Gabriel rang the bell and knocked on the door, but no one came to open it even after several minutes passed. Restraining a sigh, he pressed the doorbell again, keeping his finger on the button a bit longer, and hit the door a few more times. But the result was still the same. No one seemed to be making their way to the front door.
However, there was definitely someone at home; he could hear noises coming from inside, the loud music making the walls tremble.
Feeling his mouth twitch, Gabriel took out his cell phone from his coat pocket and tried to call Stephan for the nth time. But then again, his friend didn't pick up, and all he heard was the dial tone. Goodness, why wasn't Stephan picking up today of all days? He was usually glued to his cell phone, peeking at it every second. So how come he wasn't answering?!
"How many missed calls does this make?" Misha wondered, furrowing his brow slightly.
"Dunno. I stopped to count after ten," Masha shrugged before glancing at Gabriel, asking, "What should we do now?"
"Well, we don't really have a choice. We need to talk to him today, so let's just get in and search for his whereabouts. Someone forgot to lock the door," Gabriel sighed as he turned the doorknob, opening the said unlocked door. "Anyway, I'm sure Stephan is inside. His dad is not the kind to turn the music up so loud; only he would do that."
Among the three, not one was shy, so they casually went in, their heads held high as if they weren't currently trespassing. Stephan just had to lock the door if he didn't want anyone to come in!
Anyway, they all knew Gabriel was right; they couldn't postpone today's discussion. The next time Gabriel would be able to go out was unsure. Besides, Angela could always change her mind, saying that she didn't like the idea of her "son" spending so much time with someone who had brought him to death's door—because one day per month was still too much, too risky.
And who knows if Angela wouldn't assign him a chaperon in the future instead of locking him up. With an extra person tagging along, how could they openly talk about time travel and their plans for the future with Stephan? Whatever they said would travel back to Angela's ears. So, regardless of Stephan's feelings, they were going to use today's golden chance to corner him, determined not to waste it.
The music was even louder inside the house, making Misha reflexively cover his ears with his hands, his small face twisted into a grimace. His eardrums would burst if he stayed here for too long! Why was it so loud?! The Stephan he knew wasn't fond of loud, boisterous music. No, the bar always had a calm atmosphere. Had his taste perhaps changed over the years?
They passed by the living room, and Gabriel noticed Stephan's cell phone carelessly abandoned on the table. So, his friend didn't have it by his side; no wonder he didn't answer. It was near impossible to hear the ringtone amid all the noises.
Gabriel looked around and couldn't help but narrow his eyes, feeling a little exasperate deep down. The state of the living room was alarming, to the point where it almost made him feel bad for the cleaning lady, who would have to clean up after Stephan.
Many bottles of alcohol littered the floor, and even pieces of clothing were thrown haphazardly; empty bags of chips and popcorn were scattered everywhere, accompanied by several snacks forgotten here and there. It also seemed like Stephan had knocked a few glasses of alcohol while intoxicated, dirtying the floor and whatnot. It was one hell of a mess.
"Well, looks like someone had fun yesterday while their dad was out," Masha snickered, glancing at some panties left on the back of the couch. "Do you really think that playboy will be able to keep his dick in his pants? That's harder to imagine than time traveling, to be honest."
Because the music was too loud, Masha almost had to scream her lungs out to be heard, standing not even an inch away from Gabriel and Misha. But even then, they could barely hear her, having to guess most of what she said.
"Probably not," Gabriel admitted with a sigh.
"He definitely won't," Misha seconded. "Anyway, where is he?"
"Probably snoring in his room. He doesn't wake up no matter how noisy it gets when he's wasted, even though he's usually a light sleeper."
That being said, Gabriel showed them the way to Stephan's bedroom, and as they walked upstairs, getting farther away from the living room, the music became less painful for the ears, even almost pleasing. They stopped in front of a door and flung it open, but what welcomed them wasn't exactly a snoring Stephan. Although he was indeed in bed, he was busy doing some… exercises.
One girl lay naked under Stephan, while a man was on top of him, tightly gripping his hips. They were in the middle of some lovemaking session, which had probably begun hours back—considering the number of love marks dotting their skins. Some even had started to grow pale.
