Aster regretted standing the moment he did it.
The ache in his lower back had settled into something stubborn. And the dull, insistent throb low in his spine? That was pure Adrian West's fault.
But when Adrian asked—voice smooth as coffee and sin—"Are you sure you want to come? You're still walking like I broke you," Aster's pride reared up.
"I'm fine," he said through gritted teeth. "Totally fine."
Adrian didn't look convinced.
"You limped getting out of bed."
"I tripped on Finn's bear."
"You groaned like an old man brushing your teeth."
"I slept weird," Aster snapped, snatching the comb from the dresser and running it through his hair. "Besides, this is important. I want to be there."
Adrian leaned casually against the doorway, watching him with that amused, unreadable gaze.
Aster tried to ignore the way he filled out that navy button-down like a goddamn model and the fact that he'd somehow managed to look fresh, powerful, and put together after rearranging Aster's organs the night before.
Finn was in the living room, humming while drawing on a magnetic tablet, already dressed in a tiny blue hoodie and corduroy pants.
"You're stubborn," Adrian said.
"You're smug," Aster shot back.
Adrian crossed the room, stopping just behind him. His hands didn't touch—but Aster could feel the heat of him. The air changed.
"You didn't seem to mind when I had you begging for more," Adrian murmured, lips brushing just below Aster's ear.
Aster's knees buckled.
"You—! I told you not to say stuff like that!"
"Why? It's true."
"Not in the morning," Aster hissed. "Not when my kid is two doors away. And definitely not when I'm still sore."
Adrian's grin could've melted glass. "Next time, I'll try to go easier."
"There shouldn't be a next time."
"Too late. There's already a next time. In my head."
"You're impossible."
"You're cute when you're in denial."
Aster spun on him, face scarlet. "I'm going to put Finn's shoes on. Do not follow me."
Adrian didn't follow—but Aster felt his eyes the whole way out.
The car ride was... quiet.
Finn was too busy staring out the window with wide eyes, bouncing slightly in his booster seat.
"Finn will go to school? Really really?" he asked for the third time.
"Really really," Aster said, smiling as he reached back to fix Finn's seatbelt. "You excited?"
Finn nodded. "I wanna crayons"
"Probably."
"and lotssaa foodss?"
"Definitely."
Finn gasped like he'd been given a lifetime supply of ice cream. "Bestes. Day. Evew."
Adrian chuckled from the driver's seat. "Wait until you see it."
And when the gates opened—Finn did.
Aster had never seen a kindergarten like this.
The school wasn't a building—it was a damn estate.
Tall white gates opened into a manicured driveway lined with trees wrapped in fairy lights. The front building was styled like a European villa: terracotta roof tiles, arched windows, a central courtyard with a fountain shaped like a storybook castle.
There were four separate wings. A glass atrium for indoor play. A mini auditorium. A botanical garden. And—Aster squinted—a goddamn petting zoo with miniature alpacas.
Finn pressed his face to the car window.
"...Is this school for princesses?" Aster can't help whisper.
Adrian parked smoothly. "Only the most elite."
Aster climbed out, blinking up at the building. "This is a kindergarten? What the hell kind of rich baby fantasyland is this?"
Adrian came around to open the back door and lifted Finn out, adjusting his little hoodie. "The kind where your brother will be safe, cared for, and given everything he needs."
Aster looked down at Finn's face—eyes sparkling, lips parted in awe—and felt his chest tighten.
In the last life, Finn never got this.
He never saw school. Never colored in a classroom. Never sang songs or came home with finger-paint drawings taped to his shirt. They'd barely made it through hospital bills, and when money ran out... Aster had to choose between food or care.
And by the time Adrian stepped in—quietly paying the bill—Finn was already fading.
Aster swallowed hard and looked away.
"Thank you," he murmured.
Adrian paused, but said nothing.
The school receptionist was too pretty and too polite. The moment she recognized Adrian, she straightened like a soldier.
"Mr. West, we've prepared the private tour. Your—ah—family will be shown the entire facility. Principal Smith would like to meet you personally."
Aster blinked. "Family?"
Adrian didn't correct her.
They were led through glossy corridors filled with hand-painted murals and gentle classical music playing from invisible speakers. Kids in crisp uniforms walked past in lines, holding hands.
Finn whispered, "Wow" in almost every corner.
The teachers were bright-eyed and suspiciously photogenic. Everyone smiled at them like they were royalty visiting. Adrian's presence did that, Aster realized. He had a gravity about him—like everyone was pulled into orbit the second he entered.
Principal Smith greeted them near the indoor garden. She was short, silver-haired, and dressed in a crisp pink suit.
"Mr. West," she said with a warm smile. "And...?"
"This is Aster," Adrian said smoothly. "And this is Finn."
"Ah, the lucky boy."
Aster laughed nervously. "I think we're the lucky ones."
Finn peeked out from behind Aster's leg. "Do I getta cubby?"
Principal Smith chuckled. "You'll get a cubby, a nap mat, your own plant to grow, and lots of crayons."
Finn gasped. "I getta plant?!"
"Only if you water it every day."
Finn nodded seriously. "I can, i can! Finn is super good in watering!"
Aster leaned down and whispered, "Remember the cactus you drowned?"
Finn whispered back, "Shhh, she don't gotta know that."
The tour ended in a cozy classroom filled with low bookshelves, soft beanbags, and a window bench stacked with plush toys.
Finn was already trying to climb onto it when the teacher smiled and asked, "Is this your first school?"
Finn nodded proudly. "Yup! Bwowther said I was gonna learn ABC and make a dog but Finn know dogs coz I saw da dog wee wee on da long cawrrr."
Aster nearly choked. Why does this bbrat look proud
Adrian didn't even blink. "He's clearly ahead of the curve."
The teacher laughed. "He'll fit right in."
When they left the classroom, Finn was holding a balloon and a new sticker on his hoodie.
He turned to Aster as they stepped outside. "Will Finn play here again?"
Aster looked to Adrian, who met his eyes quietly.
"If you want," Adrian said.
Aster said nothing.
He was afraid he might cry if he opened his mouth.
----
a/N : Fucking baby talk. fry my fucking brain out.