Sparks and Smiles

Trust, Love and Jaffa Cakes

He sat there, staring into nothing, in the distance yet another cup he flung away in frustration.

He didn't understand why his mother didn't trust him, why she put so many obstacles in his path.

Why she hated Shancai so much even though he was the happiest he had been in his life with her.

He was forced to admit to himself that he was terrified, terrified that she would give up on him. Terrified that she would walk away once and for all.

She was his life and he knew he couldn't survive if that happened, recover as well as his sister did.

For once, he was out of ideas. 

He, the great Dao Ming Si, who made a million dollars by the age of eighteen and paid his way to university, had no idea what to do.

He faced every problem he had in his life head on, but when it came to his mother he was powerless.

His mind went blank in the worst ways.

Suddenly he felt a warmth on the nape of his neck and a passport drop into his lap along with plane tickets.

He flipped the passport open to see his girlfriend's face.

What.... Really?

He turned his neck to see his girlfriend nuzzling his shoulder (moving on from nuzzling the back of his neck).

"Shancai?"

"I trust you Ah Si. If you think we need to go to London, then we'll go to London. We'll face your mother together. So we can date openly. I have never been and my English is questionable so you will have to be my guide. You are also going to have to help me pack because I don't know the weather or what to wear or what to bring on such a long plane ride. I got special permission though to leave because it finally sunk into my advisor's head that I'm dating you, though I have been dating you since freshman year. We are still leaving in the middle of the school year so when we get back, I will need your help catching up. "

He barely heard what she said at the end as his body was thrumming with relief.

She was going to come with him to London.

He heard a thump and looked up to see her drop some books on the table.

"You are also going to need these. If there is any time to present your mother the project that you have been working on so hard and falling asleep during lunch or in your library for, it is now. You're brilliant Ah Si and although I can't understand a word of all of this financial mumbo jumbo, I'm sure it is brilliant as well. I know it isn't done so I picked up a couple other books that I thought you would need to finish it from the library for you. Don't worry, I had not only the help of the librarian but Lei, Xi Men , Mei Zuo and your professors. The three of them said that they would try to speed up the discussions with separate investors while we are in London as well. I think this project of yours might finally calm your mother and realize that she is leaving the company in good hands."

He stared at the books on the coffee table in awe. She was truly amazing, going to all of this effort for him. It made him smile to know that he had her support and that she cared enough to follow him.

He reached his arms around and lifted his girlfriend up, bringing her to his side of the couch before placing her on his lap and wrapping her in his arms.

He held her tight as he buried his face in her hair before tilting her chin up and kissing her, trying to pour all of his relief and love into the kiss.

He felt her respond with the same level of emotion and felt her tiny fingers lightly tug his hair.

There, with her in his arms, the smell of her hair in his nose and her soft lips on his, and with his project scattered on the table, he found his confidence returning. All because of her.

They briefly broke apart for a second and she spoke up again, leaning her forehead on his, "And I'm sorry. I'm sorry for making you think that I don't care about our situation. That I don't care about us or about you. Because I do, so so much. Our relationship is very important to me."

He whispered back, "Thank you for caring."

He felt her hands cup his face and watched when her beautiful eyes came closer to his as she brushed her nose against his, "I will always always care, idiot. Because I love you."

He couldn't stand to be apart from her lips a second longer and huskily replied, "I love you too my silly white pig", before joining his lips together with hers once more.

He could have sat there, entangled with her forever but they eventually had to break apart for air.

Shancai checked her watch and jumped out of his lap.

He reached out to her in protest because where on earth was she going?!

She just grinned at his and laced together their fingers before tugging on them, "Come on! You have to pack! Yu Sao booked us a flight for tomorrow evening because she thought the sooner the better. Oh and I was thinking. We won't be there all of the time talking to your mother right? Because I heard about some tasty British food that I really want to try. Like Malteasers and Jaffa Cakes. Have you tried a Jaffa Cake? Because they sound delicious...."

As he listened to the force of nature who was the love of his life ramble on about Jaffa Cakes (he would buy her a year's supply just to keep that beaming smile on her face) as she dragged him to his room, he felt nothing but incredibly grateful that she was in his life and that she loved him and that she was standing by him to go and face his mother in a foreign country (either one of those would frighten off even the strongest of people but she was dealing with both combined and she was still here).

He squeezed her hand gently, trying to convey by touch just how grateful he was to her for her. As she looked back at him and squeezed back, he felt strong enough to face whatever the world had to hurdle at them. Because they would be facing it together.

London, here they come.