How about Cosmic Horror? Chapter 16

It was strange. He wasn’t rough or aggressive, just achingly gentle. And yet goosebumps prickled her skin. Every time their tongues intertwined, sparks flickered before her eyes, and a jolt of electricity ran down her back. She couldn’t keep still. It was terrifyingly dizzying, a strange, curling sensation in her belly. Her thighs felt like they were melting. Even their mingled saliva tasted sweet—perhaps because of the scent wafting from him.

She couldn’t pinpoint his cologne, but a peculiarly pleasant scent always lingered around him. Unlike anything she’d smelled before meeting him, she guessed it might be a custom blend. Normally, it didn’t overwhelm her senses, but now it was different. Maybe her brain had gone all mushy, but his fragrance was intoxicating.

She finally understood how cats felt when they were given catnip. The way they rolled around, purring, rubbing, hugging, and sucking on the branch, completely out of their minds, as if they were high on drugs. She wanted to do the same to him. Only her last shred of pride, or perhaps sanity, was stopping her.

She simply clung to his shirt, whimpering, as he held her face and neck in his large hands, kissing her deeply.

When she was breathless and lightheaded, he broke the kiss, letting out a soft, wet sound, as if intentionally letting her hear. She cautiously opened her eyes, which she’d squeezed shut. The previously dull black mist was now sparkling in a multitude of colors, like confetti from a celebratory firework. Like glitter used in makeup.

“For all we did was rub tongues, your neck’s gotten awfully red, honey.”

Contrary to the dazzling spectacle, his voice was infuriatingly calm. She couldn’t help but snap back.

“Look who’s talking—you’re the one losing it.”

“Me?”

“Yes. You’re a mess.”

She was confident that this was the most expressive his form had been since he first appeared to her as a cosmic horror creature. That black mist had turned into something so colorful and flashy, it looked like a child’s glitter glue spilled into the air. She couldn’t even imagine what expression he was making in real life.

He didn’t respond immediately to her jab. Instead, he crossed his arms and tapped his forearm with a finger as if in thought. Then he finally spoke.

“You said you’d kiss me, but I ended up doing all the work. You didn’t do anything.”

“I—I did something! I started it!”

She stammered slightly as she defended herself, guilt pricking her conscience.

“Strictly speaking, that was a peck. But it was cute, so I’ll let it slide.”

He added in a low voice, slowly tracing his fingertip across her lips.

“Pretty… entertaining, too.”

She blinked. Entertaining how? Had she made a weird face while kissing? Grinning like an idiot? Was her excitement laughably obvious?

She was dying to know, but couldn’t bring herself to ask. And before she could gather the courage, he dropped a sudden bombshell.

“Sleep next to me tonight.”

What? Why?

“You might get sick again. I need to be there to help.”

It was like he’d read her mind. Stunned for a moment, she waved her hands frantically.

“I’m totally fine! Not sick at all!”

Sleeping beside the guy she’d just kissed? Just imagining it made her heart overload. She was sure she’d spend the night wide awake.

“Nope. You need to sleep soundly without weird dreams.”

But I need you to be gone for me to sleep soundly!

She wanted to tear his hair out. But this time, he seemed adamant. The man who’d always let her have her way was now saying a firm “No” for the first time. As a last resort, she brought up the previous night.

“You’d said we would just hold hands and sleep, but—”

“I won’t mess around tonight.”

That was messing around?

She glared at him with all the disbelief she could muster, but he remained unfazed. Clearly, he wasn’t going to back down.

With a heavy sigh, she held up two fingers.

“We sleep apart, no touching. If you agree to that.”

It was her final compromise. If he rejected this, the negotiation was over.

The shimmering mist swirled, tracing a ○ in the air.

“Okay, honey. I’ll do that.”

“You have to keep your promise. If you break it, I’m out of here.”

“Alright, alright.”

Reassured, she sighed and pressed her hand against her forehead, watching his mist-head morph into ♡.

Is this really okay? But it was too late to back out now.

