A ‘Business Trip’

Elara sat in her room staring at her phone with an anxious look. She had been trying to contact Terrence to no avail, and it made her panic at the thought that something could have happened to him. 

She was so anxious she was barely listening to the show on the television and was scared the hell out of her mind when a scream erupted from the horror show. 

Elara: ..... 

Elara sighed in annoyance deciding to turn off her television as her attention was not on it. She reached out to her remote only for her phone to ring. 

Startled, she picked up her phone nervously and was greatly pleased to see who the caller was. 

"Hello?" Elara answered, "What? You're at my door?" 

Immensely surprised, Elara opened her door to come face to face with a hoodie male with a black mask hovering over the door. 

Instantly, the man fell into her arms, embracing Elara passionately, who returned the hug with equal fervor. They ended up in each other's arms for quite a while before Elara invited him inside. 

Terrence sat silently in the living room while Elara poured him a drink, his now favorite beverage—soymilk. 

He took off his mask, tossing it to the side as he pulled off his hoodie cap letting his hair fall over his shoulders in a tousled manner. 

Elara admired him briefly. His platinum blonde hair draped softly over his ears and to the back of his neck; his gray eyes were shrouded with a layer of gentle calm, giving him a more serene aura reminiscent of an angel.

The man looked at her with a soft smile, which she returned with a grin before leaving for the kitchen to grab a fruit salad, which she served him. 

Terrence picked up a slice of peach tossing it into his mouth as he savored the fruity sweetness. He glanced at Elara, who was eating whole fruits, unlike his, which were sliced up gracefully. 

"Did you make this in advance?" he asked curiously. 

"Yup, I wanted to send it over as a welcome back treat but then you came over. Do you like it?" Elara asked her cheeks puffed up from the apple she was chewing.

Looking at Elara's lips which were glistening under the bright lights due to being stained with apple juice, Terrence felt his throat dry up as a sudden heat enveloped him. 

Seeing the man flush red at a visible rate without any stimulus Elara became worried. 

"You okay?" she asked while leaning in to touch his forehead, "You're heating up."

Terrence grabbed Elara's hand instinctively, drawing her closer, dark brown eyes clashed with gray ones as they stared at each other unflinchingly. 

Elara cocked her face observing the male's blushing face. 

"Odd, I didn't stimulate you in any way, and here's rather cool, even the fruits you're eating," Elara muttered, furrowing her brows when she suddenly widened her eyes in realization, "Oh… are you… I'm so sorry!"

She exclaimed apologetically leaning away from Terrence only to be pulled back once more by her waist. 

"What's wrong?" 

"Oh, I thought I was making you uncomfortable…" Elara trailed off, blinking at Terrence who found her incredibly cute. 

'I wanna kiss her so badly,' Terrence thought with clenched teeth, his grasp on Elara's waist tightening, causing her to groan lightly. 

"Hey, stop that," Elara muttered softly, trying to unclench Terrence's hold on her waist. 

Terrence, on noticing something, smirked mischievously, pinching her waist as he questioned dubiously, "Why?"

Elara pouted anxiously, "Angel, stop being naughty…"

"Why do you keep calling me that?" Terrence questioned his hands never stopping their mischief. 

"B-because, you're very angelic… And cute… And—ah stop that… Ngh... Ah, you shouldn't!" Elara moaned before softly collapsing into the man's chest. 

She stared at him with watery eyes as she whispered a quiet complaint, "I told you to stop this play… I can be very sensitive there—"

Terrence: .....! 

Feeling the heat rush down, Terrence immediately scooped Elara away from him before dashing into the guest bathroom, leaving Elara dumbfounded. 

"What just happened?"

It took up to 30 minutes before Terrence stepped out of the bathroom into the living room where Elara was waiting for him. 

"You're back," she called out to him, "Wanna watch some movies or would you rather tell me about your journey first?"

But Terrence's mind wasn't there. He stared wide-eyed in shock as Elara innocently bit into the huge yellow banana she had completely peeled off while holding it with both hands. 

He gripped the wall tightly as he stuttered fiercely, "W-who peels a banana completely before eating it?! And with two hands?! You freak!"

