Because I had the day off, Valin made sure to clear his schedule too. I woke up feeling excited and made my way to his room, only to find him doing one-arm commando push-ups. I watched for a short while, then started to approach—but as I got within a few feet, a heavy force slammed into me. My knees buckled, and a wave of nausea hit me. The moment I collapsed to the floor, Valin noticed and immediately dropped to his feet. Just as suddenly, the heaviness disappeared.
"I'm sorry... are you okay?" he asked, worry filling his voice. Valin is always so quick to apologize. He got on his knees in front of me and pressed his forehead to mine."Please give me some warning next time," he gently scolded.
"What was that?" I asked once I'd managed to push the nausea away.
"I... increased the gravity so I could work out properly. I set it to an isolated area so you wouldn't get hurt, but I should've paid closer attention." His brows furrowed. One thing I've noticed: even though Valin is blunt and a bit odd, he's incredibly hard on himself.
"I could've announced my presence... I'm sorry too," I replied, hoping to ease his mind. It worked—he smiled and gave me a quick kiss.
"What should we do today?" he asked, placing his hands over mine.
"You're leaving it up to me?! That's too much pressure!" I groaned.
"Exactly. That's why I'm leaving it up to you," Valin replied curtly.
"You jerk!" I pouted. He chuckled softly. Even when I try to think of things to do, nothing beats just sitting here with him. This has to be the best feeling in the world.
"Actually... there is something we should do today," he said with a mischievous grin. My heart fluttered—and I immediately assumed the worst (or best). But I was way off. We ended up at a car lot.
The salesman tried making recommendations, asking about our preferences, but Valin shushed him and turned to me."What kind of car do you want?"
The tension rose. I didn't know!! But could I say that out loud? He always tells me I can say anything—but right now, I felt like he really wanted me to decide.
"I want... a car that's cute, energy-efficient, and... with a backseat," I answered, naming the only things I could think of.
"A backseat?" Valin raised an eyebrow. "Because mine doesn't have one?"I nodded. "And it might not always be just us."
His face turned a bit red. I was confused until he asked,"Do you... mean children?"
My heart nearly stopped."I m-mean if I make friends at work or s-something... or if one of your brothers wants to carpool... B-but... not that I'm opposed to having children one day! Not that I'm trying to have them now!" Why couldn't I stop rambling?
Valin turned away from me and walked toward a silver SUV near the end of the lot. It was this year's model—sleek, modern, and expensive.
"This one."
"Oh, excellent choice!" the dealer chimed in. "Let's go to my office and discuss financing and—actually, I can go over the features now, if you'd like."
"No need. I've memorized all the features of every car here. Let's just go over the contract—I want to leave as soon as possible," Valin replied. Then he grabbed my hand and exhaled. "Socializing is hard," he whispered, making me laugh."Have I... done okay so far?" he asked, giving me a look that begged for praise.
"Well... you did very well, considering it's you," I teased. He joined me in laughter.
After finishing the purchase, I was handed the keys and title. I drove home trailing behind him. Just as I started missing his voice, he called.
"Hey... how's it handling?"
I smiled. "It's a smooth ride. It doesn't take off as quickly as your car, and it feels so high up in comparison... but I like it. The seat is comfortable, and the interior's beautiful."
"Oh," he replied, and after a pause, added, "I figured it would be more efficient for you to have your own vehicle. And you like driving so much..."
"Thank you, Valin... you're always thinking of me."
He was silent until we arrived home. I parked my new car in the garage next to his. As soon as we were face-to-face again, between our cars, he pulled me into a tight embrace. I was surprised at first but quickly returned his hug. Once he let go, he pulled out his phone and started shopping for car accessories.
"Tell me what you want. Don't hold back or I'll get mad."
I took the threat seriously and chose seat covers, matching floor mats, air fresheners, and a dancing flower for my dashboard.
"Is it really okay to spend this much on me?" I asked after he made the purchases.
"Do you want me to stop?" he asked.
"I... don't know how to answer that. If it's a burden, I'd rather you stopped."
Valin grinned. "Then if it's not a burden, I can continue? From what I understand, the benefit of having money is being able to spend it on whatever you want. I want to spend it on you. I want to make your life easier. I want to make you smile."
I was too flustered to meet his eyes, so I turned away—but he grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers.
"Just like kissing you—it benefits me, because I get to improve your mood, which improves mine... and I get to show you how special you are to me, physically. Let's go inside."
