We stopped in front of the large, twin, wooden doors, and Rias seemed to hesitate for a moment. Then, a crimson magical circle expanded over the surface, spinning in a lazy clockwise circle.
"A seal, huh?"
Valerie stared quietly at the door, a frown flitting across her lips while Rias sighed, a complicated look on her face.
"Gasper is… he's a little shy," the devil princess said, and I held back a snort.
That was an understatement.
With a sound like shattering glass, the crimson sigil broke apart, vanishing without a trace as Rias shot me a look of warning. "Try not to startle him, please."
My lips twitched with suppressed mirth as a few images flashed to mind. "His Sacred Gear?" I didn't want to ruin this for Valerie, but part of me was curious to see how that time stop would affect me.
Nodding wordlessly, Rias pulled open the wooden doors, revealing a dim, spacious room, where I could barely make out the vague shapes of furniture. Vampire aesthetics, all right.
Valerie and Rias had no trouble navigating through the lack of light, and I could only look at them in envy of their darkvision as we stepped inside.
"Hello, Gasper. You have visitors."
Eerie silence followed her greeting, and, just when I started to think that our resident shut-in might've somehow sneaked out, a muffled, high-pitched voice came from deeper inside the room.
"V-Visitors? Why?"
"It's a surprise," Rias said, voice carrying a teasing note. "Why don't you come out of there and see for yourself?"
Another bout of silence met her words, and Rias let out a fondly exasperated sigh as she walked up to the large, oblong shape lying in the center of the room.
A coffin.
"He's a little shyer than I remember." Valerie broke the quiet as we gathered around the coffin, her arm brushing against mine. She glanced at Rias, brows knitted ever so slightly, but only received a complicated smile in return.
I wasn't sure what this was about, but I wasn't going to give myself a headache trying to make sense of all this female subtext.
"Come now, Gasper. They're waiting for you." Rias gripped the lid and pulled it aside in a smooth movement, revealing an interior lined with deep red velvet and a blonde-haired boy lying face-down.
Poor, traumatized vampire. This guy needed an intervention. The cross-dressing was one thing, but he really needed to touch some grass.
"Do I have to?" the resident shut-in pulled himself upright with a piteous whine and turned around to look at us, only to freeze like a deer in the headlights. "Valerie…?" he trailed off, voice barely above a whisper.
Valerie stepped closer, the ghost of a smile on her lips. "Hello, Gaspy," she said, the spark of joy in her eyes bringing a flicker of warmth in my chest. "I'm glad to see that you're doing well."
Gasper stared quietly at us, eyes wide as he struggled to find his words. "How are you here?" he finally said, voice quivering with emotion.
Valerie's ruby gaze flickered in my direction, the faintest, teasing quirk at the corner of her mouth. "A knight in shining armor took me away from that awful castle."
I smiled back, doing my best to ignore the sudden flash of heat that warmed my neck. Why did she have to put it like that? It was just a midnight walk through the woods.
Thankfully, Rias didn't join in on the teasing. She just stood there next to her Bishop, giving Valerie a strange look for some reason. Probably a girl thing but thank Michael for small mercies.
"And he brought you here?" Gasper said, nibbling at his lip in a way that no boy ever should. And his androgynous face only made it worse.
Valerie nodded, and Gasper's brows knitted slightly.
"Where is he?"
"Right here." Valerie sent me another brief look, the same impish glimmer in her red eyes, and I found myself smiling again, despite a tiny part of me dreading the future where she might start to take pages out of Mittelt's book. All that mattered was that she was starting to get better.
Gasper's attention shifted to me, the silence teetering into the awkward as he gave off anxiety like a furnace, his hands gripping tightly at his skirt.
"Thank you for helping my friend," he said in a rush of words as I tried my best not to cringe, flashing him a friendly smile instead.
"Anytime, lil' bro."
Hopefully, puberty would help him a little. Most of the male vampires that I'd beaten up on that night didn't look like K-Pop stars, so there was still hope for this guy.
And if all else failed, devils could still shapeshift.
"Lil' bro…?" Gasper tilted his head in confusion, and my smile tightened the slightest bit. Traps weren't my thing, but unfortunately, I'd spent enough time on the internet to see the appeal.
"I'm Alex," I said, holding out a hand in front of him. "Nice to meet you."
Gasper stared uncertainly at my hand, a beat of awkward silence passing between us. Ah, right. Not exactly a people person.
