CHAPTER XXIII

Their mommy roughly explained that they had to stay with uncle Nate and dad Cael for a while, and that he and daddy Cy wouldn't be able to see them much. But uncle Nate and dad Cael would take really good care of them, and they shouldn't worry. He and daddy said they loved them very much, and they will call every day. Collin couldn't really understand the situation well, he just looked at his brother who was about to cry. Mommy doesn't want us to cry, he thought, I have to be strong for mommy and daddy. He held his brother's hand tightly and looked at his mother and daddy with a big smile.

"I will hug Jinx lots", he said with laughter. "And play a lot".

"And you'll be a good big brother?", Cyrus asked.

"Yeah", he said and looked at Killian. "Lian, I will be a good bro". He smiled again and hugged his brother. Killian cried a lot. As they chose which toys to take, Killian threw a tantrum saying that he would miss all his toys and he needed to take all of them. The same thing as they were choosing the clothes. He cried all the way to Nate's apartment.

"Don't cry lil bro. Mommy will be sad. Like when he was sick. We need to be strong. Don't cry", Collin whispered to Killian as they arrived. He held his brother's hand tight and smiled. "Smile for mommy".

"Okay", Killian said, gloomy.

As they said goodbye, Cyrus and Antoine gave each of the boys a big hug and assured them that everything would be okay. Killian held back his tears, and he was about to tell them not to go when Collin grabbed his hand and waved saying:

"Bye-bye. We promise not to cry". He smiled.

"We promise", Killian agreed, not knowing if he could withhold that promise.

As Cael led them inside, Collin started to call the cats.

"Jinx, where are you?"

"He is sleeping", Nate answered, "You can play with him when he wakes up".

"Okay", Collin answered bummed.

"Hey, kiddo. I think I finally learned how to make chocolate popcorn. Would you like to try it?" Cael asked Killian who was still in the entrance.

"No. I don't want it". Killian said. "I'm going to bed".

He went to the bedroom, dragging along the bag that was too big for him. He went slowly. All the way, Collin kept looking at him.

"I'll play Jenga. With dad". Collin shouted to his brother.

"I'm going to sleep". Killian answered.

Killian got his whale plushie from his bag and hugged it to sleep. Collin was playing Jenga with Cael, but not paying attention. When he made it fall for the third time in a row, he got up and, without saying a word, entered the room and got in bed with his brother hugging him. He caressed the little boy's head and just stayed there. Killian began to cry, and Collin just stayed there in silence. When Cael came in to check them, they were hugging each other while sleeping. As it was still early, he let them sleep until lunch. Before he went to call them, Collin was already awake looking for something to eat.

"I'm hungry", he expressed.

"Lunch is almost ready", Cael answered.

"Hmmm", he said. It was possible to see how his brain was between saying again that he was hungry and getting something to eat now, or being patient and waiting for lunch. "I'm hungry", he repeated. "But I'll be a good boy". He said and sat down to watch cartoons.

When lunch was ready, Cael went to call Killian, who hugged his neck with one arm while holding to his whale with the other. Cael almost squealed of joy from Killian cuteness, but he still had to wake the boy up.

"Lian, it's time to eat", he called the boy.

"Hm", he murmured.

"You have to wake up to eat".

"Hm".

Nate opened the door to the room and looked at the scene as Cael was trying to wake the boy.

"Just put him in the chair. He'll wake up". Nate said, laughing at the cute scene.

"Okay", Cael answered and put him in the chair. Killian kept hugging the toy, but he woke up and looked around.

"I'm hungry", he said while still waking up.

"Yeah. We'll have lunch", Collin said, still watching his cartoon. Cael came to grab him and put him in the chair too. Collin hugged his neck and let him carry him. Cael sat him on the chair and Collin smiled. "Thank you".

They served the boys' lunch and ate the four together, like family. Collin tried to behave his best in all these moments. To be the perfect boy his mommy wished he was. So that uncle Nate and dad Cael wouldn't worry about him, and, hence, his mommy and daddy wouldn't worry either. So that his little brother wouldn't cry, because he would think everything was okay too. So, he smiled a lot. He never opposed the adults.

After lunch, he went to play with his toys. He brought some building blocks and put them somewhere where no one would be bothered. When everything was ready, he called Killian to play with him. He needed to take his brother's head away from home. Killian was resistant, but after lots of persuasion, Collin convinced him. And they played for a while, until Killian lost his interest. Collin then invited his brother to watch cartoons. They watched six episodes of Jennie in Joyland, and then Killian lost interest again. Collin kept trying to find ways to keep his brother entertained at any cost. When it was time to eat, he would help Killian with the food. He would also help him shower. And when they went to sleep, they slept holding hands. It was a really cute scene, Nate and Cael thought, looking over them. But they were a little worried. They didn't know exactly how they were at home, but they couldn't do anything but wonder if that overprotection was his way of coping with this situation, and if that wouldn't ricochet badly.

