Grass is Greener on Kota's Side (5)

Part 14.

Part 14.

Sang's POV.
I woke up the next morning, having not realised I even fell asleep, curled up in Gabriel's arms in the attic. I vaguely remember when he moved up into the rickety armchair and pulled me on his lap.
Turning to him, I moved the blonde pieces out of his face and tucked them behind his ears, prompting him to open his eyes,
"Sorry." I whispered, feeling bad.
He just smiled and wrapped his arms tighter around me, "I'm not complaining." He leaned forward, nuzzling his nose again mine when he froze. Shifting, he pulled his phone out of his pyjama pants, squinting at the bright light. I read it as well.
Nathan: I can't find Sang.
Gabriel smirked and typed back.
Gabriel: She's gone to feed the ducks.
I tried not to giggle, remembering when Gabriel told Victor to feed his phone to the ducks.
A minute later, Gabriel's phone buzzed again.
Nathan: Where are you?
Gabriel: Quack.
Gabriel: Sorry 'bout that, duck got my phone.
Before long, his phone was ringing. Gabriel answered it but threw the phone to me, making me answer.
"I swear to God, Gabe, stop fucking with me and these ducks, where-"
"We're in the attic, Nathan." I said.
He paused, "Sang...why?"
I was about to answer when he knocked on the pull-up door. I hung up and let him in. He was still half-asleep, his eyes barely open, his hair a mess, pyjamas rumpled; I kept trying not to think about how cute he looked.
Instead of firing at Gabriel for pranking him, he pulled me into a tight hug, nestling his head into the crook of my shoulder. I think he was honestly really worried. Feeling a little guilty, I held onto him and kissed him on the cheek, wrapping my arms around his back from under his arms. He was deliciously warm.
"I was worried something happened to you." He pulled back and rubbed one of his eyes, wide open now.
I shook my head, "I'm fine. It's been a weird week though, so maybe you're just a little paranoid."
"Maybe more than just a little." He turned his attention to Gabriel, "You! Do you see any ducks?"
Gabriel grinned, "Of course, there's one at your foot. You can't see them? The ducks are so insulted!"
Nathan opened his mouth and closed it, seemingly not finding a good retort.
"What's going on up there?" Kota's voice called up as he climbed in? "I can hear voices." He stood up, his brown hair all mussed up as he looked at Gabriel in the old chair, Nathan now looking around the attic, and then his eyes settled on me. I tried giving him a comforting smile, hoping that he would at least look a little bit happier.
My spirits lifted when his eyes twinkled at me and the corners of his lips turned up, "Good morning," he said, adjusting his wonky glasses.
Nathan started complaining to Kota, but I noticed at that moment, Luke's face pop up at the open door, his hair flipping everywhere. Kota didn't notice him,  so he put a finger to his lips and winked at me. His head moved down until all I could see was his hand, crawling across.
He gripped Kota's foot.
Kota almost jumped out of his skin and glared down at the hand around his foot, "Don't scare me, Luke! It's too early for pranks."
Luke reappeared with a giggle and hoisted himself up into the attic, carrying his leg over.
Nathan frowned, "How did you even get up here with one foot?"
Luke brushed his hair out of his eyes with a flip, "I'm fantastical."
Gabriel laughed, holding his arms open, "Come here, Luke."
Luke grinned, "I'm coming, my love, one moment," he looked down, "Slave! Crutches!"
Two seconds later, Victor, fully dressed, climbed up into the attic, holding Luke's crutches, "Master, here are your crutches."
Kota raised an eyebrow at the both of them, "Slave? Master? Are you two serious?"
Luke was now standing, "He's on roster as my helper today."
"Doesn't mean he's your slave."
Luke hobbled over to Gabriel and thumped into his lap, sitting horizontally. His long legs lay over the arm of the chair, "Of course it does. Victor, tell Kota."
Victor looked at Kota and rolled his eyes, "I really don't care. It gives me something to do other than worry. He came in my room at five this morning calling me slave and telling me this plan-"
Luke's eyes widened as he looped an arm around Gabriel's shoulder, "Hush, Slave, hush. That's enough."
Nathan frowned, "Wait, wait a minute. What plan exactly? This is Luke, we're talking about."
Victor didn't answer. Just shrugged. Then looked at me, "Morning, Princess."
I smiled, almost blushing at his intense eyes, and how playful they were this morning, "Morning, Victor."
Another knock came at the door, and I wondered who could possibly come up now when Mr. Blackbourne climbed in.
Everyone went, silent, except for Luke and Gabriel, who were whispering to each other conspiratorially.
Mr. Blackbourne sat on the hard floorboard with a yawn, donned in his grey sweatpants and navy shirt, "Good morning," he greeted.
The boys all muttered good mornings to him, expecting a reprimand.
Instead, Mr. Blackbourne shared a look with me and just said one word, "Pancakes."
Luke's jumped in Gabriel's lap, "Seriously, for breakfast?"
Mr. Blackbourne nodded, "Cafe down the road. Get ready. We don't have to tell North when he visit them today."
Standing now, he glanced around the floor of the room, "Mr. Coleman,"
"Yeah?" Gabriel responded, looking up at him.
Mr. Blackbourne pointed to the dusty floor and shook his head, "Get these ducks outside, will you?"