Lillian and Giles were absolutely shitting themselves.
Between Kate's piercing gaze and Xavier's overwhelming presence, how Edwin could be so relaxed was beyond them. Their backs were already covered in sweat.
Xavier's eyes lingered on the trio "I understand that interview of yours was entirely Edwin's doing."
The pair nodded anxiously.
"Very well." He shifted his focus to Edwin "And why did you do that?"
He wore a sullen expression.
"I am not chastising you; I simply want to understand."
"Uncle…" he took several steps forward "…I just thought it would be better to have it out there rather than people always speculating."
He looked behind Edwin to the trembling duo "Is that so?"
Edwin and the band had discussed this. If ever the opportunity presented itself and he wished to, Edwin was free to discuss his past. It wasn't going to be a thing or a selling point just a clarification so that those annoying rumours could be put to rest once and for all. Was divulging it on Anis's show a good idea? Yes. Absolutely, she was more than professional; did it help Ethan? Yes, they were grateful to him and his husband, if they could help him in any way, they would. Was it good PR for the band? Also yes, interest in the band had skyrocketed and they were all everyone wanted to talk about. Although, this last point was an afterthought and not the main reason, it made sense why Kate was glaring at them.
"Personally, I hold the opinion that what happened that day was not fueled by ill intent, but the reality is not so simple." He gestured to the chairs.
"He said to sit!" Kate snapped when the pair remained standing.
"Kate, don't frighten the kids."
She snorted and looked away, while they shuffled to the seaters.
"Moving forward your names, your band will constantly be tied to social justice narratives, activist and omega rights movements. In the near future, Edwin will be asked to repeat his story over and over again, he will be required to perform victimhood, have you thought about how to handle that?"
"N-no, sir." Giles answered with a hung head.
Lillian shook her head.
He turned to Edwin who was still standing by his side "And you? Is that what you want?"
He scrunched up his nose "…no."
"Unfortunately, this is the reality you have stepped into, and it is a difficult one to navigate. As you must have observed by now, public sentiment is nobody's friend." Xavier couldn't help but admire Edwin. Sure, the boy's actions had thrown his carefully laid plans into a complete disarray, but everything eventually worked out and he still had all his cards intact. He sighed "For the rest of your stay, I suggest you turn to Kate for a few pointers. If you choose to extend your stay or set up residence in the city, she would also be of help to you."
Giles' eyes widened. Was he going to actually help them?
"Media literacy is something you should focus on." His statement was directed to Lillian "Kate…"
"Are you really asking me to babysit?"
"Do me a favour, would you?"
"Why not just run a charity?" she scoffed.
"Oh, they will. Just not right now." He pushed himself out of the chair "Would you like to join me for lunch?"
Edwin beamed "Can I?"
"Of course."
He attached himself to Xavier's arm, throwing a questioning look at Giles and Lillian who had not moved an inch.
They shook their heads in refusal.
It was their loss, the food here was great.
"Did you ask him to do it?" Even if Edwin had repeatedly told him that the interview was completely his own doing, Ethan was not entirely convinced.
"No." Alexei answered without looking up from the tablet in his hands "I said I have no intentions of parading you and I meant it."
Ethan pursed his lips. Since the revelation, the criticisms of his husband had diminished by a lot but that didn't make all the skeptics go away. There were suspicions about the convenience of revelation and even doubts about the truth of their story but those were often quickly drowned out by the more empathetic masses. "Th-then is it Dad?"
He looked up this time "He would never do such a thing."
"Okay…" He answered in a tiny voice "…I… I just wanted to be sure."
Alexei examined him closely "Baby, are you feeling okay?" he placed the tablet on the side table and shuffled closer "What's is bothering you?"
He sighed, rubbing his forehead "I don't know, just a little dizzy and... and queasy... like my stomach is burning." He sulked.
"Do you want to lie down for a bit? I'll call someone to come check you."
He wanted to, he really wanted to but from the minute he sat down to this moment, it seemed all his energy had left his body without his knowledge. It hurt to move.
"I'll call Yul." Alexei informed as he gathered the weakened person into his arms. There was an unnatural amount of heat radiating from Ethan's body. With broad urgent strides, he made it to their bedroom, laid him in bed and called for Yul. "Where does it hurt?"
