[45] Anti-fragile

Warning: (Corny fluff alert)

After Joe rescued Gwen, he didn't head straight to the warehouse. He branched off to his apartment. Only at his home would she feel more comfortable after waking up. It would have been a drag to deal with if she woke up and realized she was surrounded by high-value laboratory equipment and a long list of specimens. Joe could imagine the horror on her face. 

The first thing Joe did upon arriving home was call Gwen's Dad to give him peace of mind. After that, he changed her out of her wet clothes and dressed her up with some of his spare. Seeing her naked didn't faze him; he had evolved beyond such impulses. He could better control himself. After all, there was no sense of excitement in conquering a woman who was at her low moments. 

All in all, Joe didn't feel awkward. 'Gwen's going to throw a tantrum after waking up,' Joe mused, chuckling to himself as he also changed into comfortable clothes. 

'She looks like a lost lamb.' Joe smirked as he gazed at Gwen's sleeping face. Her face displayed various emotions within seconds. Sometimes there was a frown, sadness, happiness, relief, and despondency. 

'A bad dream, huh?' Joe arched his brows, finding her state pretty understandable. After going through a shit storm, it was quite expected. 

"Don't…go~" She suddenly murmured, her voice low and distressed. 

"Don't… leave me... alone~" 

"Joe…save me..." She cried out, clutching her chest in pain as if her heart was bleeding. 

"D-Don't...leave me!" Glistening beads of tears rolled across her face. 

Joe frowned and wiped the tears from her face. Gwen looked so vulnerable at that moment. 

"What could you be dreaming about, eh?" He murmured softly and decided to sleep beside her. As if sensing the additional heat and profound source of security, Gwen unconsciously snuggled closer. She threw her right leg over his abdomen while her hands tightly held onto his muscular body. She was like a koala, brazenly treating him like her teddy bear. 

Joe shook his head helplessly, secretly finding Gwen's actions amusing and adorable. Gently raising her head, he wrapped a protective arm around her to provide her the warmth she was craving. Joe noticed a small, foxy smile playing on her face due to his gesture. 

'What's the Joe in the dream playing at?' Joe wondered incredulously. 'Probably something diabolical.' 

Experiencing the sensation of her soft pliable body clinging to him, Joe also slowly began feeling sleepy. Her body was like a unique pillow if he had a word to describe her. Soon, he joined her in the world of dreams. 

***

The next morning, as the first golden rays of dawn crept into Joe's room, Gwen gradually opened her eyes. She had never had such a wonderful and indescribable sleep in a long time. It subtly reminded her of the times when her father used to embrace her to sleep when she was little. The little Gwen thought Daddy would shelter her from all bad things. That feeling of the past seemed to have returned to the present. She could feel a strong possessive arm tightly restraining her. 

It made her feel like the safest woman in the whole wide world. It was simply astounding. But she was curious. Whose arm was it? 

Within her barely awake mind, Gwen's thoughts were slightly disorganized. Then, as her mind and eyes started to clear, she saw one of the most gorgeous faces sleeping next to her. Gwen was momentarily spellbound as she caught her breath.

'Was I kidnapped by an angel? Bullshit.' Gwen furrowed her brows as the fragmented memories of the previous night's events came rushing like a flood. The assault. The pain. Her fear. The trauma. Joe. Blood. Bones. Death? 

'Joe isn't an angel. He's the damned Lucifer.' Realization flashed in her eyes, her lips slightly trembling. Then, a complicated expression settled on her face. 'However, he saved me. If it weren't for him, I-I don't know what could have happened to me.' 

Gwen's lips slightly stretched at the sides. 'Is that why he looks so different... and hella attractive when he's asleep?' 

Gwen watched the gentle rise and fall of his chest, his breath lightly fanning her cheek. She suddenly found this mundane action super interesting. His rhythmic breath momentarily suppressed last night's traumatic events. That sounded so ridiculous and corny.

She lowered her gaze to his full perfect lips. They were tempting like some sort of aphrodisiac. Or maybe she had already been afflicted by an aphrodisiac. 

