Always, Tulip

▫️Forty-two

Blinking up at him, I smiled brightly, giving him that smile he so wanted as I let him hold me to himself.

He shook his head stubbornly so I stood on my toes and lightly pecked his lips three times.

Seeming relieved at the affection, he stopped to grumble so we continued to the next areas together.

I took very many pictures, Grey taking some of mine with his phone when I was unaware and from the few he'd shown me, they did actually look good.

"Sweetheart, look over here." I turned towards Grey to catch sight of him holding his phone towards me and I smiled as he took more pictures of me.

I also took pictures of him, his poses so natural that you'd think he was a model but I still had to remind him to smile.

He was still had that passive mask while in public but after knowing him, I knew how to unravel that so I ended up taking most of the pictures with him smiling.

We must have walked around two to three times but at the end of it, I was so happy that we had visited the aquarium.

Grey led me to a bench outside and took out a bottle of water from my small bag that he'd been carrying for me.

Opening the bottle top, he gave me the bottle and then squatted to adjust the side of my dress that had crinkled and slightly risen.

I ruffled his hair after I was done drinking and gave him the bottle to have a drink too. I watched him take large gulps, his free hand still on my thigh.

"You're mine?" Sometimes I wondered if this was really my man. He was so attractive to the point where it felt otherworldly.

"Always, tulip." He took my hands and assured me as his hands rubbed over my own in a comforting warmth.

"I'm also yours," I cupped his face and smiled reassuringly at him just like he'd done for me.

He broke our eye contact first and looked at the ground beside him then asked, "Are you tired, my tulip?"

I shook my head immediately, his change of facial expressions so foreign, something I hadn't seen before.

"I-I would like to show you something awesome," he appeared unsure of the words he was saying.

"Really! You have something else planned?" I asked excitedly and watched him slowly nod.

"I'm really having so much fun today. Let's go, I'm excited." I made a move to rise but when he didn't stand up, I held his arm.

"Grey, I love all your surprises." he was usually the planner in our relationship and seeing all the things he had done for me, there was none that didn't amaze me.

He stood up at my assurance but still appeared unsettled so I cupped his face, "Is there something else?"

He swiftly shook his head and attempted a smile. It wasn't like his usual but I was slightly relieved when he took my hand.

We drove in his car towards our next surprise stop and I couldn't help but peek at him each passing second.

One hand was on the wheel but the other wasn't on my thigh like it usually was. He kept pulling the hand into and out of his pockets.

Seeing that he was still anxious, I placed my hand over his knee hoping that he would tell me what he was really thinking about.

He had been good just an hour before, I couldn't think of what could have happened in such a short time to bring this significant change in him.