He remained frozen where he was, staring intensely at me. I could sense his doubt.

"I know it's not what Agape wants. But if I can come up with an idea like the mosquitoes, maybe I can find a violence-free way out of this. I'm a Glühbirne after all, right? Would you come with me?"

I was pushing it. He would never leave Agape. She had spared him from a life of humiliation and slavery-like treatment.

Besides that, if Agape ever found out about it, she would get stark raving mad at me. I assumed my current thoughts could be construed as an intention to betray her and her organisation. My rebel haters would be right, they would hate me even more, and my life could be on the line – and if I made Sigi take my side, he'd be in danger too. Was I willing to pay that price for my ideals?

"I don't know, Daphne. I..." he whispered back at me, hesitating.

"Forget it, then. I'm being foolish, right?" I mocked myself. I tried to go back to the previous subject, since it still required being taken care of, namely whether Sigi would need a plus one, and if so who? "Anyway, as regards the benefit, you should go with Momo instead. Can you tell Agape when she feels better?" I suggested and asked him.

"What? No! I'm not getting paired with her!" he exclaimed as if I was mad. "She'd get the wrong idea."

"Are you sure? Agape's told me about Momo's plan to mess with you yesterday, about a one-night stand with K."

"She's an asshole. And pathetic," he replied with mild anger. "I'm not jealous as she had expected. If anything, I'm relieved – and pitying K's dick."

I chuckled freely. Changing the subject made me feel better.

"I'm pretty sure K is entitled to an opinion as regards Momo being a good or bad one-night stand. She's kinda foxy, you know."

"Don't defend her!" he exclaimed as if I was an idiot and as if his pride had been wounded.

"You know it's not true, right?" I told him with a slight smirk. "What Momo told you was just a lie to rile you. She's not slept or even made out with K."

He let out a prideful chuckle.

"You like being adored," I concluded with cheek while crossing my arms over my chest. "Just like with the kids the other day at the promenade and the Palace. You hate Momo, but you love the attention she devotes to you."

"Look who's jealous now," he counterattacked, crossing his arms over his chest too.

"Oh, I'm not jealous at all." I smiled only a bit out of pride.

Momo and Eros. They made Sigi and me balance like a crazy pendulum. I had to admit I was getting dizzy, but not jealous.

"Ah, no? Are you sure?" he asked while coming closer to me with a proud smile on his lips.

Of course, I was sure.

"How can I be when you've already told me you love me, Sigi? Nothing beats that." My words and the softness of my tone of voice took him by surprise. He was raising an eyebrow and letting his jaw drop just slightly. "Besides, I know Momo is just a colleague to you, right?"

I had never been so blunt about my feelings in my entire life. I had to admit it felt good – letting it all out. But I was blushing anyway. I admitted to myself that I had shielded myself from real life for too long.

"You torture me beyond what I had ever thought possible for you, Daphne," he whispered teasingly while approaching me and while he delicately combed a stray lock of my hair behind my left ear. "For such a pacifist like you who hates torture, I'm amazed."

"What?" I asked almost breathlessly while I inadvertently let my arms loose, hanging on either side of me.

"This pride of yours..." He stopped and withheld the words he was about to say. "I confessed my feelings for you the other night, but you won't say a word about yours. That's so unfair. I hate not being even with you," he complained gently while staring deep into my eyes.

"You might've said the 'L' word, but I kissed you first," I whispered also gently.

"Is this a competition?" he asked whispering and with a prideful smirk. I had to admit that I loved it. "Because if so, I'm willing to give it all there is to give right now."

His nose was almost touching mine then, and I could feel his hot breath on my skin. Then, I felt his hands on either side of my arms. He had begun to trace a gentle line from my wrists up.

I was blushing way too hard to keep up with that stupid farce. Being a tease wasn't really my thing. I couldn't put up a brave face anymore when he spoke like that, with that unmistakable body language, and being so close to me.

By the time his fingers had reached my biceps and triceps, he went slower and I felt his whole hands gently wrapping around my arms. The tip of his nose was brushing mine and he was leaning on me as if he was right about to kiss me.

"You heard my father yesterday," I dared to reply in a whisper. "And Agape."

"You should take their wisdom into account, sure. But the decision should be yours only," he replied in the same fashion. "Besides, I can keep you protected, you know."

I let my jaw drop. Did that mean he had condoms? I took in some air slowly while my lips betrayed me with a nervous smile.

"Daphne, I can wait if you're unsure right now – and for as long as it's me you want, of course."

I nodded. He let my arms go as softly as he had caught them. His face slowly parted from mine, but he remained close to me.

The imposing, mighty Sigi -bouncer, hockey enforcer, and murderer at the same time- was backing off on his own accord. He was a gentleman. I was glad to find that out.

"In the meantime, a kiss shall suffice," he whispered with a hungry voice.

He leaned back on me while cupping my right cheek with one of his hands. His lips approached mine without hesitation. Both of us closed our eyes, and we let our need for a physical connection take over our minds.

While our lips danced slowly and smoothly together, I felt all doubts fly away from my brain.

What about Agape's rules?

What about clone laws, their threats on our lives, and the check-ups they would soon impose on us?

What about the meditation that we should've been practising?

What about my haters?

What about the war, which I was sure that would only go from bad to worse in the next few days or weeks? I didn't know the full extent of Agape's plans – or Apollo's. Who knew what would happen if those two collided hard and with all their fury?

What about Eros? How could I spare him all the suffering I would cause him? Would he be disappointed in me and hate me forever?

And what about Sigi? Would I be able to cope with the darkness that emanated from him? What if he did something that would trigger me, or even hate himself for? What if he did something I could not forgive or overlook?

What if I couldn't bear to look at him on account of his spiteful actions anymore?

Or what if he couldn't bear to look at me anymore?

But I couldn't think properly about all those worries with his demanding lips on mine.

Worries? What worries?

Hello, my dear sugar cubes!

Have you enjoyed the ups and downs between these two? 😉 What about the kiss? What about Daphne's doubts?

XOXO

MS