Giran crossed his arms and looked down at the display case. Gems and jewelry glimmered in the lights mounted along the top of the golden border. A sickening mixture of sample perfumes scented the air so strongly he could almost taste the chemicals, leaving Giran with a strong desire to rescue his senses with a cigarette. Soft melodies that reminded him of elevator music accompanied the scents. Women filled the store, making a lone man like him seem out of place.

He yawned as he mulled over his choices. Necklace or bracelet? Gold or silver chain? Earrings, perhaps? What color jewels should adorn them?

A low groan crawled out from his throat. Maybe I should get another motel room for the night and do this tomorrow?

He pulled out his phone and skimmed through the calendar. No, can't. Seven appointments tomorrow, no time. I'll end up avoiding her for another day or two at this rate. Once again, he found himself at square one.

A little voice caught his attention. "Hello there, sir. Do you need assistance?"

A short girl with terracotta skin stood behind him. She recoiled a bit when Giran turned around to face her, nervousness littered her face. She wore the same white button-up with black slacks uniform that the woman behind the register and three other employees were wearing. Her fingers anxiously played with the tips of her wavy, deep blue, almost ocean-like hair.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I suppose I could use a second opinion." He pointed to the display case and tapped on the glass. A low, hollow sound echoed a bit from the inside. He vaguely described the situation he found himself in, explaining that he needed to buy a gift, but he wasn't sure what to get.

The girl appeared to be listening intently to his plight. "Oh, I see, a gift for your wife?" she asked. Her tiny voice was almost no louder than the music playing. Giran fought the urge to lean forward to help him hear her.

"Ah, no, no." He flashed his bare left hand, free from anything that could be mistaken as a wedding band. "I'm not married." She continued smiling with the same, fake customer service smile everyone in retail gives. Hell, he'd even whip out that smile form time to time.

Giran looked her up and down for a second. "Actually, she's about your age, I think," he added. Giran was more unsure how old the young-looking girl in front of him even was. This day in age, facial creams and makeup does wonders. Some are also lucky enough to have a quirk that keeps their appearance younger much longer.

"Ah, so your daughter is in her twenties?" she asked. Giran mentally groaned. Yes, there was an age gap between him and y/n, and there were three common presumptions onlookers speculated whenever they saw the two together in public; mistaking y/n as his daughter was the most upsetting one.

"No, no wife, no kids. She's a lady friend, I suppose," he replied. Her smile faded for a quick second. Giran could tell his correction threw her off. He couldn't help but grin at her sudden change in body language.

She cleared her throat. He noticed she anxiously tensed up as she stepped up to the glass display and looked down at it. The young girl occasionally glanced at him in secret through his reflection. Giran had no doubts that he made her nervous. He quickly deduced that someone, a supervisor perhaps, made her customer service him. Admittedly, he was hovering over the expensive jewelry for a bit too long. He probably seemed suspicious.

"Do you mind if I ask what your budget is?" Giran smirked, trying his best to keep his composure and stop himself from laughing. His baby deserved the best, and he couldn't put a number on that.

He shrugged off her question. "Don't worry about that."

He chuckled under his breath. He couldn't resist slightly bragging about how much he spoiled y/n. "I'm just not sure what to get. Her jewelry box is practically overflowing." That much was true. Last he checked the lid on the black box where she displayed a portion of the bracelets and necklaces he has bought her no longer closes entirely. He meant to buy her another one.

She pointed to a silver chained necklace with diamonds embellishing it-one of the more expensive pieces on display. Giran shrugged, deciding to throw the nervous girl a bone. No doubt it would look good on her if she managed to sell something like that. He gave her the okay, and she left to retrieve the key for the display case.

He stared down at the piece of jewelry he had purchased while he waited. The longer the girl left him with his thoughts, the more doubt sunk in about the soon to be purchase. Baby doll already has so much jewelry, a necklace like this is a dime a dozen at this point.

