"Whatever comes around comes around", this perfectly describes the event that was about to unfold. Yuki fully knew of the outcome, and yet she insisted on knowing.
Nora: (shocked) "?!"
The difference from Yuki's situation and his' was the intimidation of Madame Rouge, no longer being present. The situation was not exactly of the same gravity, but the pressure was still there. Even if it was for saving her, he still felt bad for using such an underhanded trick. Karma made him feel guilty despite being forgiven by her.
Yuki: (guilty) "I'm sorry i know i shouldn't have asked in the first place...*haha* forget it, i will find another one"
He thought about it for some seconds and decided upon karma to be the judge.
Nora: "i kept you because-"
Yuki's body froze as he started to answer the question. Nora was honest man and most importantly someone who knew that "messing up would call for reparation".
Yuki: (panicking) "Nora! you don't have to say it! It's ok! Keeping me and hugging me is enough! I swear, you have already proven yourself.."
He bowed his head down.
Nora: (guilty) "It might be this way for you, but for me it's another story."
This was the point of no return. Yuki was not prepared. But she had to pah full attention to what he had to say. He lifted his head back up.
Nora: "I kept you because...the little amount of time being with you felt like a roller coaster."
Yuki: (intrigued) "?"
Nora: "I don't know how...but it felt right...*comically* well i was totally in the wrong for thinking of you as a burglar. But you coming into my house was as if you brought along something i didn't know i needed more than anything in my life."
Yuki: (blushing) "...what..was it?"
Nora: (smiling) "Someone i could genuinely enjoy my time with".
Yuki: (surprised) "?!"
Normally Yuki would have hidden her reaction, but his gaze could not make her deviate from his attention.
Nora: "When i realized you wanted to stay with me, i took it as a sign."
His gray eyes were hypnotic. She even forgot to speak.
Yuki: "...."
The room's atmosphere were suffocating for both of them. Nora had to alleviate this uneasiness a little, luckily for him his safety mechanism kicked itself up due to all this cringe he created.
Nora: "Also to add you seemed very cute-
Yuki: (surprised) "?!"
Her eyes widened. Her face became red like a volcano.
Nora: "gentle, enthusiastic and funny-"
Yuki: (embarrassed) "?!"
Nora: "especially those moments of you being stubborn..*pfft*"
Jokes was his only card for any type of situation he felt awkward about. Unfortunately that last line broke her immersion but not completely. Nora felt the cringe he created increase even more. She gave him a pouting expression while making a sound of disapproval. Her pouting moments was so cute that he did not give up and continued.
Nora: "Your pouting moments as well are also very cute.."
She blushed. "Nice save!", he thought. Even though he was messing with her, she was secretly enjoying it and tried to hide it.
Yuki: (slightly annoyed) "You bully..."
She thought he was done, and she could catch her breath.
Nora: "You made me feel at ease with your moments of care and concerns as well."
Yuki: "?!"
Unfortunately, he wasn't done. His face went back to being serious.
Nora: "I mean you were interested to know who i was, and you even established that i was a bad cook."
She made a face that read: "Damn! he caught me!".
Nora smiled.
Nora: "You know i am not really into hugs but i gotta be honest, i didn't know i would love hugs that much *blushing* but i guess...it's just your hugs...that are special..."
The bowl was getting full. She could not take any more droplets anymore, she had to broke away from his gaze once again and concentrate on something other than him. A lot of information was thrown at her, and she needed to process them. Fortunately for her, Nora lifted himself from his chair. He would be lying if he wasn't trying to recover from everything he conveyed as well.
Nora: (tired) "Well i gotta take a bath, if you would please excuse me."
He needed some time alone. As he walked towards the bathroom, without a single notice Nora felt two hands being wrap around his torso. It was warm, and the smell was familiar.
Nora: (startled) "?!"
Yuki: (remorseful) "I'm sorry you had to do this for me.."
Yuki felt bad to have brought up the subject, despite her warning him. She wanted to repay him at any cost, fortunately her body moved on its own, and she repaid him without her realizing.
