"What's with you today?" Stephan asked, suspiciously eying Misha up and down. "You've been working yourself to death all evening, almost as if you've been possessed, and now that your shift is over, instead of fleeing home with Gabriel, you're trying to drag me with you two… That's strange, you know? You usually can't wait to get away from me, so what's with the sudden clingy behavior? It's scaring the hell out of me!"
Misha clenched his fists and smiled darkly at his boss, a sinister light dancing in his crystal-clear blue eyes. It was an unnerving look, but it didn't deter Stephan from spouting more nonsense. And so, Misha smacked his lips and forced himself to shut his mouth, aware that Stephan was purposely provoking him. His tendency to blurt out things whenever he was worked up was well known, and it was the easiest and fastest way to figure out what he was hiding. It was Stephan's favorite method to get something out of him, and Misha didn't trust himself to speak. Even if he knew the man was doing it purposefully, he couldn't help himself; his temper still flared up regardless of his will. If he dared to respond and belittle the idiot before him, he could tell it'd escalate until he made a blunder. It'd undoubtedly end with a:
"Do you really think I want to spend time with an annoying ass like you? If it weren't for Tristan asking me to bring you, I would never, ever approach you willingly, duh!"
Yeah, Misha could already imagine the scene playing out. Better be careful, then. So, he turned his head, offering his side profile to Stephan, and answered with a big, loud snort. As of now, he was mute.
"I don't think you'll be able to make him spill the beans," Gabriel chuckled. "I've tried and failed miserably."
"Tsk." Stephan clicked his tongue, also aware that his plan had failed. Misha was as hot-tempered as ever, always ready to speak with his fists first, but he had learned to control himself over the years. He now had grown up and knew when to shut himself and turn a deaf ear to people's annoying blabbing. "Fine. I don't know why you so desperately want me to come with you to your not-yet boyfriend's house, but I'll comply this one time."
Misha's felt his mouth twitch. Who was Stephan kidding? Everyone knew he'd come to the Laflamme house later to spend the night with Jake. The problem was that if Stephan were to visit too late, Tristan might not have the chance to speak with the three of them simultaneously. The charity event was supposed to end at around nine o'clock. Since the charity event was a mere few minutes away by car from the Laflamme's house, Angela and Matthew might have returned by the time Stephan decided to pop up. The boy could still talk to his brothers and Misha without Stephan, but he knew Jake would need someone to lean on. Whether Jake had noticed or not, Stephan had become one of his most important psychological supports. Having him near might help him go through the bomb Tristan was about to drop. It did irk the boy a little to have to depend on an outsider to appease his beloved brother, but what else could he do? His past selves were the cause behind his suffering, after all.
"So, which car do we take, Gabriel's?"
Stephan's voice snapped Misha back to reality.
"Yeah, let's take mine."
Following along, Misha climbed in the passenger seat while Stephan took place in the back. The man was blabbering about something, but Misha wasn't listening. His mind was elsewhere, preoccupied with the evening ahead. He bit his finger as he gazed out of the window. His thoughts were focused on Tristan and how he'd bring the news up to his brothers. He was so distracted that he did not notice the worried look Gabriel threw his way.
***
Tristan paced back and forth in the living room, the nervosity twisting his bowels until it felt like someone had made knots and bows with them. He made up his mind earlier and knew he'd probably lose his brothers' love in a few moments. Still, he had to do it. Thanks to his past selves and the other Tristan's memories flooding his mind night after night, the boy had access to information his brothers might need or find useful in some way. They could stop Angela and Matthew and take revenge however they saw fit.
Although Tristan had been gathering proof and other material, he was only a child, and ultimately, he wasn't sure how to make the most of them. If what he had gathered wasn't enough to sentence his hateful progenitors to life-long imprisonment, who knew how they would retaliate… These two had powerful connections in all kinds of fields.
