章 14: 14. The New Father

The moonlight was soft, casting a gentle glow over the orphanage as Xavier Loid carried Alvin Bencio in his arms, the sky-blue-haired mage still half-heartedly scolding him.

"I swear, Xavier," Alvin grumbled, his face slightly flushed from both exhaustion and their earlier... activities. "If you keep me up this late again, I'll hex you into next week. I have children to take care of, and unlike you, I can't just waltz around on military time."

Xavier grinned, completely unfazed by the threat. "Sorry," he said, his voice full of amusement, though the word was drenched in satisfaction. "But, you didn't seem to mind earlier." He winked at Alvin, his red eyes gleaming in the moonlight.

Alvin's glare intensified, though it was mostly for show. "Next time, I'll mind. Now put me down before the kids see us and start asking questions I'd rather not answer at this hour."

Xavier chuckled but complied, gently setting Alvin on his feet as they approached the front door of the orphanage. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood, or I'd have carried you inside just to make a point."

Alvin rolled his eyes, brushing himself off as if he hadn't just been comfortably nestled in Xavier's arms for the last several minutes. "I still can't believe I agreed to this... ridiculous proposal."

Xavier's smile softened, a mix of genuine warmth and pride settling over his features. "You did, though. And I'm holding you to it."

"Only because I made sure you'd adopt the kids as part of the deal," Alvin shot back, but there was no bite in his tone. In fact, there was a trace of something far more vulnerable there—an emotion Alvin rarely let show.

Xavier's chest tightened as he remembered the conversation they'd had earlier, the moment Alvin had agreed to marry him. "I wouldn't have it any other way," Xavier said sincerely, his deep voice carrying the weight of his promise. "They're your family, so they'll be mine too."

Before Alvin could respond, the sound of small footsteps thundering down the hallway echoed toward them. "Father!"

In seconds, Lily, Leo, Ash, and the other kids were barreling down the hall, all ten of them rushing forward with wide eyes and excited expressions. "You're back!"

They tackled Alvin, surrounding him with a chorus of laughter, small hands pulling at his clothes, some of them hugging him while others planted kisses on his cheeks. Alvin's earlier grumbles disappeared as he bent down to greet them, his heart softening in the presence of his small army of children.

But Xavier, standing just behind him, felt a flicker of possessiveness rise up once again. He clenched his fists, forcing himself to remain calm. The sight of his Alvin—yes, his—being adored by so many little ones sent a wave of jealousy through him, irrational as it was. These were Alvin's kids, his family, but Xavier couldn't help the surge of protectiveness that bubbled inside him.

He cleared his throat, reminding himself that these were children. He wasn't about to compete with them for Alvin's affection. Still, his jaw tightened as he tried to temper the strange emotion swelling in his chest.

Alvin, noticing the tension in Xavier, gave him a sideways glance. He straightened up from the children's embraces, patting Lily on the head before turning toward Xavier. Without warning, Alvin wrapped an arm around Xavier's waist, pulling him close.

The children immediately froze, their wide eyes darting between Alvin and the man he now held. Xavier felt his body tense up, but Alvin's grip was firm, and after a moment, he relaxed into it. The possessiveness that had been stirring inside him began to fade as he felt the warmth of Alvin's body beside him.

"Everyone," Alvin began, his voice casual yet firm. "This is Xavier. Your... second father."

The children blinked in unison, looking completely stunned by the sudden announcement. For a moment, there was silence as they processed the information. Then, Leo, always the curious one, was the first to speak.

"Second father?" he asked, tilting his head in confusion. "But why? You never told us about another father, Father."

Alvin smirked, his usual sarcastic tone slipping into his voice. "Well, I didn't expect to find one so soon." He glanced up at Xavier with a raised brow, as if daring him to say something.

Xavier looked down at the children, feeling a bit out of place in the small but important family dynamic. "Uh... it's true," he said, trying to sound less awkward than he felt. "I'm going to be your... new father. Alvin and I are getting married."

The kids gasped in unison, their eyes going wide with surprise. "Married?!" they exclaimed, voices overlapping in excitement and confusion.

Lily tugged on Alvin's sleeve, her big brown eyes looking up at him with a mix of curiosity and concern. "But Father... do you love him?"

Alvin blinked, momentarily thrown off by the directness of the question. He glanced at Xavier, who was now watching him intently, waiting for his response. Alvin cleared his throat, bending down to Lily's level.

"Yes," he said simply, his voice quieter than before. "I do. He's going to take care of all of you, just like I do. So... you'll have two people looking after you now."

Lily looked at Xavier, squinting as if trying to figure him out. After a moment, she seemed satisfied with the answer and smiled softly. "Okay. But if he's mean to you, we'll get rid of him."

Xavier choked on his laughter, quickly masking it with a cough, while Alvin grinned, his hand ruffling Lily's hair. "Don't worry. I can handle him."

The rest of the kids, though still processing the news, seemed to be warming up to the idea. Ash, the most timid of the bunch, looked up at Xavier with wide, uncertain eyes. "Does that mean... you're going to live here with us? Forever?"

Xavier knelt down, bringing himself to eye level with Ash. "Yes. If that's okay with all of you, of course." He smiled, trying to reassure the nervous child. "I'm here for the long haul. I'm not going anywhere."

Ash blinked, then gave a small nod. "Okay... but you have to help with breakfast sometimes. Father isn't very good at it."

Alvin gave an exaggerated sigh of exasperation. "Oh, sure, just throw me under the bus, why don't you?" He shot Xavier a mock glare, though there was a hint of amusement in his eyes.

Xavier chuckled, standing up and wrapping an arm around Alvin's waist again. "Don't worry, I've got breakfast covered."

The children laughed at that, clearly liking the idea of someone taking over breakfast duty. The tension that had been hanging in the air slowly dissipated, replaced by the usual warmth and chaos of the orphanage.

As the children returned to their games, the night falling back into its usual rhythm, Alvin leaned closer to Xavier, his voice quiet enough for only him to hear. "You know, for a second there, I thought you were going to lose your mind when they all jumped on me."

Xavier sighed, a playful smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I might've come close. They're lucky they're adorable."

Alvin rolled his eyes, though he couldn't help but smile. "You'll have to get used to it. They're my favourite responsibility."

Xavier tightened his grip on Alvin's waist, pulling him closer. "I know. And now, they're now my responsibility too."

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