Chapter Thirty-Four – Family Matters
"I said no!" John snapped angrily, a tone that Lin had never heard leave his lips before. He knew he shouldn't be listening, he should really close the bedroom door and let John have some privacy for what was, clearly, an intense phone call. He stared at the book on his lap while listening to the sound of John pacing the floor. He was clearly agitated, his breath heavy as he listened to the voice on the other end. I could increase my audio perception to hear both sides, but…"You don't get to decide that! I'm nineteen years old!" The blonde huffed indignantly. Lin couldn't help it. Someone was making John angry, he had to know if he could help.
"I am your father, and you will do as I say! It isn't safe John. You've seen the reports. Deviant models are going out of control, and we have no way of stopping them. We don't even know what's wrong with them yet." The older man on the other end replied in a similarly heated voice. He had a much deeper tone than John, so Lin could only guess John's gentleness came from his mother. He heard John's heartrate pick up at the mention of the deviants.
"There's nothing wrong with them! They're evolving, just like Uncle said they would." John bit back, the older man pausing a moment.
"You still call him that? He isn't even your uncle…I knew it was a bad idea letting you get so close to that man." John's father almost sighed, as if John were an easily led child. Lin could well imagine John's expression. His cheeks would be slightly flushed from the admonishment. He could hear the blonde grinding his teeth as he tried to hold back a response.
"He was a better father figure than you ever were." The teen snapped, his tone laced with bitterness. Lin winced. He knew John, and the blonde would definitely regret saying that later. He'd likely agonise over it, wondering if he should apologise or whether he'd been too harsh. It certainly took the older man off guard. He'd fallen silent. "Sorry…" John murmured softly, the quiver in his tone telling Lin that he was close to tears.
"No…you're right…I spent too much time in the office, too many meetings, and…I should have kept you closer after your mother and Jolie…" The man replied in a softer tone. Lin heard a shaky breath and had to hold himself back from going into the bedroom. He could hear the tears in John's voice, and the small sniffles he tried to hold back from the phone. "That's all the more reason I want you to return to Cyberlife…I want to keep you safe, with us, until this is all over." He added reasonably.
"That's what you want, but I already told you. I have no intention of taking your place, not while Cyberlife is run the way it is." John replied firmly as he took up pacing once more. His paces were uneven and frustrated.
"I don't want you here for that! If things go bad I don't want you caught up in it. What do you think those deviants would do if they tracked down the son of Cyberlife's CEO? I don't want you to get hurt son…Come home." The older man urged worriedly. John sighed loudly, frustrated with the old man.
"No one knows who I am! Even if they did, whose side do you think I'd be on? The whole reason I opened my shop was to help androids. Not use and destroy them…I'm saying here." John replied with the same firmness as before. The older man let out a heavy sigh, laced with his own emotional turmoil.
"You…are as stubborn as your mother." He said with some affection. John hummed lightly, unable to speak any more with his tears. "I'll leave it for now, but at the first sign of real trouble I'm sending a security detail to bring you back." He warned, hanging up before John could object further. Lin waited a few moments, hearing John toss the phone somewhere on the floor with a rough clatter. He was trying to hold back sobs, perhaps worried about drawing Lin's attention before he'd composed himself.
"John…Come here." Lin murmured as he entered slowly, watching the teen standing idly at the foot of the bed with his hands over his face. The teen didn't move, still trying to hold back. He tried holding his breath, then tried deep breaths. "Shhh, I'm here…" The android said softly as he wrapped John in his arms, stroking the teen's hair. He soon felt John give in, hands bunching in his black shirt tightly as he cried.
"Sorry…I'm sorry…" The blonde cried, barely registering as Lin moved him towards the bed. The taller man managed to coax him down. Lying down seemed to calm the human a little, allowing their bodies to press closer together. Lin encouraged John to lie against his chest, ear pressed to his pecks. He knew what John could hear. The steady beat of his thirium pump, accompanied by the much softer hum of his power core. The gentle sounds had the soothing effect he'd expected.
"You don't need to worry…I'll take care of you." Lin assured gently, feeling the human nod against his chest. "I won't let anyone take you from me, human or otherwise." He added, smiling as John's arms slipped around him and held on tightly. He didn't ask about the phone call. He didn't want to risk upsetting John further by asking difficult questions. He was surprised to learn how important John was. The heir to Cyberlife, if his father remained CEO long enough. Lin almost smiled at the thought. Cyberlife would certainly change if the blonde got his gentle hands on it.
"How long can things stay as they are?" The blonde murmured, though he knew Lin wouldn't have the answer. There was a certain eerie calm. The amount of android related attacks had steadily climbed. The amount of criminal damage to androids was also on the rise with the continued protests. Something was coming. Something was going to tip them over the edge into chaos. John held Lin tighter, and felt the android hug him back.
"I don't know…but we'll get through it somehow, whatever happens." Lin assured, hiding his own apprehension.