised by Petar’s attitude, though. It, too, has been a constant since our childhood. It’s part of the reason why I signed up to come here. The idea of putting space between us seemed the healthiest choice. I…” Noe let out a long sigh, long enough his soul was in danger of escaping. “I don’t know what the correct decision is right now. It seems everything I try is wrong.”

General Brahms stirred. “Not everything can be fixed, Engineer.”

Noe looked at the man—this taciturn person who didn’t say much—in a whole new light. He was absolutely right. Noe had always wanted to fix his family, had struggled over and over again to try, so this hit home like nothing else. How keen of the man to see through to the heart of the matter. “Heh. You’ve got me there.”

“He is here alone?” Ren’s gaze went from one to the other. “No chance of family showing up as well?”

Luca winced and muttered, “Gods, that’d be a sight.”

Fortunately, Noe didn’t think it would happen. “My family’s more or less written me off. A few siblings and cousins still think they can somehow change me. Petar’s the ringleader of the group, which is why he’s here. It also means if he fails, no one else is invested enough to try.”

“There’s that, then,” Ren said. “Still, it means you do have to deal with, and somehow convince, your brother who is here. Which won’t be easy to do, speaking from experience.”

Yes, this man would know, better than most. It was why Noe had been so thankful to him for forging the road ahead. It had made it easier on Noe, for sure.

Ren evaluated him for a long moment. “Do you want to work side by side with your brother while he’s here or not?”

“I think…it’ll be dangerous.” Noe wished he could give a different answer, but the reality wasn’t so kind. “Every time Petar gets within my orbit, it devolves into an argument. With what we’re doing, the machinery and heavy lifting, it’s dangerous. I can’t risk it. If we can avoid him working with me, I think it’s for the best.”

General Brahms stirred, looking…well, actually, Noe couldn’t read his expression at all. He just got the sense the man was unhappy. “He fights you every time he sees you?”

“Well, yes, that’s our relationship now.”

“This is really not good.” Ren made a face, his expression sour. “I think we’ll have to put a word in that young man’s ear. No fighting with you during working hours, at the very least. He has to control his temper. If he can’t make this promise, I’ll ship him directly home. He doesn’t get a second chance.”

Was it wrong for Noe to feel relieved?

“For now, that’s about all we can do.” With a groan-slash-sigh, Ren stood again. “I, for one, want a full night’s sleep. Mostly because this week promises to be a shit show. Foreigners who don’t know the customs mixed with drunk people? It’s sure to be a circus.”

Luca rubbed his forehead. “I know it. I’m meeting up with my people tomorrow to have extra patrols throughout the city. Just to prevent trouble.”

“Smart. Let me know if you need help, but for now, I want my own bed. Good night, everyone.”

Ren and General Brahms left as simply as they’d come in. Noe leaned against Luca after the door shut behind them, feeling exhausted. Mostly in his soul.

“Giving in to him, even a little, won’t help you,” Luca said, with a quiet confidence that spoke of experience. “I tried it once with my parents. The very second I gave that little bit, they wanted the whole package, and they were irate when I wouldn’t bend anymore. Giving in to a narcissist’s demands doesn’t give you anything but a headache in the long run. I know you’re heartsick, but you’re doing the right thing by standing your ground.”

“Thank you. I do wonder, sometimes—the devil’s advocate whispering in my ear—if bending, compromising, just a little, would better our relationship. But then I remember doing nothing but compromising for ten years. It didn’t win me anything, in the end. People were still upset when I stopped behaving the way they wanted. It’s just…” Noe slumped a bit more heavily against Luca, his heart sore in a way that was hard to put into words. “We were such good friends as children. I’d love to have our relationship back. Part of me feels like if I try harder, if I give it a bit more time, he might come around.”

“Time, you can give him. Chances, you can offer. But whether he takes them are up to him.”

“I know. I have a gut feeling he won’t even last the full program here before being sent back. In a way, it might be for the best. Right now, his head is full of what family and friends have said, that loving your own sex is wrong, so he thinks he’s in the right. He’s quite confident in it, and it’s why he’s so bullheaded about everything. But maybe, if he’s shown the outside world doesn’t always agree, he’ll start to rethink his position. I realize it’s wishful thinking, but it’s all I have right now.”

“It’s possible. I mean, look at me.” Luca’s tone gained a vibe of amusement. “When I first met Sho, I couldn’t imagine what Shiirei was thinking by having a gay general. A year of serving with him showed me it I had the wrong opinion. I grew a great deal from my experience.”

Noe tilted his head back to smile at his fiancé. “To the point you’re now engaged to a man.”

“Growth is possible, if the person involved is willing to grow. Also, worrying about your brother any more tonight won’t do you any good. Let it be for now. Petar will still be here in the morning.”

Again, wise advice. Noe wanted to take it, but he also knew his brain, since he unfortunately lived with it. It would be gibbering over this all night unless he found a good way to distract it.

Fortunately, he had a lovely distraction at hand.

Easing the top button of Luca’s shirt open, he looked up through his lashes, lips deliberately parted. Luca’s eyes immediately darkened to a stormy grey.

“Won’t you distract me?” Noe murmured. “Otherwise, I won’t be able to sleep.”

“Oh, I can make sure you fall asleep,” Luca promised with a throaty rumble. “That will not be a problem whatsoever.”