The girl returned and placed the necklace in a small box. He paid for it in full with cash from the most recent deal he made. He smirked as he watched her check to make sure every big bill he gave her was real.

Giran left the store with the small box in one hand and an unlit cigarette in the other. He paused as he reached into his coat for his lighter.

Was this good enough? He couldn't stop himself from wondering about it. For a split second, Giran considered doing the unthinkable. The young blonde villain named Himiko Toga, although considerably more younger than y/n, could have some insightful opinions on his predicament that he may deem valuable.

He immediately stopped himself. Giran would never entertain the thought of asking her for advice. Partially, because he didn't think a teenager had any wisdom to share. Mostly because it was too unprofessional to bother his clients with his personal life in his opinion. He wanted to keep the two as separate as possible. His clients didn't need to know about y/n; alternativy, his companion didn't need to be exposed to his dangerous job.

After a lengthy bit of reflection, the villain exhaled a fog of smoke with a sigh. "Damn it. This necklace isn't going to make the cut."

Giran shoved the box in his pocket as if were nothing but a cheap trinket. He walked down the strip of stores, occasionally peering into the ones he could imagine peaking y/n's interests.

Even more jewelry was out of the question. The villain wasn't even sure if he wanted to give her the one he already bought. Instead, he considered saving it for a rainy day, where he had only slightly annoyed y/n. Not for moments like these where he was in the dog house.

The sun began to set, and a chilly late-night breeze cooled the air. Giran let out another yawn as he walked up to a featureless little house that didn't stand out from the others that lined the street. He slowly crept to the front door and placed the plethora of bags he collected throughout the day onto the floor.

He pulled out a key from his coat. It slid into the lock easily. He heard a small click, and the door unlocked. Giran sighed. "Well, she didn't change the locks on me, that's a good sign."

Giran peered past the door into the darkened room. The lingering aroma of baked goods and scented candles was cozy and welcoming. Even with the foreboding suspicion of y/n's incoming fury, this still felt like home. He closed the door behind him as he took a step further inside, the wooden floorboards groaned as he walked. So far, there was no sign of y/n.

Mentally, Giran practiced his words from the plan he meticulously concocted over the past two months. Apologize. Explain myself. Distract with gifts. A pet name might soften her up. Babe? Nah. Baby? Maybe. Doll? No. Sweetheart? Ah, let's go with that one. This'll be easy, right?

He knew it wasn't going to be as simple as that. Fooling himself into thinking his three-step apology will work wasn't much of an option. Maybe for a small mistake, but Giran knew that what he did was not going to slide so easily.

Giran navigated the darkened room with no trouble and placed the gifts on the couch. He wondered if y/n was sleeping. His gaze traveled from the bedroom door to the recliner. "I think I shouldn't test my luck tonight," he muttered.

He settled down on the recliner. After jumping from one questionable motel room to another over the past few months, the old chair felt like a cloud. Usually, Giran would be happy pairing a night like this with a glass of Whiskey, maybe even have y/n join him. However, with each passing second, his eyelids grew heavy. It didn't take long until the tiredness he had been fighting all day win, and he succumbed.

Sunlight poured into the room through a gap in the blinds. Giran attempted to roll over, before remembering he didn't quite make it to the bed. He paused and listened. The house still seemed eerily quiet.

Is she still sleeping? No, he decided. He figured y/n would be up and about by this time. There was no way she'd be asleep. His still tired bones ached as he forced himself off the recliner. He approached the bedroom door and looked inside.

The thick comforter neatly stretched along the bed, and pillows carefully propped up against the headboard. The room looked immaculately clean as y/n always kept it. He stood in the middle of the room, lost in thought. Now, where did she run off too?

Giran couldn't help but wonder if she had been home when he arrived last night. She had to have walked by him as he slept. She didn't wake him up? Not even to give him a piece of her mind? A worrisome feeling sunk in.

As if y/n suddenly developed a mind-reading quirk, Giran heard the front door unlock and close. He rubbed the back of his neck, mentally psyching himself up to face her.

