A/N: Disclaimer: Refer back to Chapter 1.
WARNING: FLUFF, WAFF, SUGGESTIVE THEMES
Chapter 10: Breached
And that was the way it had continued for the both of them…
He would ask for her hand and she would not deny him…
She would never deny him of that.
And for a time, neither complained; neither was deprived…and both were content.
The day that he had began to hold her hand seemed to fade in his mind as a time that was ancient.
With him holding her hand, it now seemed natural to him that he never really considered doing without it.
And he wondered, as he had always wondered, how she felt about their condition. While it was true that she had never complained, a thought of doubt would always find itself crossing his mind.
Serph looked at himself at the mirror and widened his eyes briefly as he thought he had seen a glimpse of Argilla's reflection.
He then shook his head.
It had been merely a day since he had last seen her, and the feeling of missing her had already begun to seep into his body. Without further thought, he proceeded to where his phone lay and dialed her number.
xxxx
Argilla raised an eyebrow as she saw the number from her phone's tiny screen.
"Serph…?" she breathed in doubt.
It was the weekend and he had never once called during the weekend.
In their work schedule, being six days a week, she knew that he needed that one day weekend as a time for rest and his time to spend with his family. She had known that about him from the very moment that they had met.
And she also knew that it was in that time that he would never entertain any and every phone call.
And for now, for him to suddenly deviate from his pattern of behavior and start calling her…
Well, it was definitely something that Argilla would call as a phenomenon.
"Serph?" she asked as she answered his call.
Argilla raised an eyebrow as he refused to answer and once more called his name.
"Hi…" Serph finally responded; his voice low yet sweet-sounding.
Argilla smiled, "What's up? Anything wrong?" she asked worriedly.
"Wrong?" he asked back; surprised, "Why would you say that?"
Argilla giggled as she heard and felt his evident confusion, "We both know that you never call during the weekend and we both know that you would never pick up any phone call from anybody either! Even if it is from me!" she said as she continued to softly laugh.
Serph couldn't help but release a heartfelt chuckle at that.
So she knew that too eh…?
"Was I that obvious…?" he asked slowly, his tone of voice curling upwards towards the last words.
"Hahaha…Don't really know. But to me, yea, you are…" she chirped cheerfully.
Serph closed his eyes as he continued to wear his smile and continued, "Well…I suppose you're right."
"Soooo…" she drawled, "What can I do you for?" she asked curiously; cutting to the chase.
At that moment, Serph's smile began to fade and there he opened his eyes, fixating his gaze upon an empty space within his room and released what seemed to him and her as a labored breath, "I miss you…" he breathed out.
Argilla raised an eyebrow in disbelief.
He called and went through all the melodrama so that he may tell her that he missed her…?
"You miss me…?" she repeated, "That's it?" she asked, wanting to make certain the fact that lain too bare in front of her to behold.
"Yea." he once more breathed out, "That's it. I just…missed you. I missed you a lot that I…"
Argilla's heart began to beat faster as his words began to materialize within her mind as she imagined and anticipated the next words that would follow…
'Don't Serph…Don't…Don't…' she internally prayed and chanted over and over…
No. She didn't want to hear it.
Ever.
A part of her already knew what he would say and although she initially agreed that letting him pour out his feelings on her would be good for him and his emotional health, she began to feel the seed of doubt be sown within her being as the days went by.
As the time they had spent together had gone and more seemed to be at the horizon, she knew that his feelings for her had only become stronger, intensifying…
And because of that, she knew that she was beginning to cheat him.
'I…I feel nothing for you…' she thought painfully…
"I miss you so much…So much that I can't stand it."
Argilla's heart stopped beating for but a moment as his statements flowed from his lips and reached her heart, consequently, pouring, along with it, poison within her bloodstream.
'Oh Serph…'
"Haha. Lame, I know." he chuckled painfully from the other line.
Argilla smiled poignantly but said nothing.
"Well, that's it, really. I just wanted to hear your voice…Anyway," he paused before continuing, "I have to go. Take care. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
Argilla opened her mouth to respond but didn't make it in time as he closed the line prematurely.
She sighed, "Serph…"
xxxx
It had been another week since that peculiar phone call. It had been a week since they had last seen each other.
She smiled cheerfully as the awkward feeling of having a lovesick puppy at her heels seeped from her body, replaced instead, with the gleeful anticipation of once more seeing a friend. She pressed the files she was carrying to her chest tightly as she walked within the halls of their branch office.
The smile that she wore widened and reached her ears as she laid eyes on the man that she had been wanting to see all night…and all week.
"Serph!" she exclaimed, consequently, startling the aforementioned man from his seat as he whipped around to face her.
"Argilla. You almost gave me a heart attack." he said with widened eyes before they calmed down.
Argilla grinned and stepped closer to him to which the young man leaned back, putting distance between them.
