Vampire Days

Chapter 46: Let It Fester

Gio called and I shouldn't have picked up. It just didn't feel right at the moment.

It was a reflex. I genuinely thought that call was from my phone but I was too distracted to make sense of what happened until I was listening to a familiar voice that I knew but at first couldn't identify.

On the other hand, he's quick to realize that I wasn't Champion from my "hello".

"You must be his roommate. I'm Gio, Champion's older brother. Is Champion awake?"

Older brother? Is this like the "cousin" thing where a couple of guys in a relationship didn't want anybody finding out that they're in a relationship?

"Yes, it's Genesis, Sir. I answered the call because Champion's drunk and he's sleeping. Should I wake him up?"

I glanced at Mossberg from across the room, facedown on my bed like he's already used to it. It's incredible. Back then, I've always found it hard to sleep in a different person's bed in a different person's house.

"Oh, no, please don't. He's supposed to call me once he got home but he didn't so I got restless. As you can judge from the weird hour." His soft chuckled mingled with the sensual voice singing in the background.

It was two o'clock in Champion's  alarm clock.

"Actually, he almost drowned." I admitted. It's weird if I didn't tell him about it if he's really the older brother.

"What?! You said he's drunk? I told him not to swim when he's drunk and he's apparently still doing it. Oh my God, it's not like he'll die if he doesn't swim at least once a day."

"Uhm."

I didn't know what to reply. He's unbelievably chatty. I expected an arrogant man when I imagined us talking but he's so open I find it hard to not feel awkward from all the unnecessary morsel of information coming from him. 

"Why isn't he in the hospital?"

"We tried, Sir---"

"Call me Kuya Gio. Don't call me Sir, I'm not your boss.  So what happened?"

"Right. Kuya. Uhh, you see, he didn't tell us what actually happened before we found him at the pool but he refused to be taken to the hospital. I guess he doesn't wanna trouble his team if word leaks out or something. Honestly, I don't know much about it so I couldn't say for sure."

The other line went quiet but I could hear him breathing softly, as if he's desperately trying to sound calm. I was right about his voice. It's more masculine now that he's speaking normally but it's the kind of gentle voice that gives you images of a feminine man. Even Austin's boy voice sounded tougher.

"That fucking guy needs a hardcore scolding," he muttered and I guessed it was more to himself than to me. "But he's breathing right? He's alive?"

"Yes, Si-Kuya. I could wake him up if you want."

What made this more awkward on my part was the fact that I was sitting on Champion's bed. 

"No, no. Let him rest."

"Uhm, can I ask you something, Kuya Gio?"

"What is it? If you're asking me, I have one question on me as well to make it even, deal?"

"Haha. Sure. I'm really surprised. I thought he didn't have an older brother."

"You said you had a question. That didn't end in a question mark."  The humor in his voice was reassuring.

"Are you really his older brother?"

"I'm older than him and he's part of my family so I am. What made you curious? He didn't talk about me?"