I let out a good-natured huff, reaching closer to ruffle his hair, but the moment when I touched him, his eyes flew wide, the pupils shifting like a motherfucking Sharingan as they flashed with an eerie light.
A strange feeling washed over me as the world took on a crimson tint. Valerie and Rias stood there, frozen in place like beautiful statues, a faint aura surrounding them.
Well, shit. Time stop—
My eyes widened a fraction as a thought struck me like a thunderbolt. I tried moving my hand away from Gasper's head, but it felt like I was wadding through the world's thickest molasses.
Huh…
It took Gasper another moment to realize what happened, a flicker of horror crossing his face as he hopped out of the coffin and scurried to the other side of the room like a frightened mouse.
There was something uncanny about watching him move when everything else stood frozen in time, even if I couldn't take any of this seriously when a certain, iconic JoJo line kept coming to mind.
Time stop was cool. Being half-stuck like this, though? Kinda annoying.
And how did this stuff even work? In stopped time, shouldn't air become the ultimate shredder and turn anything trying to move into Swiss cheese?
A sigh escaped me in slow motion. I wasn't going to waste brainpower trying to make sense of this anime bullshit. And how long was this supposed to keep going anyway?
My mouth twitched with a flicker of annoyance as I waited some more while Gasper curled into himself in his corner of the room. Yeah, I had to take matters into my own hands.
Taking a slow breath, I planted my feet a little wider and squared my shoulders, fists clenching as every single muscle fiber in my body tensed. And then, I flexed, pecs and lats bulging in a way that would've made the Pillar Men proud.
With a sound like shattering glass, that annoying, red tint vanished from the world as time returned to normal—
"Owchie!" Gasper cried out from his spot, hands clutched to his head as Rias hurried up to him like a worried mother hen.
Shit…
"Gasper, are you okay?" Rias leant closer to the boy, resting a comforting hand on his shoulder.
It caused feedback?
"Don't get mad! I'm sorry!" the boy apologized, words blending in a flurry as he tried to make himself even smaller. "Please don't hit me!"
I couldn't hold back a cringe, lips pursing slightly. Maybe I shouldn't pull stunts like these when I had no idea how it could go.
"Calm down, Gasper. Nobody is going to hurt you," Valerie spoke, sending me a brief, indecipherable look, before making her way to Gasper.
Crap.
A pang of guilt twisted unpleasantly in my stomach as I shifted my weight awkwardly from one foot to another, before flashing the boy an apologetic smile. "Sorry for the headache, Gasper. I should've just waited for it to end."
Rias pulled her Bishop into a comforting hug, shooting me a questioning glance over her shoulder. "What just happen—
She cut herself off after a moment, eyes widening a fraction. "It didn't affect you?"
I shrugged, making a so-so gesture with my hand. "It's a cool trick but it felt weird, so I kinda cut it short?" I said with a contrite smile while Rias kept staring at me, brows furrowed.
"What."
I blinked in confusion at the strange look on her face. "What?"
Did I say something weird?
"What do you mean 'cut short'?" Rias said as she released Gasper from the hug, and I met her pointed glare with another shrug.
"I just flexed real hard." Worked every time.
Rias blinked owlishly, a slightly awkward beat of silence stretching between us while her expression turned utterly flat. "You 'flexed real hard' out of a time stop?"
"Mm-hmm."
More silence followed as her sea-foam eyes kept boring into me with a strange, eerie intensity. C'mon, what was so hard to understand about this—
"Is it possible to learn this power?"
I paused, brows quirking a fraction as a smile broke on my face. "Not from the Grail." Probably.
There was another beat of silence as we stared at each other, before two equally loud snorts sounded throughout the room. A chuckle bubbled up my throat while Rias bit her lip, trying to suppress the grin that threatened to break on her face. Sadly, the odd look we drew from Valerie cut this moment short, the silly amusement vanishing from Rias' face, replaced by the composure of a proper devil princess.
I was going to introduce this cute vampire girl to the beauty of prequel memes as soon as I had the chance.
Gasper should appreciate it, too, if that familiar gleam in his eyes was anything to go by. He was no stranger to memes, thought I'd expect nothing less from a shut-in with internet access.
"Well," Rias said before the silence could turn awkward once more, glancing between Discount Dio and Valerie. "I suppose we should give them some privacy?" Her eyes flickered to the desk and computer at the back of the room before she gave me an uncertain yet hopeful look. "We could browse the Internet while they chat."
