VI: Hideaway

Lilith was still busy playing her game when she heard the doorbell ring. She eyed the direction of her door oddly. She wasn't expecting anyone to visit her today, only Nathalie, who she predicted must be drunk in some bar right now, having the time of her life. It couldn't be Huxley too, nor Carina because they are busy preparing for the next mission.

She paused her game and stood up, asking the uninvited guest to wait for her because it keeps on ringing the doorbell a couple of annoying times. She wore a hoody over her head as she was only wearing a velvet onesie sleepwear. She opened the door after a minute and was surprised to be greeted by the two faces she never expected to see right now.

"Hi." The blonde man greeted her with a big smile, while the other one who has permed black hair went inside her house without greeting her. Jaxon followed him afterward leaving the lady surprised by the door.

"Why are you two here?" She asked, closing the door behind her. Both guests were already busy looking around her apartment. Julian eyed the bouquet and whiskey on the center table before focusing on the gaming setup in the living room's cabinet.

Jaxon turned to her, not removing his knowing smile. "Julian brought me here. He said he wanted to stay out of their mansion for a while." He answered.

Lilith crossed her arms. "And you both decided to disturb me?" She asked, annoyed.

"I don't want to be here too, Lilith. But Travis-Hyung said he was busy investigating something. I called Nathalie and she said she was out drinking. She told me not to follow her because she was with someone who was a bar owner. I forgot his name... So you were the last option." Julian said, holding up a boxed joystick at his eye level, analyzing the item.

"Why don't you stay at Jaxon's house?" She rolled her eyes before sitting back down on the sofa. She continued to play again.

"Jaxon-Hyung said he can't have visitors," Julian answered.

Jaxon slumped on one of the love seats in the living room.

"Sorry, my house is being renovated." He defended himself.

"How about Carina?" Lilith started to focus on her game as she talks.

Julian this time sat on the other love seat, before sighing. "She's the reason why I want to stay out of the mansion for a while." He motioned for Lilith to give her the joystick. Lilith gave it, but not after glaring at him first.

"What happened to her?" She asked, hiding her legs beneath her hoodie, before leaning her chin on her knees, hugging her folded legs in the process.

"I don't know. She got home earlier with a sulking face, and everything and everyone she sees makes her irritated. I was her favorite among them." He sarcastically explained.

Lilith didn't answer him back. She just thought that maybe something happened with the gang meeting. Lilith was a bit uncomfortable having a guest, because she rarely does, but Julian seemed like he wanted to be away from home for a while, so she decided to let them stay. Lilith sometimes feels bad for Julian because of her sister's temper, but at the same time, she understands Carina too since she needed to carry a lot of responsibilities by herself most of the time.

They played games for the rest of the evening until the atmosphere became a little lighter. Lilith had never laughed or smiled so much all her life, in one sitting, but she didn't even notice that.

Instead, the blonde man who kept on glancing her way was the only one who noticed her unusual but enchanting change of expression.

Sin laughed at the funny story of the tipsy woman in front of him. They'd been drinking for hours now. The music was already down and only the two of them were left inside the closed pub. He witnessed how the woman changed her behavior from being the sophisticated woman she is to a cheerful blushing one, and it made Sin quite amused to see her in that state because he met her with such a different vibe.

Most of the women she would drink with would either be sobbing or flirty drunk towards him, but this woman... This woman was different. He felt a bit guilty about the purpose of why he accompanied her tonight. He was having a bit of a problem the past few days, planning how he would get an update on what happened in the mafia meeting, but everything became easy for him when he saw Nathalie walk inside his pub. So he immediately asked the bartender to make her feel as comfortable as she could, and what's more guilty feeling about the situation was that he succeeded. He succeeded to get an update.

