"What are you doing?" I giggle when Theo peppers kisses all over my face. He playfully restricts my arms when I try to get away from him. "Theo, it's tickling me," I manage to say between small laughs.

I couldn't help but relax into his touch, feeling the tension melt away with each tender gesture. When I try to tell him that it doesn't even hurt anymore, Theo is quick to soothe me with soft words and comforting kisses on my forehead.

"You deserve kisses and cuddles today." Gently, Theo takes my left hand in his. After examining the bandaged finger, he drops a kiss over my knuckles. "And I'm sorry for scolding you earlier," he murmurs.

Once he feels satisfied with placing feather-light kisses all over my face and neck, Theo wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me into a warm embrace. "You have no idea how precious you are to me, Princess," he whispers, pressing a soft kiss to my temple. "I hate to see you in pain."

I lean into his embrace, feeling grateful for his love and care. A warmth spreads across my cheeks, and a fuzzy feeling settles in my stomach. "Thank you for taking care of me, Theo," I murmur, snuggling closer to him.

In this very moment, surrounded by his warmth and affection, I realise that he unintentionally makes me fall for him more and more each day.

"And that was barely scolding," I say, smiling up at him. I quickly peck him on his cheek before continuing. "I know I worried you guys. And I'm sorry for being so careless. But I swear that has never happened before," I quickly add in my defence.

After my little mishap, Theo and Adrien finished making the dinner. Everyone was silent at the dinner table tonight. Theo kept glancing at me and shaking his head in what I could only assume to be disapproval. And my brother didn't bring up anything, either, other than looking worried over something.

"What's wrong?" Theo asks when I become completely silent.

Should I really tell him? But what if I end up making him feel uncomfortable? Just like that time I asked about him ever being in love...

"Princess?" Theo calls again.

I blink a few times slowly. "Uh, can I ask you something?" I say, my voice hesitant.

"Of course," he replies without missing a beat.

I take in a deep breath and look into his eyes. "Why are you here, Theo?" I blurt out and then mentally facepalm myself when I realise how rude it sounded. "I mean, is there any particular reason you are here or..."

Theo's arms tighten on my waist before he lets go of me. When he sits up on the bed, I follow suit, thinking to myself that I struck a nerve. Yet again.

'Well, there's no going back now.'

"Theo," I say softly, placing my hand on top of his. "Will you please tell me what's wrong? Have I done something? Or did something happen that upset you?"

"Is this why you were distracted?"

"Huh?" I tilt my head to the side and furrow my brows in confusion.

"Back in the kitchen, when I asked you what you were thinking about," he says. "You were thinking about this?" He lifts the corner of his lips in a half-smile.

"How did you know?"

"You're not exactly difficult to read, Princess. You're like a book," Theo says grinning. "A cute book." He chuckles.

"I..." I don't know if I should be offended at the fact that I am easy to read, or be flattered that he called me cute. "Okay, whatever." I quickly dismiss. "So, uh, you didn't answer my question yet."

"Yes." Theo runs his tongue over his bottom lip, my eyes following his every small movement. "There's a reason why I'm here."

Oh.

"I'm here to meet someone."

I suck in a shaky breath after hearing those words, my mind already jumping to a conclusion I would rather not entertain right now.

"...And who is it?" I hope I didn't sound as desperate as I am feeling inside. 'Please don't be who I think it is. Please, God.'

Theo averts his eyes and focuses his gaze on my hand that is still holding his. He closes his eyes and sighs deeply. My heart starts to beat faster for some unknown reason.

"The woman who gave birth to me," Theo whispers with his eyes still closed.

It takes me a moment to register his words. And when I do, my brows dig in deeper. "I thought you didn't have a mother," I think out loud.

"I don't." He opens his eyes to meet my puzzled ones. "She was never my mother. All she did was give birth to me," he says bitterly, probably recalling something from his past.

I give a gentle squeeze to his hand, not knowing what to say. What could have possibly happened for Theo to not address her as his mother? I can sense the weight of his silence, the pain and confusion of a memory that still haunts him. And if he doesn't want to talk about it, then I'm not going to force him.

Several minutes go by and Theo still doesn't utter a word. The room gets so silent that one could hear the sound of our breathing. I put my other hand on his back and slowly run it up and down in a comforting manner.

Theo's voice trembles slightly when he speaks. "I was a kid, maybe around four or five years old," he begins, his eyes distant as he delves back into the past. "That woman, she... she was an alcoholic."