The next day, Cael and Nate woke up with Collin knocking the door. He had tried to take off the diapers, but didn't succeed. When they opened the door, he saw him there, with an embarrassed face.

"Sorry", He said looking down, "I want to pee".

"Come here", Cael said and held his hand. "Let me take it off for you". He smiled, but the boy was holding back his tears.

"I'm sorry". He cried.

"It's okay, baby".

He took him to the bathroom and helped him take off the diaper. When he took it off, the boy ran to the toilet. All the way he kept repeating I'm sorry. After he peed, Cael helped him wash his hands and the boy went back to sleep next to his brother. Cael was still worried. He wished the boy could feel comfortable and wouldn't feel embarrassed asking for his help. But, beyond that, he felt the boy was repressing his emotions and that wasn't healthy.

"What can I do to help you, baby?", he whispered as he watched Collin sleep.

Nate came and stopped next to him, putting his head on his shoulder.

"What are you thinking, love?"

"I'm worried about Collin".

"Yeah. He is acting strange".

"But what can I do?"

"I don't know. Maybe try talking to him when he wakes up? Although I can't assure you that he will answer".

"I will try".

Collin woke up an hour later looking for something to eat. Nate was still making breakfast, but Cael got some yogurt and offered it to Collin. Then sat him on the sofa next to him.

"Baby, we need to talk", he said while the boy ate. He was paying attention to the food and not to his words, but Cael kept talking. "Me and uncle Nate are worried about you".

"I'm okay".

"How are you feeling? I know it's hard to be away from your mother and daddy Cy. But me and uncle Nate are here to help you with everything. You can tell me if you are not feeling good".

"I'm okay, dad". The boy smiled. He didn't want to say anything, even if he had something to say. In his mind he just needed to act correctly to not worry anyone, especially his brother, and everything would end up alright. He didn't have to share his worries with anyone. "I'm okay" he repeated and got up to throw away the yogurt package. He then sat down and played with his toys until breakfast was ready.

The morning was tranquil, they went to the playground on the building for a while with Cael. Collin kept an overprotective behavior towards his brother. Cael pretended not to notice, waiting for an opening to talk to him sincerely about it, but there was none. When they went back up, Nate had just finished lunch and was organizing the table. Killian smelled his favorite food and got close to Nate without him noticing. Nate tripped on the boy and some hot food fell on his skin and Killian screamed in pain. When Collin heard it, he ran to his brother and looked at the place he was burned. Nate put down the food to help Killian, but Collin just screamed while hugging his brother.

"Go away! Go away!"

"Olli, I just want to help". Nate proclaimed.

"No, go away. You're bad. You hurt him. Go away!"

"Uncle Nate just wants to help him, baby. Let us treat the wound".

"No, you're both bad. Mommy said you'd be good. You're not. Go away".

Collin grabbed his brother and went to the bedroom, closing the door. Through the walls, they could hear Killian crying and Collin trying to comfort him.

"Baby", Cael called knocking on the door, "Let dad help you. We just want what is good for you, I promise. Can I come in?"

"No. You're not our dad. You're no one. Go away".

That hurt. Collin was always so open and accepted him well, but maybe those were the thoughts that have always been in his mind, he just preferred to keep it to himself.

"He's just hurt", Nate told him, his hand resting on his shoulder. "That's his anger talking. Don't let it get to you. Keep going, you're doing great".

"Okay", he smiled at his partner's words. "Olli, I'm your father and I love you a lot, both of you. And I want to see you well and healthy. We need to treat Lian's wound so it won't hurt anymore and so it won't scar. So I'm going to come in and get Lian. You can stay in the bedroom or help me take care of your brother. That's your choice".

He opened the door. Collin was hugging Killian as the boy cried, hugging his whale. Cael kneeled next to Killian.

"Lian, let's go treat this burn, okay? So that it doesn't hurt anymore".

Killian looked at him, uncertain of what to do. He looked back at Collin and then at his burn.

"You promise it won't hurt anymore?"

"I promise".

"He's lying, Lian". Collin said.

"I'm not. I would never hurt your brother, or you, on purpose. I love you kids, a lot".

"It hurts so much", Killian cried. "I want it to stop. I'll go with dad".

"No". Collin said, but when he tried to grab Killian again, Nate held him. Cael took Killian away and put his burn under cold water. Then applied an ointment.

"It's okay now. See, it doesn't hurt anymore". He said, kneeling next to Killian and caressing his head. Collin, who just got away from Nate's grasp, came running.

"Get away from him!", he said pushing Cael away. Cael didn't even stumble, keeping his place next to Killian.

"It's okay, Olli. It doesn't hurt anymore. I'm fine". Killian said, trying to pacify him.

