"I'm not afraid of dying. But living in a world without you... terrifies me."

Fourteen Years Ago

"Come on," 11-year-old Kace whined as he pulled along his younger brother behind him.

Falcon dragged his feet, ignoring the tugs his older brother delivered to his hand. They had walked the entire way home and he was tired. The bag strapped to his back weighed him down and he felt the urge to stamp his feet, cross his arms, and refuse to walk any longer - as five-year-olds often did.

"Falcon," Kace dragged out in a groan. "Come on. We're gonna be late for Mama's birthday."

He continued to drag Falcon behind him, irritation lining his young features.

"I swear to God if this is what you're going to be like every time we walk home," Kace trailed off with a huff.

Falcon took another stepped and pouted as exhaustion filled his body.

"I don't wanna walk anymore, Kacey," He said, feeling the urge to lie on the ground and let his brother drag him back home.

Kace let out a frustrated sigh before stopping and facing his little brother. He placed his hands on his hips before rubbing a hand down his face.

"Fine," He grunted. "Here, give me your backpack."

He held his hand out for Falcon's backpack and was holding the strap of it within seconds. He shifted his own bag so it hung off a single shoulder before pulling Falcon's bag over the other shoulder. Rolling his eyes in mild annoyance, Kace picked up Falcon - thanking God he was bigger than most kids his age - and carried him the rest of the way home.

Upon approaching the steps of their house, Falcon wriggled in excitement and practically jumped out of Kace's arms - narrowly missing the possibility of cracking his head open on the pavement.

Kace blew out a sigh and let his brother run free. He was their parent's responsibility now. Falcon pushed the door open and ran inside, eagerly jumping into the open pair of arms waiting for him.

"Mama!" His happy cry bounced off the walls and was quickly followed by his mother's laughter.

"Hi, baby," She chuckled. "How was my little man's day today, huh?"

Falcon began rattling off about the exciting events of kindergarten as his mother smiled and responded in the appropriate places. He was interrupted by a boisterous voice echoing down the hall, igniting a squeal of laughter from the little boy as he was suddenly lifted out of his mother's arms.

"Ah, our little prince has returned," His father's warm eyes greeted Falcon as he was nestled on the man's hip. The man's eyes turned to the older boy who finally made his way through the door. "And my little warrior."

Their father grinned and tucked Kace under his arm, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. Their mother joined the little group, loosely wrapping her arms around her husband's waist before kissing Falcon's cheek and stroking the side of Kace's face with a gentle hand.

"Happy birthday, Ma," Kace said with a small smile.

His mother grinned in response, excitement lighting her eyes as she began to usher her little family towards the living room. The small coffee table that sat between two couches was filled with snack foods and presents. Falcon wriggled out of his father's arms and made a beeline towards the chocolate squares that were lying on a silver platter.

His father ruffled his hair on the way to the couch before taking a seat, his wife sitting beside him and leaning into his side. As the kids munched on their choice of food, their father held out the first present, a content smile pulling at the corners of his lips.

The afternoon flew by, full of wrapping paper and home-cooked food. The Anders' household was full of love and joy, unaware that it was for the last time.

The home was dark - Falcon and Kace were sleeping like the dead and their parents laid curled up together with smiles etched on both of their faces.

The resounding noise of the front door slamming open was how it started. It woke Falcon's father who abruptly sat up in bed, one arm still curled around his wife's waist. She stirred in her sleep but didn't wake.

The father slipped out of their bed, quietly feeling around for the handle of his bedside drawer before gripping onto it and pulling it open. The silver metal of a handgun glinted in the pale moonlight and he wasted no time gripping the weapon in his hand and creeping out of the bedroom.

He could hear footsteps making their way through the living room - making no effort to be quiet. A crash from the room made him freeze as ice-cold fear trickled over his skin. What sounded like the tables and chairs were thrown against the ground and the walls, confirming his suspicions.

