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Dino sat across from his son Theodore in their temporary residence of the Nursery, his fingers were woven over his lap and gaze fixated on the small child who has kept his head down since the moment he picked him up from Johannes' place.
Earlier when he and the others returned to find the children gone, his butler Albrecht and Kate Lorca informed the man of his son's premature Cocoon Phase Hallucinations. At first, he laughed it off, saying it was impossible, but the second he saw his son, he noticed something was off about him. Even during the carriage ride where all the fathers held their children in their laps, Dino noticed how Theodore would twitch in his arms, his eyes glaring at the ground, seeing something his father can't see.
"The reason he's having these hallucinations is because he's trying to live up to your expectations to become a proper aristocrat. He's forcing himself to grow up to gain your approval." Kate's venomous words and the scathing look she gave him made him realize how his absence has affected his son.
Dino watched Theodore who sat stiffly, his inherited golden eyes wide as he was struggling to tune out the voices. He frowned seeing how hard his son was trying to maintain a strong front before his own father.
"Theodore, can you hear me?" Dino spoke, trying to be calm as he knew from his own experience how unpredictable Cocoon Phase symptoms affect children. But for one to happen so early on in one's life is new territory for Dino.
"Yes...Father." Theodore struggled to speak as he responded, trying to pick out his father's voice among the stuffed animals pestering him.
"Look at me." Dino said, watching Theodore slowly raise his head to look up at the man.
Dino took a deep breath and exhaled slowly then asked, "Tell me truthfully, how long have you been having these hallucinations? I won't be angry." He added, hoping this little reassurance will keep his son from feeling tense as he knew one of the symptoms involve mood swings.
Theodore bit the inside of his lip, worried he will disappoint his father, but knew he can't refuse to answer. "A while now." He clenched his hands against his knees, "Since before you started bringing me with you."
Dino felt as though he's been hit by a carriage when Theodore said that. These hallucinations began before the Nursery and have persisted all this time, yet how could he have not noticed. The answer was clear and simple, he neglected and ignored his own child. He arrogantly believed his son was fine, being quiet and well-behaved among the rambunctious children. But the whole time his son suffered in silence.
"What do they look like? How do they appear to you?" Dino had to ask since hallucinations have a hidden meaning, a subconscious desire clawing at the surface of one's mind.
Theodore's eyes glanced around him in annoyance and discomfort before he answered, "They...look like stuffed animals...toys. A mouse, a cat, a bear, and a bunny."
"What are they saying to you?" Dino asked as Theodore looked more on edge.
Theodore ducked his head, "I can't tell you."
"Can't, or afraid to?"
Theodore was silent, unable to answer out of shame. He tensed up when his father stood up and slowly walked around the coffee table.
Dino knelt in front of his son and grasped the boy's smaller hands, "Theodore, look at me." Theodore raised his head and saw his father kneeling in front of him with his ever-unreadable expression, "I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong."
Theodore's eyes widened as the pink bunny draped over his shoulder, "Looks like Daddy dearest won't let this go unless you start talking." It tauntingly whispered in the boy's ears.
The stuffed cat with a green plaid patch over the left side of its face touched his arm, "But he's afraid of disappointing his beloved father."
The purple mouse crawled onto his lap, "It's not like it will get any worse. He's going to be mad either way."
The teddy bear with red patches sat beside the boy, "That's right, after all a child can't run away from their father's shadow."
The voices mocked him all at once, laughing at him for being weak, for being a child.
Dino watched with shock as his son's face turned manic and angry for the first time.
"Shut up..." Dino was surprised by the boy's sudden defiance before the boy began muttering, "...Stop laughing...You don't know anything."
Dino's eyes widened when he realized his son was talking to his hallucinations.
"Theo-"
"Shut up...Shut up...Just shut up..." Theodore gritted his teeth in frustration as the voices became louder, drowning out all sounds outside of himself. He covered his ears to block them out, "Please, just leave me alone!" He begged desperately, wanting those stuffed animals to go away. He could no longer see or hear his father kneeling before him.
