Jerson got up when he heard a rustle outside the mansion. He was presently leaning his back on the wall outside the mansion beside the door, investigating if there was a sign of any intruder. He was taking a short nap in the living room when he noticed that rustle outside. It wasn’t that loud, but it could still be heard by someone who had his guard up.
Earlier, Vishnu didn’t give him an earful which he thought was acceptable based on Vishnu’s attitude. Giving him the cold shoulder was still normal based on Vishnu’s temperance; however, it still agitates him. Vishnu treats him like he didn’t exist at all. He kept on asking what the problem was, but Vishnu wouldn’t respond, leaving him feeling very conflicted.

The fact that his new boss treats him like that and his nap was disturbed, Jerson couldn’t wait to strangle the intruder and let out his frustration by torturing whoever fucker dared to wake his irritated ass. He sauntered nearer the garden, examined the area outside the manor, even checked the CCTV installed in the mansion just to find the man but found nothing.
Empty. He found nothing as if the noise earlier was just part of the creative power of his mind.
Jerson looked at his cruiser. He decided to walk outside the mansion to tame the madness howling inside his head. He wished to drive down a peaceful road and feel the coldness of the frigid air, but he needed to guard the manor for Vishnu’s safety.
When he couldn’t find anything suspicious, Jerson decided to go back inside the mansion. He crouched on the sofa and sighed deeply, worrying how he could forget the matters he had about Vishnu. He wanted to fall asleep, but as soon as he closed his eyes, his mind wandered once again.
“You aren’t sleeping yet?”
Usually, he’ll get a pistol and edge the muzzle to the person’s skull who came out of nowhere, but upon hearing the voice, Jerson settled down. Such occurrences completely stunned him. The turmoil inside his head, which he had some trouble suppressing and which had been disturbing him for hours, died down so effortlessly because of the man who had stimulated it. Vishnu shunned him for hours, and that induced Jerson to feel conflicted. It only takes a few words for Vishnu to soothe him, and he doesn’t like the feeling. This had happened before, and the outcome wasn’t good. This has to stop.
“Can’t sleep,” Jerson answered.
“Are you still hung up on the same girl you were with earlier in the resto? You could have asked for her number first before leaving,” Vishnu denoted. Jerson couldn’t understand why Vishnu used such a tone. He sounds like a jealous boyfriend, but he chooses to ignore it.
Jerson shook his head. He wasn’t interested in Mikaela anyway, so there’s no need for him to ask for any details about her contact information. It’s just a waste of his time. Besides, based on Mikaela’s attitude, she acts like she’s still hung up with the boy who was looking at them with furrowed brows. However, the man seems like he already has someone gleaned from how the girl who was with the man snaked her arms around the man’s neck.
But Jerson doesn’t want to sympathize with Mikaela. The girl seemed fine. Unlike him, at least she’s trying to move on. Jerson was still hung up on that person from his past. And just now, he couldn't comprehend the reason behind these vague and foreign feelings because of that person who made him feel different emotions in just a day.
“I’m just having trouble with sleeping,” Jerson responded. Vishnu nodded. “How about you?”
“I have cases to review,” Vishnu retorted before sauntering towards the kitchen. When Vishnu goes back, he already has a milk bag in his right hand while carrying a plate of vanilla cake in the other hand.
‘Midnight snack?’ Jerson thought.
“You need help?” Jerson asked, thinking that his boss was struggling to carry what he was holding.
“Do I look that vulnerable to you?”
With his brows creased, Jerson asserted, “That’s not what I meant to say. I’m sorry.”
Vishnu secretly rolled his eyes before looking at Jerson’s dreamy eyes. Vishnu sighed when he remembered the scene he witnessed again. He couldn’t understand himself. He just met Jerson, so how could he feel like that? And as for Jerson, he appears to be uninterested. Vishnu told himself to stay away from Jerson as much as possible. He didn’t like where his feelings were leading him. He’s a man, for fucks sake!
“I heard you’re going to continue studying, and you’re going to take law?”
Seeing Vishnu’s hint of interest in his personal life, Jerson couldn’t help but feel thrilled. He thought that Vishnu really did not care about him and that he wouldn't give a shit but seeing how curious he was, Jerson unconsciously smiled.
“Yes. That’s the original plan,” Jerson said, grinning.
“Then what school are you going to enroll in?” Vishnu asked again. Jerson totters his head. He didn’t think about it, but now that Vishnu mentioned it, it got him to conceive about what university to enroll in.
Seeing Jerson hadn’t decided about it yet, he pressed his lips before mumbling: “I’ll mail my previous school a recommendation letter. I’ll recommend you for a faster application. It doesn’t matter if you pass their exams or not, but based on how clever you are, I know you’ll make it.”
Jerson gave Vishnu an inquiring look.
“You can continue studying. You don’t have to worry about me. I can handle myself,” Vishnu said, which surprised him. Jerson thought that Vishnu already had vanquished whatever issue he had with him.
This time, Jerson really wanted to ask what was wrong. He could tell that Vishnu had his problem with him. He didn’t know what it was. He didn’t know how to overhaul it. What could be wrong with him when all he did was heed whatever Vishnu wanted?
“Why? You agreed that you needed to be by my side so I could protect you. Why are you suddenly doing this?”
“I don’t want to meddle in such affairs.”
With those words and with Jerson’s unanswered inquiries, Vishnu withdrew. Vishnu rejected him again, and he felt really baffled. Once again, his mind wandered. He’s asking about what traits he possesses that had offended Vishnu in any means. Why does he keep on pushing Jerson away?
•••
“Aren’t we having breakfast first before you go to work?” Jerson asked. He looked at him and saw that Vishnu was struggling to fix his necktie. His brows creased. He seems like he'd been cursing the necktie in his mind nonstop, which Jerson believed such actions to be cute.
Vishnu looked pretty intimidating wearing his tux; however, his necktie hanging around his neck isn't tied neatly. The prosecutor seemed to be struggling a lot fixing his necktie.
Without thinking much about it, Jerson strode near where Vishnu was standing. When Jerson stands directly across Vishnu, he helps in hooking the Prosecutor’s necktie. Vishnu was shocked but didn’t do anything to refute. Observing that Vishnu wasn’t struggling, Jerson felt satisfied, washing all of his frustration away.
But Vishnu was nowhere near feeling happy. Vishnu could feel the warmth coming from Jerson’s breath. It’s making him feel uncomfortable that he had stopped breathing for a while. He almost forgets how to live for a second. He was feeling uncomfortable. Something was flying in his guts, and that didn’t feel good. It was as if he was feeling nausea.
“Please breathe. You’re making me worried,” Jerson murmured. Now that Jerson mentioned it, Vishnu realized that he’d been holding his breath for a while now.