24. Epilogue

2.3K 170 220
                                    

Answer: Black and Blue by James TW

I'm so sorry it's so late! You are all amazing and I suck!!!!!!!! I got stuck at work and then there was so much traffic!

Alec was sitting at the kitchen table reading a new book when he heard the front door slam against the wall. He jumped to his feet just as what sounded like a picture frame fell to the ground, shattering the glass. He ran even faster when he heard loud sobs.

"Daddy?" A little voice called out. "Daddy, where are you?"

He ran to the little boy and kneeled in front of him. He grabbed the boy's shoulders. "Are you okay? What's wrong?" Alec demanded of the boy in a scared voice.

"Daddy," The boy leapt into his arms and Alec kissed his fuzzy black hair.

"Dyson, I need to know why you're crying." Alec rubbed the boy's back as he continued to sob.

"Lucy-" The rest of what the boy was saying got muffled by his mouth being against Alec's shirt.

"Dyson," Alec pulled the boy back so he could see his dark face covered by streaks from tears. "What happened? Is Lucy okay?"

"She said that I'm adopted!" Dyson flung his arms back around his dad and let out a new stream of wails. Alec stood up with the small boy in his arms and looked over his head to see Magnus leaning against the wall in the hallway.

They shared a silent laugh at the boy's dramatics and then Magnus winked. Alec was grateful that Magnus always knew what to do. Of course, neither of them expected to have to deal with this exact situation, for one Dyson was half African American and Magnus was tanner than Alec yet he was still only a slight golden color.

"Hey, buddy," Magnus rubbed Dyson's head in the way he had since he was first born and they took him home. The little boy began to sob harder and louder.

"Think we need a single or a double?" Magnus asked and the boy's crying softened just a bit.

"We better make it a double." Alec winked at Magnus.

"On the rocks." Dyson's little voice was shaky but Alec and Magnus could tell that he was calming down.

"A double on the rocks." Magnus kissed his head. "Coming right up."

Magnus hurried off to the kitchen and Alec carried their son to the living room so they could talk. It was Dyson's favorite room in the whole house and they all knew it. It probably had to do with the fact that they usually tried to get him to stay out of it.

"Are you ready to talk?" Alec asked him sweetly as they sat down. Dyson sat back and wiped at his nose and eyes with his arm.

"Can I see them?" Dyson asked and Alec nodded. He stood up again and set Dyson on the big, white chair. He then pulled off his hoodie so he was only in a short sleeved shirt.

He kneeled in front of his son and held out his arms for him to see. It still sometimes tugged at his heart when he saw them or when people touched his arms, but it was more like a shadow of pain. He could handle it especially if it helped others.

Dyson ran his small fingers over the black lines and bright colors feeling the harsh, jagged scars underneath that were hidden by the design. His dad's had told him that a bad man had hurt his daddy when he was young but then another man had fixed him.

"Do you want to talk now?" Alec asked him, cupping his little face in his hand.

"Why did she say that?"

"Because you are adopted."

He burst into tears again. "What does that mean?"

Alec chuckled then grabbed the boy's hands. "It just means that we searched across the world looking for you and when we did we brought you home." Trying to explain it in a way that a five year old would understand.

Daily Malec Fix (Wattys 2017)Where stories live. Discover now