It was best to let his brothers handle the fallout. They were smart and good at scheming: they could lay a trap for Angela and Matthew and make sure they got their just deserts. Tristan had a hunch his brothers wouldn't stop at that, though, and drag every person who had wronged them down to hell.
"What are you doing?"
Jake's voice startled Tristan so much that he jumped in fright. He turned around to glance at his brother leaning against the door frame. The tender look in his eyes usually warmed the boy's heart, but today, it hurt. It felt like needles pricked his heart, and he had to push back down a lump in his throat.
"Waiting for Misha…?"
"You seem a little too nervous. You're usually brimming with excitement whenever he comes, but right now…"
"Are you trying to pry?"
"I guess you caught me," Jake chuckled, walking to Tristan to ruffle his fluffy hair. "I'm just worried. You've been a little out of it since Sunday."
'Ha, so he noticed,' Tristan thought, sadness anchoring in his mind. It felt weird. He was overjoyed that his brother was paying close attention to him, but he also felt like bawling his eyes out, knowing everything would change after he revealed everything to him. Still, Tristan couldn't let go of Jake's warmth and decided to profit from it for the time it lasted. Thus, he rubbed his head against the palm of his brother's hand, almost like a cat seeking attention and love from its owner.
"Are you sure you're–"
Before Jake could finish his sentence, the front door was slammed open, and Misha stepped inside, followed by Gabriel and Stephan. Just as Jake took back his hand, the teenager bolted to Tristan's side to hug him, taking everyone aback. These two acted so out of character that it was impossible not to realize something was off.
"Can you all take a seat?" Tristan asked, leaving barely any time for the newcomers to make themselves at home. The boy patted Misha's arms as if to tell him he was fine and could let go. "I have something for you."
The three men glanced at each other, unsure, but decided to do as asked and sat on the couch next to each other. Only Misha didn't, still standing near the boy. His worried gaze was so obvious it made Tristan smile weakly. On the other side of the room, their interaction made his brothers frown, a foreboding feeling poking their stomachs. What was going on…?
Turning around, Tristan opened a box he had brought earlier and hid inside the bottom of the bookshelf in one of the drawers. He then took files that he distributed to Gabriel and Stephan, followed by a small aquarium he gave to Jake. The man's frown creased further as he recognized it right away.
"Isn't that the aquarium you made for mom?" Jake could never forget the day they went to the aquarium and the crafting they did. After losing sight of Tristan and having a big fright, he found the crying boy sitting alone and, after talking a bit, finally started to open his heart to the child. It was the day when his relationship with his little brother changed. "Why do you have it, and why are you giving it to me?"
"I asked Angela if I could have it back for a short moment because I wanted to do some 'maintenance' on it. It's a lie: I just need it for something. Did you know? She put it on her desk in the office she shares with Matthew upstairs and left it here since I gave it to her." Tristan fumbled, trying to find the right words. "Open the cap. There's a recorder inside. The audio files are on a computer, but the recorder is almost out of battery, so it needs to be changed."
"W-what..?"
"And you two," Tristan turned his attention to Gabriel and Stephan, "should check the files."
Although perplexed, they did as told once more. But their faces paled a few shades as they read the files and rummaged through their contents. They recorded detailed accounts of a few of Angela and Matthew's shady dealings; some even had pictures as supporting evidence. However, what was truly troubling were the files that listed future events up to ten years ahead. They had notes about how they might differ because of the current differences in this timeline compared to the previous ones and how they could play out. It was an overly well-done analysis.
"Tristan," Gabriel's voice trembled, "What are those?"
"Exactly what you think they are," Tristan smiled sadly to his brother before taking a deep breath and looking at Jake, whose expression was hard to describe. The boy took a deep breath and finally dropped the bomb, "Jake, I know my nightmares aren't nightmares. I'm sorry."
A deafening silence followed, lasting for what seemed to be an eternity to Tristan. He clenched his fists and closed his eyes. He thought he would have the strength to face his brothers, but he couldn't even look at them in the eyes in the end.