O L L I E

Right after the words that carried my biggest secret slipped out, I climbed off Stefan's lap and ran towards our room, straight to the bathroom, and locked myself, several emotions and mental images invading my mind as I wrapped my arms around my small body, hoping to stop the trembles as I shakily dropped to the floor, hands over my mouth to stifle the wracking sobs.

I need to escape as soon as possible. I won't be able to bear it if Stefan looked at me with disgust and full of apprehension. I would die if Stefan changed his mind and decided to drop the broken me. Will he still look at me with so much love after what he learned about me?

The thought of his love fading and dying out for me felt like someone ripped my heart open, leaving me to deal with the other half, shattered in pieces, and poking every part of my body. I had to clench my fist every time I breathe because just breathing feels so painful and hard. Pain prickled all over my skin, but the most excruciating has got to be the piercing pain in my chest.

Heartbroken sobs slipped out of my mouth as I poured out the fear, the pain, and the helplessness that Bryce inflicted on me in the open. The feel of his disgusting hands on my face, neck, arms, and hips; just remembering the touch of his lips on my skin got my insides coiling in disgust. I started to feel heady and nauseous.

I feel like being dragged deeper into the darkness Bryce had thrown me into, my dark past and demons so intent on chaining me and imprisoning me to the place I abhor and want to escape from.

I rubbed my chest when a numb feeling washed over my body. My breathing slowed down and I started to feel suffocated, as if someone was cutting off my air supply in a slow motion. Gasping in shallow breaths, I squeezed my eyes shot and slowly dropped on the floor. I don't understand what's happening. I tried to breathed in through my mouth but I feel even more breathless. Everything around me started to blur and my body refused to respond.

I wanted to scream for help, but not a single sound bubble out of my throat. I closed my eyes and Stefan's warm smile and soft gaze filled my mind. My sweet, lovable daddy. I shouldn't have ran away. I should've waited for his reaction. I shouldn't have let fear run over my system.

I tried to move so I can apologize to Stefan but my body has other plans. Before I caught myself, my vision turned black and all the sounds got muted.

*****

S T E F A N

With a deep frown, I let out a staggered breath. Oliver's confession left me stunned and speechless as my mind replayed his words over and over like a broken record. However, I am impressed at myself because my brain is functioning properly. I was expecting the build-up of indescribable rage, but the anger was tamped down by worry and the need to assure Oliver's safety.

Oliver ran away before I was able to react. The silver lining in this situation was that Oliver ran to our bedroom this time. I don't know what I would do if he chose to flee again. What made me smile was the fact that Oliver doesn't want to run away from me for good; he chose a place in the house where he felt comfortable and secure. Oliver may not realize it, but he's already bounded to me. His actions confirmed my theories.

When I got to our bedroom, I swept my eyes around. "Ollie? Baby? Daddy's here, love." When I didn't see him around, I tried the checking the bathroom, only to have my stomach twist in dread when I realized that the door was locked. I instantly sent a message to Devon and the latter handed me the keys, but I froze in my position when I heard Oliver's soft sobs. It was almost inaudible, but I was able to hear it.

Deep-wracking sobs filled with so much pain got delivered to my ears and I almost dropped to the floor, if not for Devon supporting my arm. "Hand me the keys." I returned the keys to Devon while I tried to keep myself in check, my palm's stinging with pain when I accidentally buried my nails in the insides of my palms.

I wanted to comfort him, tell him it's alright, that we will go through this together, and that I will never leave him allow as we go through the process of unpacking those suppressed emotions and fears. I can guess what's running in his mind right now: doubt. He's probably doubting my feelings for him, and even if I told Oliver that I love him to the moon and back a thousand times, the truth of the matter is that conquering one's insecurities doesn't happen in a day.

Oliver might think that my love for him would lessen just because that fucker Peterson laid a hand on him, but that will never happen. What's important is, right now, Oliver is mine. My baby is mine and no one else. I'm the one who takes care of him, provides his needs, and loves him endlessly.

I want to tell Oliver what a brave boy he had been for choosing to share with me a very big secret that he never even told his parents. I can't even begin to imagine the internal struggle he faced, seeing his parents everyday and wanting to tell them what happened to him, but choosing not to do so because of fear.

