His Hand

The next day, Xander and Yera were getting ready for their hike. Rui told him that hiking would be a great activity if Xander truly desired some quality time with Yera. It was like killing two birds with one stone because they would also get some exercise in the process.

The tour guide said that the distance of a round trip was relatively short, about fifteen kilometers or less. Yera loved the hike and would take a photo once in a while. They took a short break, and her gaze accidentally landed on Xander, who was in the middle of drinking water from his bottle. He looked so manly that Yera unconsciously raised her camera and snapped a shot of him.

Xander heard the clicking sound of the camera and naturally turned his head to where it was from. He caught Yera sneaking a picture of him and quickly turned her head away to focus her camera somewhere else. A devilish, cheeky smile curved Xander's perfect lips as he said, "Darling, next time you want a picture of me, just tell me, so I can at least strike a good pose for you. Something you can look at whenever you miss me…"

Yera's cheeks flushed as she quickly retorted, "Who's taking your picture? The view behind you is spectacular and I couldn't help but take a picture of it… And, and…"

"Alright, alright, Darling, don't be so defensive… I was just saying... Anyway, let's walk more? Come…" Xander laughed as he pacified her. He then extended his hand and offered it to Yera. Lately, he often offered his hand to her and waited for her to take it, instead of just grabbing her hand. Why? Because he loved the feeling of Yera trusting him by accepting his hand…

He smiled in contentment when Yera took his hand. He clasped their hands together tightly, and they resumed their hike hand in hand. They stopped as they reached a beautiful spot for a picnic. Xander took all the things that he had prepared out of the picnic basket. They were just some light snacks, like sandwiches and fruits that he had personally peeled and cut.

Yera could not help but laugh. "What's with the shape?" She asked upon seeing the shape the fruits were cut in when she opened the fruit box. There were varieties of fruits inside; apple, melon, pear, peach, and more, but they were all cut in one shape…

She immediately regretted her words and almost cursed because she knew it was the wrong question, and she could tell what Xander's answer would be.

"What's wrong with it? It's my heart…" Xander said confidently, and Yera could only bite her lip. Xander got a fork and pierced a piece of the heart-shaped melon and offered her, "Here, Darling, these are all for you."

Yera twitched her mouth before she opened it to accept the piece of melon. Xander was known as someone with a silver tongue, and sweet-talking someone was a walk in the park for him… He surely knew how to make one's heart flutter effortlessly. Yera unintentionally touched her chest where the heart organ was… 

"What's wrong?" Xander asked with concern because Yera looked worried.

"Nothing, just my stomach… I'm hungry…" Yera murmured as she put more pieces of fruit into her mouth. Xander was confused because Yera was touching her chest and not her stomach.

Because of the remote location, the hiking trail wasn't overrun with crowds and noise, which allowed Xander and Yera plenty of opportunities for some sweet quality time together.

"What do you prefer? To live in a place like this or stay in the city?" Xander asked as he handed Yera a sandwich with vegetable fillings.

Yera looked around at the place… She loved the quiet and serene ambiance, the green trees, and the fresh air. "I love this kind of place, but I also love to work at a big hospital. And you can only find big hospitals in the city. So, going on a vacation to this kind of place once in a while would be enough."

"Hmm, the same for me…" Xander murmured. 

He actually had a villa in a tranquil setting like this one. But it was the villa where Bernard and Yera were supposed to go to when they were met with the tragic accident that had cost Bernard his life. It would not be a good idea to bring Yera there because he did not want to remind her of the heart-wrenching scene of losing Bernard. But the villa was his favorite place, so it would be nice if he could bring Yera there someday.

They had a pleasant time chatting with each other about a lot of things, from their childhood experience to matters concerning the medical industry.  After quite some time, Xander and Yera decided to go back to their cabin.

On their way back, Yera unexpectedly tripped. Xander was fast to catch her, but Yera seemed to have hurt her ankle as she was limping when she tried to walk, so Xander led her to the nearest stone chair.

"I hurt my ankle but it's nothing serious," Yera said after assessing the condition of her ankle.

"I'll carry you," Xander offered his back for a piggyback ride, but Yera refused. Xander arched a brow and faced Yera as he said, "Are you going to walk the whole way back in that condition? Or would you prefer me to front-carry you so you could wrap your legs around my waist and your arms around my neck? Hmm, that's actually not a bad idea at all…"

Yera blushed and immediately replied, "Let's do the piggyback ride."

Xander smiled as he turned his back around and bent down so Yera could climb onto his back, "You have to hold onto me tightly, Darling…"

Yera gasped when Xander grabbed her legs with both of his hands to support her. "Am I heavy?" Yera asked cautiously. She felt bad to make Xander carry her for almost seven kilometers. They left the picnic basket so Xander could carry her better.

"Yeah, you're quite heavy, so you must compensate me for this…" Xander jested, grinning. Then he added, "Don't worry, I won't demand too much… Nothing you can't handle…"

Yera wondered what else was there that he could ask from her as a reward? 

Xander smiled at Yera's silence… He did not mind having a back pain at all because he loved carrying Yera like this, regardless of how long the road was.

"How about you sing for me? That would energize me and I won't feel your weight during the walk anymore" Xander suggested.

Yera hesitated, but she started to hum her favorite song…

'This feels great,' Xander mused. Yera was no longer as aloof as before… He would really treat his father big time as soon as they returned. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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