Nora: (blushing) "Like i said you don't have to excuse yourself, i did it cuz i wanted to that's all"
Yuki: "in that case.."
She hugged him way tighter and her embrace felt more intimate.
Nora: (surprised) "Yuki?"
Yuki: (embarrassed) "Don't mind me, i wanted to do it cuz i felt like it."
Nora let out a smile. She let go of him, and he went inside the bathroom while carefully closing the bathroom door. Yuki went and sat on the couch in silence, to which lasted 5 seconds, and leaded to her breaking down in embarrassment. Keeping her hands on her face, the memories from 5 mins ago felt so vivid.
Nora turned on the water and drown himself in it. He pressed his forehead against the bathroom wall.
Nora: "Man i've really done it this time..."
He couldn't believe in what he just did. Nonetheless, he felt relieved, the awkwardness was his freedom. He no longer felt remorseful. The stream of water falling down his luscious hair and his body felt refreshing. 10 minutes later he was done and came out fully dressed.
Nora: "I'm already done with the bathroom, feel free to use it."
Yuki: "Ok"
Nora walked towards his room door and in an attempt to turn the doorknob open, something hit his mind. Yuki went into the kitchen and took the leather bag that she brought along off the table. The company had meticulously chosen her clothes. Now checking to what they had given her. Suddenly her face turned into pure white to her discovery.
Nora: "Yuki?"
Yuki: (panicking) "Yes!"
Nora: (blushing) "Well..since we are you know...living together, i was wondering if you had any clothes to wear for tonight?
Yuki: "Eummm...i do....don't worry.."
Nora: (relieved) "Oh okay, then i will be in my room, just knock if you need me.."
While turning his back on her, another realization hit him. He turned his back to face her again.
Nora: "Yuki?"
She was still checking her bag in panic and got startled again.
Yuki: (panicked) "Yes!"
Nora: "Where do you plan to sleep?"
Yuki: (startled) "?!"
Nora: (worried) "My apartment only has one bed..."
She was making quick glances to her bag to which Nora noticed.
Nora: "Yuki, you ok?"
Yuki: (comically) "Yea yea!, i was just thinking of where i was going to sleep hehe.....the couch probably"
Nora: (worried) "Are you sure?"
Yuki: "Yes it's very comfortable! Last time i sat on it, i thought that it was better than an actual bed!"
She stood infront of her bag while facing Nora to hide it. Nora knew something was off.
Nora: (curious) "Yuki, be honest you didn't bring anything do you?"
Yuki: (blushing) "No..no i did bring something...it's just..."
Nora: "It's just?"
Yuki was making more eye contact with the bag behind her, and her reactions looked very readable to him. He looked at her for a minute then made a decision.
Nora: "*Sigh* Wait here.."
Yuki: "?"
He went in his room without stating why. While he was gone she took out the thing that caused all her discomfort. And there it was! A revealing purple lingerie. Her face was tinted in different shades of red. She raised it in the air as some sort of undescribable object. Analyzing the garment's details, she didn't want to admit, but it had some sort elegance to it. In her moment of inattention, she didn't notice this presence behind her. She slowly turned her head, and Nora was standing there as startled as her. In his hands were some of his clothes that he planned to lend her.
Yuki: (shocked) "Nora?!"
She hid the lingerie behind her.
Nora: "...."
Yuki: (comically) "Eumm...you are already back?"
She noticed the clothes in his hand.
Yuki: (panicking) "You brought some clothes for me, thank you i-"
Nora frowned his eyebrows in curiosity then started to take some steps towards her, causing her to panic more. The string piece of the lingerie still jiggled around her back as she trembled.
Yuki: (scared) "Why are you approaching me?"
Nora thought for the worst when he saw the lingerie. "Was she planning to sleep with me?!" He thought, He was uneasy, but he needed some answers.
Nora: (curious) "...."
Yuki: "...."
Nora: "I know what you are hiding, Yuki."
Yuki: (frightened) "?!"
Nora: (blushing) "I don't have anything against the way that you dress. But i am not the type of man that does things like that on the first night. I'm sorry."