But he told me his secret. I don't know what I did to deserve that trust, but I promise to treasure that trust. Every single day, I'm blown away by Oliver. Despite everything that he's been through, he remained strong and tenacious. My baby is far from being weak, even if right now, he won't understand that. He's so wounded and wrapped in his insecurities that words won't be enough assurance.

Instead, my love for him grew stronger, knowing how brave he is for surviving on his own... the depression and trauma that comes from any kind of assault too apparent to the assaulted victims. Yet my baby held on and survived and I couldn't be prouder than that.

"Stefan! Get out of your own head!" Devon's booming voice pulled me back to reality, and when I stepped inside the bathroom, I almost dropped to the floor. My stomach dropped and my heart sputtered as I stared at my baby on the floor, in Devon's arms, unconscious. Devon pressed the emergency button on his watch while I moved closer to Oliver, my limbs trembling, my chest pounding so loud against my chest, and panic flooding my system more than I can anticipate.

"O-Ollie? Love?" I slowly reached for his hand and the burst of warmth was enough to lose the tension in my body, but what Devon said next froze me in my position.

"His breathing is faint, Stefan. I'm not an expert but this can be a severe episode of panic attack."

The door slammed open and Trevor's worried expression trained on us, mostly in Oliver. "Let me. You two, make up Oliver's bed and make sure that it's comfortable." Trevor slide his arms around Oliver while Devon dragged me to arrange a comfortable bed for my baby. Trevor gently deposited Oliver on the mattress while I let my friend examine Oliver.

Trevor is a licensed medical doctor and a surgeon, so I have huge trust that he will take care of my precious baby. Isaac will be the one to conduct an in-depth clinical investigation on Oliver but Trevor will be enough to administer first-aid.

"He fainted due to extreme emotional stress, Stefan. You should know that too much stress is bad for the mind and body. Stay with him and I'll get some IV fluids and medicines downstairs," Trevor explained and dragged Devon out, leaving me all alone with my unconscious boyfriend. Slowly dropping on the couch beside the bed, the tears that I have been keeping at bay started to flow, my hands reaching out to Oliver's as I squeezed his small hands softly.

I was indescribably horrified at the possibility that Oliver could be taken away from me in just a snap. When I saw him lying on Devon's arms in an unconscious state, my heart stopped beating and my world slowly crumbled. The reality of not being able to see him smile, to hear his giggles, and to not feel his warmth at all, of these things are sending me into a spiral of negative and depressing thoughts, I can feel my heart constrict with pain each time I breathe.

Even when I close my eyes, the image of his unconscious state is flashing so vividly, it's scaring me. I don't think that image will go away easily. And the fact that Ollie remains unconscious is scaring me even more. I don't want a repeat of last time, where he remained asleep for a few hours.

Thankfully, from Trevor's initial diagnosis, Oliver did not hurt his head or bruised any part of his body. Oliver got overwhelmed with so many emotions and I should have been holding him in my arms as he figured out and unpacked those emotions, as I ease out his insecurities and giving him assurance that I won't ever change.

I put down his hands on the side and dried my tears, then headed towards the bathroom and prepared a basin with warm water, a soft towel, a cotton boxers, and one of my shirts for Oliver's change of clothes. I sat on his side and started wiping his face and body, with occasional massages to help him relax. I changed his clothes and tucked him carefully under the soft duvet.

Right then, the door was opened with Trevor carrying the medicine box and placing it down on the nearby table. While Trevor took care of Oliver, I freshened up and threw in a cotton shirt and black sweatpants. Oliver was now hooked on an IV drip, softly asleep.

"Hey. Don't worry too much. I already injected his medicine and some supplements to help return the color on his face," Trevor said and glanced at Oliver then back to me. He pulled out a tablet from his pocket and handed it to me. "Just an anti-stress pill. I don't want you fainting next," he added with a soft chuckle and my lips twitched into a small smile.

"About Elena and Peterson, we just need to acquire a substantial piece of evidence, then all of this will be over," Trevor assured me and patted me on the shoulder before leaving.

