Do You Want to Play a Game?

A blush ran across Rhodes's cheeks. He looked away. "You say things like that… but can't even tell me your name? How am I supposed to believe you?"

"…the people call me Lord van Iveren. I have a domain to watch over, hence the title." The man with a fedora waited for Rhodes to look at him again. "My riches, however, might not match yours. You are also more influential than me. Would you like to be called 'Lord Huxley' someday?"

"No, it sounds funny." Rhodes giggled, raised his chin, and stared at the man. "Since I'm more powerful in some aspects, I can be rude enough to call you using another name, right? Lord van Iveren is too long and embarrassing to say. Let's see… how about… Vanya…?"

The man with a fedora lifted his eyes. "You're giving me that name?"

Rhodes nodded with a grin. "I'm not calling you 'Lord van Iveren'. It doesn't roll off my tongue easily. Though, don't be surprised. I was… a boy who had a dog, and Vanya was his name, oh!"

Embarrassed, Rhodes covered his face with a hand. A sudden nursery rhyme came out, and he was too shy to admit he went there. He didn't even care if the other person could catch the reference or the joke. That man told him he could be anything he liked in that dream, so he became weird.

"What a silly child…" The other man laughed with Rhodes. He stroked Rhodes's head. "I accept the name you gave me, dear. Starting tonight, when you call for 'Vanya,' I will come. If you tell me to sit, I will do it, too."

"Now, stay… and roll over…! Good boy, Vanya—good boy!" They said at the same time.

Rhodes immediately laughed and waved his hands. "Sorry, sorry! That's inappropriate! I won't treat you like a dog! Sorry… God, I shouldn't be acting half my age. I'm really sorry, Lord van Iveren…"

Vanya hummed as if correcting him. "You have a different name for me, Rhodes. Don't forget it. You'll get used to it soon. As for the commands, no need to worry. I am not offended. In fact, you delight and amuse me, truly."

"…okay." Rhodes giggled and hid behind his hands. The grin on his face soon tamed into a smile. He brought his hands down. "I guess you're right—I can be anything I like with you. I never had this kind of conversation with others. I don't feel it's normal. Everyone sees me as some kind of higher person because of my achievements. All of those are worthless to me now, sadly."

"Don't restrain yourself, Rhodes. Take this chance to reinvent yourself." Vanya chuckled, only to be met with Rhodes's squinting eyes. The doctor was still smiling, however. Vanya slightly tilted his head. "Is something amiss, dear?"

Rhodes sighed and leaned his chin on his palms. "Nothing. I just feel happy talking to you. We can talk more sometime, right?"

The man with a fedora nodded. They got to their feet one after another, Vanya offering his hand to help Rhodes up. The pull made the doctor step closer to the other person. Rhodes bashfully chuckled and rubbed his neck to relieve himself.

He looked around again before gazing at Vanya again. "How long am I supposed to stay here in this dream? Can't I hop off and wake up in the morning?"

"You will. Do you want to go back to rest now?" Vanya offered his hand to Rhodes again. "I can walk you to the front door. Once you leave this manor, you will return to your body."

"Okay…" Rhodes took the hand and walked with Vanya. His pace was slow, as if unwilling to reach the front door soon. He kept glancing at the tall man beside him, and his grip on Vanya's hand tightened ever so slightly every time. 

When Rhodes saw the big front door from the main lobby, he instinctively stopped. Vanya stopped walking as well. The doctor stared at it before sheepishly chuckling. "Uh… didn't I forget something where we were earlier? Why don't we go back to check? It wouldn't be that bad, right? I don't even know what I came here with…"

Vanya laughed, but he didn't walk with Rhodes in the direction they came from. "I'm sure you didn't drop anything. If you like to explore the manor with me, I will grant your wish."

"Really?" Rhodes perked up his imaginary dog ears. He forced out chuckles to control his grinning. "Well, since we can… I'll take—"

Crash! A loud sound of breaking glass came from afar. However, the shattering sound was exceptionally loud within a manor filled with silence aside from their voices. Rhodes flinched in fright and stepped behind Vanya. Even Vanya frowned at the noise.

The doctor clutched the tall man's sleeve. "Hey… didn't you say this is my dream? Why does it sound like I'm about to have a nightmare?"

"…I didn't realize people would dare break in tonight." Vanya's voice sounded serious, making Rhodes look up at him. However, the tall man smiled at the doctor. "Do you want to play a game with me, Rhodes? If you win, I will reward you handsomely."

"Huh? What kind of reward will you give?" Rhodes lifted his brows. He instinctively looked in the direction of indistinct voices. "You said people broke in… like people are trying to rob your manor?"

Vanya laughed, but hints of scorn came with it. "I doubt they can take anything from me. Still, such troublesome plebians… disrupting our time together."

Rhodes looked up at the tall man and chuckled. He gently detached his hand from Vanya's grip. "What's this game you want to play? Do I get to punish people for breaking in? This is your house. They can't do whatever they like just because the house doesn't run away."

"Yes, dear." Vanya chuckled and playfully rubbed Rhodes's cheek. Rhodes allowed him and lifted his chin to offer more cheek. The tall man's eyes gleamed differently. "Do you know what a zombie run is? Why don't you help me, Rhodes? Each of them should be carrying a small glass heart. You only need to take those. It will count as getting rid of them."

"Really? That's too kind. Can't I throw them out?" Rhodes laughed, his gaze darting at the side. "I want to throw them out."

"All right, I will allow such violence if it comes from you, dear." Vanya smiled and pulled on his fedora to hide his face. That very move made him vanish in thin air. However, his voice remained. "If you can throw all of them outside the open windows, I will reward you. If you break a window, I might get upset. You might get hurt from the shards, too."