Page 64 of Deadly Legacy
“Enough?” Reuben frowned, trying to parse the unexpected question.
Nikon sat up, the sheet falling to his waist as he ran a hand through his dark hair. “I mean, do you want more?”
The question caught Reuben off guard. His analytical mind kicked into gear, searching for the subtext beneath Nikon’s words. This wasn’t about business.
“What exactly are we talking about here?”
Nikon stared at him with the kind of intensity that still made his heart skip. “Our future.”
Reuben cocked his head, shifting to face Nikon more fully. “Our future?” he repeated, making the words both statement and question.
Nikon nodded, his expression serious yet with something softer beneath the surface. “That last dinner at Grigorii’s, watching you with Samuil...”
The unfinished sentence lingered in the air, its implications clear. Reuben recalled the moment; Samuil’s small hands positioning cards while the boy’s face scrunched in concentration, Nikon watching them with an expression Reuben couldn’t quite read at the time.
“You started to ask me something,” Reuben prompted, his throat suddenly dry. “About having kids.”
Nikon’s hand came to rest on Reuben’s hip, warm against his skin. “I never thought I could have this kind of domestic life,” he said quietly. “Before you, family just meant my brothers.”
“And now?” Reuben kept his voice steady despite the sudden racing of his pulse.
“Now I find myself thinking about it.” Nikon’s fingers tightened on his knee. “When you were showing Samuil how to hold the cards... it reminded me of my mother.”
Reuben remained silent, sensing Nikon wasn’t finished.
“I’ve been thinking about what comes next for us.” Nikon’s gaze was direct, unflinching. “We’re stable now. Secure.”
“You want a family.” Reuben didn’t phrase it as a question.
“I wanteverythingwith you.” Nikon’s voice dropped lower, the words uncharacteristically vulnerable coming from a man who typically revealed so little. “Marriage. A home that’s truly ours. Maybe even children someday... there are agencies that work with couples like us for adoption.”
The word ‘marriage’ sent a jolt through Reuben’s system. His mind raced ahead, analyzing possibilities—an automatic response he’d developed from years of strategic thinking.
“You don’t have to answer now.” Nikon’s expression shuttered slightly, misreading Reuben’s silence.
Reuben reached for Nikon’s hand, threading their fingers together. “I’m not hesitating. I’m just... taking it in.”
“You always do that.” A hint of a smile touched Nikon’s lips.
“And you always cut straight to the heart of things.” Reuben squeezed Nikon’s hand. “It’s why we balance each other so well.”
“We do, don’t we?” Nikon said. He looked younger like this, relaxed against the pillows.
“Yes.” Reuben didn’t hesitate this time. “Yes, to all of it. Marriage. Family. Everything.”
Nikon’s eyes widened. “Just like that?”
Reuben laughed, the sound unexpectedly light. “I half expected you to pull out a ring from under your pillow or have Stepan deliver a box of chocolates with a note inside.”
“Would you have preferred that?” Nikon’s expression softened, his thumb tracing the line of Reuben’s palm.
“No.” Reuben shook his head. “This is better. Just us, talking about our life together like we talk about everything else.”
Nikon leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Reuben’s. “I thought I knew what I wanted. Then I met you, and everything changed.”
Reuben closed the small distance between them, kissing Nikon deeply. He breathed in the scent that was uniquely Nikon, and it made everything feel real. This wasn’t a dream, or a calculated move. This was their future.
When they parted, Nikon’s breath came slightly faster. “So, is that a yes?”