I noticed a glass of water on the bedside table so I picked it up, and drank the tablet, hoping that the pill would take effect immediately. Then, I slid down on my baby's side and put his head on my arms, safely tucked in my embrace, my arm around his waist. Before sleep took over, I kissed him on the forehead and whispered an 'I love you'. I think I heard him reply with an 'I love you too, Daddy', but I must have been hallucinating.

*******

When I came to, I felt gentle hands threading my hair. The feeling was so soothing that it takes me to another dimension where I can feel myself riding on clouds. However, when I realized what was happening, I sat up abruptly and after rubbing the sleep in my eyes, I was met by a set of brown eyes filled with amusement. Oliver was sitting beside me, biting his lips to stifle his giggles.

I blinked several times to make sure that I'm not dreaming but his warm hands cupping my cheeks suggested otherwise. My eyes stung from unshed tears as I grabbed his wrists and pulled him closer for a tight hug. Seeing him healthy and cheerful was enough to ease my worries and fears.

My baby's hands wound up around my neck as he pressed his warm body closer, and we both stayed that way for a few minutes, savoring the contact of our skin like we were apart for a decade, the need to feel each other was so strong I hesitated and whined when he tried to pull away from me.

"Daddy... come on. Just for a few minutes," Oliver sweetly requested with a soft chuckle, and I relented. I'm always weak for my baby. I loosened my grip on him but my hands remained on his waist, making sure that he's not too far from me, and grunting when he tried to cross the allowed distance.

With a faint blush staining his cheeks, he fluttered his lashes and shyly bit his lip. "Daddy... I'm not going anywhere. You know that." I just nodded but my body refused to obey my mind, my hands tightening my grip on Oliver.

Instead of getting annoyed by my clinginess, he smiled warmly and kissed me on the forehead, as he shook his head and ultimately gave up on resisting. We shared a few moments of silence, just looking at each other before he broke it.

"I... I'm sorry. For running away without even waiting for you to react. My fight or flight system was switched on, and I chose to flee. I was so afraid, daddy," he admitted in a voice filled with raw emotion, his eyes shimmering from unshed tears. I want to console him and tell him that I didn't mind the meltdown because it doesn't matter to me, but for Oliver, it was a big deal. I'm willing to listen to all of it, just as he lends his ears to me when I'm afraid and insecure.

Oliver's hands went to grip the hem of his shirt to relieve excess tension before turning his eyes on me, the sheer vulnerability and raw emotion in his eyes got me choked up, as I did my very best to keep my hands and lips to myself. "I was scared of what you might think of me after that. What if I repulsed you...? I'm not that innocent anymore. After all, his disgusting hands touched my body and... and..."

I threw all my inhibitions away and kissed Oliver with all my might, letting him feel all my love. I rested my forehead against him, our breath mixing together in shallow pants. "Baby... do you truly believe that? That I will love you less because of that?" I rasped in a strained voice as I slowly pulled away, letting him see how hurt his words brought pain to my senses.

Oliver choked a sob and shook his head. "N-no. You love me so much. You proved it to me over and over. That you will never leave me," he answered softly and grabbed the front of my shirt.

"I understand the need to escape because you were afraid of my reactions; I do, baby. I am also flattered that you treasure me enough to consider what I think about you."

"Of course, I do! You matter to me. You're the only one I'll ever love, daddy," he retorted with a sniff, his hands busy wiping his tears.

I smiled at him and kissed his forehead. "You're the only one for me too, baby boy. Don't ever think for a moment that I would ever leave you. I admired your bravery, for being able to share such a traumatic experience, and that made me love you even more if that's still possible. If I have to choose between breathing and loving you, I would rather expel my last breath saying how much you mean to me. Understand?"

He shakily nodded and jumped into my chest as he cried his eyes out, apologizing and whispering how much he loves me. I guess it would take a lot of time to convince my baby that I won't let him go, but I am willing to exhaust my lifetime to prove how much every fiber of my being depends on his existence.

I lifted my baby up after he calmed down and went downstairs, straight to the gazebo so Oliver can enjoy the scent of fresh flowers and feel the cold breeze. It's already five in the afternoon, and the red hues are beginning to color the blue sky. We sat on the couch, his head on my chest and my arm around his waist, hugging him softly with occasional light kisses on top of his head.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, my love?"

