| Sometimes when I say

'I'm ok'; I want someone to look me in the eyes, hug me tight and say,

'I know you're not' |

(- source: Pinterest)

Jake walked up the yellowed grassy path along the wide moor, it was a pleasantly bright day, with the sky having a beautiful shade of fresh corn flower blue. Luca was crunching along beside him, and 5 falcon guards trailed behind them; all wearing their black uniform suites while Jake himself wore a simple black coat.

Although it was a bright day, a cool breeze was russeling the dry grass blades, making wave after wave appear throughout the mass expanse of the land where little 3 petaled purple flowers kept popping up almost everywhere,

Jake smiled to himself when he saw them, 'Donghae would've loved this' he thought to himself,

"Yes he would, he's always running after flowers and all that ridiculous things" huffed Luca, while Jake stared at him, not having realized that he had been talking aloud at all. He felt like kicking himself, but Luca was already looking at the ground.

Jake glanced up. Looming ahead of them, covered in mist; he saw the magnificent blue -green mass of the Chiri-san mountains, its peaks being visible, which sometimes happened rarely.

With every step he took, Hyukjae began to see the the mighty headstones of the Maranzano Family Empire rising themselves across the skyline as he walked closer towards the foot of the mountains. Jake almost had an uncanny feeling that the dead Maranzanos were raising themselves to greet him, to look at him... to judge him...

"Are you ok?" asked Luca in concern, looking at Jake's pale face, "you look tired Boss"

"I'm not tired" he snapped and walked towards one of the nearest tombstone that was decorated with a huge granite Falcon with his gigantic wings open... staring at him..

Jake gulped nervously as his eyes travelled across the gold name plate attached to the pillar; like it did every year,

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Lasciatevi guidare dal possente Falco

Jake didn't know why he was feeling nervous. He rarely did, but it always happened when he was standing in front of ancient generations and generations of Maranzanos who have died knowing that they had done everything they could to nurture the Falcon Circle.

'But am I like them?' thought Jake, glancing back at Luca and all the Falcons who were standing dutifully behind the low stone wall. 'Have I done enough for the Falcon circle?'

Luca looked at Jake, and saw him looking back at him, Jake's eyes motioned him to come and stand with him, but he knew he shouldn't, the low stone wall running around the tombs itself indicated that none other than a true descendant of the Maranzano bloodline should ever cross it. If he did, then its a serious break of respect.

'You know I can't Hyukjae' thought Luca, clenching his fists as he stared back at him, hoping that his eyes gave a clear message that he won't cross the line although he really wanted to.

sighing, Jake looked back at the tomb and gently placed the bunch of Sun flowers that he'd been holding so tightly at the foot of the pillar. He stood silently at the base of his grandfather's tomb, saying the Falcon oath over and over inside his head. He'd never known his grandfather, who had died only a year before he was born. But he clearly remembered the stories his father used to tell him before going to bed every night. His grandfather would be his hero in each story...

'Your grandfather did this; your grandfather did that...'

Jake smiled to himself; lost in memories, his favourite would be the story of his grandfather finding the fortune of the Greek mountains by navigating through a Jade pendant. He still remembered pestering his dad to tell the story over and over again, until he fell asleep. But through the years Hyukjae had never found a Jade pendant anywhere in the house, though he had constantly searched for it among other family treasures.

"I want to become like you" whispered Jake desperately, looking up at the stone Falcon, "I just-"

Suddenly Jake hung his head, "no I don't want to become like you!" he whispered again angrily, "I just want to live a normal life, loving the boy I love! I didn't ask to be a freaking Maranzano!"

Jake stood stock still as he remembered Donghae's perfectly soft thin lips, his gentle ways of kissing him and his reassuring nature, the way his soft fingers would move up against his body...

Looking at the sea of tombstones around him, Jake suddenly smirked,

'You can't do anything about it either aunt Michelle' thought Jake as he saw a picture of a lady who was fixed to a nearby headstone that was looking particularly disgusted about everything ...