'This is bad.' Dino thought to himself when he saw how far Theodore was being pushed as he tried to silence the voices. The head of the Classico family prided himself in his knowledge in battle and strategy, how to anticipate his enemies' movements. But this enemy tormenting his son is someone he can't fight or see. 'Damnit, what do I do?' Dino tried to think of something, anything to help his son, to save him before he ends up destroying himself. He's read too many stories of premature Cocoon Phases that ended up with the young child killing themselves just to silence the voices. Remembering those stories sent a spike of fear through the man and what happened next was completely without his control.
Theodore went silent as arms wrapped around him, holding him tight against Dino's chest as the boy sat in his father's lap. His eyes widened and breath uneven as his right ear was filled with the thumping of his father's racing heart.
Dino instinctively held his child close, the irrational fear of his only son breaking apart hung over him. "Theodore, it's going to be okay, I'm here now." He whispered in a soft tone he never realized he had, "Listen to me, this is my voice, just listen to my voice...and listen to my heart." He cradled his son's head against his chest, "It's right here for you."
Theodore was still hyperventilating, but it slowly evened out as he listened to his father's beating heart. The constant thumping soothed him, steadily drowning out the stuffed animals' taunts. The feeling of his father's arms around him, holding and comforting him, brought tears to his eyes. But he didn't want to cry in front of his sire. He dares not shame the Classico name.
Dino frowned as that gnawing guilt returned, the pain he put his only son through all for the sake of meeting his expectations. He closed his eyes as he remembered his own childhood for the first time, how he too wanted his father's approval, to have his respect. A little boy watching his father's back, longing to be acknowledged, to be seen by the man he admired even if it killed him. But it was never enough. There was always that distance that can never be bridged. In the end, they were no more than complete strangers.
He slowly opened his eyes as he began to understand what he is doing to his son was no different from how his own father brought him up. The longing for his father's affection faded into indifference. This in turn left him jaded towards the idea of love. But children are different, they are born wanting to be loved by their parent and are willing to go to great lengths to achieve that. The lengths Theodore has gone through to prove himself to Dino is destroying his mind. The only one Dino can blame is himself for his pride and ignorance.
"Theodore, you don't have to hold back." Dino whispered, tucking his son's head under his chin, "It's okay to cry. You've held it in long enough. Let go."
While those words surprised Theodore, he couldn't deny his need to release his pain as he allowed himself to finally cry. Tears streamed endlessly as he cried into his father's chest, letting out all the loneliness and isolation he locked inside him, believing it would make him stronger.
Dino held his son's shaking body, his heart breaking at the sounds the little boy released no matter how hard he tried to suppress them. He glanced at his hands, realizing his gloves still encased his fingers. He recalled how Dali and Henrique always kept their gloves off when handling their children, something about skin-to-skin contact being crucial to their offsprings' physical and emotional development as well as comfort. His own father never did that with him. So, he never truly did understand. But if it will help his son...
Dino pulled his gloves off one at a time with his teeth, letting the cold air hit his skin. He carefully pulled his son away, but only slightly as his large hands cupped Theodore's hot reddened cheeks. His inherited golden eyes stared up at his father, still shimmering with tears. Dino used the pads of his thumbs to wipe away the tear tracks while stroking his delicate cheekbones. Being this close to his own child did he realize just how small and fragile he feels under his skin. Dino feared any careless touch will shatter this child.
"Theodore, do you still hear them?" Dino asked, locking their golden eyes together.
Theodore sniffled as he listened for the stuffed animals but was surprised to hear nothing for once. "They're...gone?"
Dino nodded, "Your premature Cocoon Phase symptoms were triggered from the heavy amount of stress trying to meet my expectations." He mused, "All because I put pressure on you to become an aristocrat." He let out a quiet breath, "All blame falls onto me. I've been a terrible father to you. Theodore, I'm so sorry." He apologized as he reflected on his actions as a parent and how he wasn't emotionally involved with his child despite having him close by at the Nursery.
