Imperfect Desires

"Enough talking, you should really leave now. I have a lot of work to finish up," Darren got up from his chair and pushed his best friend trying to get him out of here.

"Why are you in such a bad mood?" questioned Dylan and thinking of something, he went on, "Did you get into an argument with Xiu?"

Seeing the excitement on Dylan's face, Darren really wanted to smack his face but decided to drop the idea. He wasn't gonna ruin this Saturday morning with Dylan's antics. Not that it was going any better right now anyway since he hadn't seen his Xiu for a long while now. 

"For an argument, you need to talk first. I haven't heard from my girlfriend since yesterday."

"Ohh..." Dylan drawled out on purpose to annoy Darren. "Did she already get bored of you?"

While Dylan was gonna irritate his best friend some more because of this, his plan was ruined since the door was pushed open and arrived the bubbly typhoon herself.

"Baobei!" Darren's face perked up at Xiu's sight. It was as if he finally found what he had been missing. The sparkle in his eyes came back almost instantly. And most of all, he couldn't finally take a breath of relief.

Xiu ran over to hug Darren but Dylan intercepted her way by standing between them. "Xiu, where have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere."

Xiu squinted her eyes at Dylan, "That's funny 'cause I'd been avoiding you everywhere." Saying that she pushed him away and hugged her boyfriend tightly. "I finally found the comfort that I'd been missing."

Darren stroked her head as he spoke, "How are you?" Xiu looked up into his eyes and smiled softly. Instead of asking where she had been, his first question was how was she. Where else would you find a man like this? He was too good for her poor heart!

Xiu rubbed her head against his chest in a spoiling manner, "Now, I'm feeling perfect!"

"Ahem! Ahem!" Dylan coughed on purpose as he said, "I'm standing right here!"

Xiu tried to keep her voice leveled as she retorted, "Learn to be a little aware of your surrounding. Can't you see we are busy? Leave already!"

"Why should I?" fumed Dylan. "You didn't take my calls. I went to your place and you weren't there. Then I asked Nora and she said you aren't with her as well. My only choice was to stay close to your boyfriend because you're like that annoying bee which will eventually come to find her favorite flower in the world."

Xiu's face twitched at the way he called her a 'bee' and her dear boyfriend as a 'flower'. Like seriously? 

Dylan saw her twisted smile and his brain gave a warning signal. 

"Well, at least I'm not a useless housefly like you." Taking a pause, she added, "Whom I want to kill at every sight."

"You!" 

"What?!"

Seeing that they were on the verge of another fight, Darren decided to step in between them. 

"Guys, stop it!" He turned to look at Dylan as he said, "And I thought you're here for me. But you're actually using me to approach my wife? Where is your sense of friendship?"

"I'm sorry, dear friend but it was your wife who said that if you can't be shameless in love, then you don't deserve love!"

Darren looked at Xiu who avoided his eyes and smiled sheepishly, "I was kidding. He took it way too seriously."

Darren laughed at her reaction and shook his head before he rubbed her head and said, "You both continue to argue then 'cause I have a lot of work to do."

"Baobei, you work. I won't disturb you at all! I promise!" 

"Neither will I!" Dylan also chimed in with the same stance as hers.

Darren, although had little faith in these two when they were together, still nodded his head and got back to work while Dylan dragged Xiu to the sitting area in a corner.

"How can you go back on your words?" Dylan whisper yelled at her. "You promised to help me 'till Cali say yes. But now you're avoiding me! You neither replied to my texts nor did you pick up calls. What are you up to?"

"Oh, I'm sorry that I also have a LIFE!"

Dylan stared at her face, not knowing what he was supposed to do with her. "You're really... Something!"

Xiu flipped her hair sassily as she stated, "Honey, I'm not something. I'm everything you ever wanted but can't have."

"Bloody hell! Did someone possess you overnight?"

She simply shrugged her shoulders saying, "I don't care what you think of me. Besides, it can't be as worse as what I think of you."

"XIU!" Dylan shouted her name in anger. "Ouch!" Something hit the back of his head and he turned to stare at his best friend who pretended like he wasn't the one who just threw something at him. "Dazi, this is the second pen you threw at me today."

"Raise your voice at her again, and next time I'll throw you out as well!" 

*Clap! Clap! Clap!*

Dylan looked at Xiu who was excitedly clapping around. "Isn't my boyfriend amazing?" Oh, the way she gushed over her boyfriend was also enough to irk Dylan.

Dylan sat down and buried his face in his hands as he grumbled, "You both are bullying me now. That's so not fair!"

Xiu stopped herself from laughing as she shook his shoulder, "Are you crying?"

"What does that have to do with you?" retorted Dylan moodily. "Go and gang up with your husband. You both make a perfect bully team anyway!"

Xiu tussled his hair as she sat beside him, "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

Dylan thought about it and took a peek at her expression as he questioned, "So, you'll help me?"

"Idiot! When did I say I won't? Of course, I'm here to help whenever you want."

"But you had been avoiding me."

"I was not! I wasn't being sarcastic when I said that I have a life. I was busy."

"You resigned. What else are you busy with now?"

Xiu really was getting tired of this stupid ex-boss who was insisting that she had been avoiding him. Come on! If she really was doing that he wouldn't be able to find her so easily.