For the past few days, my life has been odd.
As soon as I open the door in the morning, I see him standing in front of my bedroom.
"Wife is prettier today." He pecks my forehead. "Get ready soon. We have to head to the hospital."
I still can't figure out why I have to go to the hospital with him and spend another boring day in his office while he's busy with work.
"Ta-da~" He stands near the table, wearing an apron. The breakfast is ready when I come out of the bathroom after a bath. "Wife, I made balsamic onion omelette."
Balsamic? He's been feeding me omelettes every morning. Though this house is technically mine, it doesn't feel like mine. I am not allowed to enter the kitchen or do any household chore because my 'wrist' hasn't healed completely yet.
I frown at him and take a seat. He's watching me with expectation. If I don't give him a compliment, he would sulk and while about his inability to win his wife's love through her stomach all day.
"Wife~ How is it?" He bats his eyes at me.
"It tastes good." It's not a lie. He could have been famous as a chef.
"I assure you." He leans closer. "I taste a lot better."
*Cough*
*Cough*
He brings a glass of water to my lips. I cover my mouth. "Doctor Sanguine, why do you always say stuff like this?"
"Wife, I am also a man." He squints his eyes and puckers his lips.
"I can see that." He has made that point clear to me by asking me if he could sniff my panties or whining on the floor each time I kick him out of my room before I go to sleep. I should have gone to the mental asylum instead of marrying him. He is equal to more than a hundred mad patients.
"How long I am going to keep my chastity?" He lets out a sad sigh. "It's been a week since we got married. I am still a virgin. I wonder if my wife is truly attracted to my appearance. Should I get a new haircut?"
Should I make him bald by myself? "Aren't you going to eat?"
"I already ate before you woke up." He smiles at me. "Today, we are going to check out another apartment. If you like this one, we can move tomorrow."
He's been looking for a new apartment ever since I said that it was difficult to live here. I am not sure about moving out of this place now. When we have such a nice house, what's the point of getting a new one? I kept declining, but he keeps showing me new places.
I have noticed that he always gets ready before I wake up. He even finished eating breakfast before I wake up. He doesn't eat lunch, but he would always watch me eat like he's doing now. At night, he would make meat for himself and a vegetarian meal for me. I think that he hates greens with guts, but he never says it.
To test my hypothesis, I stab the piece of tomato using the fork and take it to his mouth.
His eyes become big and round. His skin becomes a few shades paler. He gulps down, looking like a child who has to eat something distasteful. He closes his eyes and opens his mouth hesitantly. When I rub it on his lower lip, I see him flinch. He hates it this much, huh? I take it away from his mouth and give his lower lip a little lick to wipe away the essence of the piece of tomato. He stares at me with unblinking eyes.
"It's surprising to see a doctor who hates eating greens." I raise my brow at him. "Wake me up early from tomorrow. We should have breakfast. I don't care if you eat meat for breakfast too."
***
It's not the first time his wife kissed him, but it's certainly the first time she did this to 'him'. Last time, she kissed him in a half-asleep state and there was no doubt that she mistook him for someone else. But the blissful feeling was over in a blink. She kissed him this time. Him? Right?
He stares at her for a long time, scrutinizing her face if she's half-asleep or mistaken by any chance. She finishes her breakfast in silence. Then, she turns to him and says, "If you still have the taste of tomatoes in your lips, wash your mouth."
Eli points at her lips. "You kissed me."
Not looking at him, she stands up and picks up the plate. He follows her to the kitchen. She puts the plates in the sink. She curls and uncurls her left hand. Her fingers are stiff to move. She reaches for the tap. Sighing, Eli turns her around and stares into her eyes. "Wife, you kissed me."
"It wasn't a kiss." There's not a single change in her expression. She folds her arms and chins up. Despite her arrogant posture, she continues with an urgent voice, "Doctor Sanguine, I had a fork in my right hand and my left hand is bandaged. I saw that you hated the taste of tomatoes. So, I was wiping your lips clean. A proper kiss isn't like that at all."
It takes all the strength to not laugh after hearing her quick explanation. "When will you give me a proper kiss?"
"When I fall in love with you." She glances at him and then, she looks away. Again, she looks at him and then, she inhales and looks away. "Doctor Sanguine, why are you staring at me like that?"
"There's something on your lips." He moves closer to her. "I want to clean them with my lips."
She puts her hand on his lips and licks her lips clean. "My lips are clean now. You don't have to do that."
"There's still something on it." He grabs her waist, pulling her closer. He inserts his hand inside her shirt, running his palm over her smooth back. "Wife, I will clean your body with my lips every day."
He hears the sound of erratic breaths combined with the rapid beat of her heart. She meets his gaze, trying to act brave in the dangerous situation. "Doctor Sanguine, behave."
She says one thing, but she clearly wants something else. Eli lets her go, feeling both reluctant and amused by his dishonest wife. "What do I have to do?"
"For what?" She scurries out of the kitchen and goes straight to the bedroom. She runs her fingers through her hair. Feeling his eyes on her back, she turns around and looks at him. "Go away. I am going to change."
"You didn't tell me." He walks into the bedroom and smiles at her. "What do I have to do to get a proper kiss?"
"Do you always think about that only?" She pulls her hair to front, revealing her collarbone bare. So, that's where he should mark her. Her collarbone is too enticing to be left alone today. But how? It's been hard to mark her recently. She always has her guards up.
"Wife, can you expect a beast not to salivate when he can see the meat right in front of his eyes everyday?" He regrets blurting out the words when he sees her wrinkling her nose. The collarbone is too distracting. The not-so-proper kiss of hers is still affecting his brain. "What I mean is --"
"You are always thinking about meat." She frowns at him. "Keep salivating. You deserve it."
"I will die from over-salivating if you don't help me with it." He sits down on the bed and spreads his arms. "I want a hug. I haven't hugged you since that day. Give me one or I will… I will…"
"What will you do?" She stares at him with a horrified expression.
"If you don't give me a hug, I won't go to work." He tells her with a smile, "When my boss calls me, I will tell him that my wife told me to stay at home and salivate. I am going to salivate all day watching you."