171 Chapter 4: A Small Drink

Sunlight peeked through the curtains onto Takabi's face. His eyes twitched before opening and looking around the room. Blurry vision and body weak, his stomach rumbled with an intense hunger that left him with a craving of pancakes.

Sitting up, he looked to his side, surprised to find Nana still in bed. She was bare, creamy skin touched with a thin layer of sweat from the heat in the room. She stirred, pulling the blanket closer before opening her brown eyes slowly. For a moment, they flashed a faint violet before she sat up and rubbed them. "Morning.. Did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah," He said numbly. "How did the party go last night?" He pried himself out of the sheets, walking around the bed towards the mirror. Nana kept her eyes on his body, licking her lips with a strong admiration for his figure. The way he carried himself is one of the reasons she cared for him, despite his current emotional state.

"Went well actually. I wish you could've come back down."

His shoulders slumped faintly. With a sigh, he replied, "Yeah. Sorry about that. I was exhausted when I got back and just crashed." It was partly true. He had felt extremely wary and wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed last night. Meeting Deo only made his feelings worse.

Deo was a man of power and riches. The air around him held nothing but confidence and awareness of who he was, and what he was blessed with. His dashing good looks, intense bodybuilder build and intimidating glare were enough to die for and swoon any heart.

In his mind, Takabi wondered what would happen if he had taken a shot at Nana. It pained him, worrying about the possibility of her being stolen from under him. 

Now more than ever since he knew he hadn't been who she needed at the moment.

"Can we talk about your therapist," She asked suddenly, standing up and moving next to him. She grabbed a hair tie from the dresser and forced her bed head up into a ponytail. "What happened?"

"Not sure. I think she was trying to flash me her underwear, but I couldn't tell. The Woman has been professional all this time up until now."

"Should I go with you next time," She asked. It came as more of a suggestion than a question. "I would hate for her to take advantage of you in your current mindset."

He laughed a little, touching her shoulder. "Relax. Nothing would happen. No one can compare to you anyway."

"Keep it that way," She said, walking past him and giving him a pat on his butt. "I'll have breakfast ready in a bit. Get dressed."

------------------------------------------------

Takabi stepped down onto the first floor. His nose flared up with the smell of bacon and pancakes. The freshly cooked batter was crisp and brown, slathered in syrup and butter.

Nana placed it on the table, watching Takabi make his way towards her and take a seat. "Any special requests?"

He could think of a few, considering all that she had on was a simple cooking apron. "No, this is okay."

"Good. I have to get ready." She began to untie her apron, moving past him into the room closest to the downstairs bathroom. "I'll be home late tonight."

"What? Why," He asked quickly.

Nana glanced at him from the doorway, saying, "I'm just getting drinks with the girls. Relax, honey."

"It's just…" He paused for a moment, then rested his chin on his knuckles. He jabbed at his pancakes with his fork, ripping the cooked batter apart and biting into it. He swallowed, only to repeat the process and never finish his thought.

"Can I ask you something?" He looked at Nana. "Are you worried about Deo?"

"No," He replied quickly, avoiding her gaze. "I just want you to be careful is all."

She laughed at him a bit and moved close, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. "Of course. I always am, Honey. Like I said, I'm just getting a couple drinks with the girls. That's all."

He didn't look convinced, but he dropped the subject. "Right. Tell them I said hi." Takabi stood up and swiped his keys from the table.

"Where are you going? You don't have work today, do you?"

"No. I'm going to visit someone. Haven't contacted them since we got back."

"Who," She asked, genuinely curious.

His eyes locked on hers and he said, "Anna. Carlos' sister."

Nana crossed her arms over her bust. She mulled over what he just said, then asked, "Are you sure that's safe? I mean, what if she's been in contact with him? If she's been feeding Carlos information, who knows what they could be planning."

I highly doubt that, He thought. "She's been in the psych ward all this time. I doubt he would go out of his way for her."

Nana ran a hand through her hair, then replied with, "How do you know that for sure?"

"I don't," He answered honestly. "But with the fact that he killed his own parents and probably anyone associated with them, I would think he doesn't care enough to visit."

There was tension in the air for a moment. Nana watched him as close as she could, gauging his words, wanting so badly to put blind trust in his judgement. She knew, however, that even he wasn't certain. It was written on his face since she had brought it up, and it worried her. "Just don't make me worry, okay?"

"Of course not. I'll try to make it home before you do, alright?" Then he was out the door, leaving Nana alone to contemplate the rest of her day.

