A/N: The chapter ahead is raw, which means not been proofread yet nor edited.
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"Did you really mean it?"
Grand Duke Voltage took his blazer off and left it on the bed. The Grand Duchess went out from the walk-in-closet, already in her pajamas.
"You think I'm fucking around when I said it, Volt?" She glared at him, dead serious. He could see the storms ravaging inside her through her eyes.
He gulped.
"You're being hasty. We will figure it out." He loosened his tie and walked to her. She took his tie and walked away from him to put it in the laundry. She returned to unbutton his shirt.
The Grand Duke sighed when she began crying.
"I miss my baby boy. I hate it. This is all my fault."
She used her palms to cover her face. Now she's sure that all this time, he's been distancing himself from him. When he asked if he could move out, they thought he just wanted his own place for his studies. They are aware that he's a nerd, an inventor, that's why they didn't hesitate to approve his request. Every time he will talk to them about Moon, they will push him away. They always refuse to listen to him. It's not them. They would never push him away. Somebody made them to.
"None of this is your fault. Hush, we will be alright. He will come back. We will fix this."
He hugged her lovingly. The Grand Duchess sobbed harder.
"It won't be the same anymore. He said I'm not his best friend anymore. We're not best-friends anymore!" She stomp her feet, pouring her rage and emotions on the floor since she can't hurt Sun for what she's done yet. Not yet.
"Volt, bring my baby back. I missed him so much. I missed him so much, Volt. Let's go see him. I don't care if he will get mad! I want to see my son!" she punched his chest, shook him, and yelled at him---the Grand Duke listened and endured everything. He can't let his emotions win over his rationality and sanity. He must remain sober and cool in case his wife does something evil.
"Okay, okay. Tomorrow. Later. We'll see him later. I'll talk to him. Just sleep." He brought her to their bed but she pushed.
"No! I want to see him right now, Volt! Don't you know what I'm feeling at all!? And why are you so calm? Why are you so unbothered? Do you not love your son? He pushed away, he changed---he hates us! Our hates us, Volt! And I'm so fucking frustrated that everything is coming to my head! The realizations---I... I'm so fucking pissed and I don't know what to do! Can't you see how much I holding myself back from going back to that place and strangle the shit out of Sun!? I would get to my knees if I have to, if that will make him forgive me! You don't know how it's breaking my heart! I'm his mother---and I---FUCK! FUCK!"
He heaved a deep breath and approached her. He gently touched her, placing his hand on her shoulder, but she broke his arm by twisting it. It happened so fast that pain didn't get into him.
When she realized what she did to him, she paused. Then she was horrified, apologetically in tears for what she have done.
"V-Volt... I-I'm sorry---I... I got..."
He corrected his arm back to its place and carefully laid her down the bed.
"It's alright. It didn't hurt. I understand. You didn't mean it."
Her sealed lips pursed. He wiped her tears away and kissed her forehead.
"Just sleep, Mommy. You're tired, so rest. I don't know how loud your mind right now is, but I want you to trust me. And please, don't think that our situation is not weighing over me, too. I'm just acting strong so we won't fall apart altogether. You need a pillar to lean on, so lean on me. I'll find a way to make you feel better. I'll make a way to take away your burdens."
She nodded like a good girl and hugged him. She wrapped her leg around his waist and buried her face on his chest.
"Thank you. Sorry. I just really missed our son. I want to play with him again outside. His first words was my name and 'Mommy'. Remember when he will always cling onto Ohms because he thought he's his Dad? And then he will call you 'Kuya'? That's how Ohms developed his Watts Complex. Our baby is so adorable and innocent. Now, he's all grown and in love. I should be giving him tips. I should be giving him advices about love and marriage. My Watts hates me."
He closed his eyes. She hugged him tighter. His ears were filled with his wife's broken, muffled cries. His heart twists every time. The only thing he could do is to be her human handkerchief. She mumbled stories about their son, bringing back their memories with him that was never forgotten.
Until she has fallen asleep with tears still falling from her eyes.
"Volt... Bring back... My Wattsy..."
He kissed her lips deeply before promising her, "I will."
After changing, he checked her one more time. She's not peacefully sleeping. She's haunted by the thought that their son hates her and will never return home.
"Are you going to him?"
He paid his eldest son a glance who's sitting on the couch.
"How long have you been there?"
"Since she twisted your arm."
The Grand Duke scoffed in disbelief.
"You're an idiot. What if we made love after that moment? Idiot."
The Lord scrunched his nose and brought his cup of iced coffee to his mouth. He took a sip.
"Then I'll just leave silently? You know I'm here either way. You never fail to fascinate me, Dad. You're such a good hubby to Mom."
The Grand Duke wore a different watch on his wrist.
"Thanks. Your asexual, unmarried ass can't relate."
The Lord hissed and shook his head. He walked to their bed and laid down next to his mother.
"Whatever. I'll look after Mom, so, go before her mini-me sense your plan. I won't handle two Franchetti Xerene," he ordered.
The Grand Duke sarcastically replied, "Yes, Dad. Good thing you're here, Dad."
"Welcome, son."
He threw a dagger to the Lord, to which got stuck between his son's fingers.
Lady Elektra rose from her bed straightly and looked around. She found Lord Spike sleeping beside her, in a star fish position and snoring.
"Where is Dad going?"
When the Grand Duke felt that she's awake, he left by the window before it's too late. Lord Ohms get under the blanket and hugged his mother. When Lady Elektra barged inside the room, she roamed her eyes everywhere. She walked by the bedside, then laughed at herself for thinking that her father went somewhere without her.
"Goodnight, Mom, Dad," she whispered to them and silently went back to her room in tiptoes.
