Free Web NovelChapter 20: _Boyfriend?!
"I..." Devon finally regained the ability to speak after several seconds of disorientation. Or, at least that’s what he thought until more words started slipping out. "I don’t... think... a mistake?"
His brows furrowed, chest rising and falling with heavy breaths.
Meanwhile, as Ambrose watched the S-rank Esper unravel before him, the system glowed with that one status bar he was most eager to see.
[Devon’s Attraction points: 40.]
One kiss.
He got ten attraction points from just one kiss.
Imagine if—
His cheeks flushed with heat at the stray thought that crossed his mind just then. As well as the naughty image that came with it.
Fuck, he couldn’t be thinking about that right now!
"Ahem!" Devon forced a cough, making Ambrose whip his head to him. "You seem... flustered."
That only made his cheeks heat up more, but he quickly placed his hands on them. "I’m not!" The words came out too rushed and loud. "I–I just asked you a question after an awkward kiss—"
"Awkward?" Devon echoed. "Ambrose—YOU kissed me. You didn’t think of how ’awkward’ it’ll be before it happened?"
"I didn’t mean to, okay?"
"What’s that supposed to mean?" Now Devon seemed oddly hurt.
Fortunately, before that whole thing could escalate any further, tiny footsteps sounded behind Ambrose.
Orion’s timing has never been more impeccable.
"Daddy?" The little rascal called out as he turned around with a smile. "I finished my sandwiches. Can you ask Pa..." he stopped himself, blinking hard like he just remembered he was not supposed to call Devon Papa.
The little boy got confused about what to call Devon. When he found a term, however, Ambrose didn’t know whether to laugh or cry after hearing it.
"Can you ask your boyfriend if he has more of that chicken soup you wasted?"
B–Boyfriend?
[Can you blame the poor kid?]
"Daddy?" Devon muttered, eyes flickering with even more questions. "Ambrose, when you said this boy was ’family’. Did you—"
"Please, make more of your soup," Ambrose found a new diversion, grabbing Devon’s hand without thinking. The latter’s body refused to move as he went on. "I’ll help out. Just... please."
Devon’s lips pursed, eyes wandering between Ambrose’s pleading expression and the innocent sparkle in the kid’s big golden eyes.
Then, "No problem then. But I don’t need your help making it," Devon withdrew his hand from Ambrose’s soft grip, eyeing the spilt soup on the marble floor. He sighed, adding. "It’s a family recipe after all."
He was able to find his way to the kitchen, hands in the pockets of his jacket.
"Daddy?" Orion skipped to Ambrose’s side when the Esper was no longer visible. "Were you two about to kiss?"
Ambrose’s nostrils flared. "Wha—kid, that’s not an appropriate question to ask an adult."
"But I think it’s cute."
Someone save him...
★★★★★
After a few awkward stares too many and scurrying around the kitchen, Devon was able to make another steamy pot of his chicken soup.
He could’ve just gone back to his suite to get what was left from the one he cooked earlier. But seeing Ambrose beg him to stay back made him fold.
Too easily.
"It’s ready!" He announced after adding one last spoon to a bowl. Lifting it off the kitchen island, he moved back into the living room, which had no trace of the previous spilt soup. "Careful not to waste this one."
Ambrose and Orion were sitting on a sofa, the latter engrossed in an iPad his daddy handed him. Watching the way Ambrose smiled as the little boy giggled brought an unexplainable warmth to Devon’s chest.
This felt... domestic.
A portrait of the perfect family he wished he had grown up in.
His thoughts disappeared when Ambrose finally raised his head. "Oh." He brushed back his blonde hair, getting on his feet and reaching Devon in a few strides. "Thank you so much."
"It’s fine," Devon smirked, sitting to little Orion’s left while Ambrose sat with the bowl to his right. "Just know you owe me."
Hearing those last words made Ambrose stop like a mannequin right when he dropped the bowl on the centre table. He blinked, glancing back at Devon’s smug look.
"Owe you?" He repeated. "Like a... favour?"
All Devon did was lean over to grab a spoon. "We’ll see."
We’ll see?
Trying to shake off the weird feeling that gave him, Ambrose grabbed a spoon as well. The soup smelled even better than the one that got wasted.
Fortunately, he had enough chicken in the fridge to make it eye-catching.
It was at this point that Orion dropped his iPad, eyes glowing with glee when he took in the food. "Mmm..." as he took the last spoon, they all ate.
Together.
As they did, Ambrose glanced occasionally at the S-rank Esper. He hadn’t even invited the guy to join them. But then again, he made the food so it would be rude to tell him to leave.
Flashes of the kiss earlier slid into his mind with each sip of the soup. He bit into a chicken leg, trying his best to ignore them.
"So," Devon suddenly turned his gaze to Orion. "Little guy. Do you go to school?"
Ambrose halted as if they’d just asked the kid if he did drugs. His eyes travelled to Orion who was smart enough to notice how cornering that question was.
"Uhm," the boy began innocently. "I stopped for a bit but I’ll start attending again."
That earned a frown from Devon. "Stopped? Why?"
"Devon." Ambrose swallowed the chicken in his throat. "You’re prying too much."
Devon shot back. "And you’re being even more suspicious right now," his head tilted. "You know you could get arrested for not taking him to school right?"
Silence.
More and more Ambrose felt like just coming clean about the lad’s true origins.
But how does he—
BANG! BANG!
Two loud knocks on his living room door made him jolt.
Aura immediately scanned the visitor.
[Scan complete.]
[A-Rank Guide. AKA—]
"Devon?!" Han’s annoyingly thrilling voice resounded from the other side. "Are you here? What the heck are you doing?"
Shit!
With his heart in his throat, Ambrose’s neck spun to Devon. "You have to hide."
"Why—"
"Dude, he’s your boyfriend isn’t he?" He snapped, keeping his voice low. "Who’s been accusing me of trying to seduce you for days. Seeing you here after all that—"
BANG! BANG!
Louder knocks.
Those seemed to do the trick, getting Devon to hop off the sofa. Orion licked his spoon one last time before trailing behind him.
"Are we playing hide and seek?" The little boy asked.
Devon raised his head to Ambrose who nodded profusely, standing as well. "Yes, Orion. You and Devon go hide in your room, okay? Don’t come out until I tell you."
Reluctantly, Devon followed the little boy who skipped to his room. When the door shut behind them, Ambrose locked his eyes on the living room door.
By the time he opened it, Han barged in like he was owed rent, cold eyes scouring the living room. "Where the hell is he?"
