"Are you okay, professor?" Aahmes bugged me when we got home at half past 1 AM. "Did you have fun? Are you not angry?"
I look at him and laughed.
"Don't worry, I'm not that pissed. I won't fire those two since we still have an important event tomorrow."
I go straight to the living room and fall on the couch.
"Augh... what a tiring day..."
"Hurry up and go change, so you can go straight to bed," said Aahmes as he proceeds to take my shoes off.
"You don't have to tell me twice..." I mumbled. "I feel like my eyes have been stapled shut... can't open them no more..."
"Then hurry up and get up stairs." I steal a peek through sleepy eyes and saw him frowning at me.
"Habibi, let me rest here for a while..."
"No. Go upstairs and get some proper rest." Now he tries to pull me to my feet.
"Help me up Habibi, I can't walk anymore..." I said playfully.
Aahmes sighed. He pulled my arm over his shoulder and held my waist to help me up the stairs. I lean heavily on him, placing my head on his shoulder.
I remember back in our uncle's house, my kuya used to carry me like this whenever I fall asleep in the dining room while reading books. We didn't have lights in our room since Uncle thinks it's a waste of electricity. We didn't even have an electric. He leaves the kitchen lights open all night, though, to scare off the thieves.
When the del Mirasols took us in, we were both given our own rooms with bright lights and even air conditioning. Still, I often slip into Kuya's room to read my books and sleep with him.
Until he gave birth and got married, and moved into that bastard Louie's room.
Fuck.
Why am I remembering that now?
"Take your clothes off, professor."
I jolt awake and stare at Aahmes wide-eyed. He was already unbuttoning my shirt!
"You're planning something, aren't you?" I gasped while covering my chest with my arms. "What are you going to do to me?"
"I got you a change of clothes from your dresser, hurry up and brush your teeth before going to sleep," he said, ignoring my question.
"Okay..." I chuckled as I took my clothes off and went to my bathroom. When I got out, Aahmes was still in my room, sitting on my bed with something that looked like a book.
"Do you plan to read me a bedtime story?" I asked with a grin.
"No, this is for you." He held the thing out to me.
What I thought was a book was a slim box made of black iron.
"What's this?" I opened it and saw a tiny metallic card inside.
"Professor, do you know what that is?" Aahmes asked as I stared at it.
"A... microchip? Is it a micro sim card?"
"That is the triggering mechanism of a DX2030 Neurochip," he answered. "The unique key for the one inside your head."
"H-ha?"
It took a while for what he said to register in my brain.
My right hand slowly raised to touch my temple were a neurochip was driven into my skull some two years ago.
"W-where... how did you get this?!" I stare at him in disbelief. "This won't suddenly blow up, would it?!?"
"Of course not," he replied nonchalantly, "I took it from Dr. Gregorio to make sure that no one can use it against you."
"From Grinch... how did you know..?"
"I actually thought is was Dr. Gonzaga," he sneered proudly at me, "but he said he was not authorized to answer my questions, so I told him to tell who ever was, that I was going to take you back to UACME with me."
"And they actually believed that?" I snorted.
The happy sneer on his face disappeared.
"Well, now that there is nothing holding you back, then of course, you would be going back with me to UACME."
"Says who?" I frown at him. "I have no plans of leaving my country."
"But professor, there is no longer any need for you to fear the people here in the Philippines. They have just lost their leverage on you."
"True, but my family is still here. I can't just leave them behind. What if they do something to them to get to me?"
"We can take them all with us."
"As if that bastard, Louie, would allow that! He would never agree to something like that, even if I told him the truth about DOME or that we are currently under surveillance by the military. His goddamn pride won't let him!" I sighed and snorted. "Why do you think I stayed in Universal Laboratory Philippines even after getting so many offers from other Universal Laboratory branches around the world? The Australia branch even offered to grant me my own skyscraper, while the branch in Italy wanted to make me its CEO!"
"But why?" Aahmes' smooth forehead slightly wrinkled. "Do you not want to be with me?"
"Idiot!" I bonked him on the head. "If I didn't want to be with you, I would have kicked you out of my house from the start."
