Imperfect Desires

Xiu was pouting like a kid but when Darren teased her, she pushed him off the couch. 

"Ommf!" He landed on the thick carpet and had yet to recover when she sat on him and held his collar while glaring at him.

"This is so not fair," she had leaned down and right now, their faces were so close that their noses almost touched.

Darren stared into her eyes in silence as he tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear. However, after tucking her hair, his fingers lingered right there on her ear in a teasing manner. The more his fingers touched her ear, the more Xiu felt ticklish and flustered. Her ears were her most sensitive part and he could tell that from her squirming reaction.

The back of his hand stroked the side of her face as he said, "Sweets, don't push me. I have limited self-control right now since I haven't seen you for days. I can only pull away once. If you kept playing around..." he breathed out a hot breath and added, "I won't be able to stop." It had taken all his will power to pull away from her earlier. If she kept being like that, he knew he was gonna lose it.

"What?" Xiu was flabbergasted to hear his reply. That look in his eyes told her that he had missed her as much as she did. However, she really didn't want to fool herself.

He held the back of her head and pulled her down to the point where their foreheads touched. "Sweets, I know you want me to continue but that's only your emotions talking. I seriously don't want our first time to be on impulse. I want to make everything special for you."

Xiu kissed his lips and smiled against his lips before pulling his cheeks and saying, "My Mr. McSpicy, you're turning me into Ms. McPudding." Lying her head on his chest, she added, "But you think too much. As long as you're with me everything is special to me."

Darren wrapped his hands around her, "Don't get me wrong. This very moment is the most special to me. I've never had a person waiting for me like you before. And that makes you a very special person in my life and my heart. And since you're special, you deserve special as well for bringing these feelings back to me. I had almost forgotten how it felt to have someone beside me."

He planted a kiss on her forehead and thought, 'I really didn't know why I was so attached to you but now I do. I'm glad that coincidences pushed us towards each other.' 

In his view, he had forgotten all about love in these past years. That's why he wasn't willing to believe when everyone around him said that he was in love with Xiu. He didn't want to believe it. But his view changed when he missed her madly. However, tonight when he saw her at the restaurant and she hugged him while crying, that's when it hit him. 

He didn't like those tears in her eyes. And mostly, he didn't like the fact that he was the reason behind those tears. He had smiled every time when he saw her smiling and that's why he thought he found her special. But the way she hugged him and he felt like he was finally back home, that's when he said to himself, 'Ah, you're really in love, Regan.'

The realization came suddenly but it surely stirred him inside out. He felt like crying and laughing at the same time. How weird it was that he felt like crying with her and wanted to laugh at her stubbornness. Even weirder was the fact that she held the power to make him sad and happy at the same time... It was a very dangerous combination. But he still found it exciting.

His reverie was broken when Xiu suddenly said, "Oh, I just realized that I had never come to your place before." Darren gave her an inquisitive look while she got off him and darted her eyes around saying, "Let's see what my boyfriend's place looks like."

Darren was really amazed at the speed in which she changed her emotions. He touched her head lovingly and helped her up saying, "Help yourself. Meanwhile, I'm gonna take a shower." Under his breath, he said, "I really need another one now."

Xiu didn't hear his last sentence since she was fascinated by the contemporary and modern interior design. It was really different than her own apartment. The way white and greys dominated the interior design made her confused. From his fashion sense, he didn't seem like the kind of person who would keep such dull colors in life.

After looking around, she went to the kitchen to get some water for herself. While she was pouring the hot water in a glass, Darren's hands embraced her waist from behind saying, "So, how was the house tour?"

"Boring," said Xiu without holding back. Darren wasn't surprised at her reaction.

"Hmmm... Tell that to Dylan. He's the one who said it looks elegant," replied Darren.

"Ah, no wonder I didn't like it. It's because it's that uncle's choice," said Xiu with disdain.

Darren rested his chin on her shoulder and said, "Don't you think you're a little harsh with Didi?"

"I am?" asked Xiu while turning her face slightly and he nodded. Xiu pressed her lips together before saying, "As I told you before, I can't help it. I tried being nice to him. But I think something is wrong with his face, I can't stop myself." She took a pause and added, "I think he and I have some grudge from a past life or something."

"I think so too," said Darren in agreement as he held her hand and brought to his lips to plant a kiss. While Xiu was being flustered over this small but sweet gesture, she felt something cold on her wrist. 

It was a sterling steel bracelet with a three doves design. Xiu looked at him inquisitively and he replied, "Cali brought this from Peru. She said three doves have a special meaning. They symbolize, freedom."

Xiu traced her hand over the three doves and said, "So, you're giving me this because...?"

"Because I want you to fly like a free spirit," replied Darren making her turn mushy all over again. She didn't know about him but if he kept on touching her heart like that, she definitely was gonna pounce on him.

Xiu chased those indecent thoughts out of her mind and caught on to something as she asked, "Who's Cali?"