I'll Always Choose You #Watty's2023

12. Gio

"So what are we getting exactly?" I asked Nico as we walked into the store after lunch and he gave an exasperated sigh making me grin, "kidding, kidding."

"You're impossible," he stated before he took hold of my sleeve and dragged me into one of his favorite stores which happened to be a book store. I raised a brow but didn't say anything as he took me to the fantasy section and began grabbing book after book and handing them to me to carry.

I hate shopping and you'll never catch me in a store much less a store that sales books, but just looking at the bright smile on Nico's face was worth the sacrifice. Like I said, you'll never catch me shopping ever. It's always Vincent or Cam who would do the shopping or one of the maids if they're both busy.

"Oh my god," I heard Nico gasp and blinked coming back to the present to see him standing in front of a shelf and raised a brow, "I never thought they'd have these here."

"Have what exactly?" I asked walking towards him to see him staring at books—books that looked like every other book in the store. Thought these all had the same writer on the covers.

"The mortal instruments," he answered and at my blank stare he rolled his eyes, "it's a series of books written by Cassandra Claire. They're all about a group of teens who are shadowhunters. You need to read them in order to understand them."

"Ha, no thanks," I replied and he blinked, "I don't do reading unless it's about gang related" I stated and he sighed, "How many books are there in total?"

"Um," he said before counting them. In the end there were a total of 20 books and I raised a brow while he gave me a sheepish grin and I shook my head.

"Come along Nico, we've got other things to get," I said and he nodded. We walked to the counter with the few books that Nico pressed into hands, "you can also put the books by a Cassandra Claire on the card as well" the lady blinked while I felt Nico's gaze on me and I could tell he was just as surprised but I didn't mind. She nodded and handed the card once she had completed the transaction. I never thought I'd spend 300 dollars in a book store and yet that is exactly what happened.

"You didn't have to buy them," Nico said as we walked out of the store, "Gio, seriously."

"I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to. You looked quite happy seeing them on the shelves which meant you have been wanting to read them though never got the chance to."

He blinked before nodding a soft shade of red coating his cheeks, "still, it was a lot of money."

"Don't worry about that" I said and he was about to complain when I stopped him, "there's nothing in this world that matters more to me than seeing you happy, Nico and I don't care how much money I spend as long as you're happy."

"Why?" He asked and I was taken aback by the question, "why do something like this for me?"

"Why? Because I like you, I like you a lot more than I wanted to admit to myself. But fuck it. Ever since I first saw you I wanted nothing more than to take you in my arms and hold you and protect you from everything  and anything that may hurt you," I replied making him stare up at me with wide eyes and I smiled, something I've been doing a lot since meeting this human. I've never been one to smile or laugh or even express my feelings or show any emotion but then he came into my life and decided to flip it upside down and I couldn't do anything to stop him from doing that, "there is just something about you that makes me lose control of everything around me and I don't even care because it means that you're happy and thats all that matters to me. Knowing yo-" soft lips pressed against mine cut me off from ranting and before he could think of pulling away I held him by the waist with one arm while the other cupped his cheek and returned the kiss with more force than necessary making him gasp.

I didn't care that we were in the middle of the busy mall all that matters was that I finally got to feel his lips and his body on mine and against me. He was delicate like a flower. And damn. Did he taste like the strawberries that he was eating while we drove here. We pulled apart seconds later both needing air, his eyes closed as we pressed our foreheads against each other, "I like you too, and it terrifies me, Gio."

"It terrifies me too, believe it or not," I replied making him open his eyes to stare into mine, "this is the first time I've ever felt like this towards anyone, Nico. You're the only person who has made me forget who I am and what I do for a living. And the only person who doesn't judge me for it."

"I don't want you to get hurt because of me, Gio." He whispered and I knew what he meant and I just smiled pulling him into my arms and he tucked his head under my chin as his arms around my waist, "the mere thought of knowing someone is out there still looking for me scares me but not as much as it scares me knowing you could get killed because of me."

"I will always chose you, Nico. Your life above my own will always come first before anything else. If I had chose between saving myself and you, I will always chose you," I said pressing a kiss to his head causing him to tighten his grip on me, "always."