Melancholy & Memories; Ongniel

V. Intimate

As Daniel got out of the car, I light-heartedly blurted out, "Are you going to get the door for me?"

He let out a chuckle and grinned, escorting me out while at it. We entered the lobby of his apartment, feeling the cool air of the air-conditioning welcoming us in. He stepped into the elevator and tapped the key card, pressing a button with a bold '5' printed on it. The elevator was bigger than it looked from the outside, with a mirror on every wall. When we exited the elevator, Daniel suddenly stopped. He turned to me with his brows furrowed.

"Ah," he said, "I forgot to tell you that I met some veggie lady that claimed she knew you."

"What the heck is a veggie lady."

"Dunno. I'm pretty sure you've never met herbivore though."

It was so bad it was funny. Plus, seeing that lit-up face of his made me want to laugh even more. Our shrill laughter echoed through the hallway. He gave the key card lock a pat with the key card which was followed by a high-pitched beep and with that, he gestured at me to step in. The apartment was not small, but it was cozy and I liked that. The floor was covered in fuzzy carpet and the walls were coated with pastel blue paint. The apartment was so neat and clean it seemed as if it was sparkling. He wasn't the tidiest person I knew which meant that he actually cleaned up just for me. That alone made me smile.

"Is carbonara okay with you?" he asked, turning on the stove.

"Yeah, as long as it's edible," I joked.

He didn't waste anytime and immediately started on dinner. The sound of crashing metal pots and pans rang in the air as he diced the ingredients with finesse. Halfway through prepping the meal, he abruptly called out for me, asking for his apron. I quickly grabbed his apron off the counter and brought it to him.

"My hands are dirty, help me put it on, pleasssseeee," he requested.

Of course, I obliged. I placed the apron in front of him, wrapping my hands around his waist. As I was doing so, I felt the warmth that radiated from his body. I carefully kept my composure despite being so close to him and successfully tied the apron without making a fool of myself. He turned around and looked at me, bending down slightly so that I could put the apron over his head. The only thing that went through my mind was how long more do we have to be that intimate as friends? How long more do I need to pretend I only see him as a friend? He gave a thank you in the form of a smile and I stepped back, watching him cook.