Phi stared in disbelief not only at the teenager but his brother, looking between the two in thought.
    “Well, you never told me you adopted a child, Night. How old are you?" He asked curiously, tilting his head. Jin's eyebrow twitched slightly at the weird feeling he got, shrinking slightly under the mismatched gaze.
    "Seventeen…" The teenager answered, squeaking when pale hands suddenly reached and took baby Jack from his arms. "H-hey…! What are you doing…?!"
    "Phi, you're pushing your luck…" Night growled, Hartz having to hold her back.
    "Oh, my apologies, but infants are rather adorable. I wanted to see the little one closer." Phi smiled as he held the baby twin.

    "Well he's not your child, so I suggest you give him back to the mother." Naoki's voice cut in, bringing all eyes to look at the Chemistry teacher.
    "Oh? And who are you supposed to be?"
    "Naoki, I'm the baby's father." He told him, a glare in his orange eyes.
    "Wow, this family truly grew a lot since my absence." Phi thought aloud, looking back down at the baby in his arms. Baby Jack stared up at him and cooed, reaching up to him with a cute smile.

Night, the angry mother, growled at the encounter in front of her, looking at her fiance with her golden eyes.
    "Hartz, how can you be okay with this?" She asked him, desperately trying to stay calm.
    "He's my brother, Night. He hasn't been around for four years, I think this is good for him." Hartz told her, looking down at Natalya on his arm for a second. Jin twitched nervously in his seat as he watched Phi with his son, his breath picking up the longer he watched this stranger hold his son.
    "O-okay, can I please have Jack back…? I-I need to feed him and his sister soon…" the green-eyed teen asked, reaching up towards his son.
    "Hm? Is that his name?" The silver-haired man asked, playing with Jack's little hand gently. "That's a rather cute name. What's the other's?"

Jin's eye twitched when he completely ignored his question, standing abruptly.
    "You have no right to barge in here unannounced and snatch my son right from my arms…! I don't even know who you actually are…!"
    "He's not your son, you're a teenager. There's no possible way this is your child." Phi countered, narrowing his eyes at the teen before him.
    "What would you know…?! You haven't even been around…!" Jin was starting to get angry, his eyes glowing softly as they narrowed into a harsher glare. "Now hand me my son…!"

The four adults stared at him in shock, the teenager standing his ground like he did earlier that day. Phi sighed softly and handed the baby back over, looking away from the boy to look at his brother.
    "So, I hear you and your fiance have a child together as well."
    "Yes, we do. What about it brother?" 
    "Well, where is the baby? I'd like to meet my niece or nephew."
    "Well, you can't." Night snapped, her arms crossed as her eyes shone with tears. "Our daughter is in the hospital currently fighting for her life because I went into labor early."
    "We've been trying to keep our spirits high while she's being taken care of." Hartz said after, pressing a soft kiss to his partner's head.
    "My thoughts go out to you both during this tough time." Phi said sincerely, a hand to his chest as he bowed his head slightly. "I should get going though, I still have some unpacking to do"

The older twin made his way to the door and spared everyone a smile, opening the door.
    "Until next time." He told them, waving before he disappeared out the door, closing it behind him.
    "Thank God…" Night huffed, locking the door again. "Come on Naoki, let's start dinner finally."
    "Sure." Naoki nodded, the two disappearing into the kitchen. Hartz let out a breath as he walked towards the couch, sitting down next to his stepson.
    "Hartz, how come you never told me you had a brother…?" Jin asked him suddenly, looking at him with hurt in his eyes. 
    "Because I felt I didn't have a brother anymore… He was rather manipulative throughout middle and high school, so when he left, I thought it was for good." The lavender-haired male told him, looking at him with his showing green eye.
    "Do you think he can change…?"
    "Well, that really depends. Phi was kind before our parents passed away and we were forced into foster care, so I think he can. Why did you ask?"
    "Well, he has a strange sense to him… Almost heartbreaking… All he wants is a real family, I think…"

Hartz smiled softly, rocking a sleeping Natalya.
    "Yeah, I think that's what he wants too, Jin…"

~~~

    "So, that's her?" Phi asked curiously, looking at his twin brother. Hartz smiled softly, nodding as he stared at his daughter in the NICU station.
    "Yeah, that's her, my beautiful daughter…" He told him, a hand to his cheek. "Serenity Lynn, born almost three months early at the start of this month."

Hartz brought his brother out to the hospital just the two of them, wanting one on one time with him since he made it back to town.
    "Can I ask you something?" The younger brother asked suddenly, watching over his daughter with caring eyes.
    "What is it?" The other asked, glancing over at him.
    "Why did you leave? It was so sudden that it actually broke my heart." 
    "I needed to find myself. You're my brother and I care about you, but I needed to reflect on myself for a while."
    "We have a family now, you know? One much better than our foster parents we were stuck with."

Phi chuckled softly and nudged his brother's shoulder slightly, sparing a smile.
    "Yeah, I know. Night is a good woman, even if she doesn't like me much."
    "She'll come around soon enough. She did with Naoki."
    "That's another thing, what's the deal with that man? I've never heard of him."
    "Naoki Minamo, he's one of Jin's teachers at Beigoma High."
    "Okay? Then why was he at your house?" Phi was getting both curious and suspicious, looking at the other with his red and blue eyes.
    "Naoki is Jin's partner, those twins are their children." Hartz smiled at him, not taking into consideration the shock the new information brought.

The white-haired twin blinked in shock, tilting his head.
    "Isn't that a little dangerous?" He asked, watching as his brother laughed.
    "They have been super careful through their whole relationship. The day Jin turns eighteen is when they don't have to worry about prying eyes anymore." Hartz explained. "I've watched their relationship since they started, Naoki treats him very well. Especially since Jin had a similar situation to you and I."
    "You really care about this boy, huh?"
    "I do, and you will too the more you know him." Hartz nudged him and smiled, resting his arm onto his brother's shoulder. "Stick around and you'll want to protect him with everything you have."
    "He means that much to you two?"
    "Everything and more, Phi."

The Dread Brothers, twins that are the same yet different all at the same time, were finally back together. Sure, Phi may have changed over the years, but his little brother knows he can change again.

Maybe Jin will be able to help him open up again~

NightBear15 signing off...