Alex's p.o.v
Relaxed and comfortable in Noah's strong secure arms. The last thing that crossed her mind before sleep showed her the best parts of life, was Noah's last words... Trust me. Trust me. Trust me.
.
She woke up but now hugging Noah's pillow enjoying the scent. Weird to say she even went as far as to sink deeper into his warm pillow taking in its dry vanilla scent or maybe it was ocean breeze. Noah spared no expense on his pillow; they are just perfect. Her eyes cracked open scouting her surroundings, eventually when she looked up her eyes met amused eyes. Oh shit. Noah. There is no way she just did that. Covering her face with the culprit's hard chest, she mentally kicked herself in the ass.
"Hey."
Perhaps if she stays still, silent and close her eyes she will not see the attractive man hence forth embarrass herself more than she already did. Then by some miracle in turn the man will not be able see her. The moment she thought it worked, a laugh bubbled from the guy and his chest vibrated unfortunately her embarrassment flared.
"Are you not supposed to be a doctor?"
"I am still a student studying medicine."
"Prove it. What if I told you, I hurt?"
Curious and worried her weight must have caused his discomfort she immediately got up. Proud to say she was completely in healer mode elevating what possibly could hurt such a big, strong deucalion.
"My heart baby. Not knowing what's going on make makes me consider the worst"
"Ahg. I thought you were serious. I am not yet a licensed doctor although even if I was, I am still not that type of doctor..." She laughs awkwardly but Noah looks serious, "I just hate being alone sometimes, I am sorry to intrude. I do not know how I made my way here, I'm not a stalker I swear."
She sat up and her brain began to race. She did dig up information of him, and it had his apartment written. She was upset so she went to the first location she could think about, this time it wasn't the fae realm.
"Gather you did research on me... did I pass?"
He does not look upset. Noah is one of those surfer guys who cannot take anything seriously, is fate playing a joke on her? She looks into his eyes and he saw her, she acknowledged the big bad wolf and he reconized her.
"Oh, I literally contemplated going to a bar, but I was tired. I don't know, somehow, I found myself at your doorstep. I know embarrassed myself by acting like a child and sleeping over, I am deeply sorry for that. If I am overstaying my welcome, I can leave."
Before she got up, she was pulled into a sturdy embrace and she stiffened, as the seconds ticks she slowly relaxed. She does not feel repulsed or endanger, she's just seated in his embrace.
"No stay, I want you to stay with me for as long as you want. Your company will forever be welcomed here and in my arms ... Did you know Toby warned me about fate-"
She shut his mouth with her hand. It was crucial, she had to stop Noah from ruining this moment by mentioning another person's name while in his bed.
"Let us not talk about Toby. Please."
"Okay, as you wish... Do you want to talk about what has been bothering you?"
"It is nothing. Even if I was to tell you, you would just think I am being conceded or worse."
"I would never," he said gently, his voice low and steady. "In my eyes, you're the most guarded person I've ever met and that makes you even more intriguing. You're perfect, Alex. Smart, stunning… the sexiest woman I want to know everything about."
His fingers brushed hers, deliberate and soft. "In fact, one of these days even if it takes me waiting forever, I want you to open up to me. I want you to feel free around me. No masks, no shields… just you." He tilted his head slightly, locking eyes with her. "And I'm not going anywhere. Not unless you ask me to."
Then, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, he added, "Mhmm. But… since you don't feel like talking…" He leaned in a little closer, dropping his voice to a teasing whisper, "You're here. I'mhere. And in order to pass the time, I have a very fun idea." He wiggled his brows, giving her a playful wink. "No talking required. Just… participation."
He leads forward. Jumping out of his embrace laughing she fell on the floor. She did not fall hard enough it hurt, even if it did, she was distracted by this shameless man.
"Pervert. No."
"Then are you going to tell me?"
"Fine," she said quietly, eyes cast down for a moment before meeting his. "I have a rare condition called highly superior autobiographical memory HSAM for short. Most people just call it having a photographic memory."
She paused, fingers fiddling with the edge of her sleeve. "I have an eidetic memory. I remember… everything. Every detail. Every sound. Every smell. Every conversation. Nothing fades. No matter how much I try, there's no off switch. No way to forget." Her voice dropped, softer now. "It's not as cool as it sounds."
"So. That is bumming you out?"
Noah opened his arms to her once more, she did not think twice about slipping and sinking deeper in his embrace. She is comfortable and very close, intimate with a Deucalion. Although that fact scared her a bit, she realized her nightmare did not follow her when she is around this man.
