Chapter Ten: First Night as Newlyweds II

Sometimes, many people can attest that when we feel a strong gravitational pull towards someone, it was like, all the galaxies and universe had a talk and said, 'Yeah, finally. It's their time'. 

Zoey blinked. Was she just imagining it or Dionysus had almost kissed her lips? And, oddly enough, she didn't feel threatened at that split second at all. She was even anticipating it. Dionysus looked back at Zoey and both of them stared at each other's eyes with some unknown emotions in them. Zoey cleared her throat when she couldn't endure the awkward tension any longer. "Won't you. . won't you answer that?"

Zoey had to ask that, because she cannot endure the closeness of Dionysus to her face anymore. It was rather suffocating her, but in a very good pleasurable way. If that can really be possible. "What?"

"Your phone, Dionysus." Zoey breathily whispered. 

"Ohh, right." Dionysus moved away, sat up and cleared his throat. "Yes. Sorry." Dionysus picked up his phone from the bedside table and walked away, towards the balcony of his room. The cold and fresh night breeze welcomed him but Dionysus' face suddenly became darker after hearing Sebastian's news.

"We have successfully traced down the names you have given us, Dio. The four idiots were working in an underground casino. And, guess who the fuck owns it?" Dionysus' eyes darkened more when Sebastian laughed comically. 

"Apollo, my brother." Dionysus gritted his teeth. 

"That's right, my lord. And, your one and only biggest mafia rival. So, what are we going to do? You know that casinos like that only operate at this time of the night. Shall we raid it?" 

"Absolutely, we shall. Prepare some policemen's uniform, vests and badges within thirty minutes. And, meet me at the location of that bloody casino."

"Alrighty!" Sebastian exclaimed happily. He was obviously too excited at their upcoming raid operation. Dionysus ended the call and went back to Zoey's side.

"I'm not sure if I can ask but is that from work?" Zoey's face was the only thing visible to Dionysus because his wife's body was now covered in his thick comforters. 

"Yes. But, don't worry about it. You should sleep. I mean, we should sleep." Dionysus laid down again beside Zoey and initiated inserting himself inside the comforters as well. "God. This feels so good. I really love my bed."

"Hmm. I miss my own bed, though. I felt like I am having separation anxiety from it right now. I'm not really used to sleeping beside someone." 

"I'm sure my bed is comfier than yours, you won't notice that I'm actually here." Zoey rolled her eyes and ignored Dionysus. 

"I miss my own room and the smell of my warm chocolate milk with small marshmallows that mom always loves to make for me before bedtime." 

"I can make you one tomorrow night, or tomorrow morning. Don't worry." Still, Zoey continued without answering any of Dionysus' replies to her rants. 

"I miss my mom, Zam and Azlan. I miss cuddling Zamantha's dog. It was like, he's my little baby boy, too. You can't relate because you're not an animal lover. How can you equal that now, huh?"

"Well, for one. I'm pretty sure I can buy you a dozen dogs in different breeds, colors and whatnots. Just name it." 

"Ohh, my god. Are you boasting right now? Because you can't really bring your money to heaven."

"If that is, God will even allow me to enter there. But, seriously. I can buy you one. Think of it as a gift. A welcoming gift for your first day tomorrow at work." Zoey faced Dionysus because curiosity got the best of her. 

"Wait a second. What do you mean by what you said a while ago? Everyone can be a candidate to enter God's palace. Don't belittle yourself. You're a good person. Not that good but I know, deep inside, you're one of a kind, Dionysus." That brought a small smile to Dionysus' face and slightly calmed his raging nerves at the moment, thinking that half an hour later, he would catapult himself to a bloody war. 

"Really? Do you think so? Then, why did you run away from me? Remember the day from that restaurant? You looked so scared of me. It hurts." Dionysus thumped his chest, contorted his voice and face and pretended that he was really hurt, indeed. 

Zoey laughed. "I can't remember honestly." It was like for Zoey, her judgments about Dionysus that day already evaporated in the air while she was slowly learning every good trait of Dionysus hiding behind his cocky and arrogant personality. 

"Are you sure?" 

"Yes. Don't worry about that. I still want to talk more but my eyes are giving up on me now." Zoey said the last line in a very soft voice while her eyes were slowly closing bit by bit. Dionysus clapped and the blinding lights on the chandelier above them went off. Then, Dionysus moved towards Zoey and turned off the night lamp on the bedside table behind her. Afterwards, Dionysus suddenly had the urge to kiss Zoey on the forehead. He waited for at least five seconds before undertaking his plan.

