#lighterwise

“Looks like the talk went well.” His smile held a hint of relief. He had used buying maple syrup as an excuse for them to talk alone. He was worried his presence would place too much pressure on them. Wise didn’t know how Lighter could expect his answer to be anything else considering Eous already adored him like a father.

When Lighter held out the syrup to Eous, the boy ignored it in favour of jumping into his arms. He easily caught him and held him against his shoulder. It was a familiar action that he had done many times since they met. Yet, his small weight suddenly felt far more significant. Lighter held him tighter as though he were shielding the world. The difference was small so Eous didn’t notice. On the other hand, Wise did. He understood how he must’ve felt since it was the same for him when he adopted Eous.

“I heard the kid will grow up to be like their parents. Does that mean I’ll be as tall as Lighter one day?”

“Only if you eat all of your vegetables.” He said with a small chuckle.

Eous began to ramble about upcoming events and Lighter promised to attend each one. The child had forgotten the pancakes that he had been eagerly waiting for only a few minutes ago. Watching them, Wise couldn’t hold back a smile. Despite how hesitant he used to be to start a relationship, seeing them together, he was now confident in his decision. No matter what obstacle was ahead of him, Lighter would be there for them.

“Don’t move your hand, Papa.” Eous ordered. He struggled to trace the outline of his larger hand on the construction paper. For his homework, he needed to cut out the shape of his family’s hands and decorate them into birds. He was excited for his first opportunity to include Lighter as his second father. While he already looked up to him like a father, the affirmation of being able to call him that was gratifying.

In the past, Wise would’ve felt insecure that Eous might prefer to have Lighter as a father more than him. That no longer worried him. He wanted to have him in their lives and share every moment with him. Lighter didn’t only influence Eous, he also allowed Wise to be more vulnerable. The difficulties of being a father never bothered him because he loved his son. Though, he had to admit that he was thankful for Lighter’s support.

“I just finished talking with Vivian and she’s willing to watch Eous on Wednesday. She all but demanded that I let her protect him for the day. She has been fretting over things since… that late night visit.” He subtly nodded to Eous so Lighter would understand not to mention Helios. He would have to tell him everything about Carol eventually but he wanted to put it off to enjoy the moment for now.

Wise walked to their side. He stared at Lighter’s kiss and remembered the kiss they shared in the dark. His heart skipped when he remembered how his body felt pressed against him when he pulled him onto his lap. He wanted to kiss him as a greeting but he didn’t know if it was right. They started dating but Lighter might not be comfortable being affectionate so quickly.

When he stopped beside them, Lighter gently took his wrist into his hand. He assumed that he only intended to pull him onto the couch where Eous could draw his hand as well. As he lowered himself into the spot, Lighter kissed the corner of his lips. It was light and quick but Wise still felt heat rushed to his cheeks. He had to wonder if he could read his thoughts from how he grinned at him.

“So, our Wednesday will be free? Do you want to catch a movie or have a traditional dinner date? I can ask Burnice to recommend a place with nice wine.”

“Wine is bad and not for kids.” Eous interrupted their conversation. He almost laughed at how he spoke so bluntly and wanted to sound more mature than he was. The child was imitating the time Wise lectured Belle for sneaking into a gala at Helios. However, his laughter was stifled in his throat when he realized why Eous made the comment. He must’ve assumed that they were discussing their plans as a family and not a date. That was confirmed after he added: “I wanna see a movie.”

As much as he loved his son, it would be awkward to have him follow them on their first date. “Actually, Eous, Lighter and I are going on a date with just the two of us. We planned something fun for you though! Auntie Vivian will be babysitting you. Mocking Bird brings you fun gifts whenever they visit. Maybe she can bring Robin for you to play with.” 

“The three of us can watch a movie when we get back.” Lighter added. Wise hoped that their words would keep Eous from being disappointed that they were going out alone. In spite of their efforts, the boy’s frown only grew further. His small hand froze over the drawing. Wise immediately slid off the couch to sit closer to Eous and hugged him against his side.

“Papa and Dad can’t have wine. It’s bad for you.” Eous repeated and Wise wondered whether he had been overthinking his words earlier. Was his expression only because he didn’t want them to drink alcohol?

“Okay, we promise.” His expression was relaxed now and the issue appeared to have passed as a misunderstanding. Wise lightly rubbed his thumb over Eous’s forehead and eased the furrows that had formed there. After a few moments, Eous took his hand and paid it on the paper next to the drawing he made from Lighter’s. “This poster is for school, right?”

“Yep! My teacher said I need to draw my family: you, me and Papa Lighter.”

“How do I look?” Wise asked Eous as he stepped into the living room. He couldn’t remember the last time that he had dressed up for an outing. Even before he became a father, he mostly went out for casual events with his friends and family. The few times he wore a suit, it was for parties organized by Helios. The night of his date with Lighter, it felt more important. He had a strange mixture of shy nerves and excitement as he picked which dress shirt would be best.

“Fancy!” Eous declared. From how he kicked up his feet, the boy would’ve run across the room to him if Vivian wasn’t holding him. She had arrived early to babysit him and played with Eous while he changed. He was grateful that she agreed to watch him during their date. Mockingbird was surprisingly well informed about Helios Academy so she would know if the school would have another surprise visit during his date with Lighter.

Wise lifted Eous into his arms to hug him goodbye. He didn’t mind when the boy held onto him tightly and wrinkled his shirt. He would often feel clingy if neither Lighter or Wise would be home with him. Without letting go of him, he took a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Vivian. “If anything happens and you can’t reach me, this is Lighter’s number. We have a friend who lives nearby, Nicole, and she’ll help with anything you need on Sixth Street.”