Ethan didn't provide an answer but instead, held on to his arm with all the strength he could muster. It wasn't a lot, in fact, it was quite a feeble attempt, but it was more than enough to have his husband remain by his side.
"Baby..." He gently peeled the hand feebly clutching his shirt away and brought it to his lips "...can you stay awake for me? Just until Yul gets here, okay?"
Ethan squirmed and whimpered in reply. His discomfort just kept growing, he began to feel increasingly thirsty. His chest grew heavier with each breath. A heated fog slowly crept into his mind. He wanted to close his eyes and forget about it all, but he couldn't, Alexei asked him to stay awake. He told Alexei he would stay awake. He focused on the sound of his husband repeatedly calling out to him.
Almost ten minutes later, Yul arrived. She was quick and efficient, from examination to setting up an IV line.
"Is it supposed to be like this?" Alexei asked, impatiently.
She inspected the line one more time "It should be over in a day or two, maybe three? He's recessive, so it shouldn't take too long." She gave Alexei a comforting smile "It's his first proper heat after a very long time, so it's a bit disorienting but it won't always be like this."
He nodded in acknowledgement, but his anxiety did not ease.
"You know how to set up his fluids, right? When it empties just take it off and give him the next one on the sixth hour."
"Yea, yea… I get it , a new bag every six hours. Wipe him down, change his clothes, keep him comfortable."
"Yes."
He sidestepped her and planted himself firmly by Ethan's side, he was asleep now "I won't see you out." He dismissed her without a glance.
The elusive scent he had come to love permeated every corner of the room.
For the next two days, Ethan drifted in and out of consciousness. Sometimes it was to the feeling of something cool on his skin, or to the feeling of something flowing into his body from his hand but whenever he managed to open his eyes, Alexei was always by his side.
It was comforting.
The last time he was this sick, there was no one next to him.
He closed his eyes and allowed his consciousness to drift away.
It was the morning of the third day.
Alexei's irritation peaked. Was it even necessary to keep the gland? What if it didn't get better, would Ethan have to pass every heat like this? Maybe they should have gotten rid of it.
"…Alex..."
It was such a light and weak whisper that he almost missed it. He turned to the door, stunned to find Ethan's frail body leaning heavily against the door. He had taken out the IV line. Without a word, he hurried over scooped him up and made straight for the bed.
"…when I woke up…" he drew in a shallow breath "…you weren't there..."
"I'm sorry. I stepped away for a minute." He laid him down gently "How do you feel?"
"Thirsty."
"Right." He helped him up before filling a glass with water. "Anything else?" He asked, pressing the cup to his lips "Does it sting? Is that why you took out the needle?"
Despite how parched he felt, all he could manage was a tiny sip. He gave a feeble nod to the question about the needle.
"Drink some more."
He complied obediently, drinking barely a quarter of the glass was all he could manage. Nevertheless, Alexei was satisfied.
He took the glass away "Are you uncomfortable anywhere else?"
He shook his head weakly.
"Go back to sleep."
Ethan lay in bed but rather than sleep, he stared at Alexei with wide, sparkling eyes.
Alexei placed a palm over the other's eyes "Sleep." He repeated.
He smiled, pressing the warm hand to his face. It was so soothing, he didn't want the other to leave.
"What's so funny?"
Ethan tittered.
Alexei leaned in "Did the heat burn your brain?"
"...no." He whispered.
"Sleep. I won't go anywhere."
Ethan finally settled down "Alex?"
"I'm here."
"Thank you."
"What are you talking about? I'm your husband."
That interview was nothing, but a bomb recklessly tossed into his life.
Everywhere he turned he was bombarded with questions about the parents. Who was Alexei? What is even a Rockwell? All anyone wanted to talk about were the parents. Who were the parents? Where are the parents? Why didn't you investigate the parents? What was his plan to handle the situation with the parents? How was it that the parents were able to evade reckoning for so long? Will there be a criminal case against the parents? The parents this and the parents that... If he heard one more word about the parents, he would lose his goddamn mind.
Even worse, there were privacy concerns constantly being raised. How far was overreaching? Should OPS have the right to access people's medical details? And if they do, what is the guarantee that there will be no more leaks? What would he do to make sure this situation does not repeat itself? How did he plan to handle the matter about bias during an investigation?
