"Hans." He finally look back at me and those eyes were dead serious. He knew it. He really know it that I'll speak up. I nervously grip onto his hand and he just smiled knowingly.

"I'm sorry. I'm not avoiding you on purpose. You.. Well you are practically a stranger to me. I was afraid." I finally said in a soft voice that I was surprise came from me. He nodded and waited for me to continue but I didn't.

"Jacob.. What's your full name?" Name? Why would he ask that?

"Hudson. Jacob Hudson"

"Well, Jacob Hudson let me introduce myself again. My name is Johans Hale. I'm a doctor at St. Michael General Hospital. I'm 30 turning 31 on April 2nd. I am allergic to nuts and I am--"

"Wait! Don't just narrate your biography like that!"

"I need you to know me. I don't want to be a stranger to the one I love." I blushed.. I really did blushed! I felt it from my hot nape to my red ears.

"I told you to stop blushing like that or I'll drag you to a Motel." He lean at me and whisper those words. I just quickly look away and drink up my coffee. Taking quite a while before I decided to just let go of his hand. He let it be but his expression says otherwise. That now free hand clench up and I felt the same. I wanted to hold onto him but it's just too much. I wanted to take this slow unlike how he describe to just drag me to a Motel. I sighed and he eyed me. His brows cringe into a scowl as he tries to figure out the mystery that is Me.

"Hans, I'll only say this once. So don't make me repeat." He masked his relief with a straight face and eyed me. Giving all his attention to me and nothing else, making me stiff as a board to where I sit. I scoot few inches away from him and he move to drag me back but decided the latter. He let me have the space I silently wished and waited for me to speak.

"I lived 13 years of my life away from my family." I started and eyed the dark liquid in my cup. The ivory colored glass twinkle a bit.

"A past that I didn't want to recall. I had never explain to someone. They just find out. This will be the first time I'll be the one telling the story." I make light of it but his expression made me loose the fake smile I was making. He blinked at me, his eyes silently telling me to continue.

"My Mother, Leila. Her family was not normal, I guess. Her whole family except her were involve in human trafficking for who knows how many years long. She escape them. She didn't want to be involve when she realize what horrendous things they do. She run away together with children. Children that were about to be sold overseas as sex-slaves." My voice grew more quieter and Johans startled me when he stood up and called for the waiter. I gasp when his hand hold me and they were cold. His grip was tight as he drag me off my feet into a private area. The waitress place our coffee down the table and left the room. I didn't know they have a private room here.

"Continue." His eyes were begging and his hands were clench tight on his lap. His knuckles were turning white. Looking up at his face. He eyed me begging for me to speak again. I look around the room and then took a sip from my oddly, still warm coffee.

"If I continue will you stop dragging me anywhere you like?" I still make light of the situation but again he just stared at me, his expression dead serious and his nod short but convincing.

"Okay, so Leila saved those children and her cousin got really mad at her. So he decided to follow her to where she run off, only to found out she fell in love with a Police Officer with a high rank. That's my... well my Father. Also he found out she was pregnant to me." I took a sip of my coffee again, distracted by the dark liquid that reminded me of things from the past that I am now revealing. Taking a breath, I continue. "He waited. His cousin waited 'till Leila took birth." I stared at Hans and the look on his face knew what he'll about to hear next.

"He kidnapped the baby. He stole, Me. He was willing to sold me to a couple from overseas but that'll be no punishment for his traitor cousin. He wanted her to pay for her doing. So he let me grew up. Apparently there's women too. Women they sell as well and they take turns raising me. And they all were sold one after the other till I was alone. I can only remember waking up and sleeping on a dirty cardboard. In a dark basement. He often throw me bread as food, and clothes for change. He usually give me at least one full meal so I won't starve and die because he can't have that or I won't be..." I paused and look down my hands. They were shaking so I entwine them, trying to calm the tremor. I was thankful Hans didn't move. I was thankful I didn't have the courage to even look at him right now.

"Or I won't be.. Sold. Luckily he wasn't into young boys so he didn't touch me. Also I was consider as a merchandise. One day, he decided to take me out of the basement after so long. I was blessed to have a decent bath and warm clothes though I knew why. I was 13. Like any other kid that leave that place. I was already Sold. I was so afraid but I can't do anything. I accepted it. I knew it but I was still afraid." Hans was about to say something but I spoke and he didn't want me to stop.

"Uncle. He was my Uncle." I chuckled dryly and hung my head low. "He threw me in a Van filled with women and children and there I saw and met her. Leila. My mom. She was wearing a disguise. She went in and got herself capture to save me. She found me. Once she did, she never let me go. I didn't know her then. I just knew she was warm and she held my hand tight. She embrace me tight." I smiled sadly at the memory. Even that horrid accident, that moment was a good memory for me. It was the first time I felt safe and warm.

