in the hands of fate (a love by chance, tincan, story)

chapter 18: i was there when you needed me most

Can was trapped in a living nightmare and he couldn't wake up.

They wanted to take Ren. Lhew and Tul, both, they were trying to take her away from him. Lhew might already have left the building with her if Ani hadn't called him straight away. Thank fuck Tharn had been there at practice to pick up Type and had immediately offered to bring him home.

Both Type and Tharn had offered to stay with him when they delivered him to the Medthanan house, but he'd declined. It was Tin he needed.

Lhew was sitting on the sofa, Ren in her arms, refusing to give her back to Can even though the baby was screaming her heart out. She made no effort to comfort her, preferring to watch him with malicious eyes as he tried to get to get past Tul who was guarding the mother and child with an expression Can could only think was smug satisfaction.

He tried again, voice calm for Ren's sake, "Give her to me. She's upset, she might need tooth medicine and she's probably hungry and wet. She needs me." His voice cracked. He couldn't think straight. His head hurt, he felt nauseous and he needed to keep it together because Ren needed him.

"I'm her mother and I'm taking her back," Lhew said, shifting Ren around to hold her facing outwards as she wriggled in the unfamiliar hold. She held her with the minimum of support, like she didn't want to get contaminated with baby germs.

The volumes of Ren's screaming intensified and Can couldn't take it anymore. With strength he didn't know he had he barrelled into Tul, knocking him sideways. Tul stumbled but didn't fall and it was enough for him to get past and reach Lhew and Ren. Lhew pulled the baby back against her chest, away from Can.

"I'm taking—"

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?"

Everyone froze and turned their attention to the newcomer who was a small attractive woman of about forty with long poker straight hair, wearing a red jumpsuit and spiked heels. Even before Tul could say, "Mother—" Can knew who she was. Tin had her eyes.

While Lhew was distracted he snatched Ren away from her and cuddled his daughter close. Immediately she calmed down, her screams becoming sobs as she breathed in his familiar scent. Can felt some of the anxiety slide away. "It's okay, your Pa is here. It's okay," he soothed, kissing the top of her head as he stepped out of Lhew's orbit. He looked at Mrs Medthanan who was observing the scene with those eyes so like Tin's that Can's heart hurt. "Excuse me while I see to my daughter's needs."

He sidestepped around Tul who was still frozen in place looking at his step-mother with something like fear. He'd been caught.

Behind him Lhew shouted, "Don't walk away from me you bastard!" Not 'give me back my daughter' or anything like that. No, this was about getting back at him for not wanting her. Everything had been about that from the day he'd first rejected her. The woman was mentally ill, there was no other explanation.

As he walked towards the door to head upstairs to Tin's room to find a clean nappy and a bottle of ready-made formula it opened and a stern looking older man entered. He could only be Tin's father. He gave Can and Ren the once over with a surprised frown then turned his attention to the scene at the other side of the room and repeated almost word for word what his wife had just said, but in a calmer tone, "What is going on here?"

Can stilled in the doorway.

"I'm trying to reunite a mother and child. My brother's little boy toy here—" Tul shot a gleeful sideways glance at Can, "—thought he could play happy families by withholding access to his illegitimate offspring from it's mother. She approached me for help, how could I say no?"

Can looked at Lhew whose expression bore surprise for a moment before returning to the woe-is-me from before. He knew she was good at acting. He had seen right through her from the almost the start though, but what if other people didn't? What if she really could take Ren away? What if she took his little girl and he never saw her again? What bleak future for Ren without him? Would she even remember him?

She would not.

Suddenly he couldn't breathe. His head span and his chest hurt. It burned. Oh God, oh God, oh God. His grip must have tightened on Ren and she began to cry again. Cannot breathe. Spots began to appear in front of his eyes. Cannot breathe.

"Can? Oh fuck, Can."

Someone lifted Ren out of his grasp and his adrenalin kicked in. "Don't touch her!" It came out as a wheeze.

"It's okay, Can, it's me, Tin." Strong hands appeared on his shoulder and Tin's concerned face appeared in view in front of him. He was being led to a seat and pushed down onto it. Tin knelt in front of him. "Look at me, take deep breaths. Ren is fine, she's right there, Ani is holding her. I won't let anyone take her away, I promise."

Can met Tin's eyes and felt instantly calmer. "She...wants...Ren...back," he managed, tears pouring down his cheeks. "She—"

"Shhh, just concentrate on getting your breath back. I'm here." Tin went out of focus as he leant in and kissed Can's forehead. "I'll always be right here."

It felt like it took forever for his heart rate to slow and his ability to breathe to return. Tin didn't move from his position on the floor as he gently wiped Can's tears away with his thumbs. "Feeling better?"

Can nodded, looking around for Ren and finding her exactly where Tin had said, in Ani's arms being fed a bottle of formula which she suckled greedily. She was safe. He leant into Tin and wrapped his arms around him, burying his face in his neck. His scent was comforting and Can wanted to burrow into it and never resurface. They stayed like that for a while until Tin ventured, "Will you feel safe leaving Ren with Ani for a while?"

Can shook his head. He didn't want her out of his sight ever again.

Tin pulled back a little, his lips at Can's ear as he whispered, "I'm putting an end to all of this. Today. I promise." He pressed a chaste kiss to Can's lips and stood. "But I need you with me and I'd rather Ren not be there for this."

Can looked at Tin, looked at Ren then back to Tin. He nodded then looked at Ani. "She needs changing I think, and pain meds?" Ani nodded and backed out of the room. Can watched anxiously until they were out of sight, fighting the urge to run after her. Tin was right, it was better that Ren wasn't in the room.

Standing he slid his hand into Tin's, they turned to face the room.

The scene reminded Can of one of the drama's his Ma enjoyed. Two glamorous women, the younger one sobbing disingenuously, wiping away barely there tears that hadn't even smudged her eyeliner, the older of the two pouting in annoyance, arms folded across her cosmetically enhanced chest. Tul was there, sporting a cut lip and a massive blue-green bruised cheek from his previous encounter with Can that he'd tried to cover with make-up, somehow still smug like he was winning the fight. Then there was Tin's father who appeared to be genuinely perplexed. Can was surprised to note that he looked concerned rather than angry. Add himself and Tin, two teenage same-sex lovers, and it was a soap opera.

He immediately felt ashamed that he could find even a hint of humour in the situation when there was real possibility that he could lose Ren. Beside him Tin had turned from coaxing lover to ice cold. If it wasn't for his hand in Can's still feeling warm Can he might feel scared, but his touch reassured him that Tin's anger was for him, for them both, not at him.

Can saw Mr Medthanan's eyes draw towards his and Tin's joined hands for a moment. Something flickered in his expression and he looked away, directly at Tul. "You don't really expect me to believe—"

"Stop talking." Tin's voice was both authoritative and stony. It worked. Mr Medthanan fell silent. All eyes turned to Tin.

Mrs Medthanan let out a tinkling laughter, "Tin, darling, I don't think—"

"For once in your life, Mother, shut up!"

A/N: This one is also quite short. Next instalment should be tomorrow, real life depending (work, moving house, 7 year-old and doing a COVID anti-body test that I am randomly selected for!)