She took my heart, filled it with nothing but pain.

"I'd love that," she finally managed to say, her overflowing voice full of affection and sincerity as she expressed her longing to live together.

"I have all the time in the world for you," she remarked with a light chuckle, her eyes sparkling with warmth and tenderness. "Oh, really? Then you better lay down because I missed my big cuddle bear," she teased, wrapping her arms around him and placing a gentle, lingering kiss on his cheek. "You know I love you, right?" she whispered softly, her voice filled with sincerity and vulnerability as she sought to express the depth of her love for him.

At her last words he felt his heart swell and nodded silently for a second, pressing his chin to her head, never tired of hearing it but yet still not fully trusting it though he wanted to. And he tried to trust her at all things despite his own hangups. "You know I love you too, right?" he repeated with a smile on his lips she wouldn't be able to see for a bit before he finally let her move so she could get more comfortable and he put one hand over her shoulders and with the other he took his phone out to open the takeaway app and order them food. "What do you feel like?"

At her explanation the anger burned even more. If enough time had passed he may have admitted to himself that he had started working even more in the past half year, but he had thought that it was obvious why he did it. He had wanted to give her a big wedding with any extravagant thing she might want and while he was handy with most instruments and he knew he could count on his brothers for a helping hand he also knew he needed to hire other people for everything they wouldn't be able to fix up on their own. He had also been thinking over in his mind buying one of the big houses in Acacia Heights that they'd browsed through on lazy evenings and joked about. He had not shared that yet, because he was nowhere near the money for mortgage needed, but had been busting his ass off for that and for the future family they both wanted.

He didn't explain any of it though, knowing that he may raise his voice if he began and despite everything, that was one thing Aiden didn't want to do and couldn't allow himself to.

"I think we both have things to regret then, huh..." he said instead as she said she regretted it. He hoped that she did and that the guilt didn't let her sleep at night, just like his own emotions kept him up sometimes. Instead of saying that he loved her, which was something he couldn't change despite everything, he nodded. "There's no need... for that. I'll come to your next visit and we can do a test whenever it's possible... You know very well I wouldn't let you do this on your own... I'll pay what I have to." he said, looking to the ground again with a frown.

While they began separating things, Mikael would  have to take a few breaks when he would come across a photo or something that reminded him of Hector.  It was emotionally devastating for him and he hated that Aiden was there seeing him fall apart.  Finally, they narrowed down things and started taking it out to Aiden’s truck.  “Are you doing okay?”  He asked, realizing since Aiden came to help him everything has been solely focused on him and he barely asked about his own brother.

As finally most things were done and they started doing rounds up and down the stairs to stack the necessary boxes in the bed of the truck, Aiden looked over his shoulder as he moved a hand through his hair and over his brow, drying off some of the gathered sweat. His brother looks a bit better today, spiritually if not physically, but Aiden wouldn't have wanted to burden him with his own troubles even if Mikael had been at the top shape. "I'm good, some drama back home I'm glad to be away from but everything's working out on its own," he said vaguely, knowing that Mik wouldn't know about the whole fiasco that Aiden's life had turned into just a few weeks before. Now that he thought about it, he wasn't sure that his older brother even know he had gotten engaged, with how little contact they had had in the past years. "You'll find nothing much has changed in the past few years," he added instead, because basically he was back to the place he was when they'd last been talking more.

She couldn't believe it was happening when she and Aiden finally started dating. Her struggles with self-worth made her feel inadequate for him, and this feeling only grew over time.

Despite the potted plant separating them, all she wanted was to hold him close. Her face beamed with happiness when he invited her to help care for their plant, which symbolized their love in a tangible way. That plant eventually found a place in Sofia's room, where its meaning would always be cherished.

"I already know," she replied, lost in thought. "It's in your bedroom."

"I do hope you've kept the evening free now that you're here, because I will order food and you're not going to move from the couch for a long while," he said with a teasing tone, leaving the plant on the coffee table, basically half a meter away from the front door. The tightness of the townhouse had never really bothered him, since he was barely home anyway, but when he was young it had seemed to him like a big home for a potential family. The whole first floor was kitchen, dining and living area where everyone could lounge and the second floor had two bedrooms. It would have been a decent start, for sure.

