After putting away the groceries in the refrigerator, Gabriel glanced at Misha, who was busy sulking in a corner. Black, stormy clouds seemed to shroud the crown of his head, keeping everyone at bay. The sight made Gabriel shake his head, half-amused and half-exasperated.
Years had gone by, and Misha hadn't changed much. Gabriel couldn't help but wonder if he should count himself lucky that the teenager hadn't succumbed to his murderous urge earlier and hadn't thrown Angela out the window. He pondered for a few seconds before telling himself that, yes, he should.
After bringing their luggage inside an hour or so ago, Angela showed them around the house and where their rooms were, assigning everyone to their quarters in passing. Misha's face turned blank when he heard he was to share a room with Tristan. Everyone, except Angela, could tell what went through his head, which could pretty much be translated as: "What the fuck? I'm not sleeping in the same room as Gabriel?! You gotta be kidding me!"
Stephan had to reign in a laugh while Jake rubbed his temples. It seemed like the teenager had forgotten Masha was supposed to be the man's girlfriend. Although, it wasn't that surprising he had skipped that part. Gabriel and Masha never acted as lovers when people in the know were around. And even at Misha's house, Gabriel's excuse was that he was going along with his girlfriend's little brother's whims. It had initially exasperated Masha's parents to no end, and they sometimes felt embarrassed by their youngest's antics. Still, they had grown used to it and no longer paid attention to their son's possessive behavior over Gabriel. If the man and Masha didn't mind, who were they to meddle?
Thus, Misha was used to Gabriel's presence by his side. Deep down, he considered him his, even if they had yet to talk about their relationship or what it would become. For him, it was natural to sleep in the same bed, and he sure as hell hated the idea of not sharing his room with the man. He hated it so much that Gabriel had to swiftly cover his mouth and yank him to his chest after Angela announced the news, for the teenager was just about to snap and jump on the woman, ready to wring her neck.
Luckily, Gabriel's stepmother had her back to them and didn't see Misha's little outburst.
"Someone really isn't happy with the rooming arrangements," Masha chuckled beside Gabriel, taking pleasure in her little brother's misery. She might have calmed down, but she was still pissed about her weekend going down the drain. She needed an outlet for her frustration; right now, anybody's unhappiness was her happiness. Pettiness ran deep in the Lesskov family.
"And someone else seems a little too delighted about it," Gabriel sighed, peering at Stephan, who was beaming.
Not too surprisingly, Angela threw her eldest son under the bus and put him in the same room as Stephan, probably so they could foster their feelings. Or at least, that was what she was going to tell Jake.
Moreover, they only had four rooms available. With that in mind, her arrangements were the most logical ones: the youngest in one of the rooms upstairs, just beside hers, then the couple downstairs on one side, and Jake and Stephan on the other side. Of course, she could have done things differently, like putting in a room the Lesskov siblings, in another, Tristan and Jake, and finally, Gabriel and Stephan, who were childhood friends. Then again, they could have laid their mattresses in the living room and slept together. But no one dared to point that out, knowing it wouldn't do them any good. If Angela hadn't asked for their opinions, then it meant their thoughts on the matter were unwarranted.
"Well, at least that witch is kind enough to give us some free time," Masha snorted. "Whether we go for a hike or stay at home is up to us."
"As long as we don't leave the mountain vicinity, I'm pretty sure we can do whatever we want. It took us hours by car to get to the villa, so there is no way we can go home on foot... I'm pretty sure reaching a town would take a day or two. And, as you know, Angela doesn't actually want to spend time with us, so if we can occupy ourselves, I'm pretty sure that's gonna make her day."
Masha nodded, agreeing with her friend. That was something they had all expected, and that was also a sentiment they all shared: the less time they spent with the woman, the better they would feel.
"So?" Masha smiled after a few seconds of silence, tilting her head toward her brother. "What are you gonna do about this guy? I don't know what scenarios he's imagining in his little head, but he seems to be getting more and more annoyed by the second."
"Scenarios?" Gabriel snorted before walking forward to the teenager, glancing over his shoulder as he added for Masha, "If you want my opinion, he's either thinking about how to sneak into our room tonight or dispose of Angela's corpse. I'm leaning toward the latter."
His answer was a hearty laugh, but Gabriel pretended not to hear it. He had a little devil to comfort first and foremost, or he feared he'd never hear the end of it.
.
.
The cool breeze blew Misha's hair backward, exposing his face and shocked blue eyes. Gabriel looked at his dumbstruck expression and couldn't help but smile. Such an endearing reaction… It made Gabriel want to pamper him just as much as it made him want to tease him.
"So?" He started, his voice soft. "Is the scenery to your taste?"
"Do you really need to ask? It's frigging beautiful!"
"Right?" Gabriel nodded, satisfied. "It was my hiding spot back when I was stuck here. Angela was all over me at home, watching my every move. Whenever I couldn't stand it anymore, I would make up whatever excuse to get out. Luckily, she isn't the kind of person who likes outdoor activities, so she let me hike on my own."
Gabriel paused as if remembering something unpleasant before chuckling, "Isn't it funny how her actions contradicted every single thing she claimed was for my own good? Sometimes, I wonder if she hasn't thrown her common sense in the trash bin. What sensible person lets a teenager who is said to be still in convalescence walk alone in a forest without even a cell to call for help if something happens? That's asking for a disaster to strike."
