With a heavy sigh, Ian went to his home office, sitting down at his desk. He needed to make some sort of peaceful gesture, a way to make Vincent come out instead of hide away. Ian couldn’t do anything if Vincent wouldn’t even talk to him.

His eyes drifted along his desk, landing on a pen. He could write a note. That would be more meaningful to someone from decades ago. He grabbed a piece of paper out of his desk and positioned his pen above it, pausing as he wondered what to say.

He didn’t know this Vincent character that Eton’s brain probably came up with. Trauma could do crazy things, including conjuring up a homophobic priest from the past. Eton could be a medical study at this point.

Ian decided to be formal. Vincent obviously wasn’t too keen on anything too romantic between two men, so Ian wasn’t going to try to put him into a hissy fit. They had to be somewhat tolerant of each other, even if Ian wanted to shake Eton’s body until Vincent was somehow knocked out of existence. If only.

Vincent,

I apologize for the extreme measures I’ve taken lately to try to bring back Eton’s memories. It seems like his brain is already occupied with someone else’s. I don’t know how that’s possible, but I do know that I’d like to reach a place of understanding with you. I want to know who you are and try to figure out what’s going on. I’m sure you’re confused too, and I should show more patience and understanding toward you. You didn’t choose for this to happen and neither did I or Eton. Together, I want to figure this out.

Ian

Ian read the note over and over again, wondering if he needed to change a few sentences or throw the whole thing out. Nothing was clear to him, but he suspected that nothing was clear to Vincent either. That probably added onto the air of hostility that surrounded him.

He set his pen down and lifted his eyes from the note, staring out of the window in front of his desk. Noon was approaching. He would check on Vincent later. He doubted that Vincent would want to talk to him, but if he would at least read the note, Ian would be happy.

Gradually, the sun shifted in the sky. Guards and servants moved throughout the villa’s halls, completing their duties and going along with their day. Meanwhile, Ian’s office and his bedroom were mainly still, hardly a movement inside.

As afternoon approached, Ian grabbed the note and walked out of his office. He headed to his room, motioning for Josh to go on his break. He cracked the door open and peered inside, hearing light snoring from the bed. Vincent was still asleep.

Maybe that was for the best. Ian didn’t want to hear more harsh words come out of his husband’s mouth from a different person right now. He wanted to try to repair some of the damage that had been done and move forward. He couldn’t stand being stuck in place. He had been that way for two years.

Some people told him to give up on Eton, to move on with his life and find someone else. Ian nearly spat in their faces. Honestly, he should’ve. Who just gave up on the love of their life like that? After everything that they had been through, he would never move on from Eton. They were soulmates, bound by a connection unlike any other.

Maybe he wasn’t soulmates with Vincent, but they were going to at least be somewhat friendly with each other. He hoped that this was a step in the right direction. If not, it was back to the office for him to figure something else out.

Slowly and quietly, Ian crept into the dimly lit room. He approached Vincent, who was deep in sleep. He stopped by the side of the bed, his eyes trailing over the body of his husband. So beautiful. So far away.

Ian withheld a sigh and took the key to the handcuffs out of his pocket. Maybe he went too far with the handcuffs. He could be extreme. He could acknowledge that. That was why so many people were afraid of him. He hardly had limits.

However, he had limits when it came to Eton. He refused to endanger Eton or break his heart. He always put Eton first, even if that led to an extreme decision. When he did something, he went big. Eton knew that, but Vincent had to learn that personally.

Ian undid the cuffs around Vincent’s wrists, guiding his hands back down to the bed. Vincent didn’t even stir as Ian moved him. It looked like he had cried himself to sleep from the tear stains on his face. It hurt Ian to realize that, but there was a lot of hurt mixed into their situation. It wasn’t easy for either of them.

Once the cuffs were put up, Ian walked over to the dresser and pulled out a t-shirt and a pair of lounge shorts, along with a pair of boxers. As much as he liked seeing Eton’s bare body, he wanted Vincent to feel comfortable. That meant being clothed and not touched.

He placed the folded clothes on the foot of the bed, setting the note on top. He knew that it wasn’t a huge gesture, but he had a feeling that Vincent wouldn’t be fond of something like that. He decided to start small and build up from there.

Ian stepped back from the bed, breathing out quietly. He wanted to crawl in the bed and wrap up Eton’s bare body in his arms again. It had been nice cuddling again, especially when Vincent finally relaxed. Either Eton was trying to break through, or Vincent was going against his closed mind. Regardless, Vincent’s influence was still the strongest.

“See you soon,” Ian murmured. He didn’t know how their next interaction would go, but he would handle it with stride. That was all that he could do.

It was stressful dealing with De Leon, spies, and Vincent, but that was his life. He chose to dive into the craziness, and he didn’t feel the need to come up for air yet. Maybe he was meant for this, but it felt better when Eton was by his side.

He fought with so many people. Now, his own members were turning against him and betraying him. He needed his husband with him, supporting him and being there for him. Instead, he was bickering with some other person. Everything felt wrong, but he was going to make things right one way or another. He didn’t care what it took.