He couldn't believe that he actually said and did what he just said and did. It's something that he probably wouldn't think of doing if he was in his usual state of mind. One could say he was affected by that little conversation he had with Lauren's agent at the car.
Not that he regretted that he acted in such a way. Seeing Lauren's red face was definitely worth it.
Reas took out the groceries he bought and then put on the apron that was hung on the side. Since the kitchen had an open shelf design, he could immediately see where the pots, pans, and other utensils were. So, he was able to take whatever he needed.
He first started preparing the ingredients.
As he started, he couldn't help but think back to the conversation he had with Astrid about the 'three questions' in regards to his relationship with Lauren.
The first question: Does he think of Lauren as an ordinary friend or a special friend? The second question: Does he consider him as a special friend or someone much more than that? And finally, the third question: If he thought of Lauren as someone more than a special friend, what does he want him to be in his life?
If, before, Reas could barely manage to answer the first question, now, he could confidently answer the second question. And yes, he considered Lauren as more than a special friend. Now, the only question he had to explore was what kind of presence he wanted Lauren to be in his life.
He believed, in time, he would be able to give a concrete answer to that. Just like how he did with the second question. It's not like he was in a race where he needed to give the answer as soon as he could.
Enjoy stories on m_v lemp-yr
The only problem he could think of by taking his time was if Lauren suddenly fell in love with someone and decided that he didn't want to meet with him anymore. Which probably wouldn't happen anytime soon, considering how busy Lauren was with his career.
No matter how much the media painted him as a hopeless 'flirt', Lauren was just an overly friendly guy who's very serious with his job. He wouldn't go around falling in love with someone that easily.
"Y-yeah! You must be interested in some guy or girl and you're using me as practice so you can better flirt with them," Lauren answered, raising his chin. "Why else would you be acting like this?"
Reas put down the knife he's holding and sighed. Then he walked towards Lauren and stopped when they were about to touch. He extended his arms on both sides of Lauren, caging him in.
"W-what?" Lauren asked, gazing away and not really knowing where to look.
"Let's clear your misunderstandings. First, I'm not using you as a 'flirting exercise', as you so bluntly put it. Second, the guy I'm interested in is not just 'someone'. And third," Reas suddenly leaned closer. "That guy just happened to be you. And clearly, you're not just 'someone', at least to me, that is."
Lauren, whose heart was already beating so fast, felt like it quickly stopped when he heard that. He lifted his head, almost whipping it at a very fast speed. As soon as he did, he saw that Reas' expression was the same as usual.
But before he could assume that the other might just be joking, he noticed that despite Reas' calm expression, there was a hint of redness on both his cheeks.
Boom.
Boom.
BOOM!
What was that sound? Wait- was that his heart? Yes, it was his heart. It was now beating so loudly that he felt like it would come out of his chest at any second. Then his whole body started to tremble.
What the heck? What the heck? What the heck was happening?