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"That's okay, I had to leave most of mine when I came here too, but Uncle Leon and Uncle Nikki got me everything I wanted. Same with Devyn. They're gonna do the same for you, I bet," Aysun smiled while getting up and leading Ray to his bedroom.

~~~

Time passed and soon the boys' room was finished. The worry Nikolai felt for the two having to share their room was quickly relieved when he saw the excitement on both Reggie and Ray's faces. Afterwards, they went to the toy store downtown and filled the cart with whatever the two wanted, then came home to play with them (well, mostly Leon).
Dinnertime finally came about, and the kids happily helped Leon cook, save one of them insisting on sitting with Nikolai and helping pick a good show to watch (they settled with a reality show about cooking).
"This is rather delicious, darling," Nikolai mused to his husband before smirking at the kids. "I suppose because you had help, hmm?" Reggie beamed with pride then went into a long, detailed schpeel about all the stuff he had to do to make sure it tasted great. Nikolai humored him with a sleepy grin until he felt something. It was a tingling sensation, like the feeling of pressing one's back to a massage chair. But he recognized this. The Sin sighed and rose out of his chair. "I'm getting a call from work. I'll be back, dearie," he muttered to Leon before walking off to his bedroom, his eyes darkening to his full form's.
Aysun watched him go, not seeing the changes already occurring. "Where's Uncle Nikki going?" he asked Leon. "He's been disappearing a lot lately."

"I thought Mr. Nikolai was a teacher," Reggie said while tilting his head. "You're one too, right? Why's he more important?"

Once he was sure he was alone in the master bedroom, Nikolai stayed in place. He sighed as black horns began to sprout from his head, a tail sliding out of his pants, and his hair darkening towards the tips. On the ground a large, purple pentagram appeared, big enough to hold both the Sin and the small trespasser. Purple smoke rose out of the ground like a furious flame, engulfing the two in a harmless, even dank, mist.

A couple hours had passed after dinner. Aysun and Devyn played with Reggie until they settled with watching a movie with Leon. The children yawned as the excitement of the day caught up with them, slumping against their father as, one-by-one, they fell asleep. But not before Reggie tiredly noted that Ray hadn't come back.
Just then, the footsteps could be heard from the stairs. Nikolai stepped into view, tired, and with Ray in his arms. He watched the boy as he moved towards his husband, his eyes soft but also filled with fury. He could still remember Masquerade.

"I can't do this anymore, darling! What if this happens again?" Nikolai snarled to Masquerade, having arrived just in time to hurl the box at her.
The thief dodged and picked up the prize with sparkling eyes, hesitating to open it just yet. Briefly remembering her company, she scoffed and waved dismissively at him. "Then be more careful next time. You think I'll let you go just like that? No, you're the most powerful Sin! Look, you even kept him safe! You've got nothing to worry about."
Nikolai grit his teeth as a large purple snake swirled around him, raring its fangs at her. He tried to lunge at her for an attack, but both he and the snake were frozen in place. Masquerade didn't even flinch, merely smirking coyly at him and waved tauntingly as the pentagram flared to life beneath him, swallowing him off and coughing him out in the master bedroom.

Where Nikolai would have normally responded with a carnal grin, he instead gave his own serious expression, offering no smile. "Let's tuck the children in, then I'll explain," he said quietly. It took roughly fifteen minutes to get all the kids in their bed. Thankfully they were too tired to put up a fight, and easily curled up in their blankets against their toys. Once the last of the doors were closed, Nikolai made his way back to the living room, explaining what had happened. He had explained his summonings before when they first started, about the thief that called him and used him for her heists, all he added this time was that Ray had somehow gotten close enough to be pulled into the summoning, and that he wasn't able to be taken home without helping in the heist.
"I'm afraid that this will happen again, considering all the kids running around," Nikolai sighed while rubbing his forehead. "And there's no telling when I'll be summoned again. I may very well be called back in an hour, for all we know. We need to find a way to stop this."

The Sin glanced at his husband and smiled warmly at him, touching his cheek. "My, but you do know how to spoil me," he laughed lightly. All the anger he had earlier melted away with ease whenever Leon gave him that sweet smile. How soft the Sin had gotten.
After a quick kiss, Nikolai moved for the bedroom, removing his blazer so he could shower. It had been a long day.

Dawn had barely come, and the Sin was dead asleep. At least until the lights turned on. He groaned and turned around in his sleep, slightly opening one eye to make sure it wasn't the kids. "Wh're y'd'ng?" he grumbled incoherently, still three-fourths asleep as he asked his husband what he was doing.

"Y'd'nt ev'n o w'r sh's," Nikolai mumbled, mentioning that Leon had know idea where she was or who she was. Even he didn't know.

~~~

Morning came, and if it hadn't been for Aysun waking him up, Nikolai would have slept through it. He was half tempted to let the kids stay home from school, but he couldn't bring himself to tell them when they looked at him with such wide eyes, each one already dressed and ready. They were certainly Leon's children.
Nikolai dragged himself out of bed and dressed himself, albeit badly. He retreated to the kitchen, brewing coffee while getting setting the bowls out for the kids to have cereal. He glanced at his phone, still not getting a reply from Leon despite the numerous texts he sent. Was it possible that he was in the middle of a fight with Masquerade? No, that wouldn't be. She'd summon him as protec-
As if on cue, Nikolai felt his brand sting. He glanced at it, then the ground, seeing bits of purple linger around his legs. A summoning? This early? He clicked his tongue in both irritation and fear. What if he'd be forced to- No, don't think about that. Exhaling slowly, Nikolai set his coffee down and started heading to his room.
"Aysun, dear, I have to go. Call Sawyer and tell him to take you to school," he instructed while leaving his phone with the boy. He darted to his room, where the pentagram glowed to life.