Imperfect Desires

Meanwhile, getting into her room, Xiu and Jackie did exactly what they usually would together. They both got busy with playing games on her cellphone. Well, he was playing, she'd just cheer him on or say a thing or two as instructions which he usually wouldn't need.

After a while, Xiu asked, "Did you eat anything? Want a drink or something?" The question sounded like it was for him but he knew she was the one feeling hungry.

Jackie shook his head as he rolled over on the bed and said, "Stop using me as an excuse. You can eat those snacks without my permission as well." Xiu pursed her lips sheepishly before she opened her cabinet and brought out her stash of snacks. Jackie only shook his head at her because he knew her very well. "Xiu, where is my brother-in-law?"

Xiu jutted her bottom lip out as she grumbled sadly, "He went on a business trip."

"Huh? Are you missing him?" Xiu nodded her head. "Then call him. Why aren't you calling him?"

Xiu looked at the time again and said, "His flight must have just landed. How can I disturb him at this time? Also, I'm the one who urged him to go. I can't keep calling him." She munched on her snacks with a sad look as she went on, "He thinks I can live without him. How am I supposed to tell him that I feel like I've lost my heartbeat without him? It sounds so cringy but I'm not lying. The world seems to have lost color without him around me."

Rrrrr...

Jackie chuckled at her, "Since you're missing him I guess his heart got the signal, he is calling you himself." Xiu raised her brows and looked at Jackie shaking her phone's screen before her eyes. He accepted the video call and waved his hand, "Hi, brother-in-law!"

Darren definitely wasn't expecting to see Jackie's face on the screen. "Oh, hey genius! What are you doing there?"

Jackie leaned towards Xiu so that her face was also visible to Darren as he replied, "I'm here for the same reason you're calling."

"And that reason is?"

"We both missed Xiu." 

Xiu rubbed his head while Darren laughed at his words. "I can't possibly disagree with that." While his eyes were lingering on Xiu's face, he was still talking to Jackie, "How lucky you are, little genius!"

"How am I lucky?" questioned Jackie as his brows knitted together in confusion.

"You're where I'd love to be right now," retorted Darren with a straight face. Seeing how Jackie raised his brows at him, he elaborated, "In your sister's arms."

Xiu glared at him through the camera. How could he say that so calmly and that too before Jackie? However, more than her glare, Darren's focus was on her lips that were turning upwards instinctively. 

"Are you seriously flirting before a seven-year-old?" Jackie's voice brought Darren back to reality.

He chuckled at Jackie saying, "You're my genius little brother-in-law. You'd understand my condition. I have faith in you little bro."

"Regan!" Xiu raised her voice at Darren while Jackie just laughed.

"I do understand you, brother-in-law," replied Jackie. "But in this situation, you can't do anything."

Darren ran his fingers through his hair saying, "Isn't that why I said, you're the lucky one?" Darren didn't mind talking to Jackie at all. He had grown very close to this little brother of Xiu since the time he took him to the planetarium. They often would go out for ice-cream or whenever Jackie wanted to go to a library.

But Xiu didn't know about these rendezvous at all. Xiu knew that Jackie liked Darren a lot but she didn't know how much effort Darren had put into pulling this little brother-in-law in his team. After all, he knew how much value Jackie had in her life.

Xiu decided to cut off the conversation between these two who were talking about her for five minutes and acted like she wasn't even there. Only now was she seeing how close these two were which was really suspicious to her. However, she'd inquire about this to Darren at some other time.

"Did you reach your destination?" 

Darren looked at her and sighed, "How will I when my destination is you?" Xiu clenched her fists and squinted her eyes at him. "What? Why are you angry? Did I say something wrong?"

"Regan! Why can't you for once answer my question without that sweet-talking?"

"When I see my Sweets, everything I say turns into a sweet-talk."

"Regan!"

Darren flinched back a little. Okay, he thoroughly got her mad now. 

"Relax, Sweets. Calm down! Take a deep breath... I'm just an hour away from the hotel. I'll be there soon."

Xiu nodded her head. "Okay. Then let me know when you get there."

"Wait! Are you gonna hang up?" 

"Mm..."

Darren looked at her agape, "Can't you talk to me until I get to the hotel?"

Xiu gave him a thoughtful look and seeing her smile, he got excited when she burst the bubble with, "No!"

"Huh? What? Why?"

"You're there for work. Not for vacation! Get back to work. We'll talk later. Bye-bye!"

"Wait! No, don't leave me ye-" 

The phone was cut off and Darren was left staring at the screen. When did his Sweets become so heartless? He just wanted to hear her voice some more. Just see her some more. Oh, crap! Now, he desperately wanted to touch her again. 

"Xiu, why did you hang up like that? Brother-in-law must be so upset."

Xiu stared at her little brother advocating for her boyfriend and frowned a little. "Little brother, when did you become your brother-in-law's little tail?"

"I'm not his tail. I just like him."

"You usually don't like people this easily though," said Xiu.

"But I like him. Like a lot. Because he loves you a lot." Xiu was startled to hear that. "Anyone can literally see how much he loves you."

Xiu rubbed his head, "You're so tiny. How do you even know what love is?"

"I know," retorted Jackie. "Brother-in-law looks at you just like dad looks at mom." Xiu's eyes widened a bit in surprise. "Dad said when you love someone seeing their face is enough to make you smile. Brother-in-law always ends up smiling whenever he talks about you or even looks at you."

Xiu pinched his cheeks adorably, "You, my little genius bunny, are growing way too fast."

Jackie pushed her hands away from his cheeks as he rubbed his cheeks and asked again, "But seriously, why did you hang up the call? You're missing him as well."

Xiu took his little hands in her own as he replied, "I do miss him. I also know that he misses me as well. But if he kept talking to me, he'll only miss me more. How will he focus on work then? I want to be his strength, not his distraction."

Jackie gave her two thumbs-up, "As always, my sister is still the best."

"And what about me?"