Bri

I gazed down at the two newborns in my arms. Staring at them in wonder, I felt my whole heart swell up in joy. Despite how early the two arrived, I'd been told that they'd been born as if they were full term. To say I was confused by that was an understatement, but at this point I was just so happy that they were alive, okay, and had no complications from being born early, I didn't even care. I cuddled them closer, their bodies against the bare skin of my upper chest, snuggled against my breasts.

A light, almost hesitant knock from the doorway made me look up. Felix was standing awkwardly, taking in my exposed upper body and the two babies. Their skin tone was even lighter than mine, almost like a very light honey-caramel color. Neither of them had any hair, but their eyes were a dark blue...The exact same shade as Felix's.

He can't even try to deny these girls are his, I thought as I eyed him.

"Are you going to stand there in the door way all day or get over here and hold your daughters?" I demanded in irritation.

His lips twitched up into a tiny smile before he closed the door behind him, stepping further in. His long legs got him to the bed I was sitting propped up by pillows in with just a few strides and he paused as he stared down at the three of us. "I...um...." he cleared his throat.

"Do you know how to hold a newborn?" I asked tiredly, deciding today was not going to be a day I put up with any of his shit.

He blushed, just faintly, a nervous chuckle bubbling up. "I...well, I mean...I watched a few videos," he admitted. "A quick review would be greatly appreciated though, if you would be so kind."

I felt a small hint of amusement myself. Seriously, he watched videos online? But it was quickly followed by surprise. Wait, he watched videos on how to hold babies? I blinked, staring up at him in quiet shock.

"What?" he muttered in annoyance, seeing how I was acting. "What's that look for?"

I shook my head slightly, clearing it. "Nothing, nothing," I insisted. "Alright, so you have to be skin to skin. Shirt off, mister," I ordered him firmly. He flashed me a flirtatious smile before doing so, pulling off the wolf-eyes shirt. Once his chest was free of any barriers, he held his arms out. Shifting, I lifted up the baby on the left side of my chest, holding her out to him. "This is the oldest, Nala," I explained. "The youngest, Aria, is here." I very gently ran my finger tips along Aria's left arm. She made a soft, bubbly noise, shifting against me. I lifted my gaze back up to Felix's, who had a strange, almost distant light in his eyes. "Um...Felix?" I murmured softly.

He blinked rapidly, lifting his gaze from where he'd been staring down at Nala. He looked at me for a moment, as if just remembering I was there. Then he flashed a cheeky grin. "Nala and Aria, huh? What happened to the names you told me about?"

"I changed my mind, alright? I like the names," I grumbled defensively. "Besides, it's not like you ever gave me a definitive answer as to which names you liked more."

He shot me a wry smile before nodding his head in agreement. "Yeah, I guess I didn't." He shifted slightly, very careful as Nala seemed to basically plaster herself against him. She let out a small cry when he started to pull her back slightly, and he quickly returned her so that she was completely against the skin of his chest. His dark blue eyes had flashed quickly in uncertain panic as Nala had started to cry.

He's got a lot to learn if just a short cry like that makes him freak out, I thought in a mixture of amusement and weariness. Honestly I was exhausted. It had only taken about twenty minutes from the time of getting to the hospital to when the girls were born. Willow had been a god send during the whole process. But I was a little afraid I'd gone a bit overboard during the whole 'I'm in labor and in pain'. I'd said some things I wouldn't have normally told Willow...But I'd been very emotional and vulnerable at that point in time.

He returned his gaze back to me, rocking Nala back and forth very slowly in his arms. "So...uh, everything is okay?" he asked me worriedly, glancing at first Nala and then Aria. "They aren't...nothing's wrong?"

I nodded, flashing him a tired smile. "Yeah, it's odd, but they're both perfectly fine. I'm honestly not sure why...I don't know how, but I'm still very thankful." I leaned my head down to kiss the top of Aria's head. "They're beautiful...But they don't look a thing like me." I couldn't help but grumble a little. "They both have your eyes, plus I'm pretty sure your ears and nose."

For less than a second, a lopsided grin filled his face. It made me blink and as soon as I had, it was gone. Instead he looked almost bored. He let out a long sigh, glancing down to study Nala's tiny features as she grumbled at him. Her little arms and feet were kicking out slightly, but even when they did, she was constantly making sure the majority of her body was pressed against him. Her eyes were wide open and she stared at him, a slow smile beginning to spread over her face.

"You know...they only have my eyes," he sighed quietly. He shifted the girl in his arms, hoisting her up so that she was closer to his face. "...She just keeps staring at me," he muttered uncertainly. "Is she supposed to be doing that? Is this normal?"

I let out a snort of laughter, glancing down at Aria as her tiny fingers found my pinky. "Of course she's staring at you. Daddy's silly, isn't he, Aria?" I smiled down at the baby in my arms. She giggled, kicking out and making little cooing sounds in reaction to the bright happiness on my face.

I felt my heart melting...

I was holding my baby girl...Gods, I had two wonderful, sweet little girls!

"...This kid is crazy," Felix mumbled in an oddly tight voice.

I lifted my head up to glance at him, Aria still holding tightly onto me. His eyes were turning black again, the darkness trickling in and filling the blue slowly. A few seconds later he sucked in a sharp breath. Opening my senses to read his emotions, since I honestly had no idea what the hell was going on with him, I blinked. Staring at him silently, I fought a small noise of pain.

