"Professor."
I snap awake from Aahmes tapping my shoulder.
"I second emotion!" I blabber out, raising a hand.
"The meeting is over," Aahmes frowned at me, "and it is 'second the motion', not 'second emotion'."
"Good," I stretch myself as I stand up, "did you get the funding approved?"
"No. They slashed 15% off our proposed budget." Aahmes starts to walk out of the meeting room.
"See? This is why I don't like going to meetings." I follow behind him. "If you went by yourself, they might have even added 15% to our budget!"
Aahmes suddenly stopped on his tracks and turned around to face me.
"It was because we could hear you snoring all throughout the meeting," he said.
"I was?" I couldn't help but laugh. "Why didn't you wake me up?"
"I tried," he said flatly. "I wanted to kick you, but we were in a meeting."
"No worries, that 85% budget would probably be enough for our research."
Aahmes still looked pissed.
Well, not really pissed.
He just stared at me blankly. But through the years, I have realized that a frown is so much better than a blank stare.
Because a blank stare means he is thinking of something he would rather not say.
"Oh, look at the time," I looked at my watch, "it's already 11 AM. We still have stuff to do in the LAB, right?"
I placed an arm over his shoulder and led him to the elevators. His eyes are still locked on me.
"So, what happened to Curly?" I tried to change the subject. "I'm surprised he left early. Wasn't he going to escort you back to our lab?"
"I told him I had no intention of being intimate with him, and if he continues to show inappropriate behavior towards me, that I would be forced to report him to Human Resources."
"Ah, so you mercilessly dumped him?" I slowly shook my head. "Poor Curly, his hair might fall off due to heartbreak!"
"Are you saying then that I should tolerate his flirtatious attitude towards me?"
"Well, if he's not hurting you physically or mentally draining you, then I don't see why not..."
Aahmes stared at me some more.
I suddenly felt nervous.
"Anyway, that's only if you want to," I quickly added. "I mean... don't you think Dr. Perez looks like a respectable person? He's smart and good looking too..."
My voice trailed off as Aahmes' blank stare bore holes into my face.
"You think I should reciprocate his feelings?" he asked. "Perhaps I should move to his house and make him coffee?"
"Uy! That's not what I said!"
"But are you not insinuating that I should let Dr. Perez flirt with me? Would you prefer it if I work with him instead?"
"Of course not! I never said you should go to him. Just because you let someone flirt with you, doesn't mean you like him. You're just giving him the freedom to express himself in a malandi manner!" (flirty)
"And let him expect that I would feel the same way about him in the long run?" he questioned me. "I did what was best by telling him straight out that I did not like him. I have no intention of giving him any hope for a possible future with me, for there is none. But if you want him to pursue me for your entertainment, then just say so. We could flirt right in front of you if you wish. Perhaps you want him to have sex with me as well?"
"That's not what I meant," I repeated. "It was just a joke."
"It does not feel like a joke to me," said Aahmes. "It is degrading, especially coming from the person I most respect and have been living with for the past four years."
The nervous feeling in my gut got worst. In fact, Aahmes' words made my chest tighten. I knew I've crossed the line with my assholiness.
"Sorry. I was out of line." I mumbled. "I shouldn't have said that... I just thought that..." I couldn't continue.
"Did you think it would be best for me to be with an alpha?" he asked, as if reading my mind. "Is that why you keep pushing him on me?"
I couldn't answer, since a part of me felt that way.
The other part, wanted to mock them both.
Yet another, wanted to shout and beg him to stay with me forever. Even if there was nothing for me to offer him but my insecure brain.
"Sorry..." I repeated. "Should we go?"
I held Aahmes' hands. They were ice cold. Though he was showing no emotions, I know that he was hurting inside. And I was the cause of that pain.
I look around and notice that we were the only ones left along the hall. The rest have already left for their respective floors.
I held Aahmes' head and pulled him close to my chest. He let me hold him and leaned on me in silence.
"Sorry, Habibi."
"Stop calling me that if you don't mean it," he said, "and stop forcing your insecurities on me."
"Habibi, I'm really sorry," I held him tighter. "I'll never do that again, I promise."
"I said..."
"Habibi. Please forgive this idiot. I'm just tired due to lack of sleep, that's why I keep spouting all this nonsense." I raised his chin gently. "You're right. I'm just an insecure bastard. Can you ever forgive me?"
"You are always like this!" he said, his brows knitting.
"Habibi, I'm really sorry," I said once more, and finally, I saw sadness flicker in Aahmes' eyes.
"You...really..." he placed his arms around me and too a deep breath. "This is the last time, okay? I don't want you to ever tease me like this ever again!"
"Not even once?" I asked with a chuckle.
"Never. Ever. Again." He pouted at me. "Or else, I'm really gonna leave you for some alpha!"
"Okay, never ever again."
I held him closer and buried my face in his thick ebony hair. I just wanted to snuggle with him all day, and it seems he thought the same as we stayed there, in the middle of the hall, holding into each other's arms, until the elevator chimed.
"Let's go before our minions start panicking without us."
"You should take a nap when we get back," he said as we enter the elevator. "You look like you really need to rest, you've still got rings around your eyes."
"Hoo-kay..." I said with a yawn. "Just wake me up before lunch time so we could eat together."