'Erm…isn't this a bit too close…?!' he internally shouted at himself, as his conscience screamed for him to do something as his personal space and moral core values were being invaded and overrun.
Gaining the desired distance that she wanted, or rather, the lack thereof and the desired response from her geeky yet dear friend, Argilla leaned towards him and grinned even naughtier and spoke calmly, "Almost…? Well then, next time, I'll make sure I do it right, ne?"
Serph gulped and laughed nervously.
There was just something in the way she had just stated her words that gave him the creeps.
Well, he supposed that he really shouldn't be surprised at her antics and its overall effects on him as she was…
'An oddball.'
"So, those are your First Sets?" he asked as he cleared his throat, nodding and pointing to the big bundle that she held in her arms.
Suddenly remembering a very important reason for her impromptu visit to their branch office at such late hours after closing time, Argilla blinked and looked at her files and nodded back at Serph, "Yea. Sorry for the delay. It's not like I'm holding the files…It's just that…"
Serph smiled as he saw her step back and fidget within herself, "No, not at all. I know you'll not hold the files."
Argilla blushed as she heard his comments.
Argilla sweat-dropped; somehow, for some reason, Serph seemed to give her more credit than she deserved…
"Anyway," she said as she dropped the heavy bundle upon Serph's arms, "I'll be at the pantry. I want a cup of coffee. You take care of these, okay?"
Serph could only stare at her as she hastily left the Processor's room and delved within the pantry's confines.
He smiled though.
He didn't think that he would be able to see her that evening…
His silver eyes began to dilate as his mind began to piece together the visage that so quickly entered and left his sight…
'That's a new outfit.' he thought with a nod as he recalled her simple white polo shirt and her grey skirt. A smile slowly crept upon his features and lips, 'She…She looks…pretty.'
He shook his head suddenly; what the heck was he thinking?!
There he was with his mind roaming here and there and finally transgressing what he had been taught to be decent thoughts…!
He felt rotten all of a sudden as he thought about it.
'A pervert…She would probably think that…' he thought pathetically.
'Of course not!' another side of him suddenly piped in. 'You're not doing anything wrong! Your thoughts are perfectly natural! You're a man aren't you?!' his other self roared.
Again, Serph shook his head, 'I think I'm beginning to sound like her…'
With his thoughts once more focused on her, on Argilla, rather than her choice of apparel, he unconsciously put the files onto his desk before standing up and leaving the room to follow his pink-haired beauty to the pantry…
xxxx
Argilla sipped her cup silently as her mind raced as he debated within herself on what to do about her intensifying conundrum about herself and Serph.
Her eyes narrowed as she concentrated.
"Have you your cup of coffee yet?" a voice asked from behind her, startling her lightly.
"Jeez! Don't do that!" she growled, nearly dropping the teaspoon and cup, startled. Making a face, she turned around to meet Serph's grinning face.
She frowned, "What's so funny?!" she asked as she set the teaspoon and her cup upon the counter, her hands now on her hips.
"Nothing. Just an eye for an eye." Serph responded slyly.
Argilla grumbled out a reply but said nothing nonetheless.
"So, how's business at the showroom?" Serph asked casually, as he strode over to where she was as he prepared himself a cup of tea.
Argilla raised an eyebrow before rolling her eyes, "You're the one with the reports! Why the heck are you asking me!?"
Serph chuckled as he stirred his tea, "I was just making conversation."
She was a tad bit too sensitive, wasn't she…?
"Well, then, I think you had better come up with better opening lines!" she barked roughly as she crossed her arms.
Having disposed of the teaspoon, he turned to her and sipped his tea, "Okay, if you don't like that, then…erm, what's going on with you these days? How's your health? Family?" he asked cheerfully, totally forgetting that his friend had again flared her oh-so foul mood that she was well known for.
If Argilla thought that there was no way in which Serph could be any lamer, well, she now knew that she was mistaken.
"Ack! Serph…! That's not the sort of questions that you should be asking!"
Serph tilted his head to the side in confusion. Had he offended her in some way? Well, if he had, he had better set the matters straight immediately seeing as it was not his intention!
"You've been one of my closest friends and still you don't know how to open a simple conversation with me!" she screeched as she glared at him.
Serph made a face.
She had really had to redefine the words "simple conversation".
"Sheesh!" she screeched, "You should know by now that my health and family are fine unless I say otherwise! And I haven't said anything to you of the contrary to that assumption, have I?! An assumption that you should have had in the first place!!"
Truth be told that Serph did not understand a word that she had spoken but with all things being equal, he was fixated on her all the same; fixated on her lips, more specifically.
He watched with great awe and blind astonishment as to how her full lips moved as she spoke her words with conviction and dare he say it, with brimstone.
Delving even deeper into his thoughts, his eyes widened and dilated even still as he pondered the intensity and passion that she endured just to put her trains of thought into words and expressions…
Serph's silver eyes pondered and wondered even still at the beauty that thrived before him…He marveled silently at her lusciously inviting lips that for a second or two, he had let his fantasies of her run wild…ignoring the shouting protocols that he had been taught as a child.