Y/n had her back facing Giran. He saw her dressed in a loose short-sleeve shirt and a pair of yoga pants. Her hair neatly pulled back away from her face. She placed her hands firmly on her hips as she leaned back to stretch. To Giran, this small moment where he got to look at her before she noticed him was like the calm before the storm. He hesitated and cleared his throat.

Y/n's body stiffened. Giran's brows furrowed in frustration, unable to tell if he startled her or if she was angry. She turned around to face him. Her eyes looked pained, but her posture quickly changed as she folded her arms across her chest.

Giran recalled his not-so-foolproof three-step plan. "Before you say anything, I wanna apologize." Y/n's defensive stance remained, but she didn't look angry. He couldn't tell if he managed to win her over so soon. "I know two months is a really long time to go with no contact, but-"

"Nearly three months." Giran knew at that moment y/n wasn't going to go easy on him.

"Right, basically three months," he replied. "And I'm sorry for cutting our dinner date short to-"

The frown on y/n's face deepened. "You put money on the table and left as soon as your phone rang. I had to get my own ride back home." Her voice slowly began to rise with each word, Giran could hear the flurry of anger and frustration in her tone. "Then, you disappeared on me for months!"

Giran opened his mouth. As much as he stood by his actions, he was ready to agree with y/n just to smooth things out faster. Suddenly, he stopped, almost shocked over what he was witnessing. A stream of tears ran down her cheeks. The saddened look in her eyes returned in full force. Her lips quivered as she took a deep, uneven breath. She began to speak in a helpless, broken voice. "And you didn't bother to do so much as to send me a text, just so I knew you were alive, at the very least. I was so worried."

Giran hasn't seen y/n look so miserable in quite some time, not since he started involving her in his personal life. At the time, she was merely a pretty little gem that kept him company when he felt like it. A radiant young woman that he could flaunt around like a piece of decoration when in public. While also someone willing to meet with him at whatever shady motel room he was staying at for the night. Sometimes days, weeks, or even months would pass between visits. Eventually, a slow rut in the smuggling business brought Giran to a near halt. So, he began seeing her more and more, and those long gaps started to close. The first time he had to leave on a business trip, y/n offered him a kiss on the cheek and wished him well. Little to no tears were shed on his behalf, though, she looked sad. The time apart was nothing she couldn't handle.

In the end, he wanted to keep his work life and personal life as separate as possible. His y/n was smart, though. She connected the dots on her own, and she eventually figured out his job was, for one reason or another, dangerous. The crying mess y/n currently was before him was very similar to the first time he left after she realized there was a chance he wouldn't come back. She wrapped her arms around his torso and dug her heels into the ground, putting all the strength she could muster into physically holding him away from the front door. At the time, he thought she was a hindrance. Since then, he vowed never to give her warning that he had to leave.

He got absorbed in his work that he didn't consider how his work habits might affect her time and time again. He knew something like this was bound to happen again; he merely didn't like to think about it. This time, however, it hit him differently. Seeing the tears coming from her eyes and hearing the suffering in her voice. Something clicked that never quite fit before.

"I see where you're coming from." Giran slowly moved towards y/n as if he were approaching a scared animal. She stood still, too preoccupied with wiping away her tears to notice him slowly inching closer towards her.

As if handling a butterfly, his hands delicately gripped onto her shoulder. He pulled her into a careful hug, doing his best to make her feel safe.

Y/n delicately trembled in his arms. The evocative scent of her perfume brought back not so distant memories. It's the same scent she wore when they first met. To this day, he was never sure if it was flower-scented or not. Giran just knew it reminded him of y/n. Whenever he was away on long business trips, that aroma always came to mind. Her sniffles filled the room. Giran stayed as silent as the darkness he had learned to thrive in. Her body was firmly pressed against his as she grasped onto his coat in tight fists. The sound of her unhappiness made him feel uneasy. Giran tried to think logically about this mess he found himself in, rather than guessing with his heart. He was stressed because he caused this.