"It doesn't?", Collin asked.

"No, dad helped me". He extended the arm where the burn was. "See. It's better now".

"I promised you that I would help. Lian is better now. But if you want we can still call your mommy and daddy, so you can talk to them". Cael said.

"I can talk to mommy?"

"Yeah, if you want to. Do you want me to call him?"

"I want to talk to my mommy", Collin answered with tears in his eyes. "I want my mommy and daddy", he began to cry. "I miss my mommy and daddy". As he cried, Killian hugged him.

"I miss mommy and daddy, too. I miss them a lot. Don't cry Olli", Killian began to cry too. "Don't cry, Olli".

"It's okay to cry, babies", Cael hugged them both, "You can miss your mommy and daddy. I know you want to be back home, with your toys, your beds and your dog. And I'm sorry I can't make this the perfect place for you, but I'm trying my best. Because I love you a lot, so much that I can't totally express it. So, please, give me a chance to show you my love for the time you're here. I'll do my best to take care of you and make you feel comfortable here".

"Okay", Collin said, simply.

"Okay", Killian repeated.

"Okay", Cael smiled. "I'll call your mommy and daddy so you can talk to them".

"Thanks", Collin said, pushing him away. He went to the sofa and waited there for Cael to call his mother.

Although he was a little resistant to the situation, and a little confrontational, it was somehow better than before. He was expressing his feelings and talking about it. He wasn't hiding behind smiles.

In the phone, Collin told Antoine and Cyrus that Killian got burned and Antoine got scared and started making many questions. Cael calmed him down explaining what happened and that it was just a small wound and that it was all solved now. It helped when Killian said it didn't hurt anymore. The kids talked with their parents for about half an hour, when they lost focus and resolved they wanted to play something else. Collin seemed to have calmed down a little too, and was more relaxed playing with his toys.

Antoine asked to talk with Cael and Nate for a while. They left the kids in the living room with the door open and went to the bedroom.

"How are things going?" Antoine asked.

"Killian is doing well, a little depressed and disinterested in playing or watching TV. But he is adapting well. But Collin... he is overprotective with Killian and wouldn't let us get close when he got hurt. Nate had to contain him so we could tend to Killian. When he is not openly resistant and confrontational, he is hiding his emotions and smiling. I'm worried". Cael reported.

"Collin has a strong sense of responsibility and caring for others. He is much less open about his feelings than Killian. He needs a lot of patience and to know that the people he loves are loved and protected, and he needs to let people take care of him. All he says and does is because he doesn't like to see the people around him getting hurt or crying, especially Killian". Cyrus said.

"Please, be patient with him. Anytime you want, you can call and I'll talk to him. He is a good kid". Antoine complemented.

"I know he is. I'll be patient and try to assure him more that he is safe. And give him time".

"Thank you".

"But talking about something else, I wanted to ask something". Cael had been thinking about it for some time already, and now he finally got the courage to ask.

"What?"

"I wanted to introduce the kids to my uncle. He is a really special person in my life, and totally different from my parents. I wished he could see them".

Antoine paused for a while and looked at Cyrus. They went out of frame and Cael could hear their whispering something intelligible. They then went back into frame.

"Okay. If you really trust him, you can tell him whatever you see fit. Most of this will be made public as soon as people discover about the process anyway. And I will trust you to make the right decisions about what should be shared or not".

"Thank you".

"I'll call again before they go to sleep to say goodnight. I have to go now. Bye".

"Bye", Cael said and Antoine turned off. He was happy to finally be able to introduce the kids to his uncle. When he talked about family, Finnian and Abe were the most important people, besides his kids. So to have the two of them meet was a dream come true.

After they talked with Antoine and Cyrus, Nate reheated the food and they finally ate. While they were eating, Cael talked to them.

"Olli, Lian, I'd like to introduce to you someone really important to me this afternoon. The person who raised me since I was a little kid. Would you like to meet him?"

"He's really important?", Collin asked, looking down on his food. He was still affected by the previous events and wouldn't look directly at their eyes.

"Yeah, really important".

"I will!" Killian said. His view of Cael seemed to change for the better after his father helped him with his burn.

"Then I will too", Collin answered without raising his eyes.

"Thank you. It's really meaningful to me". He smiled and petted Killian in the head, who smiled back. He went to pet Collin too, but he sensed that the boy didn't want it.

They finished eating. Cael and Nate did the dishes while the kids watched cartoons. From afar, they kept looking at Collin, who went back to smiling while playing with his brother, but still acted strangely. He looked depressed and uncomfortable doing the basic things.

"It will get better", Nate whispered to Cael. "As they said, we need to be patient".

"I know. I'm just worried about him".

