After finishing shopping for groceries, they immediately headed home after buying three boba drinks each. And three more to take home.
One red velvet flavor, one regular milk tea flavor, and one cappuccino boba.
"I didn't expect stepmom to like coffee."
"Yes, Mom likes sweet coffee. Especially cappuccino latte," Vittoria answered while buying the boba. She was also the one who suggested getting drinks for everyone else.
Vincent just nodded as he walked toward their underground parking lot.
In his hands, a trolley piled high with groceries. Once they reached the parking area, Vittoria helped Vincent store the groceries in the car trunk. Since some items didn't fit, like Vivian's large canvas and paints, they were placed on the second-row seats where Vincent sat.
After putting the trolley back in the storage area in the underground parking, they immediately drove home in the same seating arrangement as when they left.
"Tonight we can have a barbecue! By the way, there are still two weeks of summer vacation left, right? Let's party tonight!" Vivian said enthusiastically when she saw Vincent had bought a lot of meat. The remaining ingredients could be bought at a nearby supermarket.
"But dad just passed away yesterday. Shouldn't we still be mourning?" Vittoria felt uneasy about throwing a party the day after their beloved father's death.
"Ah, dad surely wouldn't mind. He would be far happier seeing us enjoying ourselves rather than sulking over his death."
"That seems true." Vittoria nodded in agreement, imagining her father watching them from above. Instead of crying over him, hadn't they promised to make his only son happy? She glanced backward.
"Ah, Vincent, how's your stomach—" Vittoria was about to ask something, but when she looked back, Vincent was already fast asleep in his seat.
Vivian checked the rearview mirror and also saw Vincent sleeping soundly with his arms folded over his chest.
"He's asleep."
Vittoria nodded, "Maybe Vincent is exhausted after fighting three adult men for me at the supermarket earlier. I want to check the wound on his stomach. He got kicked hard by one of those men."
"Eh, Vincent fought three adult men and won? Should we go to the hospital to check his wound?" Vivian was surprised. She thought Vincent only brought security guards and managed to catch the group of sexual predators who almost harmed her little sister.
"No need. I'm fine." Vincent replied. Even with his eyes closed, he didn't seem completely asleep.
"But..."
"I'm fine. Don't worry."
"Alright..."
Vittoria still worried about Vincent, fearing he might have an internal injury he was hiding. What if tomorrow he suddenly got a serious illness like kidney failure or a ruptured stomach?
She overthought everything. The matcha boba Vincent bought was only half finished.
She decided to check on him later.
After a few minutes of silence, the car arrived in front of their house. Vivian immediately brought them into the garage.
They unloaded the groceries from the trunk and carried them to the living room, where the other three family members were waiting.
"You took so long. Did Vivi get my things?" Valian, now wearing a more covered outfit—a black oversized T-shirt with a metal skull print and black hot pants—folded her arms.
"Here." Vivian handed a plastic bag containing strings to Valian. A happy smile immediately bloomed on her face.
"Great, great. Tonight I can make a new cover song."
"Here's your drink too." Vittoria handed the red velvet boba to Valian.
"Ooh, little Ria always knows what I like." She took it and turned to go to her room.
"Say thank you, Sis Vali." Vincent reminded his stepsister.
With an annoyed expression, Valian turned and said, "Thank you," in a soft, lazy voice.
Vincent grinned, "I didn't hear that."
Valian looked back at Vincent, who was grinning with a threatening gaze. "Thank you, oh mighty Lord Vincent."
"Much better." Vincent chuckled, enjoying Valian's annoyed face. For some reason, he slightly liked seeing her annoyed expression.
Muttering as if casting a spell, Valian went to her room.
Meanwhile, Vivian and Violet were whispering to each other.
"Dad, dad, did you buy anything for Vani?"
Little Vani, now wearing only her underwear and a cute pink bunny-eared hoodie, pulled Vincent's wrist.
Vincent scratched his head and shook his head.
"Sorry, I don't know what Vani wants."
Vani pouted for not getting anything from Vincent.
"If i goes shopping again, i'll take Vani with me as a treat. How about that?"
The sulking Vani was tempted and nodded enthusiastically.
"Alright, Dad has to promise Vani he'll take her shopping next time!" She extended her pinky finger. Vincent hooked his pinky with hers.
"I promise."
Vani then smiled widely at hearing that.
"Vani wants to go to the playground with Dad! Don't forget, hmph!" She puffed her cheeks like Vittoria and looked away.
Vincent nodded, scratching the back of his head absentmindedly.
This is will be a trouble if i forgot.
"Yes, yes, you'll have fun later. Here's your favorite drink, Vani." Vittoria handed Vani the milk tea boba.
Vani immediately took it with a big smile and hugged her sister.
"Thanks, Sis Vito."
"Yeah, you're welcome."
