1st December, 2022 - Los Angeles, California
"Yeah, she's just been a little antsy these past few days so if she starts to get fussy or upset, just call me and I'll come and get her." Sebastian explains, watching Lux as she sits at the large oak table in her tutorâDaniel'sâhouse and flips through the pages of the book he'd given her the first time she came for a visitâ'The Little Prince'.
Daniel nods thoughtfully, his gaze fixed on the small girl. It was her first tutoring session with him and although she'd met Daniel before, she'd been a little nervous about leaving Sebastian which was why he was still at Daniel's apartment 10 minuets after dropping her off.
"She's been kind of in between head-spaces recently but she's very insistent on being big today, so me and Vin just decided to leave her be." He added.
Daniel hummed in understanding, glancing toward Lux again. She was curled up in the chair, her knees pulled to her chest, the book resting against them as she absentmindedly flipped through the pages. There was a subtle tension in her postureâher shoulders slightly hunched, her fingers gripping the edges of the book just a little too tightly.
Sebastian recognized that telltale sign immediately. He and Vincent had learned to pick up on the little things, the moments when Lux was teetering between her big and little headspaces.
"She seems focused for now," Daniel observed, though his voice remained gentle, like he didn't want to startle her. "But I'll keep an eye on her. I'll call if she needs you."
Sebastian smiled appreciatively, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. "Yeah, thanks. Just... if she starts zoning out or getting overwhelmed, try grounding her first. If she gets fussy, it might mean she's slipping a little, but she'll probably try to fight it." He chuckled, though it was laced with fondness. "She's stubborn like that."
Lux didn't look up, but Sebastian didn't miss the way her ears turned slightly pink.
"I can hear you, y'know," she muttered, still staring at her book.
Sebastian grinned. "I know, sweetheart."
Daniel's lips twitched into a small smile at Lux's grumbled response. "Good," he said lightly. "That means you're listening." He let the moment settle before adding, "I'm glad you brought your book. It's a favorite of mine too."
Lux lowered the book just enough for her eyes to peek over the top. "Papa read it to me," she admitted quietly.
Sebastian's heart squeezed at the mention of Vincent, but he kept his tone breezy. "Yeah, and he always did the voices."
Lux's lips curled at the memory, but she quickly composed herself, lowering the book again as if shielding the flicker of softness from view. "I don't need voices. I'm big today."
Daniel chuckled warmly. "Of course. Big kids read on their own, don't they?"
She nodded firmly.
"Alright," Sebastian sighed. "I'll get out of your hair. Call me if you need me."
Lux glanced up then, her fingers tightening on the book for just a second. She hesitated but quickly pushed out a casual, "Bye, Daddy."
Sebastian softened, his voice gentle but steady. "Bye, baby. You've got this."
The door closed softly behind him as he left.
Daniel stood for a moment, studying Lux before walking over to where she was sat at the table and pulling out a chair next to her. He sat down beside Lux, careful to leave a bit of space between them. He didn't want to crowd her.
He taps the side of the book she's holding signalling for her to shut it. He wanted to talk to her face to face for a bit.
With a soft huff, she closed it and set it down on the table.
"Thanks," Daniel said softly. "I thought we could just talk for a minute before we get started. You okay with that?"
Lux gave a small shrug, not quite meeting his eyes. "I guess."
Daniel folded his hands on the table. "I know it's your first day, and that can be kinda weird. New people, new space... it's a lot."
Her brows pinched slightly. "I've met you before," she pointed out.
"Yeah," Daniel said with a smile, "but it's different when it's just us. When you don't have your dad here."
Lux shifted in her chair, pulling her knees even closer to her chest. "I'm fine," she said quickly. "I'm big today."
"I hear you," Daniel said. "And being big is awesome. I bet you're really good at it."
"I am."
"Of course you are," Daniel agreed easily. "But if being big gets too heavy today, that's okay too. We don't have to push through anything you're not ready for."
Lux nods, trying to get through this conversation as fast as she could. She wasn't interested in talking about how it was okay to be big or little. She knew it was. She was more interested in getting to learn again, like how she did at school.
Daniel seemed to sense her impatience and leaned back slightly, giving her space. "Okay," he said lightly. "Why don't we get started then?"
Lux straightened a little, lowering her knees and sitting up. "Okay," she echoed.
Daniel grabbed a notebook and a pen, sliding them toward her. "We'll start easy. How about you tell me something you liked about 'The Little Prince'?"
Lux's fingers ran along the notebook's edge. "I liked the fox," she said after a moment.