The moment the door opened, they froze mid-movement. It was as if time had come to a halt, and no one seemed to know what to say or do.
The one who ultimately broke the silence and sent the clock back on track was Misha. "The hell!" he snorted, his nose wrinkled in disdain. "You're fucking like bunnies in the middle of the day?! Guys, come on! Wait at least until evening!"
Casting them a disappointed look, Misha grabbed Gabriel's and Masha's wrists before spinning on his heels. He then dragged his sister and Gabriel into the corridor, scoffing, "You have fifteen minutes, no more! We'll be in the living room, so don't you dare make us wait, or I'm gonna come back to kick your ass and drag you by the neck. Got it?"
"…Got it," Stephan answered in a somewhat hoarse voice, still shocked silly by the sudden appearance of his childhood friend, Masha, and a little boy he didn't know.
Misha humphed before slamming the door behind him with his feet, pulling Masha and Gabriel downstairs to the living room. Then, he rummaged about to find the radio and turned off the music, heaving a sigh of relief once silence had befallen the place. That was better.
"Why do I have the feeling it's not the first time you stumble upon Stephan in this kind of situation?" Gabriel asked, indicating to Masha that she should sit with a tilt of his head.
"Because it's not." Misha rolled his eyes. "It's quite a familiar sight, actually. I don't even know how many times I found him in a compromising position at work. That guy is worse than a cat in heat! And whenever I surprised him playing around with his one-night stand, he would always invite me to join them, not at all ashamed."
"Did you accept?" Masha couldn't help but ask, cocking an eyebrow.
"Why the hell would I?! If he hadn't been my boss, I'd have beaten him to death and cut that useless thing between his legs! But, seriously, every time I had to go to the toilet, I was afraid to hear moans and whatnot. Even Dereck lost patience once and threw him out, not caring if he was half-naked or not."
Misha paused, a smirk stretching his lips. Unknown memories flashed in his mind before he added with a giggle that dripped with schadenfreude, "Stephan came back the next day with a nasty cold. Autumn nights can be quite chilly, especially when you're wandering outside wearing only a pair of briefs. He was calm for a few weeks after that, hehe."
Hearing this, Masha and Gabriel glanced at each other, silently agreeing on never angering Dereck. People who were calm, gentle, and patient sometimes became fearsome monsters once mad, and it appeared that Dereck's personality belonged to that type. He threw out his boss in the streets, from the bar he owned to boot. What else wouldn't he dare do?
As they talked, Stephan's buddies passed through the living room to reach the front door, embarrassedly nodding at them before hurrying outside. Not long after, Stephan appeared, wearing a fancy bathrobe. He wobbled to the sofa and slumped into it, just beside Masha.
Smacking his lips, he poutily said, "Why didn't you call before coming?"
"I called you," Gabriel answered coldly, staring at his friend as if he was dead meat. "At least twenty times."
"…And who is this?" Stephan quickly changed the topic. "He looks like a little angel."
"He's my little brother," Masha answered. "And he's more of a devil than an angel, you should have realized that."
"He's still adorable. Makes me want to pinch his cheeks."
"Gaby, can I punch him?" Misha politely asked with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.
"Go ahead."
"Wait, wait, wait!" Stephan stuttered, lifting his hands as a sign of submission. "How about telling me why you're here? Hm? Let's not get violent, let's be civilized!"
"Says the beast," Misha snorted, glaring at the teenager as if he was worth less than dirt.
"…" Stephan shed silent tears as an answer.
After Misha finished venting his pent-up frustration, Gabriel undertook the task of explaining everything. He knew it was hard to believe, so he showed Stephan the video. It was one of the most convincing proofs they had, considering that the holographic technology incorporated in the wristwatch was too advanced for their time. Misha's message also revealed many things, and despite his appearance, he didn't appear to be a child, making it more believable that he was an adult in a kid's body.
Once the video ended, Stephan was silent for a second before turning his head toward the boy. Then, he raised an eyebrow and pointed to Gabriel, asking in a somewhat deadpan tone, "So, you're in love with that guy? You've got bad taste, dude."
"Oh shut up!"
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Chapter revised on 2022-06-04
Edited by Clozed! ♥
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