chapter 39: trouble

Bose POV:

It was the last day in Italy. Andrew and Mika, along with the fashion department, had returned to Rome late last night. I was still settling into my morning routine when Andrew knocked on my hotel room door. The rhythmic knock he always used gave him away, and I opened the door to see him standing there, looking a little too energized for the early hour.

"Morning," Andrew said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation, as usual. He dropped onto the small armchair by the window, letting out a long breath. "Man, Milan was something else."

I raised an eyebrow as I sat down on the edge of the bed. "Yeah? How was the show?"

Andrew smirked. "Oh, you know, the usual. Models strutting their stuff, some great designs, some ridiculous ones. Mika and I had a blast. VIP seats, you know how it is. It's Milan."

I nodded, though I wasn't that interested in fashion, not like he was. "Sounds like a good time. Rome's been pretty quiet, though."

Andrew glanced at me, noticing something in my tone. "What's up with you, you sound down."

I sighed. "It's complicated, man. Chapa and I... I kind of said something two days ago, and now I don't know if it was too much, too soon."

Andrew's interest piqued immediately. "What'd you say?"

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling the weight of the words I'd said the night before. "I told her I love her."

Andrew stared at me for a beat, then burst into laughter. "You? Bose? You said 'I love you' to someone other than your mom? Man, that's huge!"

"Yeah, well, it doesn't feel that great right now," I muttered, sinking deeper into the bed. "She has been avoiding me all day yesterday. We sort of talked it out, but I don't know if I still freaked her out or what."

Andrew's laughter died down, but there was still a spark of amusement in his eyes. "Well, I have something to show you."

He pulled out his phone, swiped a few times, and then held the screen up to me. I leaned forward to look, and my heart nearly stopped.

There it was—a video of me and Chapa, dancing together in the bar last night. It wasn't just any video, though. It was the moment we'd been slow dancing, her in my arms, her head resting on my shoulder. And it wasn't just a small clip either—it had gone viral. The comments were blowing up, full of questions about who we were, speculating about our relationship.

"What the hell?" I whispered, grabbing the phone out of his hand to look closer. "How did this happen?"

Andrew shrugged, clearly enjoying my reaction. "I guess someone at the bar was recording. It's all over the internet now. Your fans are going crazy."

My mind raced, a mix of panic and disbelief flooding through me. This was not how I wanted things to go public. I needed to find Chapa. Now.

I handed Andrew his phone and bolted for the door, my heart pounding. "I need to talk to her."

Andrew followed, chuckling as he strolled behind me. "Good luck, lover boy. I'll stay out of this one."

I made my way to Chapa's room, the adrenaline coursing through me. When I got there, a small group of female students had already gathered outside her door, talking excitedly. As I approached, I heard bits and pieces of their conversation.

"Is she really the girl from the video?"

"I heard they've been secretly dating."

"No way, Chapa? And Bose?"

I pushed through the small crowd, catching sight of Chapa through the open door. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, clearly uncomfortable as her roommates and other girls bombarded her with questions.

As soon as they saw me, the room fell silent. Every pair of eyes turned toward me, suspicion and curiosity written all over their faces. The atmosphere was thick with tension.

Chapa looked up, her expression unreadable, but I could tell she was tense. I met her gaze, and without a word, I reached out and took her hand. The girls in the room gasped, but I didn't care. This wasn't about them. This was between me and her.

Before things could get any more awkward, Andrew appeared out of nowhere. "Alright, alright, nothing to see here!" he announced, flashing a charming smile at the group. "Come on, ladies, let's give these two some space."

He herded the girls out of the room with practiced ease, winking at me before he closed the door behind him. Now it was just me and Chapa, alone at last.

I looked down at her hand in mine and then back up at her face. "We need to talk."

She nodded, looking nervous but resigned. "Yeah, we do."

I sat down next to her, still holding her hand. "I'm sorry about all of this. I didn't mean for it to go public like this."

"You okay?" I asked softly.

She sighed, leaning back against the headboard. "I don't know. This is all too much, Bose. The video, the attention... I didn't sign up for this."

I sat down beside her, the weight of the situation hanging between us. "I didn't know someone was recording us. I would've stopped it if I did."

"I know. It's not your fault," she said. "It's just overwhelming."

There was a long pause, both of us lost in thought. Finally, I spoke up. "About what I said the other night—when I told you I love you—I don't want you to feel like I'm rushing you or anything. I meant it, but we don't have to figure everything out right now."

