Daniel speaks to Nathaniel about the message he received from his father.

Eventually, the boys disentangled themselves from each other, Daniel eating happily, even though his food had gotten cold from their earlier actions. But kissing will always be a weakness he'll give in to, especially if Killua is the one initiating.

He likes it when Killua seeks out his affection.

As Daniel was putting the plate on the side table, he noticed the indicator on his phone "Someone left a message for me."

"Who from?"

The boy unlocked the phone, pulling up his messages. Once he saw the latest message, his hands shook, now on the verge of tears.

Killua sat up, holding his partner's hand to steady his shaking "It's from Vastorie. Why is he reaching out now?"

Daniel shook his head, unsure why the man was reaching out now. But considering his reaction, it didn't like he was ready to meet the man at all, at this stage. He thought he had gotten over it once he got his memories of Killua back.

That didn't look like it was the case. He'd need more time to recover from the man's words "I um…"

Killua slipped the phone out of Daniel's hand, pulling up the message itself to read out loud for the both of them "Well done, Daniel." Killua quirked an eyebrow, confused. Questioning it wouldn't make sense, it'll be better to finish reading it "You might not accept this… especially since it's coming from me. But you did well there. You're a good dancer… I just wish… I wish I could tell what I'm thinking. Ask your dad, just telling him Only One by Illunium, he'll explain. From… Vastorie"

Daniel broke out into a smile, tears falling. Eifion must have sent the man the video first, which means… Vastorie knows where they are now. That they are safe. Yes, Vastorie wasn't prepared to talk, nor did he apologise for his words. But he did feel some sort of resentment for his actions.

He was expecting them, well, mainly him to reach out to Nathaniel. To ask him about Only One by Illunium, one of the songs he chose for the two of them to dance to. He mainly picked that song, because, it's one of the few songs he listened to while Vastorie was teaching him to dance, that he liked.

But he never noticed Vastorie displaying any kind of reaction, other than a stoic one. Maybe now because the man is shutting himself out, this song hit really, close to home. He made his father react, in a manner than make him reminisce on the past.

He didn't know if it was the good or bad kind, only that he should be asking Nathaniel for the information.

Now would be a good time to ask, considering it's fresh on his mind. He pulled the phone out of Killua's hand to scroll through his contact, but instead, Killua pulled the phone back "Uh-uh…"

"Why?" Daniel fumed as he looked towards his partner.

But then he felt a thumb run under his eyes, telling him exactly why Killua did so. His boyfriend pulled back his thumb. Showing off the tear-stained finger. He was worried about him, wanting him to put himself first before the truth.

"This is why…" Killua rubbed the hand on his shirt before pulling Daniel into his grasp, "It's ok to seek out this information, but Vastorie reaching out to you in this one instance made you cry. Pull back, regather your thoughts and then call Nathaniel… Neither of you will be able to make coherent sentences if you're both crying like babies."

"I won't-"

Killua pouted, long before Daniel could finish his sentence "What, that you're not going to break down in tears alongside Nathaniel? I know you miss your dad, even if he was an asshole to you that time… to both of you. We're learning new things… our perspective on the man is slowly changing. But at during that moment, I understand Vastorie was emotionally charged at the time. He lashed out at the one person who he thought would never keep secrets from him… Sure, it's contradictive, considering Vastorie has been keeping secrets of his own. But, for the sake of argument, Vastorie may believe that if given incentive… Victor may take the things he loves away from him… The things he's trying not to care about."

Daniel's features dropped. Killua was right, what if, even though he's angry he still cared about them. He was just not allowed to show it.

"As I said, Vastorie has the right to be upset… just not at you… You did nothing wrong. Who cares if you're a butt baby? My only request is for you be a happy little shit…" When Daniel snorted at the terrible joke, Killua continued, this time holding out the phone to his partner "If you are going to make this call… I'll still be here for you, your shoulder to cry on, but remember… Right now, Nathaniel doesn't have that. So, try not to break down in tears… Okay…?"

"Okay…" Daniel spoke softly, his eyes now looking at the phone. He wants to make the call, but is he really, ready to talk? His heart screams yes… but the voices in his head are telling him no "Killua, I-"

All it took was a second, and Killua's lips were meeting his.

