The hunter & The hunted.

Pleasure slowly improved Leonardo's mana as he sunk down on the cold water. Feeling it, he let his mind fade into that orgasmic state and indulged in it.

Submerged, he smiled with unfocused dazed eyes. The adrenaline rush passed like it was never there and the wound took its toll in the form of exhaustion, his body fully relaxed, and even the painful wound became part of the blurry background.

A minute passed, then another, After a significant amount of minutes later, when his eyelids threatened to close and his back slid down the tub,--

Tap.

A cold pair of hands held his shoulders.

He opened his hazy eyes but barely saw anything. "...Cecilia?" He guessed then noticed one of the hands reaching for the wound on his chest.

He caught the slender wrist.

"Don't heal me, I need it to be a natural process."

He let go of it, and the slender hand started massaging his shoulder instead. Thin threads of mana entered his skin and soothed the muscle each time she pressured a sore spot. Leonardo's eyes became more dazed and a grin formed on his lips.

He held her hand gently and muttered while leading it down his chest.

"This technique, Cecilia... I know where it'll be the most useful."

Her hand came willingly with naivety, but the moment it touched his stiffening member, Leonardo heard a cute yelp as the arm pulled back. He frowned when the thin wrist scaped his clutches.

"Just where...do you think you're going, little thing!?"

He smirked and brought down the owner of the hands from behind him. Water flew everywhere as Leonardo laughed and the woman struggled.

He dazedly held the wet silhouette and noticed that her lips were shining with a reddish tinge, just like a cherry.

Nom!

He leaned forward with a quick peck and took a gentle bite on it.

A palm struck his forehead, Leonardo opened his eyes wide.

Angry, and worried black eyes stared back at him with shame.

"Hailey!?" Leonardo exclaimed to the girl covering her lips with a hand. Her summer dress was drenched in cold water making her stiff nipples appear trough.

Seconds of silence passed before Leonardo licked his lips. "It tasted sweet."

Coldwater was thrown on his face.

After splashing him, Hailey stepped out of the tub with a red and irritated-face.

She stopped and looked everywhere but his face as she reluctantly spoke. "I-it's been one hour since you entered the bathroom, and the guests started to arrive. So I came.."

Leonardo smiled, the shy girl must've seen his state and tried to help him out of worry.

"Also…" She took furtive glances at him as she continued. "That douchebag from school, Ugo, he came with Jeff and Cassie and a couple more boys, he didn't stop mouthing off about you in front of Claudia, and... He even ogled mom from behind and laughed with his pals like a perverted uncle. Mom wanted to wait until Silvio came back from the market to tell him off, but... I- I thought we should tell you first."

Hailey avoided his eyes as she finished telling.

[She's anxious.] Azumi commented while batting her butterfly wings on the bathroom window. [And you know why. Disappoint her and it'll be a lifetime of difficulties to build any trust with her again.]

Leonardo heard but didn't bother answering, his heartbeat went quick with excitement, and an unending desire to laugh from happiness took over his hurting chest. His mother felt it would be better to let Silvio solve it but Hailey felt that maybe she could trust her changed elder brother. And even though it's also an unconscious test by her, Leonardo was glad to prove her right.

"But since you're injured, It's better no-" As she spoke Leonardo abruptly got up from the tub and unhurriedly started drying himself.

Hailey's face was covered in red as she stared with wide eyes at his waist then covered her eyes while yelling. "I'm still here! You moron!"

Leonardo ignored the girl and went down the memory lane, remembering every detail about Ugo, it didn't take long since Ugo was a simple bully, and as the number one in timidness and studies, Leonardo was always a target of mockery. But Ugo is, in the end, just a headless chicken. And the fact he came with Jeff implied something else.

'Haha, does Jeff want to pay me back for the humiliation of yesterday...? On a barbecue, in my house?'

Hailey peeked from between her fingers, seeing him in full nude, her face got redder but she didn't close the gap and looked at his face. She froze. There was a malicious, venom-filled grin etched on his face.

His lips moved and she heard him mutter under his breath.

"What a bad boy you are, little Jeff."

A chill crawled up her spine

*****

"I'm telling ya, man, this little dude's taking that lucky shot against an authority holder and using it to paint himself as a hero! No one changes from night to day like this! He's still that scrawny shrimp from before!"

A tall shaved-headed young-man spoke, they were in a circle of four kicking around a ball to each other.

"Then what about what happened to Jeff yesterday?" Another young man passed the ball and asked.

Ugo smirked, "that's what rich boys are like in confrontational situations, they are all wimps in the end, and people also like to exaggerate things, we can't know for sure what happened."

Jeff who was standing amongst other students heard the four talking loudly but only grinned. Whereas the people around grimaced in annoyance.

Cassie nervously looked around, when Helen came earlier she felt a stinging gaze on her nape that sent chills through her body. Then Cecilia came and laughed around with the people present but her gaze would always find her and Cecilia would smile meaningfully.

'I really shouldn't have come...!' A sudden tug on her waist took cassie back from her anxiousness. She looked up and saw Jeff giving her a reassuring smile.

Her chest soothed slightly and she smiled back. Cassie gazed down at his hands and held it, but then she noticed his hand stiffened.

Not only him, but everyone had a surprise and panic on their faces.

She looked around and saw Ugo sweating bullets with an ugly smile, he extended his hands pleadingly, "D-dude, there's no need for that!?"

She followed his gaze and saw it.

The tall lanky Leonardo walking out of the house, with wet disheveled hair and a simple white t-shirt and common black shorts followed by flip-flops on the feet.

But nobody cared for that, their eyes were latched in the precision rifle on his left hand.

Wordlessly he walked in the middle of the yard.

some of the girls were already praying silently.

Leonardo smiled at Ugo and raised the rifle, people ran, and some screamed, but he laughed out loud and aimed up in the sky.

A single very mild gunshot rang out.

"Bullseye!" People heard Leonardo yell and felt their knees turn weak;

But in turn, the man wearing casual flip-flops let the rifle hang from his shoulder and chuckled as a heavy thud sound startled the crowd.

With fear and apprehension, they opened their eyes and looked down.

A bird twice the size of a turkey was sprawled on the grass, it's red feathers shone with the sun.

"The freshest barbecue you'll ever have is our family's seasoned phoenix-pigeon!"

Leonardo laughed, showing both of his canine teeth.