Imperfect Desires

Xiu felt something vibrating under her hand and peeled open her eyes. She was surprised to find herself in Darren's arms. And while her consciousness slowly came back, she remembered how she ended up there. She looked at the digital clock on her side table and realized she had taken a nap for an hour.

Xiu looked at Darren's face leaning against the bedpost and frowned. His posture was really uncomfortable. Half of his body was leaning against the bedpost. The way his fingers were tangled in her hair, showed how he must have dozed off while caressing her hair. The peace on his face made her smile on instinct.

Suddenly, she felt the vibration again and saw Darren stirring slightly. On instinct, she pulled out his phone from his jacket cautiously and looked at the screen. A photo of Dylan glared back at her making her roll her eyes. 

As she attended the call, she was expecting to hear Dylan's ingratiating voice. However, she was greeted by a very pleasant voice instead, "Darren, did you get some sleep? Why did you play video games with Dylan for the whole night?" Xiu looked at Darren's sleeping face and pursed her lips. 

'He didn't sleep last night? And he still insisted on taking care of me?' Xiu felt a little guilty.

"Mom, can you stop pulling my ear?" Dylan's loud shriek from the other side of the phone startled her. "Dazi, ask mom to stop bullying me. It's not like I forced you."

"You're still making excuses?" Xiu heard the woman's voice again which she was certain belonged to Dylan's mother. "Err... Darren? Why aren't you saying anything?"

Xiu cleared her throat and said, "He... is sleeping."

Xiu heard something crashing before she heard Dylan's voice, "Woah, mom! Why did you push me?"

"If I'm not mistaken, you're my Darren's girlfriend, right?" Xiu didn't expect to hear the sudden change in the way she spoke.

"Umm... Yes, that's me." Xiu tried to sound pleasant but she sounded creepy even to herself. 

"Aiyo, your voice is pretty. Now, I'm more curious to find out what you look like," replied Zhao Wei.

Dylan snorted by her side and said, "Don't get your hopes up, mom. She's a witch. You'll be scared. Ow!" Of course, he received a slap from his mother for talking nonsense.

"Child, don't listen to my son's ridiculous comments. He fell over his head when he was young and most probably lost a couple of screws back then as well." Xiu wanted to laugh out at the way a mother was talking about her own son. "But don't worry at all, our Darren is nothing like Dylan. He seems aloof but actually, he is a very caring person. He doesn't get attached to people very often but when he does, he gives it his all."

"I can tell," replied Xiu as she pushed back Darren's hair from his forehead. But while doing so, Darren's eyes fluttered open and he stared back at Xiu with confusion. Xiu extended his phone towards him after saying, "It was nice talking to you. You should talk to him now... And I should leave." 

She was about to step down from the bed when he held her hand and said, "Wait." Darren supported his phone between his shoulder and cheek while he helped her with her slippers. "Don't run around barefoot in this condition. The floor is cold." That simple reminder was all it took for Xiu to melt. With a huge grin on her face, she nodded and walked out of the room to give him some privacy.

Darren rubbed his temples and yawned while he heard a sigh from the other side, "I used to wonder why girls buzzed around you like bees even when you wore that cold facade. I finally understood."

"What did you understand, Beauty Wei?" asked Darren curiously.

"Aiya, Darren, you don't even realize that you're a very attentive person. Which girl doesn't want her partner's attention? You notice the things even a girl would forget, that makes you a precious soul," replied Zhao Wei in a dreamy tone. Suddenly, her tone changed as she started, "Moving back to business, why don't you take your health seriously?"

"Beauty Wei, when did I take my health lightly?" 

"You missed your doctor's appointment on Friday. You're not taking proper sleep as well. I really have no idea whether you're taking care of your diet or not. If you're gonna be this careless, then please come back home so that I can keep my eyes on you." Hearing her stern tone, Darren knew she was worried. Otherwise, Dylan's mother would never talk to him like that.

"Beauty Wei, I have no problem in moving back with you but I'm afraid I'll get sick from missing my girlfriend too much." He had an obvious smile on his face as he continued, "Besides, what if she found someone better behind my back?"

"Huh! There is no one better than my godson," said Zhao Wei with conviction. "And stop making excuses with me. Anyway, when are you bringing that young lady home? I'm restless now that I have heard her voice."

While Darren was talking over the phone, Xiu came out to disturb Nora who was watching tv. Well, it looked more like she was daydreaming with the tv on. Xiu watched how Nora absentmindedly kept putting chips in her mouth and mischief struck her. She tore a piece of paper from the magazine and placed it in Nora's chips bowl. 

Nora was really lost in her own world since she picked up the paper and put it in her mouth before chewing it. It wasn't until she felt something strange about the taste that she spit it out, "Ptui! Ptui! Yuck!" Hearing Xiu laughing at her, Nora was peeved. "Xiu, that's not funny!"

Xiu made a face while saying, "Babes, you adding ink in my coke was also not funny."

Nora shook her head, "That was years ago. How can you still hold the grudge? Wait..." Nora held Xiu's shoulder and looked straight into her eyes as she asked, "Baby Xiu, you remember? Did your memory come back?"