C o l e

I had been trying to bring up the topic of my mysterious threat to Eros for the past two days but we just keep missing each other for some reason. Thankfully, he had a day off today and my plan was to tell him after breakfast.

"You finished?" I asked as I came to the kitchen and Eros nodded, his plate already washed and in the dryer. He was writing something down in his notebook, likely something work related as per the usual.

"Good, I need to tell you something" I said and Eros' eyes rose from his notebook as he gave me a look.

"Well coincidentally, I have something to tell you too" he said and that surprised me.

"You go first then" I said.

"Alright. Now keep in mind, Noel is to blame for everything I'm about to say" Eros said and I pursed my lips.

"You say that every time you talk about your problems" I said.

"Well this time I'm being for real" Eros said and I just motioned for him to keep going.

"So, remember that guy I was telling you about? Silver Hawthorne?" Eros started and I nodded.

"Yes"

"Well, he came to me a few weeks ago with some sort of alliance proposal. Originally, I was going to properly refuse him" Eros said.

"But you didn't?" I said and Eros shook his head as he pulled something from the back of his notebook.

"I wanted to but then he threw this in my face" Eros said as he placed the photo on the table and slid it my way.

In the photo was a woman and a young man, people I've never seen before but I got a feeling, a nagging one that was saying I know who these people are.

"What...is this?" I asked warily.

"From what he says? It's the woman your father had you with and possibly a sibling of yours. He looks young and has similar features to the woman" Eros explained and all I could do was sit and stare at the photo.

This was the woman who had resigned my life into the hands of a man who wanted no part of me in the slightest. What was I supposed to feel?

I wasn't happy or angry, I felt nothing as I stared at this photo. I felt like I didn't know enough to have any kind of input...I felt kind of empty about the whole thing really.

"And your brother helped him" Eros finishing his sentence brought me back as I looked to him.

"Why do all of this?" I asked and Eros shrugged.

"Silver needs an alliance, I'm not sure why but it seems to be the entire reason for everything he's done so far. He's so hung up on this quid pro quo bullshit that he went through the trouble to do it. I can usually tell when someone is pulling my leg but with Silver, it didn't seem like it and I just felt like I should help him" Eros explained and I gave a small sigh.

"I...see" I muttered and not wanting to see the photo anymore, I pushed it back towards Eros.

"Are you mad?" He asked and I shook my head.

"No, slightly confused, but not mad" I said.

"He knows where she is...if you want to take the opportunity to meet her, it's possible" Eros said and that's where I found myself detaching myself from the conversation.

It felt like my entire being was rejecting the fact that this woman existed, along with someone who may be another brother of mine. I couldn't help the frown that crossed my face as I answered.

"...I don't know" I said.

"Well, the option is there should you ever want to" Eros said as he slid the photo back into his notebook.

I didn't respond.

"Forget about this for now, what is it that you needed to tell me?" Eros asked and I sucked in a breath before letting it out.

"Well, coincidentally, I was threatened by one of Noel's family members" I said and Eros' brow furrowed.

"Jeez, I guess everyone is finding out about the family they never knew" he said.

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised. I did kill his aunt and uncle after all, the only thing is I expected this to happen much earlier. It's been two years since then" I said.

"Cole, you're not exactly the easiest human being to find" Eros said and I nodded.

"Which just makes me wonder how he knew about me" I said and Eros' eyes widened.

"He knew about you...?" He trailed and I nodded.

"Yeah but I don't know how. My father was so ashamed of his own actions that there was no way he told anyone" I said.

"Maybe Noel told him, he does have a big mouth" Eros said.

I couldn't really defend Noel there, it was true after all.

"If you have a threat over your head, then you need to start watching after yourself. I'll have Johnny attend classes with you so they won't have the opportunity to get you alone" Eros said and I shook my head quickly.

"Don't" I said as I looked him in the eye.

"Cole" Eros said as he gave me a pointed look.

"You know what I'm going to say right?" I asked and Eros sighed but nodded nonetheless.

"Yes and I don't like it" he said.

"You don't have to, you just have to accept it" I said softly but Eros wasn't having it as he pulled a frown, the frown almost resembling a pout.

"You're pouting like a child" I said.

"It would make me feel better to have someone watching over you. As much as I'd love to be with you, I can't. I don't have the time and neither do you. I hardly know what you're up to sometimes and the days we don't talk are the hardest for me. Not knowing that you're safe is one of my biggest pet peeves, you know that right?" Eros words were laced with worry as he looked at me, his eyes never leaving mine as he spoke.

God he's such a worry wart.

"Please" Eros' azure eyes seemed to pull me in and I had to look away, his stare being a bit too intense for my heart right now.

"Fine but not Johnny. You put that man through enough" I said and Eros grinned.

