"Shut it, Manny," Moe ground out, struggling to restrain himself from hitting him. It was time for him to let go of his violent tendencies; he was a father now and needed to set a positive example for Miny. But Manny just kept asking for a good right hook.

"I won't shut up! Does it really blind you to the truth? Einar betrayed you big time, left you high and dry, and I don't care if he bent over backward to try to save you - there's no saving you if you're in the fire! And you forgave him, you're playing happy families with him - I never thought you'd turn so soft. It's ridiculous, Moe, absolutely ridiculous!" Manny's eyes blazed with anger as he dodged Moe's aggressive gesture, his words dripping with resentment - it wasn't surprising that Manny didn't take their reconciliation well; after initially keeping quiet and occasionally expressing his bitterness toward his brother, now he was letting loose with a fountain of words.

"Listen, why do you care? I've made it clear that you're not going to be a part of my life. And there's no point in you meddling; it won't change anything anyway. Don't act like you'd rather see Einar with someone else - I'm not buying it, you couldn't care less about his happiness," Moe vented in frustration, stomping his foot and casting a weary glance at Manny, his lips trembling with emotion.

"Well, why him, then?" Manny heaved a long, deep sigh. "I suppose I could've accepted anyone else, just not him, not around you."

"And you wouldn't have accepted anyone else either because you've fixated on me in this weird way - but then again, maybe not so weird. You couldn't connect with other omegas, so you chose me as the object of your affection," Moe offered a soft smile to Kay and gently guided Manny towards the door. "Consider this your final warning, Manny. I'll let it slide this time, but if you say anything out of line again, security will escort you out. Goodbye, my pesky young friend, the show's over."

"I won't do it again," Manny quickly interjected, wearing a sympathetic expression. "Can I join you?"

"Good evening, never a dull moment," Kay greeted Moe with a peck on the cheek and extended his hand to Manny, who eagerly shook it, trying to make a good impression. "Sure, let him stay. It won't bother me."

"Alright," Moe hesitated for a moment but relented. It wasn't typical for Manny to engage in lengthy conversations with Kay about his misguided actions, and it would have been impolite to dismiss the man who had paid for Kay's company for an additional two months, albeit in a desperate attempt to divert Moe's attention from his brother to the escort, much to Einar's restrained frustration. Judging by the disappointment on Manny's face, he had already given up hope on that front but had managed to ingratiate himself enough to spend time with both of them, albeit usually in meager portions. "You can stay, but I'll be gone for about an hour. Miny's teething and cranky, and he won't settle down without me."

“No problem,” Manny took a relieved breath. “I haven't had dinner yet, Kay, would you like to keep me company?”

“I'd love to,” Kay stretched lazily. “I've already had dinner, but I'll have something light like a salad. Moe, you okay?”

“I’ve eaten," Moe said as he walked out of the living room. “Pick a movie, but don't start it without me.”

“Yes, sir,” Kay chuckled. “Almodóvar is on the program tonight.”

Miny, flushed and discontented, reached for Moe, whimpering tiredly, and, once in his arms, tugged down the stretched collar of his T-shirt, seeking his constant soothing, sucked greedily, closing his eyelids, and Moe purred a lullaby, rocking with him gently and drifting off - his little chubby joy was growing up, growing teeth, and the help of his favorite joy in overcoming the painful stage felt wonderful. Miny needed him more than anyone else, and though the feeling was selfish, it warmed the soul.

The high-profile trial was coming to its logical conclusion, signaling a soon, very soon free life, which was exhilarating, allowing him to make long-term plans for his life, to choose with great enthusiasm for Miny the future developmental classes they would attend together, and to dig through reviews, meticulously looking for a kindergarten for Miny in the near future - he wanted the best of the best for the little god, and Moe had no doubt that he would provide this best for his son.

And if he couldn't make it somewhere, his father would step in, though the thought didn't bring satisfaction - deep inside there was still doubt and a jealous desire to keep Miny just for himself.

In general, Moe's thoughts about Einar were conflicted. On one hand, he felt as though he were melting ice cream under the hot sun, experiencing love and a sense of being wanted. On the other hand, he was plagued by vague suspicions, particularly concerning his son. Einar will definitely try to start the discussion joint custody of Miny. While Moe was willing to accept Einar's presence in their son's life unconditionally, as he had no intention of depriving Miny of an important part of his life. Miny could potentially be used as leverage in any future conflicts with Einar, but Moe refused to entertain the idea of using his son as a pawn. Despite his attachment to Einar, Moe found himself torn between his desire to maintain their relationship and his instinct to protect himself and his son by leaving Einar, while things were still developing on his terms.

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Moe teetered on the brink, torn between two options - he was reluctant to part ways with Einar, having developed a deep attachment to him, yet his long-standing defense mechanism demanded that Einar relent and abandon any pursuit of joint custody indefinitely.

