Is this destiny?

Hande was lost in her thoughts for an unknown measure of time. 

She lowered her gaze and froze when she noticed in the reflection of the lake that someone is sitting by her side. The reflection is slightly distorted because of the disturbance caused by the warm evening breeze, but that reflection definitely looks like Ade and she is not imagining it.

Hande slowly turned her head to the left.

"Hi…", Ade said when their eyes met. "Are you feeling better now?"

She can see that he is looking at her with curiosity and a small smile at the corners of his lips and even though they are not touching, he is close. Too close.

Hande glanced behind and confirmed that there is no one else, it is just the two of them, at least how much she can see.

Her gaze moved back on Ade and she felt her anxiety bubbling up.

"Wh-Why are you here?", Hande stuttered.

"I thought you could use some company."

For some unknown reason, her heart tightened at his words. Did he come here because he saw that she is lonely? Or did someone tell him to come and give her company? Hande exhaled. That must be the case. Why else would he be here? Someone forced him. Maybe Merve or Sarah. And here she is again, being a burden.

"I don\'t need your pity. Go back with others. I am fine here.", Hande mumbled and turned back to the lake.

Ade ignored her rejection. "It\'s not pity. I wanted to come and see how you are doing. And you don\'t look fine."

Ade observed her stubborn expression. He nudged her shoulder with his. "So?"

Hande looked at her shoulder and then at his like he did something outrageous.

"What?"

"Are you feeling better now?", Ade repeated his first question.

A few seconds later, when she didn\'t respond, Ade moved again to nudge her with his shoulder. This time Hande moved away, avoiding him.

"Stop that!", she said angrily.

Ade blinked. "Don\'t tell me you are upset that I touched you. Earlier today, you were clinging onto me, and at that time, I touched much more than your shoulder and we barely had any clothes on. Compared to that, this is nothing.", he said matter-of-factly.

Hande\'s eyes widened in horror. Did he need to bring that out? At first, she clung onto him because she was scared, but then she clung onto him because she was embarrassed to let go. Well, the letting go was not a problem, but the fact that when she lets go she needs to look at him, was a problem. How embarrassing.

To her horror, Ade nudged her with his shoulder again!

"What are you doing?", she grumbled while scooting away from him.

"I am trying to talk to you. And you are all moody like you have a crush on me." Ade paused and observed Hande\'s face which was getting redder by the second. "Wow! I just said it without realizing that I am right."

Hande fidgeted, unsure if she should stay or leave. She wants to leave, but she knows that he is faster and stronger, and he can stop her if he wants. A failed escape would only increase her embarrassment, so she gave up on attempting it. "Who would have a crush on you?"

Ade craned his neck to get a better view of her face. "Someone who avoids looking at me while her cheeks are fiery red."

Hande pressed her lips into a line and turned to look at him defiantly. "Are you happy when you tease me?"

Ade saw that her chin is trembling and that she is on the verge of bursting into tears. He scolded himself for pushing it too far. He wondered, what happened with that defiant girl he met three months ago? This Hande in front of him is timid and insecure.

"I\'m sorry. It is not my intention to tease you. I actually thought that you like me. Maybe I am not your type..."

Hande opened her mouth to say something, but Ade was speaking again: "I got you something."

Hande saw Ade reach behind him and a second later he was holding in front of her a plate with a slice of chocolate cake, and a fork next to it.

"Take it.", Ade urged her. "I know it\'s your favorite. And you left before sweets were served."

Hande\'s eyes darted from the cake to Ade. "Did Merve tell you that I like it?"

Ade smiled and pushed the plate in her hand. Finally, he got Hande to let her guard down, but he will not tell her that he overheard Merve say to Rosa how it\'s too bad that Hande left before dessert because chocolate cake is her favorite. That is when he decided to take his plate and find Hande. With Eve-lens on, it was not difficult to find her.

Hande stared at the cake in her hands for some time, and she had to admit that it was calling to it. And it smelled great.

Reluctantly, she took a bite of the cake and closed her eyes, enjoying the perfect balance of moisture and spongy texture and sweetness and the bitterness of cocoa and the small bits of chocolate and… it\'s delicious.

"What about you?", Hande asked Ade. She noticed that he is only watching her.

Ade shrugged. "I am glad you are enjoying the cake."

"This is your slice.", Hande guessed.

"Now it\'s yours."

Guilt washed over Hande. Because she left, she is eating his cake and he got none. And she can see by the way he is looking at the cake that he wants to eat it as well.

Hande poked a piece of cake and hovered it in front of his face. "Let\'s share."

Ade\'s eyebrows shoot up and he looked with disapproval at the piece of cake which was only an inch or two from his mouth.

"I don\'t have any disease, if that is worrying you. And I brush my teeth regularly." Hande moved her lips into a strange smile-like grimace with an intention to show him her clean teeth. Unfortunately for Hande, there were chocolate cake bits between them, and it looked horrible.

Ade burst into a laugh.

Hande frowned. Did she do something funny? "What?"

"Nothing, nothing…", Ade put his hand over Hande\'s to steady the fork and took the piece of cake she offered him.

He enjoyed the chocolate flavor which was spreading through his mouth while observing Hande who took another bite for herself.

She made a satisfying humming sound while savoring her second bite.

"That is an indirect kiss.", he said flatly.

Hande started coughing violently. She almost choked on the cake! "What!?"

"You put the cake in your mouth after me, with the same fork.", Ade explained.

Hande looked at the fork with horror in her eyes. She didn\'t think about it! Is this how things happen? Is this her first kiss? Gone, just like that! She didn\'t feel anything! Hande watched movies and read books and she knows that it should be with flowers and with a boy she likes who will embrace her and with butterflies in her stomach, and this… it\'s just a piece of metal with chocolate cake and saliva! Ah, her first kiss is ruined forever!

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