I listen intently, my eyes fixed on his face.

"My parents fought almost every night." A pause. "She would scream and yell at my Dad, saying how he ruined her life. How... I ruined her life," he says quietly.

With each word escaping his lips, my heart aches for the little boy Theo once was, and for the man sitting next to me, still carrying the scars of his past. As much as it would hurt him to recount those days of his childhood, I believe getting it off his chest would do him good. So I gently squeeze his hand in silent support, encouraging him to continue.

"One day when Dad was away at work, she came up to me and said that we were going somewhere," Theo continues, his voice growing softer with each word. "I was happy that she wanted to spend some time with me for once."

A rock-sized lump forms in my throat, already having a bad feeling about this story.

"We got into her car and she drove for God knows how long. I remember she pulled the car aside and said she needs to pick something up. She left me in the car and told me she'd be back soon."

Oh, no. Why do I have a feeling that—

"That was the last time I saw her," Theo finishes what I was thinking, making my jaw drop. I put a hand over my mouth, silently staring at the side of his face.

My heart clenches at the thought of young Theo, trapped in the confines of a locked car, his small frame surrounded by darkness and silence. He must have been so scared and alone. I can only imagine the fear and confusion he must have felt, abandoned by the one person a child is supposed to trust the most in the world.

How could a mother do that to her own child?

"So, yeah." Theo clears his throat. "I must have fallen asleep at some point after all the crying," he goes on, his voice barely above a whisper now. "Dad found me a day later. Passed out in the seat."

Tears well up in my eyes after listening everything, my heart shattering for the little boy who had endured such a traumatic experience. I reach out to him and pull him into a comforting embrace, hoping to offer him the solace and support he so desperately needs.

"I'm so sorry, Theo," I whisper, my voice choking with emotions. "No child should ever have to go through something like that."

Theo buries his face in my shoulder, his body trembling slightly with the weight of his memories. "We never spoke of her again. It's almost like she never even existed. My father hates that woman," he mumbles against my skin.

When I let go of the hug, he gives me a pained smile. "But I don't," he whispers.

"Theo," I whisper softly, a tear escaping despite my best efforts.

"I don't hate her," he repeats again. "Maybe she was right. I ruined her life. And I ruined their marriage."

"No, no, no. Stop saying that." I shake my head vigorously, giving up on trying to hide the fact that I'm crying. I squeeze him into a hug again and sob silently.

'I wish I could take his pain away.' Who knew he went through so much at such a young age? And yet, he always cares for me so much, even though, he wasn't given the same love and care.

When Theo rubs my back, I feel pathetic about myself, since I should be the one comforting him. He lifts my chin and wipes my tears with his thumb.

"Why do you still want to see her?" I ask.

Theo's chest shakes with a quiet laughter, but I know it lacks humour. "I don't fucking know." He shrugs. "I saw her in the background of a news report on the TV and immediately decided to come here. That was about a month ago. Dad still doesn't know about it."

"Do you know where she lives?" I ask.

"I do." He nods. "But it took longer to find her than I had expected because she's changed her name."

Why am I not surprised? Not only did she move to a different place, she has also changed her name. She must have started a whole new family by now if I'm not wrong. I keep my thoughts to myself and ask, "When are you gonna see her, then?"

"I don't know." Theo runs a hand down his face in frustration. "I've been meaning to do that for, what, a week now. But I chicken out in the last minute."

"Let's go tomorrow," I suggest after a while.

"No," he immediately replies.

"But why not?" I ask in surprise. "You just said you haven't been able to do it on your own. So I suggested to come with you. What's wrong with that?"

"Everything." Theo huffs. "You are not coming with me, Princess."

"But, Theo—"

"No," he interrupts before I could finish my sentence. "I'll go there tomorrow just for the hell of it. And close this chapter once and for all."

"Theo, if you don't want me to be there while you talk, I get it," I say as calmly as possible, taking a hold of his hand. "I'll stay back in the car or something. But I am coming with you tomorrow. I'm not letting you go through this alone."

"Fine." Theo closes his eyes and sighs in defeat. "When have I ever denied you anything?" he mutters under his breath, making me smile.

———

A/N: I don't have a fixed update schedule at the moment. But I'll try to post a new chapter every week. I will announce about it on my message board a day before. So you can follow me if you'd want to get notified.

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