The woman opened up about how she was pressured to be sent inside the borders of the Kingdom because it was going to be a dangerous mission since no one ever did that before, and she also talked about how nervous she was to work without Lilith by her side. He didn't even need to ask questions, she was the one who spilled everything he needed, voluntarily, which made him a bit uncomfortable but he kept on brushing it off because he needed to follow the King's command.

"I don't know, I think everyone I dated was all mama's boys. I haven't dated anyone mature enough for a serious relationship. I probably need to find someone who's like five years older than me after I got tired of my job to settle down with." The lady laughed, continuing her story.

"Now I finally understand why you keep coming my way." Sin said to the blushing woman. Her face had been getting redder and redder by the minute because of the amount of alcohol she had.

Nathalie just looked at him as she was drinking her cocktail. "And that is because?" She asked, amused, after finishing her drink.

"Because I think I might be the one you've been looking for. So maybe that's the reason why we keep crossing paths." The gentleman answered.

Nathalie giggled in response. "If you weren't that handsome, I might have already punched you in the face. But you have to be thankful that your confidence matches your looks, mister." She teased, giving her a grin.

Sin laughed, before returning the same smile. Nathalie checked her watch afterward. It was quite blurry but she was confident that she read the time right. It was almost three in the morning. She finished her last drink in one try before quickly standing up. "I need to go." She muttered, but she suddenly felt dizzy with the sudden movement she did, so she subtly fell back on her sit.

Sin immediately stood up to hold her by her waist to guide her up. "Are you okay?" The man questioned, rubbing her back.

"Wow, you sell quality alcohol here. I didn't even recognize that I was already drunk." Nathalie laughed, dropping her purse in the process. Sin picked it off the floor right away.

Nathalie was just watching him. "I'm sorry." She said, before pouting.

Sin chuckled with her cute expression. "You don't need to be sorry." He assured her. "I think it's probably better if I send you home. I'll just drive your car, and take a cab home." He tells her.

"Okay. I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you." She agrees, letting Sin guide her to stand.

"You don't need to do that. In any case, I'm the one who owes you." Sin responded, but the lady was too busy focusing on her blurry vision to listen, as they walk out of the pub.

Sin caught the car key his valet tossed towards him. He unlocked the passenger seat door right away to let Nathalie finally sit comfortably because it seemed like her knees were giving up on her. Sin reached out for the seat belt to buckle the tipsy lady in the place. Nathalie was just dreamily looking up at him, unbothered by how close the man's face was to her. Sin who was giving her a small smile, stayed that way for a few seconds to admire her expression, before completely pulling away.

He rode in the driver's seat quickly and then started driving. "What's your address angel?" Sin asked as he quickly glanced in her direction. He noticed Nathalie was already about to doze off.

"Hmm," Nathalie muttered, thinking. "Shit. I forgot." She said, chuckling, after a few minutes of trying to remember. "Oh, I know. Just send me to the Moonchild Condominium." She suggested, resting her head on the seat. "Apartment 1230." She added. Sin just gave her a small nod.

They drove for fifteen minutes before the gentleman parked the car in front of the said condominium. He eyed the height of the building after shutting off the car's engine. He then looked over at the sleeping woman beside her. Sin got off the car to open the passenger seat door. He crouched down to shake Nathalie gently, to wake her up. "Angel, we're here." He whispered to her.

Nathalie shifted in her seat before opening her eyes to look out the window. She gave a quick smile to Sin before unbuckling the seat belt. She felt a little bit better after the quick nap.

"I'll send you up, then I'll get going." He said, holding out his hand for Nathalie to hold. She gladly took it, before carefully moving out of the car. She still felt dizzy which Sin observed so he placed his hand around her waist to support her as they start to walk.

When they arrived in front of the apartment, Sin asked Nathalie for the keys but she just shook her head and pressed the doorbell. Sin was kind of puzzled, but he just assumed that she might be living with someone, so he just waited for the door to be opened. After a few minutes, it was opened and they were greeted by an expressionless man that had the same height as Sin. The man eyed him, before looking at Nathalie and the hand that was wrapped around her waist.

