Chase's POV

"Here you go, sweet pea. Eat this while I prepare the food," Diego says, putting a plate of sliced fruits in front of me.

A smile spreads across my face and I nod before sticking my fork into a slice of kiwi. "Do you want help cooking?" I ask, before putting the fruit into my mouth.

"Nope, it's not difficult to make and it'll only take about thirty minutes," Diego replies with a smile, already dicing the chicken breast.

"I didn't even ask how your day was," I mumble, around the pineapple in my mouth.

Diego looks at me with a smile so sweet that it fills me with a warm fuzzy feeling. "I spent most of the day in tedious meetings. My assistant made my schedule so packed, I barely had breaks between meetings and presentations. The good news is, I won't be as busy next week so I'll have more time for you. But..."

He puts the meat into a skillet before washing his hands and walking over to me. He cups my face and whispers, "the best part of my day was hearing you say that you love me."

A smile lights up my face at his words. "Hearing say you love me was the best part of my day too," I mumble, glancing away from him while I speak but meeting his eyes again once I'm finished.

His melodic chuckle rings through the air before he gives me a quick kiss on the lips which leave me giggling like a schoolgirl.

Over the next hour, Diego tells me more about his day and then I tell him about my script. He gives me lots of compliments but also asks a lot of questions which I can use to help refine my work.

"That was delicious!" I exclaim once I'm finished eating.

Diego chuckles and gently ruffles my hair, causing me to giggle. "Would you like some more little lamb?"

I bob my head up and down. "Yes, DiDi!" I answer and Diego smiles but gives me a quizzical look.

"DD? Like daddy Diego?" He asks, winking at me.

I squeak and shake my head rapidly, causing Diego to release a low chuckle. "No. My diporpa Diego!" I exclaim with a huge smile.

Diego returns my smile but his eyebrows knit together in confusion. "I think I need a little context."

A tiny giggle escapes me and I take Diego's hands in mine before I start replying. "There is this flatworm called Diplozoon paradoxum and it is made up of two diporpa. Though born alone, an individual diporpa cannot survive long on its own. It must conjoin with another diporpa to thrive. Once it combines it can truly live and they have absolutely no way of separating once combined.

"They literally can't live without their other half and that's how I feel about you. You brought joy and light into my world when there was almost none. These last few months that I've known you, I felt like I was living for the first time. And it may be selfish, but I don't ever want to let you go. You're stuck with me, my other diporpa, my diporpa Diego, my DiDi." I conclude my mini monologue and raise Diego's hands to my mouth and kiss the back of each.

Diego is wearing an awestruck look as he gazes at me with starry eyes. "Wow, that is oddly beautiful." He smiles and gets up from his high stool to stand between my legs, before engulfing me in a tight hug. "I love it and for the record, you're stuck with me too," he whispers against my hair.

When he pulls away he is grinning like someone who just won the lottery. "Did you find this when you were doing research for your script? Isn't your main character a marine biologist?" He inquires with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes! Exactly! I didn't know aquatic life was so fascinating!" I reply before reaching up and squishing his cheeks together. "My DiDi angelfish!"

Diego chuckles then tries to mimic the sounds that fish make and I burst into a fit of giggles. "Can I ask you something?" He asks, once our laughter dies down.

I nod and remove my hands from his face. Diego puts more food on my plate before returning to sit next me. "Why were you upset earlier? You don't have to answ-"

"I want to tell you," I interject and Diego smiles and nods. I take a deep breath before saying, "the bail hearing was today so Dean called this evening to tell me three of the four guys were released on bail. That news really upset me and made me feel like the court already doesn't believe what happened to me. I know it's silly."

My head is tilted downwards and I am poking at the pasta with my fork. A gentle ruffle of my hair makes me lift my head. "It's not silly, that news would upset anyone," he says, again getting up from his high stool to embrace me in a much welcomed and appreciated hug.

We stay like that for a few minutes before I break the silence. "Dean says it has no influence on how the trial will go but I can't help but think it will."

Diego is silent for a minute as I snuggle into his chest before he says, "I trust Dean's judgement and abilities. I know that he'll give this case his best shot. Whatever the outcome of the trial, I'll be with you every step of the way."

I nod and continue to bask in the comfort of my boyfriend's embrace. After a few minutes I lift my head and Diego gives me a soft smile as he strokes my cheek.

"My beautiful, brave cupcake," Diego coos, placing chaste kisses on my lips after each word. I giggle and make a kissy face, indicating that I want another kiss, to which Diego readily obliges.

"Are you going to eat your food?" He inquires and I shake my head. "I'm sorry, I should have asked once you were completely finished eating." He places his hand on my tummy and says, "Chase junior, please forgive me! I'll do anything," Diego wails dramatically.

