As dawn gently slipped through the curtains, casting a golden hue upon the room, a battle of wills unfolded. The boy, wrapped snugly in the warmth of his blankets, clung desperately to the fading tendrils of sleep, his eyelids heavy with dreams.
Meanwhile, his sister, a relentless harbinger of morning, pirouetted around the room like a persistent sprite, her voice a cheerful melody punctuated by urgent pleas to rise.
Luna thought, "What the hell were you doing all night to sleep in this late?" as she uncovered him and gently tapped his cheeks.
"Time to wake up, sleepyhead"
"Yo, shorty, mind letting me snooze a bit longer? I'm beat," Zayn muttered, pulling the blanket over his head to block out the sunlight.
Luna couldn't help but roll her eyes in annoyance when Zayn teased her with the nickname "Shorty".
At only 15, Luna possessed a beauty that could outshine any actress, with her perfect height, striking ice blue eyes, and dark hair streaked with blue that could make any boy's heart race.
Despite everything, Zayn liked to call her "Shorty" to annoy her.
"Are you going to wake up or not, idiot"
"Nope"
"Looks like I don't have any other option," Luna grinned as she rolled up her sleeves, delivering a kick that sent him sprawling face-first onto the floor.
"Haha, that felt good. I could do that again," She chuckled, trying to stifle her laughter with her hands. "Ah, crap, that hurts," Zayn grumbled, using the bed to steady himself as he rubbed his forehead to alleviate the pain.
"Hahaha," she burst into laughter, unable to contain it any longer. "Are you crazy?" he asked in disbelief, seeing her laugh after kicking him off the bed.
"No, I'm not"
"Why did you kick me, then?" he asked, stretching his body to reduce the pain. "I was just trying to wake you up. You're the one who fell off the bed from a little push. How can you question my good intentions?" She pouted, as if feeling unjustly accused.
"Oh, really?" He flipped his jet black hair and fixed his ice blue eyes on her. "Mm-hmm," she nodded.
"I think Mom is calling me. Freshen up and come down. Bye-bye," she decided to get the hell out of there before facing the possibility of being beaten to a pulp after seeing his intense stare.
She dashed towards the door in a hurry, but just before her hand could grasp the doorknob, with a swift movement, he intercepted her, positioning himself between her and the door, and grabbed her hand.
"Why are you trying to escape? Are you scared of something?" He tilted his head, awaiting her response.
"There's nothing like that; you're just imagining things," she said, attempting to escape from his grip but to no avail.
"I figured as much...alright, brace yourself," he said, cracking his knuckles and stretching his other hand as if preparing for something.
"For what?"
"You don't expect me to let you go for free after what you've done, do you?" His lips twisted into a wicked grin, causing Luna's body to tremble in fear.
"Let me go, or else I'll shout"
"Try screaming all you want, shorty, no one will hear you"
Using his folded fingers, he lightly flicked her forehead repeatedly until it turned red, then he relented and released her hands. As she massaged her sore forehead, tears began to gather in her eyes.
"Wait...you jerk... I'll tell Dad to give you a spanking until your bum matches a tomato... Hmph," she threatened with a pout before darting out of the room.
Chuckling at her playful threat, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Haha, that really felt good"
Afterward, he headed to the bathroom to freshen up.
__ _ _
Having completed his morning routine and switched into comfortable attire, he made his way down to the dining hall for breakfast.
As he descended, he noticed a commotion and proceeded towards its source. Upon arrival, he witnessed his mother chasing his father around the hall brandishing a spatula.
The sight of Zayn standing in the room infused Derek with courage. Without hesitation, he sprinted towards him and ... hid behind him to escape the beating from his wife.
"Zayn, save me, she's trying to kill me," Derek pleaded, his eyes pleading like those of a helpless puppy.
Zayn rolled his eyes upon seeing the second strongest hero in the world seeking shelter behind him.
Noticing her husband using their innocent child "Zayn" as a shield, Iris hurried over, warning, "Get out of the way, Zayn, or else he'll taint you too."
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Derek retorted, but upon catching his wife's intense glare, which clearly conveyed "be quiet before I silence you," he fell silent and lowered his head in defeat.
"Why are you attacking dad so early, Mom?" Zayn inquired. "You should ask him that question" Iris said while pointing the spatula towards Derek.
"Dad, what did you do?" Zayn questioned, to which Derek replied in a hushed tone, "I'm innocent." However, Iris overheard and raised her spatula, ready to give him a good scolding.
"Alright, I'll explain."
__ _ _
10 mins ago
Derek couldn't help but be impressed as he watched Elina, the leader of the team that conquered the rank 3 dungeon, handle the swarm of reporters with finesse.
Her calm and collected manner, coupled with her radiant smile, spoke volumes about her professionalism and experience in dealing with such scenarios.
It was clear that she was no stranger to the limelight, effortlessly managing the attention with the grace of a true hero.
While Derek remained engrossed in the interview, Iris, having prepared breakfast, entered the room to summon everyone for the meal.
However, her expression turned to one of irritation upon noticing her husband smiling at the television screen, where another woman was being interviewed.
She went near him and asked, "Does she look good?".
"Mmm," he responded distractedly, absorbed in the details of how they conquered the dungeon, oblivious to the fact that the person posing the questions was his wife.
Curiously, Iris probed further, "Do you like her?" Derek's distracted "Mmm" served as an unintended confirmation, as he admired the hero for her skill in dungeon-clearing and her composed demeanor with the reporters.
Yet, Iris misunderstood his response, believing he harbored feelings for the woman herself.
As the interview concluded, Derek finally turned his gaze towards the source of the questioning, only to find Iris standing there with a spatula in hand, her expression a menacing glare that sent a shiver down his spine.
It was then that he realized he had fucked up.
__ _ _
Understanding the dilemma, Zayn found himself unable to offer any assistance, because he knows about his mother's possessive tendencies.
Noticing the silence, Derek cautiously turned his head to gauge Iris's mood, wondering if she had calmed down.
"How can you be so fixated on other women when I'm right there?" Iris acknowledged her misinterpretation, realizing it stemmed from Derek's half baked response, yet she couldn't let him off the hook without a reprimand for being so absorbed in someone else.
Realizing Iris hadn't forgiven him, Derek attempted to flee, but she swiftly caught him and beat the shit out of him until he vowed never to ogle other women again.
_____
Character arts
Zayn Suarez
Luna Suarez
Derek Suarez
Iris Suarez