Caspian didn’t notice Asher falling back to give him some privacy, slowly dropping to his knees on the damp earth.
Their headstones were right next to each other, the white marble worn down with age and the elements.
Caspian gingerly reached out to brush some moss and vines from his dad’s headstone, because while his mom’s was carefully polished, his dad’s own showed signs of neglect.
It wasn’t the best idea he had yet, trying to clean his dad’s headstone with his hands, but he couldn’t stop after he started.
The jagged stone bruised the tender skin of his palms as he wiped it down, his eyes burning.
"I-I’m sorry," He choked out an apology.
"I didn’t know how to come here... You both left so suddenly... without warning..."
Caspian wasn’t sure what he was trying to say, or who he was even addressing, his throat tight with unshed tears.
He crawled closer on his knees, uncaring that his jeans were ruined by mud and damp grass.
With a stained hand on his dad’s headstone, he rested his head on mom’s like he would do when he was younger.
If he closed his eyes tight enough, he would go back to when they would all watch TV together.
But all that did was make his tears run down his face, burning a path down his red cheeks.
It felt like he had left all of his tears at their graves but now, all of his bottled emotions poured out of the smashed bottle.
He didn’t cry because he wanted them back, he had already accepted that part before even processing his grief.
All Caspian needed was a good cry. All he needed was somewhere to put the sharp pain inside of him.
A familiar scent washed over him and in the next moment, he was getting pulled into Asher’s arms.
That didn’t soothe him, if anything, it just made him cry harder. His Mafia King holding him all through it.
Caspian had no idea how long they spent crouched by his parents’ graves but by the time he lifted his head, the sun was starting to set, raindrops beginning to fall.
He glanced down at Asher’s shirt that he had cried into and stayed long enough for his tears to dry, the apology on his tongue dying out.
"I can’t feel my legs," He tried to tease but his voice was hoarse from crying for so long so it came out like he was dying.
A drop of rain fell on Caspian’s nose, making a bittersweet smile stretch his lips out.
"Are you alright?" Asher asked carefully after helping him to his feet.
Caspian hadn’t been lying about his legs being numb, leaning all of his weight on Asher so that he didn’t fall.
"Yeah." He whispered.
The raindrops were starting to increase now, but neither of them moved an inch.
"I haven’t been here since their funeral," He admitted, "I’m glad you were here with me for this."
Asher’s response was promptly cut short by a sheet of water falling ruthlessly, it was almost like someone was trying to get rid of them.
"We should head to the car," Caspian was saying, he had to yell to be heard, Asher protecting him as best as he could.
"Are you ready to leave?" Asher instead asked patiently, looking like he wouldn’t mind spending three more hours there.
Caspian’s response was a muffled curse, grabbing Asher’s hand and pulling him along as he ran for the gates of the graveyard.
He opened the passenger side and shoved the Alpha in, climbing on him so that he could close the door.
Sharing a single seat made for very awkward sitting positions, water, mud, and grass sticking to their heated skin.
"You’re going to catch a cold," Caspian tutted.
Asher glanced down at his dress shirt and then at the little top Caspian had on, "Says the person wearing a hand towel."
Caspian had no rebuttal to this, Asher wasn’t wrong.
It didn’t help that his top had been soaked through by the rain, the fragile material sticking to his skin.
His knees were on either side of Asher, the car seat getting messy from his muddy knees.
Outside the tinted windows, the rain fell mercilessly, beating against the glass.
Caspian was seated on Asher, his hands propped against his shoulders.
"Let’s go back to Haines," He decided after a short lapse in the conversation, water trickling down his face from his wet hair.
Asher’s hands casually held his waist, having an important conversation in such an intimate position.
"And your title?" Asher asked.
He didn’t want to gleefully rip Caspian from his roots, so although he couldn’t be happier because of his decision, he still had to ask.
"I haven’t changed my mind," Caspian pushed his hair out of his face, a shiver going through him.
Asher pulled him close at that minuscule reaction, sharing body his heat.
"They wouldn’t have accepted me anyway," Caspian went on, pressing himself as close as he could to Asher.
"I’m my father’s son and an Omega, there was no place for me..."
Asher remained quiet at that, because he didn’t trust him not to give away his true sentiments. He knew when to read a room.
They fell silent again, the sound of the falling rain filling the space in the car.
Asher’s frown bloomed when Caspian didn’t stop shivering, "Let’s get back to the Pack house so you can change."
Caspian had no issues with this decision until Asher had to get into the driver’s seat.
"No!" He protested, hanging on tight.
"I can’t drive if you stick to me," Asher stated the obvious.
Caspian reluctantly gave in, wrapping his arms around his knees to conserve body heat.
He pouted the entire ride back, feeling the lightest he had in years.
It was like the tight ball under his heart was gone, as well as the weight on his shoulders.
The rain had eased up by the time they got to the Pack house, and once again, it felt like they were sneaking around as they hurried in.
Asher swung open the door to the apartment to the sight of Jael and the handful of men that had followed them on the trip.