"Kinda. I just needed someone, I figured since we already getting dinner, we can hang out before that. I did not expect to fall asleep like that and I did not want to bother my friends from their plans."
"We can stay like this for as long as you wish."
"Thank you."
.
True to his word she remained in his arm till her stomach roared its dismay. Hoping the man did not pick up her embarrassingly long growl.
"It looks like it's too late for the reservation I made. I don't really know how to cook, but I don't mind making you something-" Noah offered, already shifting to get up.
Instantly, Alex flashed back to Lucas's failed attempt at impressing Toby. The kitchen had turned into a war zone, thick smoke triggering the alarms, water flying everywhere as they tried to fix it. The food? Burnt beyond recognition. The pots and pans? Permanently disfigured and tossed straight into the bin. It was a catastrophe. That memory was enough to snap her back to the present, alarm bells ringing in her head. She couldn't let that happen again not tonight, not ever. With wide eyes and a quick hand, she reached out and gently stopped Noah from getting up.
"No," she said softly but firmly, her fingers gripping his wrist. "Just… no." She wasn't ready to live through another culinary horror show. And she definitely wasn't ready to pretend to enjoy it."No. No. No. No. Stay. I mean don't. I can make something for us to eat. I can cook."
She got up and went to the kitchen. Gosh this man's bachelor lifestyle deprived him from owning the basic necessities. Gosh, this requires a miracle if there are to be results.
"Goodness. Your kitchen is lacking a lot of things. How the hell have you survived this long? You barely have the basic necessities."
"I'm glad I found you then. At least now I can eat you and what you make."
"Stop teasing. Get your butt here."
She kept looking around and she found two carrots, two packs of ramen noodles and that is that.
"Yes? Is the butt cute?"
She flushed not expecting that response, she steeled her expression by focusing on making food for her empty stomach.
"Stop teasing. Come peel the carrots and chop them up... It looks like we will be using one pan."
Real women give up especially when it was evident the task is impossible. There is no way she can turn water into wine. She dropped the packet of ramen; the alpha wolf faced her, and she laughed she's really giving up.
"Haha. This is not going to work out; in fact, it will drive me insane... So, let us go to my flat it is way smaller than this but at least I have a fantastic, stocked kitchen."
For the first time she felt free to be herself with someone in such a short period of time, coming to Noah's place proved to be a good choice.
.
The alpha drove them to her place. Somehow, he knew the directions to her flat. How he knew was beyond her, she did not ask questions she did not want to know the answer too.
.
The two together were a killer team and with help from the goofy chef they made a delectable spread.
"There is no way you will finish that."
"There are two seats on the table."
"I will just have rice and fish."
"Are you on some sort of diet? You made this gorgeous spread and you barely eating a third of it."
"If you do not finish, I will box it up and give it to Lucas he also barely remembers to eat. Although now he has someone who has the right to care, Toby might not be pleased with my feeding his Lucas. So, what about you have the leftovers?"
She has this compulsive urge to assure the alpha that she is currently fighting the bonds of their sort of relationship. She does not know why she needed to assure what her damned wolf considered 'hers' is taken care off.
"Alex. Look at me. What are your reservations really about?"
"Agh. Unlike you, food goes to undesirable placesh. That is why if you keep pushing me you will get me a full-time membership card at the gym."
"Hey, I love all of you and that will never change. So, if a gym membership card makes you happy. Okay. Uh... Here. Now I would love to feed that ass."
"You are shameless, you know that?"
Somehow, she got immune to the dirty double meanings in his flirting.
"This counts as our first date, right?"
"Yes. I cooked and you will wash the dishes so yes."
.
"So, what do I get when I win the Moon competition for Engineering?"
He asked drying the dishes, somehow the man washed dishes wrong and by wrong she means just washing the top and not the bottom because: "We only ate from this side, who cares about the bottom?" Her eye did twitch after that question, and she took the sponge and started washing dishes instead of fighting the impossible situation.
"Whatever your faculty decides to give you. Lucas got flowers, ribbons and I think there is a cash price," she shrugs. "I don't know, I think it is up to your faculty."
She shrugs, she's average in everything but her brain. Knows what the faculty of health science do for their candidates, Noah falls under Jayden she's sure Jay can communicate everything to his junior.
"I mean from you."
"Oh. Uh. Nothing." What does she have to do for a competition not of her design? "Speak to you leader, Jayden."
"Promise to do me a favour - Uh. Trust me it is nothing like that," he raises his hands in surrender. "I didn't-"
"I know, win first then we will talk."
"Deal."