Anytime Ever After [IU & KimSoohyun Fanfic]

13. sage's own battle

The gents went to the bar for a drink. It was Sage who invited Hans for a drink.

He was feeling rather stuffy and uneasy with what he saw in the event. Reality dawned on him, that with the public, she's Elle and not Alex, and there would be a lot of the same incidents such as these to happen while he's inside the military and that thought made him gulp one shot of brandy bottoms up.

"Hans, I am envious of you."

"Me? Why?" Hans retorted after he took a sip of his drink. He let Sage talk first. Hans knew that Sage just needed company, so he remained silent the whole time, waiting for him to finally spill the tea. Sage wouldn't ask him out for a drink for nothing.

"Aira could flaunt her engagement ring whenever guys tried to show motives on her..." Sage replied simply while looking at his glass intently.

Hans was silent for a moment. He understood Sage's worries. For a guy who is about to enlist in three months, seeing your girlfriend being eyed by a bunch of men would trigger your insecurity.

Good for him Aira is already engaged to him but with Sage and Alex being a celebrity is different.

Hans heaved a deep sigh before he responded, "Well, you know how much Alex loves you, and that's all that matters right?" He could only say those lousy words to him because he cannot say anything else.

After all, their set up is different from theirs. They are just an ordinary couple while Sage and Alex are celebrities who are dating privately and should not be known in public.

"I know, but as a man, there are things I can't help myself. I can't just be angry at her. I'm becoming uncomfortable with what I saw earlier and what I will be seeing in the future, but I understand that's a part of our job. I trust her but I don't trust these men to always keep their distance knowing that they think she is single. I, for one, seized an opportunity for myself when I heard that she was single again." Sage once again took a sip of his drink.

This reality of them being celebrities has only dawned on him that day. Their "honeymoon stage" in Alex's apartment is over and this reality has already crept in. He is not angry with Alex but he is angry at himself for feeling insecure despite him understanding her predicament as well.

Hard liquor helps him calm himself. He doesn't want to go straight to Alex when his mind is still clouded with negative thoughts. He'd rather have his time alone than to lash it out to Alex because that would be unreasonable. Alex is not the problem. It was not her fault.

Sage knew that this is a battle against himself. He should control his jealous tendencies because this will never be the first time.

Hans could only accompany his friend and wait for his uneasy feeling to subside before they go back upstairs to call it a night.

Suddenly, Hans's phone rang.

It was Aira.

"Hello...we're at the bar. I'm with Sage...No girls of course...you can sleep ahead...okay, goodnight. I love you."

Then, Hans dropped the call. Sage also checked his phone to see if Alex was looking for him but there was no message.

"Maybe she's already asleep." He thought to himself as he drank the last glass of brandy and they went back to their suite.

Both men were ready to sleep in their suite because they reek of alcohol but to their surprise, Aira was in their room sleeping soundly, so technically, Alex also was alone in the other room waiting for him.

When Sage got inside, he thought Alex to be sound asleep like Aira but to his surprise, she was sitting on the bed, leaning on the headboard, waiting for him. She was wide awake. When she saw him get inside their room, she smiled.