Imperfect Desires

"I can't believe you left me here all alone," said Xiu as she poured a glass of milk for herself.

"All alone? I was giving you the opportunity to spend some quality time with your boyfriend," came Nora's voice through the phone. "Spill some beans for your best friend and tell me what you guys did yesterday?" Nora's nosy nature was coming to play again but for the first time, Xiu was not irked by it at all.

In fact, the reminder of everything that happened yesterday brought a huge smile on her face. And unknowingly, she started blushing slightly. When Nora didn't hear a reply, her prying senses heightened as she said, "Oho! You did it!"

"What the hell are you spouting?" retorted Xiu hastily. And also cursed Nora's wittiness that only worked on such things.

"Your smile is saying something, Xiu baby," said Nora with a cheeky smile while Xiu looked around her. Nora definitely wasn't at home then how did she know that Xiu was smiling? Xiu suddenly got goosebumps for some odd reason.

"How do you know I'm smiling? Are you spying on me? Did you put spy cams without me knowing?" She knew Nora wouldn't do that but she couldn't help her suspicion as well. She even looked around to see if she could find any spy cam.

"I don't have to. You're like my sister from another mother. We have a connection with the heart. Of course, I know that you're smiling right now. So, tell me what did you guys do yesterday?" That's where Nora was right. It wasn't really hard for Nora to read Xiu like a book. And in five years, she even managed to read Xiu's silence. It was an impressive skill to have indeed.

"We didn't do anything," answered Xiu trying to get out of this conversation but Nora wasn't planning on letting it go.

"Don't start your Monday with a lie. There is no way I'd believe that nothing happened between you guys. Come on give me something to keep going here," insisted Nora stubbornly.

"Why are you interested in someone else's love story? If you're that bored, go write one of your own," said Xiu. 

"I have written my story of unrequited love. You stop stalling me and get back to the point. Because I'm gonna die young anyway!"

Xiu laughed at her saying, "Don't worry, you're too ugly to die young[1]!"

"Xiu, I'm not ugly and stop playing the word game with me already!"

Xiu finished the milk in her glass and washed it making Nora impatient at the other end before she calmly said, "We had a heart to heart conversation. And I think we are closer than ever now."

"That's it?" Nora sounded disappointed, to say the least. "What are you guys? Four?"

"Seriously, this is why I didn't want to tell you. Why do you think that physical intimacy is important? It's the hearts that need to make a connection. We should have an intimacy of souls rather than something shallow like physical intimacy."

 "Aww... Keep your cute words to yourself. If you think I'll believe that you guys didn't have sex then guess what! I don't believe it! Do you think I'm a kid who hasn't noticed the way you eyed Darren? Your desires are too obvious when he's around. Stop trying to fool around with me." She took a breath before continuing, "I have full faith in Darren but you? No way! I won't believe even if someone gave me a million-dollar that you didn't seduce him."

Xiu scratched the back of her head as she turned off the speakerphone and placed the phone against her ear saying, "If you know this much, why did you bother asking?"

"Because I was hoping for my best friend to be honest with me but whatever!"

Xiu coughed at her words knowing it was time to change the topic before Nora get hyper or upset. It wasn't easy to placate her and Xiu wasn't in the mood to do that job as well.

"Nora, you're really not gonna come home this week?" asked Xiu again even though Nora had told her that on Saturday when she was leaving.

"Why? Are you missing me?" asked Nora anticipating her reply. "Or you're happy that you'll have the whole place to yourself?"

"Shut up!" said Xiu and added, "I just feel like you're avoiding me for some reason."

"Why would I do that?"

Xiu shrugged her shoulders saying, "How would I know that?" She pulled out a blazer and wore it while continuing, "Perhaps, you're trying to hide something from me and you know if you stayed around me, I'll learn the truth. So, you ran away."

Nora's eyes went round at how accurate Xiu's assumption was. It was mindboggling for her. But keeping her calm she said, "Maybe it's really like that."

"Are you trying to tease me?" 

"I'd never," replied Nora before adding, "I gotta go now. I'll talk to you later but don't forget; sex should be safe."

"NORA!!!" Xiu shouted her name.

Nora laughed in reply saying, "Bye-bye!" before she hung up hastily to escape Xiu's anger.

Xiu was really annoyed by Nora's teasing as she picked up her bag, keys and changed the shoes in the foyer. Just as she opened the door, she came face to face with Darren who smiled at her brightly as he waved his hand and said, "Hi! Good morning!" He really didn't have to always wait there but she didn't know why he always did so. Not that she didn't find it adorable but he could just ring that damn bell instead of waiting like that.

Xiu's annoyance was shoved out the window as she almost jumped on him and planted a chaste kiss on his cheek saying, "Good morning to you too!"

Darren touched his cheek where her lips had been and mumbled, "It's definitely a good morning now."

Xiu giggled at his response and while locking the door asked, "Were you waiting for me?" Darren nodded his head. "You didn't have to. I can go to the bus stop myself."

"Today, I'm not taking you to the bus stop," said Darren as he held her hand like he usually did.

"Then?"

"Today, I'm gonna drop you off to the office," replied Darren as they got inside the elevator.

"Huh? But you always kept me company till the bus stop. Why this sudden change?"

"Oh, that's because at that time I was your boyfriend," said Darren while tucking her hair behind her ear as he moved behind her to encase her in his arms.

"What are you now?" asked Xiu curiously while he nuzzled her hair.

"Now, my status has been upgraded," answered Darren while his lips came awfully close to her neck making her body tingle with each hot breath that hit her.

"How so?" she managed to ask to curb her curiosity.

Darren sucked her neck intensely making Xiu want to moan but she held it back as he answered, "Because now my status is not just of a boyfriend. I'm your lover now."

"Fuck it!" Xiu cursed under her breath before she lifted her hand to touch his hair and wanted to run her fingers through his thick hair but held her urges in as she pulled at his hair saying, "Respect the public."

"Ah!" Darren looked at her accusingly as they got out of the elevator for pulling his hair. "How did I disrespect the public?"

"Well, elevators have security cameras," said Xiu as if this was supposed to explain everything.

"So?"

"So, how can you be sure that the person in the security room would not be watching us?" 

"What does that have to do with us?"

"It doesn't actually have anything to do with us but we should still refrain from acting indecently in public."

"I still don't understand your point," said Darren with a sulky look.

"You don't have to understand it." Honestly speaking, she didn't understand herself either. It was a lousy excuse on her part but her mind was in a mess because of his stupid lips on her neck making her insides go wild. And she knew if she didn't push him away, she'd most likely end up somewhere which definitely won't be the office.

Darren opened the car door for her saying, "You're really cruel." Xiu rolled her eyes at him while he settled beside her and put his head on her shoulder saying, "But it's okay. I still love you."

Xiu watched him close his eyes and played with his hair asking, "Are you tired?"

"Not anymore," replied Darren, not telling her that he couldn't sleep last night at all. He had too much to process and it took him hours but he completely was willing to accept that his Ah-Xiu and his Sweets were one person. And that's why he had a content smile on his face while he took the support of her shoulder.

[1] The Korean saying is, 'Pretty Girls die young.' That's why Xiu put a play of words saying, Nora is too ugly to die young.