Then Vittoria went to give the last boba to her mother.
"I'm going to my room first." Vincent excused himself, letting the family handle the groceries.
After entering his room, he lifted his shirt, revealing his stomach in front of a large mirror. There, he saw a fairly severe blue bruise in the middle of his abdomen.
"Hah, I didn't expect it to hurt this much. That last kick from that ugly man nearly made me vomit, and now my stomach looks badly bruised."
"Hee, what are you doing, little Vincent?"
Valian, standing at the doorway, peeked in curiously and saw Vincent standing in front of the mirror.
Vincent quickly lowered his shirt.
"Nothing. What are you doing here, Sis Vali?"
Valian didn't answer. She walked into Vincent's room, then closed the door and even locked it.
Vincent became wary.
"Little Vincent, it's not good to hide things from your sister."
She walked closer while Vincent stepped back until his foot hit the edge of his bed.
"W-what do you mean, Sis Vali? Stop there!"
Valian continued moving closer until there was no distance between them, ignoring Vincent's outstretched, fearful hands. She assumed Vincent would react defensively.
Vincent fell onto the bed while Valian straddled his waist. Both of Vincent's hands were pinned down by Valian. He blushed, feeling the position was intimate.
"S-sister Valian?"
Valian then lifted Vincent's T-shirt up to his neck. She saw the dark blue bruise on his stomach.
"You're hurt this badly and didn't tell anyone? What if it gets worse tomorrow? You'd make us all worry."
Valian looked at Vincent with an angry face, but it was the worried kind of anger. Vincent turned his face away.
"That's not your concern, Sis." Vincent tried to push Valian off, but she applied her weight, keeping him pinned.
"Quiet." Valian held both of Vincent's hands with her left hand. Then, her face moved down, licking the bruised area of Vincent's stomach.
"Ah! Sis Vali!" Vincent was shocked and squirmed at the warm, wet sensation. He felt something hard beneath him.
"Quiet." Valian ignored his shouts and half-laughing gasps. Vincent kept saying, "No! Don't! Stop!" while Valian continued licking the bruise.
Gradually, the ticklish sensation faded and turned into a strange pleasure. He suddenly felt a sharp pain in the bruise.
"AH!"
He looked down and saw Valian's mouth like a leech sucking blood from the bruise.
"SISTER VALIAN!"
He writhed in pain, but Valian remained on top, ignoring his suffering.
After a few seconds, Valian stopped and continued licking the bruise, which had now faded in color.
He didn't feel any pain anymore.
"Wait, how…?"
Vincent no longer felt the soreness he had endured since leaving the supermarket. He also saw the bruise was almost gone.
With some saliva left at her lips, Valian sat up on his waist. She released his hands.
"Your blood is delicious."
"What did you just do to me, Sis Vali?"
Vincent asked, confused. His stomach was wet, but he no longer felt pain when pressing the bruise.
Blushing, Valian wiped the remaining saliva from her mouth with her thumb.
Vincent swallowed hard. His little brother below there stood confidently, Valian has emanating an aura that he couldn't resist.
"I just made your blood circulate again so the bruise would disappear. Ever heard of treating bruises or clotted blood with leeches? I did the same thing. Now your stomach is healed. Just cover the bite marks with a plaster."
Vincent nodded. They remained silent, staring at each other.
"Can you move, Sis Valian? You're too heavy."
Vincent said, slightly sweating.
"I'm not heavy. You said that because your 'little brother' is tense and twitching beneath me, right, little Vincent?" Valian smirked seeing his embarrassed reaction, enjoying his blushing face.
"Hah.. yes... So please move."
"I won't."
"Why?"
"You haven't thanked me yet." Valian continued teasing, smiling as she watched Vincent shyly mutter his words.
"Is that a must?" Vincent objected slightly. Wasn't helping her brother is her duty?
"You told me to say thank you earlier, and now I want to hear it from you." Valiant's tone was getting serious.
"Thank you…" Vincent whispered almost inaudibly.
"What? I didn't hear that?" Valian chuckled at his shy reaction.
"Thank you! There! Are you satisfied?!" Vincent said loudly, looking at Valian with a mix of irritation and blush.
Valian licked her lips.
"I'm curious how the rest of your fluids taste…"
She then lowered her face, bringing their noses almost together.
"Sis Vali?"
Vincent closed his eyes. He couldn't—or rather, was scared—of what might happen next.
But he only felt a wet sensation on his cheek. It was Valian's tongue, licking him like ice cream.
He whispered, "Funny, I won't eat you for now, little Vincent." Her index finger touched the tip of his nose once.
Then Valian stood up and walked out of the room.
Unlocking the door, she said, "Thanks for the meal~" and her back disappeared from Vincent's sight.
Vincent, still breathing heavily and with a rapidly beating heart, tried to calm himself.
"What just happened?"
***