xyx had always fancied himself to be rather well-versed in the little quirks and habits of his adorable little lady.
True, they had only begun dating officially three months ago, but the late-night chats and video calls before had already clued him in on what she liked.
And well… Upon meeting her, he got to see so much more of how adorable she could be.
So the resting bitch face, as she called her natural expression, actually tended to disappear into the dopiest grin when she was reading romance novels or playing the otome games of that visual novel hobby that she had gotten into after Blooming Panic ended. There was a rather fetching tendency for her to hide her face behind her hand, even when no one else (but him) was around…
Other times, though, that gloriously pink face would be uncovered and he would just get the urge to turn it even rosier.
You loved staying in xyx’s study.
Aside from being the backdrop when you first saw him on a video call, the study was also the place that you associated with him the most. Adventurous he was, and a thrill-seeker at heart, but you bonded the most with the man over comfortable silences only broken by the faint sound of flipping pages and Cat’s warm purrs. Your best memories were over laughter shared over ridiculous history facts that only a history geek like him could know.
It was becoming more frequent, his familiar voice narrating the passages of his favorite books, breath feathering against the nape of your neck.
He let you stay in here alone, as well, during cases where he had to work later nights or work at another state.
It was one such evening that found you nestled in the armchair, laptop on your thighs.
LovelyLola: did
LovelyLola: did he just pin her to the wall???
June: Mhmm
June: It’s such a good scene isn’t it?
June: I love your live reactions, telling you about otome games was such a good idea >w<
BIGLADY: They’re goooood, and I say this as someone who likes the ladies
June: And totally not to eye the cute heroines, right, @BIGLADY ?
LovelyLola: oh god
LovelyLola: i think this just awakened something in me;;;;;
June: YEAH
June: same
BIGLADY: huh
BIGLADY: that’s odd
LovelyLola: what
BIGLADY: i’d have guessed from how often you talk about xyx driving you insane, he already does it to you
LovelyLola: WHAT
June: alkd;fhakl;hakadflj
LovelyLola: DELETE THIS CHAT
LovelyLola: @BloomBot
LovelyLola: this is
LovelyLola: sensitive personal information
BIGLADY: pppffffft
BloomBot: @LovelyLola We stopped censoring private information shared by members six months ago.
BloomBot: Do you have any other inquiries?
June: oh my god BloomBot learned how to bully others
June: anyway!
June: @LovelyLola congratulations on learning about one of your new weaknesses, the kabedon :)
LovelyLola: no
June: you’re welcome
“Something else got you all red, aside from me? I’m almost jealous, love.”
“Hfghff-”
An undignified noise escaped you as you almost leaped off the chair, only just managing to stay put at the reminder of the laptop sitting on your thighs. He was supposed to come home tomorrow evening, right?
And how didn’t you hear him come inside the room?
“ xyx!”
“Is that all you’ve got to say to me?”
There was a laugh in your ear as xyx bent down, tucking a finger under your chin and turning your face towards him. Your brain temporarily short-circuited at the lazy smile aimed your way before he dropped a kiss on your lips.
Oh. Um. What were you supposed to say again?
“Learn to knock,” you hissed afterward, pretending that you definitely didn’t chase after him as he pulled back.
He arched a brow at that. “Why, sweetheart, I did. You seemed rather taken by what you’re doing.”
That brought you up short. You were, indeed, absorbed in the game you were playing, and the bullying from the others on the Blooming Panic server. The music was still playing from where the earphones laid on the chair’s arm, momentarily put aside while you were chatting with your friends.
Which made you remember-
“Now… What could it be that’s got you so flustered?” Leaning over to get a better look, xyx’s gaze alighted upon the words on the screen and your mind came to a screeching halt.
Oh god.
Hands moving faster than Cat running to her bowl at xyx’s singsong I’ve got a treat, you tried to close the chat application.
And close it did, showing the magnificent, HD rendition of a 2D man precariously leaning over a blushing maiden, his hands on either side of her-
“Ah-”
“Doll-?!”
Slamming the laptop shut, you threw it on the armchair and leaped at him in one fluid motion, far more graceful than you’ve ever been in life before. It was an acrobatic move worthy of Olympic gymnasts.
You thank xyx for having the foresight to have a carpeted floor as you both landed on the ground, his arms coming up to catch you.
Always the not-so-secret softie, he instinctively held you close to him. It was but a short trip down from the chair for you, you hardly needed the protection…
As he landed on the carpet with a small oof, xyx’s lips curved in a grin you barely caught before he flipped your positions.
He stared you down as you regained your bearings, watching the minute expressions that crossed your face.
Speechless, you gaped up at him, at the arms on either side of you, and at the top buttons undone on his shirt. He had this habit of loosening the tops of his shirts the moment he opened the front door, ready to retire and peel off the layers and layers of the polished and professional man that his work knew him as.
