WOUNDED SECRETS ☆ EARTHMIX AU

✧ t w e l v e : the room ✧

— too many questions that I keep inside —

"Why did you kiss me back?" There was this annoying smirk on Earth's face as he said it, and Mix was barely holding himself back from kissing that smirk away.

"Alcohol," he replied instead.

Earth laughed and stepped away, "we'll see what kind of excuse you gonna have when it happens next time."

"Don't need an excuse for something that won't happen again," Mix replied and stood up. "So, I guess we said what we have to say. Agreed on what we were supposed to agree on, and now I can go home."

"I suppose you could or you could stay and meet my dad," Earth raised his eyebrow and waltzed across the living room, just to stop in front of the door that Linda walked out of before she left.

"What?" Mix was looking at Earth completely baffled. He had quite a lot of drinks, and even though he now felt pretty sober due to the conversation they just shared, he still wasn't sure that meeting Earth's father while drunk was right. It definitely didn't seem really respectful to him. Even though, Mix was dying to meet him. Of course, he was. He wanted to know if his assumptions were right or not, but still... really? Meeting Earth's father? And why was Earth even offering Mix this in the first place? Were they suddenly friends or what? Did Earth suddenly trust him after basically threatening him just minutes ago? Mix's investigative brain was telling him that there was something suspicious about that whole thing. However, Mix's normal brain—the one that kind of liked Earth and was really intrigued by the prospect of meeting someone so close to Earth was telling him to go for it. What was the worst that could happen? Earth's father wouldn't like him?

Okay, that would actually be pretty bad.

"Why would you want me to meet him?" Eventually, Mix asked.

"Because you are already here and considering that our fathers were best friends, I think that my dad would love to meet you."

Mix straightened his shoulders and tipped his chin up, "okay, I would love to meet him as well."

Earth looked pleased as he nodded for Mix to come closer, his hand already on the doorknob, "he won't be able to talk to you, but you'll still feel that he is happy to meet you."

Mix wanted to ask why wouldn't Earth's father be able to talk to him, but before he could do that, Earth already opened the door, and they both walked in.

The walls were painted in plain white, but there were a lot of framed old posters of boxing matches and fighters that once used to be famous. The window was open to let in the fresh air, and the sounds of the city were creating a nice soothing ambience in the room. It was dark—it made Mix realize how late it actually was. Maybe he should really just leave. What if Earth's father was already asleep? Why bother him? Mix could meet him some other time. He was about to say to Earth that he would come some other time if he could, but before a word could leave his mouth, the room got bright as Earth turn on the light and went to sit down on the bed next to his father.

Earth's father was handsome. If Mix was honest, he didn't look much different from the photo he saw of him. And it was now pretty clear that genes really worked in Earth's favour. There wouldn't be anything weird about Earth's father if he wasn't just lying in bed, unmoving, watching both of them, but not saying a word, not even a slight nod that he knew they were there. The only movement was his eyes as he blinked a couple of times, and then his eyes moved from being focused somewhere in between them to only being focused on Mix.

"Hey, dad. Do you know who this is?" Earth said, sounding casual. Almost too casual for Mix. This wasn't just a regular situation. Mix didn't even know how he should react. "This is uncle K's son—Mix. He is working as an assistant trainer in the club now."

Mix politely bowed, "nice to meet you, sir."

Earth chuckles, "looks like he recognizes you."

"How do you know that? Mix asked.

"His eyes," Earth nodded towards his father. "If he blinks once it's a yes, twice is a no. He just blinked once. Right, dad? You recognize Mix?"

Earth's father blinked once, still looking at him.

Suddenly, Mix had a lot of questions he wanted to ask. Did Earth's father recognize him the same way Lee did? Just because he looked like his father? Or have they met before, but Mix was too young to remember it? Did Earth's father know something about his father's murder? Was there something that Mix's father was doing that could possibly get him killed? And if so—did it have or have not something to the with the mafia? And very importantly—how much did his mother know about everything—the fighting club, everything his father was doing, and the murder?

"It's getting late," Earth said. "What do you think, dad? I can bring Mix here some other time and you can spend some time together, what do you say, would you want that?"

Mix didn't realize, but he was holding his breath until Earth's father didn't blink once right at him.

"Good," Earth smiled and looked at Mix. "Short but sweet. Next time you two will talk more."

"Yeah," Mix said slowly and walked out of the room. When Earth joined him and closed the door, Mix looked at him confused. "What was the point of this? We've been barely there for two minutes, and I don't think disturbing your dad so late at night was the best idea either."

"I had to see something," Earth shrugged. "Besides, dad rarely falls asleep before midnight, which means," he glanced at his wristwatch, "we still have thirty-five minutes."

"What did you want to see?"

"If he recognizes you, of course. Plus, I had to let him know that you are here so that when you come next time and start asking all the questions which I'm sure you have, it won't be such a shock for him. As you can see, he can't really send you away himself."

"I—um—what happened to him exactly? If..." Mix bit into his bottom lip, "if I can ask."

"Unfortunate injury during one of his fights. He got such a strong blow to the head that it did something to some nerves, and since then, he is like this. What is the most frustrating is that the doctors themself don't really know what exactly is wrong with him." Earth chuckled, tired and angry, "he has to take a shit tone of pills daily and has doctor's appointments that cost a fortune, but will he ever get out of this? No one knows."

"I'm sorry," Mix said. "I shouldn't have asked. I don't think that asking him something about my father is a good idea either."

Earth looked at him. Somehow, he looked amused, "but you want to, don't you? I can see the questions flying over your head like a little dark cloud."

"I do. Of course, I do," Mix admitted. "I just don't think it's—"

"Appropriate?" Earth cocked his eyebrow.

"Well, yeah."

"None of what you did since you came to the club has been appropriate, sweetheart?" Earth reminded Mix. "Besides, I always thought that my father knew something about what happened to uncle K. I just never had a way to get the information out of him, but maybe if we both try... At the end of the day, uncle K. was your father, so you know him better than I did. It's okay to ask my father anything you want. I promise."

"Fine, if you say so, I guess I have no other choice than to believe you," Mix started making his way towards the front door. "So, thank you, I guess." He looked around, suddenly unable to make eye contact with Earth. "today went way differently than I have expected, but... it does feel better not having to lie to you anymore."

"You didn't have to lie to me at all," Earth said. "Also..." he stepped in front of the door, and when Mix finally looked at him, Earth eyed Mix up and down and said, "stay the night."

To be continued...

P.S. so, Earth's father either knows nothing at all or he knows something big 🤔