EXCHANGE OF HEARTS [BL]

CHAPTER 9

“Are you sure you're okay?” his father asked him, worried.

“You know, we won't force you to go to school if you still—”

“Dad, I'm fine,” he said reassuringly. “Papa told me that I'm fine.” Race glanced at his Papa Hades.

Isaiah gave Hades a dirty look.

Hades just shrugged his shoulders. “Don't worry about our son. He's been resting for four days. And besides, he doesn't feel anything now.”

He mouthed to his Papa, ‘Thank you, Pa.’

And Hades mouthed back, ‘No worries, son.’

In the end, Isaiah sighed in defeat. He narrowed his eyes toward his son and said, “Just take care, okay? If you feel anything, call me.”

“Yeah, sure. I will, Dad.”

Hades clapped his hands together. “Alright! Let's discuss today about the upcoming event at Russo's Mansion?”

Race frowned and paused from his eating. With a frown, he looked at his parents.

“Event? What kind of event?”

“It's a party, son,” Isaiah said, “and we are invited.”

Race didn't talk, he waited for his father to continue because he could sense there was a ‘but’ in his father's sentence.

“But, you won't come with us.”

“When?” he asked again and resumed eating.

“29th of July,” his Papa responded to his Daddy Isaiah. “It's this week.”

“It's on Saturday, right?” Race poked the veggies.

The two men nodded in unison.

“I don't want you to come with us, son. It's dangerous for you, okay?”

He turned to Isaiah. “How?”

Isaiah stared at him as if processing an answer.

“It's crowded, Race—”

“But I wanna come with you.” He cut Isaiah off.

Isaiah's mouth hung open and he turned to Hades, who was busy eating. Isaiah poked him to grab Hades' attention.

“What?” Hades hissed, and Race could see that his father was stealing a glance at him.

Race stopped eating and crossed his arms against his chest.

Race saw Isaiah widen his eyes at Hades as if they were having a conversation with their eyes.

After that, Hades cleared his throat and turned to him.

He stared at his Papa Hades, silently praying that he would be allowed to join the party at the Russo's this Friday night.

“He can come with us, babe—”

“What?! No—”

“I don't want to cage him here, okay? Our son is not a prisoner, let him explore, okay? He's not our little Race anymore.”

He suppressed a smile.

God. Thanks, Papa. I really love you.

He thinks that Hades can read his mind because Hades winked at him.

“I didn't say that my son is a prisoner of my own house, Hades.”

Hades pouted. “You didn't call me babe.”

Oh, shit. Here they go again.

“You know, Hades, I am just worried about my son, okay? I don't want to risk it. It's all about his condition—”