Checkmate

VII

Luciel smiled innocently and gave him a finger. "Fuck you."

Genesis smiled and leaned his chin on his palm, his eyes never leaving their eldest. "Fuck me yourself."

A crumpled tissue found its way to Genesis's face as Luciel shot him a disgusted look. "You wish."

Yulia watched as the two exchanged insults with doubled meanings. She wondered if they were just too close to the point they didn't mind joking about that or there was really something between the two.

Luciel's phone interrupted the banter, prompting Luciel to click his tongue and check the caller ID.

♟

"Yo, Eli!"

Luciel, Genesis and Yulia had rushed to the Xia residence as soon as they received the call. Yulia had no idea what caused Luciel to react the way he did, but she recognized the parallels of how he acted towards her during the time he saw her bruises and today.

When they arrived, they found Elijah lounging on a luxurious burgundy couch, massaging his temples.

He seems fine, Yulia thought.

She hoped he wouldn't say anything about her being intrusive because she might really regret skipping a class for the first time just for him.

It was a spur of the moment thing, but Luciel and Genesis's worry already rubbed off on her on the way.

"Hey." Genesis lightly tapped Elijah's shoulder. "You alright?"

Yulia looked the other way.

The scene felt too intimate for her. Elijah looked too vulnerable that it started ruining the rude and emotionless image she had of him in her mind.

"Why is she here?"

"Ah...," Genesis scratched his nape. "We were having lunch when you called. We kinda dragged her with us."

"Ask the driver to send her back."

"She already missed a class. The school guards won't let her back in," Luciel objected, his tone calm but firm. He just came back with a tray of sweets at hand.

"Then send her home."

Luciel shook his head, ignoring the younger guy. "No would do. Gen, come with me. Let's ask for something better to eat downstairs."

Genesis quickly obliged and went with Luciel, leaving Elijah and Yulia in an awkward atmosphere. The last time they talked, Elijah sounded gentler, but then again, the three always had ways to surprise her.

Yulia took the initiative to approach him, thinking it was also for the sake of getting along with Luciel and Genesis whom she had taken a liking on. "Are you alright?"

"None of your business."

"So stingy," she glowered. "I shouldn't have come."

"No one told you to come," Elijah sighed. "I thought after that, you'd stop tailing Ciel but here you are again. What do you really want?"