Imperfect Desires

"Regan!"

"Hm?"

"Don't you think something suspicious is happening around here?"

Darren eyed his wife who seemed to be analyzing the situation. 

"How?" he asked.

Xiu shrugged her shoulders, "That I don't know. I just feel like something big is happening and only I don't know about it."

"Stop being paranoid," said Darren.

Xiu pressed her lips together tightly and nodded her head in reply, "If you're telling me to stop being suspicious, I'll stop doing it gladly." She stared into space blankly as she said, "Hospital beds makes me think of all sorts of things."

"I think you usually think about all sorts of things," said Darren.

"That's also true," she agreed. She spent another moment in silence before asking, "Regan, aren't you feeling uncomfortable?"

Darren looked at her doubtfully as he replied, "I am."

Xiu grinned at him devilishly, "How about I give you a sponge bath?"

Darren felt like something got stuck in his throat. He was right. Sitting here all sorts of things were running through her mind. "No thanks."

"Huh? Why not?"

"I don't think you have any good intentions," he replied straightforwardly.

"I obviously don't have any good intentions," she agreed without hesitation. "With a beauty like you before my eyes, who can possibly have good intentions?"

"What are you up to?" he raised his brow at her.

"I'm gonna take advantage of you," she winked at him playfully making him cough.

"Sweets, you're my wife. Why do you sound like a seductress?"

Xiu gave him a toothy grin, "It's because you're my husband that I am rightfully gonna take advantage of you." 

"Sweets, please stop it!"

"Okay!" she replied rather reluctantly. 

She looked at the person who rushed inside their room and smiled brightly, "Ah-Xin! I thought you're not coming home tonight."

"Did you both have your dinner?" was the very first thing that came out of Xin Zimen's mouth. He had even made his driver go over the speed limit just to arrive sooner. 

"Not yet," replied Xiu and he heaved a sigh of relief.

"Let's have dinner together then," said Xin Zimen.

Xiu nodded her head repeatedly in excitement. "Let's have dinner with everyone. I'm eager to get out of this room."

"Sweets, we've been here only for two days," reminded Darren.

"I know," replied Xiu. "But I'm already tired of this place. I can sleep for hours on usual days but I can't do it when I'm forced to do it."

Xin Zimen listened to her in silence and after contemplating some more, he said, "Let me talk to your doctors first."

Xiu's head drooped down as Xin Zimen left. "I feel like a bloody marionette right now." 

"Why?" 

Xiu looked at her husband and said with a pout, "I have to eat, sleep, and even breathe according to doctor's orders."

"It's for your own good," said Darren.

"I miss it," she sighed out.

"What are you missing? Your freedom?" 

Xiu nodded her head, "I miss hugging you, kissing you, and having..."

"That's enough," Darren didn't let her complete her sentence.

Xiu cried out, "That's what I'm saying! It's enough! I can't take this distance between us. It's torturous." Darren nibbled on the inside of his cheek as she went on, "You're this close, and yet I can't touch you."

"Who said you can't touch me?" 

Xiu gave him a look, "Have you looked at your condition? I can't even bring myself to touch you wantonly! And I've never been cautious."

"Sweets, if you kept talking it'll become torturous to me now."

"I'm gonna shut up then," she said and placed her finger on her lips.

Xin Zimen soon came back and told them, "Sorry kid, it seems we can't go down for dinner just yet." Xiu's face fell. "Regan is not supposed to move from his bed for now. And I believe you wouldn't want to leave him here alone."

"I guess this prison is in my fate now," sighed Xiu heavily.

Seeing her disappointment, Xin Zimen was bothered so he suggested, "But just because you can't go out, doesn't mean the rest of them can't come here to join you." Xiu looked up at him as he went on seeing that she looked interested. "That's a good idea. Since you want to eat with everyone. Let's bring everyone to you instead. Give me a minute!" He ran out again leaving Xiu to blink repeatedly.

