Tai couldn't believe what she just heard. "A test on Monday. But I thought exam week was over." I handed her the phone back. "I just got a date."

"Another date?" Diana's eyes sparkled. "With who?"

Tai leaned over. "One of the sinners. Aleksei."

"Oh my god." Diana slapped her arm and laughed. "You're so bad. How are you attracting all these guys? Quickly tell me, when are you going out, how did this happen?"

Tai hugged the towel. "Just now. He wants us to go somewhere this weekend."

"Oh, what are you going to do about Monday then? There might be a glitch in the system or we all simply failed the exam. I'm still going to study. I was going to suggest you do that too."

"I don't want to cancel it," Tai whined.

Diana patted her back in condolences. "Good luck with your decision."

Tai sighed. Just what was she going to do?

***

Aleksei waited impatiently by his car for Tai to arrive. He glanced at his wristwatch one more time and then tried to look cool while leaning on the car. He never knew he could feel this much excitement for a date.

When he finally spotted her, he did not expect the dark stocking and the leather jacket. The combo with her polished clothes almost gave him a heart attack.

"Right on time." Aleksei opened the car door waiting for her to get it. That was a really short skirt, he noticed.

He walked over to the other side in a hurry and got into the car, playing it cool. He turned on the radio and smoothly backed out the car out of the parking spot.

"So the botanic garden." She started the conversation first. "I've never been there."

"I heard it's pretty nice there. Good thing the weather is sunny today." Aleksei answered. Short and sweet answers, he reminded himself. No teasing her today.

She smiled and looked out the car window. She was a bit nervous herself, but she couldn't help but look forward to it.

Her phone started going off so she pulled it out of her bag in a hurry. Diana was sending her pictures of all the material she had highlighted and answers she thought were going to be on the re-exam. Tai reminded herself to get something for Diana on the way back. She was a real lifesaver. The pictures kept arriving on her phone, making the notification sound on repeat. Tai quickly turned it on to vibrate.

"Damn. Who is the avid texter?"

"It's just my roommate." Tai laughed. "She is keeping me updated on the notes she's making for the exam on Monday."

"I thought all the class groups were done with exams."

"Yes, but half of my class including me, failed the Chemistry exam and now the professor is making us retake the exam on Monday."

"What?" He turned towards her in shock. "Don't you have to study for it?."

Tai chuckled innocently. "But I have a date today. Hence the notes."

Aleksei was touched. She went out of her way to enjoy the date instead of canceling it. She liked him that much, to skip studying? He was so happy he didn't expect the feelings to be that overwhelming. But as he kept driving he reminded himself. Didn't he swear he was going to be the nice guy today? Do everything properly in the given situation. He can't just let her fail.

He glanced at the rearview mirror and then grabbed the steering wheel, making a whole u-turn, going back.

"Huh, what are we doing?" Tai was looking around confused.

"We're going back." Aleksei smiled. "Since you were determined not to cancel the date, I just have to make it up to you."

"What about the botanic garden?" She complained. She really wanted to see that.

"It's going to be there next weekend too." He smirked.

"You know I wanted to go on this date too, I didn't just not cancel out of politeness." Tai sighed.

"I know. We're not canceling it. We're just turning it into a study date."

"Study date?"

Aleksei parked the car back at the school and glanced at her. "Yes. Follow me." He got out of the car and then waited for Tai to join him.

"Come on." He took her hand so naturally, Tai almost got caught staring at their interlocked hands. Especially since he was holding her with the one with the snake tattoo on. It always sent a jolt at the side of her stomach when he'd touch her.

The school hallways were empty as they made it to the empty study room. They picked a table next to the window and then Aleksei went to grab her books.

"I can't believe I'm wasting an outfit and a weather this good on studying." She muttered to herself.

Not only books but Aleksei brought her pens, markers and empty sheets of paper she could write on.

"Show me the notes that your friend is sending you." He demanded.

Tai smiled. He was taking the lead on this strongly, was he trying to impress her? She took off the jacket, placed it behind her and pulled her sleeves up. Since he was insisting on it, she might as well study.

He took off his jacket as well and settled on the chair opposite of her. He can make the best of this, he was sure of it. He took a good look at the pictures on her phone, with the notes. It was not an easy chemistry subject.

Tai leaned her head over her hand. "Diana said something might have happened in their online grading system and I'm guessing the professor is going to check all of our exams one by one, but just in case I failed, I want to make sure I brush over the material again."

