𝐒𝐏𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒 - ★彡[ᴀʟʜᴀɪᴛʜᴀᴍ]彡★

𝟐𝟐 - 𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍

!REMEMBER TO READ THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER BEFORE THIS (they were both uploaded at the same time) OR ELSE THIS WILL MAKE ABSOLUTELY ZERO SENSE

On top of the queen-sized bed lay a set of toiletries as well as robes for us to change into. I was thankful to finally get out of these sopping wet clothes, but it would be incredibly embarrassing to have to wear a robe in front of Alhaitham. After all, he was so straightforward and serious that it was hard to get comfortable when under his gaze.

"I'll sleep on the floor," he immediately spoke once he shut the door.

My fantasies shattered.

"Ah, alright-"

Bang.

He immediately went into the bathroom, making sure to grab a towel and robe with him beforehand. How does he even move that fast?

I didn't really feel the need to shower, so I decided that I would just change into the robe and get out of the now soaking-wet dress that was clinging onto my skin. Walking over to the back corner of the room, I changed out of it, leaving on my undergarments for safety, then slung the white robe around my shoulders. I hung Alhaitham's jacket over the drawer to let it dry, then moved over to the bed.

Plopping down onto the mattress, I immediately felt a sense of relief. This was almost a surreal experience, being in a high-quality hotel with my fake husband who was also smoking hot... I was truly a blessed soul. I didn't want to make any moves that would make him uncomfortable, but at the same time, I found myself eager at the prospect of what would happen.

The stress of everything happening outside of this hotel room managed to fade away, allowing my first moment of peace since a few weeks ago to seep in. The sound of running water in the other room signified that Alhaitham was in the shower. So long as that noise continued on, I could enjoy this peace and solitude...

But of course, all good things must come to an end.

The sound eventually stopped entirely, and the door to the bathroom opened again, revealing Alhaitham in a white robe similar to mine. It certainly didn't leave much to the imagination in terms of his upper body, having a very large dip that revealed his abs and chest muscles.
"Perverse actions are not permitted," he muttered, seeming somewhat embarrassed at my staring.

You know what? There's only so much a girl can do in one life. If I didn't choose to take the chance now, there may never be a chance again. For just this night, I could be free of responsibilities, so therefore be free of any consequences. Of course, it wouldn't go past a bit of teasing without his consent, but it was worth giving it a chance to see if he saw me as a woman at all.

In the quiet way of his, Alhaitham's eyes flitted over me to assess that I was alright before he sat down on the edge of the bed, his broad back facing mine. The bed creaked and the mattress shifted with his weight, bringing our bodies just a millimeter closer. I felt the urge to speak, say something, but in the end all I could ask was something selfish out of my own fear of abandonment.

"Are you angry?"

"No," he let out a breath, "I've just been very busy lately. I apologize for failing my duties, and I will continue to sustainably uphold them after this time period."

"If it's just out of obligation, then there's no need to go out of your way," I replied. "But at the same time, I think that we need to strengthen our appearance to others."

"You're right," he nodded. "My performance was lacking and a hindrance to my own goals."

I got out from under the covers and crawled my way closer to him, sitting criss-cross applesauce. "We have to get used to acting naturally around each other in an attempt to produce an organic marital appearance."

"That's true. In order to maintain the stability of the company's reputation, we must grow comfortable around each other."

"Well, isn't this a perfect opportunity to do so?" I smiled, shifting my position so that I was sitting next to him. Although he didn't turn to look at me, I saw a slight shift in his eyes. "I guess I'll start by apologizing again. I know that I shouldn't have gone through your stuff without permission, and I've often acted quite selfishly. To be honest, I'm curious as to why you haven't found a replacement yet. Do you think you could share how you feel in that regard to start?"

Alhaitham turned to face me, seemingly somewhat surprised at the blunt question. "You adapt to situations quickly and handle situations with care, as well as not being excessively clingy nor excessively cold. You're intelligent and have a good background as well as being experienced in romantic endeavors. Finding another person that would fit the role to a tee would be incredibly difficult and not worth investing in if there's a chance that it wouldn't pay off."

"I see," I nodded. "That makes sense. You always seem to think about everything in terms of how it will benefit your company. If you really think that I fit the exact role that you wanted, then we should grow more comfortable with physical contact, right?"

"...Yes."

"So there's no need to sleep on the floor. We can sleep in the same bed tonight."

Abruptly and completely out of nowhere, Alhaitham stood up rigidly. He let out a long breath and turned to me with a serious expression. "The implications behind that statement are likely not what you intended, but I suggest that you exercise more caution."

His eyes were darker than usual, his pupils dilated and shining in the light. I wasn't going to act like I was oblivious and didn't understand what he was implying-but the way he said it made it seem like I was completely oblivious to that in general.

"I wouldn't say that to just anyone," I looked up at him. "I'm not that dense."

"You understand the implications, yet you still chose to ask such a question?" Alhaitham seemed shocked by my actions, a rather rare expression of surprise and disbelief on his face. "To me?"

The fact that he didn't realize how much of an attractive person he was irritated me. Sure, you may have to get over a few things when dealing with him, but overall, everything about him was attractive. Even his blunt phrasing and cold demeanor could be attractive if you were enough of an otome fanatic.

"No, I was asking the lamp," I deadpanned.

He looked conflicted for a second, running his tongue along his teeth as he seemed to be having extreme inner turmoil. Despite the tension in the room, a part of me was happy that he saw me as a woman even at all. That fact alone was enough to leave me happy at the progress I had made, even if he chose to back away now.

He took a step towards me until he was towering over me. His muscles were still dripping from the shower water, and his searing gaze flickered over me as a droplet of water fell from his hair onto my cheek.

"You asked for this."

okay big question

Do u guys want the snusnu next chapter or slow burn it more? ;)