The next day began like any other.
Some, exhausted after a 'busy' night, were sleeping in, when the others had to get up for work.
One of the latter turned out to be Anton. However, there was no trace of dissatisfaction or reluctance on his face.
This was because he was lying on his bed with a sleeping Noah snuggled up against him.
The man was fast asleep, his mouth slightly open. Anton's hand gently stroked his back, and his gaze wandered over his lover's handsome face.
Time flew by, leaving him no opportunity for rest. Wanting to get through today's arduous workday, he had to get up.
He gently released Noah from his embrace, allowing him to sleep a little longer before waking him.
Like it or not, they had to go to work together so the company could run smoothly. Sophie and Darell's absence was inevitable for the next few days.
Anton only agreed to it for his sister's sake. Not because of her...partner.
"Tsk." Walking down the hall, thinking about the man, Anton clicked his tongue in displeasure.
Suddenly, one of the doors in the next room slowly opened, and Luka's face appeared before the man's eyes.
The boy nodded shyly at Anton at first, and seeing the adult smile at him, he quickly returned the smile and approached with more courage.
"Did you get enough sleep?" He asked, rubbing the boy's head.
"Yes!" Luka exclaimed happily. "But I woke up hungry." He said a little more quietly, looking down at the ground.
Anton smiled at this answer. Having a younger brother was something new to him.
Of course, he knew about him, but somehow he wasn't as concerned about his existence as about Sophie.
Knowing he was the son of that idiot, he thought he had everything he needed.
He'd even considered getting to know him better, but he'd thought the meeting would take place when Luka was a little older.
Besides, he didn't know if the boy would even want anything to do with him.
However, a sudden situation caused their paths to cross much sooner, and this turn of events didn't seem so bad after all.
The boy was delighted to have an older, strong brother who could protect him and their sister.
Taking the boy into his arms, he looked at him with a smile.
"We can't afford to go hungry. We need food to keep us strong. Come for breakfast," Anton said with conviction, lifting Luka lightly into his arms and going down to the kitchen.
An elderly woman, who was serving meals to the residents, was already bustling around the kitchen.
Seeing her boss with the boy, she smiled at them and invited them to the table.
Luka, having not eaten a proper meal in some time, couldn't help but salivate at the sight of the delicious food.
Anton took his plate and served him a few delicacies, which the boy eagerly pointed to.
Savoring his coffee, Anton watched Luka as he delightedly savored his meal.
"Wait a moment, I'll be right back." Glancing at his watch, the man spoke briefly to the boy and returned to his bedroom.
Sitting on the bed, he leaned over the sleeping Noah and kissed his forehead.
"Time to get up. We have to get going," He said in a soft, low voice, waiting for a response.
Noah began to stretch and slowly, lazily opened his eyes. Seeing Anton sitting there, smiling, he couldn't help but smile.
"Hey."
"Hi. Breakfast is ready. The hungry little monster is already devouring it. Get dressed and come downstairs quickly, because I don't know if there will be anything left."
After these words, Anton got up and went back downstairs to the kitchen. A few minutes later, Noah joined them.
Luka greeted him with cheeks full of food, somewhat resembling a hungry little hamster.
"Luka, you'll stay with Mery today while we're at work. Tomorrow we'll meet up with Sophie and maybe you'll even meet our father if he shows up with his esteemed a.." Anton didn't get to finish his sentence because Noah's hand covered his mouth.
"Held back around the boy a little" He warned the man, frowning.
"Sooner or later, he'll speak the same language as us anyway. Why hold back?" Anton shrugged indifferently, seeing no problem with what he wanted to say. He wasn't swearing, after all.
"Anton."
Hearing Noah's tone, Anton knew he had to stop.
"Okay, okay, I'll stop now." Anton playfully rolled his eyes, and Luka laughed happily.
"I thought my brother wasn't afraid of anything, but I see I was wrong."
Anton looked at Noah with surprise on his face, pointing a finger at the boy.
"Did you hear that? And I'm the one who has to hold back?"
Noah laughed with Luka at his grumbling.
Breakfast ended in good spirits. The men went to work, and Luka stayed home with the housekeeper, patiently awaiting reunion with his sister.
The time spent having fun flew by, but the time spent working passed incredibly slowly.
It seemed like the workload was never going down, and by noon, Anton had had enough.
Fortunately, Noah was able to calm him down and convince him to keep working. During their lunch break, they both quickly ate the food they'd brought and spent the rest of the time in silence on the couch.
Noah sat on Anton's lap, resting his head on his shoulder. Thanks to this silence and Noah's presence, Anton was able to catch a short nap.
This allowed them to get through the rest of the day's paperwork.
To their surprise, just as they were about to finish, Sophie and Darell entered the office.
Smiling, his sister approached and hugged her brother.
"Thank you for everything. We'll get back to normal tomorrow. We'll just check how much has been done, and if it's not too much trouble, we'd like to go with you to see Luka."
"I'm sure he'll be happy to see you. Then sit down. It'll be faster to tell you than if you check everything one by one."
Anton ruffled his sister's hair and sat her down at his desk, ignoring Darell.