Tim couldn't stop crying. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he had let himself weep like this. After holding back so many heavy emotions for years, it was no surprise that he finally broke down. He had been waiting his entire life to hear someone say they believed in him. Because no one else ever did, he had ended up blaming himself for everything that happened.
Willy smiled gently, pulling him closer and stroking his dark hair. "My big crybaby. You always take care of me so fiercely that I sometimes forget you're actually younger than me. Now it's my turn to take care of you. I know we don't have anything here tonight, so all I can do is hold you tight."
Tim buried his face in the crook of Willy's neck, his broad shoulders shaking. "I don't need anything else anyway," he whispered, his voice cracking from the tears.
"I love you," Willy said softly, leaning up to press a tender kiss against Tim's forehead.
Slowly, the heavy weight in Tim's chest began to lift, and his breathing calmed down in Willy's arms. He realized that only Willy had the power to bring him peace like this.
They were both completely exhausted from the long, chaotic day. Driving for hours into the night and then letting out all these deep emotions had drained the last bit of their energy. Only now did they notice how dusty the house was, which meant they couldn't even sleep in the bedroom tonight.
Tim sighed heavily, his chin resting on Willy's shoulder. "It's been such a tiring day. I don't have the strength to clean anything tonight."
Willy rubbed his back comfortingly. "Let's just sleep right here on the couch tonight and clean the house tomorrow."
Tim wrapped the small blanket over them, pulling Willy flush against his chest. "Sleeping on this couch is going to be pretty uncomfortable, but on the bright side, it forces us to stay as close as possible."
Willy let out a soft, amused laugh. "How do you always manage to find something positive in everything, Tim?"
In reality, Tim hadn't always been like this. He used to be cold and cynical, but meeting Willy had changed him completely.
Tim smiled into the dark. "Because I fell in love with you and married you, my love."
Willy tilted his head, looking at him playfully. "So you weren't this sweet and lovey-dovey before?"
Tim shook his head in immediate denial, a quiet laugh vibrating in his chest.
Suddenly, Willy remembered something and sat up slightly. "Oh, no. I forgot to turn off the silent mode on my phone. We didn't say a single word to the boys when we left the bar. They must be worried sick about us."
Willy searched between the cushions until he found his phone. The moment he turned it on, the screen lit up with dozens of missed calls and unread messages. Knowing his older brother would be panicking the most, he immediately called Miles.
The call connected instantly, and Miles's voice practically exploded through the speaker. "Are you okay?! Do you have any idea how worried we were when you didn't answer? We looked everywhere for you and you were nowhere to be found!"
Willy kept his voice calm, trying to soothe his brother. "Breathe, Miles... I'm perfectly fine. I'm with Tim. We won't be coming back to the city for a few days because we want to rest for a while."
There was a long, stunned silence on the other end of the line before Miles spoke again, his voice tight with frustration. "Are you serious? You're resting with Tim? We are out here losing our minds out of fear, and you're taking a vacation? Have you completely forgotten what happened at the bar? How can you even stand to be around him after those shocking accusations?"
Willy's gaze hardened, his loyalty to his husband unwavering. "Miles, I am not going to argue with you about this. I trust him completely. I am certain that everything Connor said about him at the bar is a total lie. I'm not forcing you to trust him, that's your choice but don't make up your mind based on what other people say. Find out the truth first before you judge him."
Miles let out a heavy sigh. "You talk just like Logan and Ethan now."
Willy frowned. "Did you get into a fight with them about this? Where is Logan anyway?"
There was another long pause before Miles answered quietly. "I don't know where he is. He and Ethan left the bar together."
Willy closed his eyes, exasperated. He knew it would turn out like this. Miles never thought about the weight of his words before speaking.
Willy turned to Tim and whispered, "Tim, please call Logan or Ethan. Check if they are okay."
Tim looked at him. "Did something happen after we walked out?"
Willy sighed. "It's all because of those hot-headed fools. Please see where they are and if they need any help."
Tim immediately picked up his phone and dialed Logan.
"Are you guys okay?" Tim asked as soon as the line opened. "I heard what happened. Do you need anything?"