"Of course you are, you are his dad". Nate smiled. "It's normal to worry about your son, but you need to keep calm and let him learn to express his feelings himself. You can do that for him, the best you can do is give him the instruments. If he is going to use it or not, that is up to him".

"Yeah. It is just so hard to see this kid suffering like that".

"I know. I know".

When they finished the dishes, he called Finnian. He sat on the bed and waited for him to answer the video call.

"Hey, kiddo. How are you?", Finnian answered.

"I'm alright. And you?"

"We are alright. Rebecca is finishing her tests, Lydia has another recital, and Nicolas is preparing for his college graduation".

"It sounds good". He paused. "I wanted to introduce you to someone, but you can't ask any questions. I'll explain everything later".

"What..."

"If you could call Abe, I wish he could meet them too".

"Okay, I'll call him. But why the mystery?", He said as he walked through the house searching and calling for Abe. He finally found him in the living room playing video games.

"The kids are home?"

"No. Lydia is in her friend's, Rebecca is in the library and Nicolas went out with his boyfriend".

"Okay. I think it's better like this".

"What is better like this?", Abe asked.

"Cael wants to introduce us to someone".

"I thought we already met Nate. Didn't he visit us last time they came to Ilaney?"

"Did they break up?" He asked Abe, but then remembered Cael was still in line. "Did you break up with Nate?"

"No. We are still together. It's someone else I want you to meet. Two people that are really important to me. They are already waiting. But I can't have you asking any questions right now. I promise that I will explain everything later".

"Okay. If that is so important to you", Finnian answered. "But whatever it is, you have to explain it all later".

"Thank you. Now I'll take you to them. They are a little timid, so please be calm".

"We are always calm", Finnian protested.

"Calmer", Cael laughed. He went to the living room, where Nate had Collin and Killian sit on the sofa to wait. The kids were agitated and anxious. He gave the phone to Nate as he talked to the kids. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah", they said in unison.

"Okay". Nate gave him back the phone. "Uncle Finnian, Uncle Abe, these are Collin and Killian, my sons". Collin and Killian waved at the screen, but Finnian and Abe just stayed in silence. Finnian was about to say something that was probably inappropriate, but Abe held him back.

"How old are you?", Abe asked.

"Three", Killian answered and Collin did a three with his fingers.

"You're twins?"

"Yeah!", they shouted.

"And what is your favorite cartoon?", Abe was trying to avoid the important questions.

"Lilly the Ladybug", Collin answered.

"Dino Max", Killian said.

"Those are really good shows". While Abe asked the questions, Finnian was still in shock. "And what is your favorite food?"

"Daddy Dev's Lasagna", they said together. Abe and Finnian were confused by the answer, but Abe prevented his husband from asking anything.

After a while, Finnian got a little used to the kids and started asking questions too, simple questions about what they liked, their favorite toys and their routine. After a thirty minute call, the kids got bored and decided to play with their toys. Cael took the phone and went to the room to talk privately with Abe and Finnian.

"What...?", Finnian interjected. "Since when do you have kids?"

"I learned about them a few months ago but couldn't tell you about it".

"Why?", Finnian inquired.

"Their mother was being really careful and scared that the wrong people would find out about them. What eventually happened".

"Who is their mother?"

"Antoine Rayne, the CEO and owner of Ant.".

"And your parents probably found out and are using the kids to take something from him". Finnian could predict a little of his brother's behaviors, and how he would use anything to gain power over other people. And he despised omegas with all his powers and believed they were just a warm hole to put his dick in.

"Yes. He is seeking guardianship of the kids and falsified some proof that Antoine is abusing the kids".

"That's exactly the kind of thing my brother would do". Finnian said, thinking about the situation. "But Antoine is probably the worst adversary he could choose. He has the power, the money and an overall great reputation. He is not someone easy to take down".

"That makes me a little less worried".

"But you are with Nate, not Antoine? Why? I thought you went there searching for him".

"You knew?"

"I didn't know you had two kids together, but I guessed that you went there looking for him. You kept pictures of him and articles about everything he did. It was hard not to figure it out".

"He already has someone else, and they are very happy together. And I'm happy with Nate. I probably love him. Although it's strange, especially that I met him because of Antoine".

"Life sometimes is complicated, kiddo. Maybe I should stop calling you kiddo, now that you have your own kids". He laughed.

"Maybe", Cael laughed too.

"It's great seeing you growing up, Cael. It's really great".

"Thanks", a tear fell from his eyes. "I'm sorry for taking so long to tell you. I wished I could have told you everything the moment I met them.

"You told us now and that's enough. We will support you in everything you need, and if there is something we can do to help in this process, you can count on us". Finnian said, and Abe nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, dad, mom". Cael said with a smile. It was no longer the first time he used these terms as endearment, but he still felt butterflies in his stomach.

"You're welcome, son", Finnian and Abe said together.