Love Remains The Love (LustLove & sexywriter777)

Grim sat quietly as the nurse went to work, his eyes watching her slightly. Then they drifted off her and to Thea for a brief moment. He hated this, that this boy, his son, was laying so weak in a bed, at the mercy of an illness that crippled him so.

Grim stood, slowly pacing one wall of the room. He so wished he could tell the child the truth. But in his respect for Thea, something he had managed to find again, he wouldn't. He didn't know how he came to respect her, after her betrayal. But perhaps he had accepted that he had some fault in causing her actions. Some. Not all. But he had come to terms with things. He wondered if she had realized that part of it was her fault as well.

Or if some repairs might be made to their relationship. Obviously not to the point it was, but making it better.

He sighed softly, moving to bend down near Thea, so the boy couldn't hear. "I need to go soon. I'll visit again tomorrow, if possible. But I need to sleep." He sighed softly, his eyes finding hers, gazing into her for a moment. His hand briefly lingered on her arm. "I'm sorry you've had to deal with this." He said simply, straightening and moving back to sit back down as the nurse turned to leave.

When Grim came to kneel down beside her, Thea stared him the eyes. She'd had difficulty doing so beforehand but now that he was speaking to her with a bit of respect, it wasn't so bad. From the first moment she spoke to him on the phone, he seemed irritated with her, like her and their child was a problem. Clearly, something changed to where he realized just how important their son's health was.

Her eyes followed his movements until he sat back down in the chair. She was relieved that he said he would be back after tonight. Kaleb meant much more to her than any anger she still had towards Grim. And though she refused to let him tell his son the while truth now, it didn't mean at some point she wasn't willing to allow him that chance. Now was not the right timing but she wanted Kaleb to know everything and his father needed to be the one to tell him. Explain his reasoning for leaving all those years ago.

Thea turned her attention back to the nurse and gave her a small grin. The woman then finished everything she was supposed to and turned to the mother. "Everything is looking good. There's nothing out of the ordinary and he's doing much better than when he first arrived. Dr. Walker plans on coming in the morning to talk to you all about the surgery." She explained.

"Thank you." Thea said with a nod of her head. The nurse smiled at Kaleb one last time and wished him a goodnight before she left from the room.

Grim returned to his seat as the nurse left, sitting down to lean towards the boy again. "I need to go now, but I'll come by and visit you again tomorrow morning." He promised, standing up and fishing his keys from his pocket. "See you tomorrow, my boy." He said with a cheerfulness he certainly didn't feel. Then he moved to the door, pausing before glancing at Thea. "I'll see you tomorrow as well, I hope." He said, the words being both a question and a statement.

Then he moved out the door, heading through the halls and out, back to his car. Before he had left, he had reserved a room at a nearby hotel, and he drove there quickly, physically and emotionally exhausted. He quickly checked in and moved upstairs to his room, changing out of his clothes before all but passing out into bed.

After Grim left from the hospital room, Thea smiled softly at Kaleb then stood up so she could sit on the bed. She ran a hand over his short hair then turned the TV up a bit so he could hear everything. Once he was focused on the TV, she looked down at him. She looked past the breathing tube and his labored breathing for once and observed her son. He closely resembled Grim with his facial structure and then the black hair. The only think he inherited from her were the brown eyes. And of course, he looked nothing like Paul who had dark blonde hair and blue eyes. Anyone could clearly tell Kaleb didn't belong to him but her son believed it. Now she was going to have to explain everything to him soon, too soon for her to handle.

Another hour passed and Kaleb had fallen into a deep sleep. Thea switched off the TV and left his side on the bed, returning to the chair beside his bed. She grabbed a pillow and blanket she brought from home a day ago and got comfortable in the furniture. After all the events that occurred in one day, Thea was able to get to sleep within an hour.

The next morning arrived sooer than Grim might have asked for. He sat up in bed, glancing at the clock- eight in the morning. With a sigh, he flicked on the lights, grabbing his phone and dialing the architechtural office he ran.

"What is it, boss?" His secretary said on the other end, picking up the phone one the first ring.

"Hey Amanda. Let everyone know I'll be out today ad tomorrow at least, so any questions should be emailedto me. Call me if there's an emergency."