Daniel melted in his partner's hands, relaxing into the touch that makes him both excited and relaxed. He needed that kiss… craved it. So, when he pulled away, he smiled at his partner "I love you…"

"You better…" Killua puffed his cheeks as he turned away, pretending to pout. But in reality… his cheeks flushed with embarrassment "You feeling better now?"

"Yes, thank you Killua…"

"Good…" The boy huffed under his breath a second time, "Good…"

Daniel took the phone, scrolling through the names to Nathaniel "Let's get some details sorted out." Pressing dial, he waited for his father to pick up.

"~"

Nathaniel ran his elbow across his head, sighing out loud. Keeping busy tended to be draining. He has a dog, a Chimera Ant, a daughter, technically, two daughters and a grandson if he includes Scarlet and Stephan, to look after right now.

Sure, Zaikaria is helping with the cooking and whatnot, but he misses waking up next to his husband in the morning. He enjoys his snuggles, not waking up to a cold, empty bed.

What he has now is hectic… a normal kind of hectic, for him. He is thankful with what he's got right now, that much is certain. But he still does wish he had a little more than he does right now…

He doesn't care if it's a six-hour intimacy session… he just wants to feel that connection again.

Hell, he'd have liked it if his husband sent Alluka, Killua and Daniel back his way, he almost even wished it. It means a little, considering Vastorie does care about his children. The man's even thinking about him, thinking that he's strong enough to protect not just Zaikaria, but Akshasamut, Scarlet and Stephan on his own.

However, Victor has already attacked this place… he knows he could come back here at any given time to attack once more, not that Nathaniel would even give the man a chance. Not only that, where the three kids are now, he knows they're safe under Eifion's tutelage.

Not only that, but they're also on an adventure of their own, trying to piece details of Vastorie's past.

The man sighed, looking out into the forest. I wish Victor just died in some ditch all alone…

If only, he didn't know the truth like his husband should know by now. He wished… Well, more like, he hoped, Vastorie wasn't struggling after finding out the truth about his father… that the man's not even himself right now.

It'll kill him to know that he might be making the wrong choice, in the end, even when the man is hunting his children, willing to hurt them. He doesn't have all the facts with him, just that he, alongside Netero knew the truth… That the man was alive…

Victor was stopped from ever seeing his child again when Netero was alive. He was probably the only person who could kill Victor… Maybe even Ging could, not that Ging, had a reason to hunt down that man… At least he doesn't think he does.

Everything has just gone to shit since Victor revealed his existence, he hopes that nothing more could go wrong.

Nathaniel heard his phone buzzing in his pocket, his son's name showing up as the ID. With a giddy smile, he brought the phone up to his ear after having answered the call "Hey, how's school?"

"None of us can complain, dad." The boy answered with a smile, hoping that his father could hear it in his words.

"That's good! What can I do for you? I'm trying to keep myself busy, considering what's going on right now…"

"About that…" Daniel started, wondering what's the best way to put it; wording the situation considering, Nathaniel like himself does care about Vastorie.

"Is everything all right, are you ok… safe?"

"Yes… Yes! We're all fine. It's just… Vastorie reached out to me."

"Call…?"

"Text…"

"That's good, I hope…"

"Killua and I danced to some music last night. I'll send you the video once we've copied it for ourselves."

"Ok…?" He honestly doesn't know where his son headed with this. Considering it involves dancing, Vastorie may have message his son about that… or music choice.

"He told me I should ask you about one of the songs I picked, Only One by Illunium."

"Oh…" Nathaniel whispered, realising what Daniel was asking of him. The moment he told Vastorie about his feelings for him. One which he was certain this man wasn't currently aware of.

He knew about his ability to communicate with the dead, and the consequences of using the said ability. He doesn't know how many differences the two of them had, considering the changes in Vastorie's timeline.

But that doesn't change the fact that he still loves him, no matter their differences. Not only that, but Vastorie does also care about him because, in that man's timeline, they still had Daniel together.