"Yeah?" Daniel prompted. "What about the fox?"
"It was...cute." Lux decides. "A cute fox."
Daniel smiled softly, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, the fox is pretty cute. And smart, too. Do you remember what it said about being tamed?"
It said..." She frowned, trying to recall the words. "That when you tame something, you become responsible for it. And..." Her voice trailed off, a little unsure of how to continue.
Daniel stepped in. "That's right," He said gently. "The fox taught the little prince about connection. About how when we care for someone, they become more than just another person or animal. They become important to us."
Lux gave a small nod, though her lips pressed into a thin line. "I don't wanna talk about the fox anymore."
"That's okay," Daniel said easily. "What do you want to talk about?"
She gave him a sideways glance. "Math?"
"Math it is," Daniel said with a grin.
They dove into simple algebra, Daniel letting her set the pace. She was sharp, her mind quick to grasp new concepts. The equations came easily to Lux, her pencil gliding across the paper as she solved for x and y. The more she worked, the more she seemed to settle. Her shoulders, once tense, loosened as she leaned over the table, engrossed in the task.
"You're a natural," Daniel said after she'd correctly solved a particularly tricky equation. "Ever think about becoming a mathematician when you're older?"
Lux wrinkled her nose. "No way. Too boring."
"Fair," Daniel laughed. "What about a scientist? They use math a lot."
Lux tapped her pencil against the paper. "Maybe."
But this wasn't just Lux working on tasks, this was also Daniel trying to get a grasp of what level she was currently at, areas she may be struggling in or exceeding in, as well as any potential gaps in her learning. He paid close attention to how she approached each problem, noting the moments of hesitation and the ones where she worked with confidence.
As Lux continued to solve more equations with ease, Daniel noticed how the rhythm of the work seemed to ground her. Her earlier tension had all but disappeared, and her focus had sharpened, but every now and then, he'd catch a flicker of something in her expressionâlike a brief moment of distraction or unease. It was subtle, but it was there.
"Nice work," Daniel said, giving her a small nod as she finished a set of problems. "You're really good at this."
Lux's cheeks flushed slightly at the compliment. "Yeah, I guess it's okay."
He grinned. "You guess, huh? Well, I'd say you're more than just 'okay.' You've got a solid grasp on this."
"Do you think my dad will be proud?"
"Lux I think you could have the math level of a first grader and he would still over the moon with pride." Daniel said firmly.
Lux's lips curved into a small smile at the thought of Sebastian's reaction. "I guess so." she murmured.
Daniel watched her, his gaze soft and understanding. "So, how about we take a break?" He suggested, trying to keep his tone light. "I've got some snacks in the kitchen. Want to grab a little something?"
Lux's eyes lingered on the notebook for a moment before she gave a small nod. "Okay. Sure."
The pair made their way to Daniel's kitchen and he opened up a cupboard, pulling out a few snack optionsâgranola bars, crackers, and a small container of dried fruit.
"What's your pick?" he asked, holding them out to her.
Lux hesitated, eyeing the options. "Granola bar," she said eventually.
"Solid choice." Daniel slid it across the counter toward her and grabbed one for himself. He gestured to the stools by the island, and Lux climbed up onto one, unwrapping her snack.
The kitchen was quiet for a few moments, save for the soft crinkle of wrappers and the occasional crunch as they ate. Daniel kept his posture relaxed, content to let Lux settle in her own time.
"This place is nice," she said eventually, glancing around at the sleek yet cozy architecture.
"Thanks," Daniel replied. "I like to keep it comfy. Makes things less...intimidating."
Lux nodded, swinging her legs slightly. "Yeah. I guess that makes sense."
She took another bite of her granola bar, her gaze sweeping across the kitchen.
"You said you wanted to talk about math earlier," Daniel said, breaking the silence. "Is that your favorite subject?"
She shrugged. "I like it. It's... easy to understand. Like, it always makes sense. If you do it right, you get the right answer."
"Yeah," Daniel agreed. "Math can be comforting that way. It's predictable. Reliable."
Lux nodded, chewing thoughtfully. "Yeah. Like... you know what to expect." Her voice was soft, almost as if she were saying it more to herself than to Daniel.
"That's a good way to describe it," Daniel said. He let the words settle before continuing. "Sometimes when other stuff feels... unpredictable, it's nice to have something like math to come back to."
"I didn't say it was like that." Lux said suddenly.
"No, you didn't," Daniel replied calmly. "I was just thinking out loud."
