Monika wanted to go after Ray. But she had her arms full of another, hysterical child. The older boy emerged from his room twenty minutes later, when Max's sobs were subsiding. The state of Ray's knuckles suggested that he'd punched a wall several times and there was a horrible, empty look in his eyes. Monika sighed heavily. "Ray...""I'm making us breakfast. Someone has to make breakfast." Ray flinched momentarily and avoided eye-contact while freezing to the spot. "I'm sorry I interrupted you." This was the way he was right after the adoption. Reserved, guarded, expecting punishment for even the smallest mistakes.The regression broke Monika's heart. "It's okay", she promised as softly as she could. With Max still clinging to her she opened one arm. "Sweetheart, come here."Ray didn't notice her gesture or hear her invitation. Or pretended remarkably well that he didn't. "I'm making us omelets", the boy decided. And got to work like someone who was used to being the grownup of the h
Rose didn't know long she was out. She came to hearing the already too familiar sounds of machinery. As soon as the fog filling her head cleared, she identified a new beep. Shortly after her eyes managed to distinguish Ash's sad, tired face."You had a really bad anxiety attack. Your heart was also out of whack, so you need to be monitored for a little while." Ash frowned. "They said something about... stress cardiomyopathy. Is it something serious? Because it sounded serious."Rose's heart ached when she recognized the diagnosis. She swallowed hard against the lump rising to her throat. "Broken heart syndrome", she explained quietly. "No, it's not serious." Just stupidly, cruelly befitting.Ash's eyes filled with sorrow, but the man refrained from commenting. For a time. "That name... might explain something." His brother sighed heavily and ran a hand through his already disheveled hair. "This doctor, I can't remember her name, mentioned that you should talk to someone. A professiona
The whole family was in an agreement that Rose shouldn't be left alone at the hospital for long. They knew how bad off she was, while trying anxiously to support others. And Sebestian... They didn't want to imagine Samantha without him, for even a second. Because it'd be a loss she wouldn't survive, at least as herself.Monika braced herself for great many things on her way from her workplace at the morgue to the ICU. Her chest clenched and she almost dropped the takeaway coffees she carried when she saw her sister sitting on a bench, wiping his eyes. Then she realized that the tears she fought back were those of joy.Rose's eyes shone from tears and happiness when they met hers. "He... He woke up, Monika. Sebestian woke up and talked to me."Monika decided that it was time to ditch the coffee. She tossed the mugs aside, not really caring where they ended up. Then she pulled her sister to a tight embrace. Which she returned with equal vigor. She could practically feel the relief radia
Sebestian felt like he was held under water while he listened to Rose, eyes fixed on the opposite wall. "Ray is another child." It was all told with the kind of paternal love that'd already showed itself once.Rose tried to show a picture from her phone, but Sebestian was too ashamed and overwhelmed to look at it. The Alpha closed his eyes and tried very hard to breathe properly. "How long?" How much time had he lost? How many precious memories? What kind of a parent was he, to forget his own son? He wanted to scream from frustration when the words got tangled together and were nearly impossible to spew out coherently. "... long?"Rose frowned before finally figuring out what he meant and answering tentatively. "He's been our son always." The full weight of those words crashed down on them both simultaneously.Sebestian struggled to make sense of everything. It was like getting sucked into an alternative reality. Like waking up from long sleep, to find that someone else had been livin
That night Ray woke up needing to use the bathroom. He yawned and left the comfort of his bed reluctantly, then began to tiptoe towards the toilet. Halfway there he froze at what he saw on the balcony.His mommy stood there with his grandma. Crying while she hugged her and whispered comforting words, appearing distraught herself. Even a child could see how heartbroken his mommy was.It terrified Ray more than he would've cared to admit. Things were supposed to be improving. His daddy was awake. There was supposed to be no need to be sad anymore. Did something go wrong again?Ray managed to retreat to his room unseen. He hid himself under a blanket entirely, trembling miserably. He couldn't sleep while his thoughts whirred.His therapist had helped convince Ray that he wouldn't be sent away, that he wouldn't lose his family. But the insecurities and fears lingered, ready to resurface at any given moment. He hadn't seen his papa in what, to a child, felt like a lifetime. He missed his p
Monika likely noticed what she'd done to her hands but didn't call him out on it at the moment. Instead, she moved to hug her, but he refused her with a shake of head. "I'm... I can't." Her voice was so hoarse that for a second, she wondered if she screamed out loud, after all. "If you touch me, I'll lose control and..." She trailed off. She couldn't lose control; too many people she loved needed her to stay strong right now.Monika nodded. Not necessarily happy but understanding. "As long as you know that you're not alone in this. We're all here for you, all of you. Got that?"Rose nodded, dangerously close to losing control over herself. After that... she didn't have very clear memories. She took a cab to the hospital, even on such a day sensible enough to know that she shouldn't drive. Her feet led him to the ICU. The sterile reek and suffocating silence that smacked her across the face at that ward just about tore her new numb bubble to shreds.There was no one around to update he