If I had to guess, that was codename for showing me her favorite anime list. The next step in bonding between fellow people of culture. Sometimes with a spicy twist.
"Sure." I nodded, flashing Valerie a smile as I gestured with a thumb at the desk. "I'll be over there if you need me. Have fun catching up, you two."
Rias took that as the cue to leave, but just as I made to follow her, Valerie's soft voice gave me pause.
"You can stay if you want. I don't mind," she said, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear as I stood there, torn between two choices. My eyes went once more to the computer, and, after a brief, internal struggle, curiosity won out.
"I'll join you two in a few minutes."
"All right." Valerie gave a short, almost imperceptible nod, before turning her attention to her childhood friend and holding out a hand expectantly. "Come, Gaspy. Aren't you going to show me around your room?"
Smiling, I left those two to their devices and followed Rias to the other side of the room, taking a closer look at the setup. Nothing fancy, just a polished wooden desk, a black monitor, and a matching gamer chair.
Cozy and practical.
Rias had already booted up the computer, and while we waited for Windows Vista to wake up from the dead, she fished out a slip of paper from somewhere, holding it up with a smile.
"Here," she said, and I took the summoning flyer, glossing over the intricate lines of the Gremory sigil as I cocked an eyebrow.
"What's this? Room service?"
Rias mirrored the gesture, eyes glittering with mischief as her lips quirked teasingly. "I could give you my phone number if you'd prefer?" she said, a playful lilt in her tone as I fixed her with a dry look.
"Wouldn't get much use without a phone."
My smartphone was one choosy bitch, and sadly, the nano SIM cards had yet to come out in this timeline. I had to buy a new phone if I wanted to call anyone.
Rias stared for a moment as the full meaning of the words sank in, her mouth parting slightly in quiet realization. "Ah, yes," she said, an indecipherable flicker crossing her face, before she turned back to the computer screen, fingers blurring across the keyboard as she typed in the password.
"You can have this seat if you want." She stepped aside and gestured at the chair, her eyes shining with mirth as I looked at her uncertainly.
"I don't mind standing." I shrugged. "Every day is leg day."
A short, quiet huff escaped her, that teasing smile returning to her face after a moment. "My, how polite," she said. "Don't worry about me, though. I have my own."
Smile widening, she snapped her fingers, and I could only watch in envy as a crimson magic circle lit up at her feet before an identical gamer chair materialized out of it.
Man, this was so unfair…
__________________________________________
I stifled a yawn as we stepped out into the courtyard, the cool, spring air buffeting my face with a pleasant caress. A gentle blue twilight covered the empty campus, broken apart in the distance by flickering streetlamps.
Valerie walked quietly at my side, the faint moonlight washing over her blonde hair and setting it aglow like a crown spun from starlight. Her face was inscrutable as usual, but her ruby eyes held a tiny spark that wasn't there before.
I looked away before she could notice, a flicker of warmth filling my chest. Today had brought her another step closer on the road to recovery.
"Thank you."
A soft whisper pierced the silence, caressing my ears like a gentle breeze and drawing my gaze back to Valerie.
"I promised, didn't I? You can visit Gasper whenever you like."
"You're planning to stay here for longer?" There was a hopeful note in her tone as she searched my face, a quiet moment lapsing between us before I smiled in reassurance.
"Well, home is a little out of reach, and you just reunited with your friend after so long. I wouldn't break the two of you apart again."
And it's been almost two years already. I kinda got over it. Life went on.
Valerie went quiet, the words lingering in the air as she looked away. I didn't miss the tiny smile on her lips, nor the way she inched a little closer to my side.
"Home is where your heart is," she said after a while, her hand brushing against mine as she kept looking up ahead.
I hesitated for a moment, before squashing the doubt and grabbing her hand, holding it gently in my own. Her skin was soft and warm, and even though her palms were a little clammy, I could hold them forever.
"It is."
I'd left one home behind, but maybe I could find a new one here.
Valerie's eyes flickered in my direction, and even though she said nothing, the subtle way her delicate fingers squeezed back was more than enough.
We fell into comfortable silence as we crossed the rest of the campus, not a single soul around at this late hour. The front gates came into sight soon enough, though as we got closer, my brow rose a fraction. A familiar face was coming from the opposite direction, stack of papers in hand.
I stand corrected.