I nodded, hiding my flustered face behind my hair. Once inside, Valin used his free hand to order food. Then we sat together on the couch to watch TV, still hand in hand.
How long are we supposed to keep holding hands? I couldn't focus on the screen at all. I was hyper-aware of him: his doe-eyes, long lashes... lips.
Just as I was lost in admiration, he let me go and burst out laughing.
"They're so f***ing stupid! Choose better friends!"
His comment brought me back to reality. It was much easier to focus on the show after that. We laughed at almost all the same scenes.
When the food arrived, we talked about the series between bites. I gave in to the urge and scooted closer, just until our shoulders touched. He stiffened at first but eventually relaxed, setting his food down and wrapping his arm around my shoulder, then rested his head against mine.
"Valin... you make me so happy sometimes, it scares me," I admitted as the credits rolled.
"I could say the same. I'm not used to being happy for this long."
It felt good knowing he was happy too. Still, this fear lingered—what if I hurt him again? Maybe that's why I'm scared of letting things escalate.
I cleared my throat and changed the subject."I can't believe Carol forgot her kids at the amusement park."
"Well, Ivan gave her hard drugs on accident... at least she thought her kids were with her," he said with a small laugh.
"Yeah, those kids she forced into her car looked nothing like hers. She's probably going to jail next episode."
"This is the second time she's been arrested this season. It's ridiculous."
I leaned in and pecked his lips. This time, he responded immediately—cupping my cheeks and kissing me passionately. It left me breathless, filled to the brim with butterflies.
When he pulled away, I pouted."You're too good at that."
He tilted his head. "Kissing?"
I nodded."Have you had a lot of practice?"
He kissed me again and left me wanting more.
"I... don't want to hurt you or lie, so let's not talk about that."
I nodded. It was a sensitive subject anyway. Why did I even bring it up?
"I shouldn't have asked..." I said, looking away. What's wrong with me? He kisses well, so I got jealous. Based on his answer, he's probably had many relationships before me. He was so awkward when we met, but he's adapted to me so well—it's not hard to imagine him being with anyone he wants... so why is he with me?
"You can ask me anything. I won't be upset. I just don't want my answers to upset you." He stroked my cheek, pushing my hair away. "And if you insist, I'll tell you anything."
His words calmed me. Even if I don't feel worthy of his affection, I can tell he's sincere. And it feels like he's just as afraid of hurting me as I am of hurting him.
"No... you're right. I don't want to know. I'm already jealous just imagining you kissing someone else. I definitely don't need details."
Valin's face turned as red as his hair."You're jealous?"
I nodded and laughed."I shouldn't be happy hearing that, right?"
He looked relieved, and I stroked his head to reassure him.
"You... will be the final person I kiss. That's what I want."
His confession made me feel both giddy and grounded. He's been so good to me, says the sweetest things... but I still don't know where I stand. Am I his girlfriend? I don't think I'm ready to ask.
Later, I followed Valin into his room and really looked around for the first time. There was a chemistry set on the right and a large golden telescope on the balcony. A long wooden desk with neatly stacked books and papers sat against one wall. His king-sized bed was covered in golden silk sheets and a white comforter. There were more books stacked underneath it, and the walls had built-in shelves, overflowing with more.
"It's so clean," I noted. He didn't reply—just started mixing something at the chemistry set.
"You have a lot of books."
"Most of mine are eBooks," he replied. Then he stepped out to the balcony and whispered to his potted plants before nodding and coming back inside.
There must be hundreds of books here, and yet this was just a fraction of his collection.
"Did you read all of these?" I asked, pulling out one titled The Ins and Outs of the Female Body.
"What's this one about?"
"...Sex. Most of the information was redundant, but there were things I didn't know." He answered flatly.
"Did you really understand everything by just reading it?"
"There are diagrams and step-by-step instructions."
I blushed and put the book back. I wasn't opening that one."I stole that book from the Palace Library on Afaria." He smiled. "I like learning."
I fanned myself. "You study everything, apparently."
Valin kissed me tenderly, pinning me against the bookshelf. His hands moved to my backside, and his kisses trailed down to my neck. I squealed, eyes shut, fists clenched. But then, he suddenly stopped, leaving me breathless, confused.
"You're so..." he whispered, then added, "Let's talk more tomorrow, beautiful. It's late."
Then he gently pushed me out of his room and closed the door behind me.