The next time Lily stepped out of the car, she was at a mansion. It was so huge that calling it a house seemed strange.

          She noticed the valet, who seemed alert and on standby, standing next to a few cars. Lily tried not to glue her eyes onto a certain purple Chevrolet Camaro in the midst of the rest.

         They had driven by a set of fountains to get to the front of the house. Lily leaned against the headrest and closed her eyes briefly, feeling the warmth of Mikhail's hand engulfed in her own.

        What the hell was this place? She thought and cracked an eye open, looking at Alexander who smoothly parked the car, still speaking to Eden.

        When they all got out, Lily hesitated in the slightest, not knowing what to do.

"Hey, puffball," Alexander called. "The front door is over here."

"I can see it," she shot back. "Try keeping your mouth shut for three minutes."

"And deprive you of this remarkable voice? I think not," replied Alexander. The smile he sent her way was completely annoying.

Just then,  a man got out of the front door and walked in their direction. He was chubby and had brown hair, just like Eden's. Except that, it didn't curl as much.

Before he could properly say 'hello'—as Lily assumed he would, Alexander swept him off his feet like it only came naturally to him.

"Hello, my love," said Alexander to him, staring into his eyes as he said it.

"Mon amour. Hello," he replied shyly.

He had a French accent, and now that she saw him closely, he had the prettiest face she had ever seen. Lily turned away when they started kissing.

         She rolled her eyes when Alexander started speaking in French.

The man in Alexander's arms seemed soft-spoken and nice. Too nice.

She wondered how they met, specifically how he got Alexander's attention.

"And I'm late!" She heard, rather than saw him squirm in Alexander's hold. "Put me down, he's waiting for me."

"Okay, okay," said Alexander as he chuckled. He finally put the man down.

"Hi Pierre," said Eden, whom had just come out of the car.

"Eden?" The man– Pierre said. "Hi! What happened?" He looked genuinely worried which further intrigued Lily.

Eden tried to talk his way out of it while covering it up but the expression on Pierre's face was set in determination.

"Are you alright?" He asked rather persistently.

Eden nodded. "I'll tell you later. I know you're in a hurry." It was clever of him.

The chubby man seemed satisfied with that. But before he could go, he turned to the children.

"Hello," he said to Lily and Mikhail. "I'm Pierre."

It passed in a flash, but in that moment, Lily noticed that there was oddly something about him that somehow reminded him of Mikhail.

"Lily," she said. She noticed the way Pierre's eyes narrowed as he looked at Mikhail. Like he had either seen him before, or he somehow recognized him.

"This is Mikhail," she said and took a little step forward, putting Mikhail behind her protectively.

Pierre blushed and drifted his gaze back to her and smiled. "It's nice to meet you," he said.

Lily had never felt so horrible about her actions, but she didn't show it.

Pierre reached out for Alexander to give him a farewell hug. "I'll see you later. I love you," he said.

And with that, he was gone.

From the moment they got into the house, Eden was overwhelmed with all the attention that was focused on them.

          He was too tired to wonder where the rest of the men were, but he was happy to see them.

"Da–Alexander called me. I hope you're feeling fine. No, of course not, you've just been–"

"It's okay Zel," Eden smiled fondly at him.

When they'd first met, it was so chaotic because neither one of them could be still. Their energy matched too well. Zel brought out the most childish sides of him that mostly ever manifested behind a computer screen.

"I prepared your room," Zel said cheerfully before his gaze shifted to the other two. "Theirs too."

"And of course," Zel lifted Mikhail up in his arms. "I drew the best bath for you!" Alexander had probably told him whom to expect.

Mikhail didn't flinch or try to get away from him, but he looked down.

Eden could see that Lily put a lot of effort into trying not to grab Mikhail back. He wished she knew just how harmless Zel was, but there was nothing to be done at the moment.

He put him down and bent a little, then waved to Lily. "Hi," he said while smiling. "Come with me, I'll show you to your room."

•••

"Baby," Mason pecked Alexander's lips then cupped his cheek and stroked softly. "You seem distracted."

"A little," he admitted.

