Aesthetic by prettyimbecile . Check out her graphic shop, called "Aesthetically."

Dedicated to RavenclawSlytherinX

Question of the day: "What is the silliest thing you have heard people say about you?"

"Find what you love and let it kill you."

****

"You're smiling like a ray of sunshine." Shorty says.

"Nate's gonna pick me up today and Next week's the grand opening of Aragain's first ever photo studio. Of course I'm smiling."

"Oh, but why do I feel like you are more excited about your cheesy boyfriend's arrival?" I blush, but don't respond. We have been dating for two more solid months now and yet we can't keep our hands off each other. Even though I have poured myself at work here in Aragain, we still somehow find a way to spend time together. And we invite each other over as much as possible. So much so that in the previous months, we have only been away from each other for only 5 days. Go figure.

This is the point where people go all like, "They aren't in love. It's just lust." So to people who think that: we are in love. Plenty in love. We just haven't got time to tell it to each other in the midst of all our time spent kissing.

"You hungry?" Shorty asks. I am about to respond but I see Nate entering the store.

"I am but my boyfriend just showed up. Catch you later, Shorty."

"Later!" He shouts as I make my way to Nate.

"Hi beautiful." He envelopes me in his arms.

"Hi beautiful, yourself." The warmth from his body makes me want to stay glued to him.

"You smell so good."

I pull away. "What do I smell like?"

"Like fresh roasted almonds."

I smile and shake my head. "Hungry?"

"Yes."

"Let's go to my place. I'll cook for you."

****

"You have hands of an Angel." Nate says when he finishes his plate.

"Gracias." I bow as I take our plates to the sink. As I am rinsing them, I feel his hands hug me from behind.

"You know what I love most about you?"

It isn't lost on me that he said love. Not like, but love. "No, what?"

"You." he says, and I suck in a breath. I spin around and Nate's grinning, a gleam or of mischief in on his face.

"Are you serious?" I can't believe it.

"Yeah. Well kind of. I also like how you smell. And how you feel. Especially like how you taste."

I laugh, but inside, I'm kind of freaking out. My laughter fades when I think that it's been only three months since we have started dating each other and only 2 months since we officially became a thing. I know I said earlier that we love each other but things are moving so fast around here I feel like I need a breather. I guess my emotions are written on my face because he immediately tries to cool me down.

"Hey, look at it this way. We dated in high school we confessed our love when we were dating at that time, too. It's been many years since. So if you think of it this way, it's way less creepy."

I think about his words for a while. "I guess you're right, but-"

"Oh, stop overthinking it, and tell me you love me too already."

I laugh. "You see the weird thing is, I kinda do already love you. That's what's making me overthink."

"Well think of it as past emotions and feelings resurfacing and enjoy the moment."

"How do I enjoy it?" I try to mimic his often used suggestive look.

"Like this," he says and swoops down to kiss me. Truly, I have known Nate for years. And though most of which was spent without contact, there's a familiarity to him that I cannot explain. But I don't misunderstand my familiarity for him as love. I have genuine feelings for him but it's moments like this when our body stays pressed against it other and our hands know exactly where to touch that I realize how well we already know each other.

I pull back from him wanting to toy with him a bit. "I am gonna go to sleep now. Bye." I free myself from his hold and start to make my way towards my bedroom.

Suddenly Nate grabs my waist and pushes me flush against the counter. I gasp because I wasn't expecting that. He starts kissing my neck right there . in the kitchen, with his hands trapping me tightly in his hold so that I can't move.

"What are you doing?"

"Interrupting your sleep," he says against my throat. He pushes his hands under my shirt. They're rough against my bare skin but I don't mind since I am feeling so much because of them. I push my hands through his hair and bring his face up to my lips. By the time we are in my room I'm down to my underwear. We kiss frantically as we take the last of our clothing off. He gives my body his undivided attention, kissing everywhere and anywhere he can find. When I can't take it anymore, I beg him to give me more than our but mouths can provide.

He fishes for a condom and when he finally has it on my phone inconveniently ruins the moment. "Did I just get cockblocked by your phone?"

"Not if you ignore it."

He nods and starts to lower himself on me again, but my stupid phone finds this time to irritate me again.

"Just answer it," he says, his expression hidden in the darkness of the room but I'm sure it must be irritation like me.

I stretch and grab my phone. I can't see the caller ID in the dark, so I answer straight away.

"Hi Zara, it's Nan."

I sit up immediately and since he was on top of me, my action causes Nate to fall down the bed.

"Sorry! Are you alright?" I ask with the phone still pressed against my cheek.

"Yeah..." he says as he gets up.

"Oh yeah, Zara. Obviously. Why are you asking that?" Nan says, sounding quizzical.

Oh the comedy in this moment. "Oh no, I was just asking Nate that." I say to clarify the situation. "UH, why did you call?" This question makes me nervous because I immediately think the worst possible thing. That Kai has hurt her.

"Can I come over?"

I check the digital clock on my bedside table. "Right now? It's late." Nate asks me who it is and I mouth 'Naomi.' He raises his eyebrows and I motion for him to shut up.

"Yeah."

God, I really wish Kai didn't put his hands on her. "Okay." I say and hang up.

****

I'm anxiously pacing the room when Nate speaks up. "We can continue what we were doing, you know."

I shake my head but don't spare him a glance. "No, Nate. It was Naomi who called. It must be something serious. Calm your tits for a while, you impatient pervert."

"Well, before calling me a pervert, you can wear some clothes. Don't tempt the scorpion if you don't want to get stung."