There were just other differences they shared, like the painting he still had in his safe collecting dust… the picture of the Zoldycks and Darkscryers joined at the hips, which majority of the Zoldyck children were not pleased about, except Killua, Alluka, Daniel… and the man he has never seen before.

All he could do was assume, that the man in the photo was a past conquest before they dated. Technically, he could ask Killua and Daniel, to see if Vastorie told any of them about the man… but his heart wasn't ready for that kind of information yet.

Then again… he should ask now before it becomes a piece of history "I think I know what Vastorie wants me to tell you. But…"

"But…?"

"I want to know if you know about something else."

"Okay, deal!"

"You're supposed to ask about what, doofus!" Killua muttered loudly in the background of the phone. It sounds like the two of them were close, maybe even hugging. That would be sweet of Killua to do so… to hold his son close, to care about him as much as Daniel does.

"It's fine… This is Nathaniel we're talking to, not Vastorie. With him, I would ask first before agreeing to anything."

The man bellowed out in laughter, laughing at how his son would assume the worst-case scenario, even given how much he assumes his father has changed between then and now. He still thinks that Vastorie will ask private questions without a single thought.

He wiped a tear away before responding "It's ok, all private matters should stay between you. It's about something else…"

"So, where do I begin…" Nathaniel muttered loudly to himself, "where would you like me to begin, where I told him my feelings, or why… the song means so much to him. I would assume you used that song during one of your dance routines, which is why he brought it up."

Daniel bit his lip, hearing the story about how his parents got together would be nice… but he doesn't know if he could handle it right now. So, the boy decided to go for the second option for the moment "Why does that song specifically mean so much to him? He never showed any reactions while the song was playing in the background… why now?"

"Alright… let me explain. It's one of the songs we played on our wedding night. Vastorie picked it… He liked the composure and lyrics. He probably feels grief whenever he hears that song…"

"Probably…?"

"I assume Killua told you about when he talked to Vastorie after you lost your memories."

Daniel looked towards Killua, but the boy shook his head in response, "No… I don't think so. I don't believe Killua thinks he did either."

"That's fine… but it relates to my request. What did Vastorie tell you and Alluka… when you went into his office to confront him?"

"He told me about a painting… about Avlas…"

"Avlas…?"

"I find the whole story bullshit. But… it makes sense, the longer you think about it. Avlas is technically my…" Killua paused, biting his lips in anticipation to the reaction of what he's about to say "Is my… I guess you could argue he's my alternate universe uncle. He apparently, took over the Zoldyck estate… before he died at Victor's hands. However, he wasn't the only one affected… I was too."

Killua paused to look at his partner "Victor put me in a deep sleep, and when he died… I was destined to never wake up. Going by how the story ended, the moment he used his other ability, Avlas was removed from existence… The changes that resulted from Avlas' interferences in that timeline, changed as though he never existed in this timeline. Me being brought up as an assassin… Meeting Daniel later… Never being put to sleep."

"Oh…" The realisation kicked Nathaniel in the ass harder than he expected. That man in the painting wasn't a previous lover, he was a friend that helped mould his husband into what he's today.

He has a rough idea of how Vastorie's ghostly interactions work. He makes them an offer, and once they fulfil it, their small change is made and they're wiped from existence, resulting in an even bigger chain reaction.

It's why he hasn't touched his ability, for the last few years… Ever since Daniel was around five.

It may also explain why after meeting Victor for the first time, Vastorie involved himself in so many lives, just to piss off his father. But when Nathaniel met the man for the second time, he was thankful Netero was there.

He might have not survived the fight without his old mentor's help…

When Vastorie found out about that, he was filled with so much regret, due to his past mistakes, that he kept pushing himself. He continued changing lives one at a time, to the point sometimes he'd burn out… refusing to have any interactions, other than reading books.

He knew back then, to leave the man alone… but he never ended up doing so. He'd hold Vastorie during those moments, sometimes even hearing the man mutter a thank you under his breath.

His husband never wanted to be left alone… he just had a hard time admitting that. So, seeing him act this way, it hurts not only him… but deep down, he knows Vastorie is in as much pain.

The man may say he wants to use that ability on his father, but he wouldn't… the effects would be catastrophic. First, all the lives he made an impact on would've never happened.

