Chapter Text
The camera starts recording and George is seen in the middle of the screen, a vague smile on his lips even though his face shows how fatigued he was. A little paler than usual, bags under his eyes, disheveled hair and eyes a little rimmed. Not the image you would have of a British alpha higher-up of an important bank in the country that is owned by his parents.
— I think this is recording already —. He started murmuring in a low voice before continuing as he looked again at the camera. — So, today is the 10th of June 2040, we're two weeks away from our scheduled surgery and the therapist said it would be easier for the recovery to give me some tips for the future and how to "live normal".
He snorted after saying that.
— Bloody hell, I sound like a maniac... Anyways, George of the future, you'll find this recording and many others with one of my diaries in the second drawer of what used to be Max's nightstand, your ex husband and mate, it's the one facing the window if you don't remember, there you'll be able to read and hear whatever I recommend you to do in order to keep living normally without suspicion.
Something in the video changed, not the angle nor the light, but something in George's demeanor did after he coughed hard on his hand.
— Okay, first of all, Kimi is twelve now, he just presented as an alpha three months ago and he studies in a private boarding school on the outskirts of London, Max isn't happy about that but you two don't talk that much since you got separated fully eight months ago... You visit Kimi every Saturday midday to go out with him and do whatever activities he has in mind.
§
Kimi wasn’t that unhinged as people may believe. He was actually quite observant and good at picking up hints on others behavior.
Just like now.
His papa had his typical face he does when he just heard something stupid, like he is incredulous of what he just heard, so Kimi knows that to continue and not tease his papa’s temper he'll need to choose well his next words.
— So, your father... Mr Saturday-is-my-quality-time-with-Kimi is going back from his word and now is neglecting you? Fucking awesome.
Kimi grimaced as Max's scent became bitter, his coffee smell now was something similar to a long forgotten espresso that got bitter.
— It’s not like that, papa.
— Then how is it, ant? I understand that me and your father won't see each other nor spent time together even if they pay us since the divorce, but that doesn't mean that he's going to back from his word and just stop hanging out with you on the days he begged to have, knowing that you have so little time in this forsaken posh boarding school.
The young boy only looked at his papa. — He keeps coming every Saturday without fail, it's just that he seems off, papa... He doesn't propose any plans unless I mention them. When we go out he doesn't have any desire to explore new endroits or anything, he sticks to the usual, and that's not him.
The Dutch omega only nodded, taking a big breath as he watched his pup hesitate. — So he's not neglecting you physically yet he’s neglecting your needs, is what you mean?
— Something like that, it is difficult to explain without sounding bad, since his surgery four months ago he's bee-.
Max turned instantly looking at the boy in disbelief. — Wh- Surgery? Kimi, what are you talking about? Did George have surgery? Of what?.
Shit.
Kimi gulped, his father had begged him not to mention his surgery to his papa, arguing that if Max got word of George undergoing full anesthesia during their son's vacation the omega would lose his mind about the alpha incapability of taking care of their pup.
— I don’t know! He had it scheduled during my weeks of with you, during our trip to Belgium! He only mentioned it after I found him collapsed on the floor days before I went to the airport.
— And you never told me? Kimi, I know that our divorce was awful but this is about your father's health, this alleged surgery could have affected you in other ways. What surgery did he have? Did he recover well?.
People tend to think that Max resents George's existence since their divorce and bond withdrawal were a messy affair for both parties, as neither of them wanted to separate fully, however neither of them had the enough courage to save their relationship. But Max still cares. And hearing that his ex had a surgery that seemed too invasive that even now –months after– is still causing some issues with their son preoccupied him.
His pup didn’t answer, he just looked at the floor, his own subtle scent of nutmeg showing his anguish and that was concerning, Kimi was only twelve he shouldn’t be stressing for his father.
— I don’t know, papa, I truly don't know, he just mentioned that he needed it, that without it he would continue coughing and he was already sick, he didn't even smell like himself! The cinnamon wasn't there and then he was always smelled like marigolds and suspiciously every weeks there were more marigolds around the house, first in a vase, then also in the kitchen, after that around the living room, and without notice all the house was filled with marigolds —. Kimi was now ranting and fidgeting right in front of Max, whose face was getting paler and paler. — At first I thought that there was someone with dad, that he was seeing someone else who liked those flowers, but then I asked uncle Alex and uncle Logan about it and they denied that dad was with someone! Then I saw him collapsed on the floor, coughing uncontrollably. He even coughed blood and told me that surgery was the only thing that would help him.
No.
That was extremely specific.
That couldn't be happening right?.
The omega was spiraling as he heard every word from his pup to heart, the scar of the broken bond on his neck tickling his skin.
— Since when has your father been like that? Coughing and feeling sick? I need the truth, schat.