Aleksei slid the phone back. "It's not easy material for sure, but I can help you with it. I passed this exam." He took one of the clear papers and wrote down something on it then slid the paper back. "Try to solve this."

Tai took a look at the assignment. She picked up her pen and started writing. After she was done she showed it to him.

"Okay that's good." Aleksei was already writing down something else. "I'm going to do a harder one."

"Are you sure you are a reliable person to do this with?" Tai asked, taking the paper back.

"Like I said. I passed and you didn't. That's the only qualification I need."

Aleksei had to remind himself that he was supposed to be nice and not tease her, while on the other side of the table Tai was laughing to herself, wondering how the hell she got into a situation where she was solving chemistry equations with one of the sinners.

After a while, he let her go over some of the material alone and played with a pen in his fingers, watching her push her curly hair back in irritation and then focused on writing down the important stuff.

She glanced up at him. "Aren't you bored? We could have been having a lot more fun if we went on the botanic date."

"I'm having fun." He leaned over the table. "Though this must suck for you."

She smiled. "Actually this was really nice of you. I've always liked having company when I study or I shop or take a walk."

"Good to know." Aleksei got up. "I'm going to come right back, you study."

He came back ten minutes later with some snacks and a cup of iced coffee.

"Thank you." Tai took the cup surprised. "How did you know I like iced coffee?"

"I took a guess." Aleksei smiled. He indeed did not take a wild guess but had noticed it throughout the time he spent mindlessly staring at her passing in the hallways swirling in her dresses and skirts, holding a cup of iced coffee.

"I don't know if anyone's told you this before, but you're considerate." Tai took a sip from the coffee.

Aleksei paused from the shock. He's been called a lot of things, but never considerate. "I'm not really.." Well, if he thought about it he was mostly behaving like that around her. Having that in mind, it was like he was deceiving her.

"I mean it. Not just by doing this.." Tai swirled the straw in the cup. "Even when we were camping, you put the tents up for Nikita and me, you helped Arya with the food very spontaneously and you make Nikita feel at ease at the villa after he moved in with you. He told me himself. With Lev and Zakhar being really intense sometimes, he says you make the atmosphere lighter. Except when you try to manipulate him into cleaning. He doesn't like that."

Aleksei pushed his hair back. Fuck, he completely forgot about the fact that anything he does in the villa could be reported to Tai through Nikita. What about all the times he drank? Or left the villa a mess? Or the hours he spent gaming? Oh god, and Nikita told her, he tried to manipulate him? Aleksei wanted to shoot himself right there and then.

"Please forget whatever you hear from Nikita." Aleksei muttered.

Tai laughed. "Why? Is there anything I'm not supposed to hear?"

Aleksei glanced aside, trying to come up with a topic to divert this. "I should cancel the reservation I made at the restaurant." He pulled out his phone. "Or maybe I can give the reservation to someone else. It's a shame to get it canceled. It's a really good place."

"See, considerate." Tai grinned at him, biting down the straw.

He texted Lev about the reservation and then placed the phone down.

"Let's study now." He pointed at the paper.

Tai reached for the book and closed it. "I'm having a break now. So let's talk."

"Alright." Aleksei leaned back into his seat. "What do you want to talk about?"

"What I just said. Why don't you think you're considerate?" She leaned her head on both her palms staring at him with intrigue.

"Ahh." He leaned back into his chair with a heavy sigh."What have I gotten myself into."

"I vote that it's family trauma." As she said that Aleksei had a split-second pause before reacting like his usual self.

"Wouldn't that be everyone's first guess?" He laughed.

Tai was good at catching key expressions. "I know it's not a daddy issue since you said you and your dad are close. I'm guessing it's either your mom or your brother."

"You know there are some topics that are supposed to be taboo on the first date." He took a pen from the table and started twirling it between his fingers.

Tai lowered her hands and gave him a sympathetic look. "I know. I'm sorry. I always do this, it's a bad habit."

"Oh I know it's a bad habit trust me. I do this to people all the time. When someone pokes through your vulnerabilities like that, you just can't help but react. But it's usually me who pokes first at people's weak points." Aleksei tapped the pen over the table. "I guess this is karma, right?"

"I'm only asking because I want to get to know you better." Tai crossed her legs under the desk and pushed her hair behind her ear, staring at the melting ice in the coffee cup. "Very often we are shaped by our experiences, our trauma and it becomes part of our personality. Let's say you might be someone who takes things very seriously, but a certain event can make you feel like you shouldn't be like that, or someone makes fun of you for that so you start being the class clown to mask that part of yourself. We shape ourselves like that all throughout life. And I can ask you questions you want to hear on this date but... what if I ask something personal. Wouldn't that leave a bigger impression on you?"