I burst into a fit of giggles. "Anything?" I ask and Diego nods eagerly. "Then can I drive your car? I haven't driven since the incident." A shudder runs through my body at even the mention of it. "I got into an accident that night so I've been a little terrified to start driving again. But I think I'm ready to try it, just not on a main road."

"Of course! Dean owns a piece of land which has an empty parking lot. He tore down the building but hasn't gotten around to renovating it yet. He usually keeps it really clean and it's about a forty five minute drive away, you could practice there," Diego replies, stroking both my cheeks.

A fleeting look of sadness crosses his face and he opens his mouth as if to ask something but instead he shakes his head and smiles. He stops caressing my face and takes our plates over to the kitchen sink. "Okay let me wash the dishes, then we can go."

I furrow my eyebrows at his actions but decide not to pry and let him ask whatever he was going to ask whenever he's ready. "I'll dry them," I say, taking the first clean dish from Diego.

"Chase?" Diego's voice carries a hint of melancholy and comes out just above a whisper. That immediately grabs my attention and I turn to face him.

"Yes, DiDi," I reply just as quietly and his lips twitch up at the sides.

Diego turns off the tap but continues to stare into the sink full of dishes. I dry my hands and wrap my arms around him, in a side hug. A tiny smile graces Diego's face at my actions but he remains silent.

Using the comforting techniques Diego often uses with me, I give him a kiss on the cheek and another on his neck as I wait for him to tell me what's going on.

"Sorry, I just... I don't want to tell you but Bryan got in my head and now I feel like I should..." Diego sighs and rubs the back of his neck.

"What? Did you already cheat on me?" I tease, placing a kiss on his shoulder.

Diego instantly spins around in my arms and I link my hands around his waist. "Don't even joke about that. I would never do anything to hurt you."

"I know," I whisper. Hating the slight anger and irritation that I evoked in Diego, I immediately know how to make him smile again. I release a barely audible squeak and stand on my tiptoes so that I can reach his mouth to place a chaste kiss on his lips. The thin line his lips formed instantly dissolves into a soft smile, resulting in a grin from me.

After a moment, Diego releases a long sigh before blurting out, "the death anniversary of my father and sister are next weekend and I wanted to know if you'll spend the day with me so I don't mope at home. Bryan usually hangs out with me on that day but he's busy this year. If you don't want-"

I place a finger against his lips, effectively bringing a halt to his monologue. "Of course I'll spend the day with you! I'd love to meet them, so maybe we can visit their graves on that day?"

"I would love for you to meet them, but I thought it might be too much to ask. You'd really want to come with me to see them?" Diego asks incredulously.

"Yes, I would love to. They're your family and from what you've already told me, you love them dearly," I respond, wearing a look of mild confusion. Why is he surprised about this?

A sweet smile spreads across Diego's face at my words. "You really are my perfect little lamb," he coos, gazing at me in wonderment, as his thumbs caress my cheeks.

I giggle and avert my eyes, still not entirely used to his compliments or his affectionate gaze. My eyes drift back to his, after a moment. "Why weren't you going to tell me?"

"I didn't want to burden you. I want to bring you only joy and happiness, I don't want to bother you with my issues..." He trails off when he sees the annoyed look that is no doubt plastered to my face. He gives me a sheepish grin and says, "but I see now that I was wrong."

"Yes you were wrong," I scold. "I want you to share stuff with me and be comfortable talking to me about your worries. You're my safe haven and I want to be one for you because seeing you happy makes me happy."

"I'm sorry, I won't do anything like this ever again, I promise." Diego brushes his thumb over my cheek, as his eyes seem to beg me for forgiveness. Deciding to show him that he is forgiven, I giggle before getting up on my tip toes and pressing my lips to his.

I intended for it to be a quick kiss, but when Diego gently starts sucking on my bottom lip, a soft moan escapes me and my grip around his waist tightens. When he releases my lip, his tongue slips into my mouth and I elicit a sound which is a cross between a happy sigh and a moan. My tongue hesitantly emerges, gaining confidence after a few swirls in Diego's mouth. Now the epic battle of who can bring the most pleasure to their boyfriend is underway as I hear Diego's throaty moan.

If I knew this is what I was missing out on, I would have kissed him sooner!

When we break the kiss, we're both panting and Diego leans his forehead against mine. "You really have no idea how happy you make me, sweet pea. I love you more than words can describe."

"I love you too, DiDi," I whisper and notice Diego's face lighting up at my response. We stay like this for a few minutes before we leave for my driving practice.

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