CHAPTER 35: Taste good

"Stay on the floor. I'm taking a shower first," I ordered him as we stepped into my room on the second floor.

I didn't actually rent the entire apartment, just a single room. It was a modest two story building with three rooms on each floor. My room was small and barely furnished. It had only a single bed, a study table tucked into the corner, and a small wardrobe where I kept my modest collection of clothes.

I caught Helios scanning the room with his eyes.

Shaking my head, I turned my back on him, grabbed a towel, and picked out a fresh set of clothes from the closet.

The disparaging comments those guys made earlier, especially Yuan’s remark about my place, suddenly flashed through my mind. But honestly, I couldn't care less about what Helios thought of it either. I hadn't asked him to come in. He chose to come here on his own, so he could just deal with it.

I went downstairs to my private bathroom and took a shower. A few minutes later, I finished up and changed into my sleepwear, a simple white shirt and a pair of loose black trousers.

I didn't own any actual pajamas. I'd never bothered buying any because I always thought they looked tacky. Loose, oversized clothes were what I felt most comfortable wearing.

When I stepped back into my room, I found Helios lying on my bed with a pillow draped over his face.

I planted my hands on my hips, instantly annoyed. "Who said you could lie on my bed?!"

Startled by my sudden outburst, he scrambled to sit up and accidentally tumbled off the bed, landing flat on the floor.

"I said sit on the floor, not lie on my bed," I snapped while drying my hair with the towel.

Now sprawling on the ground, Helios looked up at me with that same playful, mischievous grin, like he was ready to pull another trick at any second.

"Sorry, Neo. I just wanted to test out your bed," he drawled with a smirk.

I scoffed, ignoring him as I walked over to my study table where I had set down the bag of mangosteens. I pulled one out and immediately dug in.

I sat on the chair and turned it around to face Helios, who was now sitting on the floor with his back resting against my bed frame.

I glared at him while he stared right back at me. His mouth was shut, but his speaking eyes said enough to ruin my mood even further.

"Neo, seeing you eat the mangosteen I brought you..." He paused, flashing a wicked smile. "It makes me really happy, and..."

I raised an eyebrow at him, so he threw another teasing look my way.

"...and it makes me horny," he confessed unfiltered, completely unbothered by what I might do to him.

Without hesitation, I grabbed a mangosteen from the plastic bag and tossed it at him. It hit him squarely in the forehead, making him groan.

"Aww!" he winced while rubbing the spot where it struck.

"You deserve that, asshole!" I snapped, popping another piece of the fruit into my mouth.

He pouted while massaging his forehead. "You have no idea how hard I worked climbing that mangosteen tree... only to..."

I arched an eyebrow. "Only to what?"

"Only to find out there was a picking pole all along."

"Idiot." A faint smirk tugged at the corner of my lips. "Who told you to climb the tree in the first place? You're so stupid."

He pouted even more. "I just knew it was your favorite."

His words caught me off guard, and I froze mid-chew. "How did you know this was my favorite?" I asked, holding up the fruit in confusion.

He folded his arms, the corners of his lips curling upward. "How could I not know that? I told you, you're my other half."

I rolled my eyes and threw another piece at him, this time just a peel. He caught it effortlessly and hit me with another smirk.

"Stop it with that 'other half' nonsense! You've been at it since last night. You want me to cut you in half instead?" I replied sarcastically, utterly exasperated by his antics.

He winced, clutching his chest dramatically. "Wow, that's dark. You're actually scaring me." Though his words sounded fearful, his eyes were dripping with mischief.

I glared at him. "Do you know I almost killed someone earlier?"

He suddenly stood up.

For a second, I thought the idiot actually got scared. But the moment he opened his mouth, all I could do was shake my head in disbelief.

"Really? Why 'almost'? You should've finished the job," he said. I couldn't tell if he was being serious or just joking around.

"Right? Such a waste. What if I just kill you instead?" I challenged, staring him down.

He shook his head, running his eyes over me. "You look stressed again." He reached into his pocket, took something out, and stepped closer to hand it to me. It was a strawberry lollipop, the exact same kind he gave me the night of Yuan's match at the arena.

I looked down at it. On any other day, I would have refused, 'cause I had no sweet tooth and hated candy, especially lollipops. But looking at it now, I felt an unexpected craving.

I snatched it from his hand, unhitched the wrapper, and shoved it into my mouth. The sweet strawberry flavor coated my tongue immediately.

I noticed his gaze fixed on me, so I shot him a cold look. "What?"

He cupped his chin with one hand. "You're just really cute." He winked.

I glared back. "Can you shut your mouth? You're testing my patience, and my fist might just fly straight into your face," I warned, the stick still hanging from my lips.

His smile widened as he stepped closer with a lingering, provocative gaze. "Does it taste good?" he asked, unable to wipe the smirk off his face.

Instead of answering, I kicked toward his knee. He didn't budge. As I looked up, ready to chew him out again, he suddenly reached down and snatched the lollipop right out of my mouth.

My eyes widened in shock as he popped it straight into his own mouth.

He tilted his head back slightly. "Hmm... It really does taste good," he murmured, looking down at me with one corner of his mouth hooked up.

I gritted my teeth. "Bastard!" I muttered while massaging my temples in frustration.

He held the lollipop out to me again. "Sorry, I just wanted a taste. Here, you can have it back."

I glared at him and kicked his knee again while sitting down.

The idiot just laughed it off. I let out a heavy sigh. Would my life ever be peaceful? Was I really doomed to deal with a pest even inside my own apartment?

I pushed myself up from the chair, walked straight to my bed, and collapsed face-down onto the mattress.

"Are you tired? Want a massage?" he offered, his footsteps approaching the bed.

"Just try it and see what happens to you," I warned.

I heard his quiet chuckle. "Why are you always so hot-headed? I'm just trying to be nice."

I flipped onto my back and saw him sitting on the floor, leaning against my bed with his head resting on the edge of the mattress.

When I turned onto my side to face him, his eyes came into clearer view. They were brimming with emotion, so different from the cold, expressionless look he had the very first time I met him.

"I miss you," he said softly, his voice low and gentle.

I nudged his forehead with my foot, pushing him away from the bed. "Don't lean on my bed, stay on the floor. You wanted to be here, remember?" I snapped before rolling away from him. "And be quiet, I'm going to sleep."

He didn't reply, but I felt him lean closer to me.

"Good night, Neo..." His deep baritone sent an unexpected shiver down my spine.

"I hope you dream of me," he added, while a hint of playful mischief lingering in his tone.

I clenched my jaw. "Asshole!" I muttered sharply.

The last thing I heard was his soft laugh. Somehow, that low sound made my eyelids grow heavy, soothing me until sleep finally took over.