Theodore looked down, "I didn't know it would get that bad. I... I didn't want to disappoint you."
Dino hooked his finger under his son's chin and tilted his head back up.
"Theodore, the only disappointment in this room is me." Dino then released a mournful sigh, "I don't know how to be a proper father to you. Mine certainly wasn't to me. Always so cold and distant, never really looked me in the eye no matter how much I watched him." He kept his golden gaze on his child who stared up at him in a way that felt painfully familiar. "I never did get a proper look at you, have I? Everyone says you look like me. They're right." He pushed his son's fringes aside, "Seeing you now, I'm reminded of how desperate I was for my own father's attention. When he died, I vowed to be a better man than him. But I realize now I'm no different from him at all." He sighed through his nose, "I don't want to continue the cycle of expectations and distance between parent and child, not if it comes at the cost of your sanity."
Theodore stared up at this man who spoke more words to him in ten minutes than he did in one hour. His father felt like a stranger, but at the same time, he sees what may become of himself should the distance remain.
"You don't have to push yourself to meet my expectations." Dino said to his son, "And you don't have to grow up so fast. Take it slow, be a child for as long as you can, because once you enter the adult world, it is impossible to go back to having fun. Save for Henrique, the man is too lax sometimes." He muttered to himself as he thought of his more childish counterpart who hardly acts like a noble.
Theodore's eyes widened, "Is it...really okay?" He hesitantly asked his father. Studying and trying to be an adult is the only thing he knows, to be anything else is frightening.
"That's right. Children should not feel the need to harbor adult responsibilities until they are finished with their Cocoon Phase." Dino cupped the side of Theodore's face, "We'll figure out how to silence those hallucinations together. Also, I want to try getting to know my son."
Theodore felt a swell of happiness rise within him. "You do?"
Dino nodded, "Yes. Once morning comes, I'll have to head out with the others. Those rogue vampires are still out there threatening our race." He suppressed a growl that wanted to come out, "Before I go back out there, I would like for you to tell me about yourself and what you'd like to do some time."
Theodore knew his father's work demands him to constantly be away from home. While it irked him to see him leave every time, he felt a swell of pride in his father for the efforts he puts in at the Vlad Agency to protect their kind. The very idea of Dino Classico taking time away from his job to connect with his child feels alien, but Theodore is not about to let this opportunity pass. With a rare smile, Theodore began to tell his father everything.
Dino listened intently, still holding Theodore in his lap. Every now and then, Dino would chime in as his son described the anatomy of certain bugs he read about and the differences between each species. Dino watched his son's expressions, noting how his eyes would sparkle when talking about one of his favorite subjects he learned about from his tutor, and how flustered he gets when he talks about wanting to see an art exhibit some time. He made a mental not to take his son there when the perpetrators are caught.
An hour passed since Theodore began, and his golden eyes became droopy. Seeing him in a sleepy state was-and Dino would sooner blind himself before saying it out loud-adorable. He gently pulled his son close until he laid across his chest. Though Theodore wanted to stay awake with his father a little longer, his body won out as he fell asleep.
Dino laid on the sofa with his son sprawled on top of him. Though he could easily get up, he didn't want to disturb Theodore's sleep. Plus, he found a strange comfort having a small child sleeping on him like this. He watched Theodore's face that now held peace and contentment in slumber. He prefers him like this, undisturbed by the demons in his head.
Dino felt his eyes begin to close as he allowed his son's even breath to lull him to sleep. He wasn't sure what tomorrow would bring, but he swears to put in effort to make time with his son, so he never has to fight his demons alone.
Albrecht cracked the door open to check in on his employer and young master. The sight that greeted the butler caught him by surprise before a smile slowly crawled onto his face. He was silent as he entered the room before he found an extra blanket to gently drape over the father and son to keep them warm. He quietly left the room with a satisfied smile, feeling like there's hope for those two after all.