Found In The Woods

Chapter Thirty-Eight

PJ and I went downstairs, where I saw Ink playing with Cil. When he noticed we came down, he picked the toddler and approached us.

"That was a long talk. What were you even doing?" Ink looked at us both, seeming a little worried.

"I had a lot of things to tell him." PJ noticed Cil was making grabby hands, although he whined when PJ tried taking him from Ink.

When PJ took him into his arms, Cil didn't stop the grabby hands. For me.

"Awww, he wants to be held by Fresh!" Ink smiled, obviously thinking this was adorable.

"You won't—" Crescent began, looking at PJ.

"You know how to hold a child, right?" PJ questioned, although Cil was a ticking time bomb of tears, and he was getting more and more upset.

"Yes, please let me hold him." I was excited. It would be the first time I'd ever held my own son, and it was a big moment for me.

Cil cooed, grabbing my shirt as he was put into my arms. He looked up at me with his big sweet eyes and smiled.

I held back tears like a man as he cuddled up to me. He yawned a tiny noise and start to suck on his thumb.

"Cil, you can't keep making everyone cuddle you to sleep." PJ reached out to take Cil, although I stepped to the side to stop him from taking his child. My child. Our child.

"I don't mind. Just let me hold him." I looked at PJ. I don't know how I looked, although I probably looked like what I was: a desperate father who just wanted to hold his child.

"Okay." PJ let me keep Cil.

"I'm not the only one who thinks that was a little weird, right?" Error commented.

"No, that was definitely weird." Ink looked at us, what used to be a welcoming motherly gaze having turned into a similarly protective glare. "What is going on?"

"I think it's time to come clean..." PJ sighed. "Come on. I think we all need to be sitting for this."

"I don't think I should come, I'll just sit on the stairs while—"

"No, you're coming too," Crescent ordered, walking with PJ and his parents to the living room.

And so, we were soon seated together. PJ and I in the smaller couch, Crescent in the one-person chair across the living room from us, and Error and Ink on the couch that faced the front of the living room, were the television was. I sat on the furthest end of the couch I was on, while PJ had turned his body to face his parents better, and they'd done the same.

"Fresh is Cil's father," PJ began.

"I fucking knew it," Error growled, glaring daggers at me.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Ink asked, sadness lacing every syllable.

"I didn't want to tell you until we were both here. I didn't want Pops to hunt him while I was off to college because of this. I wanted to have as much control over this situation as possible, and I couldn't have that when I lived in my college dorm," PJ explained. "You wouldn't understand unless I was here and could explain it to you."

"Then why'd you leave? You could've stayed, and explained this to everyone."

"I told him to go," I interjected.

"Why?" Crescent and Error asked together in low voices.

"I'm going to be honest... I was a bad person to PJ. I hurt him, and when we agreed not to see each other, neither of us knew he was pregnant. I thought it would be best for us both: For him to experience life while I bettered myself, and we'd only get back together when we were both better." I looked at PJ, who seemed sad to remember it all.

"I didn't tell Fresh until today..." PJ hugged himself awkwardly. "I didn't have a phone number or something, and I just... I didn't want to ask you about him because you'd get suspicious..."

"So you lied to us?" Ink frowned.

"Yeah... I'm sorry, I just... I was scared. Everything was difficult and confusing, and I just... I didn't want anyone to get hurt because of me."

We all sat quietly for a moment. The tension was so thick in the room, I could've cut through it with a knife.

"What's the plan now?" Error's words cut through the air, finally breaking the silence.

"Fresh and I want to continue our relationship." PJ gently took my hand.

"I want to raise Cil with PJ." I squeezed his hand gently. "I love him more than anything.

Error stood up, signalling me to stand as well. He walked towards me, standing about a foot away. I was terrified of this man since I was a kid, but my love for my family was stronger than my fear. By a little bit.

"You really love my son?" Error questioned.

"I love your son more than anything to that has or will ever exist."

"And you think you can take care of him?"

"I will care for him and our child until I'm dead."

"And you, idiot bastard son of a drunk whore and a damn monster, actually believe you deserve my precious son?"

"I don't deserve him," I admitted, which seemed to even surprise him. "Your son is so perfect that it will be impossible for you to find someone who truly and completely deserves him, but I will do everything in my power to get close to deserving such a wonderful man."

Error glared me in the eyes, although I refused to back down. I had gotten this far, and I wasn't going to give in.

Suddenly, he smiled, which I admit, was fucking terrifying, because he never smiled at me for any reason. "Congratulations, you passed. I'd hug you, but you're holding a sleeping toddler."

"T-thank you, sir..." I managed out.

I was about to deflate when suddenly, Error grabbed both of my shoulders. "If you fuck up again, I will shoot you once for every day you made my son cry, got it?"

"Dad!" PJ intervened.

"I understand, sir."

Error let me go. "Good."

I sat back in my seat a bit harsher than I meant, getting a small stir from Cil. I froze up, not even breathing, until he sneezed and calmed down again.

"You alright?" PJ looked at me, gently rubbing my cheek and making me look at him.

"I think I saw Hell in his eyes," I whispered.