His gaze shifted to the pile of things he had bought y/n and back down at her. She had her face buried in his chest. Giran knew she wasn't going to be in the mood to sift through the peace offerings. He had to change things up. Give her something he's never done in the two years he's been with her.

Just thinking about the money he was going to lose undeniably was making him boil inside. Trying to guess how many clients that were going to take their business elsewhere permanently piled on extra stress. He bit his tongue and kept his temper on the inside.

"Hey, sweet pea, can I show you something?" She nodded and stepped back to give Giran some space. Her eyes were red and puffy. She looked away as she sniffled.

Giran reached into an inner pocket in his blazer. He felt the plastic phone case, warmed from body heat under his fingertips, and pulled it out. The phone dimly lit up as his finger swiped along the top of the screen. He held up his calendar and turned it so y/n can look. "I have seven appointments today. The first one is early this evening. I most likely won't be back until tomorrow night, depending on how smoothly these deals go." Y/n stood still, her arms wrapped around herself in a hug, her lip quivered slightly, and her gaze shifted to the floor in utter defeat.

Giran caught her attention, speaking in a soft tone. "No, no, look up here." Y/n did as she was told, he could see the evident reluctance in her eyes.

He placed the phone back into his coat pocket. "Give me a bit of time, and I'll reschedule all of today's appointments. If you wanna, you can get dressed up in something pretty in the meantime. Tonight, it'll be just you and me. No work, no calls."

Her eyes widened at his words. The corners of his lips curled into a smile, and he held up his hand and grinned. "I give you my word, and you know I always stand by that."

Y/n's face instantly lit up in pure excitement. She wrapped her arms around him in an instant and cuddled her cheek against his chest. "Thank you, Handsome."

A wonderfully painful feeling arose in his chest as soon as he heard y/n call him something other than his name for once. He wasn't sure if he liked it, handing out the pet names was more his thing than hers. Nevertheless, he took the compliment.

Giran motioned his head to the bags, still sitting on the couch. "I bought you some souvenirs while I was out." A slight lie, but he'd instead let y/n believe he had been collecting these over the past few months rather than admitting that he was going to try bargaining her forgiveness with gifts after the fact.

Y/n sat down beside the small mountain of gifts and dug through the first box within her reach. She lifted the little black dress, her head tilted as she looked it up and down.

"You know, you don't have to buy me so many things," she said. Y/n carefully placed the dress back into the box and pulled out a much smaller box and admired the jeweled earrings inside.

An enigmatic smile crossed his lips, seeing the sparkle in her eyes. Giran chuckled and folded his arms across his chest. "Say you don't like to be spoiled all you want, doll. But I can tell you love it. Besides, what I get has to be expensive; I'd only buy the best for my angel, no exceptions."

Y/n picked up a red dress from another box and held it up like the black one before, obscuring her face from his view. Giran caught a quick glimpse of the matching color that dusted her face. Giran smirked and excused himself. "I gotta make some calls. I'll be outside if you need me."

Giran stepped outside. The sun hadn't quite settled down to meet the hills off in the distance. Hearing the sound of children playing and the sight of cars driving by made Giran lower his head, fearing that he'd be recognized. The villain circled to the back of the house, where he'd have more privacy. He sandwiched himself in the small, person-sized gap between the wall and the high fence that separated y/n's house and the one behind to it.

The first call was easy. It was to a long-time client that he knew would be forgiving. Giran lied to him, saying some nonsense that heroes are carefully patrolling the rendezvous spot. Giran suggested that the imaginary heroes must have been tipped off and that they should meet up at another date in time. It was for everyone's safety, after all. The villain on the other end of the line agreed, and the two hung up.

Giran sighed, leaning his head back to meet with the wall behind him. "One down, six more to go." He felt his heart racing and his hands began to sweat. The villain gave himself an inner pep talk, insisting that these calls were like band-aids, and all he needed to do was rip them off.

