CHAPTER 259: WORK TOGETHER [2]

The soft hum of the convenience store’s overhead lights filled the quiet aisle as Brandon crouched in front of the chilled display, looking through the glass at the rows of alcohol neatly arranged inside.

He opened the door and reached inside to grab a bottle of red wine, followed by a few cans of premium beer, and then, after a brief pause, plucked a bottle of vodka from the bottom shelf.

Beside him, Ravene leaned lazily against the opposite fridge door "Wine, beer, and vodka? What’s the plan?"

Brandon chuckled, standing up with the bottles in his hands "Movie night deserves a bit of everything. Besides, I thought we could all loosen up a little."

Just then, Eira walked up with a small paper bag of snacks in hand.

She paused when she saw what Brandon was holding and raised an eyebrow "I didn’t know you drank those," she said, gesturing toward the vodka with a wry smile.

Brandon turned to her with a smile "You don’t?"

Eira shook her head slowly. "Well, I drink wine occasionally... but beer? Vodka? Not really. I’ve tasted them, but I wouldn’t say I enjoy them."

Before Brandon could respond, Ravene leaned in with a grin "Then tonight will be your first time. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you."

Eira gave her a blank look "Tch. You’re the last person I’d trust with alcohol supervision, you are a clumsy woman."

"Excuse you," Ravene placed a hand over her chest in mock offense. "I’m very responsible when I want to be."

"You’ve never wanted to be," Eira retorted flatly.

Ravene: ╥﹏╥

"Should we grab mixers too?" Brandon asked, shifting the bottles in his arms.

"Hmm..." Ravene walked toward the soda section. "Get orange juice for the vodka. Maybe tonic water too."

"Get some ice, Brandon," Eira added, pointing toward a freezer.

As Brandon busied himself with loading the basket, Eira stood behind him, watching his broad back as he reached for the ice pack.

Her fingers tightened slightly around the paper bag she was holding.

It wasn’t the first time she found herself watching him like this.

The subtle strength in his frame, the quiet way his body moved, confident but without showing off... it all combined to make her chest tighten slightly.

His neckline was exposed beneath the loose collar of his shirt, revealing a smooth patch of skin and the faint curve of his collarbone.

His jaw flexed slightly as he looked back over his shoulder.

Her eyes lingered there, drinking in the sight of his expression and the way his bangs hung slightly over his beautiful eyes, just brushing the corners.

It was criminal, honestly, how good he looked without even trying.

Unconsciously, she bit her lower lip and her eyes narrowed with a strange feeling of both satisfaction and apprehension.

"...Damn, he is so fucking hot," she muttered under her breath.

Ravene returned, holding a few soda bottles in one hand "What was that?"

Eira looked at her and shook her head "Nothing."

But Ravene wasn’t convinced and she leaned closer "You’re thinking the same thing I am, aren’t you?"

"...What would that be?"

With a grin, Ravene muttered "That you want to have sex with him right now."

( ´●_●) EH? Eira gave her a blank stare "I am not a pervert like you, Sister Rave..."

Ravene was taken aback and blinked twice "Then, what were you thinking?"

Eira didn’t respond. Instead, she turned her eyes back to Brandon, who had just placed the last of the drinks into their shopping basket and looked back at them.

"Alright, I think we’ve got everything."

The two women nodded.

As Brandon walked toward the counter to pay, Eira pulled Ravene and whispered "He looks so hot as fuck..."

Hearing this, Ravene grinned and looked at him "Of course he is... he is my Kael."

Eira rolled her eyes playfully and stuck out her tongue. "Hm. You would say that because you’ve been in love with him since high school, you groomer."

Ravene gasped in mock horror and held up a soda bottle like a holy cross. "Hey! That’s my pure, sacred, long-suffering love! Don’t make it sound weird!"

"Sounds like grooming to me," Eira teased, nudging her with her elbow as they followed after Brandon.

"Hey, shut up- what about you, huh? You’re drooling every time he adjusts his shirt."

"Bleh."

---

"If we both care about him and we both don’t want to hurt him... then wouldn’t it be better if we just... cooperate and work together?"

"Eh?" Dhayun was dumbfounded to hear Yverine’s words.

"What... do you mean by working together? What are you proposing exactly?"

"I’m not proposing anything weird," Yverine clarified quickly, sensing the direction of Dhayun’s thoughts.

"Just... maybe we don’t need to fight. Like we don’t have to choose between who deserves him more. He’s already... special to both of us."

A silence passed between them.

Yverine continued "I have noticed the way he looks at you... it’s not just old friendship. You’ve got your own place in his heart. Just like I have mine."

For a moment, neither of them said anything.

The night wind blew gently, carrying with it the distant scent of nightflowers blooming along the garden path.

A cat meowed somewhere beyond the hedge.

Dhayun finally sighed and looked back at Yverine "So, let’s say I agree. We both like him. We don’t fight and don’t go behind each other’s backs. We don’t manipulate or guilt-trip him. We keep it real. But what about Eira?"

"She is already in a relationship with him. And honestly... I don’t want them to break up, because Brandon is genuinely happy with her and Eira is also a sweet girl."

"I... don’t want to betray her."

Yverine’s lips pressed together. "I know, Eira is already part of his life, and she made her choice. And Brandon is the kind of guy who will hurt himself trying to make her happy."

"Yeah..." Dhayun murmured with a bittersweet smile tugging at her lips.

"That’s why I fell for him, you know? He’s not trying to be a Casanova. He’s just... too full of warmth. Always looking at others like they matter."

They both chuckled lightly at that and the tension between them slowly loosened.

"I’ll be honest," Dhayun added after a moment.

"I used to think I would be the only one. That someday I would tie him down and keep him just for me. But seeing how he’s with all of you... with Eira, with others... it made me realize something."

Yverine raised an eyebro "What?"

"That maybe he’s not meant to belong to just one person," she replied in a wistful voice.

"And maybe that’s okay. As long as I can keep walking beside him, holding his hand, kissing him when I miss him... be there when he’s tired. Maybe that’s enough."

There was a beat of silence between them before Yverine nodded solemnly "I didn’t think I could feel this way either. Well, I never imagined I would fall in love and thought I would be alone forever."

"But now that I have... I want to be close. I want him to lean on me, to choose me too. Not because of obligation, but because I mean something to him."

"...Guess that’s what we have in common, huh?" Dhayun showed a small smile.

Yverine looked up and her cool gaze finally softened completely "We care about the same idiot."

Both of them laughed.

"...So," Dhayun added with a sly smirk, "does this mean we’re sister-wives now?"

Huh? Yverine tilted her head "S-Sister wives?"

A sudden chuckle left her lips "That sounds weirdly funny..."