"They're good, admit it."
"No. They're terrible, that's why I laughed."
I turn to Aziel's baby brother and ask, "Are my jokes good or bad?"
Sebastian looks between me and his brother. "They're good."
"Ha! See?" I say to my boyfriend.
"Traitor," Aziel glares at his brother.
I've always wondered how the two of them can be so different. While Aziel is goofy and carefree, Sebastian is reserved and awkward at times. He doesn't speak a lot, but somehow he's always there in the corner. Today, him sitting with us for breakfast, is a surprise.
"Let's eat. The pancakes will go cold, and I know they're your favorite," Aziel says to me with a fond smile.
I love this guy so much.
"I'll leave you to it," Sebastian says as he starts to get up.
I frown.
"Sit down and eat," I say, my voice coming out as a command. It wasn't my attention, but Aziel told me his brother doesn't eat a lot these days.
Sebastian freezes for a second before blurting, "Whatever you say, Daddy."
My eyes widen in horror, and Aziel chokes on his pancake.
"The fuck did you call my boyfriend?" he explodes.
"Hey, calm down. He was joking." That was a bad joke, but nonetheless a joke.
Sebastian shrugs as he places a pancake on his plate. "Ezrah was commanding me like a Dad would, so it was fitting."
Aziel and I sigh in relief at the same time. A Dad, of course. Their father had never been in the picture. Well, he had been, but for a short period. I'd often thought about what Aziel told me, how much he missed their father. But I never thought about what that meant for Sebastian.
"It's okay," I tell him. "Eat your food and don't worry about it."
After that, he kept calling me Daddy jokingly. It drove Aziel crazy, but I didn't mind. Was it weird and uncomfortable to be called Daddy by a him? Fuck yes. But I understood. He just wanted the illusion of a father figure in his life. I didn't mind giving him that.
Besides, I rarely saw him back then. It wasn't an issue.
Even after he grew older, he kept at it. I still flinch remembering the day of Aziel's and my wedding, when Sebastian hugged me and called me Daddy in front of everyone. The guests froze. My cheeks burned as I laughed awkwardly. Aziel fumed. But Sebastian? He looked pleased with himself.
Remembering it now makes me laugh out loud. It had been an insane moment. But a good one, in its own twisted way.
It's already two a.m. and I need sleep. Tonight's walk down memory lane wasn't as painful as before. Maybe because I focused on Sebastian.
He's no longer the kid I used to know. He's an adult now, a man I barely recognize. It makes me a little sad. I thought we'd always be family.
I sigh, just as the doorbell rings.
Frowning, I pull on some trousers but don't bother with a shirt. Whoever it is, they must be at the wrong apartment. Nobody comes here in the middle of the night.
"Hello. You must have the wrong-"
"I don't," a soft voice says.
"Sebastian?"