It didn't get any easier for Giran. With each phone call, he grew more apprehensive. Not just thinking about the money he was forfeting, but risking the chance of losing a new batch of repeat customers was starting to eat at him deep down inside. Giran had to take breathers between calls, quick smoke breaks to even his nerves.

He lit up yet another cigarette and practically inhaled it in one, long drag. Smoke escaped his mouth as he spoke to himself. "This is for y/n. For y/n. My baby doll. I'm halfway done."

He snuffed out what was left of his cigarette. It slipped from his fingers and fell to the grass below, joining the small collection of butts he had tossed aside since he began making calls.

Finally, after fighting with his better judgment for nearly an hour and a half, Giran finished the last call. He clasped his hands over his head and let out an exasperated sigh. The villain looked up at the sky above as the sun slowly began to set in the horizon and the first signs of stars was beginning to shine. With a defeated tone in his voice, he verbally reminded himself yet again that he was doing this for y/n.

Giran stepped back into the house. He undid the first few buttons on his shirt and pulled off his blazer as he walked to the bedroom. Giran stopped, unable to move, his eyes fixed to y/n.

Y/n was wearing the black dress he had picked out for her. The sheer fabric clung to her figure. In an instant, all the work stress he had been feeling melted away.

"Look at you," he said. Y/n spun around to face Giran. She held her hands behind her back and gave him a big smile. It's almost hard to believe she was a crying mess not too long ago.

Y/n walked up to him, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck. Her eyes were bright and full of excitement. Y/n cocked her head to the side and gave him a coy smile. "So, what are we doing tonight?"

Giran placed his hands on her hips. His eyes traveled down slowly to get a closer look at the dress. He has been so touch starved over the past months; he had to fight the urge to run his fingers along her body. "Well, first, I'm going to change out of these clothes. Then, I suppose I owe you dinner. Afterward, we can go shopping."

The smile disappeared from y/n's face. "Something a matter, doll?"

She looked him in the eye. "You know there are other things we can do that don't require you to spend money on me."

His eyes followed her figure. "Did you look at all the dresses I bought for you?" He saw a hint of confusion on her face as she nodded. "And this one was your favorite?"Once again, she nodded in response.

Giran chuckled as a sly grin emerged. "That was the really expensive dress."

Y/n's eyes went wide for a moment as if she had just been caught. "C'mon, Giran, cut that out." It wouldn't be a lie if he admitted to already missing the nickname she used eaier. Though, he liked how his name rolled off her tongue.

"You're gonna get used to it one day." Y/n shook her head with a warm smile on her face. He stopped and hummed in thought. "After dinner, then, I guess we can do whatever you want."

Y/n bit her lip and gently ran a finger down his cheek. "Cuddle in bed and a movie?"

Giran grinned. "Whatever you want. Today is your day." The pink hue returned to her face, snd this time, she couldn't hide it from him.

Giran wanted to take y/n to a much more upscale restaurant than the one he had left her at months ago. He kept y/n close to him; she held onto his arm as they walked down the luxurious hallway. Like a child in a toy store, she tried taking the time to look at everything. The things that decorated the building didn't catch anyone else's attention. No one else took the time to admire the extravagant displays.

He let y/n out of his sight for one moment to talk to the hostess standing by a set of large silver doors with golden embellishments decorating them. With a little bit of help from his wallet, she had managed to find Giran and y/n a table. He looked over to his side to find her missing.

He found her a ways away from Giran and the hostess. She stood in front of a large aquarium filled with seahorses. He placed a hand on her back and watched the little sea creatures float around in the water. He looked down at y/n. Wonder and amusement lit up her face.

He leaned in close to y/n. His cheek brushed up against her temple. "C'mon, we have a table," he whispered. Y/n's wonder-filled trance broke, and she returned to holding onto Giran's arm as he led her through the silver doors.

Giran sat across from y/n. The villain caught himself staring at her when she wasn't paying him any attention. Just like how y/n took the time to admire the pretty things that decorated the halls, Giran wanted to appreciate the stunning girl sitting across from him. Not a soul could compare to y/n.

