"Hehe." I giggle slightly when Dalaric's lips tickle my neck. He kisses me twice there and then once on my forehead, nose and right eye.
"Left eye...please." I mumble. It's been like, years. How does he forget all the time? Is the left eye not pretty...is it lazy...is he lazy?
Babycakes has the nerve to chuckle and so he does, stopping to kiss the remaining eye. There, that ticks off 'Babycake time' on my to-do list. Yay.
Kirra thinks it's weird that I allot time to my boyfriend on my college journal but I don't think it's her beeswax.
Dalaric pats my bahookie one last time before I tell him to get back to work. We're at the back of the restaurant, our designated hehe place and he's kind of making a scene like the needy man he is.
Ale waves at me as we enter and I wave back, chuckling when Dalaric glares at him for winking at me.
The triplets are also here and so is Lennox, someone who's now a part of our little family because he's joined a teacher assistant program at my college. This guy is super smart so he lends me a hand with homework sometimes.
"Hey Maya. You okay?" He takes a seat on a bar stool and grabs a few peanuts.
Babycakes doesn't actually serve alcohol here so the shelves are filled with little memoirs people can leave behind. There are many penguins left by someone, I'm not sure who. Not me, for sure.
Yeah...I really hope Dalaric doesn't find out.
"Yup. How are you? Is your mom okay? I heard Knox and Maddox are visiting her at the hospital. I sent her flowers too...and the orange ladoo...I hope she liked them." I grab a peanut too and fiddle with my ring as I ask worriedly.
His mom has a severe cold so Lennox skipped a lot of classes recently.
"You remember? Yeah, she's doing better. And she loved the flowers. And the penguin plushie." Yay. He chuckles and takes out a book which sends me squealing.
"No way, is this the new edition? How'd you get it? Can I see? Please." My eyes practically glitter at the sight of Software Engineering: The Future Ahead by Ben Dover which is the true story of an engineer I've come to admire. I've been trying to get into reading and this is one of the books I haven't been able to get my hands on.
I wish Dalaric could threaten him to give it to me.
Bad Maya. Smart Maya? No, bad.
"Here." He hands it to me, furrowing his brows when I laugh maliciously. "I loved this one. There's the part at the end where he details how he got into that billion dollar company too."
"No way? What about when he won that award..."
The next thirty minutes are spent obsessing over the book and thoroughly enjoying myself talking about something I'm passionate about. We're only interrupted when I hear two glasses hit the table a tad bit harshly.
"Your order." I look up to thank the waiter for the water and purse my lips when I see the man of my life.
This was expected, considering he does this every time I'm talking to the male species. Even if it's for homework. Maybe I like this book a bit too much.
"Thank you!" Dalaric's eyes don't shift from Lennox as he practically glares him down. Jealous. I pull babycakes down to whisper in his ear.
"Dude, I'm literally married to you, okay? I really love this book and no one else reads it, fine?"
"Fine." He nods and mumbles, almost pouting. Lennox doesn't bother meeting his eyes. Darn it, I won't get the book now. Maybe theft is the way...
We spend a few more minutes discussing a chapter, which I need to reference in my assignment and soon, he leaves and I pout that he promised to give the book to another friend.
I finish my water and leave for home when I get a text from Dalaric.
grumpy4ever: I'll be a little late, leave without me. Text me when you get in the car, when you leave it and when you get home.
Me: okie dokie :) I don't know what you're doing but no onesies. can u get carrots
2grumpy4ever: Use letters and yeah. I love you.
I reply with a paragraph of hearts and giggle at his demand. Username checks out.
Once I text him three times and I'm safe and sound on the couch with Kipp on my shoulder, I turn on the T.V.
I'm starting an internship soon which is why I'm very adamant on getting all the experience I can beforehand so I don't mess up. Ben Dover, the author, is also the CEO of a similar company that I'll be working at and he has my dream job too!
Oh man, to be rich with hard work is kind of hard, to be fair.
The door opens as I'm solving my inner-conflict about capitalism and I squeal, running to hug the man who inspires me to keep working and not sell my soul for money.
"Carrots, please." We kiss and hug for a good two minutes before he lays one of the two bags in my hand and walks quickly into our room.
Odd. But not odd enough to stop munching on this carrot. I wash all of them in some veggie cleaning solution before cutting some up to feed my family of three. Dalaric, me and Kipp.
I also take out leftovers and set them on the table just in time Dalaric exits the room, freshly showered.
"I told you I'd cook." I feel two hands hug me from behind and then push me down onto the chair.
"You're tired. Sit down. As a wife, it is my duty- ow." I rub my nose when he pinches it.
"How were your classes? Did you get the assignment back yet? T said it wasn't that hard when he did it. A, right? Prolly."
Sigh.
Double sigh.
Everyday. Every single day, I'm reminded of why I'm so in love with this dude. It sounds unrealistic and insignificant but he's anything but. He's pretty much the only person who asks me about me but that's not why I want to pounce him and eat him instead of dinner.
It's just the effort. He works so much. The expansion invited incredible amounts of stress and I saw how wiped out he was earlier today. Yet, he still asks. Tries. Cares. And it means so much.
Admittedly, I thought I provided most of the emotional support in this relationship- especially getting him to open up more. In reality, it was always him.
The silent effort that doesn't ask for anything in return, the extra long hugs he gives me before an exam, the mornings where he does my hair for me when I'm feeling dark and droopy.
It's rare, it's small but it makes my entire week.
I never expected the effort to be consistent, and it isn't, there are days where we both feel tired and barely boop each other once or twice. We forget good mornings or stay safe's.
And I think that's okay. Because I get this hunka chunka at the end of it all and it's worth it.
"I love you so much. And yup, A! hehe. I love you." I don't miss the 'What's wrong with her' smile Dalaric tries to hide as he feeds me a carrot.
Once we're done with the food, I insist on cleaning up. Dalaric says he'll get into bed and he yawns adorably and I try to sneak a picture which results in my phone being taken away. His yawns are kind of loud. They sometimes scare me at night but I don't want to hurt his feelings. Maybe he feels the same way about my burps...
After tidying the couches a bit and feeding Kipp some dinner too, I skip to the room, ranting about billionaires in space when I clamp my mouth shut.
Oops, grumpy is asleep. I waddle to his side to drape the blanket over him when I notice something that sends my heart racing.
Oh.
A bookstore bag.
My penguin sticky notes and pens.
And...
Software Engineering: The Future Ahead by Ben Dover.
Oh.
As silently as I can, I slide out the book that he attempted to hide below one of the penguin pillows I bought for Mr. Jones' Sr.'s back problems.
I feel my heart squeeze when I see all the multi-colored sticky notes stuck messily to the chapters. There's a big question mark on one of them labelled 'Ask T.' and another, on one of the chapters I ranted about today, in all bold,
'(M)'
I shakily sigh, running my hand gently on his head, my eyes already embarrassingly wet. "Silly...you could've just asked, y'know?"
I put the book back, leaving about 5 'I love you' penguin tags all around and a big kiss on his forehead.
Yeah,
it's always him.
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love always,
- Aj.