CHAPTER EIGHT; 

"Lu Han~" Someone moaned, their voice slurring each syllable. "Wake up, cutie," She giggled as he felt something flick his nose.

"What the..." Drowsy, Lu Han opened his eyes to nothing but the darkness of his room. Nothing changed except the fact that Yuri wasn't by his side.

She was on top of him.

"W-What are you doing?" He grasped her shoulders as she continuously giggled. 

"I can't sleep," He could clearly see the outlines of a cute pout on her lips and it took him every ounce of energy left in him to not smash his lips against hers. "It's too hot!" She whined and he found it funny. She's always so serious and stern, but now she was like a school girl gone naughty. 

"Then why are you on top of me?" He chuckled, even though he should be serious. 

"Because I like your scent," She giggled while burying her face into the crook of his neck. He instantly tensed and almost became a statue when she placed small kisses over his neck. "You smell so good," She purred. 

"Are you sick?" He sat up and lightly pushed her off. He leaned over to the side to turn on the light and that might have been a mistake. He noticed that she was in nothing but her undergarments- and she looked mighty fine if he did say so himself. 

"No," She bit her lip while scanning over him. Yuri ran the tip of her finger over his chest, dragging it down. "But I am wet," Lu Han choked on his saliva as he scrambled off the bed.

Of course, he would have loved to stay in bed with a Yuri, but she was clearly not in the right state of mind. Taking advantage of her was not what his mother taught him. He was not like that; he was not like other men. 

"What happened to you?" He grabbed her shoulders, shaking her to hopefully get her mind back on track. 

"What would you like to happen?" She implied, running her hands through his hair and gripping onto them. "Something like this?" She pushed her face forward to crash her lips against his. 

The kiss was rough and very aggressive, but that didn't stop the sparks from flying. She was going at him like her life depended on it. He, on the other hand, was having an inner battle, debating whether to push her off or keep going. He thought that he finally caught a break when her lips left his, but no, she kept going, running her lips over his jawline and neck. 

"Y-Yuri," He managed to utter out as she bit his shoulder. "That's it," He cursed himself for being such a gentleman.

In one swift movement, he picked her up which caused her to squeal a bit. Nevertheless, she continued her attack on every exposed part of his skin. Lu Han bit his lower lip, trying to fight the urge to give into her euphoria, but he needed to stop her before she makes a mistake that she'll later regret. 

"Give into me," She whispered in his ear and he forced himself to shake his head. 

Lu Han brought her to the bathroom where he sat her on the edge of the tub. She was getting all excited as he pressed more kisses on his face. The struggle for him was real. He had to make a quick prayer and a quiet apology before pushing her back into the freezing water.

"AH!" She screamed at the top of her lungs before jumping out, shivering and dripping wet. She glared at him as if her eyes could burn him to ashes. 

Yup. She was definitely back to her normal self.

"What the is wrong with you?!" She shouted and stomped out of the bathroom. "And where the are my clothes?!" She shrieked and he lightly chuckled.

"Welcome back, tianshi," He mumbled to herself while smiling like an idiot. 

Yuri's face could be compared to a very ripe tomato. Her face was so heated that even her quick dip in the ice cold bath couldn't cool her down. She had every right to be embarrassed especially when she suddenly woke up half in front of Lu Han whose face was clearly red and swollen. There was no doubt that he had been making out with someone and who else could it be? Unless he had a strange for pillows. 

She scrambled through all her things to find something to cover herself up, but she was too flustered to even think about turning on the lights. So, she was basically fumbling with anything and everything. All of a sudden, a warm fabric was thrown to her and was hanging over her head. 

"Wear this and get to bed. I am tired, tianshi," Lu Han groaned and flopped onto the bed- shirtless. 

"Is this... Is this your shirt?" She stumbled over her words while pulling his t-shirt off. Whatever cologne or shampoo he uses, his shirt was drenched in it and it made her toes curl. It smelled damn good. 

"No , Sherlock," He chuckled and sat up, propping himself on his elbows. 

"Sassy much?" She muttered and slipped into his shirt, but her legs remained bare. "You don't happen to have any pants, do you?" She sighed.

"Unless you want me to sleep in nothing but my boxers," He shrugged. "I don't mind." He grinned.