The consistent unavailability of the people involved only added to his ever-growing burdens. Any attempts to reach out to Ethan were viciously blocked off by Alexei who cited his husband's poor health. And Edwin, who dropped the bomb? His manager said everything was too sudden and they had to do some damage control for the sake of the band.
His suffering did not end there. No, because clearly, suffering is his ultimate prize in life... The document Alexei told him to sign without thinking too much of it arrived and Michealson could swear that his vision blacked out the moment he read it. He was demanding OPS become their private piggy bank and the costs were beyond exorbitant. They would have to subsidize any omega-centred product Hanzel would put out for a yet to be determined amount of time, anything from five years and above. That meant those products would be available to the public for almost no cost at all and Hanzel would emerge with a sparkling reputation. He should have just sued them
Speaking of reputations, Alexei had somehow emerged as a man of quiet dignity who was target by the malicious OPS because he refused to be manipulated.
It was beyond infuriating.
In a bid to actually get things done, he tracked down the careless agent and dismissed them immediately and then, he reached out to the more sensible option. The VP of Hanzel, Jay Rockwell. He should have just done that from the start. After explaining his frustrations, he agreed to offer aid stating they were about to become allies after all. In matter of days, a meeting was set up on the condition that there would be lawyers in attendance because 'Alexei would rather die than let his husband be in room alone with anyone from OPS'. Also, the meeting would be taking place at Hanzel's rehabilitation centre because of Ethan's health.
As a bonus, Edwin would be present as well.
He almost dropped to his knees and wept to the heavens. Finally, he could begin the arduous work of absolution.
Michealson and his two deputies were being led down what appeared to be the hall to... a boardroom... in a hotel? The disconnect between what he expected and what this place actually was little bewildering.
While he was expecting to see at least dozen lawyers behind the doors, he was surprised to find that there were only three in attendance. Along with them, Giles the band manager and Zed; an intimidating woman who sat in the corner and asked to be ignored but watched everyone's move with hawk eyes and finally, Alexei, who looked like he would rather be anywhere else.
Jason looked at the restless person by his side. Once again, he wondered how a sweetheart like Ethan ended up with the bastard that was his brother "Are you sure you want him in there?"
Ethan tugged on his sleeves "Is he not allowed to be here?"
"...hmmm, technically..." Jason stared the doors "...he can but I doubt he'll be of any use. To be candid, I believe Alexei is more likely to constitute a nuisance than help in any way."
Ethan straightened, took a deep breath and let out a slow breath through his mouth.
Jason watched the sequence with a raised brow "Ready?"
Ethan nodded.
Jason turned to Edwin, who seemed ready to take in whatever was beyond the doors at any moment "And you?"
Edwin nodded.
Jason opened the doors and led them into the room. Edwin expertly maneuvered his way to Zed and as far away from Alexei as he could manage without raising suspicions.
Jason went to sit next to Kate in the corner.
And Ethan walked straight to where his brooding husband was seated, arms crossed, avoiding their gazes and probably still grumbling about his brother and husband betraying him.
"Please have a seat." Michaelson offered him a seat politely, but his offer was ignored, instead Ethan remained on his feet next to Alexei.
Alexei looked up to meet his gaze "What?"
"My seat."
Alexei looked around the room "Is there something special about this chair? Why don't you go sit next to your new best friend? He just offered you a nice place."
Ethan rolled his eyes "My. Seat."
He lowered his arms ready to switch places, only for Ethan to lower himself on to his lap before Alexei could stand.
The room stilled for a second before Alexei pressed hand over his mouth to hide his growing very smug and quite frankly, very annoying grin.
Michealson observed the reactions of everyone in the room, except for members of the band, everyone else treated this exchange like just another Tuesday. Even the lawyers were unmoved.
He turned to his deputies; both were wide eyed and mouth agape. Okay so he wasn't the odd one here. The next time he looked at the pair, he was met with Ethan's hostile gaze. So, both husbands hated him, good to know. "I haven't had the chance to apologize properly for the distress our actions have caused you. I want to inform you that the source of the leak has been found and dealt with appropriately."
Alexei snorted.
He tried not to dwell on it and pushed on "How is your health?"
Ethan's gaze narrowed "I would assume you already know that."
He wrapped his arms around Ethan with a snicker "Baby, play nice with interlopers."