At that point, he would dare think to himself that indeed, in that evening, in the way that her apparel had embraced her slim and voluptuous figure, how her skin glowed, of how her pink hair glistened and shone…and how her full lips seemed to seduce him so…that she indeed, looked…
'Quite…sexy…'
Argilla suddenly stopped as she looked at the man in front of her. Her blood boiled as she realized that Serph had completely checked himself out of this reality and was basking in his own.
'Ack…! What's the point?! He's an idiot! He wouldn't understand the reasons for my outbursts!' she screamed at herself.
"Oi! Anyone home?!" she asked as she looked at him straight in the eyes, poking him lightly on the shoulder with her finger.
Serph suddenly broke from his trance as he felt her finger touch his shoulder, "Um, what were you saying?"
Argilla rolled her eyes, "I was just saying that you shouldn't ask me stupid and meaningless questions such as 'How's your health?'!" she exclaimed.
"You should cut the pleasantries and dive straight into action!" she said as her eyes flared up.
Serph scratched his head, "Erm…right. Such as…?" he trailed off.
"I don't know!" she said, "Probably such things as…How's your sex life going? Things like that!"
Serph literally shrunk on his spot as he heard the oh-so forbidden "S" word.
Seeing the overwhelming embarrassment on his face made the pink-haired woman giggle. She just loved seeing that reaction on his face.
"Hahaha…Oh Serph! This is the Twenty-First century! You have to lighten up a little! People have sex day in and day out! Everywhere! Anywhere! And how ever they want!"
Serph could've sworn that his head was going to explode as he heard her say such…vulgar terms and topics.
Sex wasn't supposed to be discussed! Least not with a woman! No matter how close they were!
"Erm, I hardly think that this is…appropriate…" he told her as he looked here and there, avoiding her prodding and probing eyes.
Argilla couldn't help but giggle as she saw his reaction.
He was so cute, wasn't he?
'What-with his face as red as a tomato, his eyes looking here and there and him fidgeting like a little boy desperate to go potty…? Hahaha…Yea, pretty cute.'
She then shook her head, "I'm sorry Serph." she said with an endearing smile, "I didn't mean it. I know you're the conservative dude…I shouldn't have imposed…"
Serph smiled at her lightly, "Thanks for considering me."
Her lighthearted smile then blossomed into a beaming one as she stepped towards him, holding out her hand for him to take and spoke, "Always Serph."
Serph chuckled and there took her hand and gave her a firm handshake.
Argilla began to pull back her hand when she felt his grip on her limb suddenly tighten and become firm. Her pink pools suddenly flew to his silver orbs, asking for an explanation…
She let out a calm breath as their eyes met and there held one another's gazes, an explanation, no longer needed…
Without words, the girl moved one step closer to her dear friend and there closed the gap between them as she embraced him.
She smiled a bit as she felt the man against her sigh softly, his warm breath tickling the side of her neck as his arms continued to hold her willing body prisoner in his firm yet emotion-filled embrace.
Argilla closed her eyes and sighed back but opened her pink orbs once more as she heard him whisper against her hold.
"Thank you Argilla."
"For what?" she asked; totally confused.
"For giving me my birthday gift early…" he said softly as he chuckled.
She then smiled and embraced him even tighter, basking in his masculine scent of pure sandalwood…
Ah yes. She had had a conversation regarding his birthday gift some many moons ago…
While she had offered that she would get him something, he had adamantly refused to receive anything from her…
With one exception.
"It's not a bother Serph." she spoke, "I know how stressed you've been lately; with the team target, Mortimer, and your other personal issues…So, I figured, that I visit you and…well, just come and see if there was any way that I can help."
Serph felt his heart leap as he heard her caring and generous words and there smiled all the more, "Again, thanks for considering me."
"Anytime."
Relaxing within his arms, as the world began to dissolve and melt around them, the pink-haired woman once more closed her eyes and there rested the side of her face upon the young man's shoulders…
She couldn't be in a better world, she reckoned…
And soon as quick butterfly kisses treaded upon the milky smooth skin of the side of her neck, the woman felt not an ounce of malice or surprise. And as if being pulled by the invisible hands of the gods, the woman felt nothing but ease and complacence as she was pushed lightly away from her male counterpart, their eyes, now hazy with desire, need, and emotion, now meeting. Neither spoke nor moved to the contrary as their bodies did the speaking, understanding, communicating and then closed all their distances and there shared their most arduous and fervent kiss…
Voices from beyond their worlds, universes seemed to scream, roar and howl all at the same time, commanding them to cease their seemingly vile act of traitorous transgression.
However, no matter how persevering and full of steadfastness these voices were, its efforts were only reflected and mirrored by their overwhelming and overpowering sensations of desire, want…and love.
xxxx