Yu blinked slowly, his lashes still damp from the tears he'd shed before drifting half-asleep on the couch. When Adrian's touch brushed his hair back, when his warmth sank into the blanket wrapped around him, something inside Yu loosened.
His whole body exhaled in a way he hadn't realized he'd been holding. The icy dread from earlier—vomiting over the toilet the moment he woke up, the shame of his weakness, the gnawing hunger of his Incubus instincts—faded into the background. All that mattered was that Adrian was here. Steady. Grounding.
The scent of cologne and faint smoke from outside clung to Adrian's clothes, and Yu pressed his face closer, letting it envelop him like a shield. His chest, which had been so tight, eased. For just a heartbeat, he let himself believe that maybe this is where he belonged. Maybe this is enough.
Every tremor in his small hands stilled as Adrian held him tighter, his rough palm warm against Yu's back. Even if the world was cruel, even if it demanded too much of him—Adrian's presence steadied the shaking.
But inside Adrian, it was anything but calm.
His arms were wrapped around Yu, careful not to press too hard against the swell of his belly, but his jaw was clenched tight. His mind replayed Callen's words, every pitiful excuse, every declaration of "love" that felt like theft. He thought of Theo too—selfish, cruel, still daring to circle Yu like a vulture, as if he had any right to claim him.
Adrian's hand smoothed down Yu's back, but his thoughts were knives.
'They won't take him from me. Not Callen, not Theo, not anyone.'
He could feel Yu's fragile heartbeat beneath his palm, feel how much Yu trusted him in this moment. It should have been enough to soften him, to quiet the storm. Instead, it only hardened his vow.
Adrian's eyes narrowed over Yu's shoulder, staring into the shadows of the penthouse living room as if carving the promise into stone.
'I'll protect you. I'll protect the babies. And if anyone dares to get in the way, I'll bury them.'
His lips brushed Yu's hairline, soft, gentle—contradicting the fury roaring in his chest.
Adrian pressed his lips a few times into Yu's hair before lingering there like a man who couldn't let go. His hold was gentle, the steady rhythm of his hand stroking Yu's back as if to soothe a child or lover alike. Outwardly, he was the picture of tenderness, a partner anchoring someone fragile through the storm.
But beneath that softness, darker thoughts and vows coiled like serpent chains. He could feel his heart swell and crack in equal measure—love so consuming it felt like suffocation, rage so sharp it cut through the tender hush of the moment. Yu's warmth only deepened both.
'I'll keep you safe this time…'
Adrian thought, brushing his lips across Yu's temple.
'Even if it means cutting down anyone who dares to threaten you. Even if it's Theo. Even if it's Callen. Especially Callen. I'll end them all. You only need me. My Yu. My love. My angel. Mine. Mine.'
The duality threatened to split him open—one hand steadying Yu, the other itching for his gun he no longer carried on his body. Yet he kept still, kept quiet, his storm hidden inside. To Yu, he was calm. To the world, he was death waiting.
---
The weeks blurred into a gentler, steadier rhythm until a full month had completely passed by—and with it, brought about a new rhythm.
Yu rested most days in bed, cocooned in blankets, following Dr. Nathaniel's instructions. Small meals, carefully timed medications, and frequent naps became his life. Adrian made sure of it. He tracked dosages, checked hydration, monitored the subtle changes in Yu's energy.
Though Adrian still had classes, he'd adjusted with the new semester—choosing mostly online coursework, limiting his time away. In the mornings, he went to his internship at the law firm, then brought work home with him, balancing case files with making sure Yu ate. It was domestic. Almost ordinary.
Joy and Izan dropped by often, filling the space with warmth. Joy brought snacks and laughter, Izan with his steady quietness. They both made sure Yu smiled, even if faintly.
With all the new free time Yu had, he sketched more often and posted frequently and soon Yu's Instagram finally became monetized. A steady stream of income—small, but his—helped ease the weight pressing on his chest. Adrian told him over and over he didn't need it, that he'd provide, that money was never a problem. Still, Yu clung to the little independence it gave him, grateful.