She smiled, the tension in her shoulders easing a bit. "We've already talked about that, remember? I'm not scared anymore of what you said. I just wasn't expecting it."

I nodded, feeling the relief settle in. "I know. I just wanted to make sure we're on the same page."

"We are," she said, her voice soft but certain.

We spent the rest of the day keeping our distance, more because of the crowd of students constantly buzzing around us than anything else. Every time we were in the same room, there were eyes on us, whispers following wherever we went. It was exhausting.

By the afternoon, I decided enough was enough. I went to find Chapa, pulling her aside when I spotted her near the lobby. Without a word, I took her hand, making sure people saw. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she didn't pull away.

Andrew, always the strategist, saw what I was doing and jumped in to help. He immediately started distracting the crowd of students nearby, guiding them away with some made-up excuse about something happening.

Once we were alone, I turned to her. "Are you okay with this? Us being... out there now?"

Chapa hesitated for a moment, but then she smiled. "Yeah, I am."

I smiled back, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. "Good. Because I don't want to keep hiding anymore."

Neither did she.

Chapa POV:

The day had been a flurry of activity, but now, as the sun dipped toward the horizon and Bose took us away from everyone, we finally had a moment to ourselves.

Bose took a deep breath, a mix of excitement and nervousness in his expression. "I want to take you somewhere. Just the two of us. It's a surprise, but I promise it's worth it. Can you trust me on this?"

I frowned. "A surprise? What's going on? Shouldn't we go back to the group?"

He shook his head, his gaze steady and reassuring. "No, trust me. This is important. I just need you to come with me. I promise it'll be worth it."

I hesitated, looking back at the students who were now starting to go the bars. But then I saw the earnestness in Bose's eyes and felt a rush of curiosity. "Alright," I said, giving in. "Lead the way."

Bose smiled, grabbing my hand and leading me away from the bustling area. We walked in silence, but his grip was firm, and his presence was comforting. As we reached the edge of the beach, away from the crowd, he turned to me, his face alight with anticipation.

"Where are we going?" I asked as we continued along a quieter stretch of the beach.

Bose's smile grew wider. "You'll see soon enough. Just a little farther."

We walked for a few more minutes, the sound of the waves growing louder and more rhythmic. Finally, we reached a secluded spot, away from the noise and distractions. The beach here was almost deserted, with only the gentle lapping of the waves and the distant calls of seagulls accompanying us.

"This is it," Bose said, letting go of my hand and looking out at the water. "I wanted to bring you here because... well, I needed some time alone with you."

As we approached the water, I saw Bose already in the ocean, splashing around and enjoying himself. I grinned, my earlier worries melting away. Without hesitation, I ran toward the water, my laughter mingling with the sounds of waves crashing against the shore.

"Hey, wait up!" I called out as I sprinted, trying to catch up with him. He looked back, a playful grin spreading across his face as he saw me coming.

Just as I reached him, I leaped into the water, landing on his back with a joyful shout. We both went under for a moment before surfacing, shaking the water out of our hair. Bose laughed, holding me up as I clung to him.

"You're not letting me get away that easily!" I teased, wrapping my arms around his neck. "I've got you now!"

He chuckled, his arms wrapping around my waist to keep us both afloat. "I wasn't trying to get away. Just enjoying the view before the fun started."

We spent the next 30 minutes playing in the water, chasing each other, and diving through the waves. It felt so freeing, so normal. For now, there were no curious eyes, just the two of us and the endless expanse of the ocean.

Eventually, we found ourselves floating together, the water gentle around us.

"Do you think things will settle down after this?" I asked softly, breaking the comfortable silence. "All the fuss about the video, the attention... do you think it'll pass?"

Bose sighed, brushing a strand of hair away from my face. "I hope so. But eventually we'll get back to normal, I'm sure of it."

I nodded, feeling a sense of calm wash over me. "Yeah, I hope so too."

Miles POV:

Two days had passed since Blaise had shown up at my apartment with her little sister, needing a last-minute babysitter. The memory still lingered, her vague explanation and the strange way she knew where I lived. I tried not to think too much about it, telling myself it was just one of those odd encounters. Life as Awol meant I couldn't dwell too much on the weird parts of my civilian life—there was always something bigger waiting to crash into me.

