The house our parents picked was, honestly, ridiculous. Like a mini mansion.
White sparkling marble floors, a small fountain in the front yard, and a perfectly manicured garden. I almost wanted to cry from how over-the-top it was. We lazily stepped inside.
Without bothering to look around, I collapsed onto the couch, too tired to care about anything else.
Radrien, calm as ever, started loosening his tie and unbuttoning his shirt with that infuriatingly smooth ease. "Honey, you look tired. Want me to wash you up?" His smirk made it worse. I pointed sharply at the flower vase on the table.
"Do you see that? If you do, don't anger me. Otherwise, you'll have it on your head." I glared at him seriously.
He only chuckled, like he had expected the threat. Then, completely ignoring me, he strolled off to take a shower first.
After him, I took a quick shower and flopped onto the huge, impossibly cozy marital bed, feeling like I'd been flattened by life itself. Wait. I have to sleep with him on the same bed. I thought in horror.
Radrien, sitting nearby, chuckled. Of course he heard me. "Yes, darling, we just got married. You don't expect us to sleep separately, right?" His smirk was infuriating.
"Shut up! If you pull any dirty tricks, I'll make you sleep on the couch," I warned.
"Don't worry, I won't. But you should really say that to yourself. Your sleeping habits, they're terrifying." He smiled calmly, smug as ever. I flushed red.
Right. He knows my sleeping habits. Knows. And he'd seen them firsthand during the campus trip, when we'd shared a room because, for some reason, he refused to let me stay with anyone else.
That night, I'd kicked him off the bed at least five times, and he'd ended up staying awake the entire night - or so he claimed.
"I'll try to stay well-behaved," I muttered, suddenly shy.
"I never said you had to. I don't mind," he said smoothly. "And now that we're married, those things should be normal."
Smirk. Frown. Check.
"Don't get weird ideas," I warned. "Sure, sure," he nodded, adjusting his side of the bed. "So, shall we sleep?" I gave a reluctant nod.
Then, with that infuriating smoothness, he added, "Where's my goodnight kiss, honey?"
"Not that again! I said no nicknames! And what kiss? I'm never kissing you."
"Why are you acting like we never kissed before?" His smile was teasing, but there was something in his voice that made me pause.
"That, that time I was drunk," I muttered, recalling the hazy memory.
"Ah yes, Mister Drunk Lenny," he said lowly, "mind you, we did more than just kiss."
I waved him off. "Well, if that's the case, why didn't you kiss me at the wedding?"
"I knew you wouldn't want that in front of everyone and all the cameras," he replied softly.
Of course he knew me. Always.
"I see, anyway, that was, a drunken accident. We aren't doing it again." I buried myself under the cozy duvet, hoping he'd leave it at that. I heard Radrien sigh softly before settling beside me, flipping off the light. And just like that, silence fell over the room - awkward, tense, and somehow a little comforting. I couldn't help but remember the campus trip from last year.
Honestly, so many things happened that I barely remembered - we shared rooms, I got drunk after dinner, and somehow, I ended up kissing him. I had no idea why I did it. I was completely plastered, and somehow it just, happened.
Later, Radrien filled me in on the details I couldn't recall. Apparently, things had gotten a little out of hand - my lips had been numb, and his neck was covered with bite marks. His wrists? Same story, filled with little marks from me. He told me all of this calmly, almost matter-of-factly, while I sat there blushing like a fool, only able to imagine what had happened.
Embarrassment burned in my chest, but beneath it all was this strange, quiet relief. Thank God it was him, Not some stranger, not anyone else. Just him.
The next morning, I woke up early, rubbing my eyes. My duvet was on the floor, tangled in a mess, and somehow I had stolen Radrien's duvet.
My hand was resting on his stomach. Blinking, I looked at him. He was sleeping peacefully, one hand tangled in my hair, as if he'd been playing with it until he dozed off.
My cheeks warmed at the thought, and I carefully moved, trying not to wake him, But then I found myself staring at his stupidly handsome face. How could he possibly look handsome while sleeping?
"You think you're all cool and amazing, huh?" I muttered, glaring.
"I'm more cooler," I added before realizing what I'd just said. Some weird boldness took over, and I leaned in to nibble on his cheek - gently, not too hard - before springing off the bed.
Of course, that woke him up.
"Good morning. How are you feeling?" His voice was calm, smooth - and somehow made it feel like he hadn't just woken up. He sat up, fresh and composed, though I could see the faint shadows of tired eyes.
Instead of heading for the bathroom or anything, he just, stared at me. I frowned.
Why did his expression look like a mix of concern, confusion, and something else I couldn't quite name?
"Ah, yeah, I'm fine. Why? You think I'm a child having nightmares?" I laughed, but he seemed off. Serious.
"Yes did you have a nightmare?" His tone was soft but deliberate, like he already suspected something and just needed confirmation.
"No, I didn't. Why?" I rubbed my hair, confusion creeping in.
"You really didn't..." He trailed off, then quickly changed the subject as if to hide his concern.
"Okay, forget it. So, what dream did you have?" He acted casual, like nothing was wrong.
"Dream? Uh, I'm sure I had a good dream." My mind felt blank. "I-I haven't really had dreams lately. Or maybe I just forgot them. Nothing new." I shrugged.
"Since when?" His question was soft, almost careful, as if he already knew the answer but still needed me to say it.
I frowned. "Not sure, maybe after that campus trip?" He let out a soft sigh, raising a hand to rub his forehead. That's when I noticed something.
"What's with your hand?" I asked, spotting deep, red nail marks on his right wrist. He tensed slightly, a flicker of panic crossing his calm features. "Nothing. I scratched myself too hard," he said, laughing it off.
I felt a strange unease. "Yeah, well, whatever."
He smiled, the teasing light returning to his expression. "Honey, you should go freshen up. I'll cook breakfast for us."
"Ah god, can you stop that? Also, why does it feel so natural for you to call me those nicknames, like you've been doing it forever?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"I do, you just don't remember," he muttered, and something in his face twisted - a shadow of pain, maybe?
"I just like to tease you, so I've been practicing," he added with a soft smile.
"Ah gosh," I groaned, rolling my eyes as I walked to the bathroom to freshen up.
Behind me, Radrien's smile faded, replaced by a darker expression. He lowered his head, staring at his wrist.
"He doesn't remember..." he muttered, sighing.
After freshening up, I headed down to the kitchen and found Radrien already there, having cooked breakfast.
I froze. Rice and curry? And it smelled amazing. "Smells like a bad decision," I lied, sitting down with a smug grin. Can't let him enjoy this too much.
"I know, but you need to eat, right?" He said, sitting across from me. His gaze, it did something to my chest. I met his eyes, then happily scooped a spoonful of food.
It was, incredible. Since when was he such a good cook? I couldn't remember seeing him in the kitchen before. I paused mid-chew, blinking slowly.
Something about this meal felt familiar.
"This, this is my first time eating your cooking, right? So why does it feel like I've had this before?" I muttered, stirring the rice and curry thoughtfully before taking another bite.
Radrien lowered his face slightly, as if inhaling the aroma. "Maybe, you dreamed of me cooking for you," he said, jokingly. But there was something off - his tone, his expression - like he was hiding something heavy.
"Dream of you? Never." I rolled my eyes, still enjoying the food, though a strange foggy feeling lingered in my mind...