"Raffy!"
Rafael beamed down at her. "Bella, darling!" He exclaimed in excitement as he scooped up the little girl and hugged her tightly in his arms.
"Mmm." The little girl hummed in satisfaction, snuggling closer to him. "I've missed you!"
"I've missed you more, my little Bella. I'm so sorry for what I said. I shouldn't have said it, baby." He murmured, combing her hair with his fingers.
"S' fine." Isabella muttered back, wanting to cry. "Just don't go away 'gain."
"I won't." Rafael said, looking at her brightly. He placed her down. "I've missed you so, so much."
She looks at him in wonder. "How much?"
"Soooo much!" He dramatically said, using his arm to stretch it as much as it could possibly do to show Isabella how much he'd missed her.
"I've missed you too!" Isabella said happily, hugging him again jovially. "So, so much!"
Rafael chuckled softly. "I know." He said gently. "I know, sweetheart."
"I was looking for you." Isabella said, sounding sad and lost all of a sudden. "I wanted to talk to you..."
"I know..." Rafael couldn't say anything to comfort her because it's all true. Even if she wanted to, she wouldn't be able to find him. That was his punishment. His consequences for being mean to the little girl. "I know you wanted to..."
They hugged for a moment before Dmitri coughed, causing Rafael to roll his eyes. He looks at him with a smile but Dmitri's good more better at smiling and acting as if everything is fine.
Rafael narrowed his eyes at the doctor before his eyes fell upon Nicolai. He looks at Isabella knowingly. "Bells, who's this?" He asks teasingly.
Isabella held Nicolai's hand proudly and beamed at him. "My friend!"
"W-What!" The boy spluttered in embarrassment, cheeks red like cherry. He then calmed himself down before puffing his chest out. "Yes, I'm her friend, sir!"
Rafael chuckled sweetly before making way for them to come in. "Well, come in, Bella's friend."
Nicolai nodded sharply before marching inside like a man on a mission. Well, he is on a mission plus he's tense and nervous and he's probably regretting all of his reasons to come.
But then he turned around and looked at Rafael. "I'm Nicolai... Sir."
"Rafael." The man introduced himself, smiling kindly. "None of that sir. You're making me sound old."
"Well, you are old." Isabella muttered, walking towards her friend.
Rafael raised an amused brow. "What was that?"
She smiled at him innocently. "Nothing, sir."
Dmitri followed Isabella like a lost puppy with a grin plastered on his face. "How about me, little miss? Am I old to you?"
"You're exceptionally old!" Nicolai insulted, looking back to glare at Dmitri. Isabella doesn't understand why Nicolai's mean to Dmitri or why he's acting as he is right now.
"Nico." Isabella chastised, crossing her arms. "Don't be mean to the doctor." She huffed in annoyance. She doesn't want anyone being mean to people that she cares about.
And, yes, Dmitri is included to people that she cares about. Even if he's annoying and that he only cares about money and doing his job properly.
"Aww, Miss Gem." The said doctor cooed softly, "you care for me? That's surprising."
Rafael piped in. "Well, because she considers you her family." He said, reading Isabella like an open book.
Nicolai looked at Isabella in dejection. "Sorry, Izzy."
Rafael raised his brows in surprise before looking at Isabella in confusion. "Izzy?"
Isabella nodded, looking at him with a smile. "Friends have nicknames for each other! They do it all the time!" She looks at Nicolai. "Right?"
The boy nodded, looking unsure but he hummed softly at her question. "Mhmm."
Isabella beamed at Nicolai before looking at Rafael. And the man knows that look. Isabella wants to keep it a secret about hating the nickname 'Izzy.' Lucius and Elois once called her that and she was upset for a minute because of that. She said that she dislikes it because of how the name didn't match her.
But, she's letting Nicolai call her that? She probably likes him so much that she'll let him say whatever he wants.
Rafael's a little sad about that but he won't let that stop him from being happy that Isabella's got a friend.
"We're not family, Miss Gem. Don't consider me as one." Dmitri said, after a while. He kneeled down in front of the little girl with a soft look on his face. "I'm just a person who's paid to look after you. I'm only here to guard you and for the money that your father pays me. We're not family or friends or anything like that. You're my patient as well as my master and I'm only nobody to you, okay?"
Those cold words washed over Isabella and she looks at him sadly. Dmitri would die for her because that's his job. To protect her even if it costs him his life. He's putting a line between them. He's distancing himself.
Isabella was about to speak up but Nicolai held her hand. She looks at him in sadness and the boy just shook his head, telling her to keep her mouth shut.
Isabella sighed. Even if she opens her mouth, what would she say? Dmitri's so sure of his words that it made Isabella speechless. She can't think or say anything that would change his mind.
But, that doesn't change the fact that Dmitri's someone she cares about.
Rafael ruffled Dmitri's hair, causing the doctor to whine before slapping Rafael's hand gently. He pouted at the man. "Meanie. You big meanie."
Rafael snorted before offering hand for Dmitri to take. The doctor eyes the hand suspiciously before pouting sweetly at him. He decided to finally take the hand and Rafael pulled him up.