Second, the Swordcross Institution wouldn't be as strong as it was today.

Third, their child would've never been born. He knows Vastorie loves Daniel and Zaikaria, he's just putting up a front so it deters Victor… He wants to make his father assume that his son and daughter wouldn't be a good bargaining chip.

But it won't work any longer… if he wasn't sticking his head in the sand, the man would come home and made plans to keep their children safe from this disaster. He can't pretend that acting indifferent will deter his father.

Daniel's memories have returned, the curse inflicted by his husband's father, on their son has been lifted…

Victor will make a move on the boy, considering Zaikaria is with him right now. She's in the best position, not only is she strong… but Victor's ability will clash against hers. He'll never be able to remove any of her memories.

The only problem now would be with Daniel; once he realises Zaikaria isn't an option, it's a matter of when the man seeks out their son once more.

Killua will understand all of this, once he learns about Vastorie's interferences. He already knows about the consequences of Vastorie using his ability, it's just putting everything together that will be the difficult part.

Not in terms of understanding it… It's swallowing the truth that will be difficult.

Eifion can protect their son while on the grounds, but when the children move or are forced to move due to changes in their circumstances, they'll no longer be protected.

The cold hard truth of the current situation is, that behind Vastorie's smiles and constant charity, he was hiding his frail heart.

Like Daniel and Killua, Vastorie too… also needed to understand that as well.

That will all come in due time, but right now… it's dealing with the memories of Avlas that matter "So, Avlas was what made him into what he is today…"

"I don't think so. He's-"

"What I mean, before breaking down… lashing out at others. Avlas' death, is what made him change. Until I was technically introduced to Victor a second time, he never went all in, going out of his way to do the things he does today. I met Victor when I was around… 20 the first time, I believe. Three years after meeting Vastorie… The second time is when everything started to change. As I'm sure you're aware of by now… you've heard the name Ercole being muttered once or twice."

"No… Is that dad's original name?"

Nathaniel nods his head slightly, even though Daniel couldn't see the action "Yes… it was. He introduced himself as Vastorie Darkscryer after, I kept harassing him to introduce himself. On the Hunter's Exam, he preformed inhuman feats, I was hooked. He even saved me a few times on the Hunter's Exam. So, I've always known him as Vastorie… this is a little cliché here, but someone who ripped me out of danger. I'll never refer to Vastorie as his given name, especially after seeing his look of disgust. If you saw that, you'd understand why he gave me a false name. He doesn't like anything in his past… before he became a Hunter…"

Killua rubbed his chin; if Vastorie doesn't like his past, why are they trying to understand it?

As if reading his thoughts, Nathaniel spoke up "But you need to understand his known past, to understand his current actions. No one besides Vastorie, Victor or Netero, will be able to talk about him before he became a Hunter. So for the moment, you'll have to piece together the known things about him… it'll prove he wasn't always… emotional."

Daniel stepped into the conversation, "For me, he was more blasé, expressionless when he told us things… He could say…" Daniel opened his mouth, but then he remembered his partner was in the room, and that his other father was on the phone.

He should probably say it anyway; it'll make sense in this situation. It's something they all could imagine Vastorie uttering out loud, "Excuse my poor choice of words here… but, he's the only one who could say: My ass is really sore, maybe I shouldn't have ridden that dick like a rodeo last night, with the straightest face. Now strangers would do a double-take, wondering if you misheard him… but for us… we wouldn't have to think about it. We heard him utter those words without a single care in the world."

"Yeah…" Nathaniel sighed in defeat. It was something Vastorie would do. He has no filter "I can't deny that. There's nothing I could say in his defence here. But considering what has happened, I don't think you'll be hearing him uttering words like that any time soon…"

"We would hope…" Daniel sighed. He hoped that they'll hear from Vastorie, just not his carefree kind of attitude. Although, Killua has gotten usually quiet behind him. Did he go too far with that comment… or…?

Daniel's cheeks turned red. He just unconsciously projected to his father. He may have not ridden Killua like a rodeo, but his ass was definitely… hurting last night. He turned to Killua, wanting to apologize to his boyfriend for the accidental reminder, but he was met with blushed cheeks.

