Hellbound Heart

Alex could not help but feel bad for Zeke as he looked at him. Being a father himself, he had enjoyed all the moments he had spent with his children since the moment his wife was pregnant, until they were born and also while they grew up. Alex cherished all those precious moments of fathering his children not only because he loved his kids but also because those moments were truly a bliss. The happiness of just holding his kids, playing with them and talking to them were indescribable… Those were moments that were just simply irreplaceable and precious. 

Zeke had missed all those moments. He was gone even before Alicia's baby bump became visible. Now Azy was already ten. So many years had already gone by and Zeke would never experience those incredible things anymore. He could never hold Azy as a baby anymore. Some things once lost, were gone forever and never to be regained.

That thought alone made Alex feel really bad for Zeke and for Azy as well. If only there was a way to make Zeke stay even for a short time back then. 

"You are… my dad… right?" Azy's voice echoed again. He spoke slowly, as it had been a long time since he had last spoken. Though his mind remembered the words and how to pronounce them, the muscles in his throat and his vocal cords lacked usage and needed time to adjust.

And very slowly, Zeke finally turned to look at him. At his son. 

Alex could see the flood of what could only be emotions in Zeke's slightly widened eyes despite the lack of expression on his face. 

He just stood there, looking at the boy. Never before had he seen Zeke looking like this. Looking like he did not know what to do, what to say, what to think, or what to feel. 

Someone had finally broken through Zeke's ever so calm and collected image and Alex could not help but wish he had brought his phone with him so he could snap this scene for future teasing purposes. Too bad though, because he did not have any gadget on him right this moment! 

"Don't just stand there, Zeke." Alex finally shattered the silence when Zeke still did not make any moves nor did he say a word. 

Zeke's eyes flew towards Alex and when their eyes met, Alex smirked at him, his eyes glinting with both gladness and mischief as he spoke with Zeke through telepathy for the first time in a long time. "I know you're dumbstruck for meeting your son for the first time. But don't go behaving like an uncool and dumbfounded fool now right in front of your boy on your very first meeting, dumbo." Alex said. 

He had felt the need to intervene a little so he spoke but of course, he could not help but take the opportunity to tease the man at the same time. This was a very rare situation, a once in a lifetime event even! So Alex would never miss the chance of teasing him even in this situation. 

Zeke blinked and then all too quickly, he snapped out of his trance and a ghost of a smile crossed his face. A face, Alex noticed, that had somehow changed into something that was far more bad news than before. 

Zeke's reply came with a hint of sarcasm, "I'm glad you're here to remind me of my lack of coolness, Alex. I was afraid I might accidentally impress my son with my intelligence and wit instead."

"Oh, don't mention it, Zeke. I'm just here to help the helpless, like always. I'm always happy to help out a friend in need, especially when it comes to avoiding potential embarrassments in front of their offspring," Alex replied with a grin. "But hey, if you do end up making a fool of yourself, just remember that I'll be there to document the moment for posterity."

"How thoughtful of you, Alex. Well, I guess I should be honored to have my embarrassing moments immortalized by such a talented documentarian." He paused for a moment before adding, "Though I highly doubt that'll happen, I'll try to make it a memorable one for you, my dear friend." The corner of his lips tugged a little bit higher before Zeke finally returned his gaze to Azy, cutting off his friendly banter with Alexander. 

Trying to keep his chuckle quiet, Alex watched Zeke finally move from his spot and approached Azy. His movements, Alex noticed, seemed to have changed as well. Zeke's every move was always as graceful as a panther but something changed. The air around him rippled so smoothly like he was levitating along with the calm powerful dark magic clinging so silently around him.

As Zeke and Azy stood facing each other, the contrast between their powers was palpable. Azy's energy crackled like lightning - fierce and wild, like a young dragon out for his first kill - while Zeke's aura was serene and calm, just like being in the eye of a hurricane. It was as if they were two opposing forces, each fighting for dominance within the same space. Their forms created a certain wistful feeling to those who were spectating from the side. One tall and powerful figure standing opposite another shorter, slender but no less powerful figure in terms of the aura surrounding him.

And as Zeke stepped forward, the dark magic surrounding them collided, creating an explosion of power. For a moment, it seemed as though Azy's storm would overpower Zeke's calm, pushing him back and shattering his resolve. But then something incredible happened. With one graceful movement, Zeke fell to one knee and reached out to touch Azy's shoulder. In that instant, the storm subsided, as if the raging winds and driving rain had been swallowed up by the calm at the center of the storm. It was a moment of perfect balance, a rare instance of two opposing forces finding harmony within each other's presence.

"Yes, I'm your dad." Zeke finally replied.