Dmitri patted his shoulder. "Thanks."
"No problem." Rafael answered back.
Nicolai took her hand again because he likes to hold her hand.
"I need Izzy's dad!" Nicolai informed them, looking around the house with a determined look.
Rafael looks at the boy in confusion. "Why?"
"Because I need to tell him that I'm Izzy's friend."
Isabella nodded at his words. She points at Nicolai. "He needs to tell papa that he's my friend."
Rafael looks at Dmitri in confusion and the doctor smiled, shrugging. "We've accidentally kidnapped the boy."
Rafael's eyes widened. "Kidnapped?"
"Borrowed!" Isabella hissed, glaring at Dmitri. "We've borrowed him."
"Borrowed?" Rafael asks incredolously, his brows flying up in shock. "Did you just say borrowing as if he's a thing, Bella?"
"I belong to her!" Nicolai added, causing Rafael to splutter in shock.
Dmitri hissed at the boy. "Don't say that! It's weird."
"He's not weird." Isabella frowned, already defending the boy.
"I didn't say he's weird," Dmitri explained softly at Isabella, "his words are weird."
"Did you borrow him? Kidnapped?" Rafael asks worriedly, not worried about the argument brewing between the trio. He looks at Dmitri. "Are we now criminals?" He screeched worriedly.
"Noooo..." Dmitri drawled out, patting his shoulder and leaned in. Rafael automatically leaned back. "We're already criminals."
"Are you criminals?" Nicolai asks in shock.
Isabella's eyes widened and glanced at Dmitri and the man glanced at her. Isabella then smiled innocently at Nicolai. "No, 'course not."
"'Course not." Dmitri wheezed, like her words were funny that he couldn't keep a laugh to himself. He looks at Rafael's shock look. "She said 'course not.'"
Nicolai glares at her. "It's not nice to lie to your friend."
Isabella tilts her head to the side. "M' not lying though."
Dmitri nodded. "She's not lying."
"Well, she is a criminal." Nicolai said after a little thinking.
Isabella and Rafael turned to look at him in shock. Isabella pointed at herself with a frown. "What? I didn't kill anyone yet."
"Yet?" Rafael screeched in horror.
"You stole something from me." Nicolai nodded to himself, glaring at her. She flinched in response.
Did she steal something? She stole a lot of things but not serious things and not from friends. Well, it's not like she has friends in the first place.
Isabella hummed thoughtfully. "Did I steal your heart then?" She asked innocently.
Nicolai blushed red while Rafael turned flustered at her smooth words. It's like butter.
"What? No! What are you saying!" Nicolai stuttered, panicked and embarrassed by her words. "W-Why would you steal...well, you could if you wanna." He mumbled the last part.
Dmitri snickered. "Ew, romance."
"In a friendly way!" Isabella grumbled, glaring at all of them, pouting. "Friends should have each other's hearts."
Well, that's a beautiful friend zone.
Nicolai didn't look offended, he nodded in agreement. "Then, friends should tell each other if they're criminals or not."
"This is just called, not-wanting-to-talk-about-it." Isabella said in a matter-of-fact tone.
Dmitri nodded like an obedient servant, a pleased look plastered on his face. "That's just called not-wanting-to-talk-about-it."
Rafael narrows his eyes at the both of them. Like they're the criminals. "What do you mean by 'not-wanting-to——"
"President!" Elois cried as papers suddenly rained down on them. It looks like important papers and Rafael looks like he knows what those papers are because he quickly started grabbing for them one by one.
"Eli!" Isabella cheered, equally excited as him.
Elois grinned and practically skipped down the stairs and everyone with their right mind would think that it's a dangerous game that Elois is trying to play.
When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he immediately froze when he saw Nicolai. He immediately smiled coldly. "Who's he? When did we get a stray?"
"I'm not a stray!" Nicolai hissed.
"A disobedient stray." Elois noted before looking at Dmitri. "What is this?"
"Nico's not a thing." Isabella frowns at him.
Elois cringed. "He's got a name?"
"I'm a person, I have a name!" Nicolai snarled before turning to Isabella. "Why is everyone being mean to me, Izzy?"
Isabella shrugged. "They're just surprised."
"I'm more surprised that you let him call you Izzy." Elois commented, earning a glare from the little girl. He smiled innocently. "Don't be angry, my sweet Bells. I was just saying that I'm surprised."
"He's my friend." Isabella said, pouting. "Don't be mean to my friend."
Elois smiled softly. "I'm not being mean, pres. Just being extra careful."
"You're okay with her friend?" Rafael asks warily, eyeing the man is suspicion.
Elois rolled his eyes. "I'm not mean! If my sister wants a friend then she can get a friend! Easy as that!"
"You're okay? Really?" Dmitri asks incredolously.
Elois pouted. "Am I that mean that you think that I'm an evil brother?"
"Yes." Rafael said at the same time that Dmitri said, "mhmm, pretty much."
"He's your brother?" Nicolai asks in shock. "He doesn't look like you."
Isabella only shrugged again. "It is what it is."
"Well, all the cuteness went to you and you left him with nothing." Dmitri chirped, patting her head.