Lord Ohms looked back.
"Thank God she's an idiot."
His eyes opened upon sensing the arrival of an uninvited guest.
He carefully get up and check Moon beside him, sleeping on the other side of the bed with a hotdog pillow between them as their boundary.
"Nikola..." she called with a small smile on her lips.
"I'm here," he said and kissed her cheek, "But I have to leave you for a moment, hmm? I'll be back."
He wore his slippers and followed where the presence is. He opened the door of his office and found his father sitting on the window sill, looking past the opened windows. The chilly breeze got inside but it's not as cold as their stares. The papers on his table flipped fast from the sneaky wind.
"What do you want to happen, Watts?" The Grand Duke spoke first.
"You came uninvited, but I won't be a mean host to you. Would you like a cup of tea or the usual?"
It made the Grand Duke chuckle. Finally, he landed his eyes on his son. One of the four moons shrinks behind him. The breeze blew harder, taking the flow of his dark hair to where they want to go. He look straight into his son's eyes, showing little to no emotion on his well-sculpted face.
"The usual," he replied in a low, deep voice.
Watts Xirquit gulped but he didn't let him know that he's intimidated. He composed himself and walked to the pantry in his office.
"How did it go? Am I to get executed?"
"Your mom will kill them first before they could lay their hands on you."
The Young Lord paused for a moment and laughed at the idea.
"Right. I forgot how untouchable I am," he remarked, and the Grand Duke couldn't tell if he's being sarcastic or what.
"So, what do you want to happen?"
The Grand Duke jumped off the window sill and made himself comfortable on the couch. His son served him his coffee and settled across him.
"What do you mean?" He stir the tea he made for himself slowly.
"We believe that we've been brainwashed. Things would've been clearer had you been there. Siofra ordered for a DNA and blood testing, so you will be summoned with Moon. Tomorrow," he informed him.
Watts Xirquit hissed and did not reply.
Time turned their drinks cold, but its warmth seem to melt and lighten the tension between them.
Now that he had emptied his cup, the Young Lord put his glass on the table and said, "Did you come here because she made you so or by your own will?"
And his father instantly understood what he meant and trying to say.
He crossed his legs.
The father and son measured at each other through stared, as if they are trying to recognize if the same person they know is sitting in front of them.
Watts Xirquit's eyes gleamed when the gliding moonlight hit him. His father was fascinated from it. The colors of his son's eyes are much vivid than his, like the sparkling waters of the blue summer seas. Their youngest is truly their family's treasure, their blessed, golden boy.
"I don't want to hear nor watch your mother cry like that ever again, Watts," the Grand Duke said, warning.
"You should know that now that you have a woman to pursue. Your mom is the strongest woman I've ever met. However, when it comes to her children and to you, she falls apart easily. She would die for you, kill anybody for you---she will do anything for you. Tell her to kill Sun and she would. That's how mad her love for you is. For her children, she'd go ballistic."
The Young Lord's gaze fell to the ground.
"I'm not here as your father. I'm here as her husband. You may be my son, but I knew her first. I met her first, loved her first, so I will stand by her side. Yes, I will go against you if I have to. I know we failed you at some point. I told you we have the strongest minds, but we brought shame to that motto when we got brainwashed. If you truly know us, then you'd know that we will never hurt you. When your mother and I built our family, we used loyalty, honesty, honor, and affection as foundations to keep it strong. We've been transparent to each other, Watts. Yet, here you are, keeping secrets from us even before Sun and Moon happened."
The Young Lord clenched his fists. His eyes squinted from the welling tears forming in them.
"I-I know that..." his voice cracked.
"I kept secrets, I lied. But they didn't hurt our family at all. I know you will never hurt me. I'm your favorite. I'm everyone's favorite, and maybe that's why I kept things from you. Everyone praise even the dumb things I do. I wanted to establish my own name, not the one you gave me. I'm grateful for everything, but I have dreams and ambitions, too. When I learned the truth about Moon, I went to you first because I know you will believe me. But all of you said I'm being crazy, every time I will grab the chance to tell you. You don't know...how that a-affected me at all. Mom is my best friend but she never believed me. You never b-believed me!"
The Grand Duke watch his son let out everything he's been holding up inside. His fists turn pale from how tight he's closing them.
"You're not my Dad. I don't want you here anymore. Leave. I don't want to see the same spirals in your eyes. Everyone got spirals in their eyes. It's scary. I want my real Mom and Dad. You're not my Dad."
The Young Lord folded his knees and hugged them.
Grand Duke Voltage let out a sigh.
"Does my eyes still have those spirals in them? Look at them again and say it to my face. Are there spirals in my eyes right now?"
He lifted his head and looked at him, and the Grand Duke saw how his son's face soften.
"They don't anymore, right? Now, come here. You cry like your Mom and Ate Elektra. How messy. Come here quick."
He fished his handkerchief in his pocket. His obedient son walked and sat next to him.
"Daddy, is it really you? I'll gouge your eyes with a spoon if you're just fooling me."
The Grand Duke flinched from the threat. He subconsciously touched the arm his wife twisted earlier, then wiped his son's nose.
"That's harsh. Pretty sure 'sadism' isn't one of our family values and foundations."
The Young Lord squeezed him so tight and strong that they fell over. He returned the same affection to his son and kissed his cheeks.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for failing you. But I promise you, we won't leave them unscathed once we figured it all out. Especially your Kuya Ohms and Ate Elektra. Their Watts Complex is incurable."
The Young Lord laughed between his sobs.
"I love you, Dad."
A smile spring in the Grand Duke's lips and snuggled his son more.
"I love you more."