"Oh. Travis, right?" Sin remembered the man from the party. "I didn't know you live with Nathalie. We had some drinks and she got a bit drunk, so I sent her home." Sin started explaining, handing him her purse and car keys. Travis took it, but his expression didn't change.

"Thank you, Sin. You should go home now." Nathalie pulled herself away from Sin, before walking towards the apartment, tripping in the process but Travis caught her right away with both arms. She giggled, and then looked back at Sin who was a bit uncomfortable with the stare that the other man was giving him. Nathalie waved her hand toward the man to say goodbye.

"See you again, angel." Sin gave her a final smile before turning his back to leave, ignoring the suspicious man that was eyeing him.

Travis fixed one arm around Nathalie's waist before closing the door behind him with the other. "Are you okay?" He asked the woman sincerely, as they started walking towards the living room. Nathalie meekly nodded.

"Why did you drink a lot?" Travis gently sat her down on the sofa, before placing her purse on the center table.

"I didn't even know I was already drunk." Nathalie giggled, trying her best to sit up straight.

Travis made his way towards the kitchen to fetch the lady some warm water. "Are you watching a movie?" Nathalie asked, looking at the television screen. She clumsily reached for the remote control on the other side of the sofa, before scanning through the channels on the TV.

"No. I was on my computer." He answered as soon as he was near, to give her the glass of water.

Nathalie took the glass gently, blinking slowly as she was still feeling the alcohol in her system. "Thank you, lover boy." She cheerfully said.

Travis sat beside her to remove her high heels, for the woman to rest comfortably. "Would you like something to eat for you to sober up a bit?" He asked. "And then I'll send you home." He added. Nathalie nodded, chuckling a bit at the idea that only Travis remembers her address when she's drunk.

Maybe twice, thrice, or maybe countless times, that this situation had already happened. Nathalie rarely comes home. She's either in Carina's mansion or in this apartment because of work. Travis' apartment was remodeled to store the gadgets they need during missions. This is also the place where they need to plot things carefully. So there's no surprise that she memorizes this address, instead of her own.

The first few times she did that, Travis was a bit irritated because they were practically strangers when he first started working for Carina, but when he got used to the event happening repeatedly, that's when he started to recognize his feelings towards Nathalie. Not just when she's drunk. Even during missions or meetings, especially casual gatherings that they would have, he realized he was already catching feelings towards the woman.

"Do you have that spicy noodles you suggested to me before?" She asked. Travis gave her a questioning look for a second, before understanding what she meant. "You mean, ramyun? Yes. Do you want that?" He asked, standing up on the sofa. "I'll make the instant one for you so it's faster to be cooked." He suggested, waiting for her response.

"Yes. Give me the spiciest one!" She exclaimed cheerfully, her two arms stretching up in the air. Travis broke into a smile, before walking back to the kitchen.

"Wait. I'm drunk, but I think I saw you smile at me for the first time!" Nathalie said, following Travis with her gaze before groaning in pain because the rapid movement made her feel the alcohol in her system again. Her head was badly throbbing once more.

Travis ignored her of course, just like what he would usually do, but his smile didn't go away because of the cute gesture, as he was grabbing the said food from the pantry. He placed some boiling water on the cup before grabbing some spoon and chopsticks. He put the plastic lid back in place before putting the utensils on top of it so the steam will be trapped inside the cooking noodles. He gently placed the food on a tray before carrying it toward Nathalie. When he was about to place the tray down on the center table, he eyed the fast-asleep woman on the sofa. Travis shook his head in amusement.

He was right. The woman was just pushing herself to be awake. She was drunk.

He placed the tray down on the center table anyway, before carrying the poor woman in a bridal style. The supposedly guest room of his condominium was made into his working station so it didn't have any bed. He didn't have any other choice but to let Nathalie sleep in his room tonight. She placed the woman down on his bed gently before covering her body with the duvet. He was about to stand up when he heard Nathalie speak.