Elois looked offended. "I'm cute."
"Ew." Rafael cringed, looking at him in disgust.
"You saying that makes me want to puke." Dmitri sang like what he said didn't hurt.
Before any of them could speak, Anthony's voice joined in on the fun. "Why are you all standing in front of the door?"
When he saw Isabella, he brightened visibly. "Cariño." He cooed softly, walking towards Isabella. "Welcome back, mi vida, how was your tour around town?"
(Sweetheart.)
(My life.)
"Fun." Isabella answered, immediately hugging his brother in greeting. "We met a friend!"
"You met a friend. Not me." Dmitri chuckled.
Nicolai glared at him. Dmitri just smirked smugly.
Anthony looked at Nicolai and brightened at the sight of him. He looks back at Isabella. "You have a friend!"
"I have a friend!" She stated proudly.
"Aww, that's nice." Anthony complimented before looking at Nicolai and the boy gulped because the man was towering over him like a frightening giant. There was just some kind of aura around him that makes him just stand out than the rest.
Elois grabbed onto his brother's arm and laid his head on his shoulder. He pouted. "I don't wanna let Bella have a friend."
Nicolai looked like he wanted to say something but he scoffed instead, rolling his eyes dramatically.
"Drama queens." Isabella muttered, clearly talking about Nicolai and her brother.
The boy frowned and muttered back. "I'm not dramatic." He then added after thinking about something. "And I'm not a queen."
"Uh-huh." Isabella said innocently and Nicolai narrowed his eyes at her.
"Anyways, don't be rude to our guest, boys. Why are you all standing here?" Anthony said, frowning. He then kneeled down in front of Nicolai, causing the boy to flinch at the sudden action. Anthony gave him a gentle smile on his face. "Welcome to our humble abode, sir..."
"Nicolai." The boy said slowly, eyeing Anthony weirdly. He's pretty sure that this man, Anthony, is not all that gentle as he seems to be. "I'm Nicolai, sir."
"Nicolai." Anthony brightened before patting the boy's head. "You have a lovely name."
That gentle action of the man caused Nicolai to lean towards that warmth. He never experienced such gentleness and kindness towards his own family and experiencing something he'd never experienced before made Nicolai lean towards it unconsciously.
He smiled, his cheeks dusting pink. "Thank you, sir."
"Oh, call me Tony, Sir Nicolai." He said casually, still having that angelic smile on his face.
"Tony..." Nicolai tested his name on his tongue. It sounds foreign but it also sounds homely and gentle. It's like how Izzy sounds sweet like candies and cola.
"You can call me Nicolai then, si—— I mean, Tony." Nicolai said, careful not to give Tony his nickname. Only Izzy can call her Nico because Izzy is his friend. His only friend.
His best friend!
"Nicolai." Anthony said, testing his name on his tongue before nodding jovially at him.
"Wow, am I the only thing thinking that the boss wouldn't agree to this or what?" Dmitri asks casually, looking at them weirdly. "Am I in a different planet? What's happening?"
Rafael nodded. "I'm starting to feel like this is some kind of weird planet too."
Nicolai looks at them in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"It means that they won't usually act like this, even if you are Bella's frie——" Rafael immediately closed his mouth, stopping mid-sentence, looking slightly afraid all of a sudden.
Nicolai was even more confused.
Isabella then piped up, sounding exasperated. "Tony, don't be mean to Raffy."
Nicolai looks at the said person but the man was still smiling at him gently. Like a complete angel. Weird.
Elois snickered, giving Anthony a knowing look before clapping, getting everyone's attention. "Okay then. My hermano is right. It's rude to just stand here, y'know? Bad manners and all that. So, let's go to the couch and have some cookies and milk for my little president."
(Brother.)
Elois winked at Isabella and the little girl giggled, nodding in agreement.
'As if Elois knows the meaning of good manners,' everyone thought, shuddering at the thought of Elois having it.
They moved towards the living room and actually had cookies and milk on their table. Despite Dmitri and Elois secretly wanting something like beer, Anthony already ordered everyone cookies and milk. The eldest brother of the Torres siblings provided Dmitri and Elois a challenging gaze.
Curse Anthony for ruining the fun.
Elois shot his brother an annoyed look while Dmitri smiled sunnily at Anthony, knowing that he'll never get to taste beer as long as the kids are around.
Nicolai was so confused because he thought that he'd have to fight for the role of being friends with Isabella but everything's been going smooth and everyone's being friendly.
Isabella was silent, munching on a cookie. She looked like she was thinking of something but Nicolai didn't bother asking since he believes that she has the right to keep her thoughts to herself.
"Oh lookie, the gang's all here, ain't it? And the kid brought another kid. Double the fun, or trouble but cares, amirite?"
Everyone except Nicolai knew who that was.
Isabella looks behind her in surprise. "Mister Romeo?!"
Eyyyy, now the gang's actually gonna be complete!! (ﾟοﾟ人))
Sorry for not updating but I hope you liked this one XDXD
Borrowing and kidnapping are not the same thing, Isabella has told you so now XD