"Of course." Grim thanked her, then closed is phone, grabbing a buttondown shirt and clean pants before heading to shower. It took him twenty minutes to shower, dress, and shave, then he headed down to breakfast. As he sipped some hot tea and ate a bagel, he read over a newspaper, though his mind was elsewhere, on Thea, on his and her son, and on the man who had taken his place in every way.

He finished by eight forty-five, and arrived back at the hospital by nine, bearing a small bag of breakfast food and coffee, should anyone need it. He knocked lightly on the door, not sure anyone in the room was either awake or present.

The next morning, Paul arrived to the hospital early with the clothes Thea had asked him to bring. He also convinced the nurses to let Kaleb walk around a bit then planned to take him down to the cafeteria so they could eat breakfast. It would give her the time she needed to get ready for work without any disruption. He seemed to be in a better mood but she wasn't sure yet.

While they were away, she began getting dress. Pulling on a blouse and pencil skirt to wear for the day. She pulled her hair back and up into a bun, only leaving her bangs out. She was far too tired nor did she honestly care enough to put some makeup on for the day. She was just putting on her heels when there was a knock at the door. Thea figured that it must have been a nurse or a doctor and she would just have to tell them Kaleb would be back later. Once both her shoes were on, she called out "You can come in." She began picking up her other clothes and placing them into a bag while she tried straightening some things around the room.

Grim entered, noting that Thea looked exhausted yet well dressed, and put the pieces together- she was going to work. Then his eyes wandered to the empty bed. "Good morning. Where's Kaleb gone off to?" He asked quietly, moving to the foot of the bed. His eyes moved back to his ex, idly watching her.

Despite what had occurred between them, he had to admit she was still beautiful to him. Even with her messy hair and lack of makeup, she was still one of the most attractive women he had ever been with. He tore his eyes from her. It wouldn't do to dwell on the past. No matter how attractive, he didn't things would get better. She seemed to be happily dating someone, and he was happily dating Elizabeth. So why did he still linger in the past?

He tried to divert his thoughts, fiddling idly with the ring, tapping his fingers on the edge of the bed. After a silent moment, he glanced up at her. "I can't imagine you want me to stay more than necessary. After the surgery, if all goes well, I'll be gone. But I'd like to have a part in Kaleb's life... In the future." He said softly, fully expecting a cynical, sharp, bitter retort from her.

Thea had nearly forgotten Grim was supposed to come back to the hospital. A part of her believed that he wouldn't have come back. She felt it was too much for her and she'd been dealing with it for years, and he just came back yesterday. She would have understood if he decided to leave and never come back but she wasn't actually prepared to cope with this situation alongside her ex. She glanced over at him briefly. "Paul took Kaleb to go walking around the hospital. He figured he was tired of staying in the bed all day long. And they went to go get some breakfast as well." She explained to him.

She sat down the bag then took a seat on the bed as well. Thea covered her face with her hands, rubbing over her eyes. She was so exhausted and she really didn't want to go to work this morning but she really had no other choice. With a sigh, she looked up and over to Grim once again. "I don't mind if you stay after the surgery. You just need to promise to stay in his life and not get in the way of parenting of Paul and myself." She told him. She was so tired, she wasn't even going to try to argue with him at this point. Kaleb had to get to know his biological father eventually and why not start now.

She stood up and began searching for her keys. "They should be back in about fifteen minutes. They left over half an hour ago." She informed him. Once she finally found the keys, she grabbed her bags and and started heading towards the door.

"I'm willing to promise that." Grim said simply, pacing one wall of the hospital room slowly. It was clear that Thea was preparing to leave, and, though he didn't want to confront her significant other, who would be returning with Kaleb soon, he was curious to see how the other would react to Grim's presence in the room.

As Thea moved toward the door, he lightly touched her arm, turning her toward him slightly. Then he realized such a touch was undoubtably unwanted, especially from him, and withdrew his hand. "Thank you again." He said before turning away and walking back up and down the wall, pacing that line on the floor as his mind spun over a hundred things at once.

