“I know my face is such an eye-catching sight that it should belong to the museum for everyone to see, but I sure don’t remember doing anything that deserves such an intense glare from you.” Mark’s eyes narrowed down at the piece of loaf that was resting in his hand as his other hand holding a butter knife went over it, spreading the vibrant red strawberry jam on it.

There was already a piece of loaf spread with peanut butter on his plate, waiting for the other loaf to be placed on it, so that they could mush together- forming a coherent existence. Placing the jam spread bread on the peanut butter, the deep blue eyes shining with mirth met my glaring ones.

My hands were on the table next to my plate of toast, firmly clenched as I glowered with pursed lips at Mark. “It must have slipped my mind to mention that insignificant detail.” Exaggerating my mouth movements, I reiterated what Mark told Snake, answering her question whether Mark had told me about her gender- mimicking him in a high-pitch annoying tone. Raising my fists slightly up to slam them back on the table, the turbulence of it shaking the cups and plates present on it, I continued to lash out at the man who was nonchalantly cutting the bread into pieces. “That insignificant detail sure as hell was an important detail. How could you forget mentioning something like that to me-!”

My rant was cut off by a piece of peanut butter & jelly bread being shoved in my mouth. The combination of those two melted into my mouth, pushing my anger down. Chewing on it, I kept my frown on as I stared at Mark. “Why did you shove your bread in my mouth?” I asked, trying to keep the harsh tone from wavering to a soft one.

“Oh?” He sang, surprised. “I was sure that you wanted me to feed you with the way you were yapping your mouth like a cute chick asking her mother for food.” Stabbing another piece of bread with a fork, he rose it up to my mouth. “Why are you so angry about it, anyway? I was sure that Snake left a poor impression on you after that whole let me choke you with my murder aura thing. I figured you wouldn’t care if she would end up dead somewhere, even less about her gender.”

Taking another bite of the bread, I grumbled, mildly annoyed between my chewing, “Sorry for still having enough heart left to care.” Unnoticed by me, a bit of jam smeared at the corner of my lips. Mark brought his hand up and cupped my chin to let his thumb wipe the jam that was like a sore thumb to his eyes away. I stilled in place and when he brought his thumb to his mouth to lick it off, I could feel my heart leap out of my chest at the simple gesture that somehow looked so sensual when he did it.

A blush crept up my skin, and I stuttered, trying to ignore the wild beating of my heart. “B-Besides, it would explain her behavior towards me now that I know Snake is a girl.”

Mark raised his brows, curious about what I wanted to say. “She must have been really pissed off whenever she saw me with you. It’s understandable when the guy that she lik-” In a swift movement my lips got sealed off by a thumb and index finger, pressing my lips into a thin line- withholding them from running off anymore.

“Hmm!” I hummed, surprised, my eyes widening slightly. Mark shot me a glare, his fingers still pressing down on my lips. “Don’t you even dare finish that horrifying sentence, for I have the feeling that it will give me an impending headache.” He warned, annoyed.

Finally releasing my lips, he brought his hand up to place it on his forehead and, exasperated with closed eyes as he shook his head, commenting, “How did your pretty head come up with that ridiculous thought kitten?”

“It’s not really a ridiculous thought when she almost choked me when I asked why a killer like her was working for you and let’s not forget that a few minutes ago she wondered what you saw in a plain girl like me with a displeased tone.” I elaborated.

Mark waved a dismissive hand as he took a sip from his tea. “That’s just the way she is. She enjoys teasing things that she finds cute to get a reaction out of them, but her way of teasing inclines more to the extreme side if you know what I mean.”

He looked in my eyes that shone with disbelieve at what he just said. Reading my thoughts, his lips pulled in to a smile. “Yeah, she thought you were cute, and she wanted to tease you a little.”

I don’t know what to be more shocked about, about the fact Snake thought I was cute enough for her to want to tease me or that almost choking me to death was considered a little teasing.

With my bewildered expression aimed at him Mark continued, “And back to what she said about what I see in you- she only said that because she knows the type of women that I normally go for and you’re the total opposite of them.” He chuckled lightly before taking another sip. “I have known Snake just as long as I have known Casper. She is like a fucked up little sister that I can miss like toothache.”

At the sound of his voice softening at the end of his sentence and his eyes turning hazy as his mind wandered back to the past, recollecting the memories that he had made with Snake, a stung made its way to my heart.

The panging feeling of it brought the corner of my lips down into a frown, adopting a sullen look. Even the tea that contained three cubes of sugar tasted bitter when it glided over my tongue down my throat. Leaning back in my seat, I crossed my arms over my chest, narrowing my eyes at Mark. “Why didn’t you date her then? It seems like you guys have a lot of things in common next to being serial killers?”

Mark’s eyes broaden before he placed his cup down with a thunk. Placing his hands on the table, he leaned forward with a wide grin, revealing his teeth. “Is this jealousy I hear? Your eyes have never been greener before as to now, as they seem to brim with envy.”

