"Did you just hit my head?! I, who have suffered from a cracked skull!" Ainsley was already so loud as if he didn't realize that the sun hadn't even risen yet. He was about to put his fists up in a fighting stance, but Sinclair sat on the edge of the bed, just next to where Ainsley was seated. The CEO then placed his index fingertip on the other's lips, effectively shushing the other.
Sinclair didn't even react to the faint blush on Ainsley's face. "It's not even five in the morning. Don't talk too loud."
Instead of doing something to take off the finger, Ainsley even proceeded to pucker his lips in a pout. "Not five? How would you know? I don't have a clock in this room."
"Do you want to know?" As if suddenly finding something very amusing, Sinclair curled his lips in mischief. He even made a beckoning gesture after pulling back his finger from Ainsley's lips. "It's a very sensitive secret, so I suggest you come closer. I don't want to talk too loud."
"…? What secret?" Perhaps there was something in the way Sinclair spoke that made Ainsley enticed to move closer. He didn't know why he found Sinclair's whisper very appealing. Every time Sinclair whispered, it was like some kind of dreamwave melody that only drew him closer. Finding no way to escape the temptation, Ainsley indeed got closer.
The other man then moved his face next to Ainsley's ear, his breath even brushing at his friend's face. Ainsley didn't know why, but it felt very strange today. Sinclair could easily get close to him on some other days, but today seemed to be a different day.
His body somewhat reacted to Sinclair's presence, shuddering subtly at the jittery feeling. Ainsley's heart started to pound, and his neck started to redden. He knew that all of these were happening, but he strongly pushed them aside to hear what Sinclair was going to say.
"I know it's not yet five…"—Sinclair's voice was again sending strange signals—"because you snore so loud, I can barely sleep. I have to keep on checking the time, so I can kick you awake. Sadly, you woke up an hour earlier."
"…?" Ainsley blinked. It didn't seem like a serious matter.
Like a popping bubble, Ainsley's overall feeling disintegrated at a very anti-climatic point. He started to shake in anger and even refused to take a look at the other. From the quick huffs of Sinclair's breath against his face, Ainsley knew that the friend was giggling soundlessly next to him. Rascal must feel so proud of what he had done.
The eye farther from the other person twitched. Ainsley suddenly felt his rage double in the next second. If the media had always painted Sinclair King as a cold, heartless person; they were certainly very wrong! This rascal was even more mischievous than him!
Without another word, Ainsley tested the endurance of his post-miracle body. He quickly moved to lock Sinclair into a headlock with his arms, but the CEO moved rather fast and evaded. However, as their positions were more favorable to Ainsley, he still managed to launch a second attack. His arms wound around Sinclair's torso and crushed him in a bear hug from behind.
"You can't get away from me now! Take this!"
"Oh, you think you can win against me now?" Sinclair only laughed out as he realized that Ainsley's body… seemed to have strengthened itself. It must be from the bond of the dragon's heart. However, if Ainsley continued to make use of his strength freely, who knew when the first problems would start?
Still, out of sight, Sinclair sighed in a smile. His friend was indeed recovering pretty quickly from the accident and the implant of the dragon's heart—like he didn't even suffer at all. There was nothing much to worry about. As for him, he was not even worried about it. He was the prince of the moonlight dragon clan; how weak could he be?
His arms were restricted against his body by Ainsley's bear hug. However, it was not hard to break out of the hold. All he had to do was to force his arms free.
"Wow, how did you even become this beefy?!" Ainsley was confident in his hold, but as soon as Sinclair started to just lift his arms to break free, the patient felt almost every activating muscle in the other's body. His bear hug was easily being defeated, especially when he was more focused on feeling all those flexing muscles and wondering how they even existed.
"I can't work very long hours if I don't work out." Sinclair finally broke out of the hold that weakened over time. "You should try it, instead of stress-eating and binge-drinking."
"Tch, leave my stress-eating and binge-drinking alone! I'm a functional alcoholic!" Ainsley huffed before actually slipping his arms under Sinclair's, inspecting the chest that felt so firm just now. "Oh, your body didn't seem to be very strong all the time."
Sinclair only cast his gaze at the hands that ran along his chest. His eyes then moved to the door from where two nurses were peeking. They seemed to have responded to the noise Ainsley made so early in the morning, and what a juncture for them to witness. Moreover, their thoughts had already bled to their annoying soundless giggling.
He then cleared his throat as if taking Ainsley's attention. "Regardless, it's five. The nurses must be starting their rounds. I also have to return home. I do not have a full week of break like you. Take your hands off now."
"Tch, the stone-hard teddy bear is leaving. Fine." Ainsley decided to release his friend and even moved his foot to kick Sinclair's butt. "Go on, go on. I'll be discharged today, so I'll probably just see you somewhere else. Do you want to eat dinner at my place?"
"You should be resting," Sinclair repeated. He decided to stick to his public persona now that they had an unwanted audience that he couldn't chase away.
He only pulled on his shirt to flatten the creases and collected his suit jacket and suitcase from the lockers at the foot of the bed. After a curt goodbye to the patient who only responded with an OK gesture, he then glared at the nurses that were forced to bow down. The dragon CEO finally got into the hallway and proceeded on his day as if he wasn't caught in an embarrassing play fight with his best friend minutes ago.
The nurses then entered, and one couldn't help but continue giggling when they realized that Ainsley didn't notice them earlier. "Say, Mr. Leneghan… are you in that kind of relationship with Mr. King?"
"…what relationship? Never saw two kids play before?"