Deep down, she acknowledged that her turmoil went beyond mere hormonal fluctuations. She longed for him. She regretted her decision to be with Sawyer, or anyone else for that matter, when her heart belonged to Aiden. Instead of seeking solace in someone new, she should have confided in Aiden when loneliness consumed her, rather than making a choice that would forever alter her life. Now, her cherished aspirations of building a family with Aiden lay in ruins, yet she carried their unborn child within her.

"I'm-" Was she happy, she couldn't say. But she had to, for the sake of the child as well. "Happy too…" She said it in the softest of whispers. She nodded. "You are." She didn't doubt that fact one bit. "I'm sorry." She started to pluck the skin of her fingers, not even caring if it caused her to bleed. This was both awkward and painful.

"I wanted to make sure that you were aware because I didn't want to keep it a secret from you."

"I'm sorry too, I can't say I trust your word on it," he said and had no idea of what a possible test for that could be. Aiden looked away once again, not really seeing the street around them or feeling the warmth anymore. "I think it would be a good idea to also tell Sawyer, just in case he actually manages to get his shit together for once in his life," he said with a frown. He couldn't say he hated his brother, he never really had, but the idea of being in a room with him right now made him want to hit something and that was a very rare thing for the man.

Perhaps if he wasn't getting angry at the mere thought of the situation he might be getting excited. He was sure that once he was home alone he will think it through, but at the moment, he couldn't help keeping a frown and a rather blank face as to not show his emotions.

Sometimes Nate thought he preferred those days to these ones, when people weren't in constant communication 24/7. There were pluses and minuses to both. At least their heads weren't locked up in their phones all day long when they were kids. That had to be better than what the youth these days were coming up with. He felt like an old man even thinking can't you just go play outside or something?

He finished off the last of his drink, shaking away the silly line of conversation, though it was nice sometimes to just talk about something simple and easy for once. Lately he felt like he was walking on eggshells, trying to figure out everything with Mik, with Aiden and Sawyer - like there was a trap mine planted somewhere nearby that he might just detonate by mistake.

As Nate got up and seemed ready to head out he was at least glad that he had managed to get him to drop the Mikael subject for the time being. He knew that it wouldn't be forever but hoped the two of them can speak about it on their own once each of them was ready and Mik felt like sharing what he wanted to share. "I'm glad you're good too bro. I think we should organize a family barbecue or something now that everyone's home and see how that goes. Let me know if you want, I'm mostly free these days," he said as he followed Nate to the door.

The next morning, movers arrived to start packing up the penthouse.  Whatever they were boxing up would take weeks to arrive in Colorado where Miakel would once again have to find some movers from Greywood to transport it to the town.  Today though was about Aiden and him picking out what necessities he absolutely needed while staying at Aiden’s.  “Okay, so obviously my clothes, my jewelry, all my bathroom appliances, my makeup and probably some decorative stuff for the room I will be staying in.”  Even though it seemed like a lot, Mikael was actually fairly conservative with everything he wanted to bring in Aiden’s truck.

In the morning he found himself up in the apartment at the brink of dawn, as usual, his body too accustomed to being up before 6 AM for work. He spent the time before Mik woke up and the movers came to make some food and have breakfast and then helped out with everything he could move around, finally going back to his brother. "As long as it's just boxes that can fit in the back of the truck, I'm good with taking everything. Do you have enough boxes over here?" he asked as he opened a wardrobe and observed the colorful clothes in it with a frown.

[Flashback]

Sofia stood on the doorstep of her boyfriend's charming house, feeling a delightful mixture of excitement and apprehension as she reached out to press the doorbell. In her quivering hands, she carefully cradled a delicate flower pot adorned with a stunning arrangement of vibrant carnations. Each bloom held a special significance that she hoped would effectively convey the depth of her emotions to Aiden.

As the door swung open, revealing Aiden's warm smile, she offered a nervous chuckle and began, "I hope you'll understand the sentiment behind these carnations. They symbolize fascination, and there's no one who captivates me more than you do." Her bright smile radiated warmth as she presented the flowers to him, each petal seemingly reflecting her heartfelt emotions.

