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With the poisoning and the subsequent kidnapping attempt, Michel barely got a chance to be alone.
With Luca and Vincenzo attending a ‘business meeting’ with one of Paulo’s supporters, he finally had a moment to himself. Resting in the gardens, he looked up at the blue sky, and got lost in his thoughts.
He’d never said this to Vincenzo or his boyfriend… but he was sure that he’d actually died for a moment or two after the poisoning. He remembered hearing Vincenzo’s panicked cries, seeing a long, dark tunnel ahead of him, before everything went bright white.
…………………………………….
He vaguely remembered standing in a field, the sky lit up with the stunning colours of dawn or sunset, in vivid pinks, deep golds and velvet purples.
There was someone else there, in white.
He didn’t stay there long, but he remembered the figure gently cupping his cheek for a moment, pressing a kiss to his forehead, before everything faded away.
Looking back, he couldn’t help but hope… wish that was his mother.
Maybe it was slightly ironic that, in his dying moment, his mother was forefront in his mind.
Someone who abandoned him when times got difficult, in exchange for a hefty check.
…………………………………….
Waking up from the poison attack, was like waking up from a long dream.
He couldn’t feel his body.
It took him some time before he managed to move even one finger, and even that was exhausting.
It wasn’t long before he was falling asleep again.
………………………………………………………………………….
Michel vaguely remembered what he went through.
Vincenzo remembered everything. He remembered standing in the corner of the room as the doctors worked on Michel, desperately trying to save him.
He wasn’t dead, he had to remind himself, Michel wasn’t dead... not yet.
The following days were spent sitting by his adoptive brother’s bedside, begging every day, for him to wake up.
Michel looked like he was going to die.
“Please don’t die.” Vincenzo whispered, “You survived a bullet to the stomach, you can survive a little bit of poison, right?”
Nothing.
“Don’t give up Michel… Han Seo. Don’t give up.” He pressed two fingers hard into the back of Michel’s hand hard, hoping to get some kind of reaction from him.
Nothing.
Leaning back in his chair, he pinched the bridge of his nose and forced himself to remain calm, his harsh grip on Michel’s hand loosening until he was simply tapping on the back of it.
The sun was just starting to rise in the sky, when he finally spoke up again, “You’re so brave you know.” He muttered, “Braver than you think, considering how long you survived for in that household… and you still had the courage to turn against them. I-I just need you to know, that they weren’t a true family… we are, and we’re going to prove that to you. We’re going to keep proving that to you for as long as needed.”
He felt helpless… a common occurrence when it came to Michel and the unfortunate events that seemed to follow him around.
………………………………………….
When Han Seo… Michel was thirteen, he learnt that nobody in his family would be there for him.
It wasn’t an unexpected lesson; he’d been getting the hints for years.
It still hurt though.
He was thirteen when he truly realised that no matter what they said, they didn’t love him.
Not really.
He was fourteen when he contemplated stepping out into traffic, rather than face his father or his brother again, unwilling to spend another second in close quarters with them. He couldn’t just leave, change his name and flee to another country…. They would catch him before he even stepped one foot into the airport.
No.
This was the easier way.
He was in his late twenties when he realised that sometimes, blood wasn’t thicker than water.
The sun was starting to set in the distance, as Michel got to his feet and headed back inside, feeling a little lighter than he had when he first came out here.
“Michel!” Luca was just entering the home with Vincenzo, beaming at his boyfriend, “How was your day?”
“It was… peaceful.”
“Peaceful?”
“Hmm.” Michel smiled warmly at him, “It was nice.” He moved a little closer to Luca, “I’m glad you’re home though.”
“Yeah, me too.”