Isha

Just as Carlos said, I manage to catch up to Calix soon enough and find him entering the open East Garden on the 5th floor. When the prince realises I am following him, he picks up pace. I do not give up either and run at the speed of light (well realistically, not that fast) to catch up to the prince and learn the reason of his sudden flee.

I hold desperately onto the balcony door, through which the open garden can be reached. I grip onto the sides of the wooden door while Calix tries to shut them.

"Calix." I grit out, my knuckles turning white, "Stop behaving oddly."

Calix does not listen to me. His tie loosened, hair dishevelled due to vigorously running fingers through them, shirt crumpled; the prince refuses to look at me whilst attempting to stable his irregular breathing. My hands which were on either side of the door slowly move to place warm touches on his clenched fists. It is not something unfamiliar.

Calix is having yet another anxiety attack.

"Calix," despite my nerves eating me out terribly, I speak in a relatively calmer tone, "Look at me."

Calix does not. His eyes remain strained on the floor, as he breathes deeply.

Neither can I leave Calix here alone to go off to call for help, nor am I knowledgeable enough to treat severe anxiety breakdowns. Months back, I was able to help him calm down with my little knowledge, because the breakdown was moderate. Besides, there was lukewarm water and a couch to rest. There is simply nothing in this deserted corridor, except for the balcony that leads out to the open East Garden. Shit. I don't even know the reason of his sudden anxiety attack when he has been alright these past few weeks.

If I do not do anything, Calix's health conditions will deteriorate.

As I keep pondering while trying to get him to calm down, a thought strikes me. A ridiculous, absurd one but perhaps, a solution to this situation.

Without hesitancy, I grab Calix's collar pulling him close and press my lips against his. Tenderly. Soothingly. Conveying through my actions that I am here. [A/N: Make sure to check the below info regarding this, at the end of the chapter!]

I will always be here.

It is ironic how I keep making a fool of myself in front of Calix but then again, if somehow it makes his life brighter, I am ready to make a fool of myself a thousand times. Probably, infinite times. As I delicately press my lips against his, softly moving them, I feel the prince relaxing. In fact, he kisses back resulting in my heart to somersault thrice, especially when he swiftly pulls me against him by my waist, pressing our bodies as impossibly close as possible. My fingers caress either sides of his face while his palm rests on the small of my back.

My heart thuds in my chest feeling the salty texture of his tears. It hurts more when I cannot understand what is hurting him, in return.

And I am terrified. I am so terrified that I have to go to the extent of gaslighting myself into thinking that whatever feelings I have for Calix are nothing more than a mere, temporary crush.

I am afraid it is beyond temporary now.

We pull away from the kiss soon after, and I rest my forehead against his before speaking in a soft, unsure tone, "Why are you upset?"

Calix does not reply. He keeps holding me close, with his eyes shut.

"Do you like Carlos?"

What in the hell is he spitting. The day I have feelings for the Crown Prince whom I see as none but equal to an argumentative brother, I will surely witness penguins tap-dancing in jumpsuits. "Romantically? Of course not!"

Calix frowns in confusion. "But he confessed—"

"And I turned him down. What's so dramatic about it?" my blunt personality possesses me once again, as I ramble out the words that come to my mind, without any filter.

Nevertheless, Calix grows silent, yet again.

"Calix. Please. Is it something personal? Something that you cannot tell me?"

Calix shakes his head in denial. "Nothing of the sort. It is stupid."

"What is?"

"The reason I broke Carlos' favourite antique figurine. The reason I ran away like a cowardly fool. The reason I had a severe anxiety breakdown. And," with our foreheads pressed, Calix tilts his head, those oceanic blue eyes meeting mine in a delicate gaze and a single finger gliding across my cheek.

"The reason I calmed down at the touch of your lips and caress, Isha."

The breath gets stuck in my throat and I forget how to partake in my respiration process. Before I can ask for a proper explanation and meaning behind his words or comprehend anything, Calix speaks, "Are you free for the entirety of this evening?"

I nod, uncertain where he is going with this.

"The second and last date arranged by me. Let's do it tonight.

You and me. Isha."

A pool date in December? As an avid hater of winter, I would've never imagined. Well unless the pool's water grew warm with the help of any automated switch; the very expensive ones.

Earlier, when Calix asked me for our fourth date, I did not expect it to be a pool date. And that also thought and planned by none other than Prince Calix. I almost want to take back my accusation of Calix being boring but my competitive side does not want to back down. Yet.

A deep chuckle reverberating throughout the rooftop indoor pool area, followed by a light brush of fingers across the back of my neck, causes shivering tremors to travel down my body. "Are you going to keep standing with the bathrobe on?"

I slowly shake my head. No, obviously. But to imagine me and Calix in the same swimming pool, under the starry night, the light of the full moon falling through the oval glass shelter above us and illuminating the entire area; candles and rose petals circling around the pool as means of creating a romantic atmosphere; two wine glasses, and a bottle of exquisitely expensive red wine kept on a tray; it is heartbreaking and passionate at the same time. Passionate at his effort in putting up a date, and heartbreaking because this is just a stupid bet to prove if Calix is boring. It is not real.

