Ephemeral Affairs [MXM]

Hard to Get

In the morning before the sun rises in the East, Alosrin wakes up to see Niowei between Ajax and himself.

Niowei clings onto his blouse with a rosy smile on her pale face.

The elf leans in to kiss his daughter a gentle farewell and uncurls her strong fingers.

"Mommy?"

"Good morning darling," Alosrin lies back onto the bed and brushes Niowei's fringes to the sides.

"But the sun is not up yet," the little girl tiredly mumbles and keeps her eyes closed.

"Mommy is going, will you come with mommy?"

Niowei slowly opens her bright blue eyes and climbs on top of her mother, "No. Stay with daddy and me. I won't let mommy leave."

Alosrin lets out a soft sigh and rubs his daughter's back.

"Please don't leave us mommy," Niowei begs at Alosrin's silence.

"Mommy is a little confused. Mommy wants to be away for a while."

"Confused? How so?"

Alosrin turns his head toward Ajax who sleeps beside them, "Mommy doesn't know how to feel about him. Even if he is your daddy, he doesn't look like the daddy that mommy remembers falling in love with."

"Then should I be confused too?" Niowei digs into her mother's neck. "But I'm really sure he is daddy even if he doesn't look like him."

"If only he looks like how he used to, then mommy would love him the moment mommy saw him again... But darling should not base your feelings because of what mommy is feeling."

"Do you like my clone more?" Ajax pulls himself close to Alosrin and Niowei.

The elf glares at the prince with disgust, "How long have you been awake?"

"Just answer me," Ajax forces a light hearted grin.

Alosrin rolls off the bed with Niowei in his arms, "I don't owe you an answer. Also, please don't sneak onto the same bed I'm sleeping on from here on out."

Ajax rises in a sitting position with a disappointed face.

"It seems I'll be taking my daughter with me. Thank you for the hospitality until now," Alosrin sucks in his lips, avoiding Ajax's eyes.

"No! Mommy, I want the three of us together," Niowei begins crying loudly, but continues to hold onto Alosrin.

"Why do you want to break our family apart?" Ajax stands up, trying to approach them.

Alosrin frowns with tearful eyes when he hears Ajax's question, but chooses not to answer because of his conflicted heart.

They moved away from Ajax as Alosrin tries to calm his daughter and gathers their belongings to leave.

Ajax snatches the belongings from Alosrin, "I won't let you leave when I finally have you after all these years... Yet if I can't stop you, I'll accompany you."

"Stop. Stop acting," Alosrin whispers soundly with only the hints of sadness. "We can't just go back to the moments before I was taken back and you left even if both of us prayed so. I know that you're as disappointed in me as I am of you."

"And before you say anything," Alosrin speaks as soon as Ajax parts his lips. "We are your past life, so I ask that you move on. Make your new parents proud and quit your old habits from your past life. I'm really glad that we got to meet you again, but we're..."

Alosrin simply says no more because it takes him everything to not break down in front of Ajax.

"We'll be going now. Thank you again."