[bhdire8]

"He's MY son as well! If you want to fight over his custody, I wouldnt mind going to court with you. I have as much right in here as you do. And are you telling me that a toddler who's not even 2 got school?" He asked incredulously. "A playgroup doesnt suffice as school, if that's what you are referring to. You wouldnt be taking him to work, would you?" He looked at Frank suspiciously. "So what? You change the diaper in class or you just let him cry through the class?" He huffed out a frustrated breath and contibued. "I could compromise on the time, but I ask for equal times. My parents also deeserve some time with their grandson."

[Lovebite]

"Yes, he is. I can't deny you that, but he's my responsibility, Jacques. You have to understand where I'm coming from-"He sighed heavily,"Stop threatening me with court, that doesn't scare me. I've been his soul caretaker for his entire life, he knows no one else and you expect them to just hand them over to you? Over my dead body."He scoffed at him and shook his head, feeling angsty and standing up to his feet again,"You think you know everything, don't you?"He frowned at him,"Well, you fucking don't, and I'd go to hell and back for that little boy before I'd let him out of my custody." The older man grimaced at the sound of grandparents coming into this as well and simply shook his head,"Only weekends. There's no compromise, you don't have a house or a job, no compromise. Not now."

[bhdire8]

"The judge would hand him over to me if they find out about your problem. Admit it Frank. There's something wrong with you. I have been thinking about it, and what you did, how you reacted, that's more than simply hatred towards me. I am not a wolf Frank, and I had never threatened you in any way, yet you chose to stash our baby from me, keeping him all to yourself. That possessiveness couldnt be normal. No matter how much you hated me." Jacques said, even though his heart broke all over again stating that Frank hated him. He hated himself for still having a soft spot over Frank. "So I demanding more than weekends. I got a job already just for your information. A pharmaceutical company had hired me, i am off to work after graudation this semester. They promised they would sponsor for my furthrr studies, and offered me a quarter."

[Lovebite]

Frank's heart felt heavy as he stared at Jacques in a shocked and slightly panicked state,"What are you talking about? There's nothing wrong with me."He scoffed in apprehension as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other,"I told you why I had to go, things were getting to be too much there, I had nothing and you had it all. Why? Why can't you just let us go?"He asked and pressed his face into his palms for a moment,"We're fine without you, I'm not asking you for anything, I just want you to live your life. Don't do this to yourself, you can do so much more with your life."He tried turning this around back onto the young man, stepping forward to him slightly and pulling at his own hair for a moment,"I can't... I can't let you have him, Jaq... I can't."He crouched in front of the other man and looked up at him with pleading eyes as he placed his hands on his knees,"It makes me freak out, not knowing where he is... It makes me think... It makes me... It scares me."

[bhdire8]

Jacques was about to yell in frustration as Frank talked about him having it all. He wanted to crack open Frank's brain to see what's wrong with it. Frank wasn't amking any sense. He was very close from another rebuttal from him when Frank dropped to his knees suddenly, his eyes so sad and his face so scared. He was starting to hyperventiliating and Jacques suspected he was going into a panic attack. He frowned, his medical training kicking in. He crouched down as well, smoothing behind his back as he said in a gentle voice. "Don't panic. I am not asking to take Duncan away entirely. you are still gonna knwo where he is every moment. Deep breathes now Frank, and let it out slowly. Yes. Repeat that again?" He instructed attempting to calm Frank down somewhat.

[Lovebite]

Frank dropped his head into the other man's lap as he gripped onto his pants legs tightly, he didn't notice that he couldn't breathe until he was light headed and his throat was raw, tears coming to his eyes and pressing his face into the other's neck when he came down to his level. The older man wrapped his arms around him and he couldn't help but let the tears out as he pressed himself to him,"I don't want to lose him... I never want to."He said, taking in deep, shaky breath as his back was rubbed and he felt like he was back in town again years ago and facing morning sickness, despite how much he abused Jaq he always was there. Even more tears came to stain the shoulder of the young man's shirt,"Not like what happened before."He said, not specifically mentioning the twin they had lost, but it was what he was thinking about as he attempted to stop the tears and crying.

