Chapter 18: An Unexpected Late Breakfast
The sound of soft snoring reached Chase's ears as he glanced down at his lap in disbelief. The bags under his eyes betrayed his exhaustion, and he let out a weary sigh. Diana hadn't managed to beat him even once, though her skills were clearly improving. But the better she got, the harder he had to try, especially now that he'd unlocked more powerful weapons in the game. His gaze shifted to the coffee table in front of him, now littered with empty drink cans, crumpled chip bags, cookie wrappers, and the remnants of a frozen pizza he'd heated up earlier.
His mind nagged at him to clean up the mess, but his body refused to move. Diana was asleep on his lap, her head resting peacefully against him. He was too drained to care. With a resigned sigh, he tilted his head back against the couch, the last flicker of wakefulness fading as he succumbed to sleep.
Eight hours later, the sharp sound of knocking broke the quiet of the apartment. Diana stirred first, scowling at the disturbance. Still groggy, she blinked and looked around, only to realize she was nestled against Chase's chest, his arms loosely wrapped around her. They had shifted in their sleep, and now they were both sprawled out on the couch. Her brows furrowed as she tried to piece together how this had happened, but before her thoughts could spiral, another knock echoed through the room.
Already irritated, Diana's expression darkened as she noticed Chase's face scrunching in discomfort at the noise. Not wanting to disturb his rest, she carefully slipped out of his embrace, her movements smooth and deliberate. Once free, she padded toward the door, her annoyance evident in every step. She opened it with a scowl, ready to confront whoever was responsible for interrupting her morning.
Diana stared at the visitor standing outside the door, exhaustion heavy in her silver eyes. Without a word, she closed the door—softly, so as not to wake Chase—and grumbled under her breath as she made her way back to the couch. But before she could sit down, the knocking resumed. Her irritation flared, and she marched back to the door, throwing it open again.
"Be quiet," she hissed, her voice sharp but low, her eyes flashing silver with restrained fury.
Standing on the threshold was a young woman with a mischievous smirk and an air of teasing confidence. "I thought you two weren't dating," the visitor said, her tone dripping with mockery.
Diana's annoyance deepened. "He's asleep right now," she replied curtly, her words clipped. "I'll let him know you came by when he wakes up." She started to close the door again, but the woman caught it with her hand.
"Now hold on," the visitor said, leaning against the doorframe. "Why's he still asleep at 3 PM? Shouldn't he be up by now? Unless—" Her smirk widened. "Unless you two were up late doing other things. Like—"
"How dare you suggest such a thing!" Diana snapped, her voice a sharp whisper as anger flared in her tone. "I should kill you for even thinking—"
"Whoa, whoa, sorry! Didn't mean to upset you," the woman interrupted, raising her hands in mock surrender. Then, with a sly chuckle, she added, "Or should I say... Lady Artemis?"
Diana froze, her cheeks flushing with a mix of rage and embarrassment as the woman strolled inside uninvited. "Lila," Diana muttered under her breath, glaring daggers at Chase's sister as she stepped past her. Calm down, calm down, Diana thought, clenching her fists. If she weren't Chase's sister—and if she didn't have his face—I would've killed her on the spot.
"What are you doing here?" Diana demanded, doing her best to keep her voice steady.
Lila ignored her question, her sharp gaze wandering around the apartment before landing on the cluttered coffee table. "Oh my," she said with mock concern. "Looks like my brother needs help with something."
Before Diana could reply, Lila took it upon herself to start tidying up, gathering the empty wrappers and cans into a pile. Diana watched in a mix of confusion and suspicion. What is she doing? she wondered, narrowing her eyes. Well, I know what she's doing, but why is she doing it?
"Stop that," Diana finally said, her voice low and sharp. "We don't need your help."
"Don't worry, it's what sisters are for," Lila replied sweetly, her smirk firmly in place as she continued cleaning. Diana's silver eyes flickered dangerously, but she forced herself to take a deep breath. She's his sister. I can't kill her. Yet.