Holding Max... It felt so good that had hard time controlling his emotions, especially because the brain injury seemed to enhance all feelings. But listening to his son's excited babbling was also a bit much on his still recovering head."... got a new class hamster. And guess what, papa! He has a missing leg, too. I said that he's just like my papa, and Miss Pen gave me a big hug." Max sounded endearingly proud of him, himself and the little creature the child now had a special connection with.Carefully avoiding Max noticing, Sebestian cast a slightly panicked look at Rose. 'Miss Pen?' How many people were there in his son's life he had no idea of? 'His teacher, Aline', Rose mouthed back.Max went on, completely unaware of the adults' exchange. "... named him Skunk, because he's black and white. He likes cuddles, I can tell. But Miss Pen says that we can't cuddle him too much because he's so small and fragile."Sebestian listened to Max babbling as intently as he could, his new limi
Ray continued to avoid mentioning his daddy for a couple of more days. Did his best to not even think about his other parent because it hurt too much. But in the end the whole situation got too much on him.He'd had a lot of nightmares since his daddy's accident. They haunted him almost every night. Something about the one he had one particular dark night made it worse than others.In the horrible dream he and his papa were in a forest, where thick fog began to engulf them. Ray was terrified and did his best to keep up with the man walking in front of him. In the end he found himself standing paralyzed while the fog swallowed his papa."Daddy?" There was no response and fear squeezed his chest mercilessly. Tears filled his eyes. "Daddy? Daddy!" Only silence answered him.Ray woke up crying, with his entire body covered in cold sweat. His heart hammered while his wide eyes darted around, trying to convince his mind that he was safe. That he was home and his daddy was safe, too. He want
Ray, who was being forced against his will to finish a school assignment by Alex, whined petulantly, "Can't I take a break already?" but was ignored. Ken watched his best friend walk off with raised eyebrows."Where are you going?""Getting something to drink.""And you didn't offer Ray anything?" Ken paused, waiting for a reply from Alex but received none so assumed he was being ignored now, and in his own house no less. "Rude. Rie, sweetie, I'm so sorry, you can take a break and go help yourself to anything in there. Boss will be fine.""Don't let him hear you." Alex chuckled as he stood up and stretched. It's been almost a month now since he's started hanging out with Ray together with Alex, and already the friendship that budded between them was fully bloomed thanks to their shared interests and the connecting link they cared for, Alex. "What are you drinking?""Cider.""You have cinnamon?" Ray asked and walked over to his bag. He leafed through it and pulled something out that Ken
"Wow, I'd bang you."Alex spluttered indignantly before slamming the door shut on Ray's face. "How's this for a bang."Ken tutted, bumped Alex aside with a sassy hip and opened his front door again which swung open revealing Ray who stood on the cozy 'Welcome' rug wearing a breezy smirk. Alex wanted to wipe it off with his lips. Of course, he didn't admit this to himself though. The jock was a mouthwatering meal in skintight black jeans that hugged every muscle dipped crevice in his thighs and the length of his legs. The black shirt he wore, tucked in his pants and secured by the simple black belt cinched around his trim waist, left little to no room, the fabric glued snug to Ray's broad chest like second layer. He donned a leather jacket, the collars flipped up neat around his neck and collaborated well with the black Timbs that completed his look. Try as he may, discreetly as possible (what's discreet, Ken was openly judging him), Alex couldn't stop himself from ogling even he wante
The shuddering relief Alex felt ooze into his body was enough to get him to stumble back onto his feet and poke his head around the shelf. Ray stood in the center with his head facing one side of the room as he searched for Alex."Ray." Alex called out, voice soft and broken. The way Ray snapped his head forward so fast, the jolt of comfort that rushed through Alex when familiar dark eyes locked on him and the long, quick strides Ray closed Ray." Alex called out, voice soft and broken. The way Ray snapped his head forward so fast, the jolt of comfort that rushed through Alex when familiar dark eyes locked on him and the long, quick strides Ray closed their distance with, eased the frantic nerves Alex had been panicking with."You idiot." Ray whispered angrily though his tone washed in relief. He cupped Alex's cheeks and gently swiped his thumbs beneath Alex's eyes, collecting stray tears. "What the fuck are you doing? They announced the warning lockdown, what were you thinking?""I di
