XXI - Acknowledged

The outside sun is clear and blue. Indicating that today will be a good day, or maybe not. Nerissa had told her brother about the current relationship with Kaizo. Unfortunately, much to his shock, things went out of control. However, it seems Neil will accept that fact in the end. She hoped for it. Kaizo and Fang will arrive soon enough, and Nerissa felt excited. Yet, at the same time, she felt anxious. Not knowing what will happen if Neil encounters Kaizo.

Would he welcome him with a big smile on his face? That's impossible for Neil to do that. Or perhaps he would be mean or sneer at him? Suddenly, Nerissa imagined the unthinkable. Would he beat Kaizo until he became a pulp? Neil hasn't known how severe Kaizo is! Surely he doesn't want to be welcomed with a cynical eye.

As she closes and locks the front door before leaving the house, she inhales a deep breath hoping the gods will help her through the day. She strutted to the house gate and sighted Neil waiting in front of it. He wears a black shirt covering his well-built body, dark blue jeans, and black Chuck Taylors. Also, he wore a watch on his wrist, made in Kingston. After she closes the front gate, Neil checks her outfit from head to toe. He sights her wearing a grey long-sleeved shirt with a fake white collar around her neck, a black skort, and knee-high black boots. As for her accessory, she wears a wavy silver ring around her thumb. But there's one thing that bothers him.

He asks, "What?"

Nerissa didn't hear that clearly, "Huh?

"What-What did you do to your hair?" He questions in disbelief.

"I straighten it." She answers and tucks her hair to the back of her left earlobe, "How do I look? Do I look pretty?"

Neil stares at her looks for a minute. She really looks cuter with that hairstyle and outfit. In his eyes, she's the prettiest girl, next to their mother and his wife. Unfortunately, he doesn't want to admit it to her, only himself. She smiles at him, waiting for his answer would be.

"You look ugly."

Her smiling face changes into an annoyed look in seconds. Neil shamelessly burst out laughing after seeing her sudden change of emotion. Neil smacks his back multiple times due to her anger. How dare he call his own sister ugly?

"I'm kidding, hahaha..."

"You call me ugly again, and I assure you'll lose that mouth of yours! Got that?! "Nerissa threatens and pinches his body.

He flinches, feeling the surprising pain, "OUCH! Alright, alright! Whatever you think you are, then!"

"That's more like it."

* * *

"You know it would be much better if we just ride your car." He whines as he walks the sidewalk.

"I don't want to waste my car's fuels, besides well arrive in 15 more minutes. Consider this as an exercise," says Nerissa.

He then questions, "So, where are we going again?"

"Tok Aba's Kokotiam."

"Kokotiam," He recalls, "Oh! That chocolate café!"

She raises her eyebrow in confusion, "You know that?"

"Yeah. The guys and I once visited that café. I gotta tell, the old man's drink really is excellent.

"I know, right? It tastes amazing."

She then came to her mind. What else did they do there? She doesn't know what Tok Aba thought when they first visited there. She hoped the old man didn't have any prejudice just because of their appearance

"Wait... You all didn't do anything embarrassing, right?" She asks.

"No, we did not." says Neil, "Well, except for Renn. He took lots of pictures, but don't worry."

Nerissa snarls, "Gosh."

Walking for a few miles, they could finally witness the Kokotiam from where they were standing. Nerissa wants to check the current time on her phone, but there's something weird. She plops her hands on her skirt and pats it. There's nothing heavy in it, and everything is just flat. Her phone is not in there. She was sure she carried it with her when she left the house.

"I think I left my phone." Nerissa states, "Damn it!"

He scolds his little sister, "How could you forget that?! If you want to look at the time, just use mine!"

"I would die of boredom without it!" She says and starts to twist her body to one side, "Just keep going to the café! I'll meet you there!" Nerissa starts to march her way back to her house.

He demands, "You better be quick about it!"

Surprisingly, she had the chance to warn his brother, "DONT DO ANYTHING OFFENSIVE TO KAIZO! YOU HEAR THAT!"

"Alright, I won't." He scoffs, "But we'll see about that."

Neil goes on his way to the Kokotiam. There he sighted the old man, whose currently making a chocolate drink, assisted by a yellow and black power sphere. Not to mention the kids there. A boy with an orange dino cap, the big guy in green clothing, and the two little girls he met this morning. They're all chatting.

"Here, Gopal. One special ice chocolate. Let me guess, you're going to drink this on credit?" Tok Aba asks.

He grins nervously, "Hehehe... As always, lah, Tok."

"Eh, Yaya, Ying. Did you guys tell Nerissa about Fang and Captain Kaizo?" Boboiboy asks.

Yaya answers, "Yeah, we did."

"But, when we arrived there, there's someone else." Ying comments.

"Huh? Who?" Gopal query.