— L-like two or one month b-before you both b-broke the bond —. The alpha boy was now trying hard not to break down sobbing, Kimi feeling guilty for keeping this information from his papa. — I'm sorry, papa, I wanted to tell you but dad said that you would have asked for full custody if you heard that he was sick and I didn't argue because I was panicking with all the blood he coughed, I'm sorry, please don't be mad.
Max went directly to hug his pup, cooing as the boy sobbed into his papa's chest, being soothed with love as the blonde man started brushing softly the curls of the boy. Yet the blue eyes of him were completely lost into the background, his own senses at full use as he realized the gravity of the situation, Max never would have expected –not even in his most wildest dreams– George to go that far, to hide his pain for so long, for not telling him, for making Kimi watch him like that. He was mad at himself for also missing the hints, before they broke the bond he did feel pain, he felt the fatigue and sorrow but he brushed it like his own feelings, that his omega was already grieving the loss of his partner, it didn't even crossed his mind that it was George, his alpha, the man with who he shared his life for more than ten years, with who he had their little angel Kimi was the one hurting like that.
— Ant, please look at me —. His son looked up at him, his eyes already red because of the tears, his lips trembling. — It's not your fault, okay? You were in panic, you didn't know what to do or how to respond and your father clearly was panicking too if he dared to say something as dumb like me filing for full custody — Max took another deep breath, calming himself as he was able to smell his own bitter scent and that would only cause more despair to the pup. — Just tell me something, what has changed in your dad's demeanor since he got that surgery? Apart from what you just told me.
Kimi hiccup but answered. — Well, we don't spend too much time alone like before, there has to be someone else, uncle Logan or uncle Alex, sometimes it's grandpa with opa, but we're never the two of us... He also seems detached, like if what he's doing isn't causing him excitement, last time I was with him and opa at a park and I fell, I got a bad scrape but instead of freaking out like he always does, he just walked up to me, saw my knee, asked opa for something to bandage it and told me to be careful next time —. He sniffed again. — That wasn't something dad would have done, dad would have screech, run over with bandages and disinfectant, and then go on a lecture about the side effects of being reckless, and finally opa would have said that he was being overbearing, but he didn't! It was like if dad was a robot!.
A robot.
A robot doesn't have any emotions. They can't feel, they're unable to do that. And George Hamilton wasn't one, not that he’s aware of after being with him since they were twenty-two years old until almost a year ago that they got divorced completely –no mating bite, divorced for the church and the law, no more links binding them except their pup–. George doesn’t like marigolds, he prefers roses and orchids, he always said that marigolds weren't a good omen in a house –his father-in-law also supported that idea–; also, the alpha was dramatic by nature, overbearing and protective, they used to fight a lot because of how anxious and overprotective George will be whenever Max was sick or went to see his biological dad, he was even worse when they were talking about Kimi! The alpha fought hard in the divorce proceedings when Max asked the judge for Kimi to go with him to Saint Andrews, George arguing that it wasn’t a good environment for their child to be so far way with only Max by his side and start a new life all over there, when he had all his friends and a good portion of his family in London.
So of course the behavior that Kimi was describing wasn’t one of George's.
And that was something that Max feared.
Because he knew exactly what was happening –what happened, in reality–, and he didn't like it at all.
Kimi hugged the omega tightly, hiding his face in his papa's chest once again, his voice muffled when he spoke up. — Papa, what happened to dad? Was it because of your divorce? It is normal?.
Max's eyes were now tearing, how could he explain all the shit George did and clearly hide from them with the help of his family –because he was certain that his in-laws were involved in this, well ex in-laws– to their son? He's twelve for the love of God! He shouldn't be learning about this so young.
The voice of the omega could have been a whisper, cracked and near a breakdown. — You're too young to hear this, mijn jongen, but there's a disease that I think your father had...
§
The video kept playing as the George of it talked.
— This is the first video of many that will help you to understand your past life, George. You won't be alone either, your parents, brother and best friend know what you've gone through and they'll support you while you manage to get back to normal.
The Brit began coughing hard again, this time he crouched and disappeared from the frame as the video continued to record, George coughing as background noise. Two minutes later the alpha got into frame again, looking pale and sicker as a little trail of blood went down his chin, the own breath of the man erratic, he looked at the camera with fatigue, almost dead.
Then he spoke –voice raw– as he raised and showed his bloodied hand.
— In case you forgot, George, you had Hanahaki disease because of unrequited love, and you underwent surgery to remove your feelings and get to live a long life with your son. Use the videos I left and the diary entries I wrote to make your stay peaceful.
The hand of George William Hamilton was holding three full blown bloodied marigolds with their stems. His eyes were rimmed as he opened his mouth again.
— Goodbye.
And the screen went black.