I diverted my eyes from his excited face, sucking my bottom lip in my mouth. My mind has been in a constant turmoil ever since the feelings that I had tried to seal away have been unleashed, making them unpredictable. Before, I won’t have even batted an eye to a woman trying to woo Mark, but now at the thought of him and Snake having some deeper feelings for each other makes my stomach churn and the acid in it burning. Especially after seeing how her looks could challenge Aphrodite.

Shifting my eyes back to Mark, I pushed my chin forward, giving him a defiant look. “No.” I spoke curtly, earning a soft chuckle from him. “Trust me Kitten, we didn’t and will never hoard any romantic feelings for each other. We would kill each other before that.”

Pushing my bottom lip out with a sullen look, I grumbled, “I said that I wasn’t jealous.” I lied through my teeth again. “But then, why did she disguise herself as a man?” I queried, trying to deviate the conversation to something else.

Mark leaned back in his chair and picked up the teacup, swirling it in his hand before he uttered, “Let’s just say that she and Casper have some strings left uncut and that she had been in hiding for years before seeking for my help. I told her she could act as my secretary, as Casper won’t be looking for her here. Especially after I stabbed him. Disguising herself was no problem, as that’s what she’s known for, the best disguiser. Just how a snake molt itself out of its skin, she molt herself out of different identities, as if it is the most normal thing to do.” Mark explained, taking a sip of his tea.

“I see.” I drawled, nodding in understanding, but the creases between my brows refused to smoothen out, resulting in a permanent scowl. They sure were close enough for Mark to help her out. I thought sullenly, but quickly snapped out of it. This is crazy! Why do I care so much about it!? I wouldn’t have cared if it was a random woman on the street, so why do I feel so disturbed by Snake’s presence!? I groaned inwardly as my feelings got jumbled in to one poisonous concoction swirling around and confusing my mind.

I grabbed the tea that had fairly cooled down and chugged everything down my mouth, hoping I would calm down. I tilted my head back and my throat bobbed up and down as the liquid slid down swiftly. With a profound clunk, the bottom of the cup met with the surface of the table.

“Ha,” I exasperated before directing my eyes back at Mark, who wore a pleased smirk on his face. Annoyed, my eyebrows came together as I barked, “What?”

“There’s something on your face.” He said, using his index finger to gesture towards his face.

I, assuming that he meant that something was on my cheek as I haven’t been eating properly, brought my hand to it to wipe it vigorously. Thinking that should have done it brought my hand back to inspect it, trying to see what nestled on my face, but I found nothing on my hand. 

Huh?

“Not there,” Mark said, adoration lacing his baritone voice, and he stood up, leaning over the table as he came down to peck me on the lips before sitting back in his chair. His tongue swept across his lips, to which he hummed pleased. “I thought something scrumptious was on your face, but that was your lips.”

Red dusted my cheeks and my jaw went slack as I was petrified in place. Placing his elbow on the table, Mark rested his chin on his hand, smiling lazily at me as he purred, “Stupid kitten, how can you doubt my love for you when my mind and heart are entirely devoted to you. I thought that me loving you have basically proven the point.”

“You mean stalking me?” I was caught off guard by the sudden kiss, but my body betrayed me by releasing a bunch of butterflies in my stomach letting them roam inside of it, causing havoc- making it difficult for me to suppress the smile that wanted to come to the surface. Damn, that made me feel way better than I expected. At that, Mark shook his head with a smile plastered on his face as he rolled with his eyes, but that expression soon got wiped away. His face adopting a serious one, making me feel uneasy.

“But now on a what serious note.” As soon as he said that, a letter materialized from beneath the table. Placing it on the table with his fingertips pressed on it, he pushed it my way. I frowned, eyeing the piece of paper like it was some foreign object before picking it up.

Inspecting it closer, I read the name of the sender and I eyed Mark wearily, who only stared at me with a stoic look, waiting for me to read its content. Ripping the letter open to pull out the written paper, I flipped it open, letting my eyes roam over it. With each word that I read, my mood dampened, pulling the corner of my lips down as my scowl on my forehead became even more prominent.

“Dear April,

I’ll be waiting for you at the coffee shop at the end of your street tomorrow. I’ll stay there until you come.

Love, mom”

With a sigh, I folded the letter back. “Why do you have this letter, Mark?” I interrogated wanting to know why the hell my mom’s letter came in to his possession.

“I gave Snake the command to open up your mailbox, since I knew she would do that.”

My nose crinkled together with my irritation, and I threw the letter back at him. He unfolded the letter and let his eyes glaze over it. “You shouldn’t have done that. It’s none of your business.”

I shoved my chair back and stood up and was about to excuse myself, but a hand wounded itself around my wrist, keeping it on the table. I glanced down at Mark, annoyed.

“Your business is my business.” He said calmly.

Hearing him say something which was so typical of him to say, I scoffed. “Of course, so why are you showing me this? You know I am not going to meet her.”

“I am showing you this because you are going to meet her.”