Thea glanced down as he touched her arm, just the slightest of contact made her think of all the memories they shared together. The first day they met each other and the first time they proclaimed their love. Getting an apartment together then having a baby came after and unfortunately led to her impending affair. Many mornings she woke up in despair, wondering why she ever hurt the only man she loved. Both of ther lives could have been completely different now. But that was a fantasy the two of them would never get a chance to experience. He pulled away from her almost as quickly as he touched her, assuming it was just an instinct on Grim's part. He must have realized that it was a little inappropriate during their situation at the moment and she was glad he recognized the mistake.

"You're welcome." Thea said to him softly before giving him a kind smile then proceeded to exit out of the hospital room. She wouldn't have time to go in search of Paul and Kaleb, so she sent a quick text to her boyfriend's phone, saying that she loved them very much and would be back as soon as her hours were over. She quickly moved down the halls, onto an elevator going down to the first level, and exited out of the building, to her car.

Grim only nodded, and watched her go. She didn't react as he thought she might have when he touched her. He thought she would snap, she would pull away. But no, she just acted as if it was normal, and, since he had withdraw the contact, she didn't have to comment.

After she had left the room, he sat down in one of the chairs to wait for Kaleb to return. It occurred to him that having Thea's boyfriend in the same room while he tried to make conversation and get to know the boy might be a problem. This Paul certainly would feel that his territory was being invaded. Grim mentally shrugged. He cared very little what that man thought. He could blow up on Grim for leaving Thea, or abandoning his son, or for even being here.

It would only reflect badly upon him.

Paul had taken Kaleb out of the room that morning, because he imagined the little boy was tired of sitting in bed all day. First, they went outside to get some fresh air for a few minutes before returning to the frigid hospital. Next, they went to eat some breakfast in the cafeteria. Kaleb was only allowed certain foods so he could maintain a decent amount of nutrition while seeking treatment. But Paul decided to bend the rules a little for him this once and let the boy pick out anything he wanted. Strawberry pancakes and eggs with a side of orange was his choice and although he didn't finish the entire meal, Paul knew he was satisfied. By then, Kaleb grew tired and he began wheezing which is when Paul pulled the plug in their fun and headed back to the room.

On his way, he received a message from Thea and so he knew she was gone to work for the day. Paul was a contractor with his own company so he could take off of work for as long as he needed, if he made all the important appearances and kept his employees in line. He'd volunteered to stay with Kaleb everyday when Thea thought about quitting her job in order to be with her son at all times. But he figured she would later regret the decision and be in a bind she couldn't get out of, so he decided to stay. With Kaleb in his arms, heading resting on his shoulder, he opened the room door. A scowl suddenly clouded his face when he saw the very last person he wanted to see then.

Grim had pulled out a worn copy of The Count of Monte Cristo, his favorite book, and read through it as he awaited the return of his son. After a time, the door opened and it took a moment for Grim to glance up and consider the pair in the doorway. "Good morning. You must be Paul." Grim said, voice perfectly flat and emotionless, hiding the deep dislike he held for the man.

This was the man that had broken his life.

But those thoughts were suppressed and he shifted his view to the boy in the man's arms. He didn't move to take the child from him, or to even get up, positive that any action he did would be taken as hostile and unwelcome. "Is he any better?" He asked simply, turning his gaze from the pair and gesturing to the bed he sat beside, his eyes skimming over the book page once more.

His mind tumbled over words he could say to the man, but in the end he decided not to address the elephant in the room. After all, it would be hard to make any statements that might away the man's feelings about him, and anything he might want to say to vent his frustration toward this man would interfere with his promise of keeping his identity from his child. And so he let the silence hang there.

Paul shifted Kaleb into one of his arms while he pulled the covers back and set the boy down gently into the bed. He'd fallen asleep within the short time that it had took to walk from the cafeteria back to the hospital room. He pulled the covers up to the boy's body, making sure he was comfortable before turning to the man that sat in the corner of the room. He glanced back at Kaleb lying in the bed to make sure that he was indeed asleep before speaking to the man. He didn't want the young child to hear the conversation that would go on between the two.

"You must be Grim." Paul said with a monotone. He grabbed a chair and pulled it back towards the bed, facing it towards the TV. He grabbed the remote and turned on the electronic mounted on the wall, flipping through the channels until he ended on the news station.