They both were embarrassed right now.

"You still there?" Nathaniel asked, not sure if the call got cut, considering both boys were quiet now.

"W- We're here! Still~ here…" Daniel spoke too quickly.

"Is… everything ok?"

"Yes… YES! Everything is fine here." Quickly, deter this conversation "Going back to the topic. You mentioned… Well, you haven't spoken from your side, how you woo-ed dad. His side was full of… more jokes."

"I see… Well, let me tell you. He was D-E-N-S-E… he was one dense, stonewalled, emotionless, pain-in-the-ass to confess to. I never thought he'd be the kind of person you had to spell it out too." Daniel and Killua burst into laughter, they were not expecting that.

Nathaniel, however, continued to insult his partner's density "For a guy who spends hours upon hours, solving puzzles, cultivating Nen, learning new languages, he couldn't see that I did in-fact have a huge~ crush on the man. Sure, it took a long time for even me to realise this kind of thing, to figure out and understand, that I was, in fact, attracted to both girls and guys… But you'd think, a guy that tries to understand the impossible, would understand something so simple standing before him…"

Nathaniel almost broke down in tears, things hadn't changed between then and now… Vastorie's emotions were still stunted, he was just good at covering them up. The man sniffed loudly "I still love him even to this day… We stumbled across an open field, both fumbling around with four left feet… Oh yeah, back then, Vastorie couldn't dance for peanuts, not that I was any better. But eventually, I got him to laugh, even as we fell on top of each other in the grass… Then…"

Nathaniel took a deep breath, trying to calm his mind, emotions and his feelings "I admitted I had feelings for him. It threw him through a loop. From laughter, he went to absolute silence… eyes widened, a cross between surprise and shock… But the cruellest part of that day was… he asked me 'why?' Back then, I never expected that. Sure, he was known for sleeping around, being the… town bicycle. But I got to see the things others did not…"

Daniel and Killua remained usually quiet, the former squeezing the latter's hand. He didn't think that Nathaniel and Vastorie would share similar actions to how his confession went.

Mainly, the confusion…

Killua was unsure why he had feelings for Gon and not Daniel at that time. Most of it was due to him not understanding the concept of love, not until he got his memories of Alluka back. But it was still eerie to hear…

Hearing that Vastorie shared his sentiment, that he couldn't understand for the life of him, why his partner had fallen for him, nor at the time could Killua understand why he even liked Gon…

Nathaniel however, wasn't done with his story "Those soft smiles he'd give whenever he broke a code or discovered something new… The way he'd get giddy with excitement when he surpassed his own strength… The way he'd give, without never asking for anything in return… I had fallen for all of that… Yet he was asking me why I even liked him. I explained my reasoning… and like a broken record he asked again, why him… So I gave even more reasons until I eventually ran out of them. He was still in utter shock, still asking me why… why him? At that time, I just hugged him, letting him grip my shirt until he fell silent. I ended up giving him space to recover. But uh…"

Nathaniel fell silent for a moment. Back then, what happen… he should've denied it, he should have told Vastorie to think more about it, because honestly, what the man did was destructive to himself "He came into my room days later, begging me to you know…"

"Yeah…"

"I did it… I felt terrible after our first time. I felt regret, I could see he regretted it too, but he kept coming back more and more, with me constantly giving in until I finally said: No! He pushed himself away… became like his old self, slept around… days past until eventually, I reached a point where I was just about ready to give up on him. I was preparing to leave, to part ways with him because I just couldn't see him destroy himself any longer."

Nathaniel looked down at the floor, "With my bag packed, I found him alone under a tree, crying his heart out. Rather than leaving him as any sane person would do… I hugged him, and like that… he just crumbled. He just didn't understand anything anymore. He told me no how many guys he slept with, he'd be filled with regret during and after… The only time he felt anything, was when he was with me. Not in a… you know, kind of way. I think I broke him emotionally, broke him in a way where he thought because I like him, I'd continue to sleep with him… Sex was just a way the man thought he could understand the emotional connection… but in reality, I still don't think he understands why I like him. He just doesn't understand my reasoning…"

Sighing deeply, the man continued, "He continued to admit to more things, like, I was the only one he allowed to kiss him during the act, that I was the only one that cuddled with him after said act. He'd stay the night only with me… And finally, he still didn't understand the whole ordeal. He asked if I still liked him, I said yes… which I still did like him, it was just painful to watch him make the same mistake over and over again. He admitted he was a murderer… which I said I didn't care… that his hands were stained with the blood of innocent lives… which I still, stated I still didn't care. And when he asked why, thinking I have to explain the whole situation… I said the words that I should've said at the start. Because he was trying to change… He fell silent for a few minutes, before uttering the words, can you give me another chance."