Logan's voice sounded tired but grateful over the speaker. "Those idiots actually came to your house to look for Willy, Tim. We told them to stay out of your business, but they wouldn't listen."
Tim replied gently, "Don't worry about that, Willy just called Miles so they don't panic. Where are you two staying?"
Logan hesitated for a moment. He didn't want to say where they were because he wanted to avoid any more drama with the other brothers. "Don't worry, Ethan and I are together. We're safe."
Tim's sharp mind quickly put the pieces together. He realized Logan was staying at Ethan's place since he couldn't go back to the house he shared with Miles. "I understand. Don't worry, I won't tell Miles where you are. I'll send you our location, and I want both of you to come out here tomorrow. We need to talk."
Logan breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay. We'll see you tomorrow."
Tim hung up the phone and looked down at Willy, who was waiting anxiously for an answer.
"They're perfectly fine," Tim reassured him, smoothing a hand down his arm. "Send them our address too. We will talk about everything together tomorrow."
Willy put his phone back to his ear. "Miles, listen to me. They are fine, so tell Seb to stop worrying. I'm sending you our location right now, and we'll be waiting for all three of you here tomorrow afternoon."
Miles muttered reluctantly, "Fine... we'll be there tomorrow. See you."
The moment the calls ended, the pure exhaustion of the day finally caught up with them. They didn't even have the energy to talk anymore. Locking their arms tightly around each other, they closed their eyes and fell into a deep sleep on the small couch.
When Willy woke up the next morning, the bright sunlight was streaming through the windows. He reached out across the cushions, but the spot next to him was cold and empty. Tim wasn't there. A sharp wave of panic hit his chest. He bolted off the couch and ran outside onto the porch, looking out at the wide, sandy beach. The shore was completely empty, the waves crashing softly in the morning quiet. Tim was nowhere to be seen.
Anxious, Willy turned back toward the house. Just as his boots hit the doorway, the front door swung open from the inside, and Tim stepped into the hall, carrying heavy grocery bags.
Tim smiled warmly, his eyes softening when he saw Willy's pale face. "Good morning, my love. Were you worried when you didn't find me in the house? I wanted to leave a note, but there isn't a single piece of paper or a pen in this place. I thought I'd be back before you woke up, but the local market took longer than I expected. I am sorry."
Willy didn't care about the groceries; he threw his arms tightly around Tim's neck, burying his face in his chest.
"Good morning, husband," Willy murmured, holding him tight. "I know you always wake up early to make breakfast, but whenever I don't feel you next to me or can't find you in the house, I always get scared."
Tim chuckled softly, balancing the bags with one arm so he could wrap his other powerful arm around Willy's waist. "I've noticed a pattern, Willy. Every time I get up to start cooking in the kitchen, you wake up barely a few minutes later. Do you actually sense it the exact moment I leave the bed?"
Willy looked up, pouting playfully. "Yep. It is entirely your fault that I have to see the sunrise. I used to absolutely hate waking up early, but ever since I started living with you, I almost always wake up with the birds."
Tim's eyes danced with amusement. "Well, if it causes you that much distress, starting tomorrow, I will make it a rule to sleep in late."
"Nooo, don't you dare!" Willy protested immediately, tightening his grip on Tim's shirt. "I love it too much when you make me breakfast in the morning."
Tim smirked, guiding them both into the kitchen. "Let me ask you this then do you love me, or do you just love the food I cook for you?"
Willy didn't hesitate for a single second. He looked straight into Tim's eyes with pure devotion. "You."
A warm wave of happiness washed over Tim. Together, they began unpacking the fresh food onto the counter to start making breakfast.
Willy rinsed some fruit, glancing sideways at his husband. "Do you know what time the boys will get here?"
Tim expertly cracked eggs into a pan. "Probably in the afternoon or evening. It's Sunday, and those three never wake up before noon on a weekend."
Willy slowed his movements, staring out the window at the ocean. He looked like he wanted to ask something important but was holding back.
Tim noticed the shift in his posture instantly. "Do you want to say something, Willy?"
