Note: Hello guys, Troublesome-monkey-dono signing in.

So…last time I updated it was exams and I really thought I had the time to write the next chapter. But it seems, graduating and all the paperwork with it is utterly a whining bitch. Therefore, I am not making this update well pass my last finals. And all I can say is, I'm just exhausted.

Anyway, I went back to the spiel I wrote in the fifth chapter, only to realize I literally rode myself into a wall. I wasn't sure how to advance after that certain bump in their relationship without me somehow turning this into some cliché Korean drama. That was not my intention. But anyway, we shall see how this works out.

Chapter 6: Possessiveness

"So Megumi, what do you want to do?"

He had posed such an innocent question that Megumi only blinked in response. Do? What do you mean do? Do what exactly? Was she even in a position to possibly dictate the course of their reckless, failed relationship? Precarious and certainly started with more than heaving abandonment, their relationship was simply not something she could carelessly experiment with as though she were merely retouching a recipe. She could not certainly just add a dash of…whatever it was they needed to fix their battered relationship in the hopes of somehow nullifying or even tempering it to a degree that was socially acceptable. Hell, she wasn't sure there was even a skill in the world any human poised to have that could.

So, here she was, trapped in Soma's arms like a frightened bunny, blinking up owlishly at him like a gaping fish. Because…well what else was there to say? Oh, I'm sorry Soma – kun, I don't know what to do. Can you kindly fill me in on what you are talking about? Oh, well yes, that would be the final bolt on the closing coffin that would be labeled their relationship.

Still, she couldn't help but inwardly swoon at the expression on Soma's face as he gazed down on her. He gazed upon her like he would when preparing a new challenging dish. It was filled with stark determination, a raw sense of passion, and unrivaled motivation. He stared at her as if he was willing to consume her, greedy and uncomfortably unfulfilled. And as she felt the stark heat of her cheeks, he cradled her impossibly close and huffed at her terrified face.

He hated that face she made. It was always a cross between wanting to run away and looking impossibly determined to accomplish something. It was the face, and he hated to admit this, but it was the face that aroused him the most. And he meant it. As confusing as it was, it was the face she made that made him want to draw her closer and closer until she was tangled around him because he just adored the way her eyes shined and her nose with scrunch up in such a way it reminded him a sniffing bunny. Cute, he supposed, it was very cute. But allowing himself to be tempted so easily at such in improper time was almost preposterous. It was stupid even.

"I…"

He perked up at the soft sound of her voice. Megumi looked decisively uncertain, biting her lip for a moment as she settled for staring at his exposed collar bones before finally looking up at him. With a grim tight line forming on her lips, she uttered three words that managed to break his heart and confuse him, all at the same time. "I want time."

"Time for what?" he rasped out, suddenly feeling his voice tightening. He wasn't sure why he was suddenly so nervous; why he felt anxiety peak well from within his stomach and felt nauseous and small. And there was no real unidentifiable cause for it. She had asked for time, not an agreement to end their relationship. Still, deep in the recess of his mind, he couldn't help the small voice that sneered at his stupidity. She's asking for a break you dolt.

"Time for…for…," she trailed of slightly, searching for the right words carefully, "I don't know." She finally acknowledged as she stared at him worried. She had asked for such a vague thing really. But, that's what her heart is telling her to do. She needs time. For what exactly, she wasn't certain. But this was an unacceptable answer she knew. Soma wouldn't really understand it at all. He would honor it, she was sure, but there would always be that confusion and hesitation is part. And well, she wasn't sure if it was even fair to ask him in the first place.

"Time for thinking," she tries to answer despite her lingering hesitation. Carefully, she placed her cheek against his left shoulder and nuzzled his neck almost affectionately. Sighing at his warmth, she couldn't help but relax in her position. "Time…to understand?"

"A break?" Soma's own voice cut through her musing so quickly, she had given herself whiplash as she ripped her head away from him only to stare at him in disbelief. A break? When had she asked for a break?

"Wha-?"

"You want a break right?" he whispers lowly. He tries his best to look physically unaffected. He does. And for the most part, he has a good poker face. But the strain of the pain he feels is like a wave and he is certain each pangs of his heart was a larger tidal wave that could definitely send him toppling one of these days. And as she prattles on, trying to perhaps make him feel better, he can't help but drown her out as he tries vainly to refocus his thoughts. A part of him, a selfish and prideful part of him, was practically whining at the news as he knew this was the beginning of the end of a special relationship he has personally placed all his cards down with the intent of proving everyone wrong that they can indeed stay together for a long time. They barely made it a month. How utterly pathetic.