"And you did…"

"I did… and he improved… it just took a while. But now I say that I believe he was acting in a way to fit what I wanted from him."

"So, he lied…"

"Sort of…"

"How do you even like him? You're not painting him in the best of pictures right now…" Killua asked, frowning from the situation. Vastorie was a loose cannon with a new paint job firing off into the distance. He lied, and covered up those lies with a imagine Nathaniel wanted, without trying to understand why he was projecting that image "Knowing this, do you even love him right now?"

"Yes…" Nathaniel spoke softly, now crying into the receiver.

"Why? That isn't a healthy relationship…"

"Because he still reached out to you, to Zaikaria… he told her Victor was watching the four of you from the shadows. He moved you to that school. Little slips of his kind, gentle nature still slip through… and he still hasn't requested anything from you, not even a payment of some kind. He wants nothing in return, even when he's risking things. I know that if Victor found out Vastorie was still helping you, he'd go after you with a vengeance. He'll mail your corpse to him if he has to make a point… He's navigating the risks while trying to protect his family. I know he's doing this unconsciously because he cares about you and Zaikaria… If I pointed out these things, maybe he'd finally understand… I think the final key, lies with Victor…"

"In what way…?"

"If only you-" Nathaniel shook his head, he's not going to push that on his child, "it's not something you should force yourself into. When you learn the truth, everything will finally be clear… By now, Vastorie should know the truth… it's just I don't believe he'll understand until he hears the cold hard truth?"

"Which is…?"

"I can't say… not until you've spoken to the rest of the people on that list. Once you see the contrast, seen the good Vastorie has done for others… how they speak about him, then I'll tell you what I know."

Daniel fell silent, Killua having to speak up for the both of them, "So once you tell us, we'll understand why you're still in love with your husband?"

"It'll all make sense, I promise…"

"I think Daniel will need time to recover from this information…" Killua stated calmly, his hands gently running along his boyfriend's arms.

"I know it's hard to swallow… But I do promise, this will all make sense in the end."

"Good night, Nathan… stay safe."

"You too…"

Killua hung up for Daniel, putting the phone behind him as Daniel remained silent.

Eventually, the boy turned around, facing Killua "If I ever act like that, dump me without hesitation."

Killua frowned, pulling his boyfriend closer so their noses touch, "I know you won't. Because you're nothing like Vastorie…" The boy's lips widened, smiling brightly at his partner, "Because when you love me, you don't act like he does… you don't cover up your feeling or pretend so that you can give into all my desires without question. You push away when something doesn't feel right to you, it's only when it comes to the bedroom you hide your feelings. I'll try to pick up on it more often until we break that bad habit…"

Bringing his hands down, Killua wrapped his arms around Daniel's waist, pulling the boy closer "You're not as destructive as your dad. You understand your feelings, sure, you like me like Nathaniel likes Vastorie, both of you are unwilling to judge our, as in Vastorie and I's history… But, you're more like Nathaniel, you express your feelings… and you are really, damn genuine about it."

Killua kissed his partner, the two melting into each other's arms.

When Killua pulled back, he offered a smile, "We have a lot of history to catch up on, but no matter what… You'll never be like Vastorie."

Daniel broke down into tears, pressing his face into his boyfriend's chest as he sobbed. He was glad; hearing those words meant so much to him right now. He doesn't know if he could ever forgive Vastorie like Nathaniel does, especially after hearing that story… but if Nathaniel is begging him to give Vastorie a chance, it's the least he could do.

Understanding his father's motives could be the only way he understands Vastorie…