This man never ceased to confuse both my mind and my emotions every time I opened myself up to him.

On the bare surface was a layer of boredom and annoyance. But just under that was worry, confusion, and fear. Finally, even deeper in his heart, was a terrified and crushing awe, an overwhelming joy he was doing his best to fight down, to hide. Why the stupid man thought he needed to hide how he honestly felt, I didn't know. But it was a moment I knew I would never forget, especially when I felt the suppressed joy rise to the surface. Apparently he couldn't fight it back any longer.

He let out a low, shaky breath of surrender and slowly lowered Nala back against his chest. "I l-l-love you, Nala." His voice was a tiny whisper and I could just barely hear him.

I shut off my senses, reaching up to wipe at the tears that had fallen. Aria let out a happy little giggle again and I had to wonder if she could sense or feel the small spark of sorrow that had come over me. I also had a brief flash of an epiphany. Was that the first time Felix had ever said he loved another person? Or was it the first time he meant it completely?

Either way, I knew without having to be told that it was definitely the type of thing he wouldn't want other people to know about. I stayed quiet, softly murmuring to Aria. Every now and again though, I couldn't resist the urge to glance back at Felix and Nala. His eyes were that odd mixture of navy blue with black edges still. They had a softness to them, one that made my throat feel tight just to see. Nala was reaching up toward him and he hesitantly lifted his free hand to give her access to his index finger. She grabbed hold, smiling a toothless grin up at him.

Felix made a soft grunting noise that almost sounded like a shaky sob he tried to hide. I couldn't decide if I should feel happy that he was actually feeling something for the girls or exasperated that he was trying to hide it all. Sighing, I grinned down at Aria. "Yep," I told her firmly. "Silly Daddy."

Felix slowly-almost like he was trying to be sneaky about it-grabbed a chair against the wall and began to drag it. He pulled it as close to the right side of the bed I was in as he could get. Nala made a few noises, disgruntled with all the movement. Felix's eyes went as round as saucers, still blue-black. "H-hey, baby. I...um, you're fine. You're perfectly okay now. See? We're, um, sitting down next to Mom, y-yeah? And, um, she's better at this than me, so if you have any problems..."

I snorted, rolling my eyes before giving him a sassy glare. "Really? Are you trying to annoy me today?"

"Hey, you're a much better manager of the Complaints Department than I am," he grumbled.

"Nala's a baby, Felix, not a snake. She's not going to bite you. Stop being ridiculous," I shook my head at him.

He let out a nervous chuckle. "That's what you say, but I'm currently practicing my right not to believe you right now. This is...it's crazy. I feel like the floor's been jerked out from under me..."

I reached out to pat the side of his chest Nala wasn't curled up against. "It's okay. That's what you should be feeling like. It's normal, natural, so don't freak. Just feel happy and amazed, relish in the feeling, Felix. It's a good one."

He glanced down at my hand still pressed against his bare chest. An odd light filled his eyes, but he shook his head once, banishing the light. His gaze turned down to Aria. He stared at her for several moments.

Nala abruptly let out a cry and he was apparently so startled I almost thought he was going to drop her. His entire body went tense as he returned his gaze down to the baby in his arms. "Yes? W-what is it? What did I do?!" he demanded in a panicked, overwhelmed half-shout.

Nala's face smoothed out from the angry scowl, her eyes popping open to stare back up at Felix. She weakly banged her fists and arms out at his chest before letting out another cry, though this one wasn't nearly as upset.

Felix raised wide eyes up to me. "...Bri, I think these kids are going to kill me before the day is over with," he said in a completely serious voice. "...I'm going to die of a heart attack at the age of twenty-two," he swallowed.

I laughed outright, shaking my head at him. "Felix," I chuckled, "stop being so overly dramatic. You're going to be fine. Just lighten up a little, relax. Take in a few deep breaths and stop panicking."

He stared at me like I had five heads. "Stop panicking?" he repeated in disbelief. "How do I do that? Bri, I am currently holding one of two tiny people you just pushed out of your body, what, half an hour ago? How the hell-uh," he glanced down at Nala and Aria before shaking his head and shrugging. "How am I supposed to be calm about any of this? I have...gods above, I am the father of two k-kids!"

I nodded my head slowly, patiently. "Yes...you are. But do you honestly think you're the only one in awe and freaking out right now?"

"Well, you sure as hell aren't showing it," he muttered darkly. Nala began to make noises at him, not crying, but almost as if she was trying to mimic all the noises she was hearing now that she was out in the world. "Yes, yes, I've got it, kid. Even so, I'm going to say you're crazy. I mean, I'm your dad, Nala. Of course nothing about you is going to make a lot of sense." He paused suddenly. "Wait a second," he frowned down at her.

I felt a moment of confusion. "W-what? What's wrong?"

He slowly lifted his gaze back to mine. "...I don't know, honestly. I felt like..." Very quickly, he shook his head, the skin around his eyes tightening. "Never mind, it was nothing," he reassured me, flashing a grin. "Just my usual weirdness," he assured me in a sarcastic tone. He was swift to change the subject though, effectively distracting me. "Oh, yeah. Just so you know, I've basically been all but officially disowned from my family over this whole fiasco. I'm not Mr. Money Bags anymore, Bri."

I blinked, feeling slightly shocked, but not a whole lot. I could only imagine what must have gone on once I'd been rushed to the delivery room. "Did you honestly think I only care about how much money you have?"