And Theo? Theo was kept away with lies.
Yu had become skilled at weaving excuses:
Fake classes, assignments, and very real fatigue. Wedding errands became his most effective shield—fabric shopping, cake tastings, venue checks, invitation sorting—all things that sounded urgent, believable, and conveniently time-consuming. Theo bought them every time. For an entire month, it worked.
Until it didn't.
One quiet evening, as Yu rested back against the couch with a blanket pooled over his belly, Joy's voice cut into the fragile rhythm.
Her gaze was steady, searching, almost trembling with the weight of it.
"Yu… what are you going to tell Theo? You're not really going to marry him are you?"
She asked softly.
"I mean, I would be really happy if you did but… I just… I'm worried… when he finds out you're pregnant with three babies. Are you gonna tell him?"
The words hung heavy in the air, like a glass dropped but not yet shattered.
The room was quiet, too quiet. The kind of quiet that wasn't peace but pressure, pressing down on Yu's chest until each breath was shallow and trembling.
Joy's question sat between them like a knife unsheathed, gleaming in the dim light.
Yu stared down at his blanket, his fingers curling into the fabric as if he could hide inside it. His throat ached, dry, but no words came at first. DK01's interface flickered in the corner of his vision, blinking and waiting—but he ignored it. He was trapped, cornered by truth, and with Joy… with Joy he could never lie.
His new title, "friends who lie", allows some bending of truths but Yu didn't feel it was right to keep this secret from Joy any longer, not with someone who's been nothing but kind and giving, who protected and sheltered him and his babies, who loves him and accepts him as he is. And though he knew telling Joy the truth would complicate everything, he couldn't do it.
The dread clawed its way up from his stomach, twisting around the fragile hope he'd tried to protect for weeks. He swallowed hard, once, twice—before the words slipped past his lips in a whisper.
"Theo…"
Yu's voice cracked, almost too soft to hear. He squeezed his eyes shut, as if that could stop the truth from spilling.
"Theo's the father."
Silence crashed down again—but this time it was different.
Joy froze, wide-eyed, as if her entire world had tilted on its axis. Then, like sunlight breaking through storm clouds, her expression shifted. Her mouth opened in a gasp, her hands flew to cover it.
"Oh my god—Yu!"
Her voice wavered between disbelief and joy.
"That means… that means the babies are my actual nephews—or nieces! They're Kingsleys!"
Her hands clutched at Yu's, squeezing them tight, trembling with excitement.
"Do you know what this means? We're family—really family!"
Yu flinched at her brightness, his heart aching at how easily she found joy in the truth that to him felt like a curse. His lips trembled as he forced a shaky smile, the dread in his belly only deepening.
Because as quickly as Joy's delight bloomed, it faded. The realization dawned heavy, sharp.
Her hands stilled on his. Her voice softened, dropped, grew serious.
"…But if Theo finds out…"
Her throat tightened.
"Yu, he'll never let you go. Neither will Grandfather. Even if you are a man… even if the world thinks it's impossible… those babies carry Kingsley blood."
Her fingers gripped his tighter, almost desperately.
"They'll chain you with that truth, Yu. They'll cage you and never let you breathe again."
Yu's lips trembled as he tried to hold the smile Joy wanted from him, but it wouldn't stay. His chest heaved, his breath catching like barbed wire inside his ribs.
Her joy—the way her eyes had shone when she said family—cut him deeper than any scorn ever could. He wanted that. He wanted to hold onto it, to keep her joy safe.
But underneath, terror roared. The thought of Theo's arms closing like iron shackles, of their grandfather's cold authority weighing down on his shoulders, of losing even this fragile freedom—his body quaked.
Yu pressed his hands against his swelling belly as if he could shield the babies, as if he could hide them from the very blood that tethered them to the Kingsleys.
"I don't… I can't—"
His words broke, sobs forcing themselves out despite his clenched teeth.
"Joy, I'm happy. I really am… but it feels like I'm drowning."
