Chapter 5: Homecoming

The front doors opened.

Ryker stepped inside.

Silence greeted him.

Good.

He loosened his tie, rolling his shoulders slightly. His chest felt tight. Not unusual. He ignored it.

Footsteps. Fast. Uneven.

“DA-DA!”

A small blur came running toward him.

Ryker didn’t even think. He dropped his briefcase and crouched.

Isaak crashed into him.

“Hey,” Ryker muttered, catching him easily.

“Careful, Isi.”

Isaak giggled, wrapping his arms tightly around Ryker’s neck.

“Miss da-da!”

Ryker exhaled quietly. Some tension slipped away.

“Yeah?” he said softly.

“Missed me that much?”

“Yesh!”

Ryker smirked faintly.

“Good.”

He stood, lifting Isaak onto his hip. One arm secure around him. Always secure.

Isaak rested against his chest. Comfortable. Safe.

Then Ryker saw it.

Bandages.

Small. White. Wrapped around both knees.

His entire body stilled.

“…What is this?”

His voice dropped. Cold. Controlled.

Isaak blinked.

“Owie…”

Ryker’s jaw tightened.

“What happened?”

Isaak pointed vaguely.

“Fall… but… Ris help!”

Ryker froze.

“…Who?”

“Iris!” Isaak said proudly.

“Ris help! Fix!”

The name hit wrong.

Sharp.

Unfamiliar.

Ryker’s grip tightened slightly.

Footsteps echoed behind Isaak.

Leon.

Ryker didn’t turn immediately.

“…Leon,” he said quietly.

Leon stopped a few feet away.

“Yeah.”

Ryker turned slowly.

His eyes locked onto him.

Blue—sharp.

Brown—dark.

“Who is Iris?”

Leon hesitated.

That was enough.

Ryker’s expression hardened.

“Leonardo.”

Leon exhaled.

“Claire hired a nurse.”

Silence.

“A nurse,” Ryker repeated flatly.

“For your condition,” Leon added.

That did it.

Ryker’s jaw clenched hard.

“I told her I don’t need one.”

“She thinks you do.”

“I’m not asking what she thinks.”

Isaak shifted slightly.

“Da-da…?”

Ryker ignored it. His focus stayed locked on Leon.

“You let her near him?”

Leon’s posture stiffened.

“I was there the whole time.”

“That’s not the point.”

“She helped him.”

“I don’t care.”

Leon’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“You should.”

Ryker scoffed.

“I don’t need monitoring.”

“It’s not about what you need.”

“It is,” Ryker snapped.

“It’s always about what I decide.”

His chest tightened again. Sharper this time.

He ignored it.

Leon noticed. Said nothing.

“She handled Isaak better than the last four nurses handled you,” Leon said.

Ryker’s eyes darkened.

“I don’t want another nurse.”

“Tough.”

Silence fell.

Thick.

Heavy.

Then—

“Ryker… she’s here.”

A calm voice.

Ryker turned.

And saw her.

Iris.

Standing in the hallway.

Still. Composed. Watching.

Green eyes steady.

Too steady.

Ryker straightened slowly.

Every inch of him went cold. Controlled.

“You,” he said.

Iris stepped forward slightly.

“I’m Iris Sullivan,” she said.

“Your nurse.”

“I don’t have a nurse.”

“You do now.”

Ryker let out a quiet, humorless laugh.

“No,” he said.

“I don’t.”

Isaak shifted in his arms.

“Ris…”

Ryker ignored it.

“I didn’t ask for you,” he continued.

“I’m aware.”

That tone again.

Calm.

Professional.

Unshaken.

It irritated him instantly.

“I don’t need you,” Ryker snapped.

“I’m not here because you want me to be,” Iris replied.

Ryker’s eyes narrowed.

“Then why are you here?”

“To monitor your heart condition.”

Silence.

Sharp.

Dangerous.

Ryker took a slow step forward.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not,” Iris said simply.

Leon went still.

Bad move.

Ryker’s voice rose.

“You don’t get to walk in here—.”

Isaak flinched.

“—and tell me what I am or am not—.”

“DA-DA!”

Isaak’s voice cracked.

Small.

Panicked.

Then he froze.

Completely still.

Tiny hands gripping Ryker’s shirt tightly.

“No… no loud…”

His breathing quickened.

Shaky.

“Da-da… stop…”

Then he started crying.

Loud.

Broken.

Not normal crying.

Fear.

Real fear.

Ryker froze.

Everything stopped.

The anger.

The tension.

Gone.

“Hey—hey…”

His voice dropped instantly. Soft. Urgent.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”

Isaak clung to him, shaking.

“No loud… no loud…”

Ryker’s chest tightened painfully.

Not his condition.

Something worse.

“…I know,” he whispered.

“I know… I’m sorry.”

A flash.

Noise.

Too loud.

That day.

Ryker shut his eyes briefly.

“Not again…” he muttered under his breath.

Isaak buried his face into his neck.

Crying harder.

“Scary…”

“I know,” Ryker whispered.

“It’s okay. I’ve got you.”

He held him tighter. Rocked him gently.

Slow. Careful.

“I’m here. Nothing’s going to happen.”

Isaak shook his head slightly. Still crying.

“No loud…”

“No loud,” Ryker promised.

“I won’t shout. I promise.”

Silence filled the room.

Iris didn’t move.

But her eyes softened.

She saw it.

This wasn’t just fear.

This was memory.

Trauma.

She said nothing.

Watched. Learned.

Waited.

Minutes passed.

Ryker didn’t rush him.

Didn’t move.

Just held him.

Eventually…

The crying softened.

Sniffles.

Small breaths.

“Da-da…”

“I’m here,” Ryker whispered.

“Always.”

Isaak nodded weakly.

Still clinging.

Safe again.

Only then did Ryker look up.

At Iris.

His gaze was different now.

Still guarded.

Still sharp.

But quieter.

“…He said you helped him,” Ryker said.

Iris nodded once.

“He fell. I treated the wounds.”

“You didn’t panic.”

“No.”

“You didn’t call someone else.”

“No.”

“You handled it.”

“Yes.”

Short answers.

Steady.

Ryker studied her.

“…You’re here for me,” he said.

“Yes.”

“For my condition.”

“Yes.”

“I don’t need it.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that you have it.”

Ryker’s jaw flexed.

“You don’t overstep,” he said.

“I won’t.”

“You don’t touch me without permission.”

“I understand.”

“You don’t make decisions for me.”

“I won’t.”

Another pause.

Isaak shifted, half-asleep now.

“Ris…” he mumbled softly.

Ryker noticed.

Again.

No fear.

Only comfort.

That mattered.

Too much.

Ryker exhaled slowly.

“…You stay,” he said finally.

Leon relaxed slightly.

“But this means nothing,” Ryker added immediately.

“I didn’t expect it to,” Iris said.

“I don’t trust you.”

“I know.”

“I won’t.”

“That’s fine.”

Ryker narrowed his eyes slightly.

“…We’ll see.”

Isaak smiled faintly in his arms.

“…Ris stay?”

Ryker sighed quietly.

“…For now.”

That was enough for Isaak.

His small hand loosened.

Relaxed.

Safe.

Ryker glanced at Iris one last time.

This wasn’t over.

Not even close.

But for the first time—

He didn’t tell her to leave.

And that…

Was a start.

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