"Then..."
"I just don't want to be separated from my family, okay?" I said with a sigh. "Can't you see that they're all still so young? Bebe Meme is still in elementary school, and Nat-Nat... he would just get worst without me to educate him!"
"Then... do you not have any intention of leaving this place?"
I couldn't help but sigh. I held Aahmes' shoulders and look him straight in the eye.
"Habibi, I know I told you before how much I hate this place, but that doesn't mean that I could just pack up and leave as soon as I get rid of the bomb inside my head. I still have responsibilities here. I may be an asshole, but I do have a conscience, and I don't plan to leave without first fulfilling my obligations."
"After the SGT kits, then?"
I couldn't help but smile at my habibi.
"You finally get it!" I replied. "Yep, for now, that is my priority. To develop a kit to determine a child's secondary gender. It's my gift to all omegas, so that they won't go through the same hell as my Kuya Jonas went through when he suddenly manifested in public. Early detection means early warning, and prevention is better than cure. This way, omegas would be aware of their situation and take the necessary precautions to keep themselves safe before they actually manifest and go through their first estrus."
"And you would give that discovery to the people who placed a bomb in your skull?" Aahmes went on.
"Call it vindication," I answer him sadly. "The lives of 15 scientists lay heavy upon my shoulders. I was the one who gave him the knowledge and the means to kill them. Never mind the seven alpha bastards who worked as his guards. I still have to pay for my sins, even if I never thought that he would actually do such a thing."
"Then let this be your last project for this Universal Laboratories branch," said Aahmes. "After this, I want you to come back with me to UACME."
I stare at Aahmes and shake my head in wonder.
"Just why are you so obsessed with me?" I gave him a mischievously grin. "Do you really love me that much?"
"I simply adore you, professor," was the bastard's misleading reply. "I want to always be by your side to be able to assist you in your work. That is my wish and my joy."
Didn't I say he was misleading?
"If that's the case, then you should be the one staying here in the Philippines with me." My grin widened. "No wonder you stayed as my loyal assistant! No one lasted more than a month before, but you, you're still here even after 10 weeks!"
"It is a deal then." He reached out a hand to me. "I shall stay by your side, here in your country, until you finish developing your SGT kits, then we will go to my country and work together there for all eternity."
"All eternity?! Why do I feel like I'm selling my soul to the devil?" I said with a laugh.
"For as long as you desire, then," he corrected.
"For as long as I agree with you." I shook his hand.
Aahmes gave me another of his sneering grins.
"Deal."
"Professor! I told you to go to sleep!"
Just why did I shake hands with the devil?
"J-just a bit more... I just thought of something for a while!"
"No." Aahmes confiscated all the test tubes I took out and replaced them in the fridge. "You are going to sleep."
Now, he's pushing me out of the lab and back towards my room!
"Habibi, how could you be so cruel to me on my birthday?!"
"You are the one who is being cruel to yourself."
He held my face in his hands and stared at my eyes.
"Look, you can hardly keep your eyes open, yet you insist on doing another experiment!"
"All I need is a cup of – "
"No more coffee for you! Now go back to your room."
I was literally shocked when his voice raised to scold me!
I went back to my room with my mouth open in disbelief. I was planning to sneak out again later, when he suddenly laid beside me on my bed!
"O-oy! What are you doing?!"
"I am going to make sure that you stay in your bed. I need to get some sleep too, and since you refuse to stay put in your room, then I would have to sleep here and make sure that you do."
"Huh! You and your excuses! You're probably planning to jump me when I sleep, aren't you?!"
"There is nothing to worry about. I am not in heat. I will not touch you."
"Then what if I try to jump you?!" I grinned wickedly at him. "You want that? Huh? Huh?"
Aahmes simply stared at me with the same deadpan look on his face.
As usual, I couldn't tell what was formulating in his head.
"Hmph." I took one of my pillows and placed it between us. "Suit yourself! Just don't go crossing my side of the bed! Or else I'll... I'll bite you!" I warned him, for lack of a better warning.
"Good night, professor. Now, please go to sleep."