"That's not what I meant!" He didn't feel her physically smack him against him until his body tensed automatically to prevent himself from falling backwards. But suddenly, he found himself bombarded with such intensity, he half wondered if it really was his girlfriend he was holding in his arms. "Don't be stupid!" she screeched again as she reached up to cup his face in her delicate hands. "That's not what I'm saying you idiot!"

He blinked in response, his mind a slow gear of oncoming emotions. For a moment, he almost felt like a scolded child who uttered something so wrong that his parent was forced to take him over the sink and scrub his mouth clean. And yet, as Megumi stared at him with such fiery intensity, he couldn't help bring himself further in her grasp. She looked pretty all fired up.

But it seemed his silence only caused a brief frame of eerie quiet to fall over them until he realized they were bordering on extreme awkwardness. For the most part, Megumi looked up at him almost aghast as though she couldn't believe she had another ill fitted outburst and couldn't think of anything to rectify it. And just like that it was gone as she took in an intake of breath and let out a watery smile. "I just…I think we just need to slow down is all."

And for once, the shock had been pushed away from him enough for him to collect his thoughts. Slow down huh? "Heh," he couldn't help but chuckle out almost wearily. The adrenaline is starting to pump away, leaving him feeling more fatigued and rather sore as his tense body relaxed itself. He grinned at her sheepishly, feeling almost foolish at his quick mind's rash judgement. All the same, he leaned closer, pressing his left cheek into her cupping palm and melted into a blissful sigh. "Yeah, slow down. We could do that."

They slowed down considerably following 'the incident' as the rest of the dorm eloquently dubbed it. How they had managed to follow the whole ordeal, Soma would never know. Not that he really wanted to know, though he was sure they made good use of the Isshiki – senpai's sneakingly devious and rather creepy method of lurking in shadows and rooftops as though the laws of physics and matter were not bounded to the dorm's internal structure. How that whole tirade worked, he was almost glad not to know for he was sure the devious bastard had drilled personalized entry ways in everyone's room.

The thought itself was almost terrifying if it weren't for that small irk he felt just thinking of anyone, much less a handsome – albeit fantastically gay-like – man such as Isshiki – senpai had the power of enter his girlfriend's rule without their permission. Not that Isshiki really passed the boundaries of their room, as he joyously pointed at and brushed away the matter before Soma could even voice more of his concerns. He knew, of course he did, that Satoshi would never harm Megumi. He would never harm anyone in the dorm, especially on a blatant threat such as sexual harassment. Though, his strip shows were an entire category within itself.

But still, Soma could not help it. He found himself growing entirely possessive of the girl, for she was an enigma herself, whether she realized it or not. It was not part of Megumi's character to particularly shine like a burning inferno for the world to see. It was the quiet peaceful stillness that made people drawn to her. It was like a charming and refreshing character that would breeze through a soft strewn sunny meadow. Megumi was like a peaceful, joyful retreat - A slice of heaven from the chaotic whirlpool of madness that was internally Totsuki Academy.

For a long long while, he thought only a select few people really knew of Megumi's charm. The dorm members and her home town not included, he could only count the number of people who truly witnessed Megumi's dazzling charm in action in his one hand. It was a crime, really, how small of a population knew of her talent. He had resolved, quite early in their relationship, to help her dazzle the world with her charm because the mere thought of her just withering away into obscurity was almost painful to think about. Even more so, he knew he was going to stand right next to her, starting a new cooking revolution alongside other talented people. He would rejoice at that knowledge, knowing that her talent was equally loved and appreciated just as he had come to do so. She deserved that much, he knew.

A large part of it came with working with other talented people. Chances came often in a setting like Totsuki, with Shokugekis being thrown around the place just as easily as classes run in an orderly fashion. He himself had a great amount of time dueling other greats, leeching away knowledge he knew could improve himself in the long run. Except, just as in any hard bound competition, he found that 'sharing' the knowledge of cooking came as a double edged sword. People in a competition to be the best hardly spent time sharing their own coveted techniques. Rather, they used it to their advantage to crush each other in competition. It is only there where they seemed to shine the most. For the most part, it was just an accepted truth that even Soma could agree to. He had come to learn to best from competitions anyway.

