CHAPTER 18

I slowly open my eyes as I come from a tender sleep. I felt my body exposed and memories of the afternoon flashed on my head, then a smile formed on my mouth.

"We.. made love.." I mumbled to myself. I sit up with a blanket still wrapped around me and beside me, none other than a sleeping Noah. Then I realized this is actually the first time I've seen him sleep. With the curtains of the room blocking the setting sun from shining on his sleeping figure. Just looking at him puts me at ease as I remembered we made a promise just before we became one. His hair looks so soft, is it really..?

I reached out to his hair and as I carass it with my hand softly, he moved. Mumbling as he sleep. "...Mhmm.. Anette.." He called my name.. I couldn't help but smile. But wait.. what time is it?

I reach out for my phone on the desk behind the bed and checked the time. 6:30pm. Maybe I should make dinner. I sat up confidently walking around the room picking up the clothes I wore before. I head to the bathroom to take a bath before facing the kitchen. As I enter the bathroom and just opened the faucet of the bathtub. I went out of the bathroom again to get a bathrobe and went back inside.

After a few moments, in the bathtub, I heard the door open and to my curiousity I turned and saw a half-naked Noah with a towel wrapped around his waist. "AAAHHH!!!" we both shouted to the surprise of both of our presence. To my embarassment, I tried to cover my body with my hands. Not looking at him, I told him. "What are you doing here?! Don't you knock?!"

"What do you mean me? What are YOU doing here? This MY bathroom" He says. Good thing I've scrubed my body, what's left now is my hair. "F-fine. I'm about to finish, just wait a little more" I told him as I took the shampoo from the nearby shelf.

"No" I heard him say as he suddenly took the shampoo from my hand. I glared at him furiously. As I tried to reach out the shampoo, his hands avoided them. "What? I'm going to shampoo your hair" he said that left me wide-eyed. This is actually the first time someone else was going to wash my hair so I'm a bit uncomfortable. As I tried to relax on the tub, his hands makes their way on my hair, creating a slighty pleasurable feeling. My tensed up body slowly feels comfortable and relaxed with his hands. With these feelings, I close my eyes. Then he stopped, we was probably going to rinse my hair now. My eyes still closed when a sudden force was exerted on the water, I felt ripples waving on my skin. As I opened my eyes, I saw Noah on the other side of the tub.

Suprised, I had the urge to back away but I was on the other edge. "What are you doing??" I asked him.

"Gonna take a bath, what does it look like?" He said casually then my cheeks started to burn a bit. I looked down and started slowly rinsing my hair. As I was going get out of the tub, he grabs my wrist.

"Wait" His eyes locked on mine, staring calmly into my heart. As I sat back on the tub, he reached out for my hair. His touch reminding me of what happened this afternoon. "You still got shampoo on your hair"

He turned me around, my back facing him as he scoops handfuls of water rinsing the few shampoo left on my hair. Right after, he wraps his arm around me and resting his forehead on my shoulder. "Let me stay like this for a bit.."

I could practically feel his beating heart from behind me and his slightly nervous breathing. Not letting go, I just leaned back and tried to relax with him in the bath. I close my eyes just feeling his body heat transfer to me as we embrace ourselves in the tub.

"I love you.." He suddenly said with a sweet voice. I straightened up and turned to him. He gave me a sweet smile, caressing my cheek with his thumb. I never actually tried to do something sweet for him, then I remembered I was going to make dinner. I'm supposed to get out of the bath, but my body is refusing my mind's command. I couldn't move. Not with him still touching and looking at me. I couldn't loosen up from the gaze of his eyes. He's slowly leaning forward and just as our lips was about to touch. My phone rang. I saw a look of disappointment from Noah's face. I immediately rose from the tub and took the bathrobe hanging nearby. I dried my hands a bit and the call was from Mr. Bryche. I gestured to Noah that I'll be in the bedroom and he nodded.

I answered the call as I put it between my shoulder and ear so I could start on dressing up, water dripping from my hair.

"Good evening boss. What's up?" I asked.

"Good evening, Anette. Just calling to check how you're doing" He said. Boss rarely calls me. He only calls me when it's about an urgent mission or..

"I'm doing fine sir. Is this about Cherry again?" I asked. I forgot to mention that our boss is actually in love with Cherry for a long time now. Boss is just a few year older than us, but since his father is the original owner of Blue Dogs Company, he has been to several mission and trainings since he was a child and the company handed down to him. Ever since we started working underground, he had his eyes fixed for her. Though rejected every time, he does give up winning her over until.. He found out that she already has a boyfriend. He respected her decision and continued to support her and her happiness.

"What? No! I was actually ordering— I mean WONDERING if yeah Cherry is doing alright.." Why does he need to be so shy. It's not like I'm not used to this kind of matters.