"Never mind," She shivered and hugged herself tightly before walking out the bedroom.

"Excuse me!" He called out which made her stop. "Where do you think you're going? It's late."

"Well, thanks to my very early bath, I am now wide awake." She gave a sarcastic smile. "And I want some hot chocolate," 

"Do you even know where it is?" He got up and walked towards her as she took small steps backwards. "I'm guessing not," He huffed and placed his hand on the small of her back, guiding her to the kitchen.

"I could always just search for it," She rolled her eyes, trying hard not to find any comfort in his touch- close to impossible, but she managed. 

"But then you would make too much noise," He argued back, smiling at how she huffed at him. "Plus I am now wide awake thanks to my morning make out session." He grinned cheekily which made hers flush red. She started rubbing them in the hopes to make them disappear, but that only made it worse and made him take notice. "Very cute, tianshi," He ruffled her hair.

"Shut up," She pushed him off and sat at the kitchen counter. 

"One hot chocolate coming up," Lu Han announced comically which made her crack a smile. He turned around and started getting to work as she started working, too- from his head to his .

', he even has an ,' She thought to herself, but then suddenly shook her head to rid her mind of those impure thoughts.

All too suddenly, a steaming mug of hot chocolaty goodness was placed in front of her. Her eyes snapped up to Lu Han who smiled down at her before taking a spot in front of her. He looked at her eagerly, waiting for her to taste the drink. She bit back a remark and sipped on it, careful not to burn her lips.

But she still did anyways.

"Stupid," He chuckled while shaking his head.

"Twit," She shot back, her pronunciation a bit muffle thanks to her inflamed tongue.

"Idiot," He sat back, giving her a boyish smile.

"Ignoramus," She pouted and continued to drink.

"Well, I'm not the one continuing to burn themself." He srgued and she could only blow a raspberry. "Very mature," He rolled his eyes.

As stupid as it was, the mention of any hot, burning or anything of the sort made her think back to when they made out. Without realizing, her mind was tracing back to that moment, trying to remember what it felt like, what he tasted like. What made her lose her memory like that?

"Ah, my life," Yuri groaned, pulling the mug away from her throbbing lips. She hated to admit it, but Lu Han was right. 

"," She could distinctively hear him chuckle as he got up and searched for something in the freezer. He turned around with an ice cube in his hand and she could only raise a brow. "Lower that brow is you know what's good for you." He warned and she heard it, but didn't really want to listen.

So she raised both.

"Come here," He growled lowly and held the back of her head. Her eyes widened, but the rest of her body froze as he pulled closer to her. "You really hate listening to others, don't you?" He chuckled lowly while lifting his hand with the ice cube. Just as he was about to press it onto her lips, she held him back.

"Are you crazy? That thing will get stuck onto my lips. Have you never a frozen pole and got your tongue stuck on it before?" She had a small lisp thanks to her burnt tongue and lips. 

"No, I wasn't that dumb," He smirked which made her glare at him, but his boyish grin was making it hard for her to stay mad. "Well, since you don't want to relive childhood memories..." He trailed off, popping the ice cube into his mouth.

Yuri eyed his sceptically as the cube sprouted from his lips, squished between the plumpness. He suddenly lowered his head and quickly pressed the cube against hers. The throbbing lessened, but the burning sensation just intensified tenfold. What they were doing could be considered as kissing and that only made her blush even more. Their eyes connected and she could see something spark inside his eyes for a moment.

Slowly, the ice started to melt and the closer they got. Her heart pounded wildly to the point where she could feel it beat in . Whether he was teasing her or not, Lu Han pulled her closer and their lips were just on the brink of touching.

Even though her mind and heart were fully accepting of the fact that she was going to kiss him, she still found a way to mess things up. Her hands placed themselves on his chest and pushed him back. Comically enough, Lu Han didn't seem mad or irritated. He just stared at her curiously, a ghost of a smile on his lips and a light shade of pink tingeing the tip of his ears.

"When will you ever get tired of that game?" He mused. 

"W-What game?" She sipped on her now cooled hot chocolate- but internally she wished that she would burn herself again. 

"Where you make me chase you and when I'm so close to getting you, you run even faster." He took one step closer which changed a lot. She could feel his breath fanning her cheeks as the warmth from his body engulfed her. "When will you get tired of running?" 

