x

The door opened so I immediately took off my apron so I can hug him.

Damn. "Oh—" I kissed him and then enveloped him into a bear hug because that's the only way to hug the one you love. I'm not sure if it's even possible but I love him even more after the break than I did before—considering that I was so much in love with him few years ago.

"How's work?"

"Tiring as always." I shrugged and pulled him towards the dining area.

"I know you're beat so I cooked something for you." I served him the baked macaroni (with lots of cheese) and then a slice of apple pie.

"Aren't you going to eat?" he asked as he tasted what I made for him. He muttered something under his breath but I didn't understand him. If there's one thing I learnt about Mark Tuan, it's that he talks to himself quiet a lot and you just have to let him. Don't ask him questions because if he wants to tell you something, he will.

"I'm good!" my voice a little too excited but really, seeing him getting so excited over my cooking is more than enough to make me feel all giddy inside.

He finished his food—much to my delight—but when he was about to wash the dishes, I asked him to wait on the living room so he can have some rest. I'm glad he didn't argue with me. Washing Mark's dishes is so tiring because first: he doesn't want to buy a dishwasher, second: you have to clean it really well, third: wipe them with paper towels, fourth: stack them on the sterilizer. Here's another thing about Mark: he hates germs. He carries hand sanitizer and alcohol with him all the time.

When I finished everything, I went to the living room and before I could even sit on the couch, Mark pulled me in and now I'm seated on his lap.

He buried his face on my neck and before I could even react, he started showering it with kisses.

***

Mark

She smells so good that he couldn't stop.

She pushed him and he was confused for a while and it came to him that she's not yet ready to do it. He missed her so much that he can’t get enough of her. He was about to say sorry but she kissed him. She's kissing him like she's so hungry. She's kissing him like she never wants to let go of him. She’s kissing him like he’s a gasoline and she’s the ing fire.

They’re going to burn the whole building.

Sure, there were make out sessions in the past but they were all kisses and touches and not like this one. Never like this one. She buried her face into his neck and just when he thought that she was done making him crazy like no other girl can do, she ed his shirt and showered his chest with kisses. They were both so in love with each other and they can marry each other in a heartbeat. They both have stable jobs with a good pay so what's there to lose? Marriage contract is the only thing that’s missing. And his last name on hers.

It's hard to believe that they were both in their late twenties and they've been in a relationship since they were twenty but they never had before. If there's one very important thing about Wendy that Mark will always do, that is to respect her. He loves her to no end and he will always, always honor what she wants. Except maybe for few things. Love, after all, must have respect from both sides.

Everything... feels so right at the moment and all he wants to do is kiss the soul out of her.

So he did.

Passionate kisses are the best when you do it with someone you love. Every kiss is a fire in your skin and every touch can make you feel like every single cell in your body is dancing. Every single one of them.

He kissed a few girls during their break but all he did was kiss them. He felt nothing. He kissed them with his eyes wide open and he doesn't really care about what those girls think. No strings attached. But with Wendy, every ing string in his body is attached to her and he's overwhelmed by the feelings that she could make him feel.

It's making him crazy but he loves it.

Love always comes with insanity, after all. It’s a package deal.

He was order and solitude and she was noise and chaos, they're the perfect contradiction of each other like he had always been the glacier and she was the wild fire. Somehow, with all the differences, they managed to love and accept all of the things that they were not... but maybe it’s really like that when it’s with the person you’re more than willing to spend your whole life with.

***

Wendy

We were almost there, I was about to remove his clothes but suddenly I was so scared that when I pushed him, I had to remove myself away from him. I'm scared to do it. What if I'm not good? Is he going to leave me? I'm being pathetic again but what if?

What ifs should be nonexistent, they ruin everything.

"Oh my god," Mark muttered to himself, "I'm sorry, Wendy."

"No, it was just that..." he pulled me again to make me sit on his lap, "I was scared. What if I'm not good and you will leave me?"

Mark looked at me like I just cracked a joke.

"You're scared because of that?" his expression softened and then he hugged me, "What if we're married and you're not really that good, you think I'll immediately file a divorce? That's nonsense, Wendy—as long as it's with you, it doesn't really matter if it’s good or not. I love you and never forget that."

"I'm sorry."

I shouldn't be blushing like a hormonal teenager but that's what’s happening right now. I'm just glad that he can’t see my face.

"Don't be. Maybe it's not yet the right time to do it."

I fixed my position and let myself collapse against him.

He held my hand and squeezed it. I looked at him and he looks like he's about to say something but is too afraid to ask.

"What is it?"

"H—huh?"

"You want to say something?"

"U..uh," I squeezed his hand in return just to encourage him to say it. "Do you, uh, d--"

"Do I what, Mark?"

"Do you want to live with me?" what kind of question is that? That's a ridiculous question because I almost made it my life goal to live with him when I grow old.

“Of course I’ll live with you! Are you crazy?”

"No! That's not what I meant."

"Then what is it?"

I don't know why he looks like he's about to drop a bomb but he looks so nervous! "Do you want to move in? Here with me?"

***

“Are you sure?” I’m here at The Grove because I’m planning to add some furniture in Mark’s apartment. Their house in Arcadia screams art! And his apartment screams boring!

I never thought I’m going to shop for things like this before I even get married. But who cares, I already know who I am going to marry. I don’t really care how his apartment looked like before. It was his. But now it’s different. I mean, sure, it’s clean and all that but it’s so… boring. Really boring. Plain white couch and black throw pillows in his living room. Definitely not my style. I already moved in and it’s uh, nice. Really nice. But I still have this urge to change a few things in his house.

He should’ve asked his mom to decorate his apartment. His mom’s an interior designer and I guess that’s the reason why their house is really nice.

“Yeah. I’m on my way.”

“Okay. I’m here at the Barnes & Noble.”

“Okay.”

“Are you driving already?”

“Not yet. I’m about to.”

“I’ll wait for you here.”

“Alright. There’s a Starbucks there, right?”

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