Andrew POV:
I arrived at the Man's Nest around 5 p.m., feeling a mix of anticipation and unease. It wasn't my usual scene, but after what happened yesterday, I needed answers. Mika stood there, already in her ShoutOut uniform, looking as composed as ever. The contrast between her calm demeanor and the storm of thoughts in my head was striking.
"Hello, Andrew. How are you doing?" she asked, her tone formal but polite.
"I'm good, how are you?" I responded, trying to sound as pleasant as possible. I knew I needed to stay on her good side, especially if Bose was going to ask her about the modeling gig later.
"I'm fine, thanks," she replied curtly.
I glanced around the room, noticing the absence of someone important. "Where's Awol?" I asked, trying to make small talk and ease the tension I felt creeping in.
"He's still recovering from yesterday," she said matter-of-factly. Then, without missing a beat, she switched gears. "Can I ask you some questions?"
"Yeah, sure," I replied, bracing myself. I wasn't sure where this was going, but I figured it was about my powers.
"How old are you, and when did your mom tell you you had these powers?" she asked, her tone all business.
"I'm 25 now. She told me when I was around 14," I said, trying to recall the exact moment when my life shifted from normal to... whatever this was.
"Okay. Have you ever noticed these powers before? Now that you know about them, do you think you've ever used them unintentionally?" she pressed.
"No, not that I know of," I said, shaking my head. I'd been pretty average my whole lifeâno freaky incidents, no unexplained phenomena.
"Okay, and how did it feel to use them? Did you notice anything while you were healing Awol's wound?" she asked, her gaze intense, like she was trying to read something deeper in me.
I thought back to that moment. "Well, at the time, I didn't pay much attention to it, but I did feel calmer while healing him. But that's probably because I had to focus," I said, trying to make sense of the experience myself.
"Good to hear," she nodded, making a note of that. "Have you talked to your mom or anyone about this, or what happened last night?"
"No, I haven't, and I won't," I said firmly. The last thing I needed was more complications in my already chaotic life.
"Great," she said, almost to herself. "I've discovered that the healing powers consist of more layers, and I need you to learn to control them. Will you let me test and train you in the upcoming weeks?"
"Yeah, sure," I agreed, knowing I needed the help. This wasn't something I could figure out on my own.
"And could I speak to your mother about this?" she added, as if it were a casual afterthought.
"Yeah, when she's back from her business trip," I said, trying to keep it cool, even though I felt a knot tighten in my stomach at the thought.
"Okay, good," she said, satisfied with my answer. Then, she looked at me intently. "Can I see your hands?"
Confused, I offered them to her, and she took them in hers. Her hands were soft, warmer than I expected. She examined them carefully, her touch gentle yet purposeful.
"Could you try putting your hand on mine and focus on healing, even if there's no wound?" she asked, her voice steady.
"Yeah, sure," I said, placing my hand on hers. I focused, trying to channel whatever it was that had worked yesterday. I felt the same calmness wash over me, but this time, nothing else happened.
"Do you feel anything?" I asked, hoping I'd done something right.
"No, I don't," she replied, pulling her hands away. "I'm guessing it only works on injuries or things that need to be healed."
"Yeah, that makes sense," I agreed, though I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
"I have a cut on my neck. Could you try healing that?" she asked, still using that same formal tone, as if we were discussing a routine matter.
I moved behind her, placing my hand on her neck. I focused again, harder this time, willing the cut to close. After a few moments, I noticed it had become smaller, but it hadn't completely healed. Frustration flared up inside me.
"Don't get angry," Mika said calmly, sensing my frustration. "The first few times using your power will seem easy because your brain hasn't processed the reality of it yet. Once it does, it becomes harder. That's why you need training to control it. It's okay; we all went through that."
"Oh, okay," I said, trying to absorb what she was saying. "And who's going to train me? You?"
"Yes, I'll be training you and testing your progress," she confirmed. Then, she paused, her eyes meeting mine. I could tell she noticed the guilt I was trying to hide. I still felt terrible for what I'd done to her in the past, yet here she was, helping me despite everything.
"Yeah, that's okay," I said finally, my voice a bit quieter.
"Good. Can I do a quick test on you now to check your power levels? The results will take a few hours, and then we can start your training in a few days. If you give me your number, I'll text you the info," she said, her tone back to professional.
"Yeah, here it is. Thanks," I said, handing over my number.
After a brief pause, she rolled out a large chair equipped with various pieces of tech that looked straight out of a sci-fi movie. I stared at it, puzzled.
"Have a seat, and I'll run some tests," she instructed.
I sat down, feeling a bit apprehensive as she inserted a needle to draw some blood. It wasn't the most comfortable experience, but I trusted Mika knew what she was doing.
"That's all done. You can go now," she said, finishing up.
"Alright, and thank you very much for today," I said, genuinely appreciative.
"No problem. I'm just trying to figure out how and why you got these powers," she said, but there was a coldness in her voice that I couldn't ignore. I knew she still hadn't fully forgiven me, and honestly, I couldn't blame her.