Paul felt it was torture enough to have to be in a room with a man he believed didn't deserve to be there. Grim had walked out on Thea and Kaleb a long time ago without ever contacting them once he left. He knew bringing him back into the picture was a terrible idea but his girlfriend wouldn't listen to him and now they were in this situation. He let out a sigh while focusing his attention on the television.

"I am." Grim responded softly, eyes flicking briefly to the television, considering it, but then returning to his book without another thought. "You didn't answer my question. Is Kaleb doing any better?" He asked once more, his voice quiet and calm, intentionally keeping any challenge out of his tone. It was clear that if anything occurred here, it would be simply portrayed by Paul as Grim's antagonistic ways. Even though Thea should know better. He never wanted conflict, and never started it, though he would end it.

His eyes considered Paul slowly. There really was nothing to this man that Grim found so very superior to himself. Perhaps that was just his prideful nature, but this man seemed to have no drive, no vision of the future. So far, he had simply reacted. He couldn't even woo a woman for himself- he had preyed upon another man's woman who was feeling unloved. It hadn't been his charm or intelligence or looks that had won him Thea. It was Grim's lack of attention for his female counterpart. And while that truth was not something he would like to admit, it made him feel superior to Paul, in a way. He had entrance Thea fairly, just as he had recently done the same to Elizabeth.

But his gaze dropped back to his book. There was no reason to be agressove or angry around this man. It wasn't as if he wanted Thea back. Not of her response to feeling unloved was to sneak off and fuck another man instead of approaching him.

Why hadn't she just talked to him?

Paul tried his best to remain civil in this while situation because he knew Thea wouldn't approve of any other approach he took while the two men were alone. What he would have done was requested, not so kindly, that he leave and never return to hospital. Kaleb was not his son and he had no right to be there at the moment. Grim may have been the biological father, but he hadn't been in major events of the boy's life. How does he feel he has any right to be there? Why did he ever decide to show up after the call from Thea when he could have just as easily ignore them the way he has over the past few years. And Paul, he desperately wanted to put this man into his rightful place. But, he understood it wouldn't do any good. Just raise the tensions, making the situation more difficult than it was at the moment.

"He's doing fine this morning. We haven't really heard anything else from the doctors yet." Paul informed him, keeping his eyes set on the television instead of turning to look at Grim. He may attempt to keep peace but he wasn't going to pretend as though he had no problem with the other man; he hadn't earned enough respect.

And, should he have done so, Grim would have merely given him an infuriating little smirk and responded my simply saying it was his right as parent of a child to see him should something occur. But it didn't come to that. Grim merely nodded slowly, twisting the ring slowly on his finger. He didn't bother to make conversation, instead responding with a short, soft, "Good. Hopefully they'll have good news for us."

And with that, their conversation ended, and Grim returned to reading, casting glances every few minutes to the boy, laying, unaware that his real father was not who he believed. That pain shook him. That his child might die without knowing the truth. Part of him wanted to ask an apology of the boy.

His phone began to ring, with a slow tone that indicated Elizabeth on the other end. "Excuse me for a moment." He said shortly, standing and placing his book with the briefcase he had carried in, containing the work he needed to get done and a laptop to do it with. He walked to the door, fishing his phone out and answering it as he stepped through the door. "Hello love, how are you?" He said as the door closed behind him, and he began to pace the hall.

"I'm fine, you? Kaleb?"

"Things could be worse. I'm stuck in the hospital room with Paul, Thea's boyfriend and the one she replaced me with originally, so it's a bit tense. So talk all you want. Kaleb seems fine this morning, but there's nothing new from the doctors."

"Mm. Where's Thea?"

"Work, presumably."

"I see. Are you sure you don't want me to come, Grim? Break some of the tension?"

"I really would love for you to... But I think it would have the opposite effect."

The conversation continued on, spiraling away from the topic at hand to some idle flirting, to discussion about when he would return and their next date, to her cousin's wedding they were to attend together.

