BOSOM. |Bang Chan

Thirty Six.

Since Chan woke up from his hibernation, Alana noticed she could actually sleep. She wouldn't stir in bed for hours and she felt her body's neediness for sleep and rest which was something she didn't experience for years. But tonight, was different.

Again, she was restless and sleep-deprived. That wasn't because she didn't need to sleep. She couldn't. Her brain was busy with the previous incident.

He kissed her mark.

That was a first. That was different from all of Chan's playfulness and teasing. He would always hold her hands, pull her into long hugs, play with her hair, and caress her arms and cheeks. But that was new.

Alana would always blame his actions on the bond. She knew he couldn't help but reach for her, seeking comfort and assurance from the skin-to-skin contact. She knew that cause she felt the same way even before he woke up. But, was that kiss something to blame on the bond too?

Instead of being flustered or shy, Alana found herself agitated. To someone who didn't believe in soulmates, to someone who would easily wave her goodbye and walk away, Chan crossed the line. If he was only following the emotions created by their connection without thinking that might affect her, then, he's just using her. And that fueled Alana's anger.

Absentmindedly, her hand moved to her neck. Before her fingers touch the mark, she pulled back quickly, stopping herself from doing so as she knew he would feel it. She didn't want him to think she was hanging over what happened earlier. But she was. Alana huffed, almost exhaling all the air inside her lungs. She sat up from her sleep and kicked her covers away. She was frustrated and didn't know what to do.

The clock striking one after midnight reminded her she had to work in a few more hours. She had to sleep but she couldn't. Just before she drops her body back again, she felt her body shiver. Following that, her mark started tingling.

He was still awake.

He was touching his mark on purpose.

He knew that irritated her and still, he did that.

Alana was done with his behavior. If he wants to do whatever he wanted, then Alana would do it too. She couldn't keep her concerns and fears to herself. Why do so? He's her other half. He had to hold his share.

With that, Alana jumped to her feet. She walked to the closet only to pull on a cardigan and wrap herself in it over her nightgown, then she strode to the door, leaving her apartment and the whole building, heading to the hospital.

In that hospital, Chan was sitting in his bed. He failed to fall asleep. He's been thinking all night long. All of his nails were bitten over and over again till some of his fingers shed a few drops of blood. He was trying to reason for what he did earlier.

He knew he wasn't thinking straight. He knew he fucked up when Alana jerked backwards and looked at him with an angry mixed with a disappointed face. He himself was taken aback by his own actions. He knew that the bond was playing his sanity but was that something to blame on the bond?

The nervousness he was feeling and the fear of losing her, was too, because of the bond? Something different was blooming inside his chest. Not the familiar feeling of her emotions inside of him. Something different, warmer. Something belonged to him but linked to her.

Chan didn't know he had been caressing his mark until his room door shoved open, showing a sleepless frustrated Alana. She was in her baby blue knee-length gown, with a grey cardigan thrown over it and a pair of slippers covering parts of her fuzzy striped socks. Her hair was in a messy bun, making all of her neck on the show.

Alana walked in and slammed the door close behind her. She stood facing Chan angrily. She huffed before she starts talking. "You know, nowadays, people use phones to call each other." She uttered. "Like for example, the one over there-" She pointed at Chan's phone that was placed on the nightstand. "Which has my number." She was angry, but she wasn't going to give him the cold shoulder.

"I swear I didn't do it on purpose. I was lost in my thoughts and I didn't even notice my hand was there till you stormed in." He almost pleaded. "I'm sorry. Did I wake you up?"

Although she was angry, she felt herself soften at how he was apologizing and how he seemed concerned with her sleep interruption. She sighed, dropping her shoulders. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I couldn't." Chan replied. He was terribly confused, but he decided to confront. She didn't deserve whatever he was doing to her. She didn't deserve to be left hanging like that. "Can we.. talk?"

"About what?"

"This.. us." He said and Alana's heart dropped. She came to confront and talk but now when it was mentioned, she wanted to step back and run away.

Looking everywhere except at Chan, Alana replied and her words came a little airy. "I'm listening." She gulped.

"Come here." He called softly, making Alana look at him.

Is that when he apologizes for not believing in soulmates and lets her go to live his lost life?

Reluctantly, she walked to him with heavy steps. Once she was close to his bed, he pulled her down to the bed and sat her down, opposing him. Alana kept her face down. The only thing stopping her from crying was how his warm hands were caressing her arms, sending some kind of assurance up her body.

"Won't you look at me?" Chan almost whispered.

"My ears are working perfectly without looking at you." Alana uttered. Her words were strained from how she was fighting the lump in her throat.

"Okay then," He sighed. "I wanted to tell you thank you and that I'm really sorry." He said and Alana couldn't hold back her tears anymore. That was it. Chan's hand quickly yet softly held Alana's chin, lifting her head up to meet her teary gaze that tore his heart apart. He wiped her damp cheeks and inched closer to her till he rested his forehead on hers, ignoring the little gasps escaping her trembling lips.

"Thank you for waiting for me, believing in me, and following my pace. Thank you for not giving up on me when everyone else did. Thank you for waking me up from the nightmare I was imprisoned in." He paused to breathe in. He too was crying by then, making their tears merge. "I-I'm sorry for whatever I did. Sorry for how I startle you every time I suddenly pull you, hug you, touch you or kiss you. I'm also sorry cause I don't plan to stop." Chan pulled away to face Alana's confused gaze. "I won't stop startling you anytime soon. So, you'll have to bear up with me cause I'm not leaving your side from now on. I can't. You are my other half after all. My bosom."