They had told him that they would collect his dues, whether he willingly gave them or not. He should have expected this.

He pressed himself against the wall as the chaos inside the room continued. Moving forward, he reached for the door, the gun in his hand shaking with the fear and adrenaline pumping through his veins.

The door creaked open and he cringed as the noises inside ceased. Before he could react, the door had swung open to reveal a man - scowling and built like a boulder, he was enough to stop and start the father's heart.

A malicious smirk grew on the man's face as he took in the father's look of terror. Gripping him by the hair, he dragged him inside the room, releasing him to the floor with a rough jerk. The gun was kicked from his hand before he could blink and a choked breath escaped his lips as his chest clenched.

Men began flowing into the room, others continuing down the hallway towards the bedrooms as a heavy boot was placed on the father's neck, pushing him onto his stomach. The man leaned over him, the boot shifting from his neck to his shoulder blades. The man gripped onto the father's hair, pulling his head up slightly so his gaze fell on the open doorway.

Another pair of hands trapped his arms against his back, the painful twisting of his elbows forcing a cry out of the father's mouth. But nothing could have prepared him for what he saw next.

A man came into view, dragging a black-haired, green-eyed woman along with him. He held her against his body, one fist tangled in the mess of her hair and the other hand gripped around her wrists as she squirmed and struggled against his hold. The man chuckled, a cruel grin twisting up his mouth.

"I like this one," The man rasped, dragging his tongue up the length of her neck.

Falcon's father felt fury fill his veins as he jerked in the men's hold, a growl escaping him. The woman whimpered as the man's grip around her hair grew tighter, pulling her head further back.

The woman's look grew defeated even as she continued to try and shake the man off of her. Tears clouded her vision as she watched her husband's face get slammed into the wooden floor before the man behind him gripped him by the hair once more.

"I told you this would happen," The man hissed in his ear. "You take advantage of our things, we take advantage of yours."

Falcon's father growled harshly, his actions growing more desperate as he watched the scene in front of him.

"No!" He screamed. "No! Stop! Elena!"

Frustrated tears burned his eyes but the men refused to allow him to close them. He was made to watch them. Watch as they ripped her clothes, touched her. Destroyed her. All he could do was watch. He cried in agony as tears burned down the sides of his face.

"No, no, no," He wept, his voice cracked and broken. "Please. Please, stop."

And they did stop. They stopped in the form of a bullet through the woman's stomach.

Within seconds her eyes closed and her heart stopped. She died, and her husband's soul died with her.

~🎀~

Falcon rested his chin on Freya's shoulder, his brow creased in thought.

"I don't really know what happened that night," He said softly. "I just remember the screams. Kace made me hide under the bed with him and once it had quietened down, he went out to see what had happened. He wouldn't let me out of the room."

Freya stayed silent for a moment before continuing to trace the line of his jaw. Falcon pressed a feather-light kiss to the crook of her neck before speaking.

"I know what they did to her," He mumbled weakly. "I know-I know it had to do with my father. Kace told me it was drug money - he had been dealing and stealing the income."

Not knowing what to say, Freya clutched closer to him, her fingers intertwining themselves in his hair as a sign of comfort. Falcon let out a sigh nuzzling closer.

"Kace was so angry," He continued. "Even as a teenager, he was getting into fights, mixing with the wrong people. As the younger brother, I didn't know any better than to follow after him. He joined the gang, worked his way up to the top and dragged me along with him."

Falcon swallowed harshly knowing that the worst was yet to come.

"I was fourteen," He cleared his throat for a moment. "We had been chasing after a group of dealers who had been stealing our customers. We tracked them down to an old harbour. Kace said it would be an easy job - get in, take their produce, get out. I thought they were just a bunch of low life criminals - that they'd run and hide as soon as we walked in. But they didn't."

Falcon tensed, knowing what came next. His hands trembled as he bit his tongue.

"I barely knew how to use a gun," His voice wavered. "I didn't-I didn't know."