He let out an awkward, uncertain laugh. "Well...not exactly, but I figured it was definitely a big thing," he admitted.

I glared hotly at him. "No. No! Just...no. Felix, we'll figure something out, okay?"

He stared at me for a long moment, his expression completely closed and unreadable. But after that long second, he jerked his head in a nod. "Yeah...Yeah, alright."

I glanced at the clock on the far wall of the room. "It's been half an hour, so let's switch girls."

He glanced down sorrowfully at Nala. "Hear that, kiddo? Mom says I have to hand you over or I can't give you any more kisses. Isn't she just horrible?!" he gasped in heart break.

"Hey!" I cried out in protest.

He flashed a cheeky smirk, winking. "Just kidding!" Before I could react, he gently placed Nala on my chest and carefully lifted Aria up, letting her rest on the opposite side her sister had a moment before. "Why hello there, midget," he greeted her evenly.

Aria was blinking up at him, a confused little frown pulling at her small features. She lashed out at Felix's chest, letting out a little wail of irritation.

"Whoa! H-hey now, Aria!" he gulped, blue-black eyes filled with barely leashed worry. "D-Dad doesn't mean to be scary, yeah? I'm just...I'm just a big puppy."

I watched in disbelief as Felix lowered his head, awkwardly, very close to Aria's. Her eyes were closed, tears leaking past them as she continued to wail. Once his forehead was about three inches from her face, Felix let out a soft woof. It was the very same he'd done at me, when I'd seen his true form.

Aria paused in the middle of her wail, but started right back up a second later. He let out a low whimper, sounding like a dog trying to let a human know they were there and willing to offer comfort. Aria hiccuped, her wail ending, her eyes slowly opening. A heart melting smile lifted Felix's lips as he stared at the baby. "See? I'm not scary...I hope. If I am, I'll make sure I only beat up the bad guys. Which means any boys who come knocking," he warned her in a gruff voice. But even though his voice was rough and gravely, it still held a note of gentleness to it.

Aria stared up at him for several more seconds before letting out a loud huff of breath. I laughed at the reaction. If that girl ain't saying 'You can try', I don't know shit.

Felix lifted his eyes to glare at me. "Hey, hey. Don't be pushing into my Aria time. You have Nala to love to little bits, alright?" he grumbled. "My baby, Bri. Mine," he growled playfully, lowering his face back to Aria.

Surprisingly, the baby didn't seemed scared in the slightest. In fact, she finally gave him a little giggle, stretching up her arm as much as she could. She half-smacked Felix's nose and he reared back quickly. "Hey, tyke. Now, listen here, we don't hit others. No matter how much they piss us off, we just don't do it," he told her sternly. But even so, his voice was still surprisingly gentle and filled with warmth. "Next time just tell me you don't want to see my ugly mug anymore, okay?" he grumbled.

Nala let out a little irritated mutter herself and I returned my attention to her. "Hey, sweetie," I smiled down at her, bouncing her just a little.

From close by, I heard Felix let out a little chuckle. "I think Aria's inherited your prickly nature," he teased. "As well as your dislike for me." Glancing up, my eyes burning with annoyance, I stuck my tongue out at him. His gaze filled with a light of need as he stared at me, his pupils dilating. "Don't stick out your tongue like that or I'm going to suck on it," he warned me in a completely serious tone.

I quickly stopped, raising my brows in alarm at him. "In a freaking hospital, really?"

He smirked. "In a hospital, a library, a parking lot, a space station, a pancake house, or even a public school hallway."

I wrinkled my nose, frowning. "...Thinking about that list, it almost sounds like locations you'd see romances, even regular ones, having as scenes in them..."

He winked, smirk growing even wider. "You got it. See how smooth I am, I even referenced the very genre I'm starring in."

I raised a brow in disbelief. "Oh, are you? So you're telling me you're in a romance right now? Like I'd ever believe that..." I groaned, rolling my eyes. "If that's true, then that means I'm the heroine, right? I'm just supposed to fall in love with you?"

His smirk grew just a little cheekier, but I noticed a subtle subdued light in his eyes. "Of course not. See, this is a erotica romance, m'kay? I'm going to have lots of sex and it's going to be damn amazing. And then, even though it won't make any real sense, by the end of the story, you're going to have grown so addicted to my body, you'll never leave. Hell, you'll never even let me out of bed. You'll just have me chained there, forever. I'll be your wicked, dirty, naked slave. A slave to all your wants and needs..."

His voice trailed off as he eyed me with more of that heat in his eyes.

All the breath came out of my lungs in one big rush. I stared at him, wide-eyed, for half a second. My mind was trying to process that Felix had literally just said the words he had...

Once I'd gotten that processed, I took in a deep breath. Opening my mouth, I let a sweet, innocent little smile lift my lips. "Yeah, yeah," I rolled my eyes in derision. "If anyone's addicted it's you...I bet you still think about my touch, don't you?" I licked my lips, raising a brow at him in question.

His eyes were wide, his lips parted in an unconscious pant, eager for me. Hell, he was so turned on in that moment, I could feel the heat starting to kick off of his body. He couldn't even hide it. He didn't even try to hide it. He nodded his head, just a tiny bit, leaning slightly closer to me, still on the bed.

