Chapter 26
"Will you stop hopping around and just sit still." Damon took a mug and he made coffee for himself. 'I should buy a coffee machine soon.'
Lance looked at his brother in awe, his brother walked and talked like he truly was living in this apartment. "Wow! You adapt too well to your environment brother."
Damon looked over his shoulder and shrugged. "I'll be living here for two days so I might as well be familiar with everything inside this home."
Lance chuckled. "Is Hestia included?"
Damon sat in front of his brother, his mischievious smile was quite contagious. "I said everything, so that includes Ichigo and especially Hestia." He leaned on his chair like a King while he elegantly sipped his coffee.
Lance was inwardly pulling his hair in frustration, 'Why can't I be that cool when I drink my hot choco! Life is so unfair sometimes for us humans.'
"By the way, what are you discussing with Hestia?" Damon's voice was calm but Lance knew his brother was dead serious and he won't spare him if he lied to him.
Lance was torn between telling the truth or lying. He gulped down his imaginary saliva. Beads of sweat kept on rolling down his back and face.
Damon tapped a finger on the table. The tapping sound made Lance even more scared and nervous. "Why are you nervous my dear brother, it was a simply question."
Lance took his handkerchief to wipe his sweat, Pulling his collar and waving his hand for some breeze to relieve the heat he was feeling. "Did you saw us talking? Your eyes might have deceived you, we were just enjoying our hot choco in silence!" Even to his ears, his rant was obviously a lie.
Damon slowly sipped his coffee, the aura around him started to become chilly. Lance rubbed his eyes because he suddenly saw a blizzard. He felt the chills run down his spine, his doom to be buried alive in a huge pile of paperwork.
"Are you perhaps planning on teaming up to make trouble for me."
Lance after hearing those words instantly grovel towards his brother. "Dear brother spare this humble servant of yours! It was a lapse in judgment. What was I thinking not drinking my medicine!"
Damon leisurely enjoyed his coffee and his brother's silliness. "I am deeply disappointed. Who would have thought that my own brother was planning my demise." He looked the part of a betrayed victim.
"Aiyoo! Brother don't act this way. I would never betray you!" Lance knew he was trapped by his brother, he just hope that he'll survive the consequence of plotting against his brother.
Damon scratch his chin. He was a king sitting on his throne planning the punishment of an unruly servant. "Tom told me about a pile of doc.u.ments that needs to be urgently reviewed, I wonder if you can handle such task?"
Lance hugged Damon's thigh. "Brother, I'm the most qualified to do that task please leave it all to me." Lance was mourning inside his head, he can foresee sleepless nights and overtimes for the following days. He was truly doom to be buried alive.
Damon smirked. "Then I'm entrusting the task to you. Tom
"Uncle what are you doing on the floor?" Ichigo was yawning when he entered the kitchen/dining area. He had the best nap of his life aside from the naps with his mother.
Lance swoop his nephew in his arms and he then tickled Ichigo. "How's my cute nephew's nap time?"
Ichigo squirmed around his uncles arms. "Ha ha ha... Uncle stop tickling me! Ha ha ha.....!"
Lance stopped his attack and let Ichigo go down, he laughed when he saw the boy run towards his brother and be carried by him.
"How was your nap Ichi?" Damon sat Ichigo on his right thigh. Ichigo beamed and told them how well he was rested. "Dad I dreamed about going to the beach! You, me, mom, uncle and even grandpa and grandma are their at the beach. We were all having fun!"
"Wow! that's a good dream." Lance sat opposite their chair and just enjoy listening to Ichigo talked about his dream.
"Why don't we fulfill that dream, what do you think Ichi?" Damon smiled satisfyingly at how Ichigo's face brighten at his suggestion.
"Can we really go to the beach as a complete family!" Ichigo was giddy about the thought of going to the beach with a family,
Damon lovingly ruffled Ichigo's smooth hair. "Of course we can, when will your summer break begin?"
Hestia heard about Damon's question so she answered it for Ichigo. "Their teacher said that they will begin their summer break at the end of March until the third week of April." She put Ichigo's milk on the table along with some cookies she baked herself.
"Hey that would be next week! Thanks mom." Ichigo begun to dip his cookies in his milk. Damon also grabbed a cookie to eat. Lance was going to get one but Damon swats his hand. Hestia scolded Damon for being selfish, she told him to be a good example for Ichigo in giving. Lance happily munched on his cookie while Damon sulked on his chair.
"Ichigo was telling us about his dream of going at the beach and I told him that we can go, Is that alright with you sweetheart?"
Hestia blushed for a hundred time that day, "Will you stop calling me sweetheart! It's embarra.s.sing."
Damon pouted. "What's so embarra.s.sing about addressing your love one with endearment? If I won't call you sweetheart or be sweet to you flies will surely buzz around you and try to be close to you and I won't allow that to happen!"
Hestia can't believe this guy, how can he say those lines without cringing. "You're beginning to act like a clingy woman and I'm supposed to be the one acting that way not the other way a round."
"We can always be clingy around each other, I won't mind."
Lance was gagging at the corner of the room, 'What happened to his cold brother. He guessed that this is a sign that the earth is nearing its doom.'
Hestia flushed from head-to-toe, "Fine you can call me sweetheart but please stop spouting cringy lines."
Damon shrugged his shoulder. "Okay sweetheart." He was a bit offended, he thought that he was acing the flirting department but according to Hestia he was a flop but he can always try but looking at the brighter side he can now freely address Hestia as his sweetheart and besides there's this saying 'Try and try until you succeed' so he would do just that and succeed. His confident that eventually Hestia will fall for his charms.
"Mom, when will we schedule our outing?" Ichigo sympathized with his mom, dad sometimes say embarra.s.sing stuffs and his mom is always the victim of his dad's cheesy lines.
Hestia was thankful for her sons timely question, "We can go during the following weekends, are you okay with that Damon?"
Damon fished his phone out, he then checked his schedule for the following days and while checking for his free time an idea pop in his head. His parent's anniversary is due next week and he can take a leave for the coming weekend, he smiled mischievously. "Why don't we go Sat.u.r.day next week."
Lance was baffled at his brother's answer. "Isn't mom and dad's anniversary this coming Sat.u.r.day?"
Damon smiled. "Exactly and we're celebrating it in Amore island so we are hitting two birds with one stone. Is that okay with you sweetheart?"
Lance saluted at how cunning his brother was. It was truly hitting two birds in one stone. Ichigo can fulfill his dream and Damon can introduce Hestia and Ichigo to their parents without exerting much effort.
Hestia was hesitant, it was his parent's anniversary it would be rude to just go without proper invitation. "I don't know, your parents might think we are sucking up with you." She was afraid that her ugly past will repeat again.
Damon knew Hestia was apprehensive and he kind of understand why she is feeling that way. "Sweetheart you don't need to be afraid, my parents are good and sensible people and I'll be there to protect you and Ichigo at all times." He stood up while carrying Ichigo. He and Ichigo gave Hestia a comforting hug.
Hestia relaxed inside Damon's embrace. She felt safe and secure. She was surprised to feel that she trusted Damon's words, she smiled and agreed to go with Damon. She was no longer afraid to face her fears because deep inside she knows she can depend on Damon.