"I-I d-don't..." 

Watching her get all flustered was like discovering the 8th wonder of the world. It was rare to watch her change from her usual stone cold self to a cute, innocent looking girl. She acted like she was supposed to instead of what she was forced to. 

"I'm going to bed," She finally found her voice and scurried off to the bedroom with him in tow, chuckling. 

***

"Ah, , that looks pretty bruised," Lu Han muttered while examining her neck.

", that jackass punctured my vein or something," She groaned while pulling away.

It was early in the morning and Yuri woke up to take a shower, only to discover a huge bruise covering the side of her neck. Lu Han soon woke after her and started treating it- whether she wanted him to or not. While thinking back to how she must have gotten the injury, she distinctively remembered one of Hyeonwoo's men jabbing a needle into her neck which also explained the reason why she was acting strangely a few hours back. 

"You know what that means, do you?" He asked and she shook her head, lying back onto the bed. "You need a few more days of rest." She groaned loudly. 

"I hate sitting around and doing nothing," She muttered, flinging her hands up to cover her eyes.

"Then let's do something," He suggested.

"Together?" She scoffed.

"Why not?" He shrugged, lying right next to her which gave him a chance to admire her features. "We could that thing that you girls like to do... What was it? Shopping spree?" 

"You girls?" She mocked his deep tone. "Do I seem like most girls?"

"Not at all," He grinned broadly. 'And that's why I like you,' He wanted to say, but kept his mouth shut. He wished there was a better word for his feelings towards her. Like was too little, but love was too much. Maybe 'loke' would work... A good combination of both.

"Then why would you suggest shopping?" She let out a low chuckle before rolling onto her belly. 

"Because..." He trailed off. "I just thought that you had to grow up so quickly that you didn't get a chance to do those girly things like shopping and whatnot." He gave her a half-hearted smile as he watch the emotions flickered across her face.

It was true.

Yuri's life turned to the moment her parents died that she had to grow up and look after herself. Money didn't come easy especially when it played a major factor in her training. Those past few years were Hell and she thought it was a miracle that she made it through them. 

"Shopping sounds nice," She whispered muttered and her tone was enough to break anyone's heart. "But-"

"But? But what? Is it the money problem? Because I have enough to pay you whatever you want and you won't owe me anything." He cut her off.

All she could do was offer him the most sincerest and warmest smile she could muster. And that was enough for him. It was more than he could ever ask for- Hell; it was worth more than all the money in the world. She gave a light nod before heading to the bathroom to change. 

Once done, she emerged in her casual wear- black skinny jeans, loose white shirt and her white, beaten down converse. She felt slightly embarrassed by her minimal choice of clothing since it seemed so plain. She was also beginning to feel self-conscious thanks to Lu Han.

Her mind started racing about all the girls he's been with before and how much better they must be compared to her- all the right clothes, the beautiful 24/7 hair as well as a perfect face and body. But was it stupid of her to think that way? They weren't even together nor did they have a stable relationship. One moment, she is melting at his touch, but the next thing she knew, she wanted to strangle him. 

Her thoughts were cut short when Lu Han came into view with a black, short sleeved button up shirt, dark washed jeans and soft grey sneakers. Even if his hair seemed messy or dishevelled, it still looked like each strand was placed to perfection. 

"Ready?" He played with his car keys as she nodded and scurried out, hiding her face. He frowned and followed after her. 

While walking behind her, he examined her outfit and liked its simplicity. It fitted her perfectly. On the other side, he liked the way her jeans moulded her . 

Once down the road, it was like they were having a silence contest- who's going to last the longest? Of course, that game didn't last long until they finally reached a destination. Lu Han indicated to her that he would be back in a minute so she sat back and waited.

"Okay," He ran up to the car and opened the door for her. "I paid for the parking ticket so we have 3 hours, sound good?" He smiled and she grinned, nodding as an answer. 

They both walked down the street that was littered with small boutiques. In less than half an hour, they have already visited around 4 stores and had a few small bangs hanging from their arms. She didn't want to continue any further seeing that Lu Han's pockets weren't endless, but he kept insisting that he had more than enough for both which made her contemplate one thing; why was he doing this for her? Sure, she didn't have the life most girls had, but she could live with it. 