"And, let's be honest, a touch of color will surely enhance the beauty of your already wonderful home," she added playfully before planting a tender kiss on his cheek, her eyes filled with affection and hope.

Opening the door now he smiled at the surprise visit as he had thought that they'll see each other tomorrow morning for breakfast and then wander around together. Seeing the flowers in her hands, he couldn't understand the meaning behind it aside from the kindness of the gesture and the fact that she seemed to have arranged it himself, but he appreciated it no less. "Well, you do realize that you will need to come even more often now to water them and keep them alive, right?" he asked with a smile, leaning on the door as if he was considering whether to take the gift or not.

He had finished work an hour ago and had been lounging around in short and his work tank top, so he wasn't in his best state right now.

"You'll also need to find it the perfect place in there, I think."

"If you'd just look at me, I wouldn't have to say it." Her emerald green eyes bore into his, silently pleading for understanding in the midst of the turmoil. She knew she had to continue.

"I'm pregnant, Aiden. I'm five months along. You can do the math." She wrapped her arms around herself, not to provoke him, but to shield herself and her unborn child in case he exploded. She had only seen him lose control once before, and the memory still haunted her.

He kept silent, his mind working over it. He could see the swell in her body and breasts and that did something to him. But he couldn’t also not think over it and wonder right away if in fact she was just coming to him first to see if he’d agree to it before also swooping in with Sawyer. His trust had been broken and he couldn’t not go there. “I’m happy for…… you.” He said as he tore his eyes away and looked to the side, frowning and his light eyes darkening again. This has been discussed so many times. A dream for the future that he’d let go of for now. “But I am sure I am in fact the only possible father.” Saying that hurt. But he tried to keep a frown rather than show that.

Then came the news that she was carrying Aiden's child, and suddenly everything spun out of control.

She hadn't planned on actively seeking him out, but she felt a compelling need to share the news with him. She wanted to acknowledge the life growing inside her, a life that was a part of both of them. So, with a deep breath, she gathered her resolve as she stepped out of the car and spotted him.

"Here goes nothing," she whispered to herself.

"Hey, uhm, Aiden Winters - we really need to talk," she said, her voice soft but firm, making sure he could hear her without drawing unnecessary attention.

He didn't look up and now it wasn't because he didn't need to, but because he didn't want to. The moment he'd slammed the door behind him after he'd come home and gone up to the sounds of his fiancé and his brother... well, he'd decided that that was the chapter over and he would do his best to keep it closed despite sometimes needing a hard drink for that or to go party somewhere and find himself with a stranger who served the purpose of making his mind numb.

"I don't have anything to say to you," he said, tapping at the bum of the cigarette and then taking it to his lips again.

The dining area of Hida was not very large, the restaurant itself perhaps considered average sized but still cozy and warm. Rich wood panels made up the walls and floor and though the chairs were also made of wood, they were alarmingly comfortable, as if enchanted to ease away the weighty burdens one might carry. "Here," she brought him to the back corner of the restaurant, it was nearest to the door which led to the back hall where the servers congregated and the kitchen was only a few feet away. No busy kitchen sounds or server gossip could be heard here though, despite being separated only by a door for that was the result of another enchantment so as not to disrupt the dining experience for her guests. "Please, sit," she gestured once more with the open palm of her hand and afterward, she would join him, taking a seat opposite, "I'll eat with you, if you do not mind."

As he took a chair on the small table, he nodded a thanks. "That's okay, I'd like that even. I don't think we've had the chance to chat for long before, or if you've had it probably was with the other one," he said with a smile, not letting it all darken his mood once again. he might as well try to have a nice afternoon and share a nice meal with another woman that wasn't family. That would be a first since January.

As he nodded at what Jesse said, not thinking much of it, knowing many people did love animals and came here to groom them or help out, even open for kids on some weekdays to feed them, he waved for him to follow. "T'be honest, no idea what that'd be, but you can check. I've cleaned them all earlier but we can take two around to graze, sure they'd love it," he said as they walked towards the closer barn where the stalls were.