Letters From The Sky (JoongNine AU)

Chapter 10

Joong

I took my time in the shower, until my surging heartbeats settled down. Lucky the water was a little bit cold even though it was already almost afternoon. I hope when I came out, Nine was not still in the room. It was embarrassing to be affected so much, when I was the one who supposed to lead him into it. But, I couldn't control what happened, the moment he started to reciprocate; kissing me back with such candour, innocence and also, passion. I felt liked all the kiss I had before, which mostly on screen, obviously lacked the sparks that ignited all my senses. Maybe because it was work, and here, it was purely guided but what felt right. Heck, anything and everything felt right. Messy, but still right. I couldn't contain my smile. I still felt on cloud nine.

I stepped out from the shower, with a towel around my hips. I saw the clothes that Nine's had left for me to wear, on the bed. Toothbrush, I used a new one already found at the bathroom's rack. I sighed in relief because Nine had left the room. Joong Archen, you're actually afraid of seeing the first person who caused you to back away from a kiss! I laughed quietly, shook my head and made myself presentable.

When I went out from the room to search for Nine, I could hear a melodious voice coming from the kitchen; humming and singing parts of a song. I leaned on the doorway into the kitchen, watching a cheery Nine moving efficiently here and there, cooking something that had already smell delicious. He was wearing shorts that shown his fair legs up to midthigh, a loose shirt that he wore to sleep last night, and couple that with silky hair that fell randomly in loose bangs; the combination was overall too homey, lovely in my eyes. Damn, I was sick, too sick with longing, and if I kept watching, my last shower would be useless.

Nine must had suddenly felt my watch, and he turned and looked at me with a smile. I smiled back at him.

"You have a nice voice", I started off casually. Nine just laughed it off.

"Just a hobby, not a vocalist though".

"What are you cooking?", I said and stood behind him, looking at the mix inside his pan.

"Spaghetti sauce. Can you eat this, or you want anything else? I'm not a good cook, but it's palatable".

"I'm not picky. Anyway, why don't you just order out? Since you live alone, isn't it easier?"

"I love cooking, and it cost less than eating out everyday. Unless I was too tired, then I just order out".

"Hmm, by the way you move around, I think you are good at this, not just palatable".

"Eat first; only then you can judge fairly. I am also curious of how my cooking tasted to others".

"You never had anyone come here...before?"

"No". His answer left me speechless but also curious. But I kept my mouth shut, or else I would ask inappropriate question too early. But my so-called decision, was left to the wind, when Nine casually just said what I couldn't ask, "If you meant my friends, I'd meet them somewhere, outside, coffee or something. No siblings too. But, if you meant someone special, no, I never have one".

"Am I too obvious?", I said sheepishly.

"Quiet. Your face is expressive. What you felt inside, came through to the surface. There's a big question mark on your face just now, and I could detect that lip bite you did to stop yourself from blurting something, wasn't it?".

"Amazing! It's liked you know me so well already. Have we ever met before? Maybe in our past life?", I said it as a joke. But, the changed in Nine's expression was sudden, and he turned away from me and made himself busy. It was a bit unsettling, because I was a little confused on which part of the joke touched a sensitive point.

"I...I'm sorry, don't be mad, alright", I said pleadingly while turning him from the almost direct shut off he was doing by wiping an invisible drop of water at the counter surface, "But, do tell me which was it, things that I'd just said, that you didn't like? So, I won't bring the topic up again. Hmm, Nine...". He looked at me with dimmed eyes, the light that I saw when he turned and smiled at me earlier, was gone.

"Never joke about a past life, Joong, even if no one could answer the question whether it really existed or not. Any life, in whichever spectrum we put them, is precious. Not only the good ones, but everything that came with it. It was someone's memory, someone's history or someone's...pain". I looked deeply into his eyes, and could really see that the last statement, was too close to home; that it mattered to him. I raised my hand and caressed his cheek tenderly, he leaned his head into the caress, savouring the comfort it brought.

"I'm sorry", I said once more. Without hesitation, I bent my head and kissed him, as an offer of apology. He took a surprise breath, and started to kiss me back. We would've gone deeper into it again, if not for the sudden smell of smoke that'd awoken both of us.

"Shoot! My sauce...", Nine said while pushing me aside, and making an almost comedic moves to save the burning sauce, but failed. He shut the fire off, and laughed hysterically, until his legs gave out and he sat down on the kitchen floor, leaning his back at the cabinet.

I kneeled in front of him and looked at the laughing face, wiping the trace of tomato sauce that smeared his hands, shirt and splattered a bit to his cheek. I licked my finger clean, and smiled too.

"Next time Joong, let just be romantic outside of this dangerous area, I need to focus", Nine said and smiled tiredly.

"So, there will be next time?", I asked, both teasing and also hopeful.

"Let me take a shower first, then maybe I'll be sane enough to give you an answer", he said while pinching my nose, and then pushed himself up.

"Nine...it's delicious". My words caused his steps out of the kitchen to falter.

"The burnt sauce?".

"The sauce, and also...our kiss...".

If laser could be shot out from someone's eyes, then let just say Nine's had just burnt my skin alive. And I couldn't be happier than I already am, to be scarred for life.