"Goodnight, witch. Sleep tight." Dionysus even planted another soft, lingering kiss over Zoey's cheek for one last time. "I'll be back before you know it." Just like that, Dionysus stood up, wore his running shoes and his winter coat over his sweater before he climbed down on his window from the fourth floor of the mansion and landed on the grassy ground in one swift motion.

~~~~

"And, where do you think you're going, kiddo?" In the blink of an eye and as fast as lightning, Dionysus froze on his spot. Little by little, in slow motion, he looked behind him only to see his grandfather sitting on his wheelchair looking back at him with eyes that said, 'I-got-you-right-there'. 

Dionysus' eyes saw Sebastian's car parked outside their mansion, hiding in the darkness. But, he doubts now that their operation to raid a casino would transpire that same night. He has an idea why the bloody hell his old man was spying outside his room at that unholy hour. 

"I want to sniff some fresh air? You know, I love nature." Dionysus motioned his hands like he was collecting the polluted night air of New York City into his nostrils like it was nothing. 

"Really? Leaving your wife alone in your room, huh?" Dionysus scratched the back of his head.

"What do you mean? She's not a child to be always guarded. Besides, she's already asleep, grandpa. She was dead tired from all of what happened today. So, yeah. I don't want to disturb her. You go back to your room now. Please? Pretty please?" Dionysus clasped his hands like he was really begging for his grandfather's permission even though he was already too old enough not to do that at all. "Ohh, wait. I'll just bring you back to your room. Come on, old man. I'll carry you." 

Dionysus was about to take a step forward but the old Chevalier hissed to stop him. "No. You're going back to your room. And, don't ever trick me. I'll be watching your back. Come on now, kiddo. Move your ass."

Dionysus' jaw clenched as he turned around. He blew a deep breath before walking to the mansion's front doors. Once inside, he locked the doors and tried helping his grandfather in hopping inside their elevator he specifically ordered to be made for his old man, but the old Chevalier declined his offer. "Stop treating me like I'm a disabled man who can't do anything for himself anymore."

"I'm just concerned about you, grandpa. That's all. And, where are your nurses, by the way? Why are you alone?" 

"Inside my room. Sleeping. And, don't get mad at them. This is the only time they all can take a rest from overseeing this old man."

"I don't pay them handsomely just to sleep around." Dionysus pressed the 'close button' after his grandfather had settled beside him. 

"Are you mad, kiddo?"

"What do you think? I still haven't forgiven you for hiding your previous attacks from me. Just because we were not talking about it doesn't mean I'm fine with it just like that. You could have died but I wouldn't know it because I was left alone in the dark." 

"Look. I'm sorry, alright? I just don't want to burden you or something."

"For fuck's sake, grandpa. You mean everything to me. Why would you even think that?" The old Chevalier flinched a little at the sudden rise of Dionysus' tone on which Dionysus immediately regretted right at that instant. He massaged his temples after the elevator dinged open on the fourth floor of their mansion. Dionysus stepped outside and when he felt his grandfather tapping his arms, he couldn't help himself anymore. He kneeled in front of his grandfather and hugged him tightly. "I love you so much, grandpa. Please, don't ever forget that. I can't lose you. I don't know what will happen to me if that ever happens." 

"That's why I really wanted you to have someone by your side, Dio. So, when my time comes, you won't be alone." 

"No." Dionysus started to sob, much to the sheer surprise of the old Chevalier. "No. Please, don't say that. You will still live for so many years. I know it. People as healthy as you can still live up to a hundred years old. Besides, you're a badass. God won't let you enter the heavens just like that. You have to earn it."

The old Chevalier hugged his grandson's back and tapped it gently. "Since when did you become so religious, huh?" Dionysus laughed. He wiped some tears that dared to escape his eyes.

"You will never know the feeling, old man. You will never know." Afterwards, Dionysus moved away and kissed his grandfather's wrinkled hand. "I love you."

"I knew it. You're gay."

"What? No way!"

"Just kidding."

"Can't you just say you love me, too?"

"But, I'm not gay, kid. You are." Dionysus frowned and the old Chevalier giggled. "But, I don't really have any doubts now because everytime I see the way your eyes look at Zoey, I know right there and then that you burn for her." Dionysus gulped. He wanted to curse, to say anything, to deny his grandfather's claims. But, he knew better. He can't lie to himself. He has a bigger reason why he had chosen Zoey to be his pretend girlfriend a week ago. There was something about Zoey that was pulling him in, towards her. And, he can't fight it back. Not that he was trying so hard, though. "Ohh. Zoey, honey? I thought Dio said that you're already asleep."

Dionysus' eyes widened in shock upon hearing that. But, he managed to calm his facial expressions after standing up and looking at what's behind him. And, there she was, his wife, looking so sleepy while staring back at them. "I woke up and noticed that your grandson wasn't beside me anymore. So. ." Zoey shrugged. "I'm sorry if I had interrupted your grandfather-grandson pep talk. I'll go back now." 

"No, honey. Actually, we're finished here. So, you two can go back together. Come on now. Hurry." Mr. Hermes Chevalier gestured his hand like he was shooing away Dionysus and Zoey to go back to their room right at that instant. Dionysus was about to move but the old Chevalier pulled his arm and whispered beside his grandson's ear.

"Ouch!"

"Ohh, shut up. You whine like a girl. Anyways, make babies, kiddo. Now is your chance. Release the tension." Then, the old Chevalier moaned softly against Dionysus' ears that brought so many goosebumps on the latter. 

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. You are so disgusting. You make me cringe." Dionysus exclaimed as he tried rubbing his ear as if it would really help him while Zoey was watching them from afar wondering to herself what the bloody hell Dionysus and the old Chevalier was talking about right now because they seemed like they were talking about her. "I won't do it. In your dreams. I'm not yet ready." Dionysus whispered back. However, when Dionysus saw the glimmer in his grandfather's hopeful eyes after he moved away, he suddenly felt guilty. He wanted to hate himself because an idea popped inside his head just to please his grandfather again and again. He really loves his old man more than anything. "Alright, alright. Leave everything to me." 

The old Chevalier laughed as he watched Dionysus ushered Zoey back to their room. "What is that? Why did your grandpa laugh like a villain in a horror movie?" Zoey asked as soon as they entered Dionysus' room and her husband closed the door behind them.

Dionysus hesitated a little bit. He suddenly felt awkward about telling his plan to Zoey. "Grandpa wanted us to do something. Because you know, it's our wedding night." The last two words were almost a whisper for Dionysus. Dionysus took a step towards Zoey but Zoey moved away quickly. Zoey stammered. 

"Are you insane? Is that what I am thinking right now?" Zoey covered her body with her arms.