"Look, I'm so sorry about what happened." Vanessa apologized for nearly the hundredth time. "I didn't mean it—I actually meant to hit my brother—"
Valentino placed his pale hand gently over her tanned one, and smiled. He looked a lot like their uncle Lovino (to Vanessa, he is like one. Although Valentino is half Nyotalian [his mother is Feliciana], Feliciano is also considered his other father, Monika his other mother, and Lovino his uncle) but his usual expression is much more calm, and their eye and hair colors are different. He had light blue eyes like Germany's, and his hair color is a lighter shade of auburn than Italy's.
Vanessa could feel her heart skip a beat. If she was paler, her blush would be more noticeable.
"You don't have to keep apologizing, I already knew you didn't mean to hit me in the pene." He could still recall his friends laughing their asses off when he got hit in the balls really hard. 'I will murder them later'
"LOOO SSIIEEENNNTTOO—" Vanessa cut off when someone came in the room. They turned to the door to find Hadji standing there, and by the look on his face, he feels awkward.
"Sorry. Were you two confessing to each other?"
"No," Vanessa was the first to reply.
"Oh, okay." The awkwardness faded off of Hadji, replaced by a neutral expression. "Anyway, Ate, are you going home now? Mama and your Papa Espanya will probably freak out and they find out you're not home by ten minutes."
"Ugh, alright." Vanessa stood up from the chair and let out a sigh. Maria and Antonio aren't living together anymore, but they always know what's going on with their daughter. "Adios, amigo." She turned to Valentino and waved at him before she left the room with her youngest brother.
Valentino didn't even say anything. As he watched her go, there's this look on his face that's like 'NOOOO DON'T LEAVE ME AMORE MIO'
And, she closed the door.
+++
"Welcome to my house,"
Joseph and Anong stood in front of his gate. From here, they could see the mansion with three stories, four if you include the basement, with a water fountain and plants on the frontyard. Anong has been here several times already, though. She knew there was a swimming pool on the backyard. This was, however, just one of Alfred and Maria's many residences together—this one's in Washington D.C., and it's just nearby to the White House. There's also one each in California, Florida, New York, Hawaii, Guam, and Luzon. Her parents only had three.
Joseph opened the gate and ushered the Thai-Vietnamese to step in before he did himself. The same routine went, when they approached the front doors of the house and walked in.
Up high was a golden chandelier that sparkled with diamonds. On the second floor were the bedrooms, and on the third floor were entertainment rooms.
"Do you and your friend here need anything, Sir?" A maid asked.
"Yeah, can you order us McDonald's?"
"Oh, of course. What would you like?"
"The usual." He glanced at Anong. "What would you like?"
"Uh, nothing really." She smiled and waved the offer off. "I'd just like a glass of water and maybe—rice."
Their love for rice is one of the things that made them become an item.
"Okay, ma'am. Sir." The maid bowed before she left off to call McDonald's on the telephone.
Joseph slouched onto the furry couch, while Anong just sat next to him properly, her hands on her lap. She glanced around the place, looking for maybe, any of Joseph's parents or siblings.