His tears fell fast now, streaking down his cheeks as he hunched forward, clutching at himself.
"If Theo finds out, if your grandfather finds out—they'll take everything from me. They'll take me. I won't get to choose. I'll just… disappear into being his woman."
The sound that left him was raw, animal, broken.
"And I don't want that, Joy. I don't want that! I don't want him to know the truth!"
Joy, stricken, pulled him into her arms, whispering his name again and again. Her own heart ached—caught between her joy at the truth and her terror at what that truth meant for Yu.
The floorboards creaked.
Both Yu and Joy froze, heads snapping up as Adrian's shadow fell across the living room threshold. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but his timing was too sharp to be coincidence.
His dark eyes flicked from Yu's tear-streaked face to Joy's pale, shaken one.
"What truth?"
Adrian's voice was low, dangerous in its quiet, though his gaze softened instinctively when it landed on Yu.
Yu's heart pulsed.
Adrian had heard—but not enough.
The air grew taut, suffocating. Joy's hand tightened around Yu's instinctively, as if she could shield him from what was about to erupt.
But Adrian stepped further inside, his presence filling the space, heavy with suspicion and something sharper—possession, protectiveness, the simmering vow of a man who had already decided he would not let go.
Adrian's gaze pinned Yu, sharp enough to peel through his tears. His voice, low and unwavering, cut through the silence.
"Yu. Tell me straight."
His jaw clenched.
"What truth?"
Yu's body locked, but there was nowhere to run. The truth already hovered in the air, and the weight of Joy's hand on his made it impossible to deny. With trembling lips, he whispered.
"I… told Joy. The father is her brother. Theo."
Joy stiffened, eyes darting between them in disbelief. She braced herself, waiting for an explosion, for Adrian's anger to fill the room.
But instead—Adrian's shoulders eased. His hand came up, steady, protective, as he answered without missing a beat.
"Oh, that?"
Adrian said casually.
"Yeah. I already knew. Yu told me already."
'For a moment I thought Yu was holding another secret from me.'
Joy's mouth fell open.
"What?!"
She blurted, her eyes wide. She turned on Yu with a mock-accusing look, her lower lip jutting out in an exaggerated pout.
"Yu! You mean to tell me you spilled the truth to him before me? Your supposed sister?"
Yu flushed, caught in the middle, looking helplessly between them.
Joy folded her arms, huffing.
"I feel betrayed."
But the pout softened quickly into something more cautious, her voice lowering as she turned her attention to Adrian who was making his way over to them—more accurately, to Yu.
"Joking aside… you're really okay with this?"
Her eyes searched his face.
"With raising babies that aren't yours—and worse, whose father is Theo?"
Adrian's expression didn't waver. He leaned forward, his hand slipping down to Yu's, covering it completely, grounding him.
"As far as I'm concerned…"
Adrian said firmly.
"Those babies are mine. Blood doesn't mean a damn thing when it comes to love. I will never hold that over Yu. Not now, not ever."
He glanced toward Yu's belly, then back up with eyes that burned steady.
"And besides…"
His tone softened but carried weight.
"We still have time to make some of our own someday."
Yu's face lit crimson, his eyes going wide.
"A-Adrian!"
His voice broke in a squeak as heat rushed up his neck. He scrambled weakly for a pillow at his side and shoved it against Adrian's chest with a breathless, pouting huff.
"Don't say things like that in front of Joy!"
The pillow barely nudged Adrian, Yu too fatigued under the weight of three lives to muster any real force. Adrian only caught the pillow against him with an amused half-smile, his other hand still firmly cradling Yu's.
Joy, watching the scene, blinked—and then finally let out a soft laugh of her own. Relief softened her features.
'Maybe, just maybe, Yu had found the right person to love him.'
Joy tilted her head, squinting as though she were studying Adrian under a microscope. Her softened pout shifted into something sly.
"Uh-huh. Sure. Big words, Mr. Tattooed-Lawyer-Man."
She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, eyes narrowing.