"Do you want to hear a story?"

"Sure, baby boy," I answered cheerfully and kissed the top of his head.

"But you have to promise one thing." I looked at him when I heard his serious tone. My stomach felt heavy at his intent gaze. I hesitantly nodded and kept my nerves in check. I have a feeling that I will regret this decision, but I have to be strong. After all, my boy is being brave right now, and I want to show him my support. "You will control yourself and let me finish."

"I promise," I breathed out, my mind hanging in a balance between curiosity and anxiety.

O L L I E

I smiled at Stefan when I saw his determination and seriousness. I can still feel his hesitation over his decision by the way he kept himself in control, and I commend him for that. He deserves a reward for being so understanding, so I claimed his lips for a deep kiss. Both of us sighed pleasantly when he pulled apart, and I was glad that his hard expression softened a little. Stefan needs to be in a relaxed frame of mind because what I am about to tell him is far from pretty.

When I woke up an hour earlier than Stef, I noticed the IV drip and Trevor sitting on the balcony, sipping coffee and busy typing on his laptop seriously.

"Trev...help," I managed to call him hoarsely, my throat a bit sore from crying earlier. Trevor snapped his head at me, slightly surprised, but rushed towards me and handed me a glass of warm water. He helped me drink the liquid slowly and I gave him a grateful nod.

"Hey, bud. How are you feeling?" He asked softly and sat down on the nearby chair after removing my IV and placing a bandage over the punctured skin. I glanced at Stefan when he stirred so I pulled the duvet up so my sweet daddy won't get cold.

"My throat hurts, and my eyes sting. Other than that, I'm good. The nap helped me clear my mind." Trevor nodded and patted my shoulder.

"I'm sorry this has to happen," he referred to the Bryce incident. What happened stressed Stefan and me. We got overwhelmed by emotions and I feel sorry for Stefan for subjecting him to this kind of emotionally draining experience.

"Trev, don't apologize. What happened was neither your fault nor Stefan. I was expecting this to happen, sooner than later."

His brows met in unison and looked at me in confusion. "Care to explain?"

"Do you know the reason why Elena and Bryce are so hell-bent on killing me? No need to sugarcoat it, by the way," I added when his eyes widened with the mention of the word 'kill'.

"Cause you're a fucking multibillionaire that can feed a country for five years?" He answered with an eye roll and that made me burst into laughter.

"Wow, what a colorful use of words, but you're not wrong." Trevor grunted and smiled a little.

"Kidding aside, that's part of the reason, but it's because I'll be celebrating my 21st birthday in two weeks. That means I'll be taking over the empire officially, and all of my family's assets, including my grandparents, will be handed to me." Trevor widened his eyes in realization, mouthing a 'fuck', and I nodded in agreement. "Yes. They want me dead before I officially inherit the company and everything else."

"How can you say that so casually, Oliver? Are you not afraid?" He asked in a whisper, his brows in a deep frown as he kept throwing glances at Stefan.

"Daddy won't be waking any time soon; don't worry. He's very stressed, I can tell. I need him to take all the rest he can get before we start with our operation."

"Operation? Wait, that's not it. What did you do, Oliver?" His scrutinizing gaze made me flinch, an awkward laugh slipping out of my mouth as I bit my lip nervously. "Oliver?" He asked again, impatience in his tone.

"Imayhaveputasleepingpillinthoseantistressbottles," I mumbled so fast but Trevor was able to catch it, based on his baffled expression.

"You put a sleeping pill in the anti-stress tablet bottles?" He repeated in disbelief, while I nervously chew on my lip.

"I-In my defense--"

"Yes? In your defense what?" Trevor's voice was low and his tone was challenging, his brow arched, but the amusement was dancing in his amber eyes as he tried his best to scold me but failing.

"I just wanted Stef to get some rest. Daddy has been extremely stressed since the Bryce incident, and I want him to get some decent sleep."

"By putting a sleeping tablet on that bottle?" I nodded. "How did you know I was going to give Stefan an anti-stress pill?" He curiously asked, a twitch on the side of his lips.

"A guess?"