"Actually sir, I'm not with Cherry right now, I remember telling you that I'll be staying at my boyfriend's" I answered.

"Oh.. yeah.. I just thought that maybe she's depressed or something 'cuz I called her yesterday but there was no answer" He explained. I recall how she also didn't answer my call yesterday and the text she sent right after.

"I'm sure she's fine sir, I called her yesterday too, figured she was probably with her boyfriend so she couldn't answer" I told him.

"I see.. well.. that's all.. if.. if she calls you.. tell her I want to speak to her" He says.

"You can count on me sir" I ended the conversation with farewells and hung up. As our conversation ended, I also finished getting dressed. Only my hair left to be dried. As I finished wrapping a towel around my hair, I looked at the time and saw that it's been an hour since I woke up. Smiling on the sight of the bed, I thought of what to make for dinner.

I'm actually craving for something japanese right now. My stomach practically begging for inari sushi and some soju. But then again, it wouldn't be healthy for him and me. But I really want it. My mind and heart arguing what to eat for dinner. How about some salad then? But then again, I rarely eat salad, I only eat salad on special occasions. What could he want for dinner? Why don't I ask? It wouldn't hurt to ask right? But then again, he won't be surprised.

As my mind is brainstorming what to cook for dinner, I didn't notice Noah freash from the bathroom. I only felt his footsteps, not coming to me but to his cabinet to dress up. I turned and told him that I'll leave the room so he could dress up properly and he nodded.

As I made my way to the kitchen, my mind filled of endless thoughts of menus and recipes from different TV shows and movies. My indecisiveness is getting out of hand. "What to cook? What to cook?" I mumble to myself, opening the fridge and thinking of recipes in my mind. I couldn't think of anything to cook. I kept whispering to myself like some kind of weirdo thinking it might help in brainstorming ideas. "Inari sushi's great, there's ingredients here but I haven't really cooked inari sushi in a while. Salad is great too, but I'm not really fond of salads. What would make him feel satisfied..?"

Then I felt familiar arms wrapped around my body. I could feel his breath on the back of my neck. "Having trouble with dinner?" He asked. Basically, yes.

I turned to him and smiled. "No no. I'm not. You should go and do some things first while I ready dinner." I say as I slightly kiss his nose, making his face a bit pinkish than before. "Okay" He says as he steals a kiss from me and smiled back. He pulls away from the hug and sits on the counter facing me. His elbows on the counter table and his head resting on his palms as he is like watching his favorite television show.

As for me, I am totally PANICKING right now!! Trying my best to think of what to do for dinner.

5 minutes passed and Noah approached me again. He holds my chin and pull them upwards and I'm gazing in his eyes again. "Having trouble?" He asked softly as I suddenly felt my cheeks burn, realizing that our faces are just a few centimeters away. Just then I found myself nodding at his question.

"You know your idea a while ago isn't too bad" He said, leaving me confused for a moment. He chuckles and headed for the fridge. "Inari sushi would be great" He said as he gave me a smile. I smile formed on my lips, realizing how considerate and loving he is.

"Though I wouldn't want you to do it alone, so" He held out his hand as he was practically taking a bow. "Mind if we do it together?" He asked. I never really expected that he would want to help. But this is a surprise for him.. but I can't just turn him down. Maybe him helping wouldn't be so bad.

"Of course" I told him with a smile.

Spending day and night with him is literally the best feeling I had right now. Just beside him, as I watch him smile and help me with house chores. Never would I have imagined this is the life with him. I can't help but smile.

We ate dinner right after and he offered me an after-dinner drink.

"What's with the beer?" I asked. Sitting on the sofa beside him as he puts his feet on the edge of the table and an arm around my shoulders. "Care to assist me, M'lady?" He says as he offers me a small glass of soju. Though I'll probably feel worn out tomorrow, just a glass wouldn't be bad. I took the glass from him and drank it. As I drink with him, my mind suddenly flashes why I'm with Noah right now in the first place. I immediately put down my glass as I see him drank several cans of beer already.

"Hey. We can't drink too much tonight. We still have to workout tomorrow." I tell him has I took the next can of beer he was about to drink.

"Anette.." He mumbled with a soft cracking voice, and suddenly smiled. "I love you" With his eyes looking at me, I could already tell he's drunk.

"I know. That's why I have to take you to your room already. Come on" I stood and helped him stand up as I take him arm. But as he stood, he  couldn't balance himself and fell on me. Shoving me back to the sofa, with him on top of me. My heart raising and my cheeks flushing, I turned to look away. "Noah. You're drunk let's— mmhp!!"

Just I was about to push him away, he pressed him lips on mine, leaving me unable to move. He's drunk. Idiot! We can't. We can't. Don't— give in!! But.. I couldn't possibly.. stop..