Livid Guardian's Endless Coddling

It was their first hug. Noor thought, did I just take initiative to hug Arsh? Anyway, she tightened her arms, unawarely rubbing her hand on his wound.

Arsh clenched his teeth when he felt a prickling at his wound. Nevertheless, he didn't flinch and made her worry. He could feel her heart slowly beating and heard her whisper, "Are… you here? 

He understood why she didn't blush or cry and easily hugged him. He lied, "No…" So that she could learn to scold him, vent her frustration instead of burying everything inside and be an understanding girlfriend.

Slowly getting off his arms, she took a step back and curiously watched him. Her right hand reached his cheek, her fingers gently caressed his smooth skin as she exclaimed believing his words, "You feel so real."

Arsh nodded his head. 'Because I am real.' He thought.

Noor found a dried scratch on his cheekbone. "You are hurt." Despite believing it was a dream, she was worried he was hurt. Her other hand made its way to his face.

Arsh was speechless when her fingers were gliding on his face. He felt weird and thinking she might assume as he took advantage of her, he quickly pulled her hands down, "I am not hurt." 

Noor nodded and stared at him. She was meeting him in her dreams, she thought what she should do as he was still in her dreams.

Arsh couldn't believe she fell for it. Or does she believe him way too much? 

When he had met Aria, the latter didn't welcome him like she always did. She neither asked him how he was doing nor if he had food or took a rest. She just said, 'Noor needs you.' and went with Alan. He felt like he was troubling Noor too much and his mother was upset about it.

The guilt was making him feel he was playing her again, even though his intention was just to hear her vent out everything. "Do you want to say something? Perhaps get a little angry?"

Noor pouted. She wondered if she was angry. No, she wasn't. She was aware of it. She was missing him, she wanted to talk to him, she feared something might happen to him, she was slowly losing hope hence she wanted to be positive by staying beside Aria as she was the one who loves Arsh the most. Hence Noor wasn't angry.

Thinking back to three weeks, she felt like crying. She was glad to see him in front of her. Since he said he wasn't there in real life, she lifted her little fist and punched him. Once, twice and thrice before she started raining punches on him and he took all of those without complaints.

"Come. Back. Soon." For each word, he earned a punch. Slowly her eyes filled up and tears started rolling down her cheeks as she started asking him numerous questions that she needed a response from him. Or probably from the man who was in her dreams.

"How could you just leave after spending all day for a week with me? Aren't you smart? Don't you get it I will miss you? Why are you taking so long to come back? Can't you use your mobile? One message, couldn't you drop me one message? Just one damn message. I always took mobile thinking you called me, you messaged me but you never did. Why is your job like that?..."

Arsh gently wiped her tears while her hands slowed down as she sniffled. Noor felt like she complained too much so she tried to speak about her, "Do you know? When you left, I didn't want to think about you so I thought to keep myself busy. So I worked hard all the time and got the biggest project of the year. The management wanted to make me Vice president, I turned it down."

Noor started hiccuping, even so, she didn't stop her words, occasionally trying to punch him, that was merely touch on the jacket. "I lost so much weight working out in the gym. The gym trainer complained to Dad and Dad banned me from using the gym. Mom makes lots of food to make me fat. They keep on asking me what's wrong. Dad will definitely scold you if he gets to know you weren't reachable and left me like that. I didn't tell them anything." 

Arsh hadn't expected the task would take so many days to complete. He had thought about what Noor might be doing and how Noah would react. He hadn't expected Noor to hide everything from her parents. 

He was mentally preparing himself how to handle if Noah stands against their relationship but his little girlfriend tried her best to be strong. He pulled her to embrace and gently rubbed her back trying to soothe her. Probably he was the only one who made her so worried and also made her cry.

When Arsh embraced her, Noor's eyes fell on the 'Aria Cooper' name sign on the desk and recalled Aria, "Aunt Aria is so strong, why can't I be like her? I keep troubling her. Uncle Alan also took care of me." She wrapped her hands around Arsh and hit his back, unawarely on his wound, "It's all your fault."

Even though she didn't use much strength, the unhealed wound didn't need much force to make it sting. Arsh silently grimaced in pain but didn't stop her.

"I am sorry, I made you worry so much." He sincerely apologized but wasn't satisfied with himself as he knew it wasn't going to be the last task. She will have to miss him whenever he goes out.

Noor hummed without giving a second thought. She accepted his apology just like that. Her hiccupping continued while both stood in the silence.

After a few seconds, Noor craned her neck and watched Arsh under the dim light. "Are you sure you are not here?" This time there was uncertainty in her tone.

Arsh understood he couldn't trick her. So he asked her back, "What do you think?"

Noor stood back and hiccupped as she pointed to her stomach, "My stomach growled." then she looked at her hands, "My hands have a tinge of pain for hitting you." 

Arsh deciphered her words between her hiccups. He needs to give her a shock to clear it. Looking at her doubting if he was truly present, he took a step almost making her stumble back. He cupped her face and captured her lips catching her off guard.

Noor's eyes widened and her entire being froze.