Chapter XXII: Reactions

"There are only two things I want in this world," Rosalie confessed as she looked up at Arcangelo with soft glowing eyes and a beautiful smile. "I want you, and I want us."
The smile that spilled across her lips had Arcangelo's heart leap in his chest. He felt that old mechanism jumps to life, beating in overdrive as his entire being warmed up, the chill of the night becoming something benign as his fingers stopped shaking from the cold and felt heat travel up to his neck as he saw the bright pink tone of her cheeks. Her blue eyes crinkled at the edges while she showed off her white teeth; a laugh bubbling through her as she covered her mouth with her hand.
"I want us." She exclaimed with a laugh. "I want us!"
Arcangelo blinked at her for a moment as he looked at her bursting with laughter, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright with life. She spread out her arms, seemingly gesturing to everything around them before repeating her statement.
"I want us."
Closing his eyes, Arcangelo found himself inhaling deeply as he ran a hand through his hair. Shuffling on his feet, he shifted a little as the smile dropped from Rosalie's lips, an uncertain spark ignited in her eyes. Instantly her hands dropped to her side as she hunched her shoulders and pinched her lips into a thin line, the tears welling up in her eyes at the lack of his response as she turned her gaze away from him.
"Leave us." Arcangelo instructed the two guards as they started to walk away from them, leaving Rosalie to realize that maybe....maybe he didn't want 'us'.
He watched the guards walk further away until he was certain they were out of earshot before grabbing Rosalie's shoulder and pushing her against the car.
A startled gasp escaped her as she found herself pinned against the vehicle. However, her surprise was short lived as she found Arcangelo's lips on her own in a bruising and possessive kiss. Overwhelming relief flooded throughout her body as the tears leaked down her eyes, her arms wrapping around the back of his neck to pull him closer.
Flushed and breathless they both pulled away, Arcangelo's eyebrows furring in confusion as he saw the tears on her cheeks.
"Why are you crying?" He asked her gently as he wiped the tears from her cheeks.
"You scared me." She choked on her laughter. "You made me think that I had just made an open declaration of progression all for you to turn me down."
"Even if I tried..." Arcangelo trailed as he caressed her jaw with his thumb. "I could never turn you down."
Another laugh bubbled through Rosalie as she lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding on close. His arms encircled her waist as he lifted her off the floor, her feet dangling in the air as he hugged her tightly, burying his face in the crook of her neck as she nuzzled against his chest.
"I missed you..." Arcangelo confessed against her skin, Rosalie's heart leaping in ecstasy as she realized he too spent time thinking about her.
"I missed you, too." She stated as she placed a kiss on his head, before resting her cheek against his shoulder, having felt so completely deprived of his touch, and his warmth and his care during the last three weeks.
***
Arcangelo lay on the bed, a pillow in arm with his head rested atop, a soft smile gracing his lips as he looked at the end of the bed. He watched Rosalie rummage through her wardrobe in search for something to wear to university in the morning.
As he lay on her bed and allowed her familiarity to waft around him as he stared at her back, a thought occurred to him.
She was one of a kind, an artistic soul, heart like a mosaic.
She was different and beautiful.
The kind of beauty not everyone would be able to recognize, the kind many didn't get the pleasure of knowing and the kind not everyone was blessed with. And she was complex with layers of emotions that normal souls couldn't handle. She was filled with passion and abilities. She was precious and made life worth living.
"How about-?" Rosalie started as she turned, holding two sweaters in front of her. Her question, however, was cut short when she noticed the soft look on Arcangelo's face. "What?"
A sigh escaped him as he stared at her in silence, an uneasy laugh bubbling through her as she put away the sweaters, making her way to him before kneeling on the bed, staring at him in amusement.
"What is it?"
Reaching out, Arcangelo trailed the back of his hand against her cheek as she leaned into her touch, a soft smile gracing her lips at the familiarity of his touch.
"Come to bed." He spoke gently. "It's already four."
"Hmm..."
"Come on."
Placing the pillow in its original position, Arcangelo pulled back the covers as Rosalie pulled off the sweatshirt she wore over her clothes to keep warm. Crawling across the bed she collapsed onto her pillow, landing face first as he chuckled from above her. Fixing the duvet over her, she cuddled into the warmth before rolling onto her back as Arcangelo was still looking at her with an incomprehensible emotion in his eyes and the soft smile painted on his lips.
"What!?" Rosalie drawled as she wanted to know why he was looking at her like the way he was.
His smile turned lopsided as he took a strand of her hair between his fingers.
"Do you have to go to university?"
"Considering the fact that I have to submit an assignment, yes. Yes, I need to go."
"Late submission?"
"Not acceptable."
"You won't stay with me?"
"Arcangelo..." She warned as she looked up at him. "You know I would if I could."
A heavy sigh escaped him as she suddenly noticed the dark circles beneath his eyes, the tiredness of his smile and the way his shoulders were slumped as if though it was tedious to sit straight.
"Lay on your stomach," Rosalie instructed as she sat up.
"Why?"
"Just do it."
"Okay..." Arcangelo trailed as he turned onto his stomach, laying his head onto his arms as he looked at her from over his shoulder. "What are you planning?"