Thea strolled down the hallway, removing the clip from her hair to get a little more comfortable. She'd gone into work about an hour ago but she had an uneasy feeling settle over her as soon as she left the hospital. It took driving to work and sitting in the parking lot for some time before she called in sick and found someone to cover her that morning. She just don't think it was the best idea to leave Grim and Paul alone. She knew Paul didn't like her ex and she wasn't too sure about Grim, but she assumed he didn't have a decent opinion about the man she cheated on him with. Missing work just for the day wouldn't be horrible and she doubt her boss would hold it against her.

As she made her way back to her son's room, she stumbled upon Grum speaking outside of the room. She couldn't help but listen in on his conversation, soon learning that he was speaking with his current girlfriend. She listened instensly, becoming envious of the easy conversation they seemed to have. Thea and Grim used to be like that, carefree and sweet with one another. Now she could barely stand to speak with him for longer than necessary because of what he did. But she was sure he felt the same. Sure, Paul and her had a great relationship and she saw him as a friend but it'll never be like anything with the first love of her life.

Thea tiredly ran a hand through her hair, before clearly her throat to grab his attention. She patiently waited to see if he would turn around.

Grim heard the soft throat clearing behind him, glanced back at her, and silently gestured for her to wait a moment as he ended the conversation. "I've got to go, love. I love you, and I'll talk to you again tonight." He said, smiled slightly at her response, and then ended the call, sliding his phone into a pocket as he turned around.

"You're back!" He said with a small smile, gesturing to the door. "Paul's in there with Kaleb, who was asleep when I stepped out ten or so minutes ago. Paul was watching something or another and I didn't want to talk over it." He explained, briefly making she contact before pacing to a chair on the far side of the hallway. "Doctors haven't come back with any new information, but apparently he was fine on the walk this morning." Despite their state of being at odds with each other, his old habits kicked in and he found himself briefing her on everything that had occurred in her absence. Old habits die hard.

He waited a quiet moment, then considered Thea for a second. "Thea..." He said slowly. "Ah... I've been telling Elizabeth not to come unless there's a real need... But I'd like her to be here. And I wanted to check with you. If it's going to unsettle you to have a strange woman around our son, I'll ask her to stay home. I know this is particularly hard for you, and I've made it had enough." He sighed, his back hunched slightly as he looked up at her.

Thea stared at him sitting in the chair, a little aggravated that he would ever suggest bringing his current girlfriend into their lives. She hardly wanted him here and he was hoping to bring another person into the mix. Her initial reaction was to tell him no, absolutely not. She didn't want his new woman around her son, confusing him and upsetting her.

But then she took another small moment to debate whether that would be the best answer. Grim already hated her, for what she done to him all those years ago. And he couldn't turn to her for support because of their strained relationship. He no longer cared for her the way she would have liked and he needed his girlfriend as a companion. She had Paul and he wanted.. Elizabeth. Thea couldn't keep holding into the small part of herself that expected him to grab her into an embrace, the both of them forgiving every thing they'd done to each other. Their relationship returning back to how it was five years ago, when they were truly happy and enjoyed their lives together. That far-fetched reality would never happen in this lifetime and she couldn't hold a grudge forever, despite wanting to.

Thea looked to him, adverting her eyes down to the tiled floors as she spoke up. "I don't mind." She told him with a deflated tone. If having his girlfriend around would make it just a little easier on her, than there shouldn't be any reason for her to deny the privilege to him. "I don't want her alone with him." She added, just to be clear that Kaleb was her son and she had the final say.

There was also the part of Grim that wanted to take her in his arms and hold her again and make everything to back. She was his. And he was hers. But no longer. And if she had wanted that, she hadn't made it clear. But he probably wouldn't have accepted it as truth. His anger had clouded any chance at peaceful reunion. And that anger was slowly slipping away as he watched her think. Did she really think he still hated her? He ASKED if his girlfriend could join them. Not invite her without consideration. He had asked her opinion.

Her answer surprised him. "You sure? I know... At least, I think I know, that you are a protective person..." He said softly, then she made her little condition. He nodded slightly. "I'll make sure she's always with me. And that she knows not to say anything." He said. "Thank you."