Gwen slowly began to narrow the gap between their faces. She could feel her heart furiously drumming against her chest. The cupid's arrow had already pierced it. Her cheeks warmed with a deep shade of red due to the tension of her sneaky actions. 

Gwen based her actions on her emotions. She usually intertwined her feelings, logic, and rationality together to arrive at a decision. But now? She was only sailing on her feelings. They were their strongest at that moment. Stealing a kiss from a sleeping 'prince charming' was the exact opposite of snow white. And it was criminal. 

She held her breath, her eyes instinctively half-closed, afraid it would startle Joe awake. 

"Ask and you shall be kissed. Why are you trying to steal my first kiss, Gwen?" An amused smile suddenly formed on Joe's mouth, his words scaring the shit out of her. She panicked and immediately tried to untangle herself from his arms. 

After a few moments of struggling and finding that she couldn't even nudge a single of his muscles, Gwen gave up. 

'If I can't run away, then I only have one option remaining,' she thought urgently. 'I'll have to be the shameless one.' 

'I can't admit that I was trying to steal a kiss from a sleeping man.' 

"G-Good morning, Joe. Um, what I'm doing in your bed?" Gwen asked, a confused expression on her face as she tried to muster up confidence. 

'Oh god, this is embarrassing.' She screamed internally.

Joe couldn't help but chuckle. 'Is she trying to act clueless and play the role of the fool? How can she try to weasel her way out of the situation by being as shameless as me?' 

"You're in my bed because you asked me to sleep with you," Joe answered, a playful grin spreading across on his lips. 

Gwen was rendered speechless. "..." 

She had that 'discombobulated' expression going on. 

"Have you lost your mind? I remember everything that happened yesterday. Those words never came from my mouth," Gwen sneered at him. 

"You're just making things up." 

Joe was silent for a moment, donning a thoughtful expression. Then, he began imitating the words Gwen had spoken in her sleep last night. 

"No… Please don't leave me, Joe." 

"Hug… me… tighter~" 

"Oh, Joe~"

Upon hearing his shameful voice, Gwen quickly hid her blushing face in his chest. She then tried to take a bite from his pecs, but her actions were proven futile. Her teeth couldn't even leave a mark on his skin, making her remember that Joe wasn't exactly human. 

"Don't embarrass me any further," She finally pleaded after getting tired of hearing his amused laughter and mockery. 

"So, how are you currently feeling?" Joe asked with concern in his eyes. 

"Alright, I guess. I had a perfect beauty sleep courtesy of you, mister hero." 

"I'm no hero, you know that, right?" 

"It doesn't matter what you say." 

There was a moment of silence before Joe suggested something embarrassing. "So can you finish the kiss that you wanted to steal from the poor me?" 

"Stop. There's no way I'm kissing you." Gwen furiously shook her head. She wished the ground would open up and swallow her alive. 

"But you tried to do so to an innocent man, you nasty girl," Joe pressured her. 

"Who's nasty?" She pouted, feeling wronged. There was no way she was going to admit her actions. Never. 

"Then I'll do it if you don't wanna do it." Joe showed her a mischievous smile as he stared her down. 

"I DARE you." Gwen gave him a warning gaze, challenging him. 

That fiery, wild gaze was all he needed. He couldn't turn her down.

With his large hand resting behind her head, Joe slowly pulled her face closer. 

Yes, he dared. But that didn't mean he had to be pushy about it. Gwen was in a delicate state and he had to tread carefully. In essence, he was treating her like a valuable vase. 

"Gwen, can I kiss you?" Joe asked in a low voice, the tip of her nose already touching his. Gwen had to admit it herself to make it worthwhile.

'There wouldn't be any thrill if I took her by force, would it?' he mused. 

Gwen suddenly felt weak against his sudden sweetness and consideration. She hadn't expected Joe to be a romantic. 

With half-lidded eyes and muddled thoughts, Gwen no longer had control of her words. 

"K-Kiss… Kiss me!"

She couldn't resist him. Maybe he was just what she needed to forget everything, to soothe the trauma and expel the fear.

Maybe she wasn't as anti-fragile as she had always thought.

***

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[Word Count 1532]