"Leila.." I lost my smile. "Bryan, my Dad was in for a mission to stop this at once. Uncle wasn't having it. He didn't want to loose so he ordered his men to kill all the merchandise."

"Jacob.." He finally spoke and his voice was quite and it broke.

"They started to shoot everyone and Leila had my eyes close and wanted me to sleep but I can't. She was also, shot. Before I was shot as well, Bryan came and rescued us. Leila survived. I survived. Hundreds.. died. Kids same age as me. Even younger. They all lay down as if they were sleeping peacefully. I tried to reason out with my mind back then. That really I wasn't seeing dead children, I wasn't seeing dead women. They are sleeping. Even Leila who is bleeding in the ambulance was only... sleeping."

I finished my coffee and eyed Hans who now had an expression that I couldn't apprehend. Pain? Fear? Sympathy? Anger... or might be even a mixed of all of that.

"I needed years of treatment. Therapy after therapy. Apparently I was really traumatized. Though I am cured now, I guess. Sometimes, I still get episodes. Short episodes, very light. Some, really dangerous. Once I had an episode and I almost drown my self, All I saw was blood everywhere. I just wanted it to end." My eyes glued into nowhere. Gray eyes seemed dead as I saw my expression by the tinted glass walls. I felt cold. Then warmth flooded me.

"Jacob." Hans was hugging me. His whole body was trembling. What's wrong?

"Jacob... My angel. Oh God, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Is he crying? I couldn't tell because his face was buried on my shoulder. Though his shoulders were shaking.

"Why are you apologizing?" I sighed and hug back. Surprising myself that I did. He just felt so warm now but his hand on my nape felt cold with sweat.

"Funny how you're a doctor and you fell in love with a patient with no cure." I muttered and I finally heard it. His cries. He was really crying for me. Why? To waste tears for me. How come you can do so much for me?

***********

"Ice?" I laughed dryly as I place an icepack on his face. He muttered something but I didn't hear, It's probably thanks or a curse. He place the pack over his eyes and lean backwards. He really did cried until his eyes were swollen. We had this private room for almost an hour now. He also spilled that this café was own by a friend so he gets privileges, he only used now.

"Don't think about it too much. You're the one who wanted to know this. I wasn't avoiding you without reasons. I have issues. I can't have you all over me when I am like that. I really don't want--"

"Don't tell me you don't want me. Please don't. Well at least not here when I just cried for the first time in 8 years." I chuckled. Feeling lighter all of the sudden. Maybe because I told him a story I never once spoke off and that he cried it out for me.

"So why did you cry 8 years ago?" I ask out of curiosity and he peak at me and then press the pack on his eyes again.

"Because I was cooking and the onions got to my eyes. This is probably the first time I cried without help on an onion, since I was five when I fell over a slide and hit my face." Cutting onions count? I laughed and his gesture was fast and it made me frozen. He held my cheek and peck my lips. He just kissed me!!!

"You laughed. It's lovely to hear." He smiled and place the pack back on his eyes again.

"Let me ask. Just one more thing before I start to do irrational things." I shook my head recovering from his attack.

"Why did you kissed me?!" I yelled.

"Because! Now focus." He eyed me and glared. I sighed and waited for his question while calming my heart beat.

"Is that "uncle" dead? If you say he is alive I swear to God I will be a murderer in the next 10 seconds." I grab his shoulders and leveled his height which is not easy so I stood up. His arms instantly wrapped around my waist.

"Stop it!" I sighed again for the 100th time.

"No. He was killed back then. I told you. Me and Leila are the only once who survived." He release his pent up anger with a deep exhale and then breathed in my scent. His nose burying in the crook of my neck. Then he lied his cheek on my chest, hearing my heartbeat, smiling when he heard it beat faster.

"Accept me. Please Jacob. Angel, accept me because I don't what I'll do if you went away or get hurt, or be out of my sight. I wanted to hold you, hug you..." He look up at me, I felt taller now when he's sitting down and I am standing like this.

"Kiss you." His eyes drifted to my lips and then back at my eyes. "Those eyes. I don't think I can have a day without seeing them." This all too much.

"Take it slow, Hans. I might run off again if you keep on pushing forward like this." I almost pull away but he held me firmly in place.

"I'm sorry. I just. I just love you... I fell in love with you the moment you held my hand and saw you. Cliché but I fell in love with you at first sight." He kissed my collarbone then my neck and I shivered.

"Please Hans."

"I'm willing to do anything you want. Just don't disappear." I nodded and he smiled. His perfect set of teeth showing off to blind me. I sighed to the 150th time this day and he held me close and I didn't complain.