However sharing is a rather liked universal concept, even in a place as stringent as Totsuki. Sharing fosters an exchange of idea and facilitates quality improvement in an individual cook. Therefore, working in pairs, groups, and classes were done to encourage such exchange. In reality, of course, it creates a hierarchy of stress and tension, as most students in Totsuki treat their whole being and existence as a means to destroy the competition and weed out the weak.

For the most part, Soma couldn't care less. He had always been partnered with Megumi for most projects given in class and the cohesion between them was flawless, albeit a bit clumsy for her part and spontaneous for his. And really, he was fine with the set up. Most pair ups in class were done on the basis of friendships, solidarity and relationships. The Aldini Brothers were no different in their decision to be each other's partners in cooking as it were for Megumi and Soma.

At least until Chapelle-sensei, of all people, had noticed the frequent couplings in class and had halted the process by individually assigning them their partners for the next test. His rationale, as correct as it sounded, was that the mixture of different techniques learned from a number of different individuals created a unique union. Therefore the exchange of ideas, techniques and designs were ideally mixed around the classroom. Stagnancy, as he rationalized, could be the death of development in a cook's learning course, Soma could understand and appreciated the sentiment. He welcomed it joyously as a new learning experience.

Except, he didn't expect the new pairings to be a bit bizarre. Somehow, he didn't know how, but somehow he had managed to loop the Ryo Kurokiba as his partner. It was an interesting pairing to say the least. The pairing seemed almost too much to handle, it seemed, with Soma who magnified creative and boisterous energy as a fresh twist to the brazen and brutal torrent that was Kurokiba. The room seemed to gravitate on the pairing in question, knowing internally that the two genius cooks would whip up something extraordinary in their coupling. For the most part, Soma was excited about the prospect of working with Kurokiba who he had connoted as ferocious teddy bear with a magic bandana. He was sure that the pairing itself would be beneficial as this was the first time he would ever be working with the chef.

The other pairings were no less than interesting as well. Alice, herself, had been roped into partnering with Isami Aldini. She had accepted it with glee and threw herself in frenzy as she readied ingredients. Isami was perched on the stool just behind her, with the constant smirk on his face as he watched her rummage around for a large bottomed pot. He seemed all to cool and pleasant to be bothered with her own exuberant personality. The room half wondered what sort of dish they would even create with such opposing personalities.

And the last interesting pairing was even more confusing. Megumi had somehow wound up with Takumi Aldini. The two were friends, per say, but only mutually knew each other as two acquaintances who often crossed paths. Megumi, who was a softer personality, was often found having to calm down her boisterous boyfriend who more or less interacted more with the older Aldini brother than she ever did. Takumi, for his part, spent more time cajoling with Soma than he spent having a meaningful conversation with her. The arrangement had been flawless and unperturbed, until this very moment when suddenly both were trust upon each other. The two only found themselves staring at each other in awkward silence, neither knowing how to breech conversation.

Takumi, ever the Italian gentleman, knew he had to be the one to start the conversation. It was just that he didn't know how to properly approach Megumi at this point. She was known throughout the campus as Soma's girlfriend. She was sweet and innocent, with a certain bite and hearty determination that was admirable in a chef. Takumi knew she could hold herself in a fight just as easily as he could. Even more so, he also knew that she had witnessed his flustered, aggressive personality first hand when he interacted with Soma. In truth, he almost always forgets she was there for he had more or less focused on defeating the bloated ego-stricken Soma at his own game. He knew that she probably saw him as childish and feverishly competitive, which wasn't an image he was content with now that he was working with her. So now, now he wasn't sure what to make of her. Should he suggest what they should cook? Should he let her suggest something? How were they gonna work this out? Was she willing to be his right hand man? He was willing to take a backseat as well, but…

Decidedly, he tried to unlock the sophisticated charm he knew bested most women he met in Italy. He wasn't sure why this was his first approach, but it seemed to be the best course of action as he tried to correct her image of him. He placed a charming grin her way, hoping perhaps to cover her with his soft spoken demeanor. Of course, it was met with flustered sputtering from Megumi who looked even more embarrassed than when he had started out. Well, that was burning failure.