She pulled back her soft h/c hair as she stared at the menu placed down on the table. Y/n flipped back and forth between the pages. "Don't be afraid to order extra." Y/n suddenly looked up at him, confused. She asked him why. A small smile crossed his lips. "This place is the quality over quantity type." Y/n nodded in agreement and returned her gaze to the menu.

The two ordered, and a waiter took their menus. Giran reached out and placed his hand on the table, palm up.

She smiled and held his hand. His thumb rubbed against her skin. He stayed quiet, content with merely soaking in her elegance from across the table.

Against his chest, in his coat's inner pocket, he felt his phone vibrate. It paused for a second and continued again-a phone call.

He tried to leave all his phones at home, but he couldn't. The thought of not having them on him was causing him to stress, so he took one to ease his mind. Giran shifted in his seat, feeling the vibrations go off.

Y/n frowned at him; worry pLagued her voice. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered. His head was screaming at him to excuse himself and take the call. His body wouldn't allow him to move, not as long as he was sitting in front of those concerned eyes.

A waiter approached with their food, y/n thanked him. Giran gave him a nod as he passed by. "So, how was work?"

"Fine," he replied.

"Anything interesting happen?" Y/n had figured out bits and pieces about his job. However, she didn't have the whole picture. It was unlikely, but Giran suspected that she probably didn't know he was a villain. He knew y/n could connect those dots all by herself just fine, but he couldnt fathom a reason as to why a sweet, innocent girl would willingly spend her precious time with a villain.

"Let's see..." Giran recalled the past two months. He had fallen victim to a sting operation, and narrowly managed to escape. He had several close run-ins with patrolling heroes. A woman tried and, much more importantly, failed to solicit to him, causing him to look for a different motel to stay in that night. A few fist fights ensued. He also got to light a building on fire.

All those things, while eventful, weren't worth mentioning to y/n. She worries for him enough as it is. Regardless, there was one thing that happened over the last two months that was worth mentioning. "Just missing you a whole ton."

"I missed you more," she replied.

Giran shook his head. "Nah, not possible."

He asked about her for most of dinner. He had two months to catch up on. He patiently sat still, his eyes fixed to hers as she talked about her family, work, and whatever else came to mind.

Every so often, he'd feel his phone vibrate in his pocket. It got easier as time went on. Seeing y/n's smile and watching her have a good time in his company made the anxiety better.

Dinner wrapped up with y/n insisting that she didn't need desert, but Giran ordered her something anyway. A slice of cake with a strawberry on top and a drink for her. A lone drink for him.

Y/n gently waved a piece of cake on her fork in front of his face. Giran tried turning it down. She stared at Giran, unblinking. "Alright, alright, you win." He leaned forward and took a bite. The villain shuddered. "I hate sweets."

He stopped and thought about it. "I think you're the only sweet thing I like."

Y/n cuddled into his arm as they sat in the cab. Before the lights in the car dimmed, he caught sight of her face. He could tell under her makeup that her cheeks were red from the alcohol.

The cab rumbled as it moved. Y/n hugged onto him even closer. After a bit, her body relaxed. She lightly tugged at his shirt, fidgeting and pulling one of his shirt buttons.

A throaty chuckle crawled up from his throat as he took her wrist firmly in his hand and, albeit a bit reluctantly, pulled her hand away from his shirt. "Is the alcohol getting to you, doll?" She giggled and shook her head playfully. He raised a brow, not convinced that she had other things on her mind right now.

Giran noticed the driver glancing back at them through the mirror. He scooped y/n in his arms and held her close. Her legs stretched across his lap, and her head rested in the nook of his neck.

The phone in his pocket vibrated again. Giran held his breath. There's no way she didn't feel that.

Giran glanced down to y/n, expecting to see disapproval painted on her face. Instead, she was still happily cuddling into him. Relief sunk in. She didn't notice after all, good.

