Alan Walker (ManxMan)

Chapter Three

January 2017

25 years old Alan

Dominic Reisz, the man with Midas touch, sat at his desk, paper littered on his table. The office was bathed in the light coming in from the two floor length windows behind him. He glanced up at the clock to check the time and once he sees its past three, he smiles and relaxes a bit because he's sure his sister, Lili, was already at his son's side and Dominic laughs as he imagines the way his little boy would run towards Lili and jump on her while soft giggles escape his lips.

He signs the documents, pushed the papers into their respective folders and arranged them on his table. He leaned back against his seat and pick up his phone, he unlocks it and hit the speed-dial for his sister, while it rang, he gets up from his seat and walks to the window, staring at the view as he waited for Lili to pick.

"DADDY!" a loud voice screamed into the phone.

"Ryker, honey!" Dominic said, his voice loud and matching Ryker's excitement.

"I'm going home now, Daddy! When are you coming home, Daddy? I want to eat dinner with you, tonight." Ryker said, his voice soft as he asked and it made Dominic coo internally.

"I'll be home by seven, dear. Is there anything you want me to get you on my way home?"

"Nu-uh. I just want you here."

-

Alan had finished packing, had fluffed the pillow and remade the bed. He grew tired of just lying down and decided to use the laptop. Since Lili said it was his, he quickly went to it and started downloading the eighth episode of Emerald City. Instead of waiting for it to download, he decided to make a little something for Lili and everyone else coming. The kitchen was just as breathtaking as the rest of the house, it was pristine and everything was clean. He pulled open the fridge and searched for something to cook, inside the fridge he found chicken, diced vegetables and various other things and so without hesitation, he grabbed the chicken and the vegetable and the pepper, he searched around until he found the pots and placed it on the cooker. He blended the pepper and poured it into the pot, poured oil and let it cook.

He raised his hand to check his watch for the time. Lili had left about thirty or so minutes ago and Alan just hummed to himself, he still had time to whip up something good. He washed the rice and put it in the rice cooker and closed it while he poured the vegetable into the boiling pepper and began dicing the chicken. The kids he was meant to take care of are both five and fourteen and so he washed, spiced up and boiled the chicken until it was soft and then he added it to the boiling pot of pepper and vegetable.

By four-fifteen, everything was ready and the sweet smell of the sauce was in the air. Alan had washed and arranged the cooking utensils back to where it was meant to be, as he was cleaning his hand with a paper towel, he heard loud voices and made his way out of the kitchen, only stopping to toss the towel into the bin. He made his way to the sitting room, stopping when someone runs into his legs and gasped loudly. Alan looked at the boy in front of him and he had to bite his lip to keep back a coo because the little boy was so adorable. His blonde curly hair, his big brown eyes, his button nose and pouty lips, to top it off, the little boy had on a white shirt and black pants with red bowtie.

He broke out of his trance when Lili ran into the room, panting. "No running in the house, Ry!"

Alan went down on a knee to match the boy's height, he smiled at the boy and was instantly taken aback when the boy asked. "Why do you look so sad?"

Alan's eyes widened and he stares at the little boy in shock but he shook it off. "I'm not. I'm fine, great even, little one." Alan said, a soft smile playing on his lips.

"You're smiling, Mister but your eyes are not. You look tired." The little boy said, reaching out to hold Alan's hand. "Do you want to sleep? I can give you a cuddle. Daddy said I'm good at giving those."

Before Alan could even think about a reply, Lili had rushed forward and knelt down beside the little boy and turned him towards her. The little boy turned but he didn't let go of Alan's hand and Alan stared at it. He was feeling a lot of things in that instance, he was feeling fear, he was feeling fatigue, he was feeling pain and he wonders how the little innocent boy could see through the mask that he has had on for several years now.

"Honey, this is Alan, he's going to take care of all of you now." Lili said slowly so that Ryker would understand her.

"Really? Will he stay here too?" Ryker asked, turning to look at Alan and then back at his aunt.

"Of course. His room is right beside yours."

Alan shook the shock from his body and tried to make his smile brighter but the thing is he has never tried to make his smile brighter or make his eyes look happy because no one has ever noticed and yet, this little boy in front of him noticed at first glance. Alan was pulled out of his thoughts when he feels small warm hands cup his cheeks and he finds himself looking into big brown eyes.

"I'm Ryker, nice to meet ya."

"I'm Alan, nice to meet you too, little one." Alan said, raising his hand to ruffle Ryker's hair. "I made you a little something because I thought you'd be hungry."