"M-maybe….we could…. The r-recipe," she meekly started, eyes darting away from him to zone into Soma. She found him arguing quite jovially with Kurokiba, who seemed more interested in staring into space than cooperating with him. He caught her flustered stare and gave her a thumbs up in return. She let out a comforted smile before she focused on the Italian in front of her. He was fidgeting in his spot, a crimson blush spread across his face as he coughed out awkwardly to rid his tension. Honestly, she wasn't sure how to work with him either. Takumi was efficient in cooking, a different way than Soma was. He worked diligently with the help of his brother, who didn't need to communicate with him to know his needs. And she understood that perfectly, but she wasn't Isami. She had no idea how he worked. But, that was the point of this exercise right?

Steeling herself, she let out a small smile his way and said, "Aldini-san, what would you prefer to make?" She chose to look at the benefits of this excerise, noting that she was more or less going to encounter Takumi's techniques and learn from them. While her specialty was more or less Japanese cuisine, she was more than open to learning more about Italian cooking, especially from a connoisseur like Takumi Aldini. So, really, she could put aside her own discomfort and just accept it as a learning venture.

Blinking slowly, Takumi took in the soft and forced smile on her face with some surprised apprehension. It was clear she was trying to make it comfortable for him, which was both clearly a gift and true to the personality he knew she had. "I…I was hoping you would have a suggestion Tadokoro-san," he finally answered. In truth, this was also a learning venture for him. He worked himself to the bone to perfect Japanese cuisine as he was studying in Japan. However, Megumi knew more regional dishes than he could ever hope to learn from books and videos. It would be interesting to have her input in his studies.

For the moment, the two just stared at each other. Megumi stared at him wide eyed and doeful, her mind working in circles trying to find a recipe that he would be content with. Takumi stared back, equally loss not knowing if she was willing to concede into learning an Italian recipe or perhaps working on fusion of both palates.

"Thirty minutes has elapsed," Chapelle-sensei's booming voice called out from his seat. He surveyed the class in amusement, nothing how the new pairings were more or less still ironing out their different eccentricities to come up with a dish that would satisfy him. He purposely created this exercise to allow them to experiment with their new pairings, wondering idly if they could ever learn to adapt to sudden change so quickly. For now, it would seem like they're struggling.

His gaze wandered off to examine the different pairings more closely. The most cohesive seemed to be Alice Nakiri and Isami Aldini's grouping, who were both stood over a boiling tomato based stew. Isami seemed to be smiling heavily as he listened to the younger Nakiri talk about the benefits of molecular gastronomy.

Shifting away, his gaze caught Soma Yukihara and Ryo Kurokiba. The two seemed to be more or less enjoying cooking with each other as they stood over a sort of grilled fish dish. Ryo seemed to be monotonously speaking to Soma who sucked up the information coming from his lips like a leech. However, he wasn't sure it was cooking that they were speaking off as Soma began to do exaggerated actions that involved him hugging the air. Shaking his head, he chose to move on to examine the rest of the class.

The other pairings seemed to be more or less starting with their dishes, having conversed about what was best to serve after receiving such vague instructions to make something 'good.' However, there are others who were even more confused and lost. He stared at the pairing of Megumi and Takumi who both stood staring at each other in a flustered sort of panic. Both seemed equally red and sweating as the two silently berated themselves for their idiotic tendencies. Thirty minutes had passed? Wait, what?!

Nodding to himself, he let out a satisfied smirk and returned to the book he was reading. It would be most amusing to see what this class could serve him now.

Soma didn't have a chance to talk to Megumi for the rest of the day having been swept about by their different classes and activities. It was only after dinner when the rest of the excitement died down and group dispersed to deal with their activities. It was then when Soma found himself heading to Megumi's room where he found his girlfriend sitting contently on the floor, a notebook propped on her lap as she absentmindedly bit into an Amaretto Biscotti. She had a plate next to her with more, which he happily helped himself with.

He plopped himself down next to her, content with her silence as he glanced down to what she was writing. It seemed to be a bunch of neatly written notes and recipes, half of which didn't make sense. However, he spied the words 'extra virgin olive oil' and 'prosciutto' enough to understand it was probably recipes she's gained from her new friendship with Takumi Aldini. The two seemed to have worked quite well with each, considering the circumstances, and gained an A rating from Chapelle-sensei with no problem. In the end, the two decided to try their hand in a Italian – Japanese fusion dish and made up their own version of Miso carbonara. He didn't have the chance to taste it, but he was sure it tasted good with the rave they have gotten from Chapelle-sensei who praised them on coming up with fusion dish.