Whatever. If anything happened, she’d just die of a heart attack.

Resolute, she went over to the bed first and claimed a corner.

“Don’t come any closer. You stay there, and I’ll stay here. Got it?”

“You’ll fall off the bed if you stay there.”

She checked her position and realized she was indeed teetering on the edge. She scooted in slightly, then confirmed the distance between them. Thanks to the spacious bed, she could move even closer without touching him. Finally, she allowed herself to relax.

“Can’t I at least hold your hand?”

“No.”

He chuckled at her firm rejection.

“Okay. Sleep tight, honey.”

“Goodnight, Yohan.”

Sleep tight, my foot. There was no way she was sleeping tonight. Her husband, the guy she just had her first kiss with, was lying right next to her. There was no way her nerves would let her drift off. She was doomed to stay wide-eyed all night…

“Mmm…”

She whimpered as she hugged a log. She had to meet her quota. She was a laborer, if she didn’t move the assigned number of logs to the depot by a set time, she wouldn’t get dinner. Yevgeniya, from Russia, could carry one log on each shoulder, and the guard kept yelling at her for not moving even a single one properly.

Lift it. I have to lift it if I want to survive. She gripped the log tightly and strained. But for some reason, the log wouldn’t budge.

How is that possible?

Irritated, she gave it her all again, hugging it tightly. After struggling for a while, she woke up—to find herself clinging to someone.

“Did you sleep well, honey?”

A voice that shouldn’t be there echoed above her head. She stiffly looked up. A pale pink mist swirled above her head in a bundle of tiny hearts. She gasped and pulled away.

“Hey! I said no touching!”

“I didn’t touch you. You touched me in your sleep.”

He was right. By all appearances, she had clung to him in her sleep and entered his space.

I sleep like this? Seriously? Horrified, she was still recovering when he gently patted her back like a child and asked,

“So what kind of dream makes you whimper and cling like a puppy?”

She bristled at the humiliating phrasing. A puppy?! She had been fighting for her dinner ration, and he compared her to a puppy snuggling up to him!

Now that she realized the immovable log in her dream had been him, she felt even more insulted. How could he be so heavy, dream or no dream? And now she was being called a whimpering puppy? Her pride was in tatters.

“You don’t need to know.”

“Okay. I’ll ask you about it later. For now, let’s have our good morning kiss. I’ve been waiting for you to wake up just for this.”

His sudden outburst chased away any lingering drowsiness. She stared at him, eyes wide, while the pink mist twisted and turned as if shy.

As she stared blankly at the bizarre sight, the mist slowly approached her face. She quickly backed away, raising her hand to signal him to stop.

“W-wait! Time out! I need to wash up first!”

She jumped out of bed and dashed to the bathroom without looking back.

“Toothbrush, toothpaste.”

After diligently brushing her teeth and washing her face, she checked her reflection in the mirror. She smoothed out her messy hair and straightened her pajamas, satisfied with her appearance. She even cleared her throat and returned to the bed.

“All ready?”

“Yes.”

She nodded with solemn determination, and he clutched his stomach, collapsing back onto the bed, shoulders shaking with laughter. 

Unfazed, she stood proud. Even a hundred retries wouldn’t change her choice—human dignity came first.

Lifting his face from the sheets, he asked,

“Honey, you gonna kiss me only when you’re perfectly prepped?”

“Uh… probably?”

“What if we’re dining out and I want to kiss?”

She imagined the scenario he’d given—a romantic dinner at a fancy restaurant, kissing with a stunning night view in the background, teeth unbrushed, like in dramas…

“Sorry. I’ve got a sensitive stomach…”

She apologized sincerely after a moment of consideration. He slumped forward again.

“This isn’t going to work. Talking to you is ruining the mood.”

Muttering through laughter, he approached her. She instinctively closed her eyes, thinking, He’s ready too, right? I can’t be the only one who prepped for this.

Their lips met softly. The light touch seemed to awaken every nerve in her body.