Playing The Victims [BL]

Chapter One Hundred & Sixty-Five | Fifth World

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Fahren took his nephews to a restaurant that his parents often took him and his brothers to when they were younger. As early as a single-digit age, his father was making a name for himself and gathering attention from those ready to publish his day-to-day across the front pages of the newspaper. So his parents put a lot of care and attention into deciding what restaurants to go to.

It meant that no cameras would be waiting for him, nor did he have to worry about any unnecessary attention relocating to the youngest members of his family.

Noah and Percy still had big smiles on their faces even though they had been away from their parents for two days. The way in which Fahren used to live, there would be little doubt that Isabella and his brother would refuse to hand over their kiddies when they went away for their anniversary.

But since Fahren's entire perspective had drastically shifted, and with a little heart-ache of his own, he embraced his nephews at any given opportunity. Spoiling them rotten and developing a relationship with them that he often teased their father about.

So when Isabella suggested looking after them for a few days, Fahren didn't hesitate.

They currently sat at a table, where the boys were devouring their desserts as earnestly as Fahren had done his own. Percy had wiggled his way onto his lap at some point, and often giggled with ice-cream all over his mouth. It was impossible not to adore the sticky child.

Noah was going through a phase where he believed he was older than he was, and frowned at his baby brother who used those big green eyes and childish giggles to be doted upon. But Fahren secretly smiled when he spotted Noah shuffling closer to his side, their legs pressing together as he swayed his feet under the table, excitedly eating the ice cream.

Every now and then there was an expected sense of deja vu. It came from the simplest of things, like combing his nephew's hairs quickly in the morning, or helping them slot their little feet into shoes. But instead of upsetting him, Fahren only smiled with added warmth.

They were so similar, and yet Fahren laughed at moments when Noah showed clear traits of his father. Probably not the traits Sebastian would boast about, but they were cemented nevertheless.

"Milly-oh!" Percy squeaked as he smiled broadly, with the very tips of his new teeth coming through. It was more of a gummy sound, with a dash of ice-scream slur. But Fahren knew what he was trying to say, and turned his head to see the youngster facing the entrance to the restaurant.

Fahren kept an arm around the energetic toddler, so he didn't go scurrying over to the stranger who just happened to be blond. "Baby, that's not Emilio..."

Noah spun round, with just as much anticipation written on his face as there was when his dessert was initially placed in front of him. It made Fahren stifle his laugh by resting his head against Percy's soft brown curls.

The relationship between his eldest nephew and Emilio was one only distinguishable by introverts. There was a lot of looking at each other silently, with Noah always stalking behind him if he left the room. But Noah was especially curious when Emilio sat beside Fahren one day and habitually wrapped an arm around him. Like a child suddenly realising someone else was playing with their toy, the youngster was stricken.

Whatever debate had taken place through the following series of staring-contests, it resulted in Noah perking up like a meerkat whenever Emilio was mentioned. Even when, like in this case, it wasn't him in the first place and instead—

"Zach?" Fahren was able to make out.

The man who once had long blond hair whipped his head around, an expression akin to a sneer displaying his dislike of being recognised when he was already preoccupied. It only took him a moment before he found the owner of the voice, and to Fahren's surprise, the man looked shocked.