The soft hum of the convenience storeās overhead lights filled the quiet aisle as Brandon crouched in front of the chilled display, looking through the glass at the rows of alcohol neatly arranged inside.
He opened the door and reached inside to grab a bottle of red wine, followed by a few cans of premium beer, and then, after a brief pause, plucked a bottle of vodka from the bottom shelf.
Beside him, Ravene leaned lazily against the opposite fridge door "Wine, beer, and vodka? Whatās the plan?"
Brandon chuckled, standing up with the bottles in his hands "Movie night deserves a bit of everything. Besides, I thought we could all loosen up a little."
Just then, Eira walked up with a small paper bag of snacks in hand.
She paused when she saw what Brandon was holding and raised an eyebrow "I didnāt know you drank those," she said, gesturing toward the vodka with a wry smile.
Brandon turned to her with a smile "You donāt?"
Eira shook her head slowly. "Well, I drink wine occasionally... but beer? Vodka? Not really. Iāve tasted them, but I wouldnāt say I enjoy them."
Before Brandon could respond, Ravene leaned in with a grin "Then tonight will be your first time. Donāt worry, Iāll take care of you."
Eira gave her a blank look "Tch. Youāre the last person Iād trust with alcohol supervision, you are a clumsy woman."
"Excuse you," Ravene placed a hand over her chest in mock offense. "Iām very responsible when I want to be."
"Youāve never wanted to be," Eira retorted flatly.
Ravene: ā„ļ¹ā„
"Should we grab mixers too?" Brandon asked, shifting the bottles in his arms.
"Hmm..." Ravene walked toward the soda section. "Get orange juice for the vodka. Maybe tonic water too."
"Get some ice, Brandon," Eira added, pointing toward a freezer.
As Brandon busied himself with loading the basket, Eira stood behind him, watching his broad back as he reached for the ice pack.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the paper bag she was holding.
It wasnāt the first time she found herself watching him like this.
The subtle strength in his frame, the quiet way his body moved, confident but without showing off... it all combined to make her chest tighten slightly.
His neckline was exposed beneath the loose collar of his shirt, revealing a smooth patch of skin and the faint curve of his collarbone.
His jaw flexed slightly as he looked back over his shoulder.
Her eyes lingered there, drinking in the sight of his expression and the way his bangs hung slightly over his beautiful eyes, just brushing the corners.
It was criminal, honestly, how good he looked without even trying.
Unconsciously, she bit her lower lip and her eyes narrowed with a strange feeling of both satisfaction and apprehension.
"...Damn, he is so fucking hot," she muttered under her breath.
Ravene returned, holding a few soda bottles in one hand "What was that?"
Eira looked at her and shook her head "Nothing."
But Ravene wasnāt convinced and she leaned closer "Youāre thinking the same thing I am, arenāt you?"
"...What would that be?"
With a grin, Ravene muttered "That you want to have sex with him right now."
( Ā“ā_ā) EH? Eira gave her a blank stare "I am not a pervert like you, Sister Rave..."
Ravene was taken aback and blinked twice "Then, what were you thinking?"
Eira didnāt respond. Instead, she turned her eyes back to Brandon, who had just placed the last of the drinks into their shopping basket and looked back at them.
"Alright, I think weāve got everything."
The two women nodded.
As Brandon walked toward the counter to pay, Eira pulled Ravene and whispered "He looks so hot as fuck..."
Hearing this, Ravene grinned and looked at him "Of course he is... he is my Kael."
Eira rolled her eyes playfully and stuck out her tongue. "Hm. You would say that because youāve been in love with him since high school, you groomer."
Ravene gasped in mock horror and held up a soda bottle like a holy cross. "Hey! Thatās my pure, sacred, long-suffering love! Donāt make it sound weird!"
"Sounds like grooming to me," Eira teased, nudging her with her elbow as they followed after Brandon.
"Hey, shut up- what about you, huh? Youāre drooling every time he adjusts his shirt."
"Bleh."
---
"If we both care about him and we both donāt want to hurt him... then wouldnāt it be better if we just... cooperate and work together?"
"Eh?" Dhayun was dumbfounded to hear Yverineās words.
"What... do you mean by working together? What are you proposing exactly?"
"Iām not proposing anything weird," Yverine clarified quickly, sensing the direction of Dhayunās thoughts.
"Just... maybe we donāt need to fight. Like we donāt have to choose between who deserves him more. Heās already... special to both of us."
A silence passed between them.
Yverine continued "I have noticed the way he looks at you... itās not just old friendship. Youāve got your own place in his heart. Just like I have mine."
For a moment, neither of them said anything.
The night wind blew gently, carrying with it the distant scent of nightflowers blooming along the garden path.
A cat meowed somewhere beyond the hedge.
Dhayun finally sighed and looked back at Yverine "So, letās say I agree. We both like him. We donāt fight and donāt go behind each otherās backs. We donāt manipulate or guilt-trip him. We keep it real. But what about Eira?"
"She is already in a relationship with him. And honestly... I donāt want them to break up, because Brandon is genuinely happy with her and Eira is also a sweet girl."
"I... donāt want to betray her."
Yverineās lips pressed together. "I know, Eira is already part of his life, and she made her choice. And Brandon is the kind of guy who will hurt himself trying to make her happy."
"Yeah..." Dhayun murmured with a bittersweet smile tugging at her lips.
"Thatās why I fell for him, you know? Heās not trying to be a Casanova. Heās just... too full of warmth. Always looking at others like they matter."
They both chuckled lightly at that and the tension between them slowly loosened.
"Iāll be honest," Dhayun added after a moment.
"I used to think I would be the only one. That someday I would tie him down and keep him just for me. But seeing how heās with all of you... with Eira, with others... it made me realize something."
Yverine raised an eyebro "What?"
"That maybe heās not meant to belong to just one person," she replied in a wistful voice.
"And maybe thatās okay. As long as I can keep walking beside him, holding his hand, kissing him when I miss him... be there when heās tired. Maybe thatās enough."
There was a beat of silence between them before Yverine nodded solemnly "I didnāt think I could feel this way either. Well, I never imagined I would fall in love and thought I would be alone forever."
"But now that I have... I want to be close. I want him to lean on me, to choose me too. Not because of obligation, but because I mean something to him."
"...Guess thatās what we have in common, huh?" Dhayun showed a small smile.
Yverine looked up and her cool gaze finally softened completely "We care about the same idiot."
Both of them laughed.
"...So," Dhayun added with a sly smirk, "does this mean weāre sister-wives now?"
Huh? Yverine tilted her head "S-Sister wives?"
A sudden chuckle left her lips "That sounds weirdly funny..."