She squinted at him, suspicious for a moment before returning to her snack. "Well, it's just math," she muttered.
"Just math," Daniel echoed lightly. "Got it."
The silence stretched again.
"Do you want to know a secret?" Daniel asked after a few minutes.
Lux gave him a sidelong glance. "What kind of secret?"
"A good one," Daniel said with a playful glint in his eyes. He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the counter. "But only if you're up for it."
Lux hesitated but gave in, tilting her head to side and narrowing her eyes slightly. "What kind of secret?" She repeated.
Daniel smiled softly, resting his elbows on the counter. "The kind that might make you feel a little less nervous about being here."
"I'm not nervous."
"Of course not," Daniel said easily.
Her shoulders relaxed, just a little.
"The secret is," Daniel continued, voice dipping into a conspiratorial tone, "I was really nervous my first day here too."
Lux blinked, her brows knitting together. "Like here? In this apartment?"
Daniel nodded solemnly.
"But it's your house." Lux said bluntly.
He chuckled. "True. But when I first moved in, everything felt... too big. Too quiet. I didn't know if I'd like it here. I even got a little scared at night sometimes."
Lux's lips quirked into a small, disbelieving smile. "You? Scared?"
"Yep. Me. Big, grown-up, math-loving me." He tapped the counter twice. "So I made a plan. Every time I got nervous, I'd do a math problem in my head. Something simple. Just to remind myself that even when everything else feels weird, some things always make sense."
"That's... kinda smart." Lux said quietly. "But still silly"
Daniel chuckled softly, nodding. "Yeah, maybe it is a little silly," he admitted. "But sometimes silly things help." He leaned his chin on his hand, watching Lux carefully. "You ever have a trick like that? Something you do when things feel weird or big?"
Lux shifted in her seat, picking at the edge of the granola bar wrapper. "Sometimes," she mumbled.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." She was quiet for a moment before adding, "I count stuff."
"That's a good one," Daniel said, voice warm with genuine approval. "What kind of stuff?"
"Anything, really. Tiles on the floor. Stars if I'm outside. Sometimes I count how many times someone blinks if I get bored." Her lips twitched into a faint, almost embarrassed smile.
"I like that," Daniel said.
Lux gave a small nod, her posture relaxing a fraction more.
"Wanna know another secret?"
Her curiosity piqued again, Lux tilted her head. "What?"
"When I was a kid, I used to count ceiling tiles whenever I got nervous in school. I'd sit in class and just count until I felt calm again."
Her eyes widened slightly. "Really?"
"Really."
She seemed to consider this, tapping her fingers against the counter. "Were you nervous a lot?"
"Sometimes," Daniel admitted. "New places, new people... kind of like what you're doing today."
Lux's shoulders lifted in a small shrug. "I'm not nervous," she said again, but this time there was less force behind the words.
"Of course," Daniel said with a wink. "You're big today."
Her mouth twitched into a tiny smile.
---
Sebastian ran a hand through his hair, his brow furrowed deeply as Vincent recounted the encounter at the diner. They were sitting in the living room, the curtains half-drawn despite the midday sun. Vincent's phone sat on the coffee table between them, screen cracked slightly at the corner, displaying a grainy image of Mr. Collins at the dinerâa quick snapshot Vincent had taken after ushering the kids to the car that afternoon.
"He was just... there?" Sebastian asked, voice low. "Same guy from the front door? The one you told to get lost?"
Vincent nodded, his jaw tight. "Yeah. Same guy. Mr. Collins. If that's even his real name." Vincent rubbed his hands together, then clenched them into fists. "I told him we weren't interested. Told him to leave. And then he's sitting in the same diner, staring at Lux?"
Sebastian's lips pressed into a thin line. He shifted forward on the couch, elbows on his knees. "And you're sure she recognized him?"
"She was sure," Vincent said firmly, running a hand through his hair. "She remembered him from the door. And you should've seen the way she looked at me when she said it. She was scared, Seb."
Sebastian exhaled slowly, his eyes locked on the cracked phone screen. "Okay," he said after a long pause. "So, what do we know about this guy?"
"Not much," Vincent admitted, frustration evident in his tone. "He showed up here last week trying to sell us something to do with solar panels and LED bulbs. I told him we weren't interested and shut the door. Didn't think much of it until Lux saw him again at the diner."
"What if he works for a real company and just crossed a line? Or..." Sebastian's voice trailed off as he considered the more unsettling possibility.
"Or he's not who he says he is," Vincent finished for him. "Yeah. That's what I'm thinking too."
