45 LOVERS FIGHT

< Athaire Starlight Hotel

UTC+2 0544 PM

Rooftop Garden >

Angel and One Shot raised their heads in unison. Jenny froze where she was, just outside the glass doors. Fully dressed in her beautiful white gown, prepared for a magical wedding. But she frowned, her lips pressed tightly together. Then her face lifted, and astonished, she asked, "Did you two have a fight?"

Admiring her unusual keen eye, One Shot replied honestly, "Yes," just as Angel said dismissively, "No."

Exchanging glances with each other, sitting a few feet apart, One Shot modified his response with a shrug, "Technically?"

"I guess?" Angel shrugged back.

"Nothing to worry about," both said to Jenny as they stood up and closed the gap between the two of them, which had so far, put them at an awkward distance.

"Oh…okay," Jenny said. "So…uhm…I didn't know you two were a thing at all. So…how did you guys meet?"

One Shot picked without hesitation the storyline that came to him most naturally, "I'm not sure where to begin, but it feels like it was just yesterday when she came up to me and introduced herself full of confidence. At that moment, I knew I had to reach out and grab hold of her." He reached out to wrap his fingers around Angel's hand and pulled it up to place a brief, soft kiss onto the back of her hand. "Otherwise, I'd regret it for the rest of my life." A warm smile entered as he locked eyes with Angel.

"And what made you fall for each other?" Jenny asked excitedly.

Angel looked back at One Shot and grinned, "Gravity?" One Shot's eyes widened in surprise for a moment until he realized she was probably just joking and trying to diffuse the situation and not remembering nearly falling off the building the night before.

Angel turned to Jenny. "But why are you here now, Jenny? You should be getting ready." One Shot decided to follow suit and focused on his sister in front of him. She was older but had always acted younger than him. Naïve sometimes, but this was a bit strange, even for her. This was not the place she should be at right now. Though, to be fair, her groom had been out of place as well. Angel had raised a good point. What did Jenny want from them?

Upon hearing Angel's words, Jenny's head sunk to face the floor. Her hands tightened around the seams of her dress to the point her knuckles turned white. She bit down, collecting all her courage before stuttered in a tiny voice, barely above a whisper, "Will you give me away?...you know…later when I enter the wedding hall…will you walk beside me?"

One Shot stepped forward. Of course, he would. They certainly hadn't been the closest of siblings, mostly because he had been away for work, but she was his only family.

Just as he was about to reply, Jenny yelled desperately, "Please, Angy!"

One Shot froze midway. Angel?? Not him, her brother? His head whirled around to stare at Angel, whose expression failed to reveal any sign of surprise. It was rather stone-cold. He glanced back at his sister who still hadn't gathered the courage to look up. Her lips were pressed into a thin line and the tension had yet to leave her body. But Angel's response was enough to make her flinch.

"Alex would be the more appropriate choice," Angel stated stone-heartedly.

Jenny started to tremble. Even her voice was shaking like an earthquake as she whimpered with dejection, "…so you do hate me after all…" One Shot didn't fail to notice the first big teardrop plummeting down on her dress.

Angel sighed and stepped forward until she was right in front of Jenny. She lifted her hands and placed them on Jenny's cheeks, lifting her small face up and looking straight at the teary face. "I don't hate you, silly. I could never hate you. I love you; you are the sister I never knew I needed. But to walk you in, you need a man on your side. It will look better in the pictures later. Now, let's get rid of those tears." Caringly, Angel wiped away her tears; Jenny leaned into her palms like a trusting puppy. "It's your wedding day. And if there is one wish in the world for me, it would be this one: be happy." Angel smiled, leaned down slowly, and placed a soft kiss on Jenny's forehead.

One Shot couldn't help but watch the scene in front of him unfold in awe. The miracle of calming down his emotional little sister wasn't what stunned him. It was Angel's expression that left him without words. The way she looked so loving and caring at Jenny; the warmth in her eyes was so genuine and pure that he was left defenselessly staring. Maybe it was a pang of jealousy of having someone care so much about another person. But imagining Angel caring about him that way suddenly aroused a degree of competitiveness within him that had so far only been associated with completing missions. The bond between the two was invisible, yet it was undeniably there. He could see it in her eyes. Even though Angel had worn a stone-faced mask before, now her expression was raw; filled with emotions. What would he give to have her look at him the way she was looking at Jenny?

Jenny turned to him and bravely smiled up at his stunned face, "Well, then, brother. Will you walk me in?"

"…sure," he replied automatically before another exasperated voice dramatically shouted from the door.

"YOU. HAVE TO BE. KIDDING ME!"