Rachel POV
Recycling itself is a commitment. It took efforts, discipline and all sorts of big adjective that I don't really possessed in my blood.
Here I am, tossing the big bag of empty beer cans and glass bottle into the recycling bin under my apartment.
Corbin was dead drunk, and rule number one in my house: no stayover, especially boys who are excessively wasted.
Tony offered to send him home by Uber. The conversation about us ends, when he left the store with a dozen of Japanese beer, which inevitably enters Corbin's stomach. I decided Tony was right, I'm just going to let us be normal, because there is nothing to be done and rush.
Dolores left with Sarah, they still haven't finish blabbing about another celebrity guy they are admiring. The last one I heard when they leave the house was, Henry Cavill, the Superman guy.
I stood in the lift, watching the number increase till it reaches my floor, reached for my keys and swirl it with my fingers since I'm getting bored. I swirl and swirl, without much anticipation, I swirled too hard and it flew across the lift's sliding door when it opens. I'm expecting to hear the clinking sound as it hits the floor, but, I wasn't expecting this.
What I heard about S.E.A.L wasn't a legendary story, they were fast and accurate.
Joe caught my keys.
And Derek caught my eyes.
It feels like the scene in an Asian movie I've watched before, House Of Flying Daggers, the intensity was comparable.
'You never told me you would be here?' It came out from my mouth abruptly. Swollen with unexpected surprises, I was jubilant but the pressure of outbursting was lowered when I realized Derek's complexion were rather pale. 'You okay?'
'Caught a cold, care to brew me a cup of hot coffee?' Derek smile weakly. I observe everything about him in a short glance, his eyes reveals the most, dark under eyes obviously shows his tiredness.
I never answered him, instead, I headed towards Joe to ask for my keys back. 'Leave him to me, nanny, you can have him back when I say so.'
'He has been awake since yesterday.' Joe told me as he place the keys on my palm.
I turn back to Derek, pinch of worries puts away the smile on my lips. I hook my hand over his elbow, urging for him to follow me.
'See you later, Joe. Get some sleep.' Derek instructed Joe without looking at him. He just followed me inside.
I shut the door, while thinking about any medicine I can find in my cabinet.
'It feels good to be close to you.' Derek hugged me from my back, clasp his hand over my waist.
'You are running a mild fever, Derek?' I felt the warm of his skin as it touches the flesh on my neck. 'You really have to rest.' I remove myself away from him, place my hand on his forehead to check his temperature. 'No coffee, and obviously, no work. Are you hungry?'
'I've taken my dinner in the car while waiting for you to finish your party.' His forehead touches mine.
I don't really like situation right now.
'And I saw you with Tony Linton.' He said softly, carefully studying my expression, somehow, I felt threatened.
'Do we have to talk about this right now? You need to rest and I'm not sure if I was allowed to give you any medication at all.' I was kind of annoyed, perhaps negativity gets the best of me. I kind of have the feeling that Derek is interrogating me.
'Rachel, of course I felt' he paused, I watched him struggling to get the word out of his lips, 'annoyed. I am annoyed to see my girlfriend in the street having some deep conversation with another guy who obviously have feelings with you.'
We stood facing each other, I am still absorbing what he says and Derek is waiting for my reaction.
I was caught in the middle of many situations. Derek is running a fever, he needs to rest, which means I have to shorten this conversation. While I, I need all of him. I wanted tonight to be a make up of all the time he can't spend with.
I have to cool down. Breath in, Rachel.
'That's how I felt when I watch you getting all comfy and lovey with Grace in the tv, news, my Facebook, my Twitter and everything, Derek!' I counted the channel of news with my fingers, like I was summing up how much he owed me. 'And how do think I should feel? You are always working, working and working. I don't like this, Derek, I don't like the situation now, I want to leave, run, but I'll always come back here, stupidly waiting for you, I can't put my phone far from me, because! Because, what if we are meeting? What if I was grace with the privilege of meeting you and I miss it by just one second? Because I did lose the chance to meet you because I replied you half an hour later. I basically feed on disappointment since the beginning of this year.' I breath, my body was shivering from the immense emotion that is running through my cell.
I move passed him, getting to my cabinet in the kitchen to take a mug, filled the electric kettle with water and boil it. I have no idea why I am doing this, even when my body is exploding with resentment towards Derek, I am still brewing peppermint tea for him.
