Chapter 39: Making Up

First upper button…

Second upper button…

Third--

"How dare you lay your hands on a royal prince," he huskily muttered so I looked up at him.

Third button…

"And how dare you stay still, Your Royal Highness, while I'm undressing you," I countered.

He softly chuckled.

Soon after, I unbuttoned all of his shirt buttons, made him take off his shirt, and threw it away on the floor.

I stepped back to lavish my eyes with his mouth-salivating physique.

When did he even have the time to maintain his build?

He doesn't have overly defined abs but he has a six-pack.

"You're such a beautiful man, Neuron," I professed.

He closed the gap between us by taking a big step towards me. He held me on my shoulders and made me turn around. Then he started removing the hairpins holding my knotted hair.

And when my hair was fully down, he unzipped the zipper at the back of my dress.

"How inappropriate for a royal prince to undress a commoner," I commented.

He put some of my hair at the back of my right ear to whisper. "You're my queen."

I quietly snorted at his cheesiness.

After unzipping my dress he took it off for me and dropped it on the floor.

"Does this mean you're not mad at me anymore?"

I circled my hands on his nape.

"I'm still mad. But this is us making up." I dragged his head down to claim his mouth.

Without breaking the kiss, he scooped me up and carried me towards the bed. He slowly laid me down as he devoured my mouth like he was hungry and thirsty and crazy.

I felt his hand sensually travel from my foot up to my legs, my thighs. And when his hand touched the wet sensitive area down there, with only a thin layer of fabric covering it, I completely lost my mind.

Then he pinned my hands at the side of my head by intertwining his hands with mine. I took one of his hands to my mouth and kissed the back of it.

"You have such beautiful long fingers," I commented.

"Really? Then can you imagine how deep they could get inside you?"

"What?"

I don't know if it was even possible to blush even though I already feel like I'm blushing already because of the arousal I am feeling. But I felt my cheeks get warm at what he said.

How can he be so naughty?

And that's how we started a steamy night together.

--

The next morning, when the prince was taking a shower, I went out of his bedroom to call Geraldine.

"Since you're calling, I assume you returned from your mission safely and successfully. Thank goodness! We were honestly worried."

"The Commander didn't tell you yet?"

"Just so you know, it's 5:13 in the morning. If the Commander plans to tell us then maybe it would be later. Thanks for informing me first."

I hissed.

"Why are you calling so early in the morning?" she complained.

"Brat, it's not the prince."

"What?"

"I confirmed it. The prince wasn't the one who tapped me. No wonder it was my real phone."

"I'm confused, but that's a good thing right?"

Yah. It's a good thing for me. Because I know now that I don't have any reason to doubt him.

"But who on the freaking hell would tap your phone?"

Exactly.

"I really don't want to have this assumption. I don't want to have doubts. But don't you think the person who tapped me belongs in the camp?"

Geraldine answered me with total silence.

I know, the idea is absurd!

"That's ridiculous!" she gasped. "Are you saying one of our teammates tapped you?"

"No! Not necessarily our team. It could be anyone from the camp."

"But why? Why would anyone tap you? What would the motive be?"

I don't know. I still don't get why I was tapped.

"Just tell me if anyone is suspicious there, so I can get to the bottom of this."

"Now that you told me one of the soldiers here could be the culprit, everyone will look suspicious to me now!"

I chuckled at her tantrum.

"But how was it?" she suddenly asked.

"Huh?"

"You know, meeting His Majesty."

I became quiet for a second to think of the right words to tell her.

"I was a few inches away from becoming a murderer," I blurted.

"Good thing you held yourself," she retorted.

--

My mission was like the first tile in a messy domino run. Completing my mission is like pushing the first tile and then the continuous fall down of other domino tiles follows.

My mission started it.

After my mission, came the series of tragedies befalling in Gracia City. And that series of tragedies was pioneered by the fall down of the Battalion.

When I saw the Battalion literally burn down, I couldn't help but think it was my fault. It was I, who practically lit the match to start the fire.

If I would want to be honest, I would bravely say I regretted coming to the palace. I shouldn't have gone there.

--

I don't know where we are heading to. Neuron just made me sit in the car, buckled my seatbelt, and started the engine.

Michael knocked on Neuron's car window so he opened the window.

"You don't have to come with us," Neuron instantly said, not even giving Michael a chance to speak.

Michael looked at me like he's pleading.

"Neuron, why don't you let him come? I don't mind."

"Are you sure?"

I nodded as an answer.

"I will just quietly follow you from behind, Your Highness," Michael assured the prince.

Neuron was finally convinced to let Michael tail us.

"Ma'am," Neuron called when he closed the window.

"Yes, sir?"

"Do you happen to know what you call bears without ears?"

Bears without ears?

"Bears with no ears? Earless bears? I don't know."

"B."

"What?" I asked in confusion.

"Bears without ears is just B."

"How--" I paused because I finally got it. "Ah! I get it!" Then I hit his stomach out of annoyance.

His silly jokes!

He chortled and then started driving.

"How about this," he began. "Do you know what's the favorite part of an astronaut in a computer?"

I tried to think but couldn't think of an answer.

"I don't know," I replied.

"It's--"

"Wait!" I yelled when I finally thought of an answer. "I know! I know! The space bar! Huh! Oh my god Neuron, that's so easy." I tried to belittle his jokes just to tease him.

He grinned in a jokingly annoyed manner. He's pretending like he is holding his temper. But he just did it to be funny.

"You know what, I used to hate facial hair."

"You don't have facial hair, Neuron," I stated. "You shave like almost every day."

"I used to hate it but then it grew on me."

