see you for another few weeks.”
“I’m sorry,” Tuyen’s forehead creased in a concerned frown. “Do you want me to go?”
“No! I just…usually don’t see you more than once every few weeks.” Angela resisted the urge to cringe at her words. Tuyen seemed to make her feel like a neurotic stalker at times. It really was an uncanny skill of his.
“Heh, I guess you’re right,” Tuyen grinned wryly. “I just happened to be free tonight, and I thought I’d stop by.” He nodded towards the books that hid Angela’s desk from view. “So, are you going to bury your nose in those books all night? Or can I persuade you to take a break? I’m willing to bet you haven’t eaten yet.”
When Angela’s cheeks flushed in unconscious confirmation Tuyen nodded, his eyes filling with concern.
“You need to look after yourself, Goddess. You run yourself into the ground, at times.”
Angela snorted and shook her head. “I’m not a goddess, Tuyen. And I’m just trying to stay on top of everything.”
Chuckling softly, Tuyen moved towards Angela and pulled her out of her chair, guiding her towards the door.
“You’ve done nothing but ‘stay on top of everything’ since I met you. Now come on, you need to turn your brain off for a couple of hours.”
“But…I have to study…” Angela protested weakly.
“Not tonight you don’t,” Tuyen scolded as he nudged her towards the living room. “Tonight you need to rest, eat, and take a break before you burn out.” Chuckling again to himself, Tuyen leaned forward and spoke into Angela’s ear as he continued to guide her. “Don’t think I won’t tie you to a chair and force feed you, Goddess.”
Angela opened her mouth to protest, before she sighed softly to herself and submitted. She supposed it wouldn’t hurt to take a night off.
Funny though, her mind observed. How he turned up when you were thinking about him .
What’s that supposed to mean? Angela asked the mental voice as Tuyen began to inspect what her kitchen had to offer, only to find it once more silence for the time being.
FIFTEEN.
“ANGELA?” Tuyen stood self-consciously in the hallway, the front door still open behind him. He knew Angela was expecting him—they’d arranged it a fortnight ago—but the unlocked door that wasn’t properly shut on his arrival, and the seeming lack of people in the house was disturbing to Tuyen. He knew not all of the people sharing this house were careful with closing doors properly, but Angela often made sure they were shut when she was around. Something didn’t seem right. Hesitantly, he took another step into the house.
“Goddess?” he called softly. A groan of response came from the living room. Frowning in concern, Tuyen gently closed the door behind him and ventured into the living room.
Angela was lying on the floor, her body propped against the couch as she rested her head on the seat. She lifted it as she heard the footsteps and tried to smile at Tuyen as he entered the room, the weak attempt fading after only a second.
“I think ‘m sick,” she said, her voice shaking slightly along with the rest of her. Making a noise of worry as he took off his jacket, Tuyen moved to Angela’s side and wrapped it around her.
“What are you doing up?” he asked as he helped her up and began guiding her back to her room, practically carrying her. “You should be in bed, resting.” Angela shook her head in weak protest as she stumbled along next to Tuyen.
“Too much to do,” she mumbled. “Have work, and study, and class, and…was gonna…you…” She struggled to remember what they’d agreed to do that day. “Something,” she finished lamely as they entered her room.
Tuyen just shook his head and guided Angela to her bed, helping her lie down before kneeling to get a better look at her state.
“It’s not a problem, Ange. I keep telling you, you need to take care of yourself instead of running yourself into the ground all the time.”
“I’m sorry,” Tuyen’s forehead creased in a concerned frown. “Do you want me to go?”
“No! I just…usually don’t see you more than once every few weeks.” Angela resisted the urge to cringe at her words. Tuyen seemed to make her feel like a neurotic stalker at times. It really was an uncanny skill of his.
“Heh, I guess you’re right,” Tuyen grinned wryly. “I just happened to be free tonight, and I thought I’d stop by.” He nodded towards the books that hid Angela’s desk from view. “So, are you going to bury your nose in those books all night? Or can I persuade you to take a break? I’m willing to bet you haven’t eaten yet.”
When Angela’s cheeks flushed in unconscious confirmation Tuyen nodded, his eyes filling with concern.
“You need to look after yourself, Goddess. You run yourself into the ground, at times.”
Angela snorted and shook her head. “I’m not a goddess, Tuyen. And I’m just trying to stay on top of everything.”
Chuckling softly, Tuyen moved towards Angela and pulled her out of her chair, guiding her towards the door.
“You’ve done nothing but ‘stay on top of everything’ since I met you. Now come on, you need to turn your brain off for a couple of hours.”
“But…I have to study…” Angela protested weakly.
“Not tonight you don’t,” Tuyen scolded as he nudged her towards the living room. “Tonight you need to rest, eat, and take a break before you burn out.” Chuckling again to himself, Tuyen leaned forward and spoke into Angela’s ear as he continued to guide her. “Don’t think I won’t tie you to a chair and force feed you, Goddess.”
Angela opened her mouth to protest, before she sighed softly to herself and submitted. She supposed it wouldn’t hurt to take a night off.
Funny though, her mind observed. How he turned up when you were thinking about him .
What’s that supposed to mean? Angela asked the mental voice as Tuyen began to inspect what her kitchen had to offer, only to find it once more silence for the time being.
FIFTEEN.
“ANGELA?” Tuyen stood self-consciously in the hallway, the front door still open behind him. He knew Angela was expecting him—they’d arranged it a fortnight ago—but the unlocked door that wasn’t properly shut on his arrival, and the seeming lack of people in the house was disturbing to Tuyen. He knew not all of the people sharing this house were careful with closing doors properly, but Angela often made sure they were shut when she was around. Something didn’t seem right. Hesitantly, he took another step into the house.
“Goddess?” he called softly. A groan of response came from the living room. Frowning in concern, Tuyen gently closed the door behind him and ventured into the living room.
Angela was lying on the floor, her body propped against the couch as she rested her head on the seat. She lifted it as she heard the footsteps and tried to smile at Tuyen as he entered the room, the weak attempt fading after only a second.
“I think ‘m sick,” she said, her voice shaking slightly along with the rest of her. Making a noise of worry as he took off his jacket, Tuyen moved to Angela’s side and wrapped it around her.
“What are you doing up?” he asked as he helped her up and began guiding her back to her room, practically carrying her. “You should be in bed, resting.” Angela shook her head in weak protest as she stumbled along next to Tuyen.
“Too much to do,” she mumbled. “Have work, and study, and class, and…was gonna…you…” She struggled to remember what they’d agreed to do that day. “Something,” she finished lamely as they entered her room.
Tuyen just shook his head and guided Angela to her bed, helping her lie down before kneeling to get a better look at her state.
“It’s not a problem, Ange. I keep telling you, you need to take care of yourself instead of running yourself into the ground all the time.”
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