"Whenever I do let you touch me again, I'm going to make you feel so weak that it will be the sweetest death you'll ever experience. And..." I bit my lip, sucking on it gently, staring directly into his eyes which were beginning to turn blood red with those gold cat-eye pupils. "When you finally reach your breaking point," I very gently shifted Nala, who was a little oddly quiet in my arms. Reaching out, making sure to keep a firm hold on the baby, I cupped Felix's cheek. He leaned into my hand unconsciously and I felt two seconds of guilt...But I was already too far in to stop now.

"...Instead of having your sweet release, it will be stopped by the cries of our sweet little demons."

He blinked, his expression letting me know he certainly hadn't been expecting that to be my response. "Um...please tell me you're lying right now," he begged gruffly, his voice tight.

I shook my head, lowering my hand and shifting Nala again to hold her closer. "Nope," I chuckled, shaking my head. "It's called newborns, Felix, and karma for being an asshole."

He let out a pained groan, his eye color seeming to fight itself. A quiet growl escaped past his lips, making me glance at him again. Aria began to cry, just a little. He blinked, sucking in several deep gulps of air. "...It's...it's okay, sweetie," he promised in a shaky, deep voice. "D-Daddy's sorry. I got too hot, didn't I?" he murmured, rubbing her back gently.

With his attention effectively turned away from me, I lowered my gaze to Nala, letting my hair hide my face partly.

Alright, I had to admit, even I'd been hoping-just a tiny bit-that I wouldn't have added that last bit to crush his manhood. But damn it, did he honestly have to always be a dick and just think about sex, constantly? Seriously, Felix needed a reality check and I was praying that this whole situation, while certainly not ideal, would help with that. Especially since it sounded like he'd lost his support from his family.

I felt guilty about that, more than a little, honestly. But, at the same time, I was praying to every god I could think of that this would force Felix to grow up. If he ended up maturing from this experience, then my guilt was worth it. Sighing, I forced myself to push aside my worries for now. At this moment, I was going to be ridiculously happy and relish in every second with my girls. Determined, I did just that, my mood lifting almost instantly.

Felix had a few more half-hearted arguments with Aria, even to the point that he whined about switching girls again. But even as I shook my head at him in exasperation, he was lowering his head slightly to lean against Aria, a small smile on his face. At one point, his whining getting annoying, I pretended to agree to let him switch with me.

As soon as I did, he gasped in shock, pressing Aria protectively to his chest. "What? Why, I would never!" he stared at me in comical disbelief. "That you would even suggest such a thing, Bri. Why, I'm ashamed of you!"

Aria let out another one of those sort of angry huffs of breath and Felix nodded his head vigorously. "That's right. Mom's still delusional from all that work she put in earlier. I'd never want to put you down," he insisted, staring down at the baby.

At his words, Nala let out a small hiccuping cry.

Felix blinked, turning his attention to my breast, where Nala was staring out at him, curled up with her head facing to the side. Her toothless mouth was half-heartedly gumming at the skin a bit above my right breast as she stared out at him. She lifted one hand and weakly stretched it out toward him. I rubbed her back soothingly. "Uh-oh. Daddy's in trouble, huh? You miss him already, sweetie?" I asked.

She let out a little bubbling noise, trying to lift her head up a little to look toward my voice. But she honestly seemed tuckered out and she didn't try very hard. "Someone's tired," I observed.

"...I think that's the cutest damn thing I've ever seen," Felix's voice startled me. His eyes had settled down and returned to the blue-black color, which was a lot better than the red-gold.

I glanced back down at Nala, who was slowly turning her head away from Felix, toward the window that looked out at the darkening evening sky. "Looks like you're catching the baby-bug," I warned him with a low chuckle.

Before I knew what was happening, Felix was on his feet and leaning over me. Gently, he lowered Aria down to my left breast. The baby put up a little bit of a protest, but not much. From the looks of her dropping eyelids, she was getting sleepy too. She yawned, just a little, and settled against me as well. She reached out her hand a little and took hold of Nala's, the two clinging together.

I sucked in a deep breath. "Felix, get your phone out and take a picture of this, right now!" I hissed softly.

Felix did so, stepping back and around to the foot of the bed. He whipped out his phone and messed around with it quickly. "Smile," he murmured before I heard the click of the shutter activating. He took three other photos in quick succession before returning his phone back into his pocket. Then, his expression filled with hidden thoughts and emotions, he simply stood at the end of the bed and stared.

At first, I wasn't bothered in the slightest. He'd already seen me naked on several occasions. Besides, I'd just been through the crazy experience of nearly ten other people in the same room with me, all staring at my crotch while I gave birth. At this point, I figured nothing would ever phase me again.

But, then there was Felix. The man who'd brought me equal measures of heartache, pain, and overwhelming joy. He was just standing there...lost in the world that was his own mind in that moment. Letting out a long breath, I decided I couldn't really do anything for the stubborn man if he wouldn't let me in. Even if he'd just let me get my foot stuck in the door...At least that would be something. For now though, he was determinedly keeping me locked out. For now, I didn't even know how to find a window to try and find another way inside.

The other question I had to ask myself was...Did I really even want to find a way into Felix's heart? I'd say his life, but I'd already done that when I'd agreed to live with him. Biting my lip, I told myself that this was all part of working together for the girls. And...maybe in order to gain access into Felix's heart, I was going to have to let him into mine.

Just the thought made me feel a little panicky. I didn't think I could do something like that...I'd never really had to do it with Andre as he could just read my mind and memories. I didn't have to say a painful word. But Felix didn't have those powers. He was also a lot crazier than Andre, and probably had a lot more baggage to go with him, from what little I had seen...