[bhdire8]

Jacques had come to realise the "he" that Frank was referring to was the other twin. He sighed inwardly as the painful memory came forth as well. "I know, I know. No one wanted it to happen. I believe you baby, dont blame yourself...." it had taken.long for Jacques to get over that hurdle, to releade his grudge against Frank. Perhaps he had been reckless, but he knew the teacher loved the babies. He had been in denial, true, but that didnt mean he didnt love them. He could feel how quickly his shirt was getting.soaked. "it's a sad thing, but that's in the past. We should overcome it, and not let that affect our lives now." He said contemplating on whether he should tell Frank about that little tombstone he had erecred for their lost baby.

[Lovebite]

Frank had suffered two whole years with that weight on his shoulders and turning his heart into lead that seemed to poison just himself and no one else, he has been doing this to himself unknowingly, hitting himself and blaming every thing on himself. He knew that Jaq had no idea how much of a relief that had brought him, his eyes turned downward as he nodded simply, tears still falling though he wasn't sobbing any more and simply sniffing against his shoulder.

"I wish I was better... I wish everything was how it was before,"he pressed his head into the crook of the young man's neck and his fingers wrapped themselves into the fabric of his shirt. "I didn't mean to ruin everything for us."

[bhdire8]

"I wish things were as they were before as well..... " jacques said, not without his own lamentation. "We could always start over again...." he knew deep.down Frank was still his soft spot. Their relationship would need some serious defrost though. He still hadnt forgiven Frank for kidnapping his son, even though he no longer blame him for the death of thirr other child. He patted Frank's back and somehow felt that Frank was not as (head)strong and tough like he once thought. He had felt smaller in his arms, or perhaps, this had been the first time Frank treated him.like someone to share his burden with.

[Lovebite]

Frank didn't believe that as he looked up at the other man slightly with some curiousness, his hand came up to the side of his face though he didn't keep it there as he dropped it down to his other shoulder. "Are you serious?"he asked, pulling away after a moment to look at the young man fully, his eyes wet and skeptical, still a bit bruised from the punch given to him earlier. Wiping his eyes and sitting with him on the floor as they shared eye contact,"You would do this again?"he questioned him thoroughly, wanting to do the same, but yet he didn't understand why, there was really something wrong with him and yet Jaq still wanted him. Now he just wondered if he was a stupid young man who thought the world was a good place, even straight out of college.

[bhdire8]

"I think we should try. Yes I have to admit I am still angry. Extremely annoyed. And beyond frustrated against you. But i couldnt deny.... my own feelings." The young man said with a little reluctance, looking away awkwardly. "I think we still have a shot. Do you... want to?" He asked. This could be the turning point to not only their lives, bur also Duncan's. "If you have hesitation, if you simply dont think it appropirate.... now is the time to say it and I wouldnt raise this question again. Frank, do you want us to start over again?" Jacques asked as seriously as he could, his fists clenching.tight as he anxiously wait for an answer from Frank to seal the deal, or break the deal forever.

[Lovebite]

"You can't still feel the same now, after all this, can you?"he asked softly, though looked at him as he spoke and pressed his lips together when he confirmed that he still loved him as much as he did before. Though he felt so bad when he realized this, his heart dropped to his stomach and he watched him as he looked away from him,"I don't think I'd ever get someone like you ever again."he replied and reached out to place his hand on his leg once more. "Of course I do... I... I think I'm in my right mind enough to say so, if I wasn't... I wouldn't realize how bad of a decision it would be to say no to you, again."he wrapped his arms around him and simply embraced him tightly.

[bhdire8]

It took a moment for Jacq to respond, and his hand could be a little hesitant, but evrntually he returned the embrace as he breathed in the long gone scent of Frank's. It had changed, no.longer 100% resmebling what's engraved in his mind, but it was close enough. Frank still smelt great. He could get used to this. He knew it wouldnt just be a miraculous reconciliation, and they had a lot of difficultues ahead of them, but somehow he believed tjey could get through it, together.