"But words are easy. Do you even know what you're signing up for?"
Adrian arched a brow, but said nothing—letting her run.
Joy leaned forward, her tone sharpening like a mother-in-law grilling a potential son-in-law.
"I'll remind you. Three babies means three screaming mouths, three different schedules, diaper explosions times three, Yu's hormones on overdrive, and…"
She jabbed a finger in his direction.
"No sleep. Ever. Again. You still so sure you want to play house, Romeo?"
Adrian didn't blink. He only reached over, thumb brushing the back of Yu's trembling hand.
"Yes."
Yu blushed hot, trying to sink lower into the pillows.
"Joy…"
He muttered, torn between mortified and comforted.
Joy smirked.
"Tch. Look at you, all gallant. No hesitation."
She sighed, softening.
"Guess I can't be too mad. At least you're not crazy obsessed like Theo."
That last bit she muttered under her breath, her shoulders sagging with relief.
After a pause, Joy stood, smoothing her skirt.
"Alright. I'll stop interrogating you for now. But don't think you're off the hook—next time, I'm bringing a checklist."
Adrian chuckled low, shaking his head, while Yu whined faintly in a muffled protest.
"Joy…"
She leaned down to kiss Yu's cheek, brushing his hair back like an older sister.
"Rest, Yuvin. You've got enough to worry about. I'll go grab some more clothes and things from my place and bring them over later. You'll be seeing plenty of me. Oo, I should make a new scrapbook for the babies!"
Her eyes flicked once more to Adrian, her tone suddenly softer, almost approving.
"Take care of him, Mr. Dad."
Then she was gone, the door clicking shut behind her, leaving a bubble of tender domestic quiet in her wake.
Yu leaned against Adrian, cheeks still pink.
"…She's never going to let you live that down."
Adrian smirked faintly, slipping an arm more firmly around him.
"I don't mind."
The apartment felt quieter, softer, the moment Joy's car faded down the driveway. Yu let out a long, trembling breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Adrian was still there beside him, solid and steady, the scent of his cologne faint against Yu's cheek as he leaned into the man's shoulder.
"You didn't have to let her interrogate you every time she visits."
Yu mumbled, eyes half-lidded.
Adrian brushed his thumb across Yu's knuckles.
"Didn't mind. She just wants to make sure you're safe."
Yu huffed a laugh, curling closer. The warmth of Adrian's body, the faint rise and fall of his chest, the way he didn't shift away from holding him even when Yu was all belly, vomit and fatigue—this was the kind of domesticity Yu's heart had longed for again.
Adrian pressed a kiss to the crown of his head, murmuring.
"Rest. I'll stay right here."
Yu let his eyes drift shut without the gnawing edge of fear clawing at him. Wrapped in Adrian's arm, the world felt manageable. Almost kind.
---
The sense of warmth still clung to Joy as she drove back to the family house. Her lips curved faintly as she thought about Yu's flustered little blush, the way Adrian had steadied him without hesitation.
'After all Yu has gone through, he deserves finally to have someone who would protect, love and care for him. I'm glad.'
She parked, humming softly, and carried her bag inside. The house was quiet, which was usually so for this time of day. She assumed Theo would be at the firm still—meetings, contracts, whatever he filled his days with. The small number of servants who keep the estate clean were quiet yet efficiently stayed out of sight. She pushed the door closed behind her, toeing off her shoes.
"Joy."
Her name, low and drawn out, rippled across the air.
Joy froze mid-step, her blood running cold. The voice hadn't come from upstairs, or the kitchen. It was close—too close.
She turned her head, dread coiling in her gut.
Theo sat slouched on the living room couch, one arm draped over the backrest, his eyes fixed on her with an unnerving stillness. His jacket was off, his tie loosened, as though he'd been waiting.
"Where were you?"
He asked softly, almost casually, though the weight in his voice pinned her in place.
Joy's pulse hammered in her ears as she forced a smile, setting her bag down by the door with exaggerated care.
"Brother, you startled me!"
She said lightly, hoping her voice didn't crack.