"You three are the most beautiful things I have ever had the pleasure to lay eyes on."

Felix's sudden, quiet words made me blink rapidly, focusing my gaze on him. "I...um, thank you?" I replied uncertainly.

His eyes were black, expression soft, melancholy even. "I'm not lying, Bri. This is a moment I'm going to remember for the rest of my life...Thank you," he swallowed tightly, arms rising to cross over his bare chest, as if he suddenly needed something to do. "Thank you for giving me these two beautiful, amazing baby girls. You don't know what this...what they mean to me...and I-I want you to know-"

He raised a shaking hand to cover his face as he sucked in an uneven breath. I was speechless, never having expected Felix to show me this side of himself. Hell, part of me was amazed to find there even was a side like this to him! "I-I'm...sorry. I guess you could say I'm a little emotional today. With everything that's happened..." he let out a long breath, his eyes having returned to the blue-black shade. "It's been a long day."

I nodded my head slowly. "That it has," I agreed wholeheartedly."

"...They're both fast asleep," he smiled softly.

"Yep," I agreed, studying his face. He looked tense, pale, and almost nervous. He looked...jittery?

"I'm going to go outside and let the nurses know that the rest of my family should just leave for today. It's what," he glanced at the clock, reading it. "Yeah, so it's like 8 p.m. now? Gods, I didn't even realize it was that late..." he murmured, trailing off. He turned his head to flash me a quick smile. "I'll be back in a few," he promised before heading out of the room.

I glanced down at the hospital bed, feeling the coarse, mildly uncomfortable sheets. With Felix gone, no longer having to keep up pretenses, I could feel the aches and pain coming back. Reaching out awkwardly, stretching my left arm as far as I could, I managed to grab my styrofoam cup of water without jostling the girls. Pulling it closer, I stuck the plastic straw between my lips and sucked up the cool, refreshing beverage. Yawning, I felt my own eyelids starting to grow heavy with sleep.

Felix

By the time I got back to room 216 fifteen minutes later, Bri was asleep with the girls. My lips lifted into a small smile as I took in the sight of the three. My heart twisted tightly in my chest and I fought not to make a sound of pain. Reaching up, I pressed a hand to my chest against the aching organ. Really, these three were going to kill me...

Feeling my own skin, it hit me that I was still shirtless. I tried to smirk at the thought, realizing that was why some of the nurses had been shooting me heated looks. But, for once in my life...I didn't give a damn about sex. I couldn't stand any of it. Not in this moment...not this night. This night was the birthday of my twin girls, the start of a whole new chapter of my life.

The scariest thing was I had no idea what to expect.

Was I going to prove my own fears right and discover I was an awful father? Would I be just like my own blood father, a man who was someone I both feared and hated?

No, I promised myself firmly, feeling my head begin to throb in pain at just the thought. I refuse to become like that bastard.

I blinked, pulling my mind back into the present. Bri was laid out on the bed, her hand stretched out toward a white styrofoam cup which sat at the bedside table. The girls were curled up on her still-half bare chest, covered up mostly by the hospital gown. Bri's short, straight hair was bunched up mostly behind her head, her lips parted in the quiet, even breathing of deep sleep. The sounds of the three's heartbeats and breathing filled up the entire room in my senses.

The very abrupt and strange thought that it was almost as if my own heart was beating inside this room itself popped in my head.

Shaking my head, I reached up to press a hand against my temple. No...I couldn't handle any of this right now. Panic swelled up in my system and I let out a choked breath, feeling as if my throat was swelling to strangle me. Turning on my heel, I left.

I couldn't...These emotions...I'd never wanted any of them...

I couldn't handle anything happening in this moment. Everything was too raw, too real. I quickly rushed past my family, who were still all piled out in the waiting area. I didn't even pause long enough to glance at any of them or respond to their queries. No...I had to get away.

That one thought was what drove me, beating frantically with the panic of my own heart. My hands were shaking, sweating, and a haze was overlapping the world in front of my eyes. I drove the Audi with my brain on a distracted automatic. I wasn't sure exactly how, but I managed to make it through the busy city streets without attracting the attention of law enforcement.

Yeah...that would be just the thing I'd need in this moment. I didn't have any money to pay a speeding or reckless driving ticket. Hell, I didn't have any money.

I ground my teeth tightly at the realization. Gods, how stupid am I? I'd always kept the money I had in the account Aiden had given me when I turned eighteen. I paid for everything either with a card or digitally. Well, at least I have a car, a full tank, and I already paid the rent on the apartment in advance for the rest of the year...

That was smart, right?

Gods, I didn't know anymore. I only paid the rent in large, six month intervals because Max had suggested it might be a good idea, in case something happened. Sure, it might cost me 15,000 jen all at once, but it hadn't been a problem, before. With the amount of money the Frost family had, it was just a drop in the bucket, honestly.

With an average year, the Lord of Winter brought home roughly $300 trillion dollars. Multiple that by five with the dollar to jen conversation rate and my family never ran out of money. We could try, honestly, but it would never happen.

Closing my eyes briefly, I fought not to jerk the wheel back and forth in my irritation. Again, no money, no reckless driving.

Sighing heavily, I opened my eyes. Inhaling and exhaling several times, I forced the pounding of my heart to calm down. The rest of the way to my apartment I drove as carefully as possible. It sort of drove me nuts, completely unlike my style. But even I could admit that today wasn't the time...

