Broken Bond: Between Vices and Virtues (BL)
Chapter 247 - 5: Found you

Chapter 247: Chapter 5: Found you

On a bright morning in a small café, Shawn’s desperate voice cut through the quiet buzz of early patrons, catching the attention of nearly everyone in earshot. He was kneeling on the café floor, hands clasped together in a pleading gesture with eyes wide and brimming with mock tears.

"My dear generous friend, please, let me stay with you for a few days!" he begged dramatically, projecting a level of distress that could have won him an award.

Standing behind the counter, Franz let out a tired sigh as he looked at his friend with a mixture of amusement and mild irritation. This wasn’t the first time Shawn had made a scene, but today’s plea seemed genuine, if a bit over-the-top.

"I ran—ah, no. I got kicked out!" Shawn declared, correcting himself as he painted his tragic tale to convince his beta friend. "All my accounts are frozen and I have little cash on me. I can’t even pay for an inn for a day right now, so where am I going to sleep? Don’t you pity me, benevolent Franz?"

Franz rolled his eyes but smirked despite himself. "Go home. You just said you ran away. Geez. If you don’t have the capability to stand on your own, how can you think of leaving home?"

Shawn faltered slightly. Well, he did realize how foolish he was, but for the first time, he wanted to be responsible for the consequences of his actions. He sighed and shot a sad reply, "Well... home had been too suffocating these days..."

Franz’s expression turned serious. He whirled around the counter and approached Shawn to offer his consolation, but the omega’s desperation returned quickly, and he clung to his friend’s leg, catching Franz off guard. "Can’t you at least let me stay for the night, hm? Pretty please?"

The beta sighed deeply, his resolve weakening. "Haa... after tonight, how else are you going to proceed? How are you going to continue? Go and find another friend of yours and beg them to let you stay the night again?"

Shawn pouted. Franz grabbed his arm and pulled him upwards forcibly. "I’m not turning you away. I’m just worried. How can you be so reckless... oh, well, I don’t know what made you run away but I guess, it’s not that simple and I probably won’t understand. So, what are you going to do from now on?"

"I’ll find work!" Shawn said, standing up straighter, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

Franz raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "Can you work?"

He gasped, feigning offense with a dramatic hand on his heart. "Who do you think I am?"

"Uh... no offense but you look like a spoiled brat who knows nothing but spend money," Franz replied bluntly, though his tone was light.

He groaned, waving his hand dismissively. "That’s offensive. I, at least, know how to serve. Let me work for you in exchange for letting me stay in your place."

The offer made Franz pause. "Hm... I have to ask my boyfriend about this first. He’s an alpha, and you’re a dominant omega. So, I can’t give you an answer yet."

"Oh... you guys are living together?" he then asked, suddenly a little deflated. Obviously, if Alex, Franz’s boyfriend, declines, then he will have no roof over his head tonight.

"No," Franz answered simply.

"Then, what’s the problem?!"

His beta friend chuckled and folded his arms. "The problem is you’ll be taking our precious time together, which is spending weekends at my place or just anytime he visits. He has his own place too so I can just visit him. But I still need to ask his permission. I’ll talk to him right now."

Shawn’s face lit up, grateful and relieved. "Thanks, friend! You’re the best!"

Franz shook his head with a small grin and disappeared upstairs to talk to his boyfriend. While Shawn waited, he took a seat, tapping his fingers nervously on the table. Franz had become a close friend over the years, ever since Knox had asked Shawn to explain why he went abroad—omitting some of the truth, of course. From that point on, their connection had solidified, and Shawn had grown to appreciate Franz’s honesty, even if it could sometimes feel blunt.

Several minutes later, Franz descended giving a thumbs up to Shawn. Shawn leaped up with a shout of joy, wrapping his friend in a grateful hug, practically lifting Franz off the floor with his enthusiasm but failing.

He chanted merrily, "Thank you, thank you! I’ll help you clean the house too!"

"But of course!"

He giggled at Franz’s immediate reply. He stayed at the café for the rest of the day, sitting at a corner table and watching Franz interact with customers as he ran the café smoothly and efficiently. As the last customer had left and Franz locked up, he nodded for Shawn to follow him.