That something hit me today.

I was in the middle of a workout at the Man's Nest when the alert came through. An emergency downtown. The signal was clear—this was big. Without a second thought, I teleported to the location, adrenaline kicking in as I prepared for whatever chaos I was about to drop into.

As soon as I arrived on the scene, I realized I had seriously underestimated the situation.

The supervillain standing before me was massive, his body crackling with raw energy that sent shockwaves through the surrounding buildings. He wore a mask, but there was something familiar about the way he moved, the way he carried himself. I couldn't quite place it, but I didn't have time to ponder—it was time to act.

I teleported in closer, throwing a punch aimed at his side, but he dodged effortlessly, countering with a blast of energy that knocked me back. I barely managed to teleport out of range before it hit.

"Who the hell are you?" I muttered, squaring off with him again, my mind racing to make sense of the situation. I knew this guy—or at least I felt like I did—but his powers, his style... it was all different.

He didn't respond, just smiled beneath that mask. The kind of smile that made my stomach turn. Before I could make another move, I heard a familiar voice.

"Oh, great," came Blaise's unmistakable tone—irritated and unimpressed.

I turned sharply, my heart dropping as I saw her. Blaise was tied up, her arms bound, held hostage by the villain. She didn't look scared. No, she looked... annoyed.

"You again?" I blurted out, momentarily distracted. "What are you—"

"Yeah, me." she snapped. "Are you going to help me, or just stand there?"

She had no idea it was me—Miles—under the mask. To her, I was just Awol, the superhero she barely tolerated, while Miles, the guy she befriended, was nowhere to be found.

I gritted my teeth and focused back on the villain, teleporting behind him to get the upper hand. But he was expecting me. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled a wave of energy in my direction, sending me crashing into a nearby building. Pain shot through my body, but I pushed through it, teleporting back on my feet.

"Let her go," I growled, trying to keep my voice steady.

The villain chuckled, tightening his grip on Blaise. "Awol, always trying to play the hero. You never learn, do you?"

I teleported again, this time faster, landing a punch that caught him off guard. He stumbled back, loosening his hold on Blaise just enough for me to grab her and teleport her a few feet away. She landed on her feet, glaring at me.

"Took you long enough," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Are you okay?" I asked, trying not to let her irritation get to me. I was doing my job, after all.

"I'm fine," she said, brushing off some dust. "But seriously, you always have to be so dramatic?"

I blinked. Was she... annoyed at me? I just saved her, and she's acting like I'm the one causing all the problems.

"Dramatic?" I repeated, disbelief in my voice.

"Yes, dramatic!" she shot back, rolling her eyes. "With the whole teleporting and showing up at the last second like some movie hero. It's so—ugh." She crossed her arms, glaring at me like I was the one who tied her up in the first place.

I had to remind myself that Blaise had no idea I was Miles. She liked him, not me. She liked the guy who she went out with that one time, the guy who watched her little sister. Not Awol, the superhero who was constantly caught in the middle of chaos. It was weird, being the guy who annoyed her and the one she liked, all at once.

The villain groaned, starting to get back on his feet. I took a deep breath, pushing Blaise out of harm's way.

"Stay here," I told her firmly.

"I'm not going anywhere," she muttered. "Not like I have a choice."

I teleported back into the fight, this time determined to end it. The villain was strong, but I had the advantage now. I dodged his energy blasts, closing the distance until I could land another solid hit. Finally, with one last punch, he collapsed, unconscious.

Breathing hard, I stood over him for a moment, making sure he wasn't getting back up. When I turned back to Blaise, she was still standing there, arms crossed, looking more annoyed than anything else.

"Well," she said, "now that you've saved the day, can I go home?"

I stared at her, exhausted. "You're welcome," I muttered, shaking my head.

The fight was over, but my mind was still spinning. I couldn't shake the questions swirling in my head as I watched Blaise brush the dust off her clothes, looking more annoyed than shaken. How had she gotten into this situation in the first place? Was the villain targeting her specifically, or was it just bad luck?

I hadn't even known she was involved until a woman nearby had called it in—said she'd seen a huge, menacing guy dragging a girl through the street. That's what made me teleport here in the first place. But why was Blaise involved? None of this made sense.

I glanced at her as she adjusted her jacket. Blaise, stubborn as ever, seemed unfazed by the chaos that had just unfolded. But that just raised more questions. Why had the villain grabbed her? Was she in danger because of me? My mind raced through every possibility. I couldn't let this go until I had answers.

