I Will Compensate for Both of Us.

The young man knocked on the door twice, but there was silence in response. Nick opened the door and looked inside. A sigh flew from his lips, a picture in front of his eyes has become commonplace over the past week.

The display of the laptop lying on the table was lit, presenting different graphics. The mobile phone vibrated periodically to alert about incoming messages. A mug of leftover coffee was almost lost in a heap of papers piled on a table.

David again fell asleep right at his desk after working through the night.

Nick shook his head and called for the man, the latter was firmly stuck in the fetters of Morpheus and did not react. "David?" the guy called him again, stopping near the table. David's eyes were tightly closed, eyelashes did not even flinch.

Nick looked around and, making sure that there was no one else nearby, reached out to touch the man's shoulder, and barely audibly, said, "D-dad?"

David flinched and looked up. His eyes looked sleepy, a handprint was imprinted on his cheek, his hair was disheveled. Nick hardly held back a laugh, the man at that moment reminded the guy of his own reflection in the mirror in the morning.

"Mm, Nicholas? What time is it?" David asked in a hoarse voice after sleep, rubbed his eyes and looked into the corner of the display on the laptop.

"7 A.M.," the young man answered, noting that David's gaze had difficulty focusing on the small numbers displayed on the monitor.

"Already? Damn, when did I fall asleep...," the man straightened his hair with his fingers, took a mug of coffee from the table and took a sip.

"Maybe better to drink it hot? I'll keep you company," Nick suggested, his father's wrinkled face after a single sip made the guy feel sorry for the man.

"Hmm, you're probably right," David smiled, "Oh yes, good morning."

"Good morning," Nick answered and tried to quickly retreat into the kitchen, but the man's question stopped him.

"What did you say? I didn't hear it well."

The guy's cheeks turned pink, the day had just begun, and his new torture was already in full swing. He took in a little more air and, stammering, repeated, "G-good morning, umm, d-dad."

"Good, my champion."

"Agh! Do not call me that! I'm no longer a child!" The young man hid behind the cabinet door with lightning speed so that David would not notice his flushed face. David, with a pleased look, slowly followed his son.

The guy's active actions in the kitchen made the man smile even more, "Mmm, my boy has grown so much, now he even knows how to make coffee for dad. So nice I'll tell your mother she will be overjoyed."

"Enough. Stop. Trolling me," Nick hissed with the pretense of rage, but David could clearly see how the eyes of this big child lit up from his compliment. "You and Daniel have been teasing me for a week now! If I knew that it would be so, I wouldn't say anything at all."

David walked over to the guy, put his hand on Nick's shoulder and kissed him at the top of his head, "You did well when you told everything. I'm proud of you."

"God, you are worse than Elena. Even she doesn't squeeze me like that," Nick sighed, he realized that fighting this Anderson was useless. However, he didn't really mind this stream of tenderness.

"I will compensate for both of us," David winked and ruffled the guy's hair. The man knew that Nick grew up without parental love, and his heart was contracting when he was just trying to imagine what this child had suffered.

When he found out that Nick was his son Sean from the future, he vowed that he would do everything possible to prevent such events. On the other hand, the uncertainty about what would happen to the guy when it all ended depressed him. But he decided to postpone solving this issue until later.

Now David wanted to live in the moment and show Nick that he was sincerely loved because the man knew that this silly boy blamed himself for what had happened to Elena and the others, as he turned out to be a kind of assistant to Marcus at the most critical moment.

"Why did you get up so early?"

"Daniel has to come, get my blood. He wants to make a new serum for Rick," Nick put a cup of coffee on the table and was looking forward to the hot sandwiches that David began making.

The front door clicked, and Daniel appeared on the threshold, his look was even worse than that of David after sleeping. He idly walked into the kitchen, following the smell of coffee and bacon, and flopped into a chair.

"Nick, give your amazing uncle a mug of hot chocolate with a double serving of sugar, or I'm afraid I can poke you with a needle not where I have to."

A shiver ran across the back of the young man. Daniel always gave him chills every time before taking blood for analysis, but now Nick was sure that such a scenario was possible.. . .