It was hot, watching him kick back on his favorite chair - that you were occupying - and throw his head back, revealing that tan throat. Letting out that deep sigh as he raked his fingers through his hair…
You shuddered at the remembrance. And also for yourself, now that you were stuck in what was yet another thing that will haunt you straight to fucking bed.
Was it worth it, MC?
Real-life is sometimes stranger than fiction, you tried. You tried really hard. Oh lord, you tried.
With the grin that was steadily widening on that smug face, you knew that you had failed.
Drawing closer, he watched as you bit your lip. His eyes darkened, considering you for a long moment. You jolted as he leaned down, closer still, until he stopped with his lips by your ear.
“Do I truly drive you insane?”
“Why do you even ask, if you already know the answer?” You fired back with a groan, already feeling the heat spreading on your cheeks. Damn him and his stupidly alluring self. Damn him for unknowingly feeding into your newfound weakness. Squeezing your eyes shut, you listened to the breathy laughter from the infuriating man in front of you.
“I dunno, doll. Perhaps I like the faces you make,” he murmurs, voice gravelly low.
“That’s news to me.”
“Care to tell me what that was about?” He would not stop talking in your ear using that tone, you were going to fucking combust. “Or are you going to freeze on the stand?”
“I have the right to remain silent,” you breathed out. “Wanna get me to talk? Make me.”
You’ve already reached past the threshold of cliche scenarios, you might as well live your best life. Or enact a harebrained scheme to distract him from what he just saw on your screen.
Let’s goooooo.
“Oh, you have no idea what you just asked for, love.”
You only had a moment before you felt lips on the side of your neck, a firm hand reaching for your hair and undoing the messy bun. With a gasp, you clutched at his shoulders with both hands as teeth grazed your skin, unable to get away as he held your head in place. The mixture of bites and sucks that xyx abused your skin with would leave a mean hickey for later.
Sighing and feeling your mind about to melt, you were about to run your fingers through his hair when he abruptly pulled away. You blinked at him, torn between annoyance and confusion.
xyx chuckled at you, sitting back on his haunches. Watching as the haze faded from your eyes, he murmured, “Two can play this game, but let’s call it a tie for tonight, hm?”
“... um. Okay,” you gestured at him helplessly with a flap of your hand. “I was about to say earlier that you should rest up…?” Before he thoroughly distracted you, that was.
The smug smile on his face softened into something gentler. He reached out and brushed his hand against your cheek, letting out a helpless little laugh as you reached up to cover it with your own. You nuzzled into his palm and sighed.
Idiots, the two of you were.
He had been gone for a month on an important client’s request. And you, with your career only getting back on track after the big move, couldn’t come with him.
You had counted the days that he was gone, Cat faithfully keeping watch at the study’s window with you. He texted or called in the evenings when he could, but judging from the publicity of the case he was working on, he couldn’t always make it.
It sometimes astounded you, how three months of hurried yet laughter-filled mornings and free evenings spent talking late into the night could make you crave the presence of another once they were gone.
“I missed you,” you uttered simply, painfully honest where he was elusive. Yeah, you missed even the way he drove you up the wall. What of it?
His breath caught in his throat, the sound audible to you. You kept still as xyx took a moment to compose himself.
“I’ve ordered some takeout for two, care to eat with this poor and famished man?”
She was hiding something. Her expressions had become easier to read, far past the cool and inscrutable face she put on for most people.
Not that he minded. He already had an inkling of what that rather interesting chat could be about. He watched anime, after all. Mind you, he saw mostly magical girl shows, but he wasn’t a stranger to the cliches.
Finding out was always part of the fun, though she’d once talked of his fascination as ‘like Cat hunting mice, except I am the mouse, so why do I like this?’ Quite unfortunate for her that he took that as a compliment.
The day he logged in on the server to catch up on her discussion about something called a ‘kabedon’ with Lady and June would prove to be one of the best cat and mouse games they had yet.
After all the butterflies she caused in his stomach, and for those days of warmth, xyx would indulge even her more embarrassing fantasies.
June: Hey @LovelyLola , did you know that a kabedon but on the floor should be called a yuka-don?
LovelyLola: …
nightowl: why has the kabedon been such a popular topic in the chat lately? o.o
nightowl: not that i mind
nightowl: it’s a very interesting topic!!
BIGLADY: two-girls-kabedon.png
BIGLADY: My type of kabedon, personally :)
NakedToaster: nice
salociN: Oh! June was just telling me about this the other day. It looks like a bold way to flirt! Ha ha
salociN: But remember not to do it or to stop if the lady doesn’t like it, okay?
BIGLADY: Yes, salo
nightowl: yes, salo! ^.^
Quest: Yes, @salociN .
June: Yes, salo!
onionthief: Obviously, yes.
two2: why are we doing this
two2: why do i feel like i’m being given the talk
LovelyLola: Is there a way for me to delete the previous chat, @BloomBot
BloomBot: You’ve asked this question already, MC. Nope.
xyx is typing…