Ying then asks again to recall them, "Remember when Nerissa told us about her past? She mentioned her brother, right?"

Gopal and Boboiboy ponder back to the point Nerissa tells her past.

"My brother already manifested his powers since birth, but I was a late bloomer."

"Uh-huh." They both nodded in agreement.

Yaya then speaks, "Her brother visited her house this morning."

Suddenly, a manly voice speaks to them.

"Oh? It's you two."

The kids focus their attention on the voice source. There they witness a tall man sitting on a café chair. From the looks of it, he's around Captain Kaizo's age.

"Oh? It's you again." Tok Aba greets him, "Where are your friends?"

The man answers, "Oh, them? They're at home."

"Hello, Neil!" Yaya and Ying greet him.

Boboiboy and Gopal stare at each other in confusion, "Uh... Neil?"

Yaya then responds, "Yes. He is Nerissa's older brother. The prince."

"Oooh" Boboiboy nods in understanding, "Nice to meet you, Your Highness. I'm Boboiboy. And this is Gopal."

Gopal startles, "Eh, prince?! N-Nice to meet you, Your Highness."

"Pleased to meet you all. Actually, no need for the formalities." He advises, "So, you're the one who's named Boboiboy, huh? I've seen you on the news before."

Gopal then mocks his friend, "Ish, why are you so famous, huh? Where is my fame?"

Tok Aba simply mocks him, "Heh... Jealous, aren't you?"

"Of course, lah, Tok."

Ying quietly looks around him, and there's something suspicious, "Eh? But where's Nerissa? She should be here."

"Nerry? Oh, she went home for a while, grabbing her phone." Neil answers.

"Lah"

Suddenly, a strong wind comes from the sky, a few meters in front of the Kokotiam. It appears that a tall black and white spaceship just arrived.

"Captain Kaizo and Fang are here!" Yaya and Ying chirp.

"Captain Kaizo, huh?" Neil comments with cynical eyes.

A giant laser shoots on the ground in a blink of an eye. In it, persons are standing on the ground.

" Sup, guys." The younger guy greets his friends.

"Hi, Fang!"

The taller man looks around him, searching for his lover. But she's not around. Neil approaches the man in a mask with cynical eyes. Apparently, they're both the same height.

"Are you Kaizo?" Neil asks.

Kaizo answers, "Uh... Yes, I am."

Neil offers his hand to introduce himself, "Neil Dezastaria, Nerissa's big brother."

"Kaizo."

Kaizo felt slightly shocked inside him because his girlfriend's brother was right before him. They sensed a firm grip on each other as they shook their hands. Also, they indicated an electrifying eye. Left Neil being pissed.

"So, you're the guy Nerissa loved so much, huh?" He mocks, "Kissing someone else's daughter. Not bad for an ASSHOLE."

Kaizo inhales a breath and speaks, "Yes, Neil. Nerissa and I loved each other."

"Uh... Kaizo?" A feminine voice just mentions his name.

Neil and Kaizo both paid attention to the voice source. Turns out it's Nerissa who just arrived at the Kokotiam, and she heard every word of them. Kaizo blushes a bit after seeing Nerissa dressed more feminine. Her face lightens up after she catches her lover's face. She walks towards him, ignoring her brother standing in front of her.

Neil welcomes her with open arms, "Nerry! What a coincidence! I just welcomed your boyfriend other and-"

"Nerry?" He thought, That's cute."

Using her bloodbending, she slams her brother to the ground, ignoring him. Nerissa welcomes her handsome boyfriend with hugs and a kiss on his cheek.

"NERRY!" Neil felt a numb pain in his chest and his heart broken, "Did you just BLOODBENDED ME?!"

Nerissa shouts, "DID YOU JUST GAVE HIM AN ATTITUDE, HUH?!"

"Well, this is going to be awkward," Kaizo commented.

* * *

It is a very awkward situation in Nerissa's living room. It is up to Neil's judgment whether he will acknowledge their relationship. Neil has been staring at Kaizo with his mask off from head to toe. She can tell Kaizo is being very uncomfortable. However, he is earnest about this relationship they're having. Indeed everything is going to be just fine. Yet, she felt this weird atmosphere between them, and it was getting dark. She has to put a stop to this.

Neil and Kaizo both heard a loud clink that made them lose their thoughts. Looks like Nerissa brought them a tray of tea and milk. First, she poured the tea into three cups and added the milk. Nerissa picked up the small teaspoon and stirred them well. After it's done, she gives it to Neil first, then Kaizo and herself. She put her cup beside Kaizo's.

"Thank you." Kaizo thanked her for the tea.

Nerissa simply smiles as a "you're welcome." Neil felt a bit irritated, but he let it go. When she's about to the kitchen to put the serving tray, Neil dares to complain.

"You added too much milk to my tea."

