Chapter 6. Long Lost Reminiscent

"Huh? Oh, um… Good morning," Hades opened his eyes, sobering up from the deep slumber. He was happy, taking in the sight of Vionna sleeping soundly on the gray sheets, right beside him. "Morning already?" She yawned afterwards.

He moved his head in an up and down motion, throwing a question, "What happened last night?"

"You didn't remember?"

"I could only recall the seven of us playing a drinking game. Then what?"

"It was Truth or Dare. Avoiding so many questions, that's the reason why you lost consciousness."

"Ah, so it was that. Wait…" The room went silent for a few seconds when suddenly he shot his face towards Vionna and shifted backwards, "Did I do something to you?!" He panicked with widened eyes, hands checking his crotch.

"No, no need to be worried," she giggled.

He sighed at ease, knowing they only cuddled in a warm hug until the sun rose.

"We need to clean ourselves."

"You're right, I'll go back to my room," she replied, approaching the door.

. . .

Inside another room, to be precise the guest bedroom, the barista as well as the bodyguard were still asleep. On top of the soft white mattress, Kane hugged Sean from behind. They both looked so comfortable. Feeling the light breaching from behind the curtain, Sean woke up, taking in the warm sensation around him. The scent was familiar. An aroma that resembled someone's manly form, a mix of both woods and whiskey. Realizing who it was, involuntarily, his heart rate escalated. "Why am I being like this? This is so not me," he got up and jumped alongside the bed. The sudden movement startled Kane, interrupting him and his dreamland.

"What? What? Seby, you shocked me!" The poor sleepy boy had no clue about why Sean looked so nervous at 8 AM in the morning.

"Why did you do that?"

"Do what?" Kane was absent-minded.

"Hugging me! Spooning like that."

"Look, it was cold. Dude, you kicked my blanket, okay? I didn't even realize you're the one I'm snuggling with."

But even after the fuss, Sean still could not recover from what he felt earlier. He was fluttering. "Sean Cadby? Lost his cool to someone as mischievous as Kane? Not in a million years," he thought. That instant, he wanted to calm his pondering chest.

"Where are you going?" Kane worried.

"None of your business."

With messy hair, the young man just wondered whether he did something wrong to Sean.

Walking outside, the overthinking bodyguard sat down on a bench near the terrace. A voice calling his name could be heard faintly while he zoned out. Turns out it was Jodie, his beloved roommate. "What's on your mind? You're on a hangover?" He checked up on Sean.

"Nothing," the answer was cold.

"Hey c'mon, I know that look."

"Here's the thing, I don't even know what's going on inside my mind."

"Complicated, huh?" Jodie patted his friend's shoulder, "Is it about love?"

Hearing the correct guess, he was surprised, "How did you…?"

"I've known you for three years, we sleep under the same roof. You think I wouldn't find out what's bothering you like this? 'Cause it couldn't be about work."

"Fine, Mr. Holmes. I have no idea, I've never been like this before," his hand reached his chest, squeezing the white shirt fabric.

As a good buddy, giving a piece of advice was the right thing for Jodie. Helping Sean to set his feelings, "The best thing you could do is to not deny it. Square up and face the truth. Admit you like them," he pointed out. Yet, the one being helped was still dealing with his messed up mind. Acknowledging the shy demeanor, Jodie left Sean alone, comforting him before walking away from the bench.

. . .

After finishing her shower and having breakfast in bed, Vionna took a stroll around the house, searching for any activities. Going for a snack at the kitchen, instead of meeting Ellon she met a lady. "Where did you get that cheese puff?" She pointed at the bag of food held by the attractive bodyguard. "You want it? I'll go get it again," Quinn offered.

"Yeah, if you're fine with it," and the brown haired girl was told to wait there, Cheetos and coke bottles on her grip. She accepted the goods and was planning to go somewhere else. "Vio, you got a schedule on you?"

She paused her step.

"No actually. Why?"

"I got some spare time. Wanna play something on PC?"

Vionna's eyes brightened up with interest in an instant.

"What are we going to play?" She was thrilled, walking along like a little child.

"Up to you. Maybe Valorant? Stray? Or two-player games like A Way Out?"

"Valorant sounds good for a warm up."

Arriving at the tech room for bodyguards, Quinn swiftly clicked the start button on two of the available computers. Not long after installing the game, they entered an online match. That was the time where their behavior would probably strike dumb some people. Good thing the other bodyguards were on rest and entrusted their duties to Quinn.

"Fuck! I almost got them!"

"Ah shit! Me too. Go to lane B!"

"Careful Quinn! In front of you, they're using Raze."

"Got it. Oh Goddammit you asshole! Vio, go for the clutch!"

"Motherf- Are you dead?!"

Quinn only replied in "Uh huh… Come on, come on. You got this, bitch!" Cheering for her teammate.

Hearing their voices from afar, a guard came near the tech room door. He put his ear beside the door and was aware that the screams were coming from Vionna and Quinn. His decision was to check on them. "Damn, they're wild," scratching the back of his neck, Jodie informed himself. He opened the door suddenly, surprising the two girls sitting on their chairs. But they didn't bother, too focused on the task. "Look who's here," leaning on the jamb, he eyed them back and forth. Feeling irritated as nobody was giving him attention, his head turned left and right, "Y'all gonna ignore me?"

"Shut the hell up!" They scoffed simultaneously.

"Christ! I got wallbanged. Round's over."

Receiving death glares, Jonathan Blake has never felt so provoked. So he tried to lighten the mood. "Uh, Sorry…? Stop looking at me like that!" Then he peeked at their monitors. Bragging a little, "Valorant? Let me join. I'll carry both of you," he proudly grinned. At the end of a few ruckus about who will be carrying who, they continued to game together up till the break ended.

Finishing a tough match, Jodie checked his watch. The clock hand struck 2 PM. "Quinn, let's go! We got self-defense training at 3," he reminded his friend. Both of the guards stood up and delivered their goodbye to Vionna. "Catch you later, Vio!" Quinn patted her head, "Jojo, let's find Sean." Just with a few eyeblink, the girl was alone, again.

She went through the halls once more, seeking for anything to entertain her. On the entrance of Hades' office, there was an opening. Out of curiosity, Vionna decided to check on what he was doing. What she saw stabbed her heart, shattered it to pieces. A woman dressed in a beige blouse and black pencil skirt, she was being pushed against the table. His face was only a few millimeters apart from hers. Their gaze was enough to send tears to the girl peeking at the door. She was hurt, again. "I shouldn't have put my hopes up," she stumbled, leaving. The story was just another painful romance she didn't want to deal with, perhaps that was her thought. Did he realize she was right there, sad and heartbroken?