Short, raven hair, an impeccable uniform, and the iconic pair of glasses framing that stern-looking face. I'd said it before, but seeing this girl in her natural element, she resembled that sexy librarian archetype even more.
Still, though… poor, workaholic girl. Unless she was still here for devil things. I could totally see her drilling her peerage after school hours, and not in the fun way.
My mouth twitched at the brief, mental image before I pushed it away. Still better than the typical Devil peerage if jackasses like Zephyrdor and Riser were anything to go by.
Sona slowed mid-step as she noticed us, her composed expression briefly giving way to a flash of bewilderment as she did a double-take. For a heartbeat, she just stared, lips parting quietly, and she blinked once, twice, almost comically as we approached.
It was only when I raised a hand in a friendly wave that Sona gathered herself, stern mask sliding back into place. She studied us for a long, mildly awkward moment, her eyes flickering to our joined hands before pinning me with a pointed look.
"What are you doing here?"
I shrugged, mouth twitching as I held back a laugh. A shame I couldn't take a picture. "Valerie wanted to visit her childhood friend."
"Childhood frien—"
Sona paused, eyes widening behind her glasses. "Rias' Bishop." A sigh escaped her as her mouth drew a thin line, her glare returning after a beat of silence. "Do you have any idea what kind of trouble your little escapade caused?" she said, tapping a finger on the stack of papers idly. "Satan Leviathan just dropped by earlier, asking if I knew anything about the one responsible for raiding the Țepeș castle."
My smile froze, a pang of unease twisting in my gut. Crap. Of course that magical girl obsessed weirdo would be stalking her baby sister.
"And did you?" Client confidentiality, right? Right?
Sona's gaze narrowed a fraction. "Of course I didn't," she said, an indignant lilt to her tone.
A relieved breath escaped through my nose. That was good. I didn't want to deal with international incidents or Satan Pink in all her autistic glory.
"Thanks."
Sona was pretty reliable, wasn't she?
"Don't mention it," she said, pushing her glasses higher up her nose with a dainty digit. A curious gleam entered her eyes as she regarded us for a quiet moment. "I see you two are doing well."
And she was partly to thank for it. I would've crossed the ocean with a paddle and a boat if I had to, but that would've been uncomfortable for Valerie. First class Devil taxi service was a godsend.
"Being back around modern civilization is pretty nice." I shared a brief look with my cute vampire princess, who gave a tiny nod in return.
"This town feels cozy, and the sights are quite fascinating."
I should take her somewhere nice to sightsee. So far, she only saw a couple parks and the shopping district. She'd probably enjoy seeing an aquarium or an amusement park.
"It is," Sona agreed, lips pressing in a thoughtful line. "But why didn't you ask me to bring you straight here if you had business in Kuō?"
To avoid needless questions like these.
"I wanted to ride a bike with Valerie like in those anime scenes." But mainly because of that.
Life goals.
"You wanted to ride—" Sona cut herself off with a shake of her head, brow creasing in pained confusion. "You know what? Never mind."
I bit the inside of my lip, fighting back a laugh. I didn't expect her to grasp the beauty of riding a bike alone with a cute girl, but her reaction made up for that.
"Will you be staying in the city?" Sona finally asked the question she'd probably been waiting for the entire time, to which I simply nodded.
"Yeah, this place is pretty homey," I said, sharing a knowing look with Valerie, whose lips curled with the faintest of smiles. "And I'm sure that Valerie would like to spend more time with Gasper." Well, I had a reason, too. That cheeky brat was fun to hang around with, and, well… "I also promised Rias to drop by again and talk about anime and stuff." I shrugged with a smile. "So yeah, we don't plan on leaving anytime soon."
Sona eyed me for a moment before adjusting her grip on her stack of papers. "I see." she said as we lapsed into silence. A moment later, she took a glance at her paperwork, before flashing us a customer care worthy smile. "I still have some things to take care of, so if you'll excuse me?"
She even had that passive-aggressive Japanese politeness down pat. Impressive.
"Sure." I nodded. "It was nice meeting you again."
This devil girl might be a bit too wound up, but she had her own charm.
"Likewise. Have a nice day."
"You, too, Sona. See you around."
Sona gave us one last look before walking past, and then we resumed our slow trek to the exit, hands still joined. We slowed down in front of the twin gates, and I gave one of them a tentative pull, only to find it unwilling to budge as a rattle of metal echoed through the night.
Great.