"We need to figure out who he is," he said finally. "We can't let this go."
Vincent nodded. "I've already started." He grabbed his laptop from the coffee table, opened it, and pulled up a tab with an online search of the supposed company Mr. Collins worked for. "No official website. No phone number. Just a generic name with no real trace."
"How did you even find that?" Sebastian murmured, scooting closer to Vincent on the couch to take a look.
Vincent chuckled nervously. "I umm.. Got the CCTV footage from the gates of the estate so I could see the 'company' logo on his van."
Sebastian smirked. "Smart." He said, leaning in further to examine the footage on Vincent's screen.
"Yeah." Vincent agreed. "Anyways, I typed the name of the logo 'SolarTech Industries' into google and all I got was this." He said, gesturing to the very fake and sketchy looking website he'd been directed to.
Sebastian squinted at the website. It had the hallmarks of a hastily thrown-together front: a single homepage with a blurry stock image of solar panels, a block of vague text about "sustainable energy solutions," and a contact form that led nowhere. No listed address, no team bios, no client testimonialsâjust a shadow of a legitimate business.
"Yeah this is definitely shady." Sebastian sighed "No reviews, no history. Just some random page thrown together." He looked back at Vincent. "You try calling the number?"
Vincent shook his head. "There isn't one listed."
Sebastian leaned back, exhaling sharply. "Alright. So we have a guy using a fake company as a front, showing up at our house, then conveniently ending up in the same diner as our kids."
"Yeah," Vincent muttered, his fingers tapping anxiously on the laptop. "And I don't like it."
Sebastian ran a hand over his mouth, his jaw tense as he processed the situation. "So what now? We can't just sit around and wait for this guy to show up again."
"I know," Vincent said, voice low. He clicked through a few more tabs, each one bringing up variations of the same phony website. "I've been thinking about it nonstop. I installed new locks and updated the security system yesterday."
"I saw that," Sebastian said. "The new cameras at the back door and the motion sensors on the side yard. Good call."
Vincent gave a tight nod. "But that's not enough. I don't want us just reacting. I want to find out who he is and what he wants."
Sebastian leaned forward. "Okay. How do we do that?"
Vincent opened another window on the laptop. "I found a license plate on the van in the CCTV footage. It was partially obscured, but I got most of it. I'm going to ask my friend Logan if he can run it. He's got connections."
Sebastian's brows lifted. "Logan from the precinct?"
"Yeah. He owes me a favor."
---
Sebastian knocked on the large oakwood door of Daniel's apartment, his heart still weighed down by the conversation he'd had with Vincent earlier. He forced himself to push those thoughts aside; Lux didn't need to sense his tension. She was already teetering between headspaces, and his job right now was to make sure she felt safe.
The door opened a moment later, revealing Daniel with a gentle smile. "Hey, Sebastian," he greeted. "She did great today."
Sebastian's shoulders loosened a fraction. "Yeah? No problems?"
"None at all," Daniel assured him. "She worked through math like a champ, and we had some good conversations."
"That's good to hear," Sebastian said with a relieved chuckle. "Where is she?"
"Right here," Lux's voice piped up.
Sebastian looked past Daniel to see Lux standing a few feet behind him, her backpack already slung over one shoulder and 'The Little Prince' tucked under her arm. She looked calm, if a little tired, but her eyes brightened when she met Sebastian's gaze.
"Hey, sweetheart," Sebastian greeted softly, crouching slightly to meet her eye level. "How was it?"
"Good," Lux said with a small shrug. "Daniel has good snacks."
Sebastian laughed. "Snacks are important."
"They are," Daniel agreed, stepping aside to let Lux pass. "She really settled in once we got started."
"Thanks for being patient with her," Sebastian said as he stood and shook Daniel's hand. "We'll see you in 3 days?"
"Same time, same place," Daniel confirmed.
Sebastian placed a hand on Lux's shoulder and guided her toward the elevator. She leaned into him just a little as they waited for the lift to arrive.
"You okay, baby?" he asked softly.
"Yeah. Just tired," Lux murmured.
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I get that. Math can do that to you."
The elevator dinged, and they stepped inside.
"Is Auggie home?" Lux asked softly.
Sebastian nodded. "Yeah, he's been asking about you all day, demanding that you come back home."
"Is he really?" Lux asked, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
"Absolutely," Sebastian said with a grin. "He even tried to convince me to call Daniel and tell him to send you home early."
Lux giggled softly. "Auggie doesn't like being left out."
"Nope, he doesn't," Sebastian agreed. "But he was very brave while you were gone. Just like you were today."
