XY XX

FEAR OF FLYING

Gregory closed the door to his apartment and pinched himself. Yes, he was not sleeping and well in the reality where Xenia banished him. Everything that happened in the last hour seemed surreal. Even when the man replayed the scene in his mind, he saw no fault on his behalf, nor Xenia's.

She was afraid, and so was he; the man could not portray his emotions, especially in the circumstances.

Gregory paced back and forth; why did things have to be so complicated?

The woman drove him up the wall, made Gregory want to bang his head against it. Despite that, he couldn't stay away from Xenia, though she was a health hazard.

Xenia was dangerous. No woman did this to him, and what was worse for the man was an addict to her affection. Unlike other women with Xenia, there was a real exchange but also a lot of passion.

Sex played an important part; their body communication held no flaws.

They were in perfect osmosis when it came to that. Gregory loved making love to her. If with others, Gregory perpetually opted for the more sporty positions with Xenia; he wanted intimacy.

Eye to eye contact, he loved seeing facial expressions of excitement, pleasure, and the plea when she couldn't take any more. The Face-Off, The Cat, and even the good old Missionary went from has-been position to the next best thing with Xenia.

Gregory knew he lost himself to her in every way.

The heart-shattering and ear-bashing throbbing within him made the man feel alive. Xenia was oxygen, accustomed to her smile, her scent; Gregory didn't know how he managed to live without knowing these sensations. Now he wondered if he could carry on living without her.

Why could he not tell her all this?

Despite these thoughts sizzling in his mind, Gregory hid his emotions so well Xenia could only be confused, but this was too much.

Why did she need to push him?

Yes, Gregory hadn't thought of the future. He locked the strategies away to live the beautiful present, but it wasn't a reason enough to push him out without giving him a chance to demonstrate his affection.

Sia had a father, Gregory was well aware he could not take Mark's place, and it wasn't what he tried to do or what angered him.

The routine installed consumed both of them in happiness, but unlike Gregory, Xenia attempted foreseeing the future.

She wanted guarantees. Gregory couldn't give them, at least not yet.

Gregory was the type of man for whom everything was about the right timing—playing the right note at the right moment.

There was no use pushing him; Xenia couldn't know.

As a result, another argument came to throw shade on their bliss. To let go and fly in a relationship was scary, yet Xenia asked him to do so.

To love, Xenia, eyes shut, trusting, and letting down his guard, the contract weighed and was on standby.

She won't come, she won't bend, damn woman.

Now Xenia pressured him, Gregory was anxious.

The following days they crossed each other in the halls; Xenia feigned to ignore him. The woman knew how to hold a grudge, but Gregory was no pushover either. As much as he adored her, he could not accept Xenia's outburst. He was a rational man who preferred discussions. Xenia lured him out of his comfort zone, and the man did not appreciate it.

XX XY

"Okay, Gregory, I know it's your private life, but right now, you look like you've seen Hamlet's father roaming in Astoria's corridors. What's going on?" Wendon asked as he stared at Gregory's blank space expression.