The Cutest

Elsa quickly got dressed after her shower and was taken aback to find Chris waiting by the bathroom door when she emerged. Before she could utter a word, Chris' hands gently cupped her cheeks.

"What are you doing?" Elsa asked in puzzlement.

Chris who was engrossed in examining Elsa's face, paused and locked his gaze onto her eyes while still holding her cheeks. "Uhm, just checking to see if you still have a fever. You were burning up last night, and I was really worried. Your eyes even flared up as if they were on fire, and then you screamed and fainted."

Elsa blinked repeatedly, her eyes fixed on Chris'. She tried to recall what he had just recounted, paying no mind to his hands on her cheeks. "I do remember feeling warm, but I can't seem to recall the rest of what happened. Are my eyes back to normal now?"

"Let me check..." Chris examined Elsa's amber eyes up close, confirming that they had returned to their usual state. However, he found himself unable to divert his gaze from her. He fell into a contemplative silence, his eyes gradually wandering down to her nose and then fixating on her lips.

Her lips looked so tempting and inviting that he took a deep breath, feeling his heart rate quicken. His right thumb gently traced her lower lip. "Your lips are seriously testing my self-control right now," he confessed. "I want to kiss you. I really do. Can I?"

Elsa's eyes widened in response to the unexpected question. She began to speak but then hesitated, unsure of how to respond. Her own feelings were a tumultuous mix; part of her wanted to push him away, while another part was silently encouraging him to go ahead.

When Elsa remained silent, Chris inched closer to her lips, interpreting her silence as consent.

Chris closed his eyes for their distance was just an inch and so did Elsa. Unknown to them, three sets of eyes were staring at them, while the other one was glaring at Chris.

A slick, wet, and long tongue touched Chris' lips and it made him jolt in surprise. Nile inserted himself in between Chris and Elsa and licked Chris' face eagerly.

"Ewww! Not the kiss that I was expecting!" Chris exclaimed as he moved away from Elsa who was laughing while stroking Nile's fur. "You shouldn't let your dogs in your room. They are not good for you."

"Haha! But they are warm and cute," Elsa replied.

"I am warm and can be cute too. You should meet my wolf, Yakobo. His cuteness cannot be compared to any other wolf in Arcanis. He simply is the cutest!" Chris said to Elsa who was not even listening and was already busy rubbing Nile's belly.

[Stop it, Christopher. You are looking like a fool who's trying hard to impress a woman. It's embarrassing.]

'That mutt! I should get rid of him.' Chris glowered at Nile.

[You know you can't and you won't for it will make our mate sad and hate us.]

'You! Go away!' Chris directed at Nile.

[No way! You get out. This is our house and you are the freeloader.] Nile replied while enjoying the belly rub from Elsa.

Before any further argument could take place, they were interrupted by Dr. Arden's call for lunch.

Upon descending the stairs, Elsa and Chris were greeted by a dining table filled with delectable and enticing dishes.

"Dad, is there a special occasion? Why did you prepare so much food?" Elsa inquired.

"Well, you were sick last night, and you need nutritious meals. It seems you've been living on vending machine snacks and junk food lately, which likely led to your illness. During my time in medical school, I often fell ill for not eating healthily. You're fortunate to have a father like me who cooks for you. Come on, both of you, take a seat."

The three of them started eating, and Ambros observed that Elsa wasn't eating as much as he had anticipated. "Is something bothering you, dear?" he inquired.

"Actually, yes, there is," Elsa replied directly. "Why didn't you inform me that you're constructing a hospital under Mom's name? You even hired Jai and Nadel."

Ambros nearly choked on his food, and Chris quickly handed him a glass of water.

Ambros used a tablecloth to dab his mouth before responding, "You see, dear, it was intended to be a surprise, a graduation gift for your residency. I had plans to reveal it to you before you began applying for fellowships or attending positions, perhaps by sending you a surprise job offer to your own hospital. But I suppose that ship has sailed now." 

Dr. Arden feigned a pout and a touch of sadness as he lowered his head, then added, "Now, my surprise has been spoiled, and I won't have the chance to witness that look of astonishment and joy on your face. Please forgive me for not telling you."

His acting made Chris' face turn sour, 'Does he really have to act that way?' he thought inwardly.

Elsa approached Ambros, drawing near to give him a comforting embrace. "Oh, Dad. I'm sorry, I just had the impression that you were keeping it a secret from me. I never anticipated you'd give me such a huge gift when I'm not even your real daughter."

"But thank you. I would accept it wholeheartedly. I think I prefer working in Santa Fe over the city. My dogs have a much larger yard here compared to our house there," Elsa added.

"By the way, I'll be quite occupied today. I need to check on my patients from last night's accident. The clinic is closed, as I'll be taking my assistant with me. So, Elsa, I want you to rest," Ambros instructed Elsa before turning to Chris. "Chris, can you ensure that my daughter doesn't engage in any mischief while I'm away? She tends to get bored and find trouble when I'm not around, and she's bored."

"Of course! I'll take good care of her, and I'll make sure she doesn't get bored," Chris replied with a wink and a playful smirk directed at Elsa, who had been watching him the entire time. Ambros remained unaware as he was focused on his meal.