Fighting back a spike of annoyance, I ignored the caveman urge to just rip the whole thing off its hinges and stared at the towering gates for a moment, a much better idea taking root in my mind.
A brief look and cheeky smile were the only warning I gave Valerie before scooping her up in my arms as she let out a surprised yelp. I took a few steps back, one foot sliding behind the other, legs tensing as a jolt of excitement rushed through my veins. And then, I leapt, the world speeding by and lurching as I did the most anime high jump I could muster.
Landing in a crouch on the other side, I rose smoothly to my feet, heart beating like a drum as I looked at the princess in my arms.
She met my gaze, lashes fluttering like golden butterflies as her lips parted wordlessly, the faint dusting on her cheeks impossible to hide in the bright streetlight from overhead.
Nailed it.
"I think I've had enough of a thrill for today," she eventually spoke, cheeks slightly puffing as I lowered her to the ground, though the faint glimmer of excitement in her eyes made me think that she wouldn't mind an encore.
A flash of movement up ahead suddenly drew my attention, and I took an instinctive step forward as a black cat jumped out from behind a parked car, running across the street and vanishing into the thicket on the other side.
Stupid cat.
"False alarm," I joked, but Valerie was quiet as she stood there, gaze lingering on that spot and lips pursed slightly. Huh…
Did she like cats? I could buy her one, but honestly, I'd rather not. Cleaning up all that hair would be a pain…
If she really wanted a pet, we could get a puppy. Couldn't go wrong with a puppy, and I'd bet Asia would like it too.
Or better yet, some critter from that Forest of Familiars. Dogs were cool, but magical pets were even cooler.
__________________________________________
I turned off the lights and took a seat on the bed, legs crossed and laptop on my lap. I've been thinking about what movie we could watch, and while Valerie might enjoy a high fantasy anime like Frieren or Dungeon Meshi, those didn't exist here yet. Unfortunately.
In the end, I decided on a classic that I wouldn't mind rewatching, even if only to see if it was any different from what I knew.
A soft click drew my attention to the bathroom door, all thoughts of anime and movies slipping away as Valerie stepped out, dressed in a pair of white pajama shorts and a matching top. It fit her snugly around her hips and chest, that thin fabric teasing the imagination with a promise of what lay beneath.
"These pajamas feel nice and soft," she said as she made her way to bed, my treacherous mind briefly conjuring an image of another nice and soft thing about her, as I'd glimpsed on that morning.
"I'm glad you like them." I certainly did.
Valerie sat down next to me, the mattress shifting to accommodate her weight as she inched a little closer and made herself comfortable. The floral scent of her shampoo filled my nose as my gaze briefly wandered to her smooth, pale thighs before I forced it back to her face.
Valerie tucked a stray lock of still damp hair behind her ear, ruby eyes shimmering in the dark with a magnetic intensity. After a moment, they flickered to the bright laptop screen, and she let out a soft, melodious hum that tickled my ears.
"This is a curious device."
I swallowed, mouth feeling slightly dry. It should be illegal to look so cute and sexy at the same time.
"I can teach you how to use it. It's pretty easy once you get the basics."
She considered it for a moment, the faintest smile crossing her lips. "Perhaps another time," she said, eyes flickering back to the screen. "I take it that we're going to do something with it tonight?"
"Yeah. We're going to watch a movie."
She nodded along, brow slightly creased in a way that made her look even cuter. "I've heard that word before, but I've never seen such a thing for myself."
I figured as much. I hadn't seen any modern appliances in that gilded cage of hers. I wasn't even sure if the castle had electricity to begin with.
"Well, they're just stories played by actors on a stage, recorded with modern cameras and then further processed with the help of computers." I gestured at the laptop as a flicker of understanding crossed her eyes. "In a way, it's just fancy theater play."
"I see."
I could almost feel her inquisitive gaze over my shoulder as I searched for the movie. The reviews didn't show anything weird, so at least it wouldn't turn out to be some bizarro parallel world C-tier parody, but—
"Are you planning to meet again with the Fallen tomorrow?"
The sudden question gave me pause, my finger freezing on the touchpad.
"I want to try that Sacred Gear copying, so I'll need Asia around, I guess. The three of us could go together in a park or somewhere else quiet."
Asia was safe for now, but she needed better living conditions. The Fallen were bad for her health, but the Devils were even worse for her faith. Maybe if she stayed away from the supernatural altogether? If I could print out enough Twilight Healing, nobody would have a reason to snatch her up anymore, right?
