So it all came down to one thing, that I no longer cared what others had to say. It was the world against my feelings. Feelings. I had feelings for Jake, and there was no denying it. No matter how much I had tried restricting his thoughts from making their way from my mind to my heart, but they finally did.

It was all like living a fantasy for me. Waking up was probably the worst thing until one day, it turned into the most treasured moment. There was something special about waking up in the warm embrace of someone who cared about you, whose arms felt like safe heaven, and who made you feel wanted.

My eyes opened to the most heart-melting sight of Jake sleeping beside me. His cheek pressed up against my back, and his hands wrapped possessively around my waist. He was breathing calmly, releasing small puffs of air through his slightly parted lips.

I brushed away a soft curl falling on his forehead and bathed in the gentle contours of his face. He looked so peaceful and relaxed that I wanted to preserve that comfort for him. There were so many things still buried deep within him, the things I was dying to know but scared to trigger some unwanted memories.

The memories of the previous day made my lips curve upwards into a coy smile. We spent a day full of lazy naps, pizzas, and cuddles while talking about our most silly childhood stories. He told me about his dog Muzi, a golden retriever his mom gifted on his tenth birthday. Jake had that boyish grin the entire time he talked about his playtime with Muzi. Then I spent almost thirty minutes coaxing him to stop being sad about Muzi's death. Jake's dark orbs turned gloomy as he talked about how he never replaced Muzi with anyone else. To cheer him up, I had to share one of my most embarrassing moments where I almost got a date but not quiet because, of course, the guy wanted to propose to Amelia, but just that it wasn't me. I remembered how Jake looked at me sternly then burst out laughing. We were high in each other's presence. And when the evening turned into night, we didn't bother to know as an unknown excitement engulfed us. We were happy and safe with each other.

I was feeling giddy like a schoolgirl. It was my first time opening up for a guy, and I was so grateful it was Jake. My eyes scanned his charming face glistering in the light rays of sunlight seeping through the curtains. I shifted a little in his embrace so that I could trace the intricate patterns of ink on his neck. As if I couldn't get enough of him, my fingers ran unconsciously on the marks on his wrist and traced back to his face over the scar on his forehead.

"What are you looking at?" Jake's deep voice forced my actions to come to an abrupt stop.

"You sleep like a child, like a cute, innocent child." I cooed, holding his cheeks. A silly smile spread on my lips the moment I looked into his sleepy eyes.

"No, I don't," he pursed his lips and placed a feathery kiss on my forehead. "I haven't slept like this for a long time."

"But you did sleep like a child," I teased, brushing his nose with mine.

"How about now? Do you still take me as a child?" A subtle smirk danced on Jake's lips as he tightened his hold on my waist and pulled flushed against his chest.

A gasp left my mouth as soon as Jake buried his face in the crook of my neck. I closed my eyes, savoring his soft touches on my skin. My heart reverberated with the same rhythm as his, unsteady and erratic. I couldn't resist my need to feel his soft locks against my palm and tugged on them as he scraped his teeth lightly on my skin.

"Can I ask you something personal?" Words rolled out of my mouth, not caring about anything else. For some reason, it felt like the perfect moment.

"Hmm...you can ask anything," his voice vibrated through my skin.

I ran my fingers through his forehead very lightly while still trying to stay calm as his mouth didn't give any rest to my neck. "H-how did you get this scar on your forehead?"

"In an accident," he replied, finally detaching his mouth from my neck and inhaling the much-needed air. Jake twirled a strand of my hair in his finger and played with them. His droopy lips were an indication that the topic had officially ruined his perfectly joyous mood.

"You don't have to share about your past right away, you know. But I'm not okay with not knowing the cause of your obnoxious behavior. It's annoying." I placed my hands over his and ran my thumb lightly over the marks on his wrist. "I'm ready to wait as long as you want, but it shouldn't be forever. Please promise me you will let me in."

"I promise," he murmured, inching closer to my face. "But right now, all I care about is my present, and you're fogging it with your presence."

My eyes fluttered close as he leaned closer and closer to my lips until he claimed them as his. I remained still for a second, trying to capture his words before getting lost in the tingling sensation of his soft lips on mine.

"We're so going to miss our classes today as well," I mumbled against his lips.

It was already Friday, and I had decided to extend my sick leave for another day. I wasn't prepared to go back to my reality, not yet.

A deep hum escaped from his throat as he swallowed the rest of my words with a demanding kiss. He caressed my hair with one hand while keeping a possessive grip on my waist with the other.