"Fuck."He ended up in the library (ironically the place where this chasing game with Ray began) which was on the third floor which meant the safest distance from the cafeteria since that was on the lowest level. Alex felt the stares but avoided eye contact knowing well he looked a panting mess from taking the stairs two and three at a time in haste to get away from Ray. Fucking Alex, God. Ever since the 'incident' Alex's mind refused to get rid of the memory no matter how hard he shoved it down. He tried to forget the sensation of Ray's mouth on his, yet his lips still tingled from Ray's tongue. He tried to stop thinking about how physically good it felt to be pressed against Ray's firm body like two puzzle pieces, tried to erase the feel of those large hands holding him tight but his body had a mind of its own and ached to be held again, touched again.It was maddening.From the start, Ray made it blatantly clear he wanted in his pants and Alex would not bend over so damn easily. Th
Class ended shortly after and Alex walked out of the room, phone out in his hand. He was in the middle of reading a text Ken had sent him as he walked down the hall to his locker when someone grabbed his shoulder and yanked him around. "Hey!" Alex glared up at Ray once he was facing him and tugged himself free. "You can't go around grabbing people, asshole!" he snapped his gum irritably.Ray was unperturbed, eyes dark. He crowded into Alex who began to flush and tried to shuffle back. Ray stilled him by gripping his hips and cocked his head down closer to Alex's level. "You've got jokes, Alex." Ray casually waved the crushed pack of gum in Alex's face before tugging said boy closer. Alex froze when he felt Ray's hand spread over the back of his ass, dip into his pocket, and drop the packet there. Ray gave it a pat when he was done before resting both hands-on Alex's cheeks. "Now, I want my piece."Before Alex could protest, Ray leaned down, tipped Alex's face up, and captured his lips
Side story (Alexander and Rose oldest son Ray)Alex wanted to wipe the stupid smirk off Ray's face. He settled for forcefully stuffing the crumpled notebook paper balled in his tiny right fist into the jock's mouth before stomping around the spluttering other, face flushed heatedly. "The answer is no!" Alex threw over his shoulder sassily before scurrying down the rest of the hall, leaving Ray behind who was taking his damp saliva crinkly paper out of the cavern of his mouth. "Fucking Alex." But there was only amusement laced in Ray's tone as he unfolded his paper, he'd wrote his little message down on for Alex, his handwriting only slightly damaged from all its past abuse. Ray scoffs when he sees a little mad face drawn in Alex's small, neat handwriting underneath his kindergarten message and leans against a locker just as a boy with a heavy looking book bag weighing his back down was about to open. He squeaks in despair when Ray's heavy body went lazily slack against the rusty sur
Sebestian woke up slowly and with effort. He felt so peaceful that he came close to drifting to sleep again. Until he sensed someone shuddering against him, along with anxiety that certainly wasn't his own.Using all his stubbornness, Sebestian opened his eyes. To find that Rose was waking up beside him. The sight – such he feared he might never get to witness again – filled Sebestian battered and bruised heart with joy. But he was also deeply worried. Because the anxiety he caught a hint of before grew far clearer. When Rose's eyes opened, they were haunted.A chill went down Sebestian spine. "Rose? Are you alright?"Rose's chuckle had more than a touch of hysteria to it. The man appeared terrified. "I'm... I have no idea. My head... It feels like it's going to..." The Omega made a gesture symbolizing an explosion with one hand.Sebestian would've wanted to use his scent to help Rose but felt so... off balance that he didn't dare to. "My head hurts, too. Maybe we should get some more
Sebestian had been hurt countless of times over the course of his (too) long life. More often and by more people than he cared to count. Few things, if anything, had hurt him as much as what Agatha revealed.Rose had been searching for a way to become like. Because of their stupid, ridiculous fight the woman took a huge risk and went to sleep beside him as though nothing had changed. And now..."I should kill you", Sebestian hissed.Agatha snorted. "Burn me... where I stand? Spare me, you're... too soft for that." (If only she knew of his stepfather...) "Besides, would it bring... your little Omega... back? I didn't force her... to do anything."Rose always took responsibility for the woman's decisions, stood behind them for better or for worse. Took responsibility for the decisions of others, too. Sebestian knew, as much as his blood boiled, that his wife wouldn't have wanted anyone to be harmed over the Omega's choice. So, with utmost reluctance, he commanded his magic to let go. (A
Sebestian was one of the continent's most powerful. Perhaps one of the most powerful Alpha in the whole world. Over the course of year's his scent had helped as well as killed countless of people.Yet now, with Rose in a dire need of his help... His incredible power – as the Omega herself called it once – seemed practically useless.Sebestian attempted to find out what was wrong with Rose. Perhaps he and Allen had missed something earlier. Sometimes dark scent and curses could be devious, difficult to notice even for someone powerful and experienced. Yet there was nothing.Then Sebestian worked his hardest to make his wife feel more comfortable, because Rose was clearly in pain. His trembling hand placed on top of the other's wildly beating heart and glowing seemed to be of some comfort for a moment. At least the seizures stopped. But Sebestian could sense in some indescribable manner that Rose was slipping away from him.Considering his state of mind, it wasn't a surprise that a gent