Annoyed, she quickly slams her tray at his head. It created a pretty loud sound. Made Kaizo startled, too. But that's what he gets. Neil took a deep breath, not trying to get his anger all over him. Nerissa then sits beside Kaizo. The couple takes a sip of the tea, and he gotta tell, the tea she made is delicious.

"So, how do you meet her?" Neil questions her boyfriend.

Kaizo asks him back, "Pardon?"

"I thought I told you that before?" She questions him.

Neil answers, "Well, that is from YOUR point of view. I'm asking about HIS point of view."

"It's okay." Kaizo told her to calm down as he placed his cup back on the coffee table, "I was in the middle of a battle. My target shot him down with a poisonous arrow. They teleported me to somewhere far away. And somehow I got here, and the first thing I saw was your sister. When I gazed at her before I passed out, what I could describe her was a guardian angel. It was... love at first sight. She saved me from death, Neil. And I took her to the outer galaxy."

Nerissa kept her down when he listened. Her face was rosy pink. Hearts beating fast.

"Did you two kiss before?" Neil interrogates.

Nerissa blurted out, "N-Neil!"

She covers her face in embarrassment, not believing what he just asked. It's just out of the blue. Kaizo puts on his smirk and puts his hand around Nerissa to comfort her.

"It was a victory day, Neil. Nerissa joined TAPOPS after she successfully assisted me in a battle, and she was ranked Vice-Captain. We were both a bit drunk then, and I kissed her. She liked it." He smirks.

"You son of a-!"

Irritated, Neil was about to rise on his feet, ready to smack the bastard. Unfortunately, he got immediately halted by his own sister.

"Sit!"

Not having the courage to do what he was about to do, he gave up and lay back in his seat. He takes a deep breath to calm down and return to his question.

"Now, Kaizo. What do you like about her?"

Kaizo answers bluntly, "She has a great body."

"WHAT?!"

"She swears a lot, too. I mean, its awful about it, but I hope she could cut down on those words in the future. But, she has an adorable, caring, loving, and loyal side. Her voice, her sweet smile. The way she is being herself. Those are the things that I find it loveable of her."

Finally, Neil could ask his last question.

"Final question, Kaizo." He breathes, "Are you serious about Nerissa?"

"Yes. I am serious and truly love her for being who she is."

Neil, somehow felt happy yet sad at the same time. Why? First, he felt happy because he was proud of everything she had accomplished, and she finally found someone who could truly love her. Second, he's sad because he can't believe this is the time he could finally let her go. He loved and cared for her after their mother's death and the traumatic childhood she had been through. Of course, his duty as her brother still goes on, yet he couldn't bear the fact he will give her sister to someone she loved.

He clears his throat before asking, "An extra question if you don't mind."

"Do, please." Kaizo allows him.

"Do you have any siblings?" Neil asks.

Kaizo answers, "A younger brother."

"The purple guy from earlier?" He asks again.

"Yes."

"Good," Neil nods, "Then you understand how I felt right now. The feeling of letting go of our loved ones. The ones we cared for, protected, and loved."

Kaizo knew he entirely agreed with this, "I understand that, Neil."

"Nerry?" He calls his sister, "Look at me."

Nerissa slowly opens up to her brother, eyes set on his blue orbs.

"Now, I don't know what Papa will think when I talk to him about this. But, I'll try my best to make him acknowledge this relationship of yours." He smiles, "Kaizo. If you ever once hurt her in any way, I will not hesitate to pierce your heart. Are we understood?"

Kaizo swallows his saliva, "I will not, Neil."

"Excellent." He speaks, "Take good care of Nerry for me, will you?"

Her lover nods in understanding. Her brother has now acknowledged Kaizo as someone she loves. She quickly rose to her foot and hugged her brother. Holding her urge to cry.

"Thank you, brother," Nerissa whispers.

Neil hugs her back and gently speaks, "Oh, Nerry."

Neil had a pleasant conversation with the couple now that he had acknowledged their relationship. Well, most of it is about Kaizo. He interrogates everything about him. Where he came from, his parents. His little sister feels calmer now, simultaneously enduring her period pain inside her womb. Irritating, of course, but she had to keep that smile.

Just now, they detected a ringing voice from Neils pocket. He pulls out his phone from his left pocket and answers the call. They let him speak for a while as they savor the remaining delicious tea. Kaizo senses a warm feeling in his left arm. He twists his head to his right and watches his lover snuggling him. That made his heart beat fast, and she could see the slight blush as he smirked. He quickly pins a kiss on her nose, making her chuckle in excitement. Neil, who is calling right now, felt envious seeing them in love, making him miss his wife.

His phone call is now ended. He places his phone back in the pocket and slurps his remaining tea.

Looks like I have to go now, Neil speaks.