Yuki: (baffled) "What?! I thought you were into this type of stuff the moment i saw it! But you are highly misunderstanding! i did not intend to bring this with me!"
Nora: (baffled) "Wait what?! What made you think i was?!"
Yuki: "So, you are telling me you did not meant for this to happen?"
Nora: "Nooooo....i would never make you do such a thing."
Yuki: "Then it is probably a mistake on my companies' behalf..."
Nora: "The M.M.I?"
Yuki: "..."
Nora: "Yuki?"
Nora was trying to catch eye contact with her, but she kept on escaping every attempt Nora made.
Yuki: (blushing) "....my company...has made strategies to whether intimate interactions would occur or not on the very first day of the matcher's acquisition."
Nora: "Ok?"
Yuki: "When a matcher is confirmed, the person will then be sent another form which he/she describe the sort of relationships he/she wishes to have with his said partner....for example; romantic relationship, partner for life and....*starts blushing like a hot chili*"
Nora: "And?"
Yuki: (embarrassed) "Se...Sex...sexual real relationship"
Nora: "Oh?"
That type of service was also part of the MMI branch, Similar to hooking up for one night. Both stood in silence for some seconds until Nora finally spoke
Nora: (surprised) "But...I did not get the other form because i was way over the deadline"
Yuki thought for a moment.
Yuki: "if that's the case...i suppose that the management had to make a deduction upon your taste since you missed the deadline..."
Nora: (awkwardly) "I see...i ummmm i am very sorry.."
Yuki: (reassuring) "It's okay, it is a function that i have to carry either way no matter the requester...*haha*"
She smiled at him, but something was dishonest about her smile, and Nora clearly saw that. It was her job to do those type of things. But Nora clearly didn't want something that abnormal to impose on their relationship.
Nora: (concerned) "Yuki...."
Yuki: "Since you refused to do it, then it's totally ok, it doesn't really bother me-"
She looked at him and saw his concerned expression.
Yuki: (worried) "Nora?"
Nora: "Yuki, i never intended for you to do any of those things without your consent."
Yuki: (surprised) "?!"
Nora: "I wanted someone who i could have a normal healthy relationship with."
He stepped forward and put his left hand on her left shoulder.
Yuki: "Nora?"
Nora: "If you are feeling uncomfortable about what the company has ordered you to do, then don't force yourself to do them."
Yuki: "....."
Nora: (smiling) "Just be yourself, and i will be the happiest in the room. i promise you."
He hugged her, and it caught her off guard. But he made sure she felt the most comfortable as he previously felt with her. He tapped her shoulder, and handed her his clothes. He went in his room, and gave her another smile while closing the door. She stayed silent looking at the pair of long sleeve trouser, and shorts that she was given. "Just be yourself, and i will be the happiest in the room. I promise you.", As she remembered those words, it made tiny dots appear on the dark blue trouser. Dots after dots, she realized that she was crying. She dashed inside the bathroom and quickly got rid of her clothes to shower herself. She tried rubbing her eyes to stop the tears from coming out which failed to no avail, instead she allowed the water stream do the job. The tears were not of sadness but of happiness, smiling through her tears made her start believing that she was psychotic.
Yuki: (crying) "What am i doing?"
She leaned her back against the bathroom wall. She was still stuck on Nora's comment, but the memory of him hugging and smiling at her made her smile even more which allowed more tears to flow. She looked at her feet still contemplating those memories.
7 minutes has passed and Nora went out of his room.
Nora: "Yuki?"
Thinking she was already done with the shower, he went to the living room to search for her and there she was. She was laid on the couch in a deep slumber. Her face looked even more beautiful in her sleep. In addition to her wearing his clothes, it caused him to blush and avert his eyes from looking at her body. The last thing he wanted would be his stream of thought escalating to something perverted. The reason of him originally looking for her, was to lend her a spare cover. It was already too late as she was sleeping. He thought for a moment and a decision. He covered her from her elbow to her toes. When done he departed on his way to his bedroom. The tiny clack of his bedroom door was the final closure.
Chapter 6: End