For years, I occasionally hear his voice from afar or a not so near distance, so now, hearing it raw, husky, and close... I couldn't blame myself for having a moment of stutter.

His breath smells like a mixture of mint and a little bit of sweet wine.

I held on for my dear life and tried hard to not inhale weirdly.

I held my phone tightly as I put my other hand on his hand.

He gently held my hand at that.

A group cheered loudly. My eyes drifted to the direction where it came from only to realize it is from his group and table. Aren't we gathering so much attention now? These are all so sudden and flushing.

"Are they bothering you?" Akin rasped. The raspiness of his voice made my body react again.

"Those are your circle right?"

"Yes..."

"What are they cheering at?"

He bit his lip.

"Me."

He didn't even deny it!

"W-why?" I busied myself looking at everyone except him.

"Cause I had the chance to steal a first dance with my crush?"

Give me a break. That was too loud!

"H-huh?!"

He shifted his eyes away from me as if he was seared by my startle.

I caught how Collin stemmed in the middle of his walk. I am supposed to let out a smile but he has already turned his back to me and was on his way outside with his serious eyes, so I stopped myself.

Five more men who have asked me for a dance earlier have their eyes on us. And it looks like they were not having a plan to step further or to stand up from their respective seats.

And Rain's very proud smile is radiating from afar that it can't go unnoticed even with all the glowing lights and the lovely diamond he is dancing with.

Here goes what you agreed on tonight. Seems like just cutting a cupid's wings isn't as effective as I thought it would be.

I shook my head and Akin let out a sigh.

"Shouldn't you be looking at me?"

I felt the heat travel my system with that. I lifted my eyes slowly to look at him in the face.

But I immediately withdrew because I just can't! He is so close. He is quite intimidating to me.

And I felt nervous doing that. Perhaps because even if it isn't my first male encounter, it is the closest space I have interacted with anybody else. First time.

He is still holding my hand so when he proceeded to walk. I also walked. When he stopped in the middle of the busy people to face me, I also stopped.

"Hmmm?" he said, urging me to look at him again.

"I can't, we are so close ha-ha-ha," I laughed my nervousness out.

Why am I even nervous?

He is not my crush. It is just a simple dance. My first dance at that. Or maybe this is how it should be with anyone's first time? This must be normal. I can't be abnormal. Yeah, this is how first experiences goes.

Frantic and heart-thumping.

"Alright then. Should I take it slow?"

His eyes seemed discreet but still definitely intense when he guided my hand to settle on his broad shoulders lightly. I caught how his lips protruded for quick seconds when our fingers met. He soon found my eyes and it became the most intense beating of my heart.

I cleared my throat at his sudden move.

That was slow?

Yes, according to him.

Maybe it is…I suddenly do not know what 'slow' is to him.

"May I also place mine on your waist?" he asked again, but now faint.

I softly nodded because I felt like convulsing that I can't afford to talk. What is wrong with me?

I calmed myself hard when his hand snaked on my waist as the music starts. Now we are closer. He is taking it slowly he said!

The song 'Can't Help Falling in Love' started to play. And I couldn't be any more shy.

We dance to the rhythm of the slow romance music, and despite the dancefloor's dimness, I am not blind to see eyes glaring at me right now. I can see that girls are already plotting some bad-mouthing against me again.

Well, they can try and try, I won't waste my energy on it.

I renewed my hold on his shoulders.

Feverish.

"You look gorgeous every day, but you are especially breathtaking tonight," Akin complimented as he glides his hands on my waist tighter, making our body closer than before.

This time I looked at him too.

But that doesn't mean I am not tensed anymore! All these moves, he is doing it slowly, right?

My thoughts and questions are going redundant and I couldn't think of anything aside from these this time!

"You are… also handsome tonight... and every day." I awkwardly complimented him successfully, without the shaking voice.

His eyes lit up and his wholesome smile didn't escape my eyes. I noticed how he has no intention to hide those expressions from me when he protruded his flush lips on my watch.

I refrained myself to mimic the same thing.

"Really? You think so?" he asked me again as he let a proud chuckle escape.

I guess that the heat of my body made it sound like a dream.

It is impossible that he don't know that fact!

I awkwardly removed my eyes at him again. And I felt grateful when my phone vibrated on my hold. I can have a reason not to look at him. The text is from Miro. I am about to click it but I felt someone eyeing it aside from me. Akin's face is now lighted by the dancefloor's playful glimmer.

"Ah, my brother," I explained, closing my phone now.

He nodded. Now hiding a still evident gleam on his face.

I, for the first fime, rolled my eyes because of his tacky pretention.

He laughed sexily which made my brow up and my chest pump harder.

I roamed my eyes on the floor and got a little more annoyed.

What kind of attitude are you making Reishza?!

Papa, I'm sorry I realized I am a quarter of a bitch too?

"He also texted me earlier," he then told me after his brief amused laughter.

My eyes widened in fear of what my sneaky brother might have texted him. And Miro has his number? He texts him?

My troubled expression was seen by Akin, making him more indulge of something.

"His text is normal. Nothing to worry about. He is not selling you to me," he assured me that.

His lip protruded more playfully as he continues.

"It's actually the vice versa. I am marketing myself to him so that he can… probably mention me to you?"

Why do he need to say that to me?! And now I can't stop myself from lagging!

"Hehe," that is the only I can reply for I am too astounded to think of any words.

If only you know that he keeps reminding me every day to date you! To make you my boyfriend!

His eyes seriously roam on my body and I sinfully looked at his well-toned body too. Miro's usual admiration of his physique ranged hard on my ears.

I can't believe I just checked him out! Oh my gosh!

My papa didn't teach me this!

He caught me checking out his chest and I felt very humiliated by it. I mentally slapped myself for it.

He just smiled lightly at me.

I felt so relieved of the silence he gave after that. If he'll ever brings up that I am obvious on checking him out I would run off this floor.

Literally.

And I mean it.

Really.

We finished three songs silently before he removed my hand on his shoulders. I thought he will let go of it since obviously, I can go back to the table without his hand on me but he didn't let go of it.

I tried my best to carefully pull it away but he'd only lightly renew his hold.

Rain and his partner are already at the table and they seem to just wait for us. Now, I managed to slip out my hand on Akin's. Rain's brow went up looking at it until he realized he should not. Akin's eyes traveled on my chest. He then proceeded to do a look around to meet some eyes.

By the way, the other men earlier, I mean I thought they'd asked me for a dance?

"Do you have a coat with you?"

Before I can answer him that I am fine this way, he already removed his coat and placed it on my back.

"I'm fine... but thank you," I politely countered, trying to take off his coat on me.

He placed the coat better on me though.

" I just thought it must have chilled you to be on the floor for that period of time. You can remove it later if you feel like you wanted to."

I turned to Rain, trying to get help from him but he just, for the second time around, betrayed me.

"That coat can surely cast all those dirty eyes away. So don't remove it," he whispered on his seat, but unfortunately for him, it reached me.

I kicked his feet below the table and I made sure I hit him hard. He grunted loud. His partner looked at him and he just whispered something in her. Probably another excuse.

"Thank you,"  Akin said with a voice only I could hear before he politely excuse himself to go back to his table.