Luca watched as Jake come out of the grave yard, the boy was looking more as if he was a ghost there himself. And it concerned him how thinner Jake seemed to be looking all of a sudden. Jake glanced at him once and began walking up the mountain. After giving the order to his men to be there with the helicopter within 15 minutes, Luca followed Hyukjae.

Without a word, they both walked a little way up the mountains. Luca felt that something was definitely on Jake's mind, so he waited patiently for Hyukjae to talk first.

Finally Jake sat down on the grassy slope where he could see the massive graveyard below them, completely ignoring the fact that it ruined his clothes.

He looked up and saw Luca staring at him in utter astonishment. Jake hugged his knees to his chest and gave Luca a small smile,

"Am I breaking the precious Maranzano ethics by sitting on the ground?" asked Jaked bitterly

After gaping at Jake for 3 more seconds, Luca sat down next to him without a word. Both of them fell silent as they stared at the beautiful shadows those were falling on the ground because of the clouds in the sky.

"I dont think I'm like them Luca" said Jake suddenly, his eyes still looking further into the distance.

"What do you mean?" asked Luca

"All I ever wanted" said Jake gulping, "was to be a Falcon like dad"

"I've always listened to him telling me everything about him and my grandfather did when he was young... and I thought that... someday I would become a Falcon like them but-"

Jake stopped, his throat was burning with tears, but Luca had always been there for him, so it only seemed the right thing to tell him.

"I'm shit tired of everything Luca" he said tiredly, "I feel like everything is falling away from me and crushing down from all sides, I bet you've never seen such a weak leader in the circle-"

"JAKE RINEIRI MARANZANO!" shouted Luca suddenly cutting him off, his voice echoing slightly through the mountains,

but Luca couldn't help it. He had to tell the boy what he really wanted to say now or he'll never find the courage...or the right time

"I've known you since the day you were born Hyukjae, and I know you lost your parents at such an age and I do know you had to take all these overwhelming responsibilities when you were so young... probably I have known you better than your own father did, though I don't have any authority over you.. I've watched you grow up Jake, and I do know this: you have never failed us once" said Luca in one breathe "not even once Jake, I'm so proud of you and I want you to know that I will always be there for you"

Jake was stunned, Luca barely showed any emotion around him, and he was always had something to say against his judgement, but he'd never seen Luca like this. For once in his life Jake felt safe,

"Luca" he whispered bewildered, all at once Luca pulled him into an awkward fatherly bear hug. Never after his parents death had Jake been hugged like that, and that moment he realized how much his strained body had craved for this. Jake hugged him back tightly until he completely broke down into tears on Luca's chest while he slowly stroked Jake's back.

Luca knew that Jake had been wanting to cry for a long time, he also knew the trauma and the strain that Hyukjae was going through, the look he had given him in the graveyard itself showed how much reassurance Jake needed now, it had been enough for Jake to consider Luca as an equal.

Roughly, Luca wiped away the tears that had gathered in his own eyes. Although he'd never admit, Jake had always been more of his own son than his employer, and Luca knew he would protect his boy fiercely till the day he dies.

Luca gently pushed Jake away and held him by the shoulders tightly, staring into Jake's eyes, they were raw red, and Luca briskly wiped the stray tears away from his cheeks

"You are everything of your parents Hyukjae, that's why they are still in the manor and not here, it's because they always wanted to live with you" said Luca gruffly, "Don't ever think you are not enough or worth it. You are strong like your father and brave like your mother Hyukjae, and at your age, you are the best Falcon I've ever seen. Do you understand?"

Jake gave him a watery little smile and nodded. Luca smiled back and patted his shoulder affectionately. They both heard the distant sound of the helicopter approaching them.

Luca got up and held out his hand to Jake,

"Coming son?" he smirked

"Yeah dad" said Hyukjae rolling his eyes, then he laughed and grabbed Luca's strong hand to pull himself up off the ground...