Gah! I know I took forever. I apologize. Part of the time was spent in chaotic packing/ traveling/ unpacking. Then another part consisted of figuring out whether or not I wanted to continue this or just leave it. But I received so many lovely comments that I decided to continue. Also, a great thank you to Kalilong7 who helped me a great deal figuring out what to write for this. Thank you!

Anyways, without further ado, I present the next chapter of Coke and Chocolates.

Although the game was an interesting one, Chloe had already seen it. She managed to watch some of it, but she was just so comfortable with Alek's arms wrapped around her and she felt so cozy snuggled into him that she ended falling asleep in his arms on the couch.

This didn't go unnoticed by Alek. He knew that he would have some sort of effect on her, but he thought that the effect would cause him to smirk, not to look at her and think how innocent and just… beautiful she looked while she was relaxed.

She had been sitting on his lap, legs spread out on the couch, and her head was tucked into the crook of his neck. He was practically cradling her like a baby.

Alek had decided to finish watching the match by himself, occasionally allowing himself to get distracted by the image that Chloe was in his arms. Once it was over, he turned off the TV and decided that it was time for both of them to go to bed.

He wrapped one arm around her waist and he hooked the other under her leg. He slowly got up, making sure that he didn't startle Chloe awake. That, unfortunately, did not go as planned.

Chloe moaned and started to wake in Alek's arms. He was already on the first stair towards her room. Instinctively, her arms snaked around Alek's neck to secure her position in his arms.

"Sh, sh. Go back to sleep, I've got you," Alek assured her, whispering to not wake her even further. He got a sleepy moan for Chloe in response, making him smile. Not smirk, but smile.

He finally made it up to Chloe's room and managed to put Chloe's feet down onto the ground, but still support her with the arm that remained around her waist. Thankfully, she was still half asleep. Although she was very close to drifting into her dreams, she still managed to kind of hold her own, making Alek's job of pulling back the covers without have Chloe fall much easier.

Once that was accomplished, Alek slipped his arm under Chloe's knees once again and lifted her before placing her on the bed. Chloe instantly curled up into a tight ball, but she was wearing jeans and a scarf and a thick sweater and Alek knew that that was not the most comfortable way to fall asleep. So, in a loving, not a lusting, way, he stripped her of her clothes, leaving her in just a tank top and her undergarments.

In his defense, he was supposed to be protecting her. And he was tired himself. So what better way to protect her while being sleepy than with his arms wrapped tightly around her under the covers?

At least that's what he told himself when he slipped under the blanket and collected Chloe in his arms after he turned off the lights.

Chloe, however, had a clearer conscious about this and was more than willing for this to happen. Provided, her judgment wasn't in its ideal state since she was so tired, but it already seemed like a habit to snuggle into Alek's body, even though they shared their first kiss merely an hour ago.

He was just so warm and comforting. He made her feel safe. But it wasn't the boring kind of safe. Dating him, or being with him, at least, wasn't safe. He saw through all of her bull shit and he knew her for the raw Chloe that she was, whether she liked it or not. He knew her inside and out, flaws and all, and yet he still wanted her. But she still felt safe with him. Maybe because she knew that he knew her better than anyone else. Maybe because she knew that he would risk his own life for hers. Maybe because she knew that he didn't see her for some damsel in distress but still felt the need to protect her. She felt safe with him, and it was pretty scary.

Although it was dark in the room, Alek could still see Chloe clearly, thanks to his cat-night vision. He admired how the soft light from the moon fell on her, keeping half of her face in the dark. He'd never seen a more beautiful sight in his life. Chloe seemed to be so relaxed and peaceful when she slept, especially in this light. Alek could spend days just looking at this image in front of him. He contemplated taking a picture with his phone, but decided against because she knew that no camera, especially a crappy phone camera, would do Chloe any justice. It would even be an insult to her.

