As Vanessa rubbed against Jake and smiled at his reactions, Tibaut stood there in awe.

("She really is a menace.") He thought.

As Vanessa was doing this her eyes eventually met with Tibaut's. Her smile soon shrunk in size until it eventually vanished. Sweat started forming all over her face and she gently let go of Jake.

"What's up?" Tibaut asked.

Her hands started flailing as if trying to grab something and she stammered like a person who hadn't spoken in several years. Her blushing was visible even across her dark skin.

Tibaut looked disinterested and turned to Jake.

"What's up with her?"

"No idea," he said, amazed at what he was seeing. "This is the first time I've ever seen her like this."

After a few more seconds of stammering, she finally found her voice.

"THERE'S NOTHING BETWEEN US!"

The men looked at each other and then looked back at her.

"In the first place I only do this to tease Nora, since she likes him but never seems to make her move so I thought it'd be pretty funny to do it to egg her on to snatch him already but after a while, I found how ridiculous he reacted to me pretty funny, I mean how could not, look at his face when put my boobs on him, are you saying you wouldn't keep doing it to him after seeing how he reacted if you were in my shoes? But I can assure you it wasn't because I liked him or anything, I mean I won't lie about him being pretty cute but with reactions like that, it'd get annoying fast plus what kind of person would go after someone they're friend likes just to tease them? What friend would I be at that point? Listen, I know people say all sorts of things about me and I don't blame them but I'm not vile enough to steal another woman's man. And besides…"

"Vanessa, it's okay I don't care." He calmly responded.

"Well I do," Jake said as he grabbed Tibaut's shoulder. "If this gets her to leave me alone then you should care, Tibaut!" Jake said, resembling a stressed rabbit.

"Is it that much of a problem? (It can be annoying sometimes but she doesn't do it that often.)"

"Yes!" He took no time to respond.

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Tibaut turned Vanessa.

She meekly turned her head away.

"V-vanessa? It doesn't happen that much right?"

"Every time we meet," Jake stated. "Every single time we meet she does this."

Vanessa awkwardly laughed.

"Hehe well, I suppose it sorta is like instinct to me at this point."

Tibaut had a disappointed look in his eyes.

"What? I already told you it wasn't because I was into him, I just found his reactions funny."

Tibaut flicked her on the head and she reeled back in pain.

"Ow, what was that for?"

"Do you really think doing it to get a reaction out of him is a good reason?"

She awkwardly laughed while scratching her head.

"Hehe, I guess not?"

"Get her to promise to stop, Tibaut," Jake asked with newfound energy.

"You heard the man, are you gonna stop?"

"Of course, just make sure to make a move on Nora already." She said.

She soon walked away looking defeated and gently closed the door behind her.

Jake breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed on the couch.

"I heard you two were close but I never imagined it was like this."

"What do you mean?" Tibaut asked while looking into his face.

"Well… I think that's the first time I've seen her so easily listen to someone."

This statement caught Tibaut's attention.

"First?"

"Yeah, if it was Elizabeth who said that she would rant about how this was the right thing to do and that it'd pay off eventually."

"Wait a minute, she did that in front of Elizabeth?"

"I mean she did it wherever she met me. No matter the location."

"No matter?"

"Yeah, I remember one time I was performing for a crowd and she ran up and did that. I can still remember their laughs." He stated without an ounce of life behind his eyes.

Tibaut patted his shoulder out of pity.

"So is it true you're her boyfriend?"

"No? Where'd you even hear something like that?"

"You don't know the rumours?"

Tibaut gave him a look that demanded clarification.

"You won't get mad?"

"I mean, it's not you're the one who made them up."

Jake sighed before continuing.

"You came here pretty suddenly and it's not like everyone heard or believes what Elizabeth said about you. You know it's pretty odd for someone on your level to go unnoticed. One of the rumours I heard was that…" He paused for a second then gulped, "You were a warrior travelling through a few countries,"

Tibaut flinched at this. It wasn't wrong so far.

"And your performance in a local brothel impressed Vanessa so much, she did all she could to make you her own."

…

…

…

Tibaut stuck his pinkies in both his ears, moved them around for a moment and then pulled them out as hard as he could. He then wiped the wax on his (technically Elizabeth's but it wasn't like she was going to wear them again) black pants.

"I'm sorry Jake I think I misheard, could you repeat that?"

Jake turned his head away.

"It was exactly as I said, Tibaut. Though it's not like everyone thinks of you like that. It'd just be the people who betted on you during the spar with Ezekiel."

"Who are these people, Jake?"

"Um, you don't have to worry about that Tibaut, they're just mad that-"

Tibaut grabbed his shoulder and brought his face closer to Jake's.

"Who are these people?"

His eyes were now that of a beast looking for prey rather than a man.

Jake got off the couch and walked to the door.

"Sorry, Tibaut but I'm not finished packing my luggage, I'll tell you later." Soon after he slipped out the door.

"Wait a minute, Jake!"

The young-looking man was already booking it.