SAFE (mxm)

Chapter 52. You Rocked My World (Ryo)

   (Present time)

   "Put the knife down!" Angel commands. 

   I blink at him in bewilderment. My hand freezes in mid air, squeezing a half-peeled avocado. I obediently place the sharp, ceramic knife on the bamboo cutting board and gaze at him questioningly. He is taking his time to line carefully the seasoned tuna steaks in the skillet. I am spellbound for a brief moment by the smooth movements of his long, elegant fingers, but my curiosity quickly snaps me out of the daze.

  "What? Why?" I urge him impatiently.

   "I don't want you to cut your finger upon hearing my next question," he replies quietly, only after the fish has started to sizzle and the mouthwatering aroma of rich spices fills our nostrils. "I know you don't like to talk about it, but since I have two more questions, I must use the opportunity."

   "You can ask anything," I encourage him, although my stomach sinks with a sense of unpleasant foreboding. I ignore it and boldly declare, "Nothing bothers me. I am an open book. It's true that I used to be guarded before, but now things are different when you're my boyfriend."

   "Oh, really?" Angel smirks. "Why does it seem to me that you turned a few shades paler then?"

   "You're so going to pay for that," I roll my eyes. "I promise you'll turn few shades redder pretty soon."

   He snorts, trying hard to stop giggling and points a finger at me. "It's your challenge, baby. It wasn't me who suggested it. You should've thought that it might backfire."

   I underestimated him. He has become a dangerous opponent now when his anxiety is under control and his nervousness gone. It is perfectly clear to me that, as vulnerable as he can be at times, he is a man who always gets to the bottom of anything he considers important. I'm on the hook and there's no escape.

   "I am not doing this out of nosiness." Angel's expression becomes serious. "Despite my best efforts, me and you, this thing between us has never been just sex for me. I am falling for you, Ryo. You've been affecting me on a much deeper level since day one. I need to... mmm... prepare. I have to know what to expect because... I... I have the feeling that..."

   "Just ask your question," I mumble, unable to stand any longer his intense, hazel gaze, pinned on my face. He has figured me out, perhaps even better than I could have done it myself. 

   "Fine," he nods. "The person you've been looking for all this time... Is he that boy? Are you trying to find the boy you met when you were nine, the one you fell in love with?"

   "Yes," I choke out. It was a good idea to put down the knife. My hands are shaking. The avocado slips away from my fingers, falling with a thump and rolls along the kitchen countertop until a pile of napkins stops it few inches from the edge. I take one of them and start wiping diligently my hands in silence just to ease the raising tension.

   "Last question," Angel finally speaks again. "I am sorry about this one, but please don't spare me the whole truth. I deserve it, although, I might not like it."

   I know what he is going to ask and can't help but admire him. Goosebumps raise on my skin. It's like he is rubbing salt into his own open wound. I understand him. Better now than later when it will hurt so much more. I don't want to cause him pain, but it seems there is no other way. I have to be sincere.

   "What will happen if you eventually find him?" he breathes out as if trying to get rid of the burning words as quick as possible. "In the worst scenario... or the best for you, I guess... if he remembers you... and wants to give it a try..."

   Our eyes meet. We stare at each other. I can barely take a breath. His face is calm. A smile is trying to make his trembling lips part. My angel is strikingly handsome and brave. I suddenly realize I don't have a definite answer. I thought I have decided what to do at any possible turn of events, but now I simply don't know. The realization is scary, but inevitable. I've fallen for him too. I feel guilty for betraying my David, like a traitor, like someone who is destroying consistently his own defense mechanisms, a fool, ready to jump off a cliff. I am bare, frightened and numb.

   "The steaks," I mutter in an attempt to buy some more time. "They'll burn if you don't turn them."

   "Answer me," Angel bellows. "Don't spare me. I can take it."

   "Shirimasen (I don't know)," I almost shout. "Chikusho! Wakarimasen. (Damn it! I don't understand.) You rocked my world. I had it all figured out before, but now I fucking don't know."

   "This answer is so much better than I hoped," he says and turns to the stove, finally freeing me from the unbearable weight of his burning gaze. "I don't want to compete with someone I haven't even met, someone you might never see again, a shadow from the past. It's your decision, Ryo. I won't bring this up again, but I had to find out if I even stood any chance."

   "Fuck!" I laugh nervously. "I'm starting to wonder what my chances are."

   "You have me." He peeks at me apologetically. The smile has finally brightened his flushed face. "It's all up to you. I have no doubts. It'll be you or nobody else. Facts. Can we consider the second challenge fulfilled?"

   "You can bet on that," I grumble. "Remind me to never do that again."

   The waves of Angel's amused laughter envelope me in comforting warmth. He has me too. I am looking at him and my doubts are thinner than air. I am not ready to give up on David yet. Maybe, I will never be, but I am more and more aware that Angel is also an irrevocable part of my life. He is here to stay. 

  "Done." He plates the tuna and raises a brow. "Want some help with the salad?"

   "Shut up!" I grunt and go back to cutting the avocado into thin slices. 

   "What about the second rule?" he grins. "Do I get to learn it?"

   "Yeah." I add the chickpea avocado salad into the plates and take them to the table. "You definitely earned it, smarty pants."

   "Oh, please," Angel giggles. "Don't be grumpy. It's not very pleasant to be beaten at your own game, is it?"

   "It's not, but I'm sure there'll be a payoff," I smirk. "Don't forget you have three more challenges to go."

   "I can't wait." He places a chaste kiss on my chin and I am literally melting. "So? The rule?"

   "Oh, right." I grab him by the arm to steal another kiss. "The rule is to eat three meals a day from now on, every day, breakfast, lunch and dinner. You'll call me every night to confirm it, if we're not together, and, believe me, I'll know if you try to cheat. It doesn't matter if you're at home or out. No exceptions."

   Angel opens his mouth to protest, but I don't give him the opportunity, sucking in his soft bottom lip. 

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A/N

Hello everyone at the end of chapter 52.

Thank you for reading and supporting! ❤❤❤

What do you think of David's little game? 😀

Next challenge - bathroom, enough drama, back to naughty. 😏

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Love: Anny