Then he stood once more, moving to the door of the hospital room. He opened it, holding it open for Thea as she walked through. A pang of sadness and jealousy shot through him. He had always held doors for her, been a perfect gentleman. From what he had seen... Paul was not. But he was a biased audience. Once the door closed behind them, he returned to his chair and his copy of The Count of Monte Cristo. "When are the doctors supposed to return with the results, Thea?" He asked after a moment, pointedly ignoring the couple for a the first few minutes they greeted each other. He wanted nothing to do with their interactions.

After walking through the door, Paul stood once he saw Thea with an expression of surprise. She hadn't bothered to let him know beforehand that she was coming back to the hospital. He wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her into a warm embrace then pressed a kissti her forehead before she reluctantly pulled away. She didn't feel entirely comfortable showing too much affection in front of her ex. Walking to the side of the bed, staring down at Kaleb before she settled on the edge of the bed since the other two men occupied the chairs in the room.

She glanced to Grim for a moment then answered his question. "They usually come later in the morning but a nurse should pop in at any moment. They're the ones that check in frequently." Thea informed him. She was thankful that he was at least showing some concern for their child, asking questions, instead of sitting there and doing nothing the entire time. The fact that he spent the last five years away from their child with little to no contact at all wasn't something she could easily forgive, but his effort wouldn't go unnoticed either.

Grim nodded and bit his lip a little- an old habit he hadn't managed to get rid of. His fingertips fluttered at the edge of the pages of his book nervously. "Mm. All this waiting makes me tense." He admitted softly, but then retreated into his book once more. His eyes slid down the pages, but he didn't really read. He had read it so many times, he didn't need to, but right now he couldn't have read if he tried. He was... Struggling. Despite himself, old attractions die hard, and he still found Thea beautiful and lovely, even in her state of depression and hatred in his general direction. This grappled with the unlikely chance that he could win her back, if he wanted to. This led to the mental conflict of whether or not it was worth it... He could lose everything again.

Then there was Kaleb. If the child died, there would be nothing binding the two of them together any further. While that was a lovely thought in some regards, removing that temptation from his life, it came at too steep a price. He wanted a chance to ask for forgiveness. And he wanted a chance to know his son. As his son, not from a distance, unknown and unacknowledged as the father. It burned at his very being. Then he heard the door open, and he closed his book slightly, looking up.

A doctor walked, donned in a white coat along with one of the nurses that frequently visited. She happily distracted the little boy as the older gentlemen addressed the adults. "Hello everyone." He greeted while walking to the edge of the bed to pick up the clipboard. He looked through the sheets of information briefly before setting it down and facing the family. "Things seem to be going fine and Kaleb's in a much better condition than a few days ago. I think it's best that we move forward with the procedure before his condition can worsen. We can schedule the surgery the day after tomorrow and then we'll perform all pre-op testing in one day. It's typically just some blood test, urine analysis, all to make sure his body is stable enough to withstand the procedure." The doctor then glanced over to Kaleb with a smile, who was too engrossed in the nurse at the moment to pay any attention to them. "Are there any other questions that you have?"

At that point, Paul and Thea shook their heads. They were both just ready to get this over with and bring their son home. Both had already learned all the details pertaining to the actual surgery, having it explained to them as soon as the solution was suggested. There wasn't much else to ask, but Thea realized that Grim was completely clueless to this all. She wondered if he cared enough to ask questions or if he'd be ready for this all to be over so he could disappear out of their lives once again. She turned and glanced to him, waiting for her answer.

(sorry about the long wait)

Grim listened to what the doctor had to say, only understanding about half of it, having arrived later thant the other two. "I'm sorry... Could you clarify what the procedure is for, and what the risks are? What exactly is Kaleb's condition?" Grim asked softly, carefully stopping himself from saying "my son's condition", though the self-censor could be heard in his tone. He clearly was upset by having to pretend there was no connection between him and the boy laying in the hospital bed.

"I'm sorry to ask you to repeat yourself, but I'd like to know the specifics f this operation you are going to perform, just o I feel... more at ease about it all." he breathed quietly, ignoring both of the other two adults, and focusing entirely on the doctor. Thea and Paul were none of his concern. They had both made it clear that he wasn't wanted here, and as soon as Kaleb was healthy, they would want him gone. No matter whether he wanted to connect with his son or not.