"I thought you'd be at work. S-shouldn't you… be at work right now?"
Theo tilted his head, the faintest twitch of a smile curving his mouth, though his eyes remained cold.
"I cleared my schedule for today. Wanted to spend some time at home and relax before the wedding."
His gaze didn't move from her, as though reading every flicker of unease in her posture.
Joy swallowed hard and moved further inside, trying to keep her steps even.
"That's… good. You should rest more. You've been pushing yourself too much lately."
The silence that followed was heavy, suffocating. Theo leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his tone still calm but carrying a weight that made her skin prickle.
"Where have you been, Joy?"
Her heart skipped. She forced a laugh, brushing her hair back.
"Just out with Yu. You know, normal things. Shopping, wedding planning, staying at his place sometimes. You don't have to worry so much."
Theo hummed, low in his throat, as if considering. Then, casually, he straightened and reached for the glass of water on the table. His voice sharpened as he lifted it.
"Perhaps I'll go see Yu tomorrow. Check in on him myself too. It's been so long and he is my fiancé now, after all. It feels wrong letting my bride handle all the wedding planning alone. Don't you think?"
The casual mention was like a knife.
Joy's blood went ice-cold. Images flashed through her mind—Yu's swollen belly, the way he tired so easily, the way he clutched at his stomach when stressed.
'If Theo saw him now, there would be no hiding it. He would know. He would know the truth of the babies, of the blood they carried in their veins.'
Her throat constricted, panic rising like bile.
"No!"
She blurted, too sharp, too fast. She forced herself to soften immediately, fumbling for composure.
"I mean—Yu's been… fragile lately. You should give him space, Theo. He'll only get overwhelmed if you push too hard."
Theo's eyes narrowed, the glass pausing mid-air.
"Fragile?"
Joy could feel her mask slipping under his gaze. Inside, she screamed at herself to think, to say something—anything—to keep Theo from stepping one foot near Yu.
Joy's palms dampened as Theo's stare pinned her to the floor like an insect under glass. She forced a shaky smile and folded her hands in front of her to steady them.
"Brother… Yu's actually been really sick. That's why I've been hovering around him so much. He didn't want to worry you, but he's caught something—like the flu, maybe worse—and he's been trying to rest it off. He barely has the energy to sit through class, much less wedding talk. If you go see him now, you'll only make him feel guilty for not being… strong enough."
Her words tumbled out, a fragile scaffolding of half-truths and hope.
For a moment, Theo only swirled the water in his glass, silent. The clink of ice was deafening in the quiet house. Finally, he set the glass down with a precise little tap.
"Flu?"
He repeated, his tone deceptively light.
"Strange that he'd hide something like that from me. After all, I am to be his husband."
Joy nodded quickly, too quickly.
"Yu doesn't want to be a burden. You know how shy he can be—he doesn't want you to think less of him."
Theo leaned back, studying her with that unnerving calm. His eyes gleamed sharp as blades in the low light.
"You've been spending an awful lot of time with him, Joy. Too much to be appropriate for a soon to be sister-in-law."
He said, voice dropping lower, quieter, every syllable coiled with menace.
"Always nearby. Always answering for him. It's… suspicious."
His gaze didn't waver.
"What exactly are you hiding from me?"
Joy's chest tightened, air refusing to move in her lungs. She forced herself to stand taller, to hold his stare even as her knees trembled.
"I'm not hiding anything…"
She whispered.
"I'm just protecting a friend."
Theo rose from the couch in one fluid motion. Not rushed. Not loud. But his very presence felt like a stormfront pressing in, chilling the air. He loomed over her now, and Joy's brave façade crumbled under the sheer weight of him.
His voice was almost a whisper, but sharp enough to slice her open.
"Joy. Tell me the truth."
Her mouth opened, closed. Her throat locked. She wanted to scream no, to lie again, but her body betrayed her. Fear for Yu, fear for herself, fear for what Theo might do—her composure shattered.
Her lips trembled.
"Theo… please…"