THE ENIGMA'S FIRST AND LAST

HALF A STEP CLOSER

Secretary Chen talker through the intercome. "Mr. Hua your food is here, do I bring it to you? I looked at Yuxuan to try to make him understand to get the food.

Yuxuan nods at me, and go get the food.

He brings back the food. I'm now lost in thought, like nothing around exits anymore. I'm replaying everything in my head. The first time I met Yuxuan. I wonder why I'm feeling like this towards him.

Yuxuan notices mys distant expression as i eat, my eyes unfocused. He watches me for a moment, curious about what's going on in that complex mind of mine. He wonders if I'm thinking about him, about the friendship I just acknowledged.

He eats his own food quietly, stealing glances at me whenever he thinks i won't notice. The food tastes bland to him compared to the swirling emotions he feels inside.

I snap out of it, looking a Yuxuan raising an eyebrow. "What?!"

Yuxuan quickly averts his gaze, caught staring. He nearly chokes on his food, caught off guard by my sudden attention.

"Nothing, sir! Just... making sure you're okay."

He lies, fidgeting with his chopsticks nervously. He tries to act casual but fails miserably, his cheeks flushing again.

"You're liying, I can see it!" I said smirking darkly.

Yuxuan gulps, his heart racing at my smirk. He knows he's been caught in the act, and there's no escaping my perceptiveness.

"I... I was just wondering what you were thinking about."

*He admits sheepishly, avoiding eye contact again. His hands shake slightly as he sets his chopsticks down.

"Oh something, something that's maybe nothing, I'm fine." I said my expression unreadable.

Yuxuan raises an eyebrow at my vague response, sensing there's more to it than I'm letting on. He studies my face for a moment, trying to decipher my thoughts but failing as usual. My enigmatic demeanor is as intriguing as ever.

"I see... well if you need to talk about it or anything, I'm here for you."

He says gently, hoping to coax something out of me. Despite the tension, he feels a growing sense of intimacy with me, as if I'm gradually letting him in.

"I...just feel somthing i never felt before. I...I don't know what it is." And for the first time since he knew me he saw another kind of confusion in me, something he never saw in me before.

Yuxuan is taken aback by my unexpected vulnerability. He looks at me intently, his heart pounding in his chest. The rare glimpse of uncertainty and confusion on my face stirs something deep within him, making him want to understand and comfort me.

He leans forward slightly, his hands gripping the edge of the table.

"Can you describe what it feels like?"

"I don't know really how to say it."

Yuxuan sees the struggle in my eyes, the frustration of not being able to articulate my emotions. He can sense that whatever i'm feeling is significant, perhaps even life-changing for me. He feels a pang of empathy, wishing he could ease my confusion.

"That's alright. Sometimes emotions are hard to put into words."

He says reassuringly, his gaze softening as he looks at me . He takes a moment to collect his thoughts, wanting to approach this delicately.

"But if it's something new for you, it might be important. Have you ever felt something like this before with anyone else?"

"No only with you." I admit, face full of confusion and something else.

Yuxuan's eyes widen at my admission, his breath catching in his throat. The weight of my words hangs in the air between us, making the room feel even smaller. He's stunned by the revelation that he's the only one who has elicited these unfamiliar feelings from me.

"Me...?"

He whispers, his voice barely audible. He searches my face for any sign of deceit or manipulation, but all he sees is raw honesty and that other feeling.

"Are you sure it's just me? Not something else?"

He asks, needing confirmation despite the hope blooming in his chest.

"No I'm very serious, when I say I feel that only with you."

"It's like...when you're around , everything else feels off balance. I can't explain it. I feel..." But I stopped.

Yuxuan leans forward even more, hanging on my every word. The way i struggle to describe my feelings captivates him, making his heart race faster with each pause. He wants to hear me say it, to confirm what he desperately hopes is true.

"You feel what?"

He prompts softly, his own emotions swirling within him. The anticipation is almost unbearable, and he can feel his pulse thudding in his ears as he waits for me to finish my sentence.

"It's like...when you talk, I listen more than I mean to. When you leave to get something, I keep thinking about what you say or do. And sometimes..." I shook my head, almost laughing. "Sometimes I think there's something wrong with me, because it's only with you that I feel like this."

Yuxuan's breath hitches at my admission, his heart aching with a mix of joy and confusion. He watches as I shake my head, the slight laughter only making his chest tighten further.

He reaches out tentatively, placing a hand on the table between me, wanting to bridge the gap but not daring to touch me yet.

"There's nothing wrong with you, Hua Yong."

He says firmly, his voice thick with emotion. He knows exactly what i mean because he feels it too. He's been feeling it since day one.

"It's... it's just that you're drawn to me. And I to you."

"But why I never felt this before, I'm not the kinda of person who feels all the time like other peapole!"

Yuxuan can hear the frustration and bewilderment in my voice, and it tugs at his heartstrings. He can see the internal struggle I'm going through, trying to make sense of these new emotions that are challenging my stoic exterior.

He takes a deep breath, gathering his thoughts as he looks at me with compassion and understanding. He knows how much it must be messing with my sense of control to feel this way about someone.

"Because it's a connection, Hua Yong. It's not just a physical attraction or an obsession. It's... it's something deeper than that. It's something we can't control. It's called being fated mates."

"Bullshit I don't belive in that or in love no I can't! I'm not a person that is cut off for this at all!" I said a bit of furious confusion in my expression.