"So, where to next?" He asked and as she was about to answer, she felt something slip into her hand. She looked down and saw his fingers perfectly intertwined with hers. 

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"What?" He acted clueless. "I'm asking you a simple question." He gave her a cheeky grin. "So...?"

"I don't want to shop anymore," She muttered nervously. "I think we have enough,"

He heaved a sigh and smiled. "Sure, I was getting tired. How about we go get some ice cream or something, hmm? Just give me your bags," He took them before she could answer him by telling him how she wasn't a child, but he was already off. 

Yuri turned her head to the side, looking down at the street and the boutiques she had entered with Lu Han. Most of them had a lot to offer and she was happy to have gotten the chance to purchase the things that she liked. Whatever she laid her eyes on, Lu Han let her try and bought it for her. Then, right across the street from her, she noticed a cute little vintage store. She looked back to where Lu Han headed off to before deciding to take a quick peek at the shop.

It was fairly small, but was very cozy looking. The interior was decorated in warm colors with a few splashes of turquoise. Everything from top to bottom was filled with small trinkets, furniture and clothes. Although, none of those interested her- her eyes were set on a small jewellery rack where old, handcrafted necklaces, rings and bracelets hung from its metal hooks. 

Her fingers played around the pieces of metal until they were hooked around a stunning necklace with crescent moon hung as its pendant. Connected to it was a galaxy. Yuri smiled at it, picking it up before hanging it above her chest as she stared into the mirror. She swung from side to side to test all angles and smiled foolishly to her reflection. A loud gasp escaped her lips when Lu Han's reflection suddenly showed up behind her which made her almost drop the necklace.

"That looks nice on you," He grinned.

"That's creepy. Stop sneaking up on me," She sighed and placed the necklace back down on the rack, but he stopped her.

"Do you like it?" He asked and she quickly shook her head.

"No," She applauded herself for not stuttering for once and her voice sounded believable.

"Uh-huh," He gave a light smirk before casually laying the necklace back down. "Why don't we get that ice cream, sound good?" She nodded.

They both exited the shop and he seemed eerily casual. Lu Han quickly paid for two ice cream cones and they made it back to his car. While driving, he somehow convinced her into holding his cone for him and feed him. As his ice cream became smaller and smaller, his lips started brushing against her fingers which stirred something inside her. Before he could take one last bite, she simply popped the small bit of waffle into his mouth and stared out the window, cheeks as pink as her strawberry flavoured ice cream. 

He chuckled. "Your hands are dirty," He noted which made her search for some napkins. "Here," He took one out of his pocket and wiped her fingers for her, but then she felt something fall into the palm of her hand. She stared at him before looking into her hand.

"What the!" She exclaimed and held out the necklace she eyed back at the store. "Did you... Did you steal this?" She kept staring behind the car. 

"No," He scoffed. "You're just too slow to notice things," He teased. 

"Oh my God," She stared at the piece of jewellery. She hated to admit it, but she was touched by his act of kindness. 

"Oh, come on," He lightly nudged her shoulder. "Why so surprised? It's just a necklace, it was nothing." 

"I just... No one has ever gotten me something o-or paid for things... For me," Her eyes never left the necklace as it was laid preciously in her hands like a fragile diamond. 

"Turn around," He uttered softly and she did as she was told while he took the necklace from her. "It really looked nice on you so I wanted you to have it," He clasped it behind her neck. She simply kept quiet as she enjoyed the ride.

***

Yuri has been contemplating for a while ever since they came home from the shopping trip. All her bags were scattered around her with her articles on her lap without the tags. She loved everything he bought her, but that wasn't the problem.

The problem was the fact that they were acting like a couple, like they had a relationship. She has made it one of her missions to avoid that; feelings and any of the sorts. They were merely obstacles preventing her from reaching her goal and she couldn't have that. But the feelings she got from being close to him, from having those special moments with him and from anything involving him were indescribably amazing. It made her feel normal, wanted and cared for.

Should she give in? Or keep strong and focus on what's important?

Or better yet,

What is important anymore?

AUTHOR'S NOTE; 

Okay so Yuri's feels are going a bit haywire thanks to the presence of Lu Han :3 

By the way, our Black Pearl has been in Cosmopolitan and has bangs ;)

  *Beautiful!*