The two had ended up extending their pairing over lunch as Takumi incessantly grilled Megumi on questions about various Japanese recipes, which Megumi was happy to answer for him. Soma was dragged away by Kurokiba, who challenged him to an unofficial Shokugeki. Alice and Isami were the chosen judges for the fight. Somehow, it had ended with the two pairings squaring off in a sort of brazen duel, with the couple refusing to admit defeat. Alice swore that the dish she made with Isami, a take on Arugula Saghetti, was better than the concoction Soma and Ryo created. It ended rather abruptly, with the four of them more content on eating their dishes than arguing over them.

Megumi's sigh bought Soma out of his musing as she stretched her legs and leaned against his frame for support. Grinning, he gathered the girls in his arms, easing his body behind her until she was cradled between his legs and comfortably leaning against his frame. "So," he prodded teasingly as he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a squeeze, "how was your day?"

Megumi chose to lean back, letting her head rest comfortably on the nook of his shoulder before replying with a soft giggle, "It was actually kind of fun."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Takumi – kun taught me a lot of recipes. And we even experimented with more fusion recipes. It was…refreshing."

"…Yeah?" he drawled out as he placed a soft kiss on her exposed shoulder blade. Sighing into his touch, he felt her ease her tension as he slowly began to rub down her arms. He heard the content playing in her voice and he was more than happy to extend that happiness by spending the night cuddling with her. It was almost a night time ritual with the two, who spent their evening in each other's company to summarize their day. At first, he thought it was a bit too cheesy like they were copying some romantic novel targeted to girls who dreamt of having a whirlwind romance. However, he found that those quiet moments gave him the time to get to know his girlfriend even more than he ever thought he could. It was nice to ease into a quiet, restful night with her.

Megumi chose that moment to turn herself fully around, straddling him lightly as she placed delicate hands on his shoulders. He mostly didn't mind the motion, knowing since the first time he held her that Megumi's body seemed to fit naturally into his. She gave him a satisfied grin, this time the amber hues of her eyes disappearing beneath the thickness of her eyelashes. She looked gorgeous under the dim light as he took in the slight stain of pink traipsed on the tops of her full cheeks. Slowly, nimble fingers brushed away the stray lock of hair shadowing her face before immersing themselves into her silky locks. "What did you two make?" he commented off handedly as he played with her hair, running his fingers through them softly.

"We mostly made desserts," she replied bashfully. "I liked the Green Tea Panna Cotta he made. It was smooth."

"I wish I was there to taste it," he whispered gently. "You should have been there too. Alice and Ryo made this fish dish with Balsamic pearls. The two could give us a run for our money if they cooked together." He said the honest truth in that statement. Alice and Ryo had cooked so easily with each other, the two knew each other's tricks and treats that they had simply incorporated it in their own cooking style. With that sense of familiarity, the two could easily best Soma and Megumi in a Shokugeki if they put their mind to it. But that was okay, for now, as the fledgling couple still had many things to iron out.

Megumi cocked her head for a moment in deep thought before choosing to lean in. She drew her face close enough now that the loose strands of her hair reached out to subtly caress his cheeks. In a startling rush of a moment, he felt the warmth of her breath on his nose as the blurred curtain of midnight blue hair brushed across the sides of his peripheral vision. The moment was easily gone before he was acutely aware of what had happened. She had given him a kiss. On his nose.

"When I get better at cooking," she murmured as she pulled away, "I want to cook something with you." He watched as brilliant flecks of light inside the depths of her eyes and she gave him a shy smile, regardless of her valiant and surprising approach.

He blinked back in surprise. He hadn't expected that motion. He welcomed intimacy just as easily but he kept himself grounded after their mutual agreement to keep this slow. So this kiss was a welcomed change. He almost felt absurdly like he was a child again. It was an almost melancholic sensation that was similar to the times he remembers his own mother teasingly kiss him on the temple. It made him feel vulnerable, ridiculous and so very loved all at the same time. It was an indescribable feeling.