Falcon closed his eyes, trying to subdue the tremors that shot through his body.

"It wasn't just the dealers there that night," His throat began to close up as the memories flashed behind his eyes. "There was a family. Three kids. I-I was so fucking scared, I didn't know where I was aiming. I just closed my eyes and pulled the trigger."

A groan of pain left Falcon's lips as his face screwed up in agony.

"I killed them," A choked cry left his lips as his eyes sprung open. "Only one of the kids survived. But his parents and-and the others. I killed them. The dealers too. I was so fucking frightened. Of myself."

Freya had stilled, unmoving as she listened with rapt attention. Falcon's hold on her thighs grew tight as a tear escaped down the side of his face.

"When the police came," His pained expression grew fierce. "My team ran. They knew it would happen - they were prepared. They left me there. Let me take the fall. I was so stunned that I didn't even argue, just let them take me away and lock me up."

Falcon shook his head, his arms curling around Freya's waist to drag her closer.

"They said it was practically impossible to get out on parole," His voice grew quiet as his energy left him. "But I did it. Tried my goddamn hardest to be in the good graces of every single officer and after five years, they let me out on account of 'impeccable behaviour.' Only because I was a kid when it happened."

Falcon took in a deep breath.

"Kace wanted me to come back to them," He explained. "That's why he took us. I don't think he ever healed after-after everything."

Falcon moved his head from Freya's neck to press a kiss to her cheek.

"I'm sorry, baby," He whispered.

Freya shook her head softly.

"It wasn't your fault," She mumbled.

"It was, baby," Falcon insisted. "It was. I-"

Freya cupped his face in her hands, making him look her in the eye.

"It wasn't your fault," She repeated, offering no further explanation.

Falcon's sad eyes took in her determination and nodded, though he didn't believe her words. He kissed the tip of her nose, shifting her in his arms.

"There's more I have to say," He said after a moment of silence.

Freya tilted her head to the side to show him she was listening.

"When I got back a few months ago, I got a call," He began. Freya's brow creased in confusion but she let him continue. "It was my uncle's lawyer."

Falcon let out a short laugh.

"I didn't even know he existed," A sad smile pulled at the side of his lips. "He was my mother's brother. Apparently, he was some kind of high-class business man in Europe. Never married, never had any kids."

He met Freya's gaze, rubbing the sides of her hips.

"From what I could gather," His eyes slipped away from her to scan the room. "My mother always gushed about me to him. So, to honour her memory, he put me in his will."

Freya's hands slipped down to Falcon's chest.

"For what?" She asked softly.

Falcon shook his head slightly, almost to himself.

"I wasn't going to take the offer," He said. "I had no plans to. I didn't see any reason to."

His eyes met hers again.

"Until you," He smiled. "Now I have a reason to take it."

Freya's heart leapt in her chest slightly.

"Take what?" She pressed.

Falcon leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers in a chaste kiss.

"He handed his entire business over to me," He cupped her cheek in his hand, stroking the side of her cheek. "It means I can provide for you. We just have to wait a few more years."

His features grew slightly worried but remained hopeful.

"I know you want to go to college," He said. "I'm not going to take that away from you. So that means that we'll have to be apart for a little while. Just until I can find a way to move the business here. Then we can be together again."

Freya's mind was stuck on the word 'apart.' Tears stung her eyes as she gripped his shirt in her tiny fists.

"Bu-but I don't want you to go," She whimpered.

Falcon pulled her closer, pressing her face to his chest.

"I know, baby, I know," He mumbled. "But it's the only way. Kace won't touch you without reason, and if I'm not even in the country, there'll be no reason. It's the only way to keep you safe. The only way we can have a future."

Freya whined pushing herself further into his embrace as she screwed her eyes closed to stop the tears.

"Only for a few years, baby girl," He kissed her temple. "Then we'll never be apart again. I promise."

Freya sniffled as a tear escaped down the side of her cheek.

A few years.

Years without Falcon.