"You really know how to make Uncle Zi do your bidding," said Darren.

"I didn't even do anything," she replied innocently.

"Do you have to?" he retorted. "At this point, you just have to give him a look and he'd be willing to offer you the whole world. I never thought I'd see this version of him ever in my life!" He took a pause and went on, "I never knew my wife is this talented."

Darren thoughts she'd retort in her way but she didn't. She was silent for a long while before she voiced out, "Ah-Xin must have loved his daughter a lot."

Darren frowned at her words, "Where did that thought come from?"

Xiu rubbed her hand over her face as she said, "I don't know. I just thought since he treats me like this when I'm just his niece then his daughter must have been the luckiest girl in the world to have him as her father."

"It worries me whenever you talk like this," Darren couldn't help saying this to her.

"That was not my intention," said Xiu and gave him a smile. 

Soon, the door was opened and people started arranging everything for the dinner. The first person that Xiu recognized was Jackie who ran over to her side and announced, "I'm having dinner with my sister tonight. Is that true?"

Xiu looked around and nodded in a daze, "It seems like it."

"It doesn't just seem like it," said Nora who also followed Jackie in with Ava. "My dearest father-in-law is excited to gather everyone for dinner tonight because apparently, you wished to eat with everyone."

"I was just talking randomly," said Xiu in her defense which sounded more like an excuse.

"Next time, don't talk randomly before my father-in-law, he seems to take your words very randomly. I guess he doesn't know how random you are!"

Xiu glared at her best friend saying, "If you don't want to eat with me, go away! Who is forcing you?"

Nora chuckled at her, "I'm not going anywhere. Mom and dad are also on their way. They'd be here in ten minutes."

Xiu gaped at her, "Even they are coming?"

"Of course! How can they miss it?"

"I was just bored," Xiu scratched the back of her head. "That's why I said it'd be good to eat with everyone. How would I know Ah-Xin would take me that seriously?"

"Sweets, I told you, Uncle Zi takes your words very seriously."

Xiu looked at Jackie as she asked, "Little brother, did I do something wrong?"

"Absolutely not!" replied Jackie.

Xiu patted his head and smiled, "I knew it. Only my little brother would understand me."

Jackie was more than happy to hear that compliment from his sister. 

Xiu touched Ava saying, "Hi, my dear niece who never even talks to me!"

"Xiu!" Nora glared at her.

"What? Did I say anything wrong? As much as you love to cling to me, your daughter likes to run away from me."

"That's good. I don't want her to also turn out like you." She touched Jackie's head saying, "One mini version of you is already enough for me."

Xiu ignored her as she looked at Ava and said, "Dear niece, call me Xiu. Say it!" Ava hid her face in her mother's neck but didn't say anything. "There she goes again! She doesn't like me!"

"She doesn't talk to anyone," said Nora.

Jackie lifted his hand to touch Ava's hand and said, "Dear niece, didn't you hear what my sister said? Call her name!" Ava pouted at this little uncle of hers. "Do you really not like my sister?"

"X-Xiu..." A soft milky voice rang out stunning both Nora and Xiu who stared at Ava's face and then looked at Jackie.

Xiu gave Jackie a thumbs up, "My brother is awesome!"

"He sure is!" agreed Nora as well.

Xiu laughed out saying, "Our Jackie has his niece under his control. What an amazing talent!"

"I learned it from the best," replied Jackie.

"Cheeky!" Nora remarked. She put Ava down on the ground right beside Jackie and said, "Then take care of her."

Jackie gaped at his sister in disbelief, "Aren't you getting too comfortable with leaving your daughter with me?"

Nora didn't even deny it as she said, "Very comfortable."

Jackie made a face at her but still held Ava's hand tightly in his own. He was also getting too comfortable with this niece of his lately. Although she followed him like a tail, he was glad she didn't disturb him at all. In fact, whenever he read his books, she'd sat close by and listen carefully even if she understood nothing.