"I'd like that," he answered back slowly as his wandering hands trailed further down to explore. He let his fingers dance on the back of her neck, noting how she shivered softly before fluttering down between her scapula to the slope of her lower back. The settled to where her shirt had ridden, exposing her soft supple flesh. Almost gloriously, he rubbed his fingers against them. She always did have smooth, soft, warm skin. "…maybe tomorrow we could….?" He trailed off, hinting that they should take advantage of the weekend to try new recipes together.

Smiling gently, Megumi deflated for a moment before shaking her head, "Ah, I'm sorry Soma-kun. I promised Takumi-kun that I would meet with him and teach him some regional dishes he wanted to try."

"Oh." He couldn't hide the creeping disappointment in his voice, not that he ever could from Megumi, but he tried all the same. Still, Megumi caught it just as quickly and gave him a chaste peck on the lips.

"I'm sorry," she whispered gently as she cupped his face with her delicate hands, "Maybe Monday."

As it turns out, Monday was not an option either. Somehow, Takumi had roped her into helping out with an event outside of the school premises. Soma only caught bits and pieces of the event as Megumi had literally run out of the door with hurried excuses and a kiss on the cheek. She said something about teaching kids, Italian dishes, and lemons. He wasn't quite sure.

However, because of her absence, he found herself wandering the campus looking innately bored and pouting more than he should. He didn't fault her on the enthusiasm she showed about helping as she was such an innately responsible and kind person. Of course, she would jump on the offer to help other people. But…still. He couldn't help but feel just a bit neglected. He brushed the thoughts away and focused more on the new recipe that's been swimming in his head. Perhaps he could try it out now. Anyway, they could perfect it once he could get Megumi to taste his work.

He had hoped they could cook again the next day, but it seemed the event had spread out through the course of the week. It was only three days after their night together did he have the chance to even sit down with her to have their nightly chat. He had left her alone for the first three days once it was clear that Megumi was exhausted after helping that she dragged herself through dinner, took a bath and went straight to bed. However, because she had come home an hour early and was considerably less tired than before, he thought the nightly chat would be a nice idea.

So they sat, cuddling close as he leaned against her bed. He showered her with more kisses than he knew she was comfortable with but he couldn't help it. He missed her presence. Three days without her was spent rather unproductively for his part as he didn't have someone willing enough to try his dishes for fear of choking and dying on a new concoction that he whipped up. Still, it was nice to finally have her back in his arms.

He was more than content on letting her speak about her experience as she seemed merry and enthusiastic about her new venture. "And then Takumi-kun…" she had droned on. Normally, he wouldn't mind her talking about Takumi Aldini so much. Of course, it was only natural that the two would be working close together as he was the one to invite her to assist in the event in the first place. But, the sheer amount of times she mentioned him was becoming unnerving to him. He didn't let himself be bothered though. Megumi was nothing short of faithful. Rather, he was quite relieved that she managed to make more friends with very colorful and talented people. He knew it would help her in the long run, as the business of cooking was often a mix of talent and connections. It always was.

He just didn't know how long he could keep up without being bothered by this new boiling friendship of theirs.

"He's very funny," Megumi confessed to him one night almost eight days after the start of the event, "but he tries very hard to be a gentleman. It's kind of cute."

He tries to keep the smile playing on his face as he nods and allows her to keep on talking. She prattles on about a new dish Takumi has shown her from the southern region of Italy. She's thinking of doing an Asian twist to it but she's not quite sure how it would turn out. "Maybe I'll ask Takumi-kun to taste it," she comments once more making him flinch in his spot, "he might recommend to use a different kind of spice."

He stays silent as he watches her, feeling his mouth draw itself to a pout more and more as the minutes pass by. He's no longer happy with the arrangement. He is selfish, perhaps, but he no longer wants to associate Megumi with Takumi Aldini. It was becoming a nuisance now. His girlfriend was gushing more and more about the Italian cook day by day, complementing him not only on his cooking but his fashion sense, his hair, his personality. "He's rather sensitive," she mentions once as a large grin etched its way on her face, "but I think that makes him really interesting. Don't you think so?"

No, he doesn't think so. He thinks that Takumi Aldini is spending an obtusely large amount of time with his girlfriend. It was far more time than he originally spent with Megumi and because of it his own time with Megumi was cut short to a measly one hour at night where he must content himself with her babble about how 'great' he was and how much of a 'genius' he is. He's over it. He's completely, utterly over it.

