Sweet Devil [BL]

Chapter 29. Dereck's House

His stomach in knots, Misha glared at the door before him as if it wasn't the door of his father's study but the gate of hell. He stared at it for a moment, not even moving an inch, and finally, let out a self-mocking laugh. Why was he so anxious? He wasn't a kid anymore, and there was nothing to be afraid of.

Ignoring the lump in his throat, Misha took a deep breath and knocked three times. A second later, Alexey gave him permission to come inside. After one more deep breath, Misha slowly opened the door and walked into his father's study, his movements stiff.

His father was sitting on a chair, looking through a pile of paperwork. Though he had requested a few days off from work, he had also brought back the urgent documents he had to analyze and approve by the end of the week, ensuring his absence wouldn't put his team's project behind schedule.

Right. Before becoming a drunkard, his father had been a responsible man, and people relied on him. Misha had forgotten.

The hinges of the door squeaked, but afterward, there was no more sound—it was as if a ghost had entered the room. Silence stretched until Alexey lifted his eyes from the report he was reading and looked at the door. He then saw his son standing still in the doorframe like a statue. Even his breathing was slow and swallow, barely perceptible.

"Misha?" Alexey called, a hint of worry in his voice. "Are you ok?"

His father's voice pulled Misha out of his thoughts, and he immediately nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine. Perfectly fine."

Misha said so, but he still didn't dare to move away from the door. He had stepped into the room, but he was unable to go further in. There were too many unpleasant memories lingering in his father's study, and its sight made him sick to his stomach. He couldn't muster the courage to stand closer to his father, not in this room.

"Well, you see," Misha's voice trailed, and he unconsciously started to fidget. "I want to go to Dereck's, but mom said to ask you to come with me. Is it ok...?"

The corner of Alexey's mouth curled up into a discreet smile, which slightly softened his sharp facial features. He then put his paperwork aside and stood up. "Yes, of course. Let's go."

Before they left, Gulnas didn't forget to tell them to be careful on the road and rushed over to kiss her son on both cheeks. She hugged him tightly for a few seconds before letting go.

"Don't forget to look left and right before crossing the road, ok?"

"Yes, I will," Misha smiled, kissing back his mother's cheeks. "See you later!"

"See you later, sweetheart."

His mother was overly clingy, but Misha didn't mind—on the contrary. He loved her show of affection and bearhugs very much, feeling like they were slowly but surely filling the emptiness left by her death. Her prolonged absence from his life had marked him deeply, and it couldn't be forgotten within a mere few weeks. His wounded heart would need time to heal.

***

When they finally arrived at Dereck's house, Misha heaved a sigh of relief. Walking alone with his father was awkward, terribly awkward!

Before transmigrating into his younger self, Misha had cut ties with the man many years ago. To top it all, the last time they spoke to each other, he only had curses left to say. So, the boy he was now had no idea how to interact with Alexey. Moreover, his father was a man of few words, so it wasn't easy to have a proper discussion with him.

The only thing that came to his mind was to talk about the weather, but Misha wasn't sure that it was something a child would eagerly want to chat about. So, in the end, he decided to shut his mouth all the way to his friend's house.