Ryker beamed. "Really? Is it just for me?" the little boy asked, his hands falling to Alan's collar and he tried to tug him up. Alan gets the memo and stands up, he took Ryker's hand in his and leads him to the kitchen with Lili right behind them, a small smile playing on her lips.

"I have an older brother, did you make something for him too and for my dad too and for aunt Lili?"

"Of course." Alan replied. He leads the boy to the kitchen and lifts him so that he could seat on one of the stools surrounding the kitchen island where Alan had arranged the plates and the pots of hot food. He chuckles as he watched Ryker leaned over the island and look at the food on the table.

"Did you really make this?" Lili said in awe as she lifts the cover to sniff.

"Yeah, is it too much?" Alan asked, the tip of his ears turning red, his gaze falling to the ground as he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

"No, it's lovely. Thank you."

Alan smiled at her thankfully and he was about to tell her when he sees Ryker dip his pinky into the sauce and lick it off. Alan moved quickly and grabbed Ryker's hand before he dipped it into the sauce again. Alan had to bite back his coo when he sees the little boy blush and pout.

"No more until you've had your bath."

"Bu-"

"Nu-uh. The faster you do it, the faster you'll get to eat." Alan said, covering the sauce back. Lili watched quietly as Ryker slid down the stool and walked over to Alan who pointed in the direction of the stairs, when Ryker didn't move, he knelt down and whispered something in the little boy's ear. She feels her heart swell as she realizes that Ryker actually likes Alan and she hopes Mitchell would too.

By six, Alan and Ryker were in the little boy's room, trying to color a picture of a dinosaur. Ryker's room was big and spacious, little drawings were pinned up on the wall. The east and west walls were painted a light blue while the other two walls were painted green. Ryker's bed was half the size of Alan's but was decorated with little pillows and a huge teddy that the little boy calls Nicky. The little boy had his own toilet and bathroom and a little library that was pushed against the green wall and lined with different bed time stories, his coloring books and school books, he also had a table and chair with a windows surface standing on it. To put it simply, the room was spacious and expensive and so Ryker.

"When will your brother be back? Do I have to worry?" Alan asked the little boy.

"He's always, always back by five, Lanny." Ryker said, going back to color his dinosaur purple and Alan laughed quietly to himself as he gave the little boy green crayons to color the dinosaur. Alan would have asked Lili but she had left because she had her own house to take care of and because she missed her bed.

"What time will your dad be back?"

"By seven on the dot. Daddy is never late." Ryker said, raising his legs and swinging them as he lays down on his tummy to color.

"Then do you want to help me make dinner for them?" Alan asked as he starts packing up the crayons that littered the room. Immediately Alan words sunk in, Ryker jumped to his feet in excitement as he screams yes!

They both tidied up the room and walked out. Alan took the steps two at a time while Ryker hopped onto each step. Alan stared, making sure to watch the kid's step to make sure he doesn't trip. He got distracted when he heard the door open and slam shut, he turned away from the little boy and stared at the teenager making his way towards them.

The boy had on a black band shirt, black jeans, his brown hair was combed neatly and perched on his nose was a pair of huge round gold-rimmed glasses and hanging off one shoulder was his bag. Alan was about to ask who he was when Ryker ran towards him, wrapping his tiny hands around the teenage boy's legs.

"Mitchy, you're home."

Alan smiled at the boy who just stared at him with open curiosity. "Hi, I'm Alan Walker, the live-in nanny hired to take care of you."

"Oh, yeah. Nice to meet you, I'm Mitchell, Ry's older brother."

"Nice to meet you too. I was just about to get started on dinner, is there anything in particular you want to eat?"

"Um...I could go for something with fish." Mitchell said whilst running his fingers through Ryker's hair.

Alan nods and calls for Ryker who presses his lips to Mitchell's jeans before going back to Alan who picks him up and sat him down on his shoulder, Ryker's hands clasped in his. "Why don't you go shower while we get dinner ready? You can join us afterwards if you want."

"Okay."

Alan nods and turns away from the boy. From first glance he could see that Mitchell was the quiet type who just watches and listens instead of just talking and he is the kind to offer advice to those in need instead of talking senselessly. Alan turns back a little to steal a glance at Mitchell who he found already staring at him with an impassive expression on his face. However, he didn't say anything and walked away. When Mitchell had gone, Ryker leaned down and whispered to Alan...

"Mitchy doesn't like fish, he's just testing you."