The Guide is Actually a Body-Switching Esper [BL]
Chapter 111: You Deserve Better

Chapter 111: You Deserve Better

"What are you doing here?" Clara’s voice was harsh and frosty.

’What indeed,’ Lane wondered the same thing, standing in front of the door to Damien’s sisters’ apartment. He shouldn’t be there, he really shouldn’t...

But when after work, Damien asked him again whether he would come for dinner, he just couldn’t say ’no’, not to that hopeful face.

"Don’t be like that. It’s thanks to Xavier that we have all this food," Damien jumped in to defend Lane, as he handed the bags to Eloise.

"Oh?" Leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed, Clara arched her brows, giving Lane a doubtful glance. "Did he pay for it?"

"Well, no, but..."

"But I bought the drinks?" As if to prove his major contribution, Lane presented the two twelve-packs of beer he brought.

Only to be shot down by Clara instantly after. "Damien doesn’t drink."

"Pfft!" Lane didn’t even try to hold himself back. He just burst out loud, his slightly dry laughter filling the whole room.

Taken aback by the unexpected reaction, Clara furrowed her brows deeply. It only made Lane’s laughter worse, however, because there it was, the family resemblance he struggled to find before! Despite her wavy, light ash brown hair, blue eyes, and triangle face, with a frown like that, she looked a bit like Damien!

"What’s so funny?" she muttered, watching as Lane doubled over, his whole torso spasming with laughter.

In the end, it was Damien who had to step forward to explain. "I do drink now, I suppose."

"...What?"

"I had drinks once, so far," he specified.

Lane wiped his tears, straightening up, his shoulders still shaking a bit. "And wasn’t it great?" he teased, nudging Damien lightly.

In return, Damien cast him a sideways glance. "To be honest, I don’t remember most of it..."

The sheer horror with which Clara watched their exchange was the best reward Lane could have hoped for. Well, almost - any sexual (or culinary) favors he could get from Damien would have easily topped that... But, it was amazing regardless. With his mood instantly lifted, he shook off his shoes, and made himself comfortable on the sofa in the living room, humming under his nose.

"...Aren’t you going to help us?" Clara was about to complain, but Damien cut her off.

"Just leave him be, he’s a guest. I’ll help you reheat it all and set the table."

"But Damien..." Clara trailed after her brother, following him to the kitchen.

"Clara, listen." Once they were alone, Damien lowered his voice. "I appreciate your concern, but it’s my... relationship. So don’t intervene, alright? I don’t want him to feel unwelcome."

"Hah! I get that it’s your life, but I just can’t watch it! He’s going to ruin you! You deserve better!"

"Whether I deserve better or not, it doesn’t matter. He’s the one that I want." Damien’s tone was calm, but stern.

It should have been the end of discussion, but Clara just couldn’t hold her tongue. "If it was the first one, then fine, I would’ve shut up, but that’s the fourth in like what, half a year?! After not dating anyone ever before! I get that you’re sad because they..." she paused, realizing what she was about to say, and quickly schooled herself. "Either way, you cannot let yourself be so easily swayed. I get that you might feel lonely... But haven’t you learned anything watching our mother?!"

"Clara." Throughout the whole rant, Damien remained calm and quiet, but now he finally interrupted his sister.

Clara pouted her lips, crossing her arms, her brows drawn together in a deep frown. "What?"

"Look," Damien sighed heavily. "You don’t even know him, so don’t jump to conclusions, okay? Try to get to know him first. He might be arrogant, flirtatious, and frivolous... But he’s, well, I mean," he stumbled on his words for a bit - would it really be suitable to call Lane ’nice’? - until he finally settled on saying, "the man that I like. So, perhaps you’ll warm up to him with time as well?"

Neither of them was actually convinced, but the discussion ended there, at least for now. Damien only added, before leaving the kitchen, "And just to be clear. Even if you still dislike him after getting to know him, it doesn’t matter. It’s up to me who I’m seeing."

He left speechless Clara behind, joining Samantha and Lane in the living room. It was obvious from their faces - Samantha’s embarrassed, uncomfortable look and Lane’s wide, satisfied grin (although with a hint of something deeper, more complex in his eyes?) - that they had heard the whole conversation. Well, it would be hard not to - while the girls’ apartment wasn’t a tiny hole in the wall like Damien’s, it was still relatively small and with thin walls, and the kitchen was just next door.

Their eyes briefly met, but Damien quickly averted his gaze, moving on to set the plates and cutlery on the table. It was bad enough that he had to have that conversation with his sister overheard by Lane, he didn’t want to now also have his conversation with Lane overheard by his sisters. They could just discuss it later, once they were all alone.

So, he pretended not to see Lane’s intense gaze following his every move, even when it tingled and burned his skin to the point he couldn’t help but flush.

The man that he liked. The one that he wanted. His... relationship. Lane had heard Damien say it all crystal clear. And, while it wasn’t exactly news to him, hearing it said in a hushed voice as Damien argued with his sister about him... made Lane all warm and fuzzy inside, to the point he could barely sit still. He wanted nothing more but to press the man against the wall and tease him to no end...

But he held himself back, for now. He wasn’t that much of a pervert so that he’d want to get it on with Damien in front of his family.

And so, the rest of the afternoon passed in a peaceful atmosphere. While Clara still couldn’t stop herself from sending death glares Lane’s way, Eloise and Samantha were far more welcoming. With delicious food and a few drinks, the atmosphere soon loosened up, and they spent a surprisingly enjoyable time together...

Perhaps hanging out with his... fling’s family wasn’t so bad, after all.