------------------------------------------------

"Cheers!"

Glass mugs clinked together loudly, the girls laughing and swallowing the alcohol as quickly as it would arrive at their table. Joji's Bar was always filled with customers who came in during the late hours of the day, and none of the girls were an exception.

Nana, Hailey, Mia, Raia and Jewel.

All dressed up beautiful, sporting thin layers of eye-shadow and wearing jeans that hugged their legs tightly and low cut shirts. They were celebrating for Jewel, with intense happiness burning in their guts.

In Nana's mind, why wouldn't they come out and drink a little? Nothing wrong with getting a controlled amount of liquor, especially considering Jewel was in the very early stages of pregnancy.

It was thirty minutes before midnight. Joji's was filled with different men and women, all either celebrating, attempting to drown their sorrows or simply getting a drink. The bar ran until three in the morning, so the girls' adventures could last until then.

The bar was fairly large, decorated with polished brown wood and golden streamers along the ceiling that started from the glass door. A mechanical bull was in the center of the building, surrounded by layers of cushioning in case anyone wanted to give it a ride. A few men were lined up, all already drunk beyond comprehension.

Nana's eyes fell on the large flatscreen above them, then she took note of the many TVs lined up for each individual table as well as the bar. Her mind seemed a bit distant, but she was trying her best to relish in Jewel's happiness.

"So when did you find out," Hailey asked while she flipped her hair over her shoulder. Her eyes held an elegant glow. No longer did she feel broken and like a lesser compared to Nana. She was her own person, and happily accepted her role as Nana's sister, although artificial.

"Not too long ago. It's been a good couple of weeks since I took the test." Jewel replied to her.

She came into her own. Sporting a tan that many would die for. Her top hung a bit lower than the rest of the girls, a side effect of how much her bust had grown in the past couple years. Her dark hair was curled and tied upwards, front pieces of hair dropping at the sides of her face in a brown swirl. "I was surprised in all honesty. I thought I'd have to go through an entire change like Nana to at least be compatible."

"Not to nerd out," Mia chimed in. Her black hair was also tied upwards. The glasses she usually wore were replaced with contacts that highlighted her eyes. The lighting of the bar gave her skin a royal glow, and the way she spoke highlighted her intelligence. "But it doesn't work that way for humans. See, we're the lucky creatures that can basically breed with anything."

"Why is that," Hailey asked. "I never understand in all honesty. Half-Human and Half-Vampire. Or half wolf or any of those things you see on TV."

"It goes back to a basic gene we have," Mia explained. "As long as something has residual human-like DNA, it doesn't matter how many generations, or say for example it has DNA that's close enough, the human body can support it. It's why many of these shows use the Half-Human excuse to make a lot of their characters powerful."

"Or," Raia began, "You're possibly wrong and mixing fiction with reality, and it's just the simple fact that the stories require those things to exist. I mean, hell, look at Kairas and Takabi. When was it discovered that Fallen Angels can simply be born instead of cast from heaven?"

The girls looked around at each other and nodded in a silent understanding.

Jewel cleared her throat and asked, "Where are the others? I know Mom had to work today."

"Let's see," Raia said, touching her chin. Her hair was sporting thin red streaks towards the tips. While the other girls tried their best to keep most of their assets hidden, Raia left hers on full display. All of her cleavage was in full view without a care, creamy skin reflecting the yellow lights above. Her jeans were pulled down a bit lower to reveal the top of her butt, and give room for her tail to hang out and sway.

"Shine and Frannie should be at your place with Takabi, Nana. Beowulf never leaves the Bunker so he's out. I asked Zaku if he wanted to try mingling and he said no."

"Aqua," Mia asked.

"Underage obviously."

"Please. Get her a fake I.D."

Raia touched her chin. "Oh, and Ariel said she wanted to use tonight to get laid."

A simultaneous gross echoed from the table, followed by laughing. Nana took another swig of her drink, quickly spitting out once she spotted Deo walking into the bar.

"What the fuck, Nana!"

"Ah…" She grabbed a napkin and handed it to Raia. "My bad."

"What's got you so worked up," Jewel asked, and Nana pointed to Deo.

The rich man was dressed in a silky button down and khaki pants, completed with brown loafers. His hair was relaxed, hitting his shoulders in length. His brown eyes looked around for a moment until he spotted Nana. Genuine surprise touched his face before he smiled and walked over to the girls.