Willy turned around, leaning against the counter. "Can we stay here for the whole week? I know you have a lot of work and businesses to manage... but I think it would be really nice to get away from all the chaos of the city for a little while."
Tim set his spatula down and turned his full, undivided attention to his husband. His voice was filled with absolute tenderness. "We can stay here for as long as you want, Willy. You are the most important thing in the world to me. But won't you have any trouble with your classes at the university? It's not a problem for me because I've already handed in all my assignments. The only things left on my calendar are the final exams."
Willy froze, his eyes widening in total shock. He already finished and submitted everything for the whole semester? "What did you just say?"
Tim shrugged casually, turning back to the stove. "All my assignments are fully completed. That's why I have so much free time, and that's why I rarely ever go to campus."
Willy blinked, completely stunned by how smart his husband was. "Is that even allowed? I had no idea you could do that."
Tim let out a low chuckle. "I have no idea if it's allowed or not. A week before the semester started, I just looked at the syllabus, wrote every single required paper and project in one go, and emailed the whole folder to the professors. I don't go to lectures because I don't learn anything new from them, but I still pay my tuition on time. I guess as long as the money goes through, the university doesn't care about my empty seat."
Willy shook his head, looking at him with a mix of awe and confusion. If Tim was already so brilliant and didn't need the lectures, why was he spending so much money on a business degree he didn't even use?
Tim saw the unspoken question in Willy's eyes, and his expression softened into a vulnerable smile. "I know you think what I'm doing is weird, Willy... but truth be told, I never actually wanted to study business. It was my cousin's dream."
Willy's breath caught slightly in his throat.
Tim's voice dropped into a quiet, somber murmur. "After he died so violently, I promised his memory that I would fulfill the dream he never got to chase. That promise is the only reason I enrolled in the business department."
Willy felt a profound wave of sympathy. He walked over and wrapped his arms around Tim's waist from behind, leaning his cheek against his broad back. "I understand that you made a sacred promise, Tim... but why are you forcing yourself to do something you don't even like or care about?"
Tim's hands slowed over the stove, his eyes staring blankly ahead. "Because I couldn't save them when that attack happened, Willy... and maybe, deep down, trying to finish his dream is the only way I know how to ease the crushing guilt that stays in my heart."
Willy squeezed him tighter, his voice ringing with fierce conviction. "Tim, you were just a child when that happened. It is absolutely not your fault what happened to them. There was nothing your young hands could have done to save them."
Tim stood completely still. He knew Willy was telling the truth, but the old ghost of guilt refused to let go easily. Growing up, because the whole world looked at him like he was a cold monster, he had ended up believing they were right, becoming his own worst enemy. He had spent his entire life thinking their deaths were his fault. He knew it wasn't logical, but every night when the rooms went dark, his mind would spin the same torturous thought: if he had just walked home from school an hour earlier, maybe his older brother would still be alive today. That thought had stolen his sleep for years. And if his brother had lived, his uncle and cousin wouldn't have died either.
Tim turned around slowly within Willy's embrace, his dark eyes shining with deep wonder. "How is it that you always know exactly what I've been begging to hear my whole life? You really are the light of my life, Willy."
This time, Tim fought hard against the emotion, forcing himself to hold back his tears as he offered a genuine, beautiful smile.
Willy looked up at him, his heart breaking as he realized how lonely Tim's childhood must have been. "Has no one ever told you that before? Has no one ever told you their deaths weren't your fault?"
Willy's mind raced as the painful truth clicked into place. How could anyone be that cruel? It meant that even Tim's own parents had probably blamed him for the tragedy, throwing the guilt onto a helpless little boy. That explained perfectly why Tim never spoke about his mother and father, and why he had completely cut them out of his life. How could parents blame their own child for what murderous criminals did?
Willy reached up, cupping Tim's jaw firmly with both hands, his eyes blazing with protective love. "It is not your fault, Tim. You always fight to protect my freedom... and I promise you, I will spend the rest of my life fighting for yours."
In that quiet kitchen, Willy finally understood everything: he finally realized why the idea of freedom was so incredibly precious to Tim because in his whole life, Tim had never been allowed to be free either.