Tai realized breaking down his past traumas might push him away like it did others so she was quick to retrace her steps. She was a pro at chasing off men with her serious talks.

"Actually, don't answer that." She smiled awkwardly. " Having a good laugh too it's better right?"Of course, keeping it light would be better.

"I get it where you're coming from. The reason people don't have those conversations right away it's because they want to protect themselves. They can't trust the other person with the information. They also want to present themself in the best light," Aleksei brought the pen down calmly and locked eyes with her. "And just like anyone else I want to present myself in the best light too."

"I agree. People should have fun first before they dive into serious conversations and protect themselves. But you and I are different right? I already met you in a few editions. Each time I feel like I get to see a new side of you and it confuses me. In a good way." Tai pushed her chair back and circled the desk until she was on his side. She leaned her back on the table. "So let's do it like this. You can do your psyche poking to me and I'll do my vulnerability poking to you. Or you can back out now and we can continue our study season, lighthearted talk and I won't get mad that you chose to avoid this topic until further notice.."

The word avoid, sure was her favorite. Aleksei wanted to laugh.

"Alright." He took her wrist and pulled her to sit on his lap. "But if we're going to do this..since it might get too intense for either one of us..we should have a safe word."

"A safe word?"

"Yes. When you want to stop talking about something you say the safe word."

"Alright, pick a word." Tai agreed.

"Mm." He reached across the table for the marshmallow bag taking one out. "How bout marshmallows?"

Tai leaned forward, taking the marshmallow between his fingers with her mouth. "Okay done."

That little tease. Aleksei placed his hand over her thigh, running his finger up and down her thigh.

"First question." She settled in his lap. "Who in your family gave you the considerate complex you have? Why don't you think you're considerate?"

Aleksei reached for the bag, got a marshmallow out and bit down on it. "My brother."

"Why?" Tai stayed persistent.

He let out a long sigh. He would have to do his best to circle around the topic without getting too much into it. "Well he is the oldest one so he was always the guy who people expected things from. Especially my grandfather who is the head of our family. He placed high expectations on my brother early on so everything he did was closely paid attention to. Which annoyed him. And everything I did was overlooked, which annoyed me. So I stopped doing things for other people, hence I am not considerate."

"You're considerate. You just stopped waiting on people to compliment you for it." Tai smiled.

Topic avoided, Aleksei thought.

Tai ran her fingers through his hair. "Are you close with your brother?"

"Not really. He hates me,"

"Why?" She asked calmly.

Aleksei felt the familiar shiver go down his back. For some reason, she was really good at asking the right questions to get to the core of things. And just when he thought he'd get away with it.

She raised her hand and playfully brushed his hair back again. "Do you want to be close with him?"

"My brother and I will never be close." Aleksei sighed. "I did something in the past that ruined our brotherly bond for good."

Tai caressed his face gently. "What did you do?"

Aleksei took a marshmallow and handed it to her. It was time to stop this. "Marshmallow."

"Okay." She took it from his fingers and fed it to him, herself. "I won't ask anymore. You can trust me."

"Your turn." He moved her up on his lap a bit. "Why did you kiss me again that night in the car?"

"Ahh." She placed her arm on his shoulder. "I should have known."

"Come on." He brushed his finger over her thigh again.

"Because I am attracted to you." She stared at his eyes. "But I was scared of how much I might like you if we kissed again."

"What's wrong with liking someone?" He pushed her hair back.

"You don't seem like the type of guy who can handle intimacy on a more personal level. You could hurt me."

He knew she would assume he was an asshole and it was what he wanted to avoid most. "Why are you here then?" He asked knowing very well how much it would hurt him to hear her say she thought him a bad guy.

"Because not once from the moment we kissed, have you done something to deliberately hurt me. Even at the stables when I felt most vulnerable, you did not leave me feeling like that." She had to give him the benefit of the doubt a few times and each time she did, he never disappointed her.

"I know it's going to be hard to believe what I'm about to say considering all I've done, which is nothing.." He sunk his fingers in her hair. "But I like you Tai."No matter what happens in the future, he thought, he wanted her to know a fraction of his feelings for her.

She tilted her head and closed her eyes halfway, touching his lips with hers.

So.. if I am to update one more chapter, the next one has a boom cliffhanger. Take your pick.

Have one more chapter today with a cliffhanger- Or- get two chapters next time with the cliffhanger covered.