However, he doesn't have the heart to tell her to change the topic of conversation because he's never really seen Megumi light up as much as she has when she speaks of her new experience. He can tell she's learning quite a lot of from both Aldini brothers so who was he to simply stop that? He would much rather punch himself in the gut than stop her from the opportunity of learning. He wouldn't be a good boyfriend, yet alone a good friend, if he would do that.

But, that didn't stop him from feeling the burn of red hot envy when she mentioned the guy. Yes, he admits it. He is very jealous of Takumi Aldini. It was a delayed sort of jealousy, much stronger than he ever had following a defeat in battle. It was stronger now and much deeper than he originally thought as he let it fester and boil over for the week in silence. But, now that it was here to say he had no choice but to examine it.

"Takumi-kun just texted me!" she exclaimed as she examined her vibrating phone, "he said we could make gelato tomorrow. Oh! That would be fun to make!" He watched sourly as her face lit up in excitement, taking note of the joyous spark in her amber eyes almost glisten and radiate under the dim lighting of her room. Her smile widened even more at that thought, until she was exposing a generous amount of glinting white teeth.

Jaw clenched, Soma didn't move from where he sat and crossed his arms. "I'm sure," he said with a quipped reply, none too happy that Megumi didn't recognize the slight sneer in his voice as she busily texted back her new partner.

It stung Soma more than it should. He almost felt replaced. He was replaced by a blonde, blue eyed handsome menace with a charming smile and sexy Italian accent. He was replaced as a cooking partner, with Megumi becoming more and more excited about cooking with Takumi Aldini more than she was cooking with him. And, dare he say it, he almost felt usurped by the man as a lover. He had practically pried Megumi away from him, taking more and more of her time away from Soma. Even now, he felt like their precious time together, the only time they seemed to have with each other now, was being violated by said man.

And really, how fucking dare he?!

He had quelled his anger and bitter annoyance for the most part, but now he was beginning to feel severely depraved. He just missed her. He missed the way she would light up when he would announce they would try a new recipe together. He missed her calming voice. He missed her constant presence. He missed the stolen kisses, the intimate touches and whispered conversations. He just fucking missed her.

He felt the bitterness was over him and fester in an acidic pool in his stomach. He was frustrated, he knew and it was making him feel angrier than he should. But, he couldn't help it. Because…well… this time, was he really at fault here? He had tried to be the patient supportive boyfriend. He let her have her fun with that…that menace. He really did mean well when he said he wanted her to learn from other people. But, this was just too much for him now. Was he wrong for feeling that?

A small, even more confoundedly hostile part of him of him slowly whispered in his ears. "She should have caught on to his unhappiness. Can't she tell that he's not okay with this? She's being a bad girlfriend. It's not you, it's her." He knows his mind is finding a way to blame someone for this because he couldn't find a fault in his actions. Perhaps he was missing something here. Perhaps.

Or…perhaps it really wasn't his fault. Perhaps it was Takumi Aldini's fault because he's been a constant pain since the beginning. He's taken Megumi from him, perhaps with ill intentions to steal her away. He knew, more than anyone, how radiant and gorgeous his girlfriend was. She always seemed to cross the border between distinctly precious and motherly to sultry and strong willed. He was the first to recognize these qualities within her but who's to say that he wasn't the only male to recognize this. Takumi Aldini certainly wasn't stupid. He was a 'genius' as Megumi states, right?

He chooses not to obsess over that fact simply because he would be forced to examine another plausible reason as to why Megumi was spending such an obscene amount of time away from him. Perhaps…perhaps this time Megumi has finally made sense of his inadequacy as a boyfriend and resolved to find a man that suited her more. Takumi Aldini was a funny gentleman, right? He made her laugh and radiate with so much emotion that it physically hurt to know that he was failing at what seemed to be such a simple task. It is the self-pity that makes him drown the most, because he knows that his pride may not take the blow. Certainly if his pride cannot take it, his heart would shatter easily along with it.

"Soma – kun?" Megumi had finally taken notice of his uneasy silence, crawling closer to him with such palpable concern etched on her face. Soma looked uneasy and shaken, white faced and tense as he sat away from her. His withdrawal tonight was a surprise to her and it was a worrying sight. She's really never seen Soma Yukihara break down.