"Travis.." The woman whispered. The man moved closer to her, humming in response. "You should smile more." She continued, the corners of her lips moving up to form a smile herself, but her eyes were completely shut. Travis slowly moved a bit away from her after hearing those words.

She stared at the sleeping woman, who was now snuggling the pillow beside her, finding her most comfortable sleeping position. Her hair went over her face with the movements she made.

Travis did a mental debate in his mind, before finally deciding to just do what he wanted to do. He gently removed the hair on her face, brushing her cheeks with his thumb in the process. The woman's red cheeks became more prominent, maybe because she was intoxicated or maybe it was just the warmth of the room.

Her eyelashes flickered a bit as she started to fall deeper into her slumber. He played with her hair for a while, his teeth unconsciously biting his lips, feeling nervous.

He gathered up a lot of confidence, before leaning towards the sleeping woman. He gently placed a kiss on her forehead, still playing with her hair on his hand.

The man stayed that way for a while, before pulling away. He finally removed his hand from the woman's hair and stood up, before completely leaving the room.

He isn't sure if Nathalie was already fast asleep to not feel that, but he felt as if he did something good to finally lessen the ache that his heart had been carrying for the woman, who doesn't even have any idea about it.

Lilith sat on the side of the street, sipping her Irish coffee.

Her night was getting better, but she was now back in her usual grumpy state because of the two guests she had, forced her to go out which she didn't plan to do today. She hates unplanned things so much.

They just got out of a billiards pub in the chief city center and the two men had a lot to drink because of a bet that the both of them didn't win. Now the two of them are dancing and laughing in the middle of a crowd, in front of some street buskers.

Lilith was trying to hide her face when the two started to call her or glance in her direction. She was embarrassed by the people walking by who were watching them and she kept mentally asking herself why everything that was happening felt like she was babysitting two drunk teenage boys. Carina might even kill her if there are some photos of Julian posted on the City's homepage tomorrow.

The buskers ended their songs after a while, so the two men started to walk toward where she was. Jaxon was still laughing so hard, his eyes seem to be missing every time he do so. Julian on the other hand, was grabbing onto Jaxon's shirt while making some weird noises, trying to mimic the song that street musicians played. They were loud, and Lilith just wants the pavement she was sitting on to open up and just swallow her whole because of humiliation.

"I wish Travis-Hyung was with us," Julian said, both of them sitting beside Lilith. Jaxon nodded, before grabbing the drink in the lady's hand while catching his breath. Lilith wasn't even offended by their actions anymore, she just wanted to go home.

"Let's play rock, papers, and scissors," Julian suggested, after drinking a sip of Lilith's coffee too. "Whoever wins will get a tattoo on that shop." Julian continued, pointing at the shop behind the sidewalk they were sitting on.

"And whoever loses will also get a tattoo on that shop," Jaxon suggested as an answer, making the two of them laugh hysterically.

Julian shook hands with Jaxon. "Deal." He said while holding his stomach using his free hand because it was starting to feel painful, from him laughing so hard.

"I don't want to join," Lilith commented, wearing his hoodie over her head to hide her face from the bystanders surrounding them.

Jaxon moved closer to her. "Oh come on, Lilith. Don't be such a killjoy." He said, before grabbing her arm to control it as if she was a marionette. Julian was also getting ready to play.

"Rock, paper, scissors." They sang in unison, but they didn't even make proper hand gestures before they started to stand up without finishing the game. Jaxon held Lilith's waist to guide her up, before going behind her to push her towards the tattoo parlor, his chin resting on her left shoulder.

Lilith was quite surprised by the physical contact but she ignored it and just looked straight, swallowing a lump of saliva as he felt the man's cheeks touch her own.

When an uninterested woman starts to feel a stir of emotions, her first instinct to do is to deny it.