Chapter 2
Pietro opened the door to his apartment, and his two sons, Roic and Jared, bounded in like they always did. They were just so full of energy and life, just like him. They certainly lightened up the atmosphere. He looked around the apartment, noting how different it felt since he had first moved in a few years ago. Before, it had felt so lonely and unsure, but now… Pietro sighed, and made a mental note to himself to call Jack later.
Then Roic and Jared pounced onto him, and they were soon in a tickle fight, rolling and laughing on the floor.
Someone knocked at the door. It looked like Pietro didn't have to call Jack at all, since it was likely him. Roic leaped up, saying "I'll go get it!" Pietro chuckled and ruffled his son's hair. "No, you can go play with your brother." Roic nodded and he ran into the next room with his brother chasing him.
Pietro opened the door. But it wasn't Jack. It was Lance.
The two stared blankly at each other for a while, and then Pietro slammed the door shut, breathing heavily. Crap, how did Lance find him?
Outside of the door, Lance was reeling. Okay, he knew that Pietro was going to be surprised to see him again after all these years, but he hadn't expected it to be so extreme that Pietro would actually slam the door in his face. Lance grasped the knob, rattling the door.
"Pietro? Pietro? Please, open up."
No response. Not that Lance had expected one.
"Pietro, if you don't open up this door right now, I WILL SHAKE THIS BUILDING TO THE GROUND, YOU HEAR ME?"
Pietro still didn't open. He must really not want Lance, because when he usually shot off like that, Pietro would quail and submit. Lance sighed and tried a gentler approach.
"Pietro, please… I'm sorry I yelled… please open…"
Still nothing.
"Pietro…Please, Bunny…" Lance froze. He hadn't meant to call Pietro by his old pet name for him.
For some reason, the pet name did the trick. Slowly but surely, the door opened, and Pietro was there, a defiant spark in his eyes.
"Okay Lance, I've opened up. Now tell me why you've come here."
Lance went into the apartment and sat down on the couch. Pietro sat down some distance away from him, the defiant look still on his face.
Lance burst. How could he not? He had so many questions, and it seemed that they were finally going to be answered.
"God, Pietro, why did you leave? I kept on wondering and wondering why, and frankly, you scared the shit out of me too! We were part of the Brotherhood, and that means we're brothers! Where did you go? What did you do? And why were you with those kids? God, Pietro!"
"Wait, wait, you were spying on me?"
"What? No, no!"
"Then how do you know I was with R- I mean, those kids?"
"I just saw you with them at the café! And no, I was not there to 'spy' on you, I was just having some coffee! It was just coincidence I saw you with those kids!"
Pietro still had that defiant look, staring coldly at Lance. Lance met that stare with his own cold one. But to his great surprise, Pietro looked away.
"It wasn't perfect." Pietro suddenly blurted out.
"What?"
"It wasn't perfect, but it was enough. Sure, it wasn't like one of those cheap, lovey-dovey relationships on the TV, but it was enough.
"We loved each other. There were the kisses, the hugs, all that. And the sex… goddamn good.
"But then you left me. Left me for a girl who probably only kissed you only once or twice-"
"Kitty kissed me five or six times actually." Lance interrupted.
"Whatever! Just because she kissed you that many times, she was suddenly worth so much more than me! Even though I had given you everything I had, including my body and my soul…" Pietro grit his teeth in frustration. "Fuck, Lance… You left me with two babies on the way…"
"Two babies on the way? What the hell do you mean by that Pietro?" Lance's voice suddenly hit a really high pitch.
Pietro froze and slowly looked up at Lance. Then, there was a rush of wind and Pietro was gone from his seat, but Lance looked up in time to see a door seemingly open by itself and slam shut. Lance sighed and once again, pushed himself against a locked door.
"Pietro? Pietro, please open up."
"No." It sounded choked.
"Pietro… When you said that… What did you mean?" Lance pressed on.
"Lance…"
"Did you mean… Did you mean that you were… pregnant?" It sounded ridiculous and impossible, but it fit with what Pietro had said. Briefly, his thoughts drifted to the two kids with Pietro.
"Pietro… Those kids with you… Are they mine?"
"Lance… Leave." Now there was a hint of steel in Pietro's voice.
"What?"
"Leave. I said leave."
"Pietro, I can't just leave-"
"LEAVE! GO! WHAT PART OF THAT CAN'T GET THROUGH YOUR THICK HEAD, YOU FUCKIN' SON-OF-A-BITCH! GO!"
Lance sighed, knowing that it would be pointless to try and press the conversation any further. He left Pietro's apartment with a heavy heart.
Behind the closed door, Pietro had sank to the floor, crying. Jared noticed and came to his father. "Papa? What's wrong? Why are you so sad?"
Pietro looked up, and, not for the first time, saw how much Jared looked like his other father. Pietro wanted to lash out at something, anything, but that would be wrong. Instead, Pietro just wiped the tears from his face and tried to smile. "No, nothing's wrong Jared. Hey, go and tell your brother that if you're really good, we can have ice cream." Jared nodded and left his father.
Pietro sighed and got up from the floor. He knew that he had to deal with his feelings for Lance at some point. He just didn't knew it would be so soon…
