Deja Vu

Beep... Beep... Beep...

Brandon's eyes fluttered open, greeted once again by the now-familiar sight of his master suite's ornate ceiling.

Beep... Beep... Beep...

'Sigh, talk about déjà vu…' he thought, fighting the urge to roll his eyes.

'At this point, this damned beeping might as well be the soundtrack of my life.'

Brandon's vision focused, and suddenly, Elise's stunning face popped into view.

"Brandon?" Her voice was laced with concern.

In a flash, muscle memory kicked in. Brandon's body reacted before his mind could process. He grabbed Elise's wrist, twisted, and in one fluid motion, flipped her over onto the bed beside him.

Thump!

"Oof!" Elise gasped, her eyes wide with shock.

Brandon found himself on top of her, pinning her down.

His heart raced, adrenaline pumping through his veins.

For a split second, he saw not Elise, but a potential threat.

Then, reality crashed back.

"Elise! I-I'm so sorry, I didn't—"

Brandon stammered, horrified at what he'd just done.

Elise, however, didn't look scared or angry. Instead, a hint of intrigue and interest flickered in her eyes.

With a swift, practiced motion, she hooked her leg around Brandon's and twisted her hips.

Before Brandon could react, their positions were reversed.

Now it was Elise pinning him down, her face inches from his. Her blue eyes sparkled with a mix of amusement and fierce competitiveness.

"Not bad superstar," she said, her voice low and slightly breathless.

"But I'm no damsel in distress either."

Brandon's eyes widened, impressed by her quick reflexes and strength.

He realized he'd underestimated her, assuming her polished exterior meant she was defenseless. Clearly, that wasn't the case.

Elise maintained her hold, her body tense and ready for any counter-move. Her hair fell around them like a curtain, creating an intimate bubble amid the beeping medical equipment.

"Where did you learn that?"

Brandon asked, genuinely curious.

Elise smirked. "You're not the only one with secrets, Blackstone. We all have our... special skills."

She loosened her grip slightly but didn't release him entirely.

"Remind me never to get on your bad side,"

Brandon said with a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood.

Elise's smirk softened into a genuine smile.

"As long as you behave, you won't have to worry about that."

Elise sat up, but in doing so, she found herself straddling Brandon in a rather suggestive position. Their eyes locked, the tension between them palpable.

A sudden cough broke the moment.

"Ahem, get a room," Bailey's voice cut through the air.

Elise's cheeks flushed a deep red.

With surprising grace, she hopped off the bed, landing nimbly on her feet.

"Oww," Brandon groaned, wincing as she bounced off his groin.

He sat up awkwardly, still in pain.

"Last I checked, this was a room," he quipped, his voice strained.

Bailey rolled her eyes, holding a tray of breakfast.

"Glad you're feeling good enough to banter," she said dryly.

Brandon looked down at his hands, opening and closing them slowly.

"Yeah... I feel... great," he murmured, his tone uncertain.

'I've never felt this good… Strange…'

He turned his head towards the window, where morning light streamed into the room.

"How long was I out?" he asked, squinting against the brightness.

Bailey set the breakfast tray down on the nightstand.

"You sure you're feeling okay now? You were out the entire day yesterday. You really freaked me out when you spazzed out yesterday morning."

"Y-Yeaup, never felt better," Brandon stretched, wincing slightly.

Then realization dawned on him.

"Wait, so it's Monday? Do we not have classes today?" he asked, confusion evident in his voice.

"Dad said we should take leave until we've decided how we want to deal with NOA for the assassination attempt on their territory," Bailey replied, her tone serious.

Brandon looked at Elise, who smiled and nodded.

"A favor from NOA is priceless," she said. "They've been the academy for the elite for centuries. Their network of alumni alone is a force to be reckoned with."

Bailey cut in cheekily,

"Hehe, B, guess who's been by your side taking care of you since you fell unconscious again yesterday?"

She adorably raised and dropped her eyebrows as she pointed to Elise.

Elise playfully pinched Bailey's cheeks.

"Making fun of your big sis now, are ya?"

Bailey raised her arms in surrender and cutely asked Brandon,

"Save me!"

Brandon watched this heartwarming and adorable scene, his mind drifting to the fierce personas these two girls had portrayed in the gunfight just two nights ago.

The contrast was striking - the same hands that had wielded weapons with deadly precision were now engaged in playful teasing. He marveled at their ability to switch between such drastically different roles, from ruthless femme fatales to caring, lighthearted young women.

'It's hard to believe these are the same girls who were taking down armed assailants like it was nothing,'

Brandon thought, his mind drifting between the assassination attempt and what he experienced last night.

'There's so much more to them, to this world than meets the eye. How many other secrets are they hiding?'

'Heck, how many secrets is this body of mine hiding… He's obviously not the timid little rebel everyone thought he was.'

Knock... Knock...

The sound of knuckles rapping against wood interrupted Brandon's train of thought.

"Come in," he called out, his voice still a bit hoarse from sleep.

The door opened, revealing Gordon's impeccable figure.

The older man stepped into the room, his posture as straight as ever.

"Good morning, Young Master, mi'Lady, Miss Oppenheimer,"

Gordon greeted them with a slight bow.

Brandon nodded and smiled.

"Gordon, I'm glad to see that you've recovered. What's up?"

"I appreciate the kind words. Sir Victor has summoned you and Lady Bailey to his study," Gordon informed them, his tone professional and measured.

Bailey nodded, her playful demeanor from moments ago replaced by a more serious expression.

Gordon then turned to Elise.

"Miss Oppenheimer, I've been informed that your parents are waiting for you at your family's villa. They expressed a desire to see you promptly."

Elise's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of warmth crossing her face before she quickly masked it with a polite smile.

"Thank you, Gordon. I'll head there right away."

As Gordon stepped back out of the room, closing the door behind him, the atmosphere in the room shifted.

The lighthearted banter from earlier dissipated, replaced by a mild tension.

Brandon looked at Bailey and nodded.

"You go ahead, B. I'll be right there. I just want to have a quick word with Elise first."