Diana sighed and leaned back into the couch, her silver eyes still watching Lila. There wasn't much she could do—Lila wasn't doing anything wrong, at least for now. Her gaze shifted to the TV screen, where the words Controller Disconnected were faintly visible. The events of the night before replayed in her mind, bringing a small, fleeting smile to her lips.
They'd played until the sun came up, only falling asleep when exhaustion finally claimed them. Although Chase had beaten her every time, Diana didn't care as much as she thought she would. She'd learned plenty throughout the night—not just about the game, but also about the console and even the TV itself. She already knew how to aim and use the joystick, but navigating the game menus was a new challenge, one she'd quickly grown more comfortable with under Chase's guidance.
By the end of the night, she'd figured out how to navigate the console's home screen, switch between games, and even adjust the TV's volume—a skill she proudly demonstrated after learning it. Chase had laughed at her excitement, but not in a way that felt mocking. Instead, it felt warm and encouraging, and that made the entire experience more enjoyable.
Her gaze shifted to the controllers on the table. She reached over, plugging them in to charge, and turned the TV volume down again. Lila was still tidying up, and although Diana was tempted to tell her to stop, she held back. For now, Lila wasn't doing anything hostile, even if her earlier remarks still annoyed her.
With nothing else to occupy her attention, Diana stretched and made her way to the bathroom. Inside, she splashed cold water onto her face, the chill waking her up fully. She grabbed her toothbrush and squeezed toothpaste onto it, her thoughts lingering on the night's events.
Despite the constant losses, she'd had fun—more fun than she expected. There was something oddly satisfying about learning these little things, even if it was far removed from her usual realm of expertise. As she brushed her teeth, she couldn't help but think that she wouldn't mind doing it again later—assuming Chase would agree to play another round.
As Diana finished brushing her teeth and washing her face, she decided to see what Lila was up to. When she walked back into the living room, she noticed Lila standing in the kitchen, washing dishes. Diana tilted her head, her confusion growing.
"Why are you cleaning?" Diana asked, her tone sharp and direct.
Lila turned to her with a proud smile, as if she'd just accomplished a great feat. "My precious little brother needs someone to take care of him. He's not capable of doing it on his own," she declared, puffing out her chest as though being his older sister was the greatest honor in the world.
Diana blinked, her silver eyes narrowing slightly. Is she mentally ill? she wondered. That would certainly explain a lot.
"Your brother is a very capable person and does not need your assistance," Diana said firmly.
"I find that hard to believe, given what I've seen so far," Lila shot back, gesturing toward the now-clean coffee table and the dishes in the sink. "If I weren't here, who knows how long this mess would've stayed like that? Clearly, he needs someone to take care of him. Don't worry," she added with a sly wink, "if you're worried about me taking him away from you, I won't. I can even help you out if you want."
Diana's eye twitched at the insinuation. "I don't need your help," she said coldly, her irritation rising with each word. She took a calming breath before adding, "But fine, do whatever you want. It's not my problem."
Lila beamed at the response, as if Diana's reluctant approval was a victory. She turned back to the sink, finishing the last of the dishes before pulling out grocery items from the bag she'd brought with her. Diana frowned, watching her with skepticism.
Why is she like this? Diana thought. As much as she wanted to keep arguing, she knew Lila wouldn't listen to reason. For now, she decided it was best to let her do whatever she was planning—though Diana made a mental note to keep a close eye on her.
Diana sat on the couch grabbing her controller and loading up single player making sure the game was on her account which chase warned her if she wanted to play the campaign mode she should load it up on her account.
Diana was fully immersed in the game, her focus sharp as she worked the controller. Meanwhile, Chase stirred, the faint aroma of cooking wafting into his nose. His face scrunched slightly, and his eyes twitched as he woke. Groggily, he opened his eyes and saw Diana sitting on the couch, gaming intently. The events of the previous night filtered back into his mind, but something else caught his attention.
The smell.
He turned his head and froze, his still-sleepy brain processing what he was seeing. Standing in the kitchen was Lila, humming to herself as she cooked. Chase blinked in disbelief, then turned back to Diana. "Why is she here?" he asked, his voice deep and husky from just waking up.