I blush crimson red with his words and I stop pacing. When I look at him, he points to the living room where my sweatshirt and sleep shorts where discarded. I nod and try not to give him a once over as I timidly walk to the living room. Nate stands up and watches me get dressed from the doorway and it is honestly really distracting, what with him playing his eyebrows. I am buttoning my shorts when the bell starts ringing. I shove the naked Nate inside my room and tell him not to eavesdrop. Then I open the front door the first thing I do is scan her for injuries. But I am surprised when I find none. And Naomi isn't sad or depressed. She looks happy.

"What's up? You gonna let me in?" Her chill tone makes all my past anxiety vanish. Almost.

"Yeah." I turn and make my way to let her in. "So why the late visit?"

"You really always want to get to the point, don't you?"

I nod. "Yeah, obviously. Everyone does that."

"No, not everyone." She takes a seat on one of the barstools in the kitchen. "Well, I'm here to talk about what happened. Or what didn't happen, exactly."

All the anxiety creeps right back into me. "What do you mean?"

"Don't get so tensed as Zars. I just... you know, you told me that it will happen again. The things with Kai, I mean."

"You mean the fact that he hit you."

She winces. "Yeah. Well, not exactly. He pushed me-" She stops when she sees my murderous glance. "Anyways, the point is, you said it'll happen again. It didn't. it's been around three months and yet it didn't happen again."

I don't know what to say to that. I feel so bad that she has to come here to tell me Kai didn't hit her to make me feel better about Him. She just wants to clear his name of the crime she thinks isn't a big deal. I'm quiet for a while as I move to the window. I look out see a starry night outside. Calm and cold. But the quiet outside is like the calm before the storm. I turn back at her. "So you're her to tell me that? That you're husband, who's supposed to protect you from the cruel of the world, didn't hit you for three months?"

She sighs. "No. Well, yes. The least you could do is be happy for me." Oh joy! Is she for real?

"Oh, I am happy. I am so happy, Nan, that your devil for a husband didn't hit you!" Ouch. was I too harsh?

She stands up abruptly. "Could you not be judgmental for 1 second! You always do this. Judge people and make opinions about them in your mind and see them through those prejudiced opinions only! Get out of your head!" My thoughts of being too harsh go away with her shout. She wants to shout? I am going to show her who the shouting queen actually is.

"Well, at least I'm not so lovesick that I forget my self-esteem and stay with the person who is not worth it!"

Both of our chests are heaving at this point. "You know what? I came here thinking I will ask you how you are, we will chat and be friends again. You remember that time Zars? The time when you had actual friends? Us? And I also thought I will ask you to work on your store and then we could be coworkers again like we used to be in Wendy's when we were in high school. But you had to ruin that with your stupid words and judgments."

She just insulted to me, but her words make me want to smile anyway. I know she's going through the worst phase of her life but the fact that she wants us to be friends again makes me feel ecstatic. I hold my smile though. "Are you done?" She nods. "I want us to be friends too. But I thought we went over that a long time ago. And if you work on my store, you will be my employee, and I'll be your boss. Not coworkers, Nan. And I will make you bust your ass."

She laughs at my words but it's a bittersweet to laugh as I know she's still angry at me. I pull my arms to ask her for a hug and she jumps in. What I hadn't anticipated before was the little spooch that her stomach is would wrap around my flat one.

"You are starting to show." I say as we stay locked in our tight embrace, Kai and his misdeeds pushed under the rug for the moment.

"Yeah. So, friends?"

"Friends." I answer. "Though I would appreciate it if you left your asshole husband."

"Had to ruin the moment." I hear her silent laugh.

"That's what I am famous for." It's true. I'm always brutally honest.

"Are you trying to steal my girl?" That's Nate's voice. Nan squeals and pulls away from me.

"What's a naked Nathan doing in your house?"

"Oh sorry. My clothes were in the living room. I'll take this and go," he winks at me and I laugh. "and sorry for giving you the best sight of your life, Naomi!" He says and disappears. I laugh even harder.

"Your boyfriend is a prick."

"No, he's handsome," I say, and we laugh again.

****

After a brief talk with Nan, she leaves so I go back to the bedroom. He smiles at me when I enter but with his ability to automatically decipher my mood, he frowns. "What's wrong?"

I flop down on my bed, head first. "I just worry about Naomi. We are still young, and she married when she was younger. I know she's not immature, but I just wish she would take her life decisions with much more thought."

He curls himself around me. "Maybe she is just spontaneous. Who wants to live in the moment?"

"I wish." If she were spontaneous, she would have left Kai the second he pushed her. Nate runs his hands up and down my arms, trying to comfort me. This is what I love about Nate. He is sweet and gentle and loves taking care of me as if I am his favorite plant. If I am worried about my business or anything at all, he knows how to comfort and relax me. He is literally like a teddy bear.

Being with him is easy and relaxing. No trouble, no drama, yet a little bit of fun. Except his dislike over Ian of course. My mood kind of sours when I think of their past interactions. Nathan is quick to catch up on it, though. He pulls away and asks, "Wanna play Scrabble?" without questioning me about my thought.

I laugh and nod because it's obvious It's a method of his to make me feel better. Gotta love him for that.

A/N:- Hey, peeps! These chapter looks nice enough though, not like the last one. Plz tell me ur suggestions!

Ans also, I neeeed help! Could anyone recoomend how i could tone down my notifications? I mean, ik its not possible, but... I wake up to 100+ notifications everyday and all my time ends up being spent on checking them. (My family is rlly strict. i don't get to use devices for long.)

So i need ur precious help! PLZZZ!

Also how are your feeling about Kai n Nan now? WB Zara and Nate?

P.s. ig i shud stop asking questions at the end of the chapter so tht my notifications can stay low. wht do u guys say?

BYE guys and happy readinggg!