Fifteen minutes later, I was standing in the elevator, going up to my penthouse suite. Tapping my foot in impatience, as soon as the elevator came to a stop and began to open, I fought not to claw off the doors. Slipping through the smallest opening of the doors that I could manage as they kept opening, I stumbled out into the small hall. Growling under my breath at my clumsy ass nearly falling face-first to the ground, I caught myself. Straightening, I kept forward, like a steam-engine, ready to take out everything in my way to get to my destination. Pulling out my key, I glanced down at it, realizing I was going to need to make a copy now...Bri would need one in order to get inside...

Thinking about Bri made me think about Aria and Nala.

My chest squeezed and I sucked in a sharp breath of pain. Raising a hand to clutch at my heart, I clumsily unlocked the door with my right hand and twisted the knob. Stumbling, dragging my feet, suddenly feeling as if the gravity around me had increased by three-fold, I leaned back on the door to shut it. Closing my eyes, the pounding of my heart kicked into high gear. The swelling sensation continued and I ground my teeth together tightly in order to try and stop it.

Even so, a tiny noise of pain got by my guard.

Another followed close behind and I felt all of it slam into me at once. Sucking in a sharp, shaky breath, my body began to slid down the door. Falling, I let out another noise as my ass hit the floor, but I barely noticed. Raising my hands up to cover my face, I squeezed my forehead and eyes tightly, trying to stop what I could feel was trying to happen.

Time passed...I honestly wasn't sure how much...Eventually, I pushed myself shakily up to my feet. Shaking my head a little, I groaned. "Really, stop being a little bitch," I grumbled aloud at myself.

Feeling a little steadier, I began to strip off my clothes, tossing them carelessly to the ground as I made my way to the bed. Once I was in nothing but my black boxers, I let out a long exhale. Stalking to my bed, I threw back the thin blanket -really just a sheet, nearly- and slid onto the mattress.

I can figure out everything when I wake up...I can...I can start to try and figure out what I'm going to do from here on in the morning.

Closing my eyes, I inhaled and exhaled slowly. Rolling onto my left side, I stared out at the windows, my eyesight easily able to see past the darkness.

Jerking my head in a slight shake, I tried to get my heart and breathing to flow into an easy, relaxed rythmn...I closed my eyes, pulled the blanket up a little further, and rest my head on the pillows. The softness of the mattress instantly made some of the small hurts begin to ease up. My breath came out in a quiet exhale...

You little fucker. Do you really think it will be that easy?

Of course he does...He never learns. Really, Felix is so stupid.

He's just like his father, that's what he is.

A shit stain.

A maggot.

A monster.

Yes, yes. A monster!

Murderer!

Baby-killer!

Rapist!

Gasping, I shot up into a sitting position on the bed. "Go the fuck away!" I shouted angrily.

Aww, why do you try to deny it?

Ooh, ooh, I know! I know! Felix thinks because he has a "family" now, he's changed.

The little bastard thinks he can be normal now, huh?

So sad...So unfortunate...Poor, poor little bastard Felix...

Whimpering, I press my knees into my chest. "Please...I just want to sleep," I begged of the darkness that was growing thicker and closer with each word. The voices in the darkness, the pull of the shadows...Gods, how many years had I been tormented by them now?

When had it even started?

Honestly, I couldn't remember anymore. Though, surely, it must have been for a long time now...

Little bastard Felix is trying so hard...He's got two little bitty girls now...

So sweet he is...He thinks he can be a father!

A bastard can't be a father! All he can be is a bastard!

No one wants you, Felix!

No one likes you, Felix!

No one loves you, Felix!

Closing my eyes, fighting back tears, I raised my hands up to cover my ears. "Please..." I breathed out weakly. "Leave me alone...!"

The voices continued to laugh, swirling, surrounding every side of me.

No one's ever going to choose to stay with you, Felix. All you are is a mistake. No one ever wanted you and no one ever will.

Even dear old Mommy never wanted you.

Yes, poor dear Mommy. Imagine the pain she had to experience! Imagine the terror and hate in her heart!

Jacob stole her away from her one true love because he was sick in the head!

Then he filled her head with lies, he stole her life away.

And then...

The voices snickered in spiteful glee. But I already knew what they were good to say..."Stop! Shut the fuck up, you assholes!"

Then he held her down and raped her over and over!

All that pain! All that terror!

Oh, but you know it so well, don't you, Felix?!

You're just as insane as HE was!

Like Father like Son!!!

"SHUT UP!"

Like Father like Son!

You'll do the same to your little "family"...Time for kisses and, oh, OOPS!

Crying baby! Bleeding baby! Torn baby! DEAD BABY!

The voices continued to taunt me, cackling in glee at the fear and anger I always felt.

"SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!"

Bri will come in once she hears the cries..."They just wouldn't stop crying!"

"I didn't mean to tear them apart!"

"I didn't mean to rip out their tiny little hearts!"

"Oh...Whoops! Is that your leg in my hand, Bri? How did that get there?!"

"...You have to be quiet, Bri! You'll wake the babies!"

"SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP!!!!!!!!!"

Collapsing into sobs, I tried to fight through the terror. My mind tried to figure out how to get the voices to stop.

People...O-others...They don't talk around others...Woman? Women?

No. I couldn't be with some random woman...Not on this day...Not this night. Fucking hell, my daughters were barely a few hours old!

Who else...? Bren!

In the darkness, I could sense the terrible creatures moving, circling...In the back of my mind, where some form of logic and cold, hard reality remained, I knew they didn't exist...