Diana jumped slightly at the sound of his voice, her cheeks heating up. She coughed to cover her reaction. "I tried to stop her," she said, not taking her eyes off the screen. "But I didn't know if you'd want me to... hurt your sister."
Chase sighed, rubbing his face. Peace was too much to ask for, wasn't it? He had only just started to get used to Diana being a part of his life, and now Lila was here too. Another sigh escaped his lips, and Diana's head turned slightly at the sound.
"I think I understand now," she said, her tone curious. "You sigh when something annoys you."
"Something like that," Chase muttered.
Diana's face turned red at his response. He sighs a lot around me... Am I annoying him?
Chase seemed to sense her unease and quickly added, "It's not you I'm sighing at, though."
"Then who?" Diana asked, visibly relieved.
He gave her a pointed look. "Lila... this time."
Satisfied with his answer, Diana nodded and returned her attention to the game. Chase, however, decided he needed to get to the bottom of things. He stood, stretched, and walked toward Lila in the kitchen.
When she saw him, she smiled brightly. "Oh, you're finally awake! You should go get ready—the food will be done soon."
Chase ignored her cheerful tone. "How do you even know where I live?" he asked, his irritation clear in his voice.
Lila smirked. "That was easy. I changed your schedule. When I did that, I had access to your information."
"Isn't that illegal or something?" Chase asked, his tone flat.
"It's not illegal to know where my brother lives, is it?" Lila replied sweetly, a mischievous glint in her eye.
"But it's definitely illegal to trespass," Chase shot back.
"I was let in," Lila said with a shrug.
Diana, clearly annoyed, yelled from the couch, "I didn't let her in! I opened the door, and she walked in!"
Lila dismissed the protest with a wave of her hand. "I'm just helping, anyway. You should go get ready—breakfast, or well, lunch is about to be ready."
Chase opened his mouth to retort but paused as his eyes drifted to the coffee table and the now-clean sink. It was clear Lila had been tidying up. He sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that morning. Why did I have to wake up to this?
Resigned, he turned and headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face, hoping the day wouldn't spiral further out of control.
Chase walked out of the bathroom just as Lila called out to both of them, announcing that the food was ready. Diana got up eagerly—one thing she did love was food. Lila handed her a plate, but the portions were small, much to Diana's displeasure. She sighed and decided to wait until Chase sat down and took a bite of his plate. She trusted him, but his sister? Not so much.
Chase sat down with a plate noticeably larger than Diana's, already suspecting he'd end up sharing it. His appetite was never strong in the morning—or technically, early afternoon—and Diana's pointed glances at her own plate all but confirmed it.
The meal was simple: pancakes, bacon, and eggs, with syrup already poured over the pancakes. Chase took a bite as both women watched him. Lila looked eager, anticipation glowing in her eyes. Diana, on the other hand, studied him with suspicion, waiting to see his reaction before daring a bite of her own.
"It's... good," Chase said, forcing a small smile.
Lila beamed at the compliment, but Diana immediately looked skeptical. She poked at the food before cautiously taking a bite. Her face scrunched up instantly. Without hesitation, she got up, marched to the trash can, and spit it out.
"What kind of poison did you put in this?" Diana hissed, glaring at Lila.
"It's not poisoned!" Lila shot back, her tone defensive. "Chase said it was good!"
Diana turned her sharp gaze to Chase, who was now sweating under the weight of her scrutiny. "Stop lying to her," Diana said flatly.
Lila's triumphant expression faltered, and her eyes turned toward Chase with an almost pleading look. His shoulders sagged as he sighed. He couldn't win. Finally, he relented, "Well... it's kind of—"
"Disgusting," Diana finished for him, crossing her arms.
Chase winced as Lila's expression fell. "You're too nice," Diana said, her tone cutting. "If you won't tell her it's terrible, then you should finish it yourself."
Chase began sweating bullets. "Maybe just ask me to cook next time," he said softly, trying to smooth things over.