"I'd expect for one of them to tag along," Valerie spoke after a moment, an odd flicker of emotion ghosting across her face.
"Who? Mittelt?"
The brat might look for an excuse to ditch her work, and I probably wouldn't say no if she wanted to join us. Unless Valerie had a problem with her, too?
A beat of silence stretched between us, the bed shifting as Valerie pulled her knees up to her chest, a brief twitch at the corner of her lips that gave way to a faint, barely-there frown.
"That girl seems to fancy you somewhat."
I guess she did, unless she was acting like that just to mess with me, but what did this have to do with—
My eyes widened a fraction as it finally clicked.
Ah… that's what.
Valerie rested her chin on her knees, gaze locked intently on my face as she sat there, the silence teetering on the awkward. I shifted the laptop idly on my lap, wiping my sweaty palms on the bedsheet as an anxious feeling swirled in my chest.
Did Valerie really like me that way? We'd only spent a few days together, but women were mysterious like that in their ways.
"Does that bother you?"
"A little," she spoke after a moment, and despite her soft voice, the atmosphere in the room felt heavier.
I opened my mouth, hesitating for a moment like standing before a crossroads. "I can just ignore her if that makes you feel better."
A harem of cute girls would be a dream come true, but it would only taste like ash if it made Valerie sad. If she wanted me only for herself, I'd ride that monogamy train with no brakes.
Valerie went quiet, something flitting across her eyes too quickly to decipher. She lifted her head, a few strands of golden hair tickling her nose before she tucked them away behind the ear.
"You don't have to go that far." Her lips pursed with a tiny flicker of uncertainty. "But some people are better left ignored."
It wasn't hard to guess whom she was talking about. That slight twitch of displeasure only showed up on her face whenever something reminded her of Raynare.
A soft breath escaped through my nose. Unfortunate, but I could live with it. Raynare was hot, but she wasn't worth making Valerie sad.
"I doubt we'd see her again once this is over." She was just the tutorial boss. Just one phone call away from getting sent back to mopping floors.
And who cared if Raynare was off the table? Valerie seemed okay with sharing, right? Or at least with Mittelt? That brat was way better than Raynare anyway.
I exhaled quietly through my nose, clearing my mind free of distracting thoughts. Eh. I could worry about the harem route another time. I had a cute vampire princess waiting on me.
I offered Valerie a smile, hoping to lighten the atmosphere, and her lips parted slightly, eyes flickering with unspoken words. I waited for her to give them voice, but in the end, she only let the silence settle between us like a soft blanket. I didn't push. She'd tell me when she was ready to.
My gaze drifted to the laptop, and, as I contemplated whether to just start the movie, Valerie shifted on the bed, her movement barely rustling the sheets. She inched closer until her shoulder brushed mine, tentatively at first, and then she nestled into my side, her warmth like a quiet confession.
The tension from before made way for something tender and electric, and I looped an arm around her waist, drawing her closer. Neither of us spoke, but the closeness said enough. Her head found its place on my shoulder, golden hair tickling my skin, and I exhaled, quietly enjoying her warmth.
I wouldn't call myself a cuddly person, but holding her close like this, I couldn't help a smile. I wasn't sure when it began, though as she turned her head and our eyes met, a flame burned hotter in my chest.
We fit together as if we'd always belonged this way.
"What movie are we going to watch?" Valerie's curious voice broke the silence, and I adjusted the laptop in my lap so she could see the screen better.
"The first one of a high fantasy trilogy. I think you'll like it."
Valerie gave a soft hum, the faintest smile playing at the edge of her lips. The glow of the laptop screen danced across her features, making her seem almost ethereal, her eyes shimmering with a quiet vulnerability.
A thought surfaced to mind, and my heart started beating a little faster as I felt her soft, warm breath tickling my chin. It would be so easy to pull her closer and taste her lips with a gentle kiss.
I looked away, letting the urge simmer quietly beneath my skin. We've only known each other for a few days. I wasn't blind to miss the signs, but she grew up sheltered. As tempting as it was, I didn't want to take advantage of her. We could take things a little slower for now. There was no rush.
So instead, I gave her waist a gentle squeeze, savoring the warmth of the moment as I tapped a key on the laptop. A moment later, the movie began playing on the screen.
This day felt like a rollercoaster, but one thing was certain.
Going on that moonlit walk had been the best decision I'd ever made.
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