(Republishing because I mistakenly put up a rough draft.)

"Hey, baby?" Eniola called as soon as she knocked on the door.

His eyes met hers but his attention was on the phone pressed against his ear as he leaned against his desk and counted some money.

It looked to be a few stacks of 200 euro notes.

"Hey, love," he mouthed, raising an index finger so she could wait a bit. "Yes, Kindo. I just came from the bank... three hundred thousand... I'm handling it myself... No, no... It supposed to be six. Of course million..."

Eniola rolled her eyes but waited until he was done and when he was, he smiled at her.

"You rarely come up here. What's up?" he asked as she walked up to him and threw her hands around him. "You smell like turkey."

She laughed, slightly interrupted by his lips pressing against hers. "Because that's what we're having for dinner?"

He hummed, his mouth moving to the crook of her neck while his hand cupped her ass.

"I'd rather have you."

She laughed even more and playfully shoved him away. "Dinner in five. And I'm taking a few... thousand?"

He watched as she waved the wad of cash in front of him and he breathed a laugh. "Esmeralda's shipment got seized. Her father's trying to pay me off."

Eniola's eyes widened.

"Are you sure you're not in trouble?" she asked and he shook his head as he picked up three stacks.

"Not my plane. Not my problem."

"But your powder," she said and Tobias just shrugged.

"I'm getting paid six million in cash. I can't complain much," he replied, putting the money in both her hands. "This is about eighty thousand."

She smiled. "I don't really need it."

"I know. Put it in the safe? I may have promised Mu a dirt bike if he gets straight As."

"He's eleven."

"He handles tractors. I'd trust him with a bike."

"He's eleven."

"I was thirteen when I drove from Jerez to Alicante."

"Tobias Fernandez?"

"Yes, my Queen?"

"Fuck. No."

Tobias groaned, his hands hugging her waist again. "Fuego... It's what he wants."

"I'm not letting my child get on a bike," she argued. "That's horrible parenting."

"Darling, listen to me," he retorted. "Prince doesn't ask for anything and this is the first thing he has ever asked from me. How can I not?"

Eniola sighed.

He was right. The younger twin was also very cautious and careful and took care of his things. He still even had his plastic ruler from class two and that was three years ago. Yin on the other hand-

"And before you overthink, it's an 80cc dirt bike specifically for kids and I'll always be watching. I noticed he liked things like that and I want to see where it goes," he explained and Eniola just waved.

"Fine. But we're getting shin guards, a good helmet, shoulder pads, everything," she said firmly and he just grinned. "Now, can we have dinner?"

Tobias nodded. "Of, course. Just lay on the desk for me?"

She was very confused for a second.

"Eh- no. After dinner."

He sent her a knowing look but her eyes caught something else.

Her hand gently took his chin, turning his face the other way so she could look at the side of his neck.

"It's fading."

"What is?" Tobias asked, perplexed but a look of realisation crossed his face. "The tattoo?"

"Hmm. Are going to do a touch up?" she asked, her fingers tracing the fading tattoo. He hadn't redone it since Tomiwa was born.

"Is it that bad?"

"I can only see the reds. Doesn't look like a flame so much," Eniola replied. "Or do you want to cover it up?"

Tobias chuckled. "With what? I don't think there's anything better than this."

Eniola shrugged.

"You could get my name," she said lightly.

His expression turned serious. "I could... I'll check in with Roney when I'm free."

Eniola only laughed but did nothing to discourage him. She liked the idea of him having her name on his body.

