World After Worlds

"I will never say that word directed at you, Rym." He grumbled, obviously upset. "Did they say that to you?" Yanarym pressed her lips together to stop herself from laughing. It's not wise to laugh at a serious man, especially to Matteo who was dramatic. However, she liked teasing him so much.

She extended her sluggish limbs and fastened his cheeks between her palms. "You're such a good boy, you're making me look like a bad girl," she mumbled and lifted her head to grant him a kiss on his nose. His scowling brows loosened and his lip curled to a smile because she gave him two kisses.

"You are a bad girl," he murmured with a happy face, "A very naughty girl." Yanarym chuckled and brushed his fluffy hair to her fingers. His eyes sparkled before closing it on holding her wrist and shoving his cheek to her palm. Like a puppy asking to be petted. He was always easy to please. "Tell me to love you." He whispered as his hand caressed her shoulder. His voice was husky, sexier, she raised a brow discerning he wanted another round…

"You're so corny and horny," she laughed, "Enough already. Should we go and prepare breakfast?" Yanarym faced him. Matteo held her chin and kissed her passionately. She could say it was sensual yet there were no further concupiscent signals. "Teo," she struggled to turn around. He was still crushing her body. He halted with his bussing and showered her tender kisses all over her face. Giving her adequate space to move her body, he laid next to her, arms encircled on her waist. "I'm hungry," she sweetly said and embraced him as well.

"I already cooked your breakfast, I just needed to set up the plates and utensils." He uttered and skimmed his fingers on her facial features while gazing into her eyes, "Fried rice, sunny side up and, tocino, you want it, right?"

"Yes," she exclaimed and sat up in the bed, nonchalant with her naked body. Matteo reached over to her shoulders and saw some red marks on her collarbone and neck. He sat along with her, his expression turned bitter. He restrained himself from doing these imprints because he didn't like removing them. Regardless, he can't let her see these marks when she looked at her reflections, "I'll do it," she ardently said as he scraped his fingertips to her neck. "I'll set up the table."

"Aren't we gonna take a bath first?" He asked her and finished attending the love marks he accidentally made.

She clasped her lips and stared back at him and shook her head, "You know," she placed her tiny hand on his lap and leaned close to his face. "You can't bathe with me anymore, right? You don't just bathe when we're in the bathroom. Lustful man, tsk, tsk," she jokingly said and chuckled as she pulled away from him. Though, her giggles and warm breath caused goosebumps to break out across his flesh. Matteo blew out a depleted sigh, she was saying disrespectful statements about him and he had no intention to correct her imprudent behavior.

It was true, if they went to the bathroom, he would not just stand there and wash her or watch her bathe. He would make love to her in every chance she gave him. "The time here doesn't work, why don't we stay for a little longer?"

"Matteo," she wrinkled her forehead as she frowned, "I said I'm hungry," her tone was firm and her eyes were steely. "Time doesn't run in here, but my stomach and body are all functioning just fine, should I starve myself to satisfy you."

Matteo paused, she was the one in superiority between them, of course, he could not repudiate if she no longer wanted to be intimate with him. He also knew though, a relationship was not a one-way system. He had an upper hand he could use on her.

"I just want to cuddle with you," he murmured with a soft plea, "You were always not home, you're late every night, you don't allow me to sleep with you in this room. Our relationship is a secret to Lena, I am the only one—" he constrained himself to say another word. He sounded so childish, fretting about his troubles and complaints. Matteo had accumulated this 'new' attitude he had developed. "This is the only time I got to spend time with you." He shifted his eyes on her, he knew she would fall for it. She was weak whenever he acted like this.

"Teo," her eyebrows that were creasing softened, her lips parted to say another protest but conceded within seconds passed. "I can't believe a god like you acts so sheepishly. Do you enjoy knowing my weakness?" She pouted her lips and dotted her eyes on the messy blanket. He smiled widely and waved his hand and a robe appeared.

"Raise your arm," he swaddled it over her shoulders and she wore it on her arms obediently. He knotted the tie on the ribbon and snatched her waist and brought her back to lay down on the bed. She closed her eyes, they appreciated the serene moment but then her stomach grumbled. "I should have brought your breakfast here," he uttered with a throaty whisper. She opened her eyes and peered at him with a gentle expression.

"I want to have a meal with Mother," she uttered in a ragged voice, "I've been unreasonable with her for quite some time, I want to make up with her."

Matteo stared at her wounded expression, he clenched his jaw, annoyed seeing her dejected by an irrelevant burden. He had been living, pretending to be a mortal for her. He had played that role maybe not very well because he could not get accustomed to how human life functions. He may have felt emotion, happiness, fury, disappointment, dullness, excitement, sadness, and many more of it that Yanarym had brewed him to feel. Nevertheless, when someone else was involved he was indifferent, apathetic, and unsparing. His sole concern was all about her, if it was not about her, he did not care, he wouldn't care, he couldn't care.

He nuzzled her cheek and trailed his thumb on her eyes and it reflexively closed, wiping out that saddened expression she had. He traveled to her ear and gently pinched it between her fingertips. He bent forward, tilted his head, and bunched his lips to her nose. "Lena understands, don't be bothered by it," Matteo said to her. She gaped at him and her eyes shimmered as he looked at him. She didn't say a word and simply rested her forehead on his as she closed her eyes.

With their intact bodies, Matteo felt her tender skin, her warm steady breathing while he could hear his heart thumping loudly. She could hear it too, he knew that. He skimmed his fingers, wandering all over her skin with gentle fondling. "I'm getting sleepy," she groggily said and opened her eyes. "And I'm still hungry," Matteo smiled and had the contentment of the moment.

"I should feed you," he stood up, walked straight to her closet, "here, wear this for now," she rose on the bed and ambled in his direction, and got dressed. They stepped out of her bedroom and the time came running again, the clock beside the shelves of books clang as its hands pointed at seven o'clock. Yanarym went to the kitchen but before that, she veered her gaze to him.

"Can you call for Mother while I prepare the table?" He nodded with no objection. "Thank you," she tiptoed on him and he voluntarily crouched and received a kiss on his left cheek.

Matteo watched her sprint to the kitchen and he looked at Lena's door. It opened and he didn't bother to put on an amenable smile to be courteous. Lena bowed her head to show her respect towards him and he stared at her with animosity. Not only two other men but Lena as well, how many humans should he compete with for the time with his wife?

"Rym wanted to have breakfast with you." Lena couldn't hide the cheerfulness that shined in her eyes when he was done speaking. "Don't display that happiness straight to my face," he grunted and walked to the kitchen. "Annoying humans."

"You're fast," Yanarym greeted him as she settled plates on the table, he smiled at her as if he never had that intimidating expression. "I'm almost done—Mother! Take a seat, I'm almost done setting the table," she smiled widely and excitedly went to the stove. Matteo got close to her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I'll do the rest, why don't you have a chat with Lena?"

"You're the best." She whispered to him and left him on the counter. His smile faded in a grim in an instant, he was doing all this to please her, if he was uncooperative she won't even hesitate to ignore him. Everyone was her priority before him…