“That won’t be necessary. I won’t let anything happen to Lady Belle’s family! I can handle any threat on my own.” The boastfulness and conviction in her voice should be familiar to him now but he still had to smile warily. Mockingbird could be dramatic and overwhelming at times. At the same time, he trusted the group after everything they’ve done for them since leaving Helios Academy.

“Thank you again, Vivian. I know Sixth Street is a long drive for you. You can help yourself to anything in the kitchen. If you want, you can stay the night too and return to Lumina Square in the morning.” Then, he turned his attention back to Eous. “Lighter and I will be back in a few hours. Be good for Auntie and listen to her. We’ll bring back a dessert for you.”

There was a knock at the door and he put him down to answer it. Anticipation made his heart race and he nervously fixed his hair one last time. He already knew that it was Lighter yet he was still taken by surprise when he found him on the other side. Wise was greeted by a simple bouquet of purple lilacs first. As Lighter held them out to him, he said, “I didn’t know what flowers you’d like. Hope I picked right. Sorry that I couldn’t find anything fancy.”

“These are beautiful, Lighter. Thank you, I love them. Let me put these in a vase and then we can go. I’ll just be a minute.” He took a moment to breathe in the lilac’s subtle scent. He looked up from the flowers to Lighter who had traded his biker jacket for a leather coat. Wise found him handsome in both.

As he walked back into his home, he noticed Eous watching them. He slipped a lilac from the bouquet and held it out to him. From how he was staring, he thought he wanted one of the flowers to play with. Vivian appeared to be equally curious with the bouquet as she wrapped her arms around Eous to playfully poke at the petals.

“Did you know that purple lilacs symbolize first love?” She asked and gave the pair a knowing smile. “So, where are you two going for your date?”

“We’re going to have dinner at a place my friend recommended. It’s not too fancy but the food there is good. Don’t worry, Eous, no wine.” Lighter tousled Eous’s hair as he made the joke. While Vivian was confused by the reassurance, Wise couldn’t help but giggle. He set the vase on the table and then went to give Eous one last hug goodbye. As he squeezed him in his arms, he sensed Lighter behind him. “We’ll be back soon.”

“If you want to stay out late, I don’t mind watching him a little longer.” Vivian offered. She affectionately pinched Eous’s chubby cheeks. “Also, it’ll give me a chance to spoil my favourite nephew. Don’t tell Robin that I have favourites though. Wise told me that you ride a motorcycle and tonight has the perfect weather for a drive.”

“No!” Eous yelled, surprising everyone in the room. It was rare for him to have such a loud outburst since he was a well behaved child. He forced his way out of her arms and ran up the stairs. Wise was only able to pull himself out of his shock when he heard a door slam. He immediately jumped to his feet to run after him. As confused as he was with his behaviour, he knew his son wouldn’t act out without a reason.

“Sorry, Vivian. Can you wait here while I talk with Eous?” He barely waited to see her nod before he stood. In the corner of his eyes, Wise noticed Lighter take a step back. He took his hand and gently tugged him towards the stairs.

“Don’t you want to talk with Eous alone?”

“I think Eous needs both of us if he’s upset.”

With his words, Lighter fell into step next to him. He cared for Eous but his relationship with Wise was still new and he didn’t know if he had the right to act like his father. Lighter thought of how angry his child was so he pushed aside his own doubts.

They reached his room and Wise lightly knocked on the door. He didn’t answer even when he called his name softly. Worried, he opened the door and slipped into the room. Wise immediately found Eous on his bed with the blankets covering him. He could hear small sniffles and his heart dropped. He immediately went to comfort him.

The bed dipped as he sat down and the movement told Eous that he was there. While he didn’t crawl out of the blanket, the bundle shifted closer to him. Wise slipped his arms around him and gently pulled him onto his lap. He was careful not to disturb the blanket wrapped around him, trusting that Eous would face him once he was ready. Lighter sat next to them and Wise leaned against his arm, holding Eous between them.

“Sorry.” The apology was given through soft hiccups. “I know it’s bad to yell.”

“We’re not mad at you for yelling. We’re more worried about what made you angry.” The blanket fell away as Eous sat up and looked up at them. There was still a hint of fear and hesitation in his large green eyes so Wise kissed his forehead. “Lighter and I love you so you can tell us.”

“Lighter and Wise are leaving me behind. You used to take me on bike rides with you. But, now, I have to stay home.” He clutched his tiny fist around Wise’s shirt as though he had the strength to keep him in place. The childish reasoning revealed a deep scar that Wise understood all too well. After Carole died, Eous clung to him as his new parent. Being left behind was a terrifying prospect for him.

“Oh, Eous, we will never leave you. There will be nights that Lighter and I want to go on dates with just us. That doesn’t mean that we love you any less.” He explained in a soft voice. “Isn’t that right, Lighter?”

He nodded and chuckled, his laugh deep and full of affection. He playfully tapped Eous nose so the boy would look up at him. “You never had to share Wise with anyone before, have you? Don’t worry, I won’t take too much of his time. Wise loves you and he’ll hate anyone who makes you sad. How about we make a deal? I can take Wise out on dates as long as we do something as a family. We already planned to watch a family movie together after tonight’s dinner date.”

Lighter held out his pinky to the child. Eous only took a moment to hold onto Wise for balance before he stood. He wrapped his tiny finger around his larger one. “Papa.”