"Is it that bad?" Lila asked, her voice trembling slightly. "Even you think you could do better than me?"
"What do you mean, 'even me'?" Chase asked, his irritation starting to show.
"You're still young," Lila said, her tone carrying an air of superiority. "You couldn't possibly make something better than me."
Diana snorted, clearly amused by the claim. Chase, however, didn't bother responding. Instead, he stood up, grabbed his apron, and tied it around his waist.
"Diana, what do you want to eat?" he asked, ignoring Lila entirely.
"Oatmeal, but with apples this time, please," Diana said, her tone brightening as her excitement grew.
Lila looked baffled. "You're going to make oatmeal? And she's actually happy about it?"
Chase nodded and got to work, pulling out a saucepan and setting it on the stove. He filled it with water and added oats, stirring them gently while they cooked. As the mixture thickened, he chopped an apple into small, even pieces, sprinkling a little cinnamon and sugar over them. The sweet, spiced aroma filled the air, making Diana's nose twitch in delight. Chase added the apples to the oatmeal, stirring them in to distribute the flavor evenly before scooping the oatmeal into a bowl and handing it to Diana.
She accepted it with a smile and took a big bite, her eyes lighting up. "Perfect," she declared.
Chase finally sat back down with his own plate, though he wasn't sure if he'd get through much of it. True to his prediction, Diana's attention shifted to his plate after just a few spoonfuls of oatmeal.
"Are you going to finish that?" she asked, eyeing his bacon.
Chase sighed, sliding the bacon onto her plate. "Just take it."
Lila watched the exchange, her confusion deepening. "You're really giving her your food?"
"He does it all the time," Diana said smugly, taking a bite.
Chase didn't bother correcting her that it was one time. It wasn't worth the energy. He simply sighed again, leaning back in his chair and silently wondering if he'd ever get a moment of peace.
Lila looked at Chase, her expression defiant. "That doesn't prove it's better than my pancakes," she said, crossing her arms.
Chase, without a word, pointed to the stove, signaling that there was some oatmeal left for her to try. Lila hesitated for a moment, then grabbed a spoon and scooped up a small portion. She tasted it, her expression transforming as she savored the flavor. It was good—just a little good—but she wasn't about to admit it. She quickly wiped the spoon and returned it to where she had gotten it from.
"It was okay," Lila said, her voice a bit embarrassed but still holding on to her pride.
Diana couldn't resist the opportunity to get back at her. "Okay? Okay is ten times better than the filth you made," she shot back, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips.
Lila's face flushed with anger. "Still better than anything you could make."
Diana smirked. "I don't need to cook. I have him," she said, pointing at Chase, who groaned at the attention.
After finishing the last bite of oatmeal in his bowl, Chase finally sighed and turned to Lila. "Why are you here?" he asked, clearly exhausted by the whole ordeal.
Lila smiled sweetly, as though the answer was obvious. "It's simple—I wanted to surprise visit my brother." She paused for dramatic effect, then added, "I also wanted to tell you that I live next door now. We're neighbors," she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Chase stared at her, gauging her expression. She wasn't joking. He groaned loudly, placing his dish in the sink with a resigned sigh. Diana, still enjoying her food, was oblivious to the tension building.
Lila, seemingly unbothered by Chase's groan, continued. "Being your neighbor also means I can hear all of the mating noises when you attempt to make me a niece or nephew." She said it with a mischievous grin, clearly enjoying the discomfort she was causing.
Diana's face flushed bright red. "How dare you—" she stammered, her mind going into overdrive at the idea of Lila's suggestion.
Chase, equally embarrassed, looked at Lila in disbelief. "What is wrong with you?"
Lila gave him a victorious look, thoroughly enjoying Diana's reaction. "I think a goddess like her might be a bit wild, so you'd better handle it before things get... out of hand," she said, taunting Diana with a wink.
Diana's anger flared, but she couldn't find the words to respond. Chase, still mortified by the situation, sighed. He already knew today was going to be a long one.