"Goodbye, Andrew," she said, dismissing me. I nodded and left, my mind swirling with thoughts of what lay ahead.
Chapa POV:
As we drove through the city, Bose brought up the trip to Italy. He seemed excited, probably more about the idea of us going together than the destination itself. But I wasn't interested. I had too much on my plateâwork, Sage's birthday, and starting my new job at George's. I told him no, but Bose kept pushing, asking again and again. I finally had to be firm with him. "I'm not applying, Bose. I need to focus on my job, and Sage's birthday is too important to miss." He seemed disappointed, but he eventually let it drop.
When we got to Bose's penthouse, the first thing I noticed was the goat, just standing there like it owned the place. Bose looked at it, confused at first, but then his face lit up like he just found a new best friend. "Hey boy, I'll call you Sparky," he said, turning to me with a grin.
I shot him a look. "No way, that was my nickname. You need to start calling me that again, not the goat."
Bose laughed, shaking his head. "Relax, it's a joke. I'll call him Cookie."
I laughed too, even though I couldn't help correcting him. "You do know it's a girl, right?"
"How do you know?" he asked, genuinely curious.
"She doesn't have the same... equipment that you do," I said quickly, trying not to blush.
Bose shrugged. "Right. I'll still call her Cookie though."
"Fine," I said, shaking my head. "Let's figure out who sent it soon."
As the night went on, I found myself lingering in the penthouse longer than I'd planned. I didn't want to go home yet, and Sunday was my day to sleep in, so I figured, why not stay over? I mustered up my best puppy-dog eyes and begged Bose to let me stay another night.
"Only if you apply for the trip to Italy," he bargained, knowing I was weak when it came to him. "There's a small chance you'll get picked anyway."
"But I can't go," I protested, trying to reason with him. "It's Sage's birthday next week, and they'd be in Italy by then. Plus, I need to work on Tuesdays."
"Please still apply," he insisted, his voice softening. "You can always say no afterward."
I sighed, knowing I was caving. "Alright, I'll apply."
"Now can I sleep here tonight?" I asked, batting my eyelashes at him.
"Yes, you can," Bose said, spreading his arms wide. "But first, a hug."
I rolled my eyes, but when he pulled me into his embrace, I melted into him. He always knew how to make me feel better, even when I was stubborn. "This is what I deserve after paying such a high bill for dinner," he teased.
"It was our first date, so you had to," I retorted, still holding onto him.
"I'm just kidding. I'd pay any price to hang out with you," he said, making me smile. I was so lucky to have someone like him in my life.
"Technically, it's not our first date," he said, letting me go. "We had one before when Elena showed up later."
I shook my head. "That didn't count as a date. I didn't see you the way I see you now back then."
"Well, for me, it did count because I did see you like that," he said with a grin.
"Well, you're still paying for all our next dates," I said, hopping onto his bed with a playful smirk.
"Wait until you become rich. You'll feel the need to pay sometime," he said, joining me on the bed.
I shrugged. "Oh, I might have a high salary because of this job, but with the bills for me and my family and all, I don't think I'll actually get rich."
"Working for George Davis will get you super rich. And if that doesn't do it, after you finish your studies at the academy, you can work for my company and earn even more," he said, looking at me with such confidence in my future.
"For your new high-educated department that's coming in a few months? I heard about it. Will it be successful and pay off?" I asked, genuinely curious about his plans.
"We're not completely sure yet, but it probably will," he said.
"Good. Now I'm gonna take a shower and get unready," I said, getting up. "Oh, and don't put Cookie on my side of the bed."
"You've really claimed your place here already?" Bose teased.
"I know you like it," I shot back.
"Did you know that was actually my side of the bed? You stole it from me," he said, his tone light but playful.
"I know you. You probably sleep on a different side every day," I replied.
"That's true, but I'm mostly on the side you stole from me," he confirmed, giving me a knowing look.
I just smiled and headed to the bathroom. Under the hot water, I let the day's stresses wash away, enjoying the quiet moment. When I got out, I slipped into a pair of shorts and one of Bose's T-shirts that was practically swimming on me. It felt like being wrapped in him, and I loved that.
I wiped off my makeup and stepped out of the bathroom, only to find Bose lying on my side of the bed, with Cookie curled up on his.
"Seriously?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"She came in and pushed me to your side. Guess you have to sleep on the couch tonight," Bose said with a sly smile.
"Yeah, I don't think so," I said, pushing him over just enough to squeeze in next to him. We ended up pressed against each other, comfortable in the closeness.
Then, Cookie decided to stand up and step on Bose, making him groan in discomfort. I couldn't help but burst out laughing. Bose did the same, despite the pain.
"I'm gonna shower real quick. I'll be back soon," he said, getting up and heading to the bathroom. As I watched him go, I couldn't help but smile, feeling content and happy in this little bubble we'd created together.