SAFE (mxm)

Chapter 64. By the Book (Ryo)

   (Present time)

   "That's better, isn't it?" Angel gently murmurs, continuing his intense massage along the back of my leg, from the ankle to the buttocks. His fingers dig into my upper thigh, unmistakably finding the most painful spot. I growl. He chuckles. "Shhh! Don't snarl at me like an angry dog. It'll pass. I'm sure it doesn't hurt that bad anymore. You're just a sour loser. Bear with me a little longer, Grandpa. I'm trying to ease your pain."

   "Hey! Watch your mouth, kid." I try to get up, but he pushes me back on the inflatable lounger where I have been laying on my stomach and sulking over my inglorious defeat, after emptying the two bottles of water my caring boyfriend made me drink. "You simply got lucky. If it wasn't for the damn crump, you would've only dreamt of winning."

   "But I won," he laughs out and squeezes my butt cheeks with both hands. "Lucky or not, I'm the champion."

   "Are you having fun?" I rumble. "This is my ass, not a lump of dough."

   "Ohhh, yes, yes, yes," he moans exaggeratedly, kneading his new-found, squishy toy with genuine enthusiasm. "I love this irresistible ass. I do. I totally, undeniably, incurably love it."

   The passionate display of affection ends with a long, wet kiss between my shoulder blades and a hard slap on the beloved bottom. Angel sprawls on top of me at full height. The lounger fails to support our weight and rips open with a loud pop. We slowly descend to the ground as it deflates, cackling like hyenas.

   "You're such a baby," I snort. 

   "Yeah, your baby," he mumbles in my ear, leaning his chin on my shoulder. "Are you going to tell me the forth rule now?"

   "Sure!" I reach back to ruffle his hair which is already much more tousled than he would like. 

   God, I'm so crazy about this man. David or not, I am in love with him and I don't see any reason to deny it any longer. I know he heard me when I whispered the name. There was no reaction, maybe just a barely perceptible flush of emotions in his eyes, which I couldn't quite read. It is possible that he pretended the name meant nothing to him, but it is also possible that it was totally unfamiliar. I don't know. It is tempting to ask, to push for answers, but I feel it is not a good idea. I promised to give him the time he needed. I will keep my promise. Because he deserves it. I deserve it too. But I do not want to wait for too long either. A month. I will give him a month. This is my decision. I can handle the uncertainty for precisely one month.

   "So?" Angel bites the side of my neck impatiently. "The rule? What is it?" 

   "Have you dated before?" I ask, evoking a ripple of amused laughter.

   "Is this question for real?" Angel smacks my head. "You are the first man I have ever met, kissed, invited in my house... fucked... I have never approached another one within a hundred feet before. What dating, silly?"

   "Is it bad I'm so happy to hear it?" I mutter, turning around to face him. 

   He immediately uses the opportunity to straddle my thighs and leans for a quick, sweet kiss. His lips curl in a contented grin. "No, it's good. I like your possessiveness. It makes me feel special. How about this? Is it bad?"

   "No. This is exactly how you should feel about yourself." I sit up and wrap my arms around his waist. "You are special, perfect and only mine. Never doubt it. That's why we should date by the book."

   "What does this even mean?" he squints at me suspiciously. "Oh, boy! I am starting to get really worried. You're planning something and I'm pretty sure I'm not going to like it."

   "Not in the beginning," I confirm his suspicions. "But I promise it will get better with practice. Here's the plan. One date a week."

   "What?" Angel bellows, disappointment written all over his face. "You want to see me once a week? Only once? And this is the rule, if I want us to be together? Ugh.. I wasn't expecting you to marry me, but still... I see... Sorry, I'm being ridiculous..."

   "Wait!" I cup his face and make him look at me. "Angel, you didn't understand. That was not what I meant. You got it all wrong. I want to be with you every fucking second, baby."

   "Really?" he smiles hesitantly. "I am such a dummy. Can we just agree that I am unexperienced and... and emotionally unstable... and forget about this conversation..."

   "Be quiet for a moment." I cover his mouth with my palm and kiss his forehead. "Shut up and listen to what I have to say."

   His expressive eyes widen. He starts nodding in agreement. I remove my hand and he bites his lip as if to stop any more words from coming out.

   "I know that you are afraid to leave the house," I start, gazing into his eyes. "But proper dating means to go to the movies. It means dinners in cozy restaurants and walks on the beach at sunset. You know, all that stuff. We can spend as much time as we want here, in my apartment, at the pool, in bed, but we'll go out on a date once a week. That's the rule. Take it or leave it."

   "Ryo," Angel gasps. "I want to. You know I would do anything you ask. But I don't think I can. Wanting to do something and being actually able to do it are two different things. What if it's a disaster every time, like yesterday?"

   "Oh, I am sure the first few times will be catastrophic," I agree. "I'm not afraid of a little panic, the occasional throw up and a ton of second-hand embarrassment. I'll be right there with you, Angel. We can deal with it together. Everything is going to be alright. You will be fine."

   "You travel a lot," he points out, too glad to have found a solution to the problem. "This rule can't work. What if you are abroad for more than a week?"

   "In that case you're coming with me," I state. He visibly turns paler, so I hurry to add, "I promise it won't happen before you're ready."

   "I will never be ready for such a thing," he shakes his head. "No way. You don't understand."

   "Oh, yes, I do. You will be ready and willing," I assure him. "You just have to learn how to trust me completely."

   "It doesn't work this way," he retorts. "I already trust you, and yet I am still afraid."

   "We'll see about that." I help him stand up and pull him by the hand towards the house. "Let's do some shopping online. I know an app. They can deliver anything within an hour. Time for challenge number five."

   "Are we cooking lunch again," Angel asks enthusiastically. "As strange as it may sound, I think I'm hungry."

   "Oh, no, Ōkina Neko," I smirk. "No food before this one."

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A/N

Hello everyone at the end of chapter 64.

Thank you for reading and supporting ❤❤❤

My dear friends, before you get frustrated that the boys didn't pay more attention to the name slip in the previous chapter, let me tell you about this story. I am sure you have already noticed that it is not so much about arriving at the final destination, but rather about the journey itself. We'll get there, I promise. Until then, enjoy the ride and prepare for something really exciting in the next chapter, even a bit dangerous😉

Any guesses about the last challenge? 

What does Ryo intend to order from the shopping app?

Why eating before the challenge is not a good idea?

Share your thoughts, ask questions and criticize, if you feel like.

And don't forget to vote, if you liked the chapter.

Thank you! 💗

Love: Anny