The whole building was owned by Franz. The café on the first floor, an average diner on the second, and on the third was his residence with a small rooftop. Once inside, Shawn looked around the house.

It was neat, with a cozy, lived-in feel that made Shawn smile. He plopped down onto the couch, taking in the comfortable space.

Just as Franz set down his bag and hung up his jacket, a question popped into his mind, and he turned to Shawn. "Why didn’t you ask Knox instead?"

"Oh... I don’t want to add unnecessary worry for him," he replied, glancing away. "Don’t tell him I ran away! I’ll just tell him that I got kicked out. Knox tends to worry about other people’s concerns more than his own."

Franz smirked, crossing his arms. "So, it’s okay to bother me?"

"Hey!" Shawn protested, a hand over his heart in a mock offense. "I’m not bothering you, we’re partners! I give you free service, you give me a free home. It’s a win-win, right?"

Franz rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. I only have one bed here though, so where are you going to sleep?"

"Here’s just fine. Are you sleeping already?" He replied, stretching out on the couch.

"Yeah. I get up early to open the business," Franz answered after he yawned.

Shawn nodded. "Okay. Goodnight!"

"Goodnight," Franz replied, heading off to the only bedroom in the house.

That night, Shawn’s phone kept ringing, after sending a message to his family that he wouldn’t return home until his father accepted his decision, he turned off his phone and went to sleep.

The next morning, Shawn was up early, though bleary-eyed, ready to prove his worth as promised. Franz handed him an apron, and Shawn looked down at it with a mixture of apprehension and determination. He wasn’t exactly experienced with café work, but he wasn’t about to let that stop him.

Franz gave him a quick rundown on how things worked—taking orders, handling the register, cleaning tables—and with a reassuring pat on the back, sent Shawn off to handle the morning crowd.

He was clumsy at first, nearly dropping a coffee cup, but with the guidance of other staff and a few encouraging words from his friend, he got the hang of it.

He’d been working for days without the disturbance of his family, who seemed to have given up convincing him to go back home, when one day, around mid-morning, Franz stepped out and returned with a small child in tow.

Shawn immediately recognized Knoa, Knox’s son. He beamed and knelt down to greet the little boy. "Knoa! Why are you here, baby?"

The child’s face lit up, and he ran over to hug Shawn. "Uncle Shun! He chirped; his eyes wide with excitement.

Shawn was delighted. The small boy was like a ray of sunshine. Though he wondered why he was with Franz.

"Knox started working again. Until he finds someone to take care of him, he’ll be spending his days here," Franz explained.

The whole day, he played with Knoa instead of helping the servers. When dusk approached and the café was finally closing, Knox finally arrived.

"When did you start working here?" Knox asked.

Shawn replied as he walked over the counter, "Just a few days ago." He explained his situation as he planned. "Why don’t I just apply as your nanny? I heard you’re hiring!"

With a little convincing from the father and mostly from the son, Shawn got his second job and resigned from his first one after only a few days. He took care of Knoa and Knox let him stay with them.

He had no idea how to care for a child, so he was in a panic when Knoa got a high fever. He beat himself up for that, and almost thought of going back home since he realized he couldn’t even get to do something right.

Perhaps his father was right. He was just a spoiled brat who knew nothing.

"It’s not your fault, Shawn. No one here blames you," Athan pulled him in his chest to console him. "Knoa is fine. The doctor said so, and Knox wasn’t mad. He’s just distraught, so he forgot you’re here. Stop overthinking. Go home with Franz for now. I’ll stay with them."

Shawn thought that that night couldn’t have gotten worse until someone grabbed his arm and yanked him forcibly. He staggered, but he managed to steady his feet before he could fall. He shot the man a glare but was frozen upon recognizing his visage. "Wha...?" Holy cow! He’s so handsome!

"Of all places... I scoured and rummaged around to find you, I’d see you here," the man, who was obviously an alpha, remarked with a voice dripping with sharpness and dominance.

Shawn was too stunned to speak. However, at the back of his mind, he whispered, Have we met before?