"A lot, but I'll press you about it later," he smacked Alexander's butt. "Now, go take a shower."

When he'd left that morning, Alexander was in a solemn mood. Right now, there was no denying it, it was an outright bad mood.

       Mason was slowly beginning to learn exactly what he needed every time he got like that. Right now, it seemed like he needed just a little time alone.

About thirty minutes later and Mason was seated across from Eden, who'd gotten a change of clothes and looked better and more refreshed than when he'd come in.

        Eden tried to hide his disinterest when Mason pushed a plate of food before him. "I'll eat later," he said, not knowing where the lack of appetite surfaced from.

"No," said Mason. "I don't care if it's only a quarter of this, but you eat now."

Eden had an argument at the tip of his tongue but he thought better about it. Especially with the way Mason looked at him.

       He put a spoonful in his mouth despite himself.

Mikhail and Lily were left to the privacy of their own room for now, so Eden decided he'd take this time to answer all the unasked questions.

      He told Mason what had happened so far, his heart going out to Linder's siblings.

     "Tadashi went alone..." asked Mason. "And Alexander let him?"

   Eden nodded.

"So that's why," he said. That's why his baby was pissed off.

Zel eased into a seat right next to Mason and pushed several strands of hair that had escaped their hold.

"Where's da– where's Alexander?" He asked.

"Taking way too long in the shower," said Mason. Probably overthinking.

"I'll go check on him. Maybe he drowned!" Zel said.

         He was already off his seat when Mason's hand fastened on his. "I think we should give him a while longer, sunshine."

  Despite the look that passed between them, Zel blushed.

"Okay," he answered and sat back down, pushing away the blond locks away from his face.

"Do you want me to do your hair later?" Mason asked and Zel practically lit up.

"Really?" He asked. Eden watched in amusement.

"Of course, why would you doubt it?" He asked.

"It's just...well, you haven't done my hair in a while...and–and you seem a little busy..." Zel nearly stammered.

"Is that what you think?" Asked Mason. "Do I need to change your mind?" He teased.

       If Zel was blushing before, then he was turning into a cherry now.

      He pouted and turned away from Mason, who laughed.

        Eden thought the both of them were fairly distracted, so he decided he'd go get the door. There was someone at it.

       Zel suddenly beat him to it, running past him and heading straight for the door.

         Both Eden and Mason laughed. It was either Zel was really excited to get to the door, or he was trying to escape from Mason.

"Are you expecting Santa Claus?" Asked Eden.

"If Santa is a hottie covered in tattoos, then yes," answered Mason, his eyes already focusing somewhere else next to Eden.

"Uh...hi," Jet said, right next to Eden as he tried to lower Zel onto the chair.

        When the smaller man refused to detach from him, with his hands around his neck and legs crossed around his waist, Jet gave up and just sat down with him.

       Eden turned to answer him and flinched so bad he almost toppled over with the stool.

        Everyone paused for a few seconds as the scene unfolded. Jet's entire face was painted in confusion, mirroring Zel's.

"Eden," said Mason. "Are you okay?"

"What?" Asked Eden.

"You look like you just saw a ghost," said Zel worriedly.

Eden quickly turned back to Jet and without meaning to, he stared for too long.

"What?" Jet asked, getting more confused by the minute.

      Everyone waited for him to explain.

"Carl... The man who took me and Mikhail...he looks exactly like Jet it's uncanny," Eden rubbed his arm. "Sorry Jet."

"What the fuck?" The four men turned to see an angry looking Lily by the door. She was staring directly at Jet.

Eden cursed under his breath before shuffling off his stool.

"I'm sorry, but I think we should leave," said Eden. He didn't even want to imagine how Mikhail must have been feeling.

Eden remembered Keaton. Alexander's chauffeur. He could take them to–

"Here," Jet said and handed him the car keys in his hand.

        It made Eden feel extremely guilty and it must have shown on his face because Jet pushed the keys closer to him. "It's okay, take them."

         Eden nodded twice and took the keys, grateful that Jet was being so understanding, even when he didn't know half of what was going on.

        Eden ushered the two children out and into the car. And in the next five minutes, he was driving away from Alexander's gates.