Elara: ..... 

Watching Terrence dash off once more after fiercely scolding her for how she ate a banana, Elara was even more dumbfounded this time. Was her way of peeling and eating bananas that weird??

This time it took Terrence a whole hour before he stepped out facing her with a flushed face. 

Elara stared at him suspiciously. She couldn't place her finger on it, but something told her Terrence was being sneaky in her house. As for how she couldn't tell. 

Sighing in annoyance she asked, "Are you finally done? I'll make sure to peel and eat my bananas normally from now on to avoid triggering you."

'Does she actually think it's about the bananas? Is she that oblivious or pretending not to know?' Terrence wondered. 

Staring at the genuinely confused lady Terrence suddenly felt incredibly guilty. 

'Fuck!'

"Are you sure everything is fine? If there was something else I did that you disliked, please tell me," Elara questioned anxiously as she stared at Terrence, who had given her a considerable distance. 

"Nothing at all, I like everything you do. I just wanted to tease you," Terrence replied calmly. 

"... Then why are you so far?"

"....." 

"....." 

"It's fine; I can talk about my journey from here," her replied, guiltily, averting his eyes from the pouting Elara. 

"Ugh, fine, do whatever you want."

"Sorry…" Terrence muttered coyly leaving Elara defeated by his cuteness. 

"Fine~. You do you. You can say whatever you want; I'll hear you out," she responded, turning to face him. 

Terrence spoke about his journey home, there wasn't much to it Elara didn't already know except for the wedding invitation. 

He didn't tell her about his sister's taunt or how his first love dressed sultrily while cooperating with his sister to disgust him as that would have him going into details about his former love life. 

About all his failed relationships and about how every one of them did because of him. Because then Elara would come to despise him, which would break his heart, forcing him to take… Drastic measures. 

But for now, she didn't have to know; she was better left in the dark of that side of his.

"Terrence!" Elara called out snapping him out of his daze, "Can I come closer?"

Seeing the eager look on her face, Terrence chuckled, "Okay."

They ended up watching a movie in quite an intimate position. Elara leaned comfortably on the couch while still eating fruits. Terrence, on the other hand, lay on her lap while eating chips. 

From time to time he'd feed Elara some who would obediently eat it like a gluttonous squirrel. He eventually got so into feeding her that Elara had to draw his attention back to the movie. 

A few hours later, Elara yawned. 

Running her fingers through Terrence's soft hair she spoke, "We should call it a night."

"Mm-hm," Terrence hummed in response, snuggling to Elara by holding onto her waist firmly, leaving Elara laughing at his cuteness. 

After much deliberation, they decided to sleep together on the same bed. Elara didn't mind and was only a bit surprised Terrence suggested it. They ended up cuddling to sleep with Elara spooning the clingy Terrence in her arms. 

Her angel was oddly clingy today, but she didn't mind it. She liked it. Very much so even. 

***

"Sir, are you sure it won't be too…?" Merlin trailed off but was perfectly understood by Terrence who simply shrugged it off without a change in expression. 

"Not when I'm not the one inviting her."

After his journey home something about Terrence had changed. He became more clingy, always wanting to be with Elara in one way or another, and all of a sudden, he decided he wasn't getting enough of her and decided to steal her away for a vacation.

Only, he had always made sure to keep his relationship with Elara a secret, not just for her safety but to prevent intrusion by any annoying third parties. Thus, suddenly whisking her away was too much of a showy move, so he made a decision—he would take her on a business trip instead. 

So he decided Merlin would take her along with his group for the oncoming business trip, and when everyone thought she was away on a business trip, he'd swoop her away for a month's vacation. 

Knowing Elara, as long as he coaxed her a bit, she'd readily accept. The thought of having her for a whole month was too enticing, and thus, he ended up setting the whole thing up. 

Merlin could only weep helplessly; one month's holiday for the boss meant a month of extra work piled up for the employees. 

If this continued he might curse his boss to remain single so he would stop having extra work! 

'I don't dislike you, Miss Elara, but you're my undoing!'