As it turns out, the man Andy fell in love with is more of a mystery than she first thought. When they give their relationship another chance, it's not long before Lex's secrets begin to unravel, threatening their happily ever after.
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My hand was slightly trembling when I handed Lex his gift.
Fuck. I should have accepted his offer to flee and gone home to get lost in my duvet and whine about the evening that had been robbed from us. It would honestly have been better.
Lex caught my agitation, frowning slightly. He took the large, flat package from my hand and bent to kiss my temple with a "Thank you." With a voice low enough so only I could hear, he then added, "Can I open it?" before moving back, his discreet question was completely inconspicuous.
I was confused for a moment, wondering why he'd asked this, and then understood. Oh, God, it could actually have been worse. It was easy to guess that I'd offered him something framed, and thankfully, I hadn't gone for anything sexual or naughty. Him unwrapping a close-up of my chocha, Origin of the World style, in front of his family would definitely have been a sight. The last one before I would have thrown myself out the window, because there was no way I'd ever come back from this.
I nodded, forcing a smile on my lips, encouraging him to open the present.
With an obvious enthusiasm, he carefully ripped the craft paper open, slowly discovering what was underneath. I chewed on my lips the whole time, holding my breath, watching the Four drawings unveil slowly. When all the wrapping paper was gone, Lex held the frame at arm's length to observe it, his muddled expression and silence worrying me.
Since I hadn't had much time to observe it myself, I looked at it over his shoulder, truly hoping he liked it. "It's by Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding," I explained, still stunned I'd managed to get them to do this.
From the moment Lex had told me about his favorite comic book, I'd decided to work with it, to get him something truly special and entirely unique. After digitizing the adorable pictures we'd taken in the photo booth on our first date, I had sent an email to the penciler and the inker of the 75th release of Superman. They didn't seem to take commissions, but I had begged them in a very convincing and touching email to do this for my boyfriend, who had self-esteem issues and had always admired their work. I'd told them I was willing to pay for it; all they had to do was name their price.
The stars must have fucking aligned, because they'd accepted to do it for free, arguing they would both love to work with each other again after all these years. Brett Breeding wasn't really active anymore, but Dan Jurgens was still a legend in the comic book industry. Them accepting to collaborate had been the lucky strike of my life, and I had led a very lucky life.
I looked at the four drawings, feeling the same exhilaration as the first time I'd glimpsed at them, when I'd gotten home earlier. We looked amazing in our cartoonish form, but still very recognizable, with my curly hair and freckles and his square jaw and gray eyes. The only thing they had altered from reality was Lex's shirt, which was half-open, revealing Superman's suit underneath.
I looked at Lex, hoping to get a reaction from him, but he stayed absolutely unmoving, apart from his eyes gliding over the drawings. His expression was unreadable, completely blank. I had no idea what he was thinking about.