He pouted.
Michealson stole a glance at Jason who did nothing "I uh… today, we would like to discuss to your parents. As I am sure you know, we have opened a case regarding your claims-"
"Claims?" Alexei huffed "That's rich. Edwin very publicly narrated his story. You have the medical files of both my husband and his brother but sure, claims."
An uncomfortable silence settled in the room.
"I'm sorry…" he faced Edwin "…I am not trying to diminish or question what you went through. This time, I promise, we will do our job properly."
Edwin felt Zed's hold his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze "It's fine."
He swallowed. This was going to be extremely difficult, especially if everyone was already on guard. He placed a taped recorder on the table "It is procedure that every case be documented and recorded. My deputy…" he gestured to the person on his left "…will take notes. If at any point, you feel overwhelmed and wish to stop, please do say so."
They spent hours recounting and recording every sordid detail they could recall from their childhood. By the time they were done, a whole day had passed.
"Can either of you narrate what happened that night."
Edwin shrugged "I've said all I remember. Thessa gave me something weird to drink. After that I went into heat and she led me to Ethan's room. I don't know what happened after."
He turned his expectant gaze to Ethan.
"That night, immediately we found Edwin, Irene administered first-aid and sent him to the hospital…" He tightened his grip on the arms that had remained around his waist this whole time "…I was really distraught that my parents would do such a thing. I was inconsolable and my husband spent the whole night beside me. When I woke up they were gone."
"They just disappeared?"
Ethan nodded.
"What about the staff?"
"Just that? Nothing happened? No confrontation?" it was absurd that the man who was glowering at him and is well-known for his dislike for omegas would find one in his bed as a result of a poor attempt to entrap him and nothing would happen. No one was stupid enough to believe that.
"Like I said…" Ethan's annoyance became more obvious with each word "…Irene sent Edwin to the hospital and Alex was by my side."
"The staff said-"
"I think that's quite enough." Hillary interjected "This has been an emotionally tasking ordeal, and they've answered what they can to the best of their abilities, pushing for more would just be cruel."
"One last question, can you offer up any information that can help us track them down? acquaintances? Friends? Relatives? Anything?"
Ethan shook his head slowly.
He turned to Edwin.
"I don't know anything about them."
Michealson sighed. A dead end. He looked around the room, everyone was exhausted. He glanced down at his watch; this had gone on deep into the late evening. "Very well, if we have any more questions-"
"You better not have anything. We're done with this matter." Alexei stroked Ethan's back gently "Isn't that right, baby? You never want to see the scary social workers again, do you?"
Ethan squinted at him "I'm tired." He pushed himself to his feet and made to leave.
"Alexei, if you don't mind, we also need to ask you a few questions."
He completely ignored Michealson and begun to follow after his husband.
"Alexei, sit your ass down." Kate barked at him as she ushered Edwin, Zed, Giles and Ethan out.
He reluctantly lowered himself back into his chair as the room emptied. "What do you want? You've questioned everyone in my household, what more could you possibly want?"
"We need clues to help us locate them, your husband's parents."
"Then go out and find it, that's your job."
"I have every reason to believe you know where they are."
"Belief isn't fact now, is it?" He crossed his arms across his chest.
"They were last seen in your house and then they disappeared. If they're on the run, there would at least be a trail, some concrete evidence of existence."
Alexei stared him down "You're doing something very dangerous here, Micheal."
"I'm just-"
"You are implying I have either harmed or held them hostage, am I wrong?"
"Yes, I just want the full story."
He cracked his fingers "My house manager sent Edwin to the hospital, and I remained behind to console my husband."
"Yes, everyone says that but it's not the full story."
Alexei grinned, a finger tapping that armrest "Then tell me the full story. You seem to like telling stories a lot, writing a book? Thinking of going into writing, shall I recommend a good publisher?"
Obviously, questioning him would only have them going around in circles.
"Are we done here?"
Michealson let out an exasperated sigh "Done."
Alexei turned to Jason "Satisfied?"
He nodded.
He hopped to his feet and walked out the door without sparing the bureaucrats a single glance.
Jason came forward, lawyers in tow "I hope this was of help to you. If there is anything else, please do not hesitate to reach out."
Michaelson let out a long, exhausted breath, where would he even start with this?