"She probably hoped you would topple down another slope and die for good this time," Misha snorted as he gazed at the lake and the cliff beyond. "This place isn't exactly the safest."
"True, but the sight is worth the trouble."
"I guess so, yeah..."
Misha's voice was like a whisper as he took in the sight before him. The sun was settling down after a long day, and the few rays of sunlight that passed through the branches of the trees seemed to dance on the undulating water. On his right was a narrow waterfall, and each side was covered by lush vegetation. Wild berries entangled with the greenish leaves of climbing plants, dotting the greyish rock with red, purple, and blue spots. As for his left side, it was cut by the cliff where the lake ended, and the water, which overflowed the bedrock, flooded down the wall and disappeared below, falling into the river that crossed the forest.
"Come and sit," Gabriel said, snapping Misha out of his reverie. "I've brought lamps, so returning home even after nightfall won't be too difficult. We're not that far from the villa, anyway."
The man gestured toward the lakeshore covered in pebbles of various colors, shapes, and sizes. He had found a not-too-mossy boulder large enough for two people to sit on, and before Misha could even answer, he took his hand to drag him toward it.
The stone was a little rough around the edge and not the most comfortable, but neither complained and instead sat side by side, gazing at the sky as it gradually turned darker. It didn't take long before stars shone above their heads, and their reflections dotted the lake. The water, which had almost turned black, gently glinted like an illuminated city at night. Some insects traveled over the water, creating tiny waves, while others chanted their lullabies, accompanied by the croaking of frogs. It was like peering into another world.
"Say…" Misha suddenly spoke, drawing Gabriel's attention. "Do you think we could kill Angela and disguise it as a drowning accident?"
"…"
'Is this really what's going through your head right now?!' Gabriel silently facepalmed. He'd brought the teenager here so they could relax together, not plan a murder! 'Looks like he's more pissed about the room arrangements than I thought…'
"We certainly could, but doing that would blow up all the plans Jake and I have prepared. We need her to get to the bottom of what's going on in my father's business, whether we like it or not."
"Tsk."
Misha pursed his lips, and Gabriel could tell he hadn't let go of the idea, still imagining how to disguise Angela's murder as a drowning accident. If he was honest, he had thought of it, too. It wouldn't even be challenging: Angela loved wines, and getting her drunk would be a piece of cake. After that, he would only need to push her into the lake and ensure she couldn't come out, keeping her head underwater. Gabriel and Misha had climbed further down, but the villa was still on the lakeshore, and its balcony stretched over the water.
What if she fell over, too drunk to catch herself before her fall, and, of course, too drunk to swim…?
What if they let her drown for over a dozen minutes, long enough for her brain to die out of oxygen, then did CPR, pretending that they did try to save her…?
What if…
Since Angela wasn't guarded against Jake or him, they could easily and swiftly get rid of her during their stay if they wanted to. Her sudden death would become an unfortunate accident, as he was sure no one would doubt their words. On the surface, they all got along pretty well, and their entourage didn't know just how terrible Angela was to her eldest son. The ones who knew were human trash no better than her, and they wouldn't risk their own skins by tattling to the police about what Jake had gone through and why he might want to get rid of his mother.
Still…
"To be honest, I often thought of killing her, especially after learning how she treated Jake in the previous timelines and how she still treats him to this day. However, no murder is perfect, and there's always a possibility of getting caught. Also, I think death is too kind of an ending for her. If I could have my way, I'd make her suffer until the end of her days."
"I heard drowning is quite the painful death, though…"
"Mish'…"
"What?" The teenager shrugged. "Dreaming about it doesn't mean I'll do it!"
"Oh, really–"
A splash interrupted Gabriel. Startled, they both instinctively snapped their heads toward the lake. They saw the ripples but didn't see what caused it. It seemed to have resulted from an animal jumping into the water. Whatever it might have been, it scared Misha to death, drawing a laugh out of Gabriel's mouth. The teenager had, consciously or not, jumped on his feet and positioned himself in a defensive, fighting stance. He looked pretty foolish now that nothing rushed to them, and only silence remained.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh as much as you want!" Misha grimaced before grinning, a sparkle of childish malice flashing across his eyes. "By the way, is the lake safe to swim in?"
"Hm? Yes, it is. The current is not strong, and this part of the lake isn't very deep."
"Then… How about a midnight swim?"
"We don't have our swimming trunks or towels…"
"Who cares? It's just the two of us," Misha chuckled as he tugged his tongue out, walking backward toward the lake. "Undress and follow me!"
"Can I say no to that…?"
"No!"
A hearty laugh resounded throughout the lake as Misha swiftly took off his shirt, shoes, and shorts, throwing his clothes in a pile on the shore. He seemed to have forgotten all about murdering Angela, his mind now preoccupied with a midnight swim with Gabriel. His naked body was quickly revealed under the shining moonlight, bluish hues dancing on his blond hair and white skin. He beckoned Gabriel to follow along with a smile, seemingly daring him to come closer. An eerie but mesmerizing atmosphere seemed to envelop Misha, giving off the impression that he had leaped out of a fairytale. The entrancing background behind him only added to the surreal feeling, leaving Gabriel speechless.
"Come on! Don't be shy, don't be shy!"
Gabriel felt his mouth twitch slightly. Then, a sigh escaped him before he stood up. What could he say? He was weak to Misha.
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