Chapter 2: Into The Woods (Forgotten Date).

Stan

Where was he?

It has been a while I have waited in the parking lot waiting for Kai. In front of his dad's company building, I rolled down the window to see better if he was around. Maybe he had gone out but couldn't see where I was parked.

My shift at the café ended thirty minutes ago and after that, I went out straight to my car and drove immediately here. It had been on my mind about what I talked with Felix at work today. There were so many outcomes that I thought of about me and Kai, and I just couldn't help but think of the negative.

Kai was acting different day by day. Like there was something wrong happened, and he never ever told me about it. We promised each other that if we had a problem, we would solve it together regardless if it doesn't involve the other person. This month only was when he showed the wane of his young and effervescent and I just feel like I'm losing him somehow.

The thing that I hated the most. A nightmare I couldn't feel I would ever get out of.

But I thought about it again and sure, it could just be a phase. But what phase lasted a month? And if it was, does relationship do have these kinds of phase? It just doesn't feel real and natural, to begin with.

So coming here, picking him up for work and bringing him somewhere special for the day would be something that can ease my trembling thoughts. Which could have happened if he was here now.

"Where is he? It's past six already," I muttered to myself, staring at the clock face of my watch. The beat of its ticking reminds me that time was running fast and if it does, the time we would have to go out for this date would be shorter than I planned.

I scroll through my phone and opened 'contacts'. Seeing his name with a heart emoji next to it, my finger went to push the call button but not until I received a text message from him saying: "Don't call, I'm in front of you,"

I look up from my phone to see him walking towards me with a weak smile on his face. My lips grew up into one with excitement and finally, we can have this date. When he got closer to the car door, I pressed the unlocked button to let him in. As soon as he comes in, the scent of his everlasting perfume filled the car and into my breathing. It was a sweet smell, the kind of taste he always loved and every time he ran out of the perfume, I would always have bought one early for him.

His body slumped onto the car seat with his head facing upwards. The sweats were running down his forehead and his neck slowly. My hand went to the increase the speed of the car's AC to let him cool off.

"Thanks...," He spoke, his eyes closed for a while before looking at me thankfully. I grinned at him, my hand went up to brush his hair that covers his forehead back. I didn't care it his sweats were still there, I just want to touch him.

"So... ready for the date?" I asked enthusiastically, glancing at him.

He ran his hands over his face, a look of distressed cast upon him but when he looked at me, he smiled. "Yeah, let's go,"

I began to drive us away from the parking lot, going somewhere that he didn't have in mind of where it was. Today was a special day in September and of course, I figure he would know what day it was today.

There was silence between us. None of us spoke to each other while I drive to the wanted place. It was kind of an irritating silence that made me want to burst out in anger, but I can't. I don't even know what was I angry about. Every now and then, I would take a glimpse of Kai while I'm driving and all he did was scrolling through his phone like it was the most attractive thing ever. The messages that came from it was blasting through and through that it made me felt stupid to even be here.

Is he cheating on me?

My brows furrowed to the thought and I would clench the steering wheel with a strong pressure that it would mimic those hydraulic press that would destroy any fragile object. I took the leverage to just focused my anger onto the steering wheel, hoping well enough it didn't leave a permanent mark of my hands.

Faking a cough, I should try starting a conversation.

"How was work? Was it rough?" I started, my eyes glancing at him quickly.

He looked up from his phone to look at me with a sigh. "Stan... we agreed to not bring work home. So I can't answer that," He returned.

"But we're not at home yet," I teased, grinning once I have got something to tease about.

"Yeah... but we're still out from the work zone. So, no,"

I got silent after that statement from him. He really doesn't want to talk about work to me but when it's me, I loved talking about every single thing about my job at the café that I couldn't talk about anything else.

"What about today? Did anything happen? Are you excited for today?" I continued, trying to make the conversation keep going. I don't want to keep quiet. I want to hear his voice.

He sighed again, putting his phone down. "I don't know Stan. I never really paid attention of today and things are just the usual normal plain day for me. Nothing changes-," You changed... "-Now please, can we stop talking for a moment? My colleagues are asking me about work right now," He ended, also putting an end to the conversation that I was trying to start.

My face contorted into a sad frown and without anything to do anymore, I just went on to drive to our date avenue.

-

"Stan, I have no time for surprises. Can you please hurry up and let go of my eyes?" Kai pleaded, holding my hand to take them off, but I stayed my ground there.

I grinned at his impatience, but I'm not gonna let him go that easy. "Just wait! It's going to be amazing. Just close your eyes,"

"I am closing my eyes! I don't need your hand to close them," He nagged. He brings his arms to cross over his chest - showing defeat. I can only chuckle at him as I walked him forward closer. As we got closer and to avoid him stepping over the organized place, I stop him there abruptly.

"Ready?" I asked, looking above to see the stars beginning to show little by little and how the wind just flew right through us ever so elegantly. It was a magical place and I feel it was a special place to have this date and a celebration.

He just nodded at me. The hairs on his arms stand out just by how cold it was for him here - the shivering of his state made me move closer to him to give him my body heat. It was one way to heat him up, and it was one way for me as well to get closer to him with every way I could. I know... very brilliant.