'All I ask for you is to wait for me, Rachel. I want this for myself, at least when I lose this battle, I have no regrets.' He stood in front of the counter from where I was, his tone was sad, pleading and tired. He really, is tired.
I sigh. A deep sigh. 'Can we sit down and, I don't know, just be close with each other?' I relented.
He nodded, loosen his tie, folding his sleeves and trudge towards my new L-shaped sofa.
I carried the tray, along with the new tea set I bought. When I reached where Derek was, he was practically shutting his eyes. I left the tray on the coffee table, pace towards my room and get an oversized grey t-shirt for him.
'What are you trying to seduce me?' Even when he was resting, he is still able to come up with some indecent conversation.
'I'm trying to unbuttoned your shirt, Mr. President, so you can change into this.'
He sneak open his eyes, rubbed his forehead and sat up straight.
'Does it belongs to your ex?'
'Nobody except you stayed in this house. I didn't even allow Corbin to stay over when he is dead drunk.' I push the collar of the shirt into his head and pull it down, letting his wear the rest of the shirt himself. 'And I bought this t-shirt for you, who knows.' I shrugged.
Derek launched forward to kiss my lips. 'I love you. I didn't say it enough, did I?'
'No.' I shake my head, and I straddle across his lap. My finger reached for his wavy brown hair, ever so welcome and smooth to touch. 'God, you have no idea how much I hate you when I miss you.'
He laugh. 'Do you even know what you are saying? Come here.' He wrapped his hand around my hand, urging for my lips.
The familiar homey feeling touched my skin. I kiss him deep, breathing every scent of him, his Givenchy Homme especially. When our body found each other again, it felt like rain washing down the sweltering dessert, the frozen flower reborn again after months of numbing winter.
'Wait, we are not suppose to engage in whatever coital activities.' I pull my lips away abruptly.
'What? Why?' Derek still refuse to let me move another inch.
'You are running a fever, Derek, sick people are suppose to rest.'
'Sick people needed more love to recuperate.'
'You are tired.'
'Have anybody told you that you are being very irresponsible? You can't just leave the light on and leave the house, it's simply wasting electricity.'
'What light?'
'This.' Derek held my thigh and make a forcing push.
Erection.
And it's quite steel as I felt it.
I laugh. 'You have no idea how much I'd love to have sex with you, but you have to sleep first, I'm not going to enjoy much when your body is radiating heat for the wrong reason.'
'I felt raped.' Derek tossed his head back to the sofa.
'I'm glad it was me whom raped you.' I move away from him. 'Lie down.' I said.
Reluctantly, he shifted his body, stretching his leg.
'You've got a makeover for the whole house.'
I gave him a kiss and massage his head. 'Yep, you like it?'
'I think so.'
'Can I play some music? I've got a whole new set of Bang Olufsen in my house.'
'Sure,' He said simply.
'I followed you on Spotify and some of the music in your playlist makes me cringes.' I tease him.
'No discrimination, Rachel.' His tone was monotonous, perhaps he was really enjoying the massage.
I pressed the song by Pink, Just Give Me A Reason, immediately the rhythm travelled smoothly out of the speaker.
'Don't you think that this song describe us a lot?' I muttered.
'That your head are running wild again?' He quoted from the song.
'I have to. Because everything about us seem so unreal.' I lie down, my head touching his chest as I face him.
'But you feel so real to me, Rachel Woods, what in the world would a girl like you fall for me?
'A superficial girl?' I said innocently, 'because honestly, you are so good looking and you are the President, and having affair with the President is way hotter than being Jacqueline Kennedy.'
'I can take that, because right now, my pension fee really soared, skyrocketing.' He stroke my hair.
I laugh. 'I'm glad we can take this indecent jokes.'
'So, no sex?' He asked.
'Sleep, Derek, when your temperature goes down, I'll wake you up with my mouth in your penis.'
'That is not going to make me sleep, Rachel, it's causing adverse effect.'
'Opps, sorry. Come on, sleep.' I stroke his hair, soothing him to sleep.
I lay on his chest, inhaling him, feeling his body rise and sink when he breath. It's been months since we last sat together in my living room. Most of the time, we rushes for everything, and that include sex.
Tonight, we may have miss out the chance of banging the hell out of each other , but I enjoyed being calm, no rush and clock tickling. This, is what peacefulness gives.
A/N
Dedicating this chapter to eekilaa , thank you so much for voting!