“Daaaaad!”
Somehow, that little voice seemed to eclipse every other sound in Jaikus’ mind. It rose high above the cheers and revelry that echoed across the stadium, alongside the game that was occurring far below their private viewing box. The Grand Limmie Cup was well-underway - bringing thousands of people to Ord Mantel. It was the first time in a generation that the home team had a chance to win it all, and it only increased the hype involved.
But Jaikus was entirely focused on that voice. He felt as little fingers wrapped around the golden bracelet from Tatooine on his wrist, tugging his arm impatiently to gain his attention. It didn’t take the Axxilan more than a moment to glance down in response, fixing his emerald gaze onto the little boy standing just off to his left. His boy. His Ez.
“I can’t see,” The boy complained, staring up at his son with silver eyes big as saucers. He was dressed up in an oversized Ord Mantel Jeresey, fit for the first game that the Axxilan had ever taken him to. Emryc and Jayna weren’t the least bit interested in the games, but Jaikus insisted on taking his son all the game.
“Oh?” Jaikus asked. Without missing a beat, the Axxilan leaned down to swoop the boy up beneath the arms, easily hoisting him into the air. The sound of Ezra’s little laughs and twitched of his fluted ears only caused his father’s smile to widen to a ridiculous degree.
He easily plopped Ezra onto his shoulders, stepping closer to the end of the viewing box. The crowd roared in excitement, just as Ord Mantell managed to secure another goal. “How about now?” Jaikus glanced up while holding the boy up onto his shoulders, catching just a glimpse of the expression on Ezra’s face. That alone made the trip worth it all.
His fingers brushed across the edge of the Holo-picture from that day, resting at the very front of his office desk. It was one of the many times when Emryc was buried with his meetings and conferences - the entire situation with Blackwell making waves across the Galaxy. But Jaikus knew the importance of that day for entirely different reasons.
He knew that his son had been accepted into the Nubian Institute and was beginning his university education. It was something he and Emryc cared deeply about, and it was a day that Jaikus had been looking forward to since the boy could barely walk. It should have been a day to celebrate with the entire family - and to demonstrate just how proud they all were.
But it wasn’t. Weeks had passed, and Ezra had made it abundantly clear he wanted nothing to do with either of his parents. In ways that Emryc didn’t, Jaikus had felt the raw disgust and hatred that radiated off the boy when Ezra stormed off, and he knew none of that had subsided.
It destroyed the Axxilan in ways that he couldn’t put into words. To be a father - to have a family of his own with his husband - had brought unparalleled happiness to his life. And in that moment, he couldn’t help but feel it all crumbling around him - with no one to blame but himself.
His own actions. His own lies.
He could feel the wetness that stung at his eyes and dampened his cheeks, emotions swirling just beneath the surface. Slowly, Jaikus turned to face the protocol droid - spotting the little jewelry box that was held between its hands. Opened, he could see the glint of metal that was neatly displayed across velvet.
“That’s the one,” He said quietly, glancing down at the box. It was something that Jaikus had planned for years - keeping tucked away and safely kept. It didn’t matter what Ezra did with the gift once it was in his hands.. It was always meant to be his when the day came.
“Make sure that he gets it,” Jaikus said before turning back to the pictures that lined his office - feeling the tears finally rolling from his cheeks. There was no additional response from the protocol droid, leaving to fulfill the command by its designated owner. Alone with his memories.
Somewhere on Nubia, Ezra would receive that very same jewelry box. There was to letter or identifying mark, but a single glance inside would leave the quarter-Sephi with not a single doubt there the gift had come from.
He would find a simple, golden bracelet laying across the velvet cushion. It wasn’t designer or wildly expensive, but it was precisely like the one that Ezra would’ve been his father wear everyday of his life growing up. Despite everything that had happened, it was still his for that special day. It was reminder just how proud his parents were, even if there was a Galaxy between them.