He eyes her almost beadily, not knowing whether to edge away or draw her closer. So he chooses to let himself sit immobile, his arms feeling like lead weights at his side. He feels his heart palpitate as she edges even closer until she is at eye level from him.

"Soma-kun?"

What would you do if you lose her?"

Megumi jolts from her position when Soma practically launches himself on her. He is all hands, grasping and groping everything he could get his hands on until they settle firmly on her waist. He is tense and shaking, a crumbled mess of fright and utter bitterness. "Soma-kun!" she yelps when she feels his shivering cold hands snake under her shirt, fingers slowly caressing the skin on the slope of her lower back. He keeps his forehead firmly placed on the crook of her left shoulders, feeling his ragged breath fan across her collar bones.

"Ah! W-wait! Soma-kun!"

"Don't leave me," he whispers harshly against her ear. She sits frozen in place for a moment, her mind clearly not registering his words once she feels his fingers creep up to dance along the back of her neck before he pulls her into a ferocious kiss.

He is all teeth, tongue and lips as he tries to place all his emotions into the kiss. He's never good with words. He will never be good with figuring out such complicated emotions. He would probably fuck things up as they go along. But he knows, he loves her far too much to be swept away by some Italian chef who proclaimed himself his rival. They may be rivals in the kitchen, but he was putting his foot down with anything else. Especially when it came to her.

"…Nnmh…," she let out a muffled moan in response as she tried vainly to catch her breath. He was far too vicious this time, not allowing her to catch herself and think about what was happening. But, she couldn't even begin to think straight. Not when her body is pressed against his, fitting in so naturally and gracefully it was almost unbelievable. Not when his kisses were burning her. Not when the nips he gave against her exposed neck were sending electric shocks through her body. Groaning in satisfaction, she could only hang on for the ride.

"…I missed you," Soma grounded out. He sent her a look that seemed to be filled with agony, which she quickly sought to erase away by sending more frenzied kisses his way. He obliged quietly, lips whispering breaths of heat into her skin, immersing herself in her warmth and scent and tasting her honey sweetness. He took his time to listen to the soft murmurs coming from her, placing it as a challenge to himself to memorize the motions of her mouth. His mind worked in various combinations and before long she was reduced to weakly slumping against him, sedated by the delicious motions of his tongue. She was enticed by the forwards, gentle and careful ministrations and then mindlessly struck the unexpected boldness that followed.

"Ah!" She found herself plopped in her own bed, bouncing slightly as the springs bobbed under her. With subtle dexterity, Soma climbed on top of her, showering her blind with soft kisses and heated whispers. She was left breathless and flushed, groaning as he traveled pass her collar bone to lightly peck upon the exposed area of her upper breast. He was now entering untouched territory. But, she wasn't sure she was ready for this.

As if he read her thoughts, he simply looked up to her with a small smile before loving up to give her another passionate kiss. "It's okay. I just…I want to hold you for tonight," he whispered before entangling himself with her, entwining their legs together before settling down covered in her sheets.

It was only when she managed to clear away from her sedated state when she propped her chin against his torso too look up at forlornly. "Soma-kun?" she whispers under the darkness of the silent room, "what's wrong?"

Soma tenses for a moment before looking down, taking one finger to brush away at the stray lock across her forehead. He looked unsure for a moment, going from a pendulum on confusion to contentment as he lay there with her in deep thought. Finally, he answers her with a small sigh.

"Nothing. I'm fine."

Note: Hm, I don't know what I created here. I think I was aiming for tension while touching upon some obvious relationship obstacles almost every couple goes to. While I touched upon Megumi's own insecurities, there was no way I was glossing over Soma's own. When In a relationship, I don't believe that only one person would have insecurities over it. That wouldn't make sense. Hopefully, I kind of made it clear in this chapter.

Hopefully, now I have the time to finish this story as I finally graduated. (Sort of). Anyway, I would love some advice on how you guys think this story should advance. I'm open to suggestions as for now, I only made vague plot in head.

I apologize for the numerous grammar and spelling mistakes. And thank you very much for the reviews, favorites and follows. Those are always helpful in motivating me to write more this adorable couple.

Cheers!

Troublesome-monkey-dono signing out.