Giran spent the rest of the cab ride keeping y/n as close to him as possible. Over time, he had neatly pulled her to sit on his lap. His hand caressed her thigh, the other wrapped around her waist tightly. He glanced at the mirror, whenever Giran's eyes met the cab driver's, he'd proudly smirk in a taunting manner.

Y/n's soft fingertips touched his cheek and ran down to his chin. She gently guided his gaze towards her. "You cut that out," she whispered. Her words sounded like she was scolding him, but the smile on her face said otherwise.

Giran kept a hand firmly on her hip as they walked to the front door. The moonlight lit their way as they walked down the crooked paved pathway to the front door. Y/n suddenly stopped just shy of the porch. "What's wrong, doll?"

Y/n turned to face him and leaned forward, her hands lightly pushed against his chest. Her lips touched his, and for a moment, the only thing Giran could focus on was how soft they were. Then, he picked up the sweet flavor of alcohol and cake, where he could distinctly taste a hint of strawberry mixed in. He felt the fabric of her dress under his fingertips, her warmth seeping through it. His heart pounded in his chest, slow yet hard. Giran's legs felt unstable and weak. If she wanted to, y/n, as fragile and delicate as she is, could easily topple him over. Y/n's love and affection was for sure his greatest weakness.

Her fingers tugged against his shirt collar as she pulled away from him. Giran brushed his forehead against hers. "Well, thank you, baby." There was just something about y/n that made him go breathless whenever they kissed, especially when she is the one initiating. Others suggesting that y/n only spent time with him for his money was draining to hear. So, feeling the trust and love y/n had for him put his mind at ease.

Y/n hummed. "I'm going to go get cozy for the movie." She smiled and lightly patted his blazer, where he had been hiding his phone. "Why don't you call back whoever has been calling you? It's probably something really important."

Giran chuckled. "I see I wasn't as slick about it as I thought."

Y/n shrugged it off. "It's alright. I appreciate that you didn't look at it, though. Knowing you, that must have been so unbelievably stressful. I appreciate that you value me enough to put yourself through all that. Thank you, Giran."

One of the corners of his mouth twitched into a quick smile. "Anything for you, doll."

Y/n kissed him on the cheek, her hand caressing his neck down to his chest, before stepping inside the house. Giran reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. His fingers played with the bunny ears atop the phone case as he wsited gor the grand total of missed calls and messages.

Twenty-five missed calls. He put it away. I'll get back to them first thing tomorrow morning.

His mind wandered to the bedroom as he imagined how cute y/n must look in bed right about now. I have an important priority to deal with tonight.

Giran stepped inside the bedroom. The tv flickering provided Giran with light to navigate the darkened room. He placed the phone onto the dresser with all the others, not daring to glance at how many missed calls were on his other seven phones. Y/n huddled under the comforter, the plethora of decorative pillows were pushed off to the side, a few had toppled onto the floor.

Giran loosened his tie before removing his blazer. As he approached the bed, he stripped down to nothing but an undershirt and his boxers. He slid under the blankets and wrapped his arms around y/n's waist. Giran pulled y/n in close to him, he cuddled into her shoulder, feeling the warmth of her back against his chest. His fingers pulled at her clothes; they were thin and sheer. Judging by the material he felt, Giran would wager that what she was wearing was see-through.

Her skin had a small trace of perfume, which was overpowered by the sweet cotton candy scent coming from her hair.

His chest tightened as y/n slowly stroked his arm. After a bit, she stopped and interlaced her fingers with his. Giran couldn't pay attention to the movie, not with how distractingly beautiful y/n was.

Laying here is so much better than those crappy motels. He hugged onto her even tighter. It didn't dawn on him until now just how much he genuinely missed y/n. Just her presence in his bed alone made whatever stress his body was holding onto melt away.

His eyes grew heavy as he felt y/n's heartbeat. It was so steady and calming. Y/n threw back her head and perked at Giran in the corner of her eye "Night, I love you."

Physically and mentally drained, Giran uttered a broken uh-huh.

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