They lost track of time but by the time they separated, Jacq was surpeised to find his own face wet from tears as well. He wiped clean his face and clesred his throat, then chuckled when he saw how his shirt was totally ruined. "You... happen to have a spare shirt for me?" He asked as he laughed again seeing how much of th4 shirt was drenched.

[Lovebite]

That moment felt like an eternity, though it was soon forgotten as the embrace was returned so tightly, he squeezed his eyes shut as he held him to his chest. Of course it wouldn't be instantaneous, but this was a start at least and he was ecstatic because of it. He pulled away when Jacques did and met his eyes as he reached out and wiped his cheek with the heel of his palm. Not saying anything either and simply sitting back against the bottom of the couch.

"Y-Yeah, I think so."He sniffed and moved to stand up to his feet, shuffling into the back of the house once more where his room was. Checking on the still sleeping Duncan and then moving on to dig through his drawers, his face flushed when he realized he did still have one of Jaq's shirts. The man moved towards his bed and taking one of the pillows from against the headboard, removing the shirt he had wrapped around it and coming back out to the living room,"Here."he handed it out.

[bhdire8]

Jaq took th3 shirt and was puzzled. "That looks remarkably like my..... wait. This is my shirt! I didn wear it often before, like almost every other day, then it just disappeared one day..... look! That's the burnt hole that I got from one of those crazy fireworks the night our school won the football cup!" He ramblrd on until it dawned on him. "So.... i didnt lost it in one of the changing rooms? You.... took it?" He asked, finding the shirt a lot older than he remembered. A little faded in color, could be from constant rubbing or washing. He looked up at Frank and asked with confusion. "You... you kept my stuff?"

[Lovebite]

Frank was hopeful that Jacques wouldn't remember it, though it took him no time to do so as the older man scratched the back of his neck. "I didn't take it... You left it one night and so it's always been with my stuff."he bit his lower lip and shrugged some,"I... I mean, yeah... Once I moved I wasn't going to come back and start a shit storm over one shirt." His face was heating up as he then scratched his beard,"It's not a big deal, I just never threw it out, and it's a good thing too because you need a shirt right now."

[bhdire8]

"It looked.... well used." Jaq said slyly. "I am guessing there's some frequent usage over it..... not gonna share it honsstly?" Jaq said as he moved closer and closer to Frank, making him move backwards, as if scared to face his confrontation, his face burning as he advanced, and flustered when he bumped into the chair and also the tea table. "So…? What did yoh use it for? To masturbate?" Jaq continued asking.

[Lovebite]

Frank had no response for that, his cheeks were a bright red color and he tried his best not to make any more eye contact with Jacques as he was pressed back against the living room wall. His hands came up to his chest and the shorter man shrunk even more beneath this hulking mass of young man,"No!"he exclaimed, incredibly flustered,"I... I..."He pressed his lips together and looked so far down that his beard bundled up against his neck and chest,"I just... Don't make me say it-"He looked up at the other man and then away again,"It gets lonely."

[bhdire8]

"Hemmmm you say.... lonely?" Jaq smiled and pressed on. "You are saying.... there arent anyone else?" He bit his lips even though he couldnt hide the smile on the corner of his mouth as he looked at the blush spreading to the middle-aged man's beck. How could Frank be that adorable. It was simply incredible. He tugged on his earlobe, flicking the equally blushed tips. He cleared his throat and decided to confess first. It should be good gesture. "I... there hasnt been any one for me. I... i guess I just spend all my time out there searching for you two." He shurgged and cleared his thickening throat, recalling dark days.

[Lovebite]

"Yeah, lonely."He pressed his lips together, looking away for a long moment as the other, younger man teased him for his embarrassment. "God, you're impossible."he breathed and his fingers ran up his shirt that was still wet with tears from before and it seemed he was more interested in playing with him instead of changing his shirt. His eyes turned back to look at the other when he spoke and didn't know what to think when he said there was no one else,"No one? Not even a date?"He asked after a moment, not wanting to ask him about the searches or even linger on the thought,"I've been on a date or two, but nothing serious... There's not many men or women that interested me..."