Incubus

|| - 4

At the supermarket, Mick goes straight to the aisle with the packed ramyun, but I take his hand and pull him away.

"What are you doing? I thought you want to eat ramyun", he says.

"Yes, but not the packed ones. They taste awful. We're making our own ramyun." Ten minutes later we pack fresh vegetables, eggs, some meat, and noodles in a bag. Everything else I need I have at home. Mick insists on paying. Then we make our way to my apartment. It is the first time anyone is visiting me, except for my parents.

"Why do you have such a beautiful apartment? How do you pay for this?", Mick is standing in the middle of my living room with his mouth open.

"I have a part-time job and my parents helped me find cheap stuff when I moved in", I explain not mentioning that from time to time I sleep with people for money.

"Amazing", he puts the bag with the ingredients down in the kitchen and puts his jacket and bag on a chair. "So, what do I have to do?"

I put my stuff away as well. Then I give him a cutting board and a knife and instruct him how to cut all the vegetables. While he is busy cutting stuff, I take care of the eggs, the noodle, the meat, and the soup. We start talking and in no time Mick is ranting about the exam from this afternoon. It sounds like the professor is a real bitch. While we are cooking together and Mick is talking I take a second and think that this is perfect and that I should do this more often.

We decide to watch 'Sense 8' on Netflix since Mick doesn't know the show. Scandal! I put a bowl of ramyun together for him, give it to him and sit down beside him with my own bowl.

"Fuck, Koda", he slurps in the noodles, "this is delicious. Where did you learn how to cook like this?"

"At home. My parents taught me."

"You have to cook for me every day now", he says.

"Can't do, I have a full schedule, but I think I can squeeze you in from time to time", I smile. From there on he is happily eating and watching. When I am finished I put the bowl down on the table and lean back. I think it is the combination of Mick's presence beside me, the good food, a full stomach and that I come down from all the stress with the exam, which lets me fall asleep in minutes.

When I wake up my neck is stiff and I stretch myself, yawn and open my eyes. Mick is leaning back into the couch beside me. He did put something back on the table, but the only thing that lies there is my phone. The bowls disappeared. 'Sense 8' is still playing and I recognize the part to be close to the beginning, so I haven't slept that long.

"Sorry for falling asleep", I say and another yawn escapes me.

"Don't worry about it", he says, but his voice is unusually monotone and hard. I look at him and his whole body is tense. He sits like he watches the TV, but I can see that he steals glances at me. What is wrong? Is the show too weird for him? Or did he kiss me while I was asleep and then I woke up and he feels caught now?

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing", the same tense tone as before. Okay if he doesn't want to tell me then I won't force him to. I stand up to get something to snack on, but my snack-cabinet isn't really full.

"Do you want something to snack on? I have chips and chocolate. Ohh, and I have juice in the fridge", I turn around to the fridge when I see Mick standing and putting on his jacket.

"You're leaving?", I ask and he jumps up. Something is wrong.

"Yeah, I should go home. It's late."

"You can sleep here if you like? I can extend the couch", I offer, but I just get a shooked head. Something is definitely wrong, I can feel it. I have always trusted my feelings and the idea of Mick being angry at me or whatever this is doesn't sit well with me, so I ask.