27.
VIKRAM
It was a month before Vikram was released from the hospital. His medication kept him feeling good, but he couldn't even get out of bed to go to the toilet until the second week. Miranda had really done a number on him.
Cassie spent most of that time by his bedside, either reading to him, working on job applications, or just chatting with him.
It was the third week when there was a knock on the door and his sister, his brother-in-law, and their gaggle of kids stood there.
He beamed, but it turned into a groan when two of his nephews immediately jumped onto the bed with him. Cassie was standing up with wide eyes and about to pick them up and put them on the ground before she caught herself.
Mircea scowled and picked her kids up herself, hoisting one under each arm and putting them on the floor. "I told you not to jump on your uncle," she chastised.
They pouted. "I forgot."
"I forgot, too."
"Don't worry about it, kids," Vikram said, though his voice was strained as the throbbing began to die down. "I'm just a bit fragile right now."
Mircea came and wrapped a loose arm around his neck, kissing his cheek. "You look rough," she said.
Rostas shook his hand. "She's not wrong. What happened? We didn't get many details."
"Just work. The standard. Someone was finally faster with their gun arm than me." He spared the details for the kids, who were all now perched on the end of his bed, somehow fitting five bodies around his legs. "How did you know I was in here?"
"Cassie got in touch," Mircea said, smiling at her. "She explained what had happened and said she just wanted us to know."
Cassie's cheeks tinged pink. "I wasn't trying to guilt you into coming all the way over here or anything," she said, scratching the back of her head.
"Not at all." Mircea extended her hand. "It's nice to meet you in person, by the way. It was only a short phone call but it meant a lot that you thought to let us know."
"It's nice to meet you, too. Oh! Do you want to sit down? I should go and find some more chairs. I can steal some from somewhere."
She was still limping, and winced a little as she stood up. Vikram hated that he couldn't rush to her side and support her—it had been one of the most frustrating things of his life being stuck in the hospital bed.
Mircea took the seat Cassie had vacated, and watched her leave, too. "It's nice of her to stick around, and to get in touch with us. She said you weren't her bodyguard anymore."
Vikram's lip quirked. "She's my girlfriend."
Two pairs of eyebrows shot up. "Really? You've got a girlfriend? I thought you were married to your job."
At least that meant the story of his lack of professionalism hadn’t reached Suytov. "I'm not a workaholic—"
He was cut off by a squabble at the end of the bed, and one of his nephews being pushed off the bed and onto the floor. Shouting began and Mircea sighed, grabbing the instigator and putting him on her lap. "Stop being a nuisance," she chastised. "We're here to see your uncle. Behave."
Cassie returned carrying two chairs, barely covering the pain Vikram knew she must have been in. Rostas was immediately moved to action. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I should have come and helped you," he said, taking a chair and settling down into it. "I didn't mean to be rude."
"Don't worry about it, it's no bother." She hovered before sitting down, looking unsure of whether she should let them have more time alone or not. Her hands were laced together in her lap, thumbs twiddling.
Vikram wondered for a moment if he'd done the right thing by telling his family the truth. They still hadn't talked about the big things, about the logistics of their relationship. Cassie had been so annoyed at her director's handling of what had happened that she'd quit in a fit of rage and told him exactly what she thought, so she was out of work. Vikram wasn't going to be well enough to get back to guarding anyone for another six months, at least, and even then he wasn’t willing to give up Cassie to get his job back. Who knew what was going to happen when they both had full time jobs and couldn't just lay around enjoying their honeymoon period.
"So you were paying my brother to guard you," Mircea said, turning all her attention on Cassie. "You must be pretty important." She'd gone from friendly to interrogator in a heartbeat.
"Oh, not at all. I worked for a charity, we went to a conference, and my boss got assassinated, and so they paid for me to have some protection."
Mircea's face fell. "I'm sorry, I didn’t realize."
"Someone you know got assassinated?" his eight-year-old nephew Massis asked, ears perking up. "That's so cool." He jumped off the bed and bounced on the spot.
"Massis," Rostas hissed. "That's very rude."
Cassie just laughed. "It's not as cool as on TV."
"I want to be just like Uncle Vikram when I grow up. I can get into gunfights and knife fights and fist fights."
"You want to be just like Cassie, then," Vikram said. "She's the one who saved me."
"You did?" Massis clearly fell even more in love with her. She scratched the back of her neck and it drew attention to the wound stitched up on her arm. "Are those stitches? That's so cool. Were you shot?"
"Leave the poor woman alone," Mircea said. "What happened to Uncle Vikram and Cassie was very upsetting."
He pouted. "But I just want to know what happened. I never get to see Uncle Vikram."
"You'll be seeing more of me," Vikram promised. "We'll be moving home in a couple of weeks." It was temporary, but they'd both agreed they'd rather go back to Suytov than Luseck Six.
"So Cassie is coming, too? Is she my aunt now? When can I ask her about being shot?"
Cassie was bright red.
"Don't get ahead of yourself," Vikram said with a chuckle, wishing he could move properly so he could reach out and give his nephew a ruffle of the hair. "But yes. Cassie will be there."
They talked for hours after that, and when everyone loosened up a bit, Cassie fit right in with them. Mircea softened and stopped interrogating, and Cassie relaxed, and they got on like a house on fire. It was a weight he hadn't even realized was on his shoulders lifted as he watched them laughing together, ribbing him.
Another bullet point on the list of things perfect about her.
By the time Mircea stood up and stretched and said it was time they got going, Cassie was sitting with his youngest niece asleep in one arm and Massis bouncing on her good leg asking her questions about what it was like to be in a war. Mircea seemed happy that Cassie let him know just how awful it was and how he shouldn't want to go to war at all.
"We've got a hotel on the planet, just for the night. We'll be in to see you tomorrow before we head home," Mircea promised, kissing him on the cheek. Then she gave Cassie a hug after taking her children back. "It was great to meet you. I can't believe my brother has finally got a girlfriend, especially one so gorgeous."
"Don't make me sound like too much of a loser," he muttered. It was always like being taken back to his teenage years when Mircea was around.
Cassie just laughed and hugged Mircea back. "I'm so glad you came to visit."
When they were gone, Cassie clambered into bed with him. They couldn't cuddle properly, and not being able to fuck her was agonizing, but she could at least sit with her arm and leg pressed against his, their hands entwined. "Your sister is nice, I like her a lot," she said.
"I'm glad. I didn't know you'd rang."
"I had a feeling from what she'd said she was planning to visit. I thought I should let it be a surprise."
"The best surprise."
"I didn't think you'd tell her about us."
"Why wouldn't I?"
"I don't know. It still kind of feels like we're living in this little hospital bubble."
"I don't think we have anything to worry about when we're out of the hospital. In fact, I think things are going to get a whole lot easier when I can finally touch you again properly."
She grinned, and nibbled on his earlobe. His dick was hard instantly. "I'm definitely looking forward to that."
He groaned. "This place is torture."