"Ladies," He said, voice smoother than the silk he was wearing. "Nana, what a surprise."

"I can…. Certainly say so," She replied. She looked uncomfortable, shifting a bit in her seat. "What are you doing here?"

"Ah, I'm meeting my brother for a drink." Deo took another glance around the bar. "I don't see him though. Am I intruding on something?"

"Not at all," Raia spoke up, her eyes fixed on her glass. "Pull up a chair, man. Get hammered."

"I like this one's attitude," He commented, before raising his finger and ordering a large beer for himself. Nana shot Raia a glance, but she either didn't notice or chose to ignore it.

As his drink arrived, Hailey shifted a bit closer to Nana and asked, "So you're her boss?"

"That I am," He answered, placing his lips to the mug and drinking slowly. Placing it back down, he sighed and said, "You don't talk much about work at home, do you Nana?"

"Well, I try to keep the workplace and home separate," She said.

It was difficult to hide her change in tone. Jewel noted she wasn't happy for him to be here, but didn't speak about it. A couple drinks couldn't hurt after all.

Deo took another sip, and Nana did as well. She finished swallowing first, raising her hand in the air. "Another please!"

"Hey, easy. You're supposed to be our driver, ya know," Hailey warned her.

"I can have a few more, Hails."

A few more she did. As the next couple hours passed, Nana swallowed beer after beer to drown her discomfort. Her vision went blurry, and her face went redder than a tomato. The girls lightened up their drinks in compensation for Nana's massive intake until the clock struck two thirty.

"Uh… Think you've had enough?"

Nana had her face down on the table. Deo was standing behind her with Jewel, the two trying to shake the girl awake and was hoping she didn't pass out. The angel picked her head up, slowly turning around.

The movement triggered something in her, because as she went to stand, Nana promptly threw up all over Deo's pants and shoes. The girls watched her in wide-eyed horror, and the remainder of the bar's patreons looked over.

"Holy shit," Hailey muttered.

Raia pulled out her phone and snapped a picture, smiling as she sent it to the girls' group chat. "This… Is honestly golden."

"Oh… Fuck… I think I had one too many…"

Deo laughed it off, grabbing a paper towel and brushing most of it off. Thankfully there wasn't anything too disgusting. "Well… This'll be an interesting story for the job."

Jewel glanced at him. "Okay, um… Obviously we need to go." She held her hand out for Nana. The angel reached for her, only to fall over and hit the floor. Deo knelt down, grabbing her arm gently and slinging it over his shoulder. "Let me help you."

"Thanks," Jewel replied, looking at the others. "Okay, let's get out of here." She reached in her purse, pulling out a couple hundreds and leaving them on the table. The group filed out, Jewel in front, the girls behind her and Deo and Nana behind them. He kept a few extra paces back, glancing at Nana every so often.

"Fun night," She said, head low.

"Yeah. Wondering why my brother chose not to show up, but that's a question I can ask him later. Are you alright," He asked.

"About as alright as a girl can be." She looked up at him, narrowing her eyes a moment. "Heeey… When did you get here, Honey?"

"Pardon?"

"Ahh… Takabi I missed you so much today…"

"Alright, you certainly have had way too much to…" He paused for a moment, watching the glare in her eyes. Misty, full of need and desire. Deo glanced towards the girls, noting their lack of attention then back to Nana. Licking his lips, he closed the distance, placing a kiss on her lips. What was meant to be short turned into a long, almost animalistic exchange.

Nana in her drunken mind was kissing Takabi. So little hesitation, that she slipped tongue, deepening the already too long exchange. Deo gave no resistance, and instead chose to match her force. For a moment, he forgot where they were, and began to unbutton his shirt and reach for Nana's breasts.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TWO DOING?!"

Deo stopped and pulled back, face sweaty, hair a ruffled mess. The girls were watching, hate boiling deep in their gaze. Nana whined, mewling in an almost catlike manner, before she wobbled back and fell on her butt. "Wheeeee…" 

"I…" Deo touched his lips. "Forgive me… I'm not usually-"

Hailey slammed her knuckles into his nose. He cried out as he hit the floor, blood splashing on her fist. She wiped her hand, slinging her sister's arm on her shoulder and walking off, leaving Deo to sit and bask in events just now.

His eyes apologized, but his lips and demeanor were full of confidence and lack of sympathy. He smiled, licking his lips and shutting his eyes as the girls got in their car and quickly peeled off.