"Helping you relax." She stated bluntly as she swung her leg onto his other side and straddled his back.
"Wha-" He started to ask before his question morphed into a hiss as she started to massage the tenseness out of his shoulders. "Oh, God." He moaned as he dropped his head on the pillow, allowing Rosalie to massage all the stress away.
"Jesus Christ, why are you so high strung?" Rosalie grunted as she only came in contact with the most rigid shoulders she had the misfortune of encountering.
"Work," Arcangelo groaned.
"Well, I'm glad that you decided to take the next few days off." She resumed with a grunt of effort, kneading the clothed skin beneath her palm. "Because I am not going to let you work while you are staying with me."
"Then you'll have to keep me distracted."
"I'm sure that won't be a problem," Rosalie whispered flirtatiously as a smirk crossed Arcangelo's lips as he looked at her from over his shoulders.
"You're right." He agreed with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "That won't be much of a problem."
She spent a few more minutes massaging his shoulders before sliding off his waist and flopped onto the bed beside him. Rubbing her palms, she turned to look at him, a smile making its way across her lips as she realized he had fallen asleep.
His usually styled hair was lying haphazardly with a few strands across his forehead. The creases and worry lines of his skin smoothing out and making him look a lot younger. His plump lips were slightly parted as his entire being was defenseless and relaxed.
Trailing the tips of her finger across his bearded cheek, she placed a kiss on his forehead before turning off the lamp, cuddling up beside him before falling asleep.
"Rosalie," Arcangelo called out to her softly as she remained sleeping. "Rosalie." He continued as he placed a kiss on her shoulder, trailing higher as she groaned in irritation.
"Stop..."
"Come on princess, wake up. It ten."
"Ten!" Rosalie shrieked as she jolted bolt upright. "Why is it 10?! It should be 7! I have an assignment!" She started to rant, about to jump out of bed before Arcangelo pinned her down, trying to ease her worrying,
"Yes, its 10 a.m and yes, you had an assignment and I had that sent to your professor via the guards."
"B-but...but what about my classes?"
"I asked your respective friends to take a video of the whole lecture for you. You won't miss out on anything."
A pout overcame her features as she blubbered something under her breath, her gaze constantly shifting before she heaved a sigh and wrapped her arms around Arcangelo, hugging him close as he tried not to crush her beneath his body weight.
"I hate you for doing this." She muttered in his ear as he chuckled at her.
"I know." He confessed while placing a kiss on her neck. "But I couldn't stand being separated from you again. Not after the last three weeks."
A soft hum escaped her as she nuzzled closer to him.
"I made breakfast," Arcangelo informed after a few silent moments.
"Oh, really?" Rosalie asked as he pulled away, picking up a trey from her study table as a gasp escaped her at the sight laid out in front of her.
The trey was set up with waffles and a croissant, there were breakfast muffins as well including coffee, orange juice and a single vase with a red rose.
With a wide smile, she turned to look at Arcangelo who was grinning at her. With a delighted squeal, she tackled him in a hug before thanking him and digging in. They both ate with light-hearted chatter as Rosalie asked about his time in America and he narrated all the events of his business venture overseas.
"Speaking of the auction!" Arcangelo realized as he wiped his mouth with a tissue.
Getting off the bed, Rosalie watched him leave the room and return with one of his luggage bags. Laying it on the floor, he zipped it open as she watched in quaint amusement at his actions.
He took a black square shaped box, a broad grin making its way across his lips as he went back to her. Sitting cross-legged before her, he placed the box in her lap. She stared down at the black package before looking back at the giddy smile on his face.
"What's this?" She asked.
"It's for you." He informed. "Open it."
"Alright," A chuckle escaped Rosalie at his eagerness as she unclipped the lock, pulling the lid open as she stared at the contents. A soft gasp escaped her as she looked at the necklace inside. Covering her mouth in shock, she watched Arcangelo remove it from its place before putting it around her neck.
"Oh my God," She whispered quietly as she touched the sapphire pendant, staring at Arcangelo in awe. "I-I...it's beautiful."
"You like it?" He asked with a bright smile.
"I-I...it must have cost you a fortune!" She stammered. "I-I can't accept this!" Rosalie continued as she tried to take it off.
"No, no!" Arcangelo stopped her by grabbing her hands. "Don't take it off. You look beautiful with it."
"B-but I can't ever repay you."
"Don't." He shook his head, cupping the back of her neck to bring her closer. "Think of it as progress in our relationship."
Rosalie looked at him in uncertainty as she knew that sapphire wasn't an inexpensive stone, and if she had to guess, she would say the chain was solid gold too. This was one expensive necklace, she knew, and the fact that he spent so much money on her just made her uneasy.
"A-Arcangelo...I-I-" She stuttered, trying to find the words that she needed to express. However, that was unsuccessful because he molded his lips to her, catching her by surprise before she responded, cupping his face in her hands.
"I want you." Arcangelo put an end to her stammering. "Right here. Right now." He murmured against her lips before lowering to her neck as she let out a breathy moan of compliance, wanting him just as much as he wanted her, his fingers deft on removing her shirt and discarding it to the floor, soon to be followed by the remaining clothing articles.