Guess our weekend had already started.

~~~

The smell of fresh pancakes filled the apartment, soon reaching my nose. I had just stepped out of the bathroom after brushing my teeth and taking a warm shower. Even though Jake had arranged for my clothes, his tempting scent made me end up in one of his shirts. I was almost drowning in that piece of clothing, paired up with my comfy pajama shorts.

"Aren't you the most handsome chef?" I commented, leaning against the kitchen counter. My eyes scanned his bare torso with all its tatted glory. He looked more of a meal, in nothing but a pair of grey sweatpants, plating the pancakes with blueberry syrup in great precision.

"Merely an amateur cook," Jake grinned, finally setting aside the syrup bottle and sliding the plate of delicious-looking pancakes towards me. "Bon appétit."

As soon as Jake's black orbs landed on me, all his actions stopped, and his focus zoomed into me. The intensity of his burning gaze was enough to make me feel hot and bothered all of a sudden. I squirmed in my place and quickly shifted my eyes towards the pancakes instead. My cheeks heated up when he leaned over the counter and brushed my cheeks with his thumb lightly.

"I love seeing you in my clothes." He said softly. "And I love it when your cheeks redden due to me."

Each of his words only made me more and more flustered. I gnawed at my bottom lip to suppress the coy smile breaking through my lips. As if to torture me some more, he leaned a little closer towards my face.

"Stop!" I flicked his forehead. "Unless you want me to eat all the pancakes myself. I'm hungry, and so are you. Eat."

A manly chuckle escaped Jake's lips. "Yes, indeed, I'm starving."

I blushed a deeper shade of red as my hazel eyes met his, and I saw the hidden amusement dancing in them. I tried my best not to look into his eyes too openly. At some point in the middle, Jake had started feeding me instead of eating himself. I almost froze in my spot when he brought the very first to my lips, but then I relished his newfound way of showing his care.

"So, no compliments for my culinary skills?" He asked, scooping the last bite into my mouth and watched me chew on it with a broad smile.

"It tastes good," A smile appeared on my face as I swallowed it down. Jake raised his brows questioningly at me. "I know you must have received better comments from the other girls before."

"You're the only one I've ever made pancakes for." He placed the fork on the plate with a clanking sound. Jake picked up the plate and made his way towards the sink. I didn't miss how his jaw tightened due to my comment. "You should head back and finish your assignment."

I felt a slight sting in my chest, and it wasn't just the thought of ruining the light atmosphere around us. It was the way he tried working things out differently between us. So with that in my mind, I slid off the counter stool and walked up to him.

"Well..." I started slowly leaning against the counter beside him. "I didn't mean it that way. Guess I get jealous sometimes when you do something this domestic for me, and I can't stop myself from picturing you doing the same for others. I know I'm stupid or silly, but I can't help it. Also, the pancakes were super delicious, and you deserve a reward." I added the last part to lighten up the tension between us.

He turned off the water, placed the plate in the cabinet, and turned towards me, wiping his hands. I swallowed hard, looking into his dark orbs that held me captive in a stern gaze. My senses were suddenly hyper-aware of his exposed torso, radiating an immense amount of heat as he stepped towards me. Jake trapped me against the counter, placing both of his hands on either side of my body. We were just an inch away from each other, and I suddenly couldn't breathe.

"You've nothing to be jealous about, Miele." He whispered into my ear, clogging my senses with his scent, a mixture of earth and forest. "I've never been with anyone like I'm with you, and no one makes me feel the way you do."

I sucked in a deep breath as he brushed his thumb on the side of my lips wiped off the blueberry syrup that I didn't know was there. A tingling sensation surged through me from head to toe as Jake brought his thumb to his lips, licking off the syrup, still keeping his eyes locked with mine.

"And about that reward. I want it now." He murmured, brushing my bottom lip with his wet thumb. That was it for me.

I wrapped my hands around his neck, closing the gap between our lips as he backed me up against the counter some more. Jake snaked his hand at the small of my back to stop me from getting hurt on the hard surface. That kind of protectiveness made me moan in his mouth and lose myself more in him. He was fire and ice both at once, always leaving me breathless with just a touch, physically and emotionally.

He tilted his head, seeking a little deeper kiss, and I could feel his breath on my face. It was all too familiar for me. His every groan, the way he shuddered against my body, and the feel of his lips on mine. As he possessively devoured his reward, he destroyed every chance for anyone else to make me feel the way he did.

We both breathed heavily against each other's lips as we finally pulled back. I didn't look up to meet Jake's dark eyes. I couldn't look into them without blushing. His lips traced a line from my lips to my jaw with tantalizingly slow and delicate kisses making me shudder in his hold. My hands traveled from his neck to his shoulder blades, feeling every taut muscle, every dip of his abs, and I felt utterly proud when his muscles contracted under my touches.

His hand bunched up in my hair, tugging my head slowly to the back, exposing my neck to the fullest. I dug my nails hard on his back as I felt his mouth on my neck, starting from the back of my ear towards a sensitive spot between my neck and shoulder. His teeth raked on my neck, delivering a pleasurable sting as he bit my skin gently and peppered soft, soothing kisses on its expanse.

"I want to draw you, Amy." He murmured against the back of my ear, his warm breath burning my skin. "Will you let me?"

He looked up at me with his charcoal eyes darkened to the brim. There was a sudden spark in his eyes as if he had reached the abyss, just waiting for me. I froze in his arms for a second, trying to grasp his words. "You-you want to what?"

"I-I just wanted to show how mesmerizing you look right now." He mumbled, looking down, still keeping a firm hold on my body.

An odd excitement rushed through me just with the thought of getting a visual of what he saw of me. I had never imagined, even in my wildest imagination, to get transformed into someone's art. And the fact that it was Jake himself made my toes curl with anticipation.

I held both of his cheeks, making him look into my eyes, and nodded with a wide grin. His lips tugged upwards in the most beautiful smile as he nuzzled his nose in my cheeks and kissed my forehead. "Let me set up my supplies."

My eyes followed his back as he walked out of the kitchen towards the art room I had discovered earlier.

It was indeed like stepping into another world with Jake and probably a more colorful one.