"Do you even know why you were taken?" I asked, trying to sound casual but not too invasive.

Blaise shot me a look, her lips pressed into a thin line. "No. He just grabbed me out of nowhere while I was walking. Didn't say a word. I didn't ask for details. You know I had a perfect plan to escape, but you ruined it.

I ignored her last sentence. Her voice was clipped, irritated. She didn't want to talk about it. But something was off. I'd never seen her in a situation like this, and it made me uneasy.

"You're sure he didn't say anything?" I pressed, trying to piece things together.

She crossed her arms, her frustration obvious. "Look, Awol, I don't know why this happened, okay? I was minding my business, and the next thing I know, I'm tied up and you're doing your teleporting thing. It's not like I asked for a play-by-play."

I sighed. Clearly, I wasn't going to get any useful information from her. But the nagging feeling that something wasn't right wouldn't leave me alone.

"Let's get you home," I said, offering her my hand for a teleport. She hesitated for a moment but took it reluctantly.

I focused on her apartment, visualizing the street just outside. In a blink, we were standing on the familiar pavement, the street lamps casting long shadows. Blaise pulled her hand from mine quickly, clearly ready to be done with the whole night.

"Thanks," she muttered, her tone softer now. "For saving me, I mean. Even if you were... you know, doing the whole dramatic hero thing."

I tried not to react, but a small smile tugged at my lips. She didn't like Awol. She tolerated me at best. But still, she was thanking me.

"You're welcome," I replied, keeping my tone light despite the questions still swirling in my head. "But seriously, if you feel like something's off or if this happens again, let me know. Don't wait until it's too late."

She looked at me for a second, her expression softening just a bit. "Maybe."

She started walking toward the door, but then stopped and glanced back at me, like she was about to say something more. For a second, I thought she might ask me something, but then she just nodded and went inside without another word.

I stood there for a moment, still trying to figure out how all of this fit together. She didn't seem like the kind of person to attract this kind of danger, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something else was going on here.

I teleported back to the Man's Nest, landing in my usual spot, but my mind wasn't on the show. All I could think about was Blaise and that villain. Was she really just an unlucky bystander? Or was there something bigger at play here?

I had too many questions and no answers. And the worst part was, I wasn't sure if Blaise even realized how close she was to something far more dangerous than she could ever know.

Bose POV:

We had finally made it back to the States. The flight had been long, and it was well past midnight when Chapa and I walked into my penthouse. The familiar view of the city skyline felt comforting after everything that had happened in Italy—the dance, the viral video, the strange mix of public attention and our private moments. Now it was just us, the city quiet beneath us, the soft hum of night settling in.

Chapa sank into the couch, stretching her legs out and letting out a long breath. "Are you working tomorrow?" she asked, glancing over at me. There was something casual, almost tentative, in the way she asked.

I thought about it for a second, leaning against the kitchen counter. "Later in the day," I said, running a hand through my hair. "First, I'm going to visit my mom and pick up Cookie. She's been taking care of him while we were gone."

Chapa's face lit up a little at the mention of Cookie, my goat who had been staying with my mom during the trip. She smiled, pulling her knees up to her chest. "I missed that little guy."

"Yeah, same. It'll be good to have him back," I said, already imagining Cookie bouncing around the penthouse like he owned the place.

There was a comfortable silence for a moment as the exhaustion of the trip caught up with us. The whirlwind of Italy was finally behind us, and now it was just the two of us, back in our own space, no cameras, no prying eyes.

I walked over to where she was sitting and kissed her gently on the forehead. "Let's get some sleep, Sparky," I whispered, using the nickname I had for her. I couldn't help but smile when I said it.

She rolled her eyes a little but smiled. "You and your nicknames," she teased, but there was warmth in her voice.

We got up, heading to the bedroom, and as we settled under the covers, the weight of everything felt lighter. No pressure, no drama—just the simple comfort of being together. Chapa rested her head on my chest, and I could feel her breathing slow as she started to drift off.

Before I knew it, I felt my own eyelids getting heavy. The city lights blinked outside, and the quiet hum of life continued on, but for tonight, it was just us, here in this moment.

"Goodnight," I whispered softly, wrapping my arm around her.

"Goodnight," she mumbled sleepily in return, her voice already fading.