A few seconds of silence.

"Asshole. I thought you were serious about hating facial hair."

So it was just another weird joke. Duh!

We both laughed. It wasn't funny actually. But I don't know. When Neuron says it, it's always funny to me. He just makes me laugh. And I don't know why.

Without telling me the reason why Neuron suddenly stopped the car somewhere and he went outside without telling me anything. He just said, "Stay here."

And that almost irritated me. It annoys me all the time when he doesn't tell me anything.

Good thing he came back quickly and didn't make me wait inside the car alone for a long time.

And I was astounded when he came back holding a bouquet of flowers.

He handed it to me.

And I suddenly felt guilty for being annoyed at him earlier for stepping out of the car.

"You didn't have to give me flowers."

He wore his seatbelt and looked at me. "But I want to."

With both of his hands on the steering wheel, he gawked at me.

"A flower holding a flower. What a weird sight."

"What?"

I had a hard time understanding what he meant, but when I did understand, I slightly hit him with the bouquet while smiling from ear to ear.

"You and your cheesy mouth," I complained while still smiling.

So I'm a flower? Hahahaha. Why? Because I'm pretty?

I hate that I'm enjoying this corny stuff because of Neuron. Sometimes it makes me cringe whenever I think about how I act around him. But can't help it. He just has this ability to make me childish and irrational.

"Thanks. It's actually my first time receiving flowers." I smelled the flowers and I couldn't help but smile because of the fragrance. "So this is how it feels like to receive one."

I did not get any response from him so I turned my head sideward to face him. He's gazing at me with an uncomfortable look in his eyes.

"What?" I asked.

It's like he's hurting. What happened to him?

"I'm pleased that I'm the first person to ever give you flowers. Because that means I'm your first boyfriend. And that no man has ever touched you besides me."

"So? What are you trying to say?"

"But I'm also kind of mad. Why did no one ever give you flowers? When you deserve all the flowers in the world?"

I chuckled.

"Neuron, you're exaggerating."

"No, I'm not. That's how I feel. So it's not an exaggeration for me. You deserve the world. Everything. I wanna give you everything."

He took my hand.

"Or maybe men were assuming you were receiving flowers from other men. You see, a woman who is really beautiful, people would assume they don't deserve her, or that someone is already with her."

"If you're just trying to make me feel better, you don't have to. I wasn't interested in shallow things like love and relationships anyway."

I don't know if I did something wrong or if I said anything wrong, but I think I did because Neuron suddenly let go of my hand. He leaned on his car seat, laid his head on the headrest, and then he massaged his forehead like he's having a bad headache.

"Are you okay?" I asked out of worry.

I was about to go near him to help him massage his head but he already sat up straight and started the engine.

And he never said a word for an entire 30 minutes. That's how I confirmed that I did something bad.

Is he mad at me?

I would glance at him oftentimes. I know he's acting weird because usually, he would steal a glance at me at the shotgun. But now, he's not even looking at me!

I don't know where he's taking me. I'm still unfamiliar with Gracia and I don't know where exactly we are right now on Gracia's map.

He parked the car at an outside parking lot in front of a building.

"Are you mad?" I finally tried to ask.

He sighed loudly and raked his hair with his hand.

"Please don't hurt me," he begged with a sense of vulnerability in his voice. It almost sounded like he was begging.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm scared. Your words, your gaze, even the slightest crease on your forehead are like knives to me. They can get me nervous. I'm so scared because even your words can affect me so much. I'm vulnerable when it comes to you."

"Neuron, what is this about?"

"That's why," he uttered breathlessly like he's having a hard time breathing. "That's why don't say our relationship is shallow. Because it's painful to hear it from you."

My mouth hung open.

That was the reason?!

"Look, I didn't mean it that way. I said--"

"I'm sorry," he cut me off. "I'm being illogical again."

"Neuron, that's not it!"

I was trying to get my point across but why wouldn't he let me talk?!

I unbuckled my seatbelt and held his face. I forced him to look at me.

"Listen to me." I planted a soft kiss on his lips. And immediately his facial expressions softened. "What I mean is--"

"Don't do this," he mumbled. "It's more upsetting to think that it's okay when I'm mad because you can just wash it away with a kiss. You know it works. And you're taking advantage of that. That's not fair!"

His face turned back to being upset.

I sighed and went back to my seat. I had to grab my own hair out of frustration.

He doesn't understand! That's not what I meant! Urgh! Why is he making everything so complicated?!

He stepped out of the car. And even if he's upset he still walked over to my side to open the door for me.

He's unbelievable! He's making it harder for me this way. When we quarrel, I always feel like I'm the bad person. Like all the time! Because even when he's mad he's still nice and sweet to me. It's so unfair!

When it's my fault, I'd feel guilty for treating him badly. If it's his fault, I'd still feel guilty if I treat him badly. I'm always the bad guy, either way.

I stepped out of the car, and as I did that, I did not look away from him. I continued staring at him, but he's not staring back.

Okay fine! He's upset! I get it!

I looked around the place. We're in front of an old commercial building. I say old because that's what it looks like. It's like a little earthquake will make it completely fall down.

But surprisingly, there are still people going in and out of that building. If my estimate is right, then I think it must be at least a 4-story building.

Neuron's car is parked at the parking lot, alongside other cars of maybe employees from that building, or maybe clients, or customers?

I don't know! I don't even know what's inside that building.

"Where are we, anyway? What is this place?"

"I will take you to the Battalion."

I immediately stared at him out of surprise. "What?!"

"The Battalion. Do you know them?"

Heck yes! Well, technically no, but yeah! We've been looking for them for a long time!