But I was nothing more or less than a hunted animal at night by myself...

The nightmares of my own mind made it impossible for me to sleep by myself.

Bren had helped me when I was younger. He'd always kept his bedroom door unlocked, even when I'd been in middle school and high school. He'd been my own giant security blanket...A few times over the years, some of the servants had caught us, but with a quiet, discreet word from Bren they'd all pretended that they'd seen nothing. I could only guess that the servants had thought the two of us were bisexual and lovers though...Especially with how Bren could act like a complete fool at times.

Shaking my head, I whimpered at the sound of Bri's voice screaming in horror and pain. Crawling frantically over the blanket to get out of it, I ended up falling off the bed. Groaning in pain, I quickly scrambled along the floor.

Phone...phone...Where the fuck is my phone?!

Finally finding it in the right side pocket of my shorts, I pulled it out. "SHUT UP, YOU BITCHES!" I snarled as one of the voices began to describe the taste of Bri's body as I hypothetically devoured it.

My hands began to shake as I heard the sound of my stomach growl.

Gods save my soul, but damn it all...Bri sounded so good!

"NO!" I yelled in defiance just as the phone line clicked.

"Well, I can just hang up, sir," Bren muttered in pretend offense.

"No!" I said in a slightly softer voice. "B-Bren, I need you..." I choked out tightly.

"If I can't have one brother, I'll take the other. Alright, Felix, how do you want to do this?" he asked in a coy voice. "Should I be the pitcher or the catcher?"

"N-no, you imbicle!" I snarled. "I...not that! It's the darkness! The voices!"

The line went quiet for a few seconds. Bren let out a long, heavy breath. "You don't want any of your lady frien-?"

"No!" I insisted firmly. "C-can you come...P-please?" I whispered softly. A second later I sobbed at the sound of Bri's voice echoing in my head. She was begging me to stop, pleading for her life.

"I had a feeling something like this might happen after today, so I was already on my way after stopping by the Palace to get my things. I even packed for a few days, if you really need me to," he assured me. "Felix, I'm already almost at your building, so just stay strong until I can get there, okay?"

"T-thank you..." I closed my eyes in relief, cutting off the image of the massacre the darkness assured me would come about...

"Sure," Bren murmured. "I've finally got Bluetooth equipment installed into my car, so just keep talking to me, alright?"

Hands stained in blood!

Worse than Jacob!

Worse than your Father!

All you are is a monster!

You'll never be anything other than a monster, Felix...So why try to fight it? Just destroy everyone and everything in your sight! Kill them all!

Kill! Kill! KILL!

"SHUT UP!" I shouted, squeezing the phone tight at my ear. "Why can't you ever leave me alone?!"

We are you, bastard.

How can we leave when you're just talking to yourself?

Oh, I know! You could just slash your wrist! End your pointless existence and you'll never have to hear us talk again...

But, you know, Felix, we only speak the truth. You know, Felix.

You know all too well.

"Felix, I'm in the elevator. You still doing okay?" Bren's voice slowly cut through some of the panic in my mind.

I squeezed the phone so tightly, I worried I'd crush it. "...Y-yeah," I lied. Fighting to rise to my feet, I moved to the front door. Opening it, I stared out at Bren through blurry, weary eyes. "Hey..." I mumbled with no energy in my voice.

Bren stared at me for several seconds, his sea-green eyes as tired as my own must be. Then, very slowly, he smiled brightly. In his left hand, he was holding a brown tote bag with quite a few zippers. "So, I brought my nightie!" he gushed, blushing faintly. "I hope you don't mind that it isn't virginal white, though. Personally, I find aquamarine to be a much better color."

Moving to the side to allow him entrance, I sighed. "Oh really?"

"Yep," he nodded firmly, closing the door behind him. Letting out a long breath, he moved past me and started toward the bed. Setting his bag on the mattress, he began to dig through it.

"Hey," I cleared my throat nervously. "I wanted to..."

Spinning on his heel, arms held up a little, Bren displayed a aquamarine-colored night gown. It was big and long enough that if he'd put it on, it would have reached to just a little above his knees. It even had lacey white trim along the edges and ruffles along the sleeves. "See?" he beamed. "What do you think?" he preened, shifting it a little and pushing up his shaggy strawberry blonde hair like a girl. "Doesn't the color just make my eyes pop out even more?"

"...Is this you finally coming out of the closet?" I asked in an awkward, tense voice

Bren pushed his bottom lip out in a pout. "Really, you're no fun, Felix," he sighed. "Besides, there's no 'coming out' of the closest if it never existed in the first place." Rolling his eyes, his face instantly wiped clean of any humor. Stuffing the gown back in the bag, he sighed. "So...you're a dad now."

"...Apparently," I muttered listlessly.

"That's scary shit," Bren said seriously. "No joke, Felix. That's terrifying."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, dick," I shot at him as I locked the door.

"I'm just being honest," he sighed. "What side of the bed you want? Right side, isn't it? Or has that changed since you were younger?" His tone was all business, no sense of hesitation or embarrassment at all.

"Yeah, you remember it right," I nodded as I started toward the door. I was still in nothing but my boxers, though I didn't see any reason why I should care.

Slowly, Bren pulled out a black cotton T-shirt, long and big, like he normally wore when he was trying to be comfortable. He stripped, changing into it after taking off his button up shirt and dress pants.