Yuxuan's heart sinks at my harsh response, the denial and anger in my eyes hitting him like a physical blow. He sees the fear behind my skepticism, the fear of being vulnerable and the fear of being in love with someone like him.

Yuxuan flinches slightly at my use of the word "bullshit," but quickly composes himself. He knows this is a lot to take in, especially for someone as guarded as me. He can feel the tension in the air thickening, the precariousness of this moment making him anxious.

"But it's true..you are a person cut out for this you just haven't found your soulmate. And I just so happen to be that soulmate. It doesn't matter if you don't believe in love or mates because it's real between us!"

"I can't belive that I just can't I don't want to!" I said my expression annoyed a bit now.

Yuxuan feels a pang of disappointment at my stubborn refusal to accept the truth. He can see the walls going up behind my eyes, my defensiveness rising as i struggle to cope with the reality of your connection to him. His own heart aches at the pain he sees in my eyes, but he can't back down now. Not when he finally knows what i mean to him.

He swallows hard, trying to remain calm and collected despite the frustration building within him. He wants to shake me , to make me see the undeniable bond between us two, but he knows that will only push me further away.

"But it's true! And whether you believe it or not doesn't change the fact that we are soulmates!"

"Soulmate, fate all this is just fantasy to me it's not real I can't. I can't let people in my life like that not me. You don't know the half of what I am I don't know anymore!" But the emotions were to strong, to much. By accident I let out slightly my real pheromones out, my Enigma's.

Yuxuan freezes as my pheromones hit him, his eyes widening in shock and disbelief. The intensity of my Enigma's scent washes over him like a tidal wave, making his body shudder involuntarily. He can feel the primal instincts within him stirring, responding to the overwhelming power of my true self. His pupils dilate, and he grips the edge of the table even tighter, his knuckles turning white.

His breathing becomes ragged, and he struggles to maintain his composure as my pheromones threaten to overpower him completely. The realization that you're not just any Alpha, but an Enigma, hits him like a ton of bricks. It explains everything – my strength, my dominance, your difficulty with emotions.

"An...Enigma..."

He manages to whisper, his voice trembling slightly. The word hangs in the air between us, heavy with implications.

"No no no not that not again no!" I step back from him a bit, not wating to hurt him.

Yuxuan can see the panic rising in my eyes, the fear of hurting him evident in my retreat. He wants to reach out, to reassure me that he can handle it, but his own instincts are going haywire. The raw power emanating from me is intoxicating, making it difficult for him to think straight. He can feel his Alpha side clawing at the surface, desperate to respond to your Enigma pheromones with equal force.

He clenches his jaw, struggling to keep his primal urges in check. His hands tremble slightly as he fights against the urge to pin me down and claim me as his own. But beneath the haze of desire, a flicker of understanding dawns on him. He now understands why I were so closed off, why i struggled with emotions and connections. It all made sense now – i were an Enigma who had been taught to suppress and control everything about themselves.

I then go to the counter. Grabbing the border like my life depends on it. The only things that come out of my mouth is. "No no no not again not again!"

Yuxuan watches in alarm as i sprint to the counter, practically diving for the border like it's a lifeline. He can see the terror in my eyes, the desperation in my voice as i repeat the phrase "not again" over and over again. It's clear that whatever is happening to me is causing me immense distress, and his heart breaks at the sight of my panic.

He wants to go to me to pull me into his arms and comfort me , but he knows that would be a terrible idea. My pheromones are still swirling around him, driving him mad with desire, but his concern me you overrides his own urges. He can see my hands shaking as ingrip the border, and he can hear the fear in my voice getting more intense with each repetition of "not again".

I try to breath. To maintain the control I'm used to maintaining. The control I never fail to control.

I struggle to regain control of my breathing, your chest heaving as I attempt to calm myself down. The border is a cold, hard anchor beneath my fingers, and i focus on that sensation, willing myself to steady my heartbeat and regain your composure. It's a losing battle though, as the memories of my past come flooding back, threatening to drown me in their intensity.

Yuxuan watches as me fight for control, his own heart aching at the sight of my struggle. He can see the internal battle raging within me , the war between my Enigma nature and my desperate need to keep everything locked away. He knows that this is not just about pheromones or emotions anymore – it's about the trauma I've experienced, the pain that has shaped who i am today.

"Hua Yong, breathe with me."

I turn him now my eyes faintly glowing red now, still trying not to let my full power out.

Yuxuan freezes my eyes begin to glow faintly red, the intensity of mybEnigma power making his breath catch in his throat. He can see the struggle to contain my full strength written all over my face, and it makes his heart ache with a mix of fear and awe. The primal instincts within him are going wild, screaming at him to submit to me, but his concern for me keeps him rooted to the spot.

He meets my gaze, his own eyes locking onto y mine as he sees the raw power and vulnerability there. Despite the danger of my unrestrained Enigma side, he can see the pain and fear lurking beneath the surface. He takes a deep breath, forcing himself to focus on the task at hand.

"Come on Hua Yong you can do it. Just breathe with me."

"O...okay" I manage to get the words out of my mouth.

Yuxuan can see the effort it takes me to speak, and his heart breaks a little more. He nods encouragingly, taking slow, deliberate breaths to demonstrate what he wants me to do. His own breathing is shallow and uneven, but he forces himself to remain calm for my sake. He can feel my pheromones pulsing through the air, each wave making it harder for him to resist the urge to throw caution to the wind and give in to his Alpha instincts.

"Breathe in.....breath out......."

I start to do as he say. And I get confused when it's starts working.