Chloe moved in Alek's arms, snuggling her head even more into his chest. Inhaling her scent, Alek smiled to himself, readjusting his grip on Chloe's body. He could feel his eyelids dropping downwards but he just wouldn't let them fall. He had fought off this feeling for so many nights on Chloe's roof or in the tree across her window, but he'd never been surrounded by warmth and soft covers before, making this battle the most difficult. But, on the other hand, he never had such a sight in front of him before making him want to stay away.

Unfortunately, the battle did not last long, as Alek's eyelids finally fell down while he was taking in Chloe's smell.

Chloe woke up from one of the best nights of sleep that she has ever gotten. She didn't want to open her eyes, but she could see the sunlight through her eyelids. She groaned and was just about to stretch until she realized that she was being restrained by a pair of muscular arms covered in a thin layer of some soft cloth. Her eyes instantaneously shot open, only to be met by the sharp and attractive features of Alek's face. His lips were slightly parted, allowing the oxygen to fill his lungs and let his chest rise and fall against Chloe's body. He was sleeping on his side, and so was Chloe, which was probably making the arm under Chloe's waist slightly numb.

Chloe was slightly confused as to how she got into her bed and how she got into this undressed state. She tried to remember and vague images of being carried up the stairs and leaning on Alek successfully entered her mind. She smiled sweetly at Alek, even though he couldn't see it.

She wanted to lie here in bed for a while and admire Alek like he admired her before he fell asleep, even though she didn't know about that. He was just so innocent in front of Chloe right now. It wasn't something that Chloe had ever expected to see. She always knew him to be the guy that would tell her with a serious face about the perils of her role in the world of the Mai or about the dangers of being careless. When he wasn't doing that, he walked around with such a smug expression on his face that Chloe couldn't help but roll her eyes every time she saw it.

But now, this man that was lying next to her, with her, even, was just a familiar stranger. It was a side of Alek that she never got to see before, but was glad that she was able to this morning. His lips were tugged up a little bit to form a gentle smile and Chloe hoped that, because of what happened last night between the two of them, she would see that gentle smile more often.

There was a strand of loose hair resting on Alek's forehead that Chloe was dying to push away. But, she knew that, if she were to touch his hair, Alek would wake. And Chloe knew that he needed his sleep. She knew that he has been outside of her room for nights on end, getting no sleep and watching over her. As much as she did appreciate the protection, she knew that right now, in the daylight, she would be able to protect herself, especially when she was in such a good mood. And he really needed his sleep. Who knows when he'll decide to slip under her covers and protect her from there again!

Chloe realized that she was being tempted by a strand of his hair and decided that it was time for her to get out of bed.

Although Alek's hold on Chloe was close, it was also limp from his status of being asleep, so it wasn't difficult for Chloe to gently slip out of his grasp and out of bed. She tip toed, even though with her cat-like steps it wasn't necessary, out of her room, making sure that she didn't wake Alek in the process.

She eventually managed to slip downstairs quietly and not wake Alek in the process. At least, she hoped she succeeded. Chloe found herself alone in the kitchen and decided to put herself to good use and make breakfast for herself and Alek.

Alek woke up to cool sheets, although he remembered falling asleep to warm ones. He automatically sat up with panic written all over his face when he didn't see Chloe in the room. Within 10 seconds, he managed to go from slightly concerned to full out panic mode until he heard a crash of something coming from downstairs, accompanied by a word of profanity from a certain blonde Mai.

Alek crashed against the pillows, waiting for his heart rate to return to normal. Damn that Chloe, she didn't even leave a note, Alek thought to himself. He abruptly sat up, in shock of his own thoughts. He was acting as if she was his. As if she had to report back to him. With this completely irrational sense of possession. He didn't even have any idea as to where they stood at the moment. Were they friends? More than friends? Did Chloe slip out of bed to avoid any conversations about what happened last night?

Before he could reach panic mode again, he chose to get out of bed and head downstairs to see what kind of a mess the object of his affection created. When he got down, the sight that greeted him was absolutely breathtaking.

