Natlia felt so joyful, and surprisingly, talking with Arthur was fun because even little things made him express his opinions with big reactions.
However, he wasn't easy to read.
It seemed like he still processed whatever she said and his reactions were very slow.
Natalia noticed he first blushes, then widens those pretty eyes, opens and closes his mouth before stuttering his reply.
It must have been Arthur that Natalia had ever been so patient with while talking. But his expressions made her feel excited to continue the conversation.
Weird... she knew.
But despite all this, she didn't want to make him uncomfortable either.
She'd just seen him after six years, and she had called him cute. What would Arthur think?
Wasn't she crazy to say that to this innocent omega who was very shy and hid his face whenever he saw her?
"I'm sorry if that made you uncomfortable with that comment. But just so you know, I actually meant it. You are indeed cute and... very good-looking too," Natalia said, trying to sound convincing and honest, making Arthur, who was now looking at her, quickly look away in shyness.
"Ah! I-it is okay. T-thank you. It is the first time someone ever complimented me. I-I mean apart from uncle and aunty..." Arthur mumbled, his heart beating out of his chest at receiving another compliment.
Getting a compliment like this shouldn't be such a big deal to Arthur, honestly. Because every day, without missing a beat, both uncle and aunty showered him with praises, saying how good-looking he is, how adorable he is, and how he is going to make a lot of alphas go crazy. He loved it but he never wished for others to compliment him.
He didn't know about other alphas, but Natalia giving him compliments made him very happy. It was a mix of hope and desire too.
But Arthur had to accept he wasn't comfortable with other alphas. He wasn't exactly shy with them, but he didn't like them.
So it was actually a pretty big deal that he was now even engaging in a conversation with her, let alone now having feelings for her, during the first time they ever saw each other after so long.
He knew he felt comfortable with her because he believed her to be safe as she was uncle's and aunty's daughter. But if he ignores all those reasons, she is indeed now special to him.
He seriously likes her.
And he told himself.
She might be the one.
Maybe... the only one.
Arthur clenched his fists behind his back as he tried to solve this puzzle of feelings. But he soon forgot it because he didn't want to complicate things. At least not at that moment...
"Seriously? That's unbelievable. Even you rolling your eyes is cute and it must be complimented too," Natalia said with a smirk, and Arthur turned to her in such a surprising speed that it made Natalia chuckle once again, amused.
But, safe to say, Arthur was now horrified.
"R-rolling eyes?" he stuttered, thinking back to the times he thought he was being secretive.
Maybe Uncle Kevin was right. He was such an airhead...
'Oh my God... why did I even roll my eyes at her?!'
"Yeah, yeah. I was wondering who this cutie rolling their eyes at me was. Turned out to be my mom's baby boy."
"I-I'm sorry, I j-just..."
"Haha... It's alright. Rolling eyes is a talent too. I can't do that," Natalia said, her voice actually sounding impressed, which forced Arthur to question her.
"Y-you are lying."
"No. I am telling the truth. Even if I roll my eyes, I wonder if I look good like you while I am doing it."
Arthur held his breath as her eyes stared intensely at him, looking impressed.
It felt like she was indeed telling him the truth.
He thought everyone could roll their eyes...
"...I see..." Arthur mumbled, his head going back down.
Natalia let out a sigh and looked at the charger in her hand, feeling quite greedy to leave.
She really wanted to talk with him a little more.
Well, fortunately for her, Arthur wanted to as well.
"A-are you really not leaving again?"
Arthur hesitantly asked.
"No. I'm not leaving," Natalia said, distracted and upset as she thought about how she had to leave his parents alone.
"...That's good," Arthur muttered as he tried hard to think of anything, anything at all they could talk about. But his mind was blank because he was so excited and flustered.
However, since they both didn't want to leave just yet, they cooperated to drag the conversation along.
"Ah, by the way, I am not into alphas. I was just joking."
"Ah... I am s-"
"You don't have to say sorry. I was just messing with you."
"...I see."
"Are you mad?"
"No, why would I be?"
"I mean... like others? About me leaving and not coming back sooner?"
"...Who are others?"
"Well, my friends, some relatives, and a few neighbours too."
"...I am not mad. You are back anyway. That's all that matters."
"Thank you, Arthur."
Arthur looked at Natalia, surprised as she sounded hurt but relieved.
"I-it's okay," Arthur muttered.
"Mm... then I will leave. I have quite a few things to get done. I hope we can get along well in the future," Natalia said with her usual blank face.
"Yeah. I hope so too." Arthur showed a shy smile that held Natalia there for a few more seconds to watch him.
"Mm."
Natalia hummed and walked away, while Arthur's eyes followed her until she disappeared.
He then stood there for a few more minutes before going back into the room and throwing himself onto the bed.
'She is so beautiful. No wonder back then all those omegas were always talking about her,' Arthur thought, a smile creeping onto his face. But his smile dropped immediately.
'It's also no wonder if she marries one of those incredibly beautiful omegas one day...'
Arthur let out a sigh, forcing a smile again despite feeling seriously hurt thinking about that.
'It's alright. Not everyone gets that person they fall in love with at first sight after all...'
'Well, not at first sight though... but seriously, what made me like her?'
Arthur rolled onto his bed, staring at the ceiling as if it had all the answers to his questions.
'They say we can mistake such fast feelings as just attraction... Is it?'
He rolled to the other side again.
'I hope this isn't just an attraction. I want her...'
Arthur got up, now sitting on the bed, playing with his fingers, upset and staring at them.
"I really want her," Arthur whispered faintly, as if trying to figure out whether it sounded right or wrong.
'I want to love her.'
'I want to make her smile.'
'I want to hug her.'
And he wanted a lot more.
'Hah! I must be crazy. We ever properly talked just today. Don't be so hopeful, you idiot!'