As Miny angrily nibbled on a nipple and whimpered, gripping the other nipple firmly, Moe winced in pain but obediently shifted him to the other side, all the while grappling with weighty thoughts. How could he convey his ultimatum to Einar in such a resolute manner that Einar would have no choice but to accept? However, humility was not Einar's forte, nor was softness, that Manny accused him of, Moe’s forte. Einar was a tough nut to crack, and they needed to move out and find their own home, so he could kick Einar out at any moment, kicking Einar out from his own home seemed absurd.

Miny, whose whimpering gradually subsided as he kicked his legs and sucked on his nipple more slowly, eventually drifted off to sleep, his body relaxing in Moe's arms. Carefully, Moe transferred him to the crib and whispered to Datu, "Call me when he wakes up."

He then tiptoed out of the bedroom, releasing a slow exhale as he did so.

In the living room, luckily at a distance from the bedroom, the air was filled with raucous laughter. Manny, seemingly unfazed by Kay's profession and devoid of his brother's snobbishness, was engaged in easy conversation with Kay. Moe couldn't help but smile, feeling compelled to join the upbeat atmosphere. He entered the living room with a light step, sensing that he had been the subject of discussion. The two jovial men fell silent immediately, their cheeks flushing with suppressed laughter as they avoided making eye contact with him.

"Yeah, talking about me. Looks like we've got ourselves a couple of gossipmongers here. Well, spit it out," Moe said resignedly as he settled onto the couch between them, fully aware that trying to distance himself from Manny would only result in him inching closer. He braced himself for the onslaught. True to form, the jabs came swiftly, and Moe couldn't help but roll his eyes at the first one.

"I remember when you first showed up here- dressed like a vagabond, brazen as can be, cussing up a storm and picking fights left and right. And now look at you - a respectable dad who acts like he's never heard a curse word before, giving disapproving looks to those who swear like you've never been there yourself. You're a real piece of work, Moe," Manny teased with a chuckle, arching his eyebrows mockingly, pursing his lips in a fake pout, and snickering, "Oh my, how dare you say that, where are your manners?"

Kay joined in the laughter, slapping his knee in amusement.

"I didn't say that!" Moe lightly tapped his forehead, but Manny, unfazed, captured his hand, casually intertwining their fingers and covering it with his other hand.

"I mean the essence of it, Moe, not the exact words - you've changed a lot after becoming a dad, and when Miny gets older, I'll make sure he knows all about it! I'll hold it over you," Manny chuckled, gently caressing his fingers. Moe withdrew his hand, intertwining his fingers on his stomach, and muttered, suspecting that he probably looked exactly as he did when someone mentioned taboo topics in front of Miny.

"Blackmail isn't nice, Manny, just so you know. And when I move into my own place, I'll make sure to keep blackmailers out of the neighborhood."

"When do you plan to move?" Manny disregarded the warning, becoming more serious.

Moe frowned, regretting his previous statement; he didn't want to be seen as a burden. "I'm looking for an apartment downtown, but I haven't decided yet. I'm waiting for the trial to conclude to ensure Miny and I are safe."

"Tomorrow's an important day, so you should speed up your search," Manny inched closer, not convinced by the explanation. "Has our realtor been helping you? Where exactly are you looking? How did Einar allow this to happen?"

Moe glanced at Kay, silently seeking his support, and the astute Kay swiftly joined the conversation.

"Manny, what possesses you to be so tactless, randomly picking fights and dampening the atmosphere?" Kay interjected. "If you're itching for another round with Moe, be my guest, but I'll be taking bets on how swiftly Moe shows you the door. My money's on thirty-five seconds, so time's ticking," Kay smirked, reclining back, impressing Moe once again with his knack for defusing Manny's antics without causing a scene.

"I didn't intend to ruin the mood," Manny admitted remorsefully, retracting his verbal jab. "I just wanted to know Moe's plans for moving."

"It's in your best interest to ensure he doesn't forget to leave you his new address," Kay remarked with a smile, smoothly transitioning to another topic. "We agreed on watching The Skin I Live In, a brilliant choice. Shall we begin?"

"Absolutely," Moe leaned against his shoulder, feeling a warmth spreading – fortunate to have encountered Kay, the sole sensible individual in this chaotic environment. Despite his unconventional profession, Kay made more sense than the two wealthy imbeciles with their expensive educations.

Sensing his loss of leverage, Manny rubbed his other side in frustration, resting his head on the same shoulder. Moe didn't push him away – it didn't take long to decipher Manny's motives; they were always transparent. It was regrettable, of course, that Manny couldn't reorient himself and accept Einar's victory as an inevitable and irreversible outcome.