Nerissa and Kaizo quickly rotate their heads and pay attention to her brother.

She questions him, So soon? Who called you?

"Papa." He answers, then gets up from the sofa, "He told me to come back home.

Suddenly, a blue and black crackling fire appears around his body, burning his casual outfit and turning it into his black formal attire. Hair fixed. He buttons up his suit and the wrist.

"Plus, seeing you two flirting with each other makes me want to puke." He comments.

Nerissa scoffs, "Tell that to Freya."

Neil pulls out his hand to Kaizo, offering him to shake hands before leaving, "Take care of her for me, Kaizo."

Kaizo gladly shakes his hands and says, "I will. It's great to meet you."

"Mine as well." Then he calls her assistant half-aloud, "Grandia! Watch over her!"

"Of course, your highness."

Nerissa follows her brother as he slides the back door to her small garden. The three walk their way to the cliff edge. The breezing wind and the blue sky signify this is a good day. She managed to get through the stressful morning.

Neil summons his blue crackling portal. Kaizo watches how he summons it. It is way too similar to the ones Nerissa usually created. Except for the fact that the color is different.

"Nerissa," Neil calls her.

"Yes?"

He pats and ruffles his sister's hair. He slowly smiles and says, "I'm going home, alright?"

"Go." She touches his hand and smiles, "Send my regards to His Majesty."

Neil steps on the green grass and struts into the blue portal he made. It slowly shrinks until it is completely gone. They both let out a heavy sigh and slumped on the ground.

"Well, that's one hell of a brother." He comments.

"I'm sure you know it feels since you're also a big brother to Fang." She says.

Nerissa gladly cuddles her taller boyfriend. They both enjoy the ocean scenery with the breezing wind from the sea. It has been quite a rough morning. Especially Kaizo, he got unhappily welcomed, making Nerissa feel uneasy.

Kaizo?

He tilts his head towards his girlfriend, all ears to her, Hm?

That was very unwelcoming, right? She asks, When do you arrive here?

He answers, Hard to say this, but yeah.

Nerissa feels down, Forgive my brother. I told him about us this morning, yet he couldnt swallow the whole reality for a moment.

Kaizo pecks her forehead and says, Well, at least you gave a welcome back then. Thats alright.

Nerissa realizes her hug from Kaizo and demands, So, tell me everything.

Huh? Tell what?

Your mission for these past 2 days. What did the commander task you?

Kaizo briefly answers, Just some infiltration mission, but assisted Ramenman.

That ramen head? She queries.

He answers, Yeah. Weve done it only in one night. Guess thats a new record for me.

So smug. She comments.

But youve never had a mission with him, right? Kaizo queries.

Nerissa shakes her head, Nope, not yet.

Oh, speaking of missions, I have something to tell you.

She was surprised by his sentences, What is it?

I told Fang. About us.

Silence. That is what it is now. Shes anxious, not knowing what Fang would think of it. Nerissa inhales a deep breath and positions herself, preparing to listen to what he will say.

And? How did it go?"

Kaizo clicks his tongue and says, "Well, at first, I thought he would go against us just like your brother did. Surprisingly, he knew all along."

"What?! How?!" Nerissa shocked.

"He said he saw us secretly together."

"That's because you approach me the whole time! Of course, you make it too obvious!" She sputters and pinches his arm, "What else?!"

"He accepted us,"

She tries to calm herself down and sighs, "Looks like things would be awkward for me. I'm not sure how Fang feels about me."

Kaizo wraps his arm around her shoulder, "Don't worry about that too much. He accepted us. He accepted you."

"Still, it would be my fault I stole his brother away from him. He worked so hard to gain your acknowledgment. You two should've, like, spent time together more often. Not as a captain and private, but as real brothers." Nerissa advises.

What Nerissa said is true. They need to have bonding time more often.

"You're right, Nerissa. I should do that." Kaizo says.

"But, at least, we've lifted the burdens from our shoulders."

Nerissa suddenly senses an immediate pain inside her womb until she groans. Kaizo panicked a little and suddenly became protective.

"N-Nerissa?! What's wrong?" He tries to ease his girlfriend.

"Don't worry. It's my period pain." She speaks.

"You're on your period?!"

She simply nods as an answer. Then she feels her body being lifted by Kaizo. He struts his way to enter the house through the back door. Gently he places Nerissa on the living room's sofa. Also, he puts a pillow below her head. He watches her squirming in pain.

"Nerissa. Tell me, is there anything I can do?" He asks.

She asks him, "Can I lend your head for a moment?"

"W-What?" He stutters.

"Just do it!"

He quickly puts his head closer to hers. All of a sudden, she clenches his hair and groans in pain. He endures the pain inside his head and lets her do her thing for his girlfriend to calm down. Also, he could learn something about her from now on.

And thus begins their vacation day.