章節 30: Chapter 30: Strange Hangover
[Third Person's PoV]
Stephen slowly blinked his eyes open, the dull ache in his head making it hard to focus. He groaned, sitting up sluggishly, pressing a hand to his temple as the pounding intensified. It felt like his brain was being split apart.
"What the hell?" he muttered, confused. "Why does my head hurt so much?"
He tried to recall the previous night, but his mind was a hazy void, offering no answers. The pain made it impossible to think clearly. With another groan, he shifted to the edge of the bed, massaging his temples, hoping to ease the headache. But then, something unexpected happened.
Stephen froze as he felt movement behind him. Two slender, but strong arms wrapped themselves around his torso, their touch sending a jolt of shock through him. The hands started gently massaging his abs, the touch both intimate and unsettling.
His heart raced as he slowly turned his head. Vanessa was leaning against him, her chin resting comfortably on his shoulder. She planted a soft kiss on his cheek, her voice sultry as she whispered, "You were amazing last night, Stephen~"
Stephen's mind short-circuited. "Wha—" His body jolted up from the bed, nearly tripping over himself as he turned to face Vanessa. His face turned a deep shade of red as he pointed a trembling finger at her, words spilling out in a panicked stutter. "W-W-What the hell are you doing in my bed!?"
Vanessa pulled the sheets up around her, a playful, almost teasing smile gracing her lips. "So, you don't remember?" she asked coyly, tilting her head. "That's a shame. We had such a blast last night~" She winked. "It's a night I don't think I'll ever forget~"
Stephen's face paled. "Oh, sweet baby Jesus..." he muttered, looking down to see himself clad in nothing but his underwear. His thoughts spiraled out of control. "What the hell did I do!?"
Vanessa, still lounging comfortably on the bed, shifted onto her side, propping her head up with her hand, an amused look playing on her face. "What's the last thing you remember?" she asked, her voice smooth and teasing.
Stephen ran both hands through his hair, tugging at the ends in frustration. His mind raced, trying to piece together the events leading up to this moment, but nothing was clear. He squeezed his eyes shut, desperately searching his memory.
Vanessa, meanwhile, found herself momentarily distracted. Her gaze drifted over Stephen's frame, and she blinked rapidly, realizing just how toned and muscular he was. 'Wow… talk about a body...' she thought, her lower lip caught between her teeth as she unconsciously bit down.
"Alright," Stephen began slowly, rubbing his face as if it would jog his memory. "I remember entering the base, there was a surprise, and I... I played a little prank..."
---
[Flashback]:
Magna threw his arm around Stephen's shoulders, his loud voice booming with excitement. "So you did it, huh?! The Black Bulls officially have a healer in their ranks! The man of the hour!" Magna exclaimed, throwing up a devil horn sign in celebration.
Stephen smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as the rest of the team crowded around to congratulate him. He felt embarrassed but grateful for the warm welcome.
"Looks like the ol' gramps here finally found a calling," Yami teased, raising a massive wooden cup filled with ale to his lips. He grinned around the rim as he took a hearty gulp.
Stephen rolled his eyes playfully and pulled out an envelope from his pocket, handing it to Yami. "The Wizard King wanted me to give this to you."
Yami raised an eyebrow, setting his drink aside. He tore open the envelope, glanced at the note inside, and nodded before tossing it aside and going back to his ale.
Asta, always full of energy, roughly patted Stephen on the back, his face alight with joy. "Father Orsi and Sister Lily are going to be so proud when they hear about this! And the kids, too! They'll be over the moon!"
Stephen winced at the force of Asta's slaps. "Stop hitting me! Your pats feel like punches!" he protested, grabbing Asta by the collar and shaking him.
"I'm sorry! I'm just so happy for you!" Asta yelped, flailing his arms in exaggerated surrender.
