Love is... wait, what?

Love is... wait, what? - Part 9

Amphion and Ingrid played for about one hour. Ingrid couldn't manage to win a single game. However, strangely enough, she was not mad. Ingrid does not like losing, yet this time she didn't care about that. Perhaps because she saw Amphion as overpowered when it came to card games? Or maybe because luck is one of those things not even her can control? Not even I can say for certain. In any case, she never missed her chance to tease Amphion for his luck, in a friendly manner, though. Amphion was quite surprised as well. He wondered if there had ever been a moment in which the situation was that calm, with Ingrid around, that is. He didn't dislike it. Eventually, they stopped playing. Ingrid set her pillow vertically, so that she could sit in a comfortable way while reading her book. Amphion lied down, his back against the bed. That's the moment in which he starts thinking random things, that's his way to fall asleep. That night, however, a thought was tormenting him.

"I feel guilty. Maybe we shouldn't have left." He said, facing upwards. Ingrid turned towards him.

"They won't remember a thing." She answered.

"I know..." Amphion said that, but his feeling hadn't vanished, Ingrid noticed that.

"You're doing nothing. That's the problem. Come here." She said making a gesture with her right hand, inviting Amphion to come next to her.

"Don't tell me..."

"It won't hurt you. Just once. It'll keep you busy. It's also a good way to fall asleep. Come." Amphion had understood, Ingrid didn't even let him finish. She wanted him to read with her.

"I've been reading reports for a week." Amphion said.

"You can't compare reports to a writer's fantasy!"  Ingrid replied.

"I don't even know the plot of what you're reading." Amphion added.

"It's the book about men against gods. I told you about it." She answered. Amphion stared at Ingrid, furrowing his brows.

"Fine. You're right. It won't hurt." He sighed. Ingrid had convinced him. Amphion sat next to her and so they both started reading to themselves. They had the same rhythm, more or less, sometimes one of them asked to the other if he or she had finished reading the page, one of them would always have waited for the other eventually. At some point, Amphion reached out for the book with his right hand and tried turning the page.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Ingrid asked while stopping his hand.

"It's a good part." Amphion answered.

"I still haven't finished."

"Sorry." Amphion put his hand away from the page. The room went silent.

"You don't read often, but you're quite fast. I'm getting suspicious. Are you actually understanding what's written?" Ingrid later said with a strict tone.

"I'm not illiterate, you know." Amphion answered smiling.

"Not what I meant. You said it's a good part, but I'm not convinced yet. What are the characters doing right now?"

"Running in circles in an arena while riding horses..."

"True..."

"Also, he's about to throw a giant hammer against his opponent's head." Amphion grinned. Ingrid chuckled.

"Don't tell me, you ass!" She said before setting down her head on Amphion's left shoulder, keeping the book away from Amphion's reach on purpose. Amphion replied by putting his left arm around her waist and then pulled her close to him, so that the book wasn't out of his reach anymore. At that point, Ingrid closed the book. That caught Amphion by surprise. She turned towards Amphion. The situation had gone from carefree to serious really fast, at least that's what Ingrid's look made Amphion think. He was not worried, though. Instead, he had the same look on his face as Ingrid's, but he hadn't realized that. A detatched look. The both of them leaned in, getting closer to each other. They stared at each other in the eyes, as if they were a bit bored, as if they were a bit angry, as if they were a bit curious. Ingrid let her book fall on the bed. She cupped Amphion's cheeks, pulled him closer and pressed her lips against his.