Lux's smile grew a fraction, but she stayed quiet, leaning against her dad's side as the elevator hummed its way down.
When they stepped out into the parking garage, Sebastian's senses sharpened instinctively. His eyes swept the area, noting every shadow, every parked car. He unlocked the car with a click, ushered Lux inside, and quickly checked the backseat before getting in himself.
"Seatbelt, baby," he reminded.
Lux clicked her seatbelt into place without complaint. Sebastian started the car and pulled out of the garage, casually checking his mirrors as they left. No one followed them.
The car ride home when smoothly and when they got home, Auggie was waiting by the door, his face lighting up as soon as he saw Lux.
"You're back!" he shouted, throwing himself into her arms.
"Hey, Auggie!" Lux laughed, stumbling back a step from the impact.
"Did you learn a lot of stuff? Did you do hard math? Did Daniel have snacks?"
"Yes, yes, and yes," Lux answered with exaggerated patience.
Sebastian shut the door behind them and locked it.
"Alright, team," he said lightly. "Shoes off, hands washed, and then we figure out what to do with the rest of the day."
It was only 3pm so they still had a bit of time to kill and by the looks of it, Lux was in need of a nap.
Sebastian guided Lux toward the living room, her shoulders sagging as she let out a quiet yawn. Auggie bounded off toward the kitchen, probably in search of his next snack, leaving the two of them in a moment of quiet.
"You need a rest?" Sebastian asked, gently sitting Lux down on the couch.
"Maybe... just a little one," she murmured, curling up. "I don't want to miss anything though."
"You're not going to miss anything, I promise," Sebastian reassured her, pulling a soft blanket from the arm of the couch and tucking it around her. He kissed her forehead. "Just close your eyes for a bit, okay? I'll be right here."
Lux nodded, her eyelids fluttering closed as she snuggled into the warmth of the couch. Sebastian watched her for a moment, his thoughts shifting back to the conversation he had with Vincent on this same couch a few hours earlier. That man, Mr. Collins, and the unease that had been gnawing at him all dayâit wasn't going away.
But right now, his focus needed to be on the littles. He couldn't afford to show any cracks. Not in front of them.
Auggie returned a moment later, a bag of crackers in hand, looking up at his father with wide, expectant eyes. "Sleepy Lux?"
Sebastian nodded, gently stroking her hair. "Yeah, she's had a big day buddy."
August looked at his sister, a thoughtful expression on his face before he looked back up at Sebastian. "C'n we do somthin' fun?"
Sebastian smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "How about a board game? You pick one out, and I'll set it up."
Auggie's face lit up. "Okay! I'll grab Monopoly! The one with the trains."
"Alright," Sebastian said, nodding. "You go ahead and get it."
He watched August toddle out of the living room and out of sight before reaching in his pocket and grabbing his phone.
Almost instinctively, it rung.
Sebastian froze, the sound echoing in the otherwise silent house but he felt some relief when he saw that it was just Logan--Vincent had given him his number after their earlier conversation.
"Logan," he said, keeping his voice low. "What's the news?"
A beat of silence on the other end before Logan spoke. "I ran the plate. You're right to be suspicious, man. It's registered under a name, but the address? Doesn't match up. And the guy has a record, a small one, but enough to raise an eyebrow. I dug deeperâthere's a connection to a few different aliases in another state, some real shady stuff. You might want to be careful."
Sebastian's stomach tightened. "What kind of shady stuff?"
Logan's voice dropped to a whisper. "Fraud, mostly. Fake businesses. But the interesting part? There's a link to a private security firm. Not the type you hire for a simple burglary either. The kind that deals with... more delicate matters. I'm talking surveillance, background checks, things that don't show up on your standard public records."
Sebastian's mind raced. "How did he get connected to us?"
"No idea. But I'll keep digging. Just stay alert. Don't trust him if he shows up again."
Sebastian swallowed, his pulse quickening. "Thanks, Logan."
He hung up the phone and set it on the counter, his thoughts in disarray. A security firm. Surveillance. That didn't sit right.
"Got it!" August said, skipping back into the living room with the board game in hand.
He'd originally been looking for monopoly but when he saw snaked and ladders, he couldn't resist and changed his pick.
"Alright, baby boy. Let's get this started."
~~~
Sorry, it's been a while, i've had school but I just started winter break so I have a week off (hopefully that means more uploads but no promises ð¤ð¤). Anyways, I didn't proofread this at all so the grammar and spelling are probably fucked. Love you all ðð