"That's fine, I know the perfect guy anyways" he said before standing up.

"With that finally over, let's go somewhere"

~ * ~

"Now, which one? Personally, I'm a fan of the green" Eros said and I paused before answering.

"But doesn't Eloise hate green?" I asked and Eros frowned.

"It's for her baby, it's not as if she's wearing it" he countered and I gave him a look.

"It's Eloise" I said and Eros just sighed before hanging the green onesie back up.

"Fine go with the stupid yellow" he grumbled as he threw the yellow outfit in our cart.

When I first heard that Eloise was pregnant, I couldn't really believe my ears. Eloise always spoke of wanting kids but she did also express the fear that came with it. I guess Kenneth and her finally got over that hurdle.

Eloise is gonna pop any day now and Kenneth is basically off his rocker with worry as he's been mentioning that he baby proofed their entire house which means no guns or anything of the sort that could potentially bring harm to their child.

"Do they know the gender yet?" I asked and Eros shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't know but Eloise loves surprises so I'm sure she wants to wait until the child is born" he explained.

"When's the baby shower?" As soon as I asked, Eros gave me a look that screamed 'yikes'.

"It...already happened" he said and I just stared at him.

"And...you didn't go??" I asked and Eros huffed.

"I couldn't, I was busy, that's why we're doing this right now. Eloise was ready to tear my head off when I didn't show" he said.

"You know she's gonna hold that against you for quite a while" I said with a small laugh and Eros nodded.

"I know" he said before looking down in our cart. It was full of all kinds of clothing, toys, bibs, and even three different colors of pacifiers.

Eros was kind of frantic when picking out things, he wasn't sure what to get since we didn't know the gender let alone the fact that neither of us have ever been baby shopping before.

"Okay, uh, this should be enough right?" He asked.

"Eros, anyone who looks at this cart would think you're about to have a kid not your friend. It's enough" I said and I could see the unsure look on Eros' face as he looked in the cart.

"I just have no idea what to get a baby...probably never will since I'm not too much of a child lover. I'd be fine with or without them but I guess if you wanted to adopt..." Eros' gaze was almost hesitant as he looked up at me and I tilted my head.

"No, not really. I don't really get along with children" I said.

"Hm...yeah. Besides, a child is too time consuming, and I'd have to share you with them which is something I just don't think I can do" Eros said which made me deadpan as I looked at him.

"It's astounding that your pettiness knows no boundaries, not even for children" I said.

"You know I can't help it, I love you far too much to let some snot nosed brat have you" Eros said as he put a hand to his heart and I just shook my head.

"Your phone is ringing" I said as I pointed to his device that had just started vibrating in his pocket.

"It's just a text from Harvey" Eros said as he looked at the message and when his brows furrowed, I looked over into his phone.

'bad sitch, cum 2 house now!!'

"Uh..." was all I could let out and even Eros was confused as he typed his response.

'What the hell did you just say to me?'

'sorry, auto correct. You know i didnt mean it like that bro >__<'

"Why do I even bother..." Eros muttered before putting his phone back in his pocket.

"Let's just get the stuff and get out of here" Eros said and we headed to the cashier with our cart.

As the cashier scanned our seemingly never ending items, the man tried to make small talk, probably to pass the awkward time.

"This is quite a lot, first time?" He asked and Eros nodded.

"Yeah"

"Everyone's nervous the first time around. Having a baby is pretty nerve wracking"

I could already tell Eros was annoyed by the cashier trying to conversate, he hated small talk with a burning passion but to my surprise, Eros feigned a worried look.

"Oh yes, it's our first time and I'm just very worried. He's not showing right now but goodness, I'm already afraid for when it starts. The morning sickness is absolutely horrible, isn't it darling?" Eros' arms were around me and his hands holding my stomach as he looked down to me.

This idiot...

"You're making me sick right now" I muttered.

The cashier had dropped the pacifier in his hands as he stared at the two of us, more noticeably, my stomach that had absolutely nothing in it.

"Y...you're...? How?" He stuttered out and I gave him a frown.

He can't be that gullible...

"I'm not" I said firmly and Eros let go of me with a mischievous grin spreading across his lips.

"Yup, I was just kidding" Eros said as he played it off with a laugh but the cashier was hardly amused, he actually remained freaked out from Eros' little joke and proceeded to scan our items at lightning speed.

Eros surely had a way of making people uncomfortable, it was just another one of his many strange talents.

"I'm so glad he shut up after that" Eros said after he purchased the items and we were currently headed back to the car.

Honestly, I kind of felt bad for the cashier but Eros' method was successful in making him mind his business without being rude so I guess it worked out in the end.

Now it's time to go see what 'bad sitch' Harvey is talking about.