I bring my hands away from his eyes and upon him was a sight of a blanket being spread over the dark green grasses that swayed in rhythm with each other. The beautiful scenery of little flickering lights that were set around the blanket illuminates with a dim glow. Foods and drinks were prepared, and I swear I could hear his tummy growled in hunger. It made me smile at the little sound.

He looks up to the sky to see the magnificent view above, and then he turns to me. He can't be forgetting today right? It was a special day for him.

Knowing well his expression, I broke the ice.

"Happy 25th Birthday, Kai...," I spoke slowly, getting the knowledge right into his head about what today it was. The information was digested longingly, and it could not have been said more that I absolutely love his reaction when he finally gets it.

His hand went over his mouth, his eyes wide. "Oh my god, it's my birthday...,"

"It is," I added, grinning. He stares at me with a smile, a happy grin replacing his shocked face. "I'm twenty-five!" He yelled.

I nodded my head. "You're twenty-five!" I yelled as well, mimicking his tone with a huge grin. In one swift movement, he walks to me and embraces me with a loving hug. The coldness of his body radiates and surge into the warmth of mine. I took the time to enjoy the hug longer. There was something different where it comes to hugging him now, he felt much drained and fatigued but the same heat of love was always there to accompany it. And I took it gratefully.

When he pulled back, he looks at me in the eye. They search into me like miners some sort - a cascade of slow-burning fire emitted from his brown orbs, and they looked glossy and red like he swam across the seven seas in one day.

"Thank you...," He started, bringing his forehead to touch mine. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't remember my own birthday for god's sake," He smiled, leaning closer to peck my lips gently.

I kissed him lightly when he pulled back. My lips were chapped from not having to kiss him often, and it needed more of his. "You're welcome... I love doing this for you so it was fun setting it up. The place was cool too, and it reminded me of you," I look around to see the venue. The beautiful scene it was that it matched his nature of beauty.

"Come on, I haven't sung your birthday song yet," I ushered, bringing him to the spread blanket, and we laid there together - our body faced each other and soon the date went on, and we celebrated the day with him being twenty-five.

Kai had fun eating the foods that I made for him. When he knew that I cooked all the food that we had today, the way he was just wowed to know that I did it was absolutely adorable. It's like he came back to being his bubbly self again, and it made my heart throb in love and admiration to the man.

He really enjoyed the pastry that I bought from work too and to him, he said that it was the best part of the meal. Well, obviously he hasn't gone got tired of his sweet tooth obsession. It was sort of a relief as well to know he wasn't because who would eat all of these cakes and chocolates if it wasn't him.

That was when it was everything just happens to be interrupted by his phone ringing.

"Oh! I...," I linger off, looking at the screen of his phone to see who it was and I swore it spelt 'Hayes'. The name suddenly brings me dissatisfaction and jealousy just written all over me. "-I've got to take this," He said without having me to give an answer as he left from he sat and answered the damn call.

I cursed under my breath for the dumb jackass who called him. Who would- Who would even bother to call at this time? Can't he just text?

With times passed by in a way I hated, the date ended out of nowhere because Kai said he had to do something at home for work. It leaves me no choice but to follow what he wants. The date wasn't even finished yet and I wanted to bring him to the mall to get his gift. Fuck this... I'm just going to have sex with him as a gift... That would do?

So as we entered our house at eight, everything just went into silent mode and I was warned to not disturb him while he was in a video call with the other of his workers about what he explained into the phone to be a product gone wrong. I know that he said earlier no work chattering at home but I had no choice but to eavesdrop to know if he was alright or not and who was that Hayes guy.

"Other people are resting their asses off and be with their partners while he goes on about his work... the fuck is that?" I muttered, going into the shower to clean myself off. I can't decide whether I was angry at him or at the unknown Hayes guy or at his work. It just pisses me off that I wasn't been able to have my time fully with him. It could have been a great time.

To make it up, maybe late night sex would be good. We haven't done it in a while and I was eager to touch him over and over again. Yes... I think I'm gonna do just that. Go into his work office and kidnap him right there and just have long sex with him. I think that should do it. It would be fun.

Thus, when the shower was over and I had prepared myself to barge into his office, I put on a smirk to set the mood. With a huge boost of confidence of what's to come, I push the door open with a loud thump and before me wasn't a sight of Kai working.

It was a sight of him sleeping peacefully but tiredly on the wheeled chair.

The confidence I once had washed away like those sandcastles being fade away by the ocean. I let out a sigh of wistfulness and felt nothing but tired to see this happening over and over again.

Feeling that nothing could be done, I just help him shut down his laptop and carry him to our bedroom. I helped to get off his suffocating work outfit that had become the everyday routine outfit - made him seemed more sluggish day by day and I hated the way it made him looked older and wiser. Seems like I'm not the one matured in this relationship.

I tucked him in his sleep and went to lay beside him. His breathing cooed slowly and I watch as him all night long with an ongoing mystery that never had a remedy to my lonely heart.

What is going on with us?

- - -

What is going on???