Somehow, that little voice seemed to eclipse every other sound in Jaikus’ mind. It rose high above the cheers and revelry that echoed across the stadium, alongside the game that was occurring far below their private viewing box. The Grand Limmie Cup was well-underway - bringing thousands of people to Ord Mantel. It was the first time in a generation that the home team had a chance to win it all, and it only increased the hype involved.
But Jaikus was entirely focused on that voice. He felt as little fingers wrapped around the golden bracelet from Tatooine on his wrist, tugging his arm impatiently to gain his attention. It didn’t take the Axxilan more than a moment to glance down in response, fixing his emerald gaze onto the little boy standing just off to his left. His boy. His Ez.
“I can’t see,” The boy complained, staring up at his son with silver eyes big as saucers. He was dressed up in an oversized Ord Mantel Jeresey, fit for the first game that the Axxilan had ever taken him to. Emryc and Jayna weren’t the least bit interested in the games, but Jaikus insisted on taking his son all the game.
“Oh?” Jaikus asked. Without missing a beat, the Axxilan leaned down to swoop the boy up beneath the arms, easily hoisting him into the air. The sound of Ezra’s little laughs and twitched of his fluted ears only caused his father’s smile to widen to a ridiculous degree.
He easily plopped Ezra onto his shoulders, stepping closer to the end of the viewing box. The crowd roared in excitement, just as Ord Mantell managed to secure another goal. “How about now?” Jaikus glanced up while holding the boy up onto his shoulders, catching just a glimpse of the expression on Ezra’s face. That alone made the trip worth it all.
—
“Mr. Thorne?” The voice of a familiar protocol droid brought Jaikus back to the present moment - drawn from the depths of his own memories.
His fingers brushed across the edge of the Holo-picture from that day, resting at the very front of his office desk. It was one of the many times when Emryc was buried with his meetings and conferences - the entire situation with Blackwell making waves across the Galaxy. But Jaikus knew the importance of that day for entirely different reasons.
He knew that his son had been accepted into the Nubian Institute and was beginning his university education. It was something he and Emryc cared deeply about, and it was a day that Jaikus had been looking forward to since the boy could barely walk. It should have been a day to celebrate with the entire family - and to demonstrate just how proud they all were.
But it wasn’t. Weeks had passed, and Ezra had made it abundantly clear he wanted nothing to do with either of his parents. In ways that Emryc didn’t, Jaikus had felt the raw disgust and hatred that radiated off the boy when Ezra stormed off, and he knew none of that had subsided.
It destroyed the Axxilan in ways that he couldn’t put into words. To be a father - to have a family of his own with his husband - had brought unparalleled happiness to his life. And in that moment, he couldn’t help but feel it all crumbling around him - with no one to blame but himself.
His own actions. His own lies.
He could feel the wetness that stung at his eyes and dampened his cheeks, emotions swirling just beneath the surface. Slowly, Jaikus turned to face the protocol droid - spotting the little jewelry box that was held between its hands. Opened, he could see the glint of metal that was neatly displayed across velvet.
“That’s the one,” He said quietly, glancing down at the box. It was something that Jaikus had planned for years - keeping tucked away and safely kept. It didn’t matter what Ezra did with the gift once it was in his hands.. It was always meant to be his when the day came.
“Make sure that he gets it,” Jaikus said before turning back to the pictures that lined his office - feeling the tears finally rolling from his cheeks. There was no additional response from the protocol droid, leaving to fulfill the command by its designated owner. Alone with his memories.
Somewhere on Nubia, Ezra would receive that very same jewelry box. There was to letter or identifying mark, but a single glance inside would leave the quarter-Sephi with not a single doubt there the gift had come from.
He would find a simple, golden bracelet laying across the velvet cushion. It wasn’t designer or wildly expensive, but it was precisely like the one that Ezra would’ve been his father wear everyday of his life growing up. Despite everything that had happened, it was still his for that special day. It was reminder just how proud his parents were, even if there was a Galaxy between them.
@Sreeya