Livid Guardian's Endless Coddling

Arsh slowly moved back from Noor glaring at Ivan to control Arna and shut Rooney's mouth. He was inarticulate when Noor moved closer to him. 

He blurted out trying to make her sit back, "Noor, you are drunk. Let me show the room to sleep."

He had forgotten, drunken people will never agree they are drunk. "I am not drunk." Noor bleated.

Ivan drowned the sound of his laughter watching them as he pulled Arna and covered her lips smacking Rooney to stop.

Noor's hands reached Arsh's face. Her forefingers pressed at the corners of his lips and lifted them.

Arsh: "..."

Noor turned to Arna and innocently answered the question Arna asked, "I like his smile."

Rooney, Arna, and Ivan: "..."

Arsh involuntarily smiled at her words. Noor gasped, sitting back as she pointed at him for the other three, "Look, look…"

Arsh: "..."

He bit his lips, controlling his smile completely. He couldn't believe he smiled at her smallest compliment.

Ivan and Arna stood up. Arna helped Naira and went inside the villa. Rooney watched his brother in shock. He had seen Arsh laugh. Even though it wasn't a lot at times, he hadn't expected Noor to like Arsh's smile instead of the smartness that she always mentioned.

He smiled evilly, "Bro, what are you happy about? Noor didn't say she likes you."

Arsh: "..."

Well, he hadn't considered it. He grabbed the shoes and hurled at Rooney. The latter burst into laughter, dodging it away. Carrying his girlfriend inside, Rooney left.

Noor, who was lost in her thoughts after looking at Arsh's smile, looked right and left and cried, "Everyone left me alone."

Arsh: "..." He was sitting right there.

He tapped her shoulder to get the attention. Noor gasped, turning around in fright. After seeing who it was, she again made a crying face, "I killed so many fishes."

Arsh: "..."

It wasn't the first time he was seeing Noor drunk. But every time he sent her to bed or asked her to sleep if he was around. This was the first time he was listening to her speak.

Calmly breathing, "I killed the fishes. When you caught them, they were still alive, remember?"

Noor gasped with her fingers flying on her lips, "You killed." Then she went closer to him and whispered, "Why did you kill? I won't tell anybody. Don't be scared." She gently patted his shoulder.

Arsh controlled laughing his heart out. She felt him dummier than ever. "What if the police put me in jail?" He questions enjoying their senseless conversation.

Her face fell upon hearing him. She thought very hard before standing up and running towards the table. Arsh was quick to catch up with her and saw her rubbing the knife handle with her dress.

"What... are you doing?" Arsh asked, without moving his eyes away from the knife, afraid she might hurt herself.

Noor whispered again as though somebody will hear her, "I saw in a movie, the knife has… … … I forgot." Noor was at loss forgetting why she had to rub the handle of the knife.

Arsh burst into laughter understanding she was removing fingerprints to erase the evidence of fish murder.

Noor tilted her head, smiling in amusement hearing his hearty laughter.

Arsh took the knife from her hand and took her inside the villa. Helping her sit on the barstool of the kitchen, he asked playfully to avoid hearing her rejection, "I will get you something tasty, will you drink?"

Noor adorably nodded and cupped her face facing Arsh. The latter quickly prepared a glass of honey-lime water and helped her drink little by little as she spoke about a random topic making him smile helplessly. 

When he didn't smile, she would try to pull his lips and order him, "Smile."

"No." He retorted and tried to help her drink but she threatened, "Then I will cry."

Instead of getting angry, he laughed at the threat and heard her giggle. Holding her chin, he helped her complete the honey-lime water before letting out a sigh.

"Let me help you to bed." He held her hand to help her get off the stool.

Noor shook her head and requested, "I will stay with you… Let's go out." She leaped down, pointed at the bay window, and marched out.

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In the morning,

Jasmine woke up with a splitting headache in the guest room. She saw Rooney lying on the couch when the bed was large. She went to the couch and snuggled into his arms.

Upstairs in Aria and Alan's bedroom, Arna woke up on the bed and Ivan almost woke up at the same time on the daybed.

Yawning, Arna saw Naira next to her. Since there were only two rooms, they had thought Arsh might sleep on the couch and Noor with Arna and Naira. 

Both went downstairs and saw Jasmine and Rooney but not Arsh and Arna. Looking at the open bay window, both sleepily went out and almost choked on their spit.

Arsh's head was on the floor pillow with his hand wrapped around the little frame that was snuggling against him.

"They slept outside all night." Ivan's groggy voice came as he yawned.

Arna looked at Ivan and questioned, feeling completely awake, "Who is getting married in three months?"

"We." Ivan nonchalantly responded.

Arna nodded, "I think Rooney, Jasmine, and Noor, bro are getting married." She stomped his leg and went inside leaving Ivan speechless.

Shaking his head to disperse his thoughts, Ivan went to the couple and tapped Arsh. One tap was enough to wake him up and Ivan asked in a low voice, "Are you sure Noor would be fine waking up like this?" He gave heads up to Arsh before going inside the villa. He snuggled his sulking girlfriend on the couch.

Unwrapping his hand, Arsh recalled Noor's half-night chatter about almost everything before she dozed off leaning on him. He was used to be awake at night but eventually dozed while making sure she wasn't disturbed by anything,

The dumb drunk Noor also confessed she was shy to face Aria and Alan, and she wasn't sure what she feels for him. She also advised him that if he smiles more, she might like him.

To avoid making her embarrassed, Arsh tried to shift her head on the pillow. He was about to breathe at the success, her fingers which were holding his shirt, suddenly tugged at him as her eyes slowly opened.

There was barely any space between them. A little move would land his lips on the tip of her nose. Arsh continued to hold his breath, ready to hear her shriek.

Noor blinked a few times and closed her eyes as she left his shirt. She slowly flipped aside and made herself comfortable to sleep.