He was really the worst, he thought harshly. What had he been thinking?

•••

        "There's no better way to surprise us than with grand children, E," Eden's mother said. "We forgive you for running away, and we accept them."

"Hi mom," he hugged her for longer than was necessary.

"E? Something isn't right. Are you okay?" She asked.

        How was he supposed to tell them that he got kidnapped and locked in for days, when the last thing he wanted was for them to worry.

  "I'm just tired mom, so are they," he motioned to the siblings. "This is Lily and Mikhail."

Once again, the two children were given a room of their own and almost smothered with too much food.

Eden just knew his mom was really excited although she didn't try to push any information out of him for the time being.

They all took naps throughout the day and woke up later when it was almost dark.

Eden headed towards Lily and Mikhail's room to find them awake too, Lily whispering softly to her brother. They both lay on their backs and stared up at the ceiling, linking their fingers.

Eden leaned by the door until he got their attention, smiling to himself as he watched them.

Lily stopped and sat up when she noticed Eden by the door. "Hi," the man said. He was a little nervous and he didn't even know why.

"Hi," Lily replied.

"Sleep well?" He asked. She didn't answer.

He didn't sleep well either. He couldn't possibly. Not with Tadashi putting himself in danger and definitely not with wherever the fuck Linder was.

His eyes fleeted to Mikhail. What he wouldn't do to lift him in his arms and hold him close right now...

Eden decided it would be best if he just went away now. After all, he had just wanted to see them.

"Alright, I'll uh... I'll go," he said and moved off the door, slowly pulling it shut.

Eden called Rashad when he got to his room. Maybe he would help him feel better about everything.

As if the day couldn't get any worse, he didn't pick up. Even after Eden tried two more times. He must have been busy or something.

He sighed and got ready for bed because it was already getting late.

Eden was mistaken about one thing. He thought that because he felt really tired, he'd easily fall asleep, but he was wrong.

He tried so hard but nothing worked out. The anxiety took over his thoughts and he couldn't sleep a wink.

Eden sighed, a little annoyed, for what felt like the thirty ninth time. Then he gave up trying to sleep and decided to think instead.

He thought about his love for Tadashi.

Love? Since when did he begin accepting it so easily?

   It wasn't something he was expecting from himself but Tadashi was as irresistible as they came. How he'd managed so far was still beyond him.

Linder.

The pull he felt towards him was also something he didn't see coming.

He still remembered how he'd gotten defensive because he learned that Eden had somehow bonded with his brother. He couldn't help but like how awkward Linder acted when he felt shy. He had the cutest pout. And the way he'd adjust his glasses–

"What the fuck, Eden?" He mumbled to himself in the dark.

Eden ran a hand over his face and then he heard his door open a little and a small head poked in.

Eden's heart soared when he saw Mikhail getting in then softly closing the door behind him.

"Is everything okay sweetie?" Eden asked as he tried to sit up.

The boy climbed on the bed and moved over to him. Then he shook his head.

"Aw, my love," said Eden. Mikhail didn't flinch from his touch nor his kisses in his hair.

He climbed him and straddled his waist and leaned on his chest. Clinging to him like a little koala bear.

"I'm sorry about what happened today sweetie, it was my mistake," said Eden, running a soothing hand down the boy's back.

"No," Mikhail started. "That–"

"I figured he'd be here," said Lily in a sleepy voice. None of them had heard her come in.

Much to Eden's surprise, Lily joined them on the bed.

Little by little, the girl inched closer to Eden, mumbling incoherent, sleep-addled words to Mikhail.

She stopped when the side of her head rested against Eden's arm. And just like that, she was asleep.

Eden's heart felt so full he was a little excited. He used one hand to drape the covers over Lily as she slept soundly.

The fatigue started to wear in as he felt a tight coil loosen within his stomach.

Slowly, Eden too began to lose himself in sleep.

"That wasn't Carl," Mikhail said softly in the dark, but the lack of response from Eden meant he was already asleep.

He knew exactly how his sister sounded when she was far gone into a slumber so he knew no one heard him.

Eden pulled him closer, and then he too, drifted off.