Chloe was listening to a light summer love song. She had cleaned whatever mess had appeared and was bouncing on the balls of her feet to the beat, shaking her head from side to side, mouthing the words as the singer sang them. She was making what apparently was French toast. At least, that's what Alek thought.

Alek could stand, leaning against the wall, and watch Chloe dance and cook all day long. She was just so striking.

After a while, Alek decided to join Chloe in her dance. He pushed himself off of the wall and made his way silently towards Chloe. As she put the spatula in her hand onto the counter, Alek took her hand and pulled her into him and began to dance with her.

My girl, I'd cross the whole world for someone like you
Oh oh, no matter where I go, oh oh,
My unpredictable girl, you're impossible girl,
You know that it's true, oh oh, no matter what you do
I'd cross the world for someone like you
Someone like you; a girl like you
Someone like you

Boy, did those lyrics reflect what Alek was feeling as he twirled Chloe around. Not a word was uttered between them, but Alek was wearing a smile the size of the sun on his face and Chloe was laughing so freely. Alek reeled Chloe back into him and put his hand on her lower back. They swayed at a quick pace, just being silly and having a blast. Chloe laughed and threw her head back, her hair tickling Alek's hand.

Once she looked back up, they were swaying slowly in the living room, food being the last thing on their mind. It's like they had melted into an alternate universe. Not even the music was reaching them now. Alek took his hand out of Chloe's, keeping the other hand on her back, and brushed away a stray lock of curls, tucking it behind her ear.

"Good morning," he whispered before leaning in a pressing his lips gently to Chloe's. He could feel her smiling into the kiss as she responded. They pulled away for only a moment.

"Yes, it is," she whispered back as she stretched to meet Alek in another long kiss.

"You know, if you two keep doing that, your French toast is going to burn the entire house down." Both of the blonde Mais turned around to find none other than Jasmine with a smirk on her face as she stood in the kitchen and flipped the toast, finishing what Chloe had started.

"Oh, hello there, cousin. Nice of you to drop by. Yes, please, do come in. You're not interrupting anything at all." Alek's classic trademarked smirk was back on his face, but he still had no immediate plans to let go of the girl that made genuinely smile that was in his arms at the moment.

"Gee, Alek, thanks for the hospitality in a home that's not yours…" Jasmine drifted off, making a point and counteracting Alek's attempt at being… Well, a smart Alek. "Morning, Chloe!"

"Hey, Jasmine," Chloe gently left her spot in Alek's arms and starting making her way towards Jasmine. "You know, you really don't have to do that, I can finish it off."

"Nonsense!" Jasmine replied. "I'm making a few extras for myself anyways." She redirected her attention to Alek for a moment. "Alek, go home and change into some training clothes. We're going on a jog for some light training this morning once we're done with breakfast."

"Yes, Valentina," Alek mocked. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Alek quickly pecked Chloe on the lips before rushing out of the door.

A silence struck the two girls as Jasmine proceeded to cook. The table was already set so Chloe just leaned awkwardly against the counter.

"So, uh, you and my cousin, huh?" Jasmine chuckled. It was a side that Chloe hadn't seen before.

"What?" Chloe shrugged defensively. "I couldn't help myself!"

Both girls laughed in response, not knowing that Alek was still within hearing distance, grinning like a little boy in a candy shop.

Viola! I have done it! I'm so sorry it took forever, but, hey, better late than never!

For anyone who is interested, the song was Someone Like You by The Summer Set.

Just as a heads up, to anyone who is interested in an action filled, serious plot line, you're not getting any of that here, sorry. I'm not very good at writing action sequences, and I really just want this story to act as a fluffy, just for fun, Alek and Chloe story. Each chapter can stand as a one-shot, but they are all connected by plot, kind of. At least that's what I'm aiming for.

Anyways, thank you for reading, and I would really appreciate it if you could review this chapter/ this story. Thank you!

Oh, and I'll try my best to update the next chapter as soon as possible!