A/N:  Hey everyone new chapter and a nice snippet of the future book with Eli at the end. Enjoy! Check in Emoji: 🍿

'Am I dreaming?' Malik thought for the millionth time as he held his love in his hands. His body is much too small and hair much too limp and skin so pale that he just wants to bundle him in his arms and not let go. But to have him in his arms. A heart beating with a thump against his skinny chest. His eyes slip close as he traces the splatter of freckles that still remained on his skin. Wet tears slicken  his fingers and slid down to his palm. 

"Malik.", a soft whimper alerts Malik to his lips once again. Lips as pink as a plum still plump as the last kiss they shared. 

Plump, pink, beautiful lips that are his once again. 

"Don't speak…I just….", Malik 's voice falls flat. What does he want?

"Glad to see me?" Rhys tries with a small quirk of the lip.

His lips curve up a bit to his. He missed this. Missed being able to smile with no pain or stabbing guilt of doing so. 

"Glad…more than glad.", Malik says. He leans in close and places a soft kiss just underneath the cascade of ginger hair. One kiss turns to two and two turns to many. Kisses on his face, kisses on his neck and even some kisses landed in his hair. Malik felt like a grandma seeing her grand baby after a long week. 

When he finally broke away he laid his forehead on his. Eyes flutter shut as they rest then together. To be together again.

"How did you…" Malik could barely get the sentence out.

"Get away? I will tell you later. But..until then just know that no one will ever take me away from you again.", Rhys laced his fingers with the other's larger ones. "Never leaving you alone again."

"Strong promise."

"And I mean it, with all my heart."

Chuckles turn into laughter. Big arms hug around from below him and swings and clings to his love once more. Laughter that use to haunt his memories bring light to his glooming heart. Warmth filled his chest and enraptured his chest like spilt ink on paper. It was tight and gripping yet felt as comforting as an evening breeze.

'So this is what love feels like?' 

"Rhys. We need to talk. Privately." Malike says as he finally.glances at the slowly filling seats around them. Rhys simply nodded and began grabbing his daughter up into his arms. Malik motioned to get up only to be pulled back by an arm to his pant leg.

"Hm? Eli?" Malik said and glanced down at the boy.

Eli has changed somewhat since he last saw him. Curly hair grew upward to the sky like long coils of spring. He's grown. About to his hip now. His eyes held the same critical look but now we're filled with glossy marbles. He raised his hands. A simple motion he would have  expected when he was younger. Malik bent down slowly taking one last look at the young boy before him.

"You remember me?"

A question that truly needed not be said. Eli wrapped his arms around him like a snake. The young boy buried his face in the large male's shoulder. Heavy sobs raked through the boy like thunder. Malik rubbed slow circles up down the length of his back. Soft murmurs of 'It's okay' and 'I ain't going no wherr' were among the few that brought the little sobs to calm by time they reached a storage closet.

"Okay Eli. Need to talk to your daddy. That's okay?" Malik whispered. Eli's vice-like grip tightens with all his seven year old strength. 

"Please…wanna stay here. Please Daddy?"

If a heart could melt more than it has already, it is officially thin soup. Malik nodded to his request and focused now on Rhys. 

"So…how you get away?"

Rhys rubs his arm and glances away. 

"Rhys…please?"

Rhys takes in a sharp intake of breath. He pushes the larger male's hand away and sits down on a pile of dusty chairs. 

Malik feels weightless. Like all the weight on his body just disappeared and he was left with a grainy feeling under his skin. Slow pulsing rhythm under the skin. Malik never had this type of feeling before. Like a bubbling pot simmering over on a hot summer day. If he could he would shut off the gas. But this feeling that has come over so wished he could resurrect a man just to send him back again.

"Is that all?" Malik mutters.

"Yes? Is that all you are going to ask? Really?" Rhys says and rises to his feet. "I just killed someone Malik, do you understand that!"

"Understand fine. Just don't care."

"But.."

"Listen… man was dogshit. Dead, living dogshit the same way. All matters is you and kids safe. Notin' more." , Maliks lips quirk up once again. 

"Didn't I say I love you yet?".

Malik leans down and pecks his lips.

"No need." 

Rhys wraps his arms around his neck. The kiss was like he never left. More loving than the memory of the last. If he could package this moment into a candy he would call it bliss. Utter bliss that sends chills up both their spines like bits of fallen warmth fill their chest. The beating drum of their hearts thump in harmony together. 

"Love you.", Malik whispers against his neck.

"Thought you said no need?"

"I lied."

"Should have known." Rhys smirks.

Malik in one quick movement dips Rhys into a deep kiss. The kiss followed them all the way up to their stature. That was then they remembered their audience of two pairs of wide eyes.

"Later?"

"Of course."

Now being out of their trance the sound of of patron grows as the football match begins to start. Malik sighs.

"I got to go. I can take you guys to a viewing area. Just need clothes."

Rhys tugs on his basically rags for garments and nods. Malik opens the door and motioned for them to follow. Where Malik got the clothes, neither Rhys nor the kids knew.  All he knew was that they felt a lot better than what he was wearing. The viewing box that they were placed in was quite like how he remembered them when he went to one with his Uncle some years back. 

When he was a kid they were the coolest thing ever. But now it just screamed pretentious. 

"Look Daddy!"  Eli says, pointing to the players coming onto the field. Rhys smiles softly at his cub and rests a hand in his hair.

His heart fluttered just seeing Malik there, living the dream they got into this relationship to achieve. 

'Funny how things just line up in the end.'

A/N: I just imagine that if Rhys were to get pregnant again Lee would hope the baby comes out looking like her. Anyway here is the snippet.

The principal gives a weak smile. "Mr. Jackson, I thought your husband was going to be in attendance. "

"I had an ultrasound in the area.", Rhys said, "Either way, I should not have to be in this school again after you said you would fix the issue."

The principal laughed weakly, "Yes that is true, however, as you can see, the situation has become more intense."

"I'm sorry," the lady who was standing behind finally began to speak, "You are this child's father?"

Rhys turned and raised an eyebrow. "No I fucking stole him off the street, of course I'm his father. Might I ask, who the fuck are you?"

The lady was taken aback by the red head's strong language but continued, "I'm the mother of the boy your son ruefully assaulted."

"Oh really. Nice that you can make it to fifth one.", Rhys rolled his eyes and focused back on the principal. "Mind explaining the full situation Mr Walter?"

"Yes, well.. sixteen year old Eli Jackson assaulted seventeen year old Pond Suk-..... uh Suksaber? Uh…

"Suksabaijai", the lady pronounced with a side glance.

"Uh yes…Pond in the face with his fist resulting in an injury to his nose.", The principal concluded.

"What caused this to happen?" Rhys questions.

"That was all I was given from those who witnessed the fight. " he replies. "I called you both here to discuss the tense history these two boys have with each other."

The principal pulled out his desk draws retrieving a thick black folder. "This is all the incidents that have occurred around the two boys. As you can see, it is quite lengthy. Now, I feel that we, as adults, should try to make a better improvement between these two relationships."

Eli could only chuckle to himself at that. 'Really? That's your plan you sweaty man. But go off sir.'

"I think my son is being influenced by that boy. Just look how he sits there! He has no remorse for what he did to my son's nose!", Mrs. Sukadick said.

"Now that is not true. Mr Jackson, I'm sure you are sorry for your emotions getting the better of you.", The principal tried.

"I'll do it again."