Surprise!

The hand of little Chuuya was wrapped around Verlaine's fingers.

That evening was so quiet.

The little one has been quite than usual, and he fell asleep right away.

Verlaine smiled heartened.

He usually had to call Rimbaud to help him with Chuuya, but today everything was fine.

He gently removed Chuuya's fingers from his, trying not to wake him up and he turned his favorite night light on.

It was the only way to make him rest easy.

He closed the door and went downstairs.

"Is he already asleep?" Asked Rimbaud casually.

"Yes, he was quite tonight."

"He finally got used to our new place."

"Do you think our setup worked out?"

Rimbaud lifted his gaze from the journal he was writing.

"We did our best, Paul."

"I've condemned you to a life as a fugitive."

Arthur sighed. "What else can you do when your partner is pointing a gun at you? Maybe listening to him is the less you could do..."

There was a note of sarcasm in his tone. He loved to tease Paul remembering him how little rational he was acting that day.

They both remembered all too well how they almost screw everything up.

"Our escape submarine is only five kilometers away. We have to throw them off our tail before then, or we'll be swimming back to France," Rimbaud said, never letting his guard down.

The distance between him and Verlaine began to grow. Verlaine had slowed his pace before eventually stopping.

"What's the matter, Paul?"

Rimbaud turned around.

"Hurry. The enemy is catching up."

There was no response.

Apparently, Verlaine was carrying the young Chuuya on his shoulders, most likely because he could make the boy lighter with his skill.

"I'm not giving this child to France," Verlaine declared succinctly.

"What?" Bewilderment colored Rimbaud's face.

"I'm not giving him to anyone. He won't be going back to the research facility, either. This boy is going to grow up in a quiet countryside village somewhere in secrecy, never having to know what he truly is."

Rimbaud blinked a few moments as if he couldn't process what was going on. Before long, however, he began walking back to Verlaine.

"Not a step closer." But Verlaine's sharp voice stopped him.

"What are you talking about?" Rimbaud continued to express confusion. "This child should be taken care of and educated by the government just like you were."

"That's the problem." Verlaine's tone was tense and hostile. "Rimbaud. Just once, I want you to imagine just how much it could affect a person if you told them they weren't human. Imagine how it feels to be told you weren't born with God's love, that you are nothing more than a character set someone suddenly came up with. Imagine the depths of a person's heart pierced by those words. It's a pitch-black abyss where the moon can't be seen. There is no hope. There is no salvation. Do you get it? Even those feelings of despair are merely something someone designed!"

"We've been through this many times before, Paul." Rimbaud took a step forward. "You're human, no matter what anyone else thinks. The process by which you were born is inconsequential compared to how you're here now, existing and thinking for yourself."

"Oh, right," Verlaine said bitterly, nodding. "'You're human.' I've heard that countless times as well. There's nothing I hate more in this world than hearing you say that."

"Paul..."

"I told you not to stay back," Verlaine sternly repeated as Rimbaud tried to approach. "You can twist things however you want in your mind, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm not human! You, a mere outsider, dare say I should calm down, that everything's okay because I look and act just like a human? I'd feel better if you told me I'm just like a frog!"

Rimbaud frowned and shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said before turning around. "At any rate, we need to return to France. We can further discuss this matter once we arrive."

He started walking again. Verlaine stared at his back.

"It'll be far too late to talk then", whispered Verlaine.

He raised his gun and pointed it at Rimbaud's back.

"Do you really think you can shoot me, Paul?" asked Rimbaud, back still turned. "I'm the man who saved you. I granted you human life."

"You're giving me no choice."

"Wait, Paul. Let's speak about it, but out of there."

"You want to take both of us back to France!"

"Paul. I'll listen to you, but, please. Let's get out of there."

Verlaine wasn't sure that Rimbaud was telling him the truth, but he trusted him and seconded him.

Once out of the laboratory Rimbaud was really understanding towards Verlaine and he accepted his proposal.

They were going to take care of the child, but, before doing so, they had to fake the failure of the mission and their death.

They hadn't much time.

They faked a problem in the submarine, but they couldn't know if the government believed it.

For this reason, they would never ever be able to let their guard down.

Their life would have been difficult.

The first time Chuuya opened his eyes was a bit dramatic and only Rimbaud could think straight and calm him down.

They'd need days or even weeks before they would find a place where they could have been safe.

Both thought the idea Paul had at the beginning could be the best solution.

That night it was the first one they were going to pass in the place that they would soon be calling home.

In a few days Chuuya got used to his new life with Rimbaud and Verlaine.

At first, he was a bit diffident, but then he stated seeing them as his family.

Rimbaud was happy to see that child smile, but he was happier to see his Paul finally calm.

In these moments he asked himself what could have happened if he hadn't accepted Verlaine's proposal.

He shook his head his head and cursed himself. Luckily, he took the right decision.

It was still a stressful situation for the ex-French spies because they couldn't know what the future had in store for them, but for Chuuya everything was different.

For him everything was funny, he had nothing to regret.

Something else happened for them on that night after Chuuya's eyes closed.

Rimbaud decided to cross the threshold and from that moment on he and Verlaine became something more.

Something they both desired from a long time, but that none of them had ever dared to do.

After that nobody was ever going to keep them apart.

One year after they celebrated with two glasses of wine their first anniversary.

"Chuuya is growing too fast. It seems just yesterday he was a defenseless creature, while now..."

"You know, Paul. I don't really thing defenseless creature suits him." Chuckled Rimbaud.

Verlaine pouted. "You know what I mean, Arthur."

Rimbaud took another sip of wine.

"I know, I'd also like he could always stay this little. That he never grows up."

"You're telling me!"

"Paul..."

Verlaine looked at him with a questioning look.

"I'm happy to have taken this decision. What we have now is really the best I could wish of."

"Thank you, Arthur, for following me in this madness."

Rimbaud smiled and finished his wine.

"Now we can keep celebrating in our bedroom, mon cher Paul."

"Do you really had to take me to the entrance of the cinema, dang it!"

"Yes, and if you keep complaining I'll bring you back home."

Snapped Verlaine.

Even if they lived from many years like this and nothing had happened, Verlaine never stopped to be anxious and too protective with Chuuya.

Rimbaud had tried to soften him, but he couldn't.

Protecting Chuuya from any sort of danger was his favourite thing.

"I can't wait to be 18 and do whatever the fuck I want!"

Blurted Chuuya slamming the door.

"Yeah, I love you too, Chuuya."

Years passed and new memories were created. Memories of birthdays, Christmas, bad marks, detention, new friends, first love and broken hearts.

These new memories were piling and bring the old memories of that past far away from them.

They never forget the skeletons in their closets, but at least Chuuya had lived free from everything.

He had really lived.

But the moment of the separation also came for them.

Chuuya, their child, was now grown up and he was ready to leave the paternal nest.

Verlaine and Rimbaud felt a bit lonelier the first night without him, but also Chuuya felt almost cold in the new place he had to learn how to call home.

Looking through the boxes of the move he found the night light he used as a child with a message from Verlaine.

"You won't have my tears."

He snapped taking the night light and turning it on.

A part of him wanted to be a child again. That child that was always spoiled by the ones who had become for him his lovely parents.

But it was also time for him to write his own story with his strength.

25/08/2023

This is the only gay ship I'll ever write about XD

And now you know they might be an option, but I don't think I'll use them again in this work, but maybe in future ones, who knows.

I just more or less copied from Stormbringer the part when they were discussing this matter and just changed the last lines to create this alternative version, so that part is not my work!!!

See you next week with Enchanted!