Vanessa appeared out of nowhere, draping her arm over Stephen's shoulder. Her cheeks were flushed, and she held a bottle of wine in one hand, clearly a few drinks in. "Relax, Stevie~," she slurred playfully, a mischievous smile on her lips.
"Don't call me that," Stephen replied flatly, letting go of Asta, who sighed in relief and scampered away.
Vanessa waved the bottle in front of Stephen's face, her grin widening. "Come on, have a drink~ It's a party, after all!"
"I'm fine," Stephen said, holding up his hand to decline.
"Nope! I'm not taking no for an answer~!" Vanessa insisted, her voice teasing as she pushed the bottle closer. "Just one sip. It's a celebration!"
Stephen sighed, shaking his head. "I don't drink, Vanessa. Alcohol and I don't mix well."
"One sip, Stevie~" she pouted, her lips forming a perfect, exaggerated pout. "Please?"
Stephen groaned inwardly. 'Why are women in this world so damn persistent?' He could feel himself giving in to her puppy-dog eyes. His shoulders slumped. "Fine. One sip."
Vanessa's face lit up. "Yes! Here you go~!" she handed him the bottle, her smile victorious.
Stephen eyed the bottle with suspicion but relented. "One sip, and then you leave me alone, alright?" He lifted the bottle to his lips and took a quick, small sip.
The effect was almost instantaneous. His entire body went limp, his head drooping as if a switch had been flipped.
Crash.
The bottle slipped from his hand, shattering on the floor, spilling wine everywhere.
"Eh?" Vanessa blinked, her eyes widening in confusion as she watched him.
"Hic..." Stephen looked up, his cheeks flushed pink, his eyes half-lidded and glassy. "Hehehe... I feel... funny~"
Vanessa's shock quickly turned to laughter. "No way! You're a lightweight! Hahaha! Oh, this is too good!"
Stephen threw his hands in the air, swaying unsteadily. "WOOO! LET'S PARTY!!"
Vanessa, unable to stop herself, raised her arms in the air as well, laughing uncontrollably. "WOOO! YEAH! LET'S CELEBRATE!"
Across the room, Yami nearly spit out his drink, laughing so hard he slammed his fist on the table. "Gramps can't handle his liquor! HAHAHA!"
[Flashback ends.]
…
Stephen clutched his head in sheer disbelief, his voice trembling as he muttered, "But that's all I remember!"
Vanessa smirked, her expression both amused and proud. "Oh, that's just the tip of the iceberg. Let me help you fill in the blanks. After that, you grabbed another bottle from my stash and downed the whole thing like it was water. Then you started telling Noelle that you'd met her aunt and that she was super annoying. Charmy tried calming you down with some food, but instead, you started bawling your eyes out, calling her an angel sent from the heavens while clinging onto her like your life depended on it."
Stephen's eyes widened in sheer horror. His hands flew to the sides of his head as if trying to contain the nightmare. "Oh no... what have I done!?"
Vanessa laughed, clearly enjoying his torment. "Oh, that's not even the worst of it! Captain Yami was curious to see what more alcohol would do to you, and that's when things really took off. You started complaining that it was getting too hot, so naturally, you began to strip. And not just casually either—you turned it into a whole performance!"
Stephen collapsed onto his knees, already feeling the weight of humiliation crushing him. Vanessa continued, savoring the memory. "You climbed up on the table, You were doing a full-on slow striptease for us! You even threw your tie at Noelle, and if it weren't for Luck and Magna holding her back, she would've beaten the life out of you right then and there."
Stephen buried his face in his hands, sinking further into despair. His voice broke into a wail. "AAAAHHHH! Kill me now! Please, just end my existence!"
He remained on all fours, shaking his head as if trying to wake up from a nightmare. The vivid images of his embarrassing antics paraded through his mind, leaving him overwhelmed with the urge to disappear from the world entirely. Vanessa, meanwhile, simply leaned back, her eyes twinkling with delight. "Well, if it's any consolation, you were quite the entertainer. We haven't had that much fun in ages."
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