She also liked that he would jump into fire if she just asked.

~~~

"Let's say Grace?" Eniola asked and the twins simultaneously put their hands together. "Yin?"

He opened an eye before sighing. "Thank you Lord for putting food on our table. Thank you for making us together at this table. Help families so they may be together and have food on their tables. Amén."

Casimiro frowned as they opened their eyes and grabbed the cutlery.

"That was so insensitive," he muttered and Yin chuckled.

"What? I said Grace. Isn't that how you say Grace?" he asked lightly as he helped himself with some turkey stew.

"Still, there are people suffering without food on their table. You have to be more sensitive when you touch topics like that."

Alejandro sent him a lazy stare. "I'll be honest with you, Casi. I don't care."

"Of course, you don't," he grumbled. "The stew is delicious, mom. Thank you."

Eniola smiled, more than used to their banter. "You're welcome, baby."

"Yeah, thanks mom," Alejandro said as well.

"Welcome, grumpy."

"Mu?" Tomiwa called, her eyes wide as she held her spoon between her teeth. "What's insensitive?"

Alejandro smirked. "Yeah, Mu. What's insensitive?"

Casimiro frowned at him but decided to explain.

"Mimi... The thing is..." he struggled with his words for a moment. "There are things that happen in life that are not all good and 'happy' and those things make people very sad. We don't face things like that so we're supposed to be... nice to people who do. When we aren't nice to them, it means we're insensitive."

"Oh..." she slowly nodded in understanding. "So the sad people don't have food on their table?"

He smiled. "You're so smart."

Their father hummed in agreement.

"Why can't we give them food? We have more than enough," she said. "I want to give them my rice."

Eniola gently pushed the plate closer to her. "Unfortunately it doesn't work like that, baby. There's like over a billion people without food, and money and even clothes."

Tomiwa gasped. "Even clothes? Like, they're naked?"

"As good as that."

"Well, we can try to help them anyway, right?"

Alejandro scoffed. "That's the government's job. Not ours."

"Daddy says the government is useless."

"And that's why we still have naked poor people," he said as he sipped some water.

"See, Mimi? Insensitive."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, for fuck's sake."

"Language."

Alejandro slumped in his seat. "Sorry."

Tobias picked out the very tiny slice of onion that rested on his youngest child's food. Eniola had tried removing most before. "The government doesn't have a good history of helping people. Private organizations end up being selfish and distrustful too. There's not many people you can trust to actually lend help."

"Don't forget to tell her some of the poor people could be liars and thieves," Alejandro mumbled, looking away before his father's eyes met him.

"Yin is right... Some people tend to manipulate situations to get what they want and not what they need. Imagine collecting food stamps for the purpose of selling them to others who actually need food or stealing frames, cooking utensils and even furniture from the shelter they were allowed to stay in for free."

"That's bad," Tomiwa voiced.

"It is. As good as it is to help people, you have to be cautious and alert. Just because you are sensitive does not mean you can be taken advantage of, Princess."

She looked a bit lost but pursed her lips together. "Okay!"

Tobias tapped her cheek before going back to his food.

"So, Mu, how were today's exams?" Eniola started small talk and the boy just shrugged.

"Ask Yin. He swapped my paper with his."

Her mouth fell open in shock. "Alejandro!"

He looked at his younger brother in disbelief and betrayal.

"Why the hell would you tell her that?!" he yelled.

"You told her about Angela. It's only right I tell her you cheated in Mathematics."

He slowly turned his gaze at his parents, his gaze now sheepish. "Come on, it's math. Would you prefer I failed?"

"You could have gotten you and your brother in trouble," Tobias said calmly, not entirely concerned with the topic.

"I was careful. He's just bitter that I'm somehow going to get better grades."

He didn't lie there.

Somehow, Alejandro was the better one at academics. There was an unspoken agreement that he cheated his way through it but Tobias had reasoned that he had to be very smart to cheat and not get caught.

"One of these days, I'll report you."

Alejandro laughed, wiping a fake tear from his eyes. "Go ahead, hermanito. I dare you."

Casimiro narrowed his eyes back at him but said nothing.

"At least, we won't be surprised when the school calls in," Eniola said mainly to Tobias who nodded. "Are you still going to Valencia tomorrow?"

"Unfortunately. I have to be there before ten."

"Anything special happening?" Eniola asked as she dipped some water.

"Not exactly but Semion is coming over..."

She kissed her teeth. "The head of Temnaya something?"

"Temnaya loshadka," he corrected. "The men don't like him. I have to be there while he negotiates with Jacinto. Last thing I want is another war."

"I don't get it-" Eniola asked. "Why do you need to do business with someone you don't like or trust?"

"He has one of the most secure means of transport and distribution. He pays on time. He's the Mayor of Moscow."

"But he's a threat-"

"-that would be very difficult to get rid of. If he senses foul play, he'll make things very uncomfortable. The last thing I want is to have Russia looking my way. I hate Putin too much for that."

She took his free hand. "Keep kissing his ass then."

"Mommy?" Eniola nearly slapped herself. She had forgotten about the kids. "What does kissing ass mean?"

Tobias grabbed a napkin to clean the side of her face. "Princess, don't worry about that."

"But I wanna know!" she argued and the twins snickered.

"I want to tell her. Can I tell her?" Yin asked eagerly and Eniola tiredly nodded. She messed up. "Awesome."

He leaned into his seat and put an arm around his sister's shoulders. "It's like when you have someone really annoying that you usually wouldn't talk to but you have no choice but to act like you like them and talk to them and do everything they want you to. Like you could say Mu kisses Rory's ass."

He received a glare from his brother from across the table.

"What? Did I lie?"

"So daddy kisses ass?"

Tobias blinked at the summary while Eniola felt a smirk stretch her lips. If you put it like that-

"Okay, enough about this topic. You gave papers tomorrow. Eat and go to bed," he quickly cut them off and his wife laughed.

"Dad?" Yin called after a while. "I've got a favour to ask."

His father paused, giving him a listening ear. "I'm all ears."

"I don't want to do photography anymore. It's boring."

Casimiro let out a sound of disagreement. "No, it isn't. I like photography."

"I wonder why..." Yin replied, his eyes dull. "Anyway, Andres says they do a lot of contact sports in his school and I just checked mine. There's judo and taekwondo. I want to do one of them next session."

"You want to beat people up that badly?" Tomiwa asked and he bluntly nodded.

"Something like that."

"That's a bad idea. Yin's too violent."

"Stick to lenses, Casi."

"I'll throw rice at you."

Tobias knocked on the table.

"Nobody is throwing rice or beating anybody. Yin, we'll talk about what you want after exams."

He smiled. "Yeah, thanks."

~~~