"Do you fuck women in a shirt like that?" I wondered aloud as I crawled into the bed, pushing back the blankets.

Bren's lips twitched in dark humor. "Not normally, no," he answered evenly. "Usually I've got quite a bit less clothes on."

"I'd hope so," I muttered, fluffing the pillows.

"Damn, it's been a long time," Bren sighed as he kicked his bag off to the floor and followed suit on the other side. "This makes me feel old," he whined.

Turning on my side, I let out a long breath. "Look, I was trying to say thanks earlier."

Bren gave me a soul-weary smile. "It's no biggie, Felix. You're like my little brother. My annoying, pain-in-the-ass, always-horny brother granted, but still." He reached out to pat my head and ruffle my hair.

Jerking back, I smacked his hand away. "Don't be a creep, please," I glared at him. "It's not my fetish."

Bren smiled sadly, but nodded. Turning on his back, he stared up at the ceiling. After a few seconds, I turned on my other side, facing away from him. "...I know you're afraid, but I think this might be good for you, Felix. Of course, things are going to be hectic and hard for awhile. But you've got people who care about you that you can count on...You'd have even more if you'd let people in, you know? But, at least you've got me, Luke, Max, and maybe even Bri?" A hesitant, expectant pause hung in the silence between us.

"Bri's not involved in this," I growled out quietly. I was warning him. He needed to back. Off.

"The hell she isn't," was his short reply. "I know you're paranoid, but she already knows about the truth, Felix. She and those little girls are going to be a part of your life now, assuming you don't royally screw it up. You can't realistically expect them not to know about you...Bri's not stupid. How long do you think it will be before she starts to notice the signs?"

"I didn't call you over for a heart-to-heart, damn it. I called you over so that I could get some sleep!" I snarled, pulling the blanket up high over my head.

Silence hung in the air for quite a long time. Neither of us said another word. Eventually I felt myself give in to sleep.

O O O

The next morning I didn't wake up until nearly eleven in the morning. Yawning, I pushed the blankets back, stretching out. Glancing down, I saw my red boxers. Yawning again, I threw my feet over the side of the bed, standing up. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Bren's side of the bed was empty. Turning my head slowly, I inspected my place carefully. I saw nothing different, which was surprising...Wait, no.

Stretching out as I walked, I moved to the coffee table in front of the couch. Sitting on the glass surface was a brown, non-descript briefcase. On top of it were two pieces of paper. Sitting down on the couch, I leaned forward to pick up the note on the very top.

Felix,

Alright. So Bri, Willow, and Aiden have already tried to call you a great number of times. They're royally pissed, considering you haven't shown up at the hospital yet. Plus, you know, for all the other reasons they're angry at you.

Sometimes I'm actually worried for how good of an actor you can be...

Anyway, my plan is to rile the women folk into remodeling your place, so you need to get gone for the day.

Max left you another list, so I'm sure you can stay busy enough not to show back up at your place until eleven tonight?

~ B

I let out a short laugh. "Yeah, yeah, sure." Calling a flame forth, I let it burn Bren's paper before dousing it and picking up the next one.

Hey, Feline-

"Bastard. How does he even know...? Bren," I sighed darkly, realizing. "I'm not a cat," I grumbled.

"You're contrary enough to be one."

I could just hear Max's smirking comment in my mind. I scowled at the thought. Shaking my head, I shifted a little on the couch and kept reading.

So...about all the shit that went down last night? This is bad. Very bad. None of us expected Bri to deliver so early, so many of the plans I had set up are falling through. Now you're going to have to man up and deal with shit. You need a job. You need money. You need to learn how to not be such a party animal. No more week-long stays somewhere else, alright? As per our arrangement, I fully expect you to hold up your end of the bargian. I've been doing so and you need to show me that you can do the same.

It's either that or the truth is going to come to light, for everyone. But we all know how much we don't want that. Still...I'm tired, Felix...

Alright, first off I've left you a case of money. I've got 10k jen in here. Don't spend it all in one place. Budget, Felix, budget!

To that end I've left you a chart on what and how much money to be spending on things with this 10k. Make sure Bri doesn't know you have it. Don't want her wondering where you got all the money...

Anyway, I've also left a list of places hiring. Simple places, where you aren't going to make a lot of money, but something's better than nothing, right? Just...don't be you when you go. No one's going to hire some asshole, not with the way you act.

The paper crumbled in my fist as I squeezed it tight. "Prick," I muttered darkly. I let that note burn as well, enjoying the faint warmth coming from the flame. Shaking my hands to remove what little ash there was, I opened up the briefcase, putting in the code. I knew the code because it was Max's birthday...his true birthday, not the lie he tossed out to those who knew "Axel". Throwing back the lid, bundles of light blue 100 jen bills were revealed, stacked inside. On top of the piles of jen was another note.

You can't burn this, right? Later, ass. Just so you know, the score right now is 15. How much more do I have to do to get 24, huh?    You're such a dick. I'm also billing you for the 5 today as well. Just so you're aware of your balance...

"Fuck!" I hissed. Running my hands threw my hair, I tossled it aggressively. "Sneay bastard," I muttered aloud to my empty apartment. Closing my eyes, I inhaled a long, deep breath. Opening them, I inspected the underside of the lid of the briefcase. In a sectional slit were two more thicker, folded pieces of paper. Taking them out and unfolding them, I found the list of employers and budget guide. Sighing, I leaned back in my chair, slowly reading them...

"This is going to be shit," I decided in annoyance.