It has never been real.

I tilt my head around to look at his face, but oh dear lord, the words get stuck in my throat and I have never been happier before, for me to become speechless. Calix stands there in his glory of just his swimming trunks, very close to me.

Just his swimming trunks. The word just swims around in my mind as I shamelessly stare at his body, which seems as if it has been sculpted by the Greek Gods themselves. He has abs. Six-pack abs, might I as well add. Did I mention his chest and chiselled shoulders? Am I imagining him in dripping pool water, flipping back that blonde wet hair? Yes. Have I gone insane? No doubt. Am I being a shameless, lewd, creep by, without hesitancy, eye-fucking the first prince of Syncitia? Hate to admit, but yes.

"Like what you see?"

Dear friends, my body has left my soul. No wait, my soul has left my body. Or, is it something else?

Because when in the world did Calix become so bold and flirty?

A seductive smile caresses his lips as the handsome man in front of me, leans quite close to my lips, while his sneaky fingers twist a strand of my hair tenuously.

"I..." I stammer. Only he knows what his actions are doing to me. It's even worse that he isn't aware of my emotions for him. My heart might just leap out of my chest any moment now.

Calix sensually undoes my messy bun, pulling down my black hair swiftly. And right when I am imagining the possibility of him pressing his plush, plump lips against mine...

He pushes me. Into the pool. While I am still covering my swimwear clad body in the bathrobe.

As I come up the water, my hair and face all drenched now, and swim towards the edge, an angry glare contorts my face when I stare at his playful blue eyes. "I will kill you." My blurry vision is not helping either. The pain people with glasses have to go through is unimaginable.

"That is illegal in Syncitia."

I fume at his annoying yet sexy smirk, which I surprisingly am able to decipher without the need of my glasses. "Hyperbolically, I meant of course!"

"And I am aware of that." Another big splash of water hits my face when Calix jumps next, deliberately, without warning me.

Wiping the dripping water off my face, I yell, "Calix—"

And once again, it appears I have forgotten English or any language I can speak, when he appears from deep below the blue pool, right in front of me. I find myself stepping back when he keeps inching closer, the darn smirk not leaving his luscious, wet lips.

"You are red all over, Isha."

"I definitely am not!" I am.

"Mhm," Calix hums cornering me until my back hits one of the edges of the pool, completely, "You are a terrible liar, did you know that Isha? A terrible, teller of lies."

"So are you." I breathe the words out when Calix's left arm snakes around my waist, and with the fingers of his right hand, within the blink of an eye, he unties the bathrobe, slowly sliding it down and throwing it somewhere away.

Now I am all exposed in nothing but my one-piece black swimwear, in front of Calix. His gaze darkens at the sight as he ravages my attire with his eyes, letting out deep voiced words, with hint of a slight grunt to it. "Isha. You are irresistible."

I gulp, "Am I?"

"Very."

The courage comes from nowhere as I utter out the next words, inching more into his sensual touch, "What are you going to do about it?"

A subtle smile appears on his seductive face when he slowly trails a finger covered in water droplets from my jaw, collarbone and stops right above my cleavage. "You tell me Isha. What do you want me to do?"

Another shaky breath leaves me, and this time, in the form of an embarrassing gasp as I mutter out my next word, wetness pooling in between my thighs with each passing moment. "Everything."

The smile disappears, his blue gaze blackening once again, "I want you to be sure, Isha. Do you want this?"

I nod, excitement of what might happen, surging through my veins. It's now or never. "I have never been more sure. Ever."

"100%?"

I nod once again, without any ounce of hesitation.

He leans forward, pressing a soft kiss on my forehead, as he whispers, "Whenever you want to stop, just say it. Feel discomfort? Tell me. Uncomfortable? Tell me. And I'll stop. I want this entire experience to be as beautiful as possible. As memorable as possible. As pleasurable as possible."

A warmth blooms inside my furiously beating heart at his words. How can anyone be so perfect?

My contemplative thoughts come to a halt when Calix locks his lips with mine in an intense and heated kiss, and his fingers skim the bottom of my swim-wear, sliding them past my clitoris, and, sneaking in between my folds.

Oh. My. God.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

A/N: As per several articles found on Google>>>

• Anxiety reduction - kissing your partner, either tenderly or passionately, releases calming brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) that reduce stress, anxiety levels and soothe the mind.

• The act of kissing leads to the body producing endorphins, or happiness hormones, meaning that both the kisser and the one being kissed feel happy and relaxed. Kissing also helps to reduce the body's cortisol levels, thus indirectly reducing stress.

• Panic develops when the mind is overwhelmed by the fear of losing something very dear. At that point in time, if a person close to the individual who is panicking gives a tight hug or kisses that person, the mind snaps back to reality.

• There's nothing quite like a kiss and some affection to help calm you. Oxytocin decreases anxiety and increases relaxation and wellness.