[WARNING: SMUT]
"𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑, 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑛'𝑡 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑖𝑡 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑖𝑡."
—𝑁𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑠 𝑆𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑠

𝒩.

𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐀 𝐒𝐖𝐔𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐑 purse over her shoulder and kept her keys clutched tightly in her hand as she opened the front door that led out of her apartment building.

She gave a startled step backwards as she was immediately greeted by someone standing just in front of her. Upon seeing who it was, she pressed a hand over her heart and breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Nutella!"

"Klaus," Natalia greeted with a small groan as she ran a hand through her hair. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm so cold," he whined as he rubbed his arms and dramatically shivered. "It's almost December, and the snow is falling, and the wind is freezing, and the ground is chilly, and the air is—"

Natalia had an amused smile on her face as she reached into her purse and handed him her spare key (she always kept it with her; this wasn't the first time Klaus had bumped into her before she needed to leave). "Just go."

"I love you so much," Klaus sighed as he took the key from her and kissed it.  

"You better," she scoffed. She checked her watch before sighing. "Listen, I have to head to work now, just help yourself to anything."

"Will do." Klaus winked.

She kissed his cheek, grinning at the red print that came onto his skin and gave a quick goodbye before leaving.

She sighed as she got into the car, and she checked her makeup one last time before starting the engine and driving out of the parking lot.

Luckily for her, Columbia University was only about a twelve-minute drive away from her apartment building, so she arrived in no time.

She had a lecture to give, and throughout that one hour and a half, she found her mind mostly wishing that she had taken at least one bite of food before starting. And now that she had finished with that lecture and she had the time, she went up to her office so that she could dig through her stash of granola bars.

She entered her office and flicked the lights on, a smile coming onto her face as her eyes met the drawing of herself and a Christmas tree that Claire had given to her the previous Christmas.

She sat down at her desk and pulled open her drawer, revealing the plethora of snacks that she restocked every month (and she was currently running low). She grabbed a granola bar and unwrapped it before closing the drawer, and turned on her computer as she began to eat it.

She could only get through five minutes of work, however, before her telephone rang, and she sighed.

"Hello?" she greeted as she picked up the phone.

"Dr. Kim!" came Santiago's voice through the speaker, his urgent tone causing her to straighten up. "Uh, not saying there's an emergency in the lab, but I definitely think you should—Henry, use that!—you should, uh, come down."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Oh, God. I'll be there in a minute."

She immediately got up and rushed out of her office, praying that maybe the emergency was that someone had forgotten to restock the water bottles or something (though she knew it definitely wasn't that).

Her nose crinkled as she entered the lab, and her eyes became a little watery for some unknown reason. Her eyes widened as she inhaled the scent of smoke.

Had there been a fire? She wouldn't be surprised; a fire occurred usually once or twice a month—bunsen burners left unattended always ended up being a hassle.

"Miss Boss Lady!" cried Rosalyn as Natalia, who was waving away the smoke, approached, the student's bun now a little messy and her eyes wild. Her forehead was beaded with sweat, and her cheeks were a little red. She plastered on a smile as she put her hands on her hips. "Oh, uh, I'm glad you're here! Everything is totally fine!"

Natalia's eyebrows furrowed as she hurriedly slipped her lab coat on and pushed a pair of safety goggles on. "What's going on?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing," Rosalyn said firmly, wiping the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. "There was not a fire in the write-up space."

"Yeah, I figured there was a fire in the—" Natalia paused as she fully processed what she said, and her eyes widened as she repeated, "Wait, the write-up space?!"

Rosalyn offered a tiny smile. "No?"

"Come on," Natalia groaned, nodding her head towards the woman to tell her to follow her.

The two of them headed to the write-up space, which was at the back of the lab. There were already a few people in there, coughing, and smoke floated out of the room, causing Natalia to let out a small groan once more.

A couple of students moved out of the way so that Natalia could enter, and she came in to see Henry, who was holding a fire extinguisher, and Santiago standing next to a rather charred desk.

"Hey," Natalia called, causing the two boys to look at her with wide eyes, "what happened?"

"It's all good!" Henry reassured her as he lifted the fire extinguisher for her to see. "Fire's gone!"

Natalia raised her eyebrows. "What happened?"

Santiago shrugged. "Candle plus a stack of papers plus Henry equals fire."

Natalia sighed, rubbing her eyes. She looked up to Henry, who was giving her a small grin, and chided, "How many times do I have to tell you no candles?"

"They set the mood!" Henry protested with raised hands.

"For what?!"

"Studying!"

Natalia placed her hands on her hips. "What did I say would happen if this happened again?"

Henry's lips suddenly turned into a pout as he mumbled, "I wouldn't be allowed to use the write-up space for a month."

"And?"

"I have to move my candle collection back into my apartment."

"And?"

"And I have to . . ." Henry licked his lips before his shoulders slumped, and he shook his head. "I can't do it."

"Come on, Henry," she insisted, "say it."

"I have to say that candles are . . . a . . . fire hazard. And they . . . suck," he reluctantly muttered before raising a finger. "But I don't believe that."

"Henry . . ." Natalia sighed, though the corners of her lips were beginning to tug upwards, "you kill me."

Henry grinned. "My specialty."

Natalia looked around at all the pieces of burnt paper that littered the desk and floor and raised her eyebrows as she gestured toward it. "Make sure this gets cleaned up."

Henry quickly nodded as he set the fire extinguisher down. "Got it."

Natalia felt a sudden tap on her shoulder, and she turned around to see Maggie, who gave her a bright smile.

"Dr. Kim," she said, "someone's asking for you."

Natalia's eyebrows furrowed. She wasn't expecting anyone. "Who?"

"I don't know, a student, maybe?" Maggie guessed as she shrugged. "He's pretty cute."

Though she had an amused smile on her face, Natalia chided, "Maggie."

Maggie grinned. "He's waiting outside the lab."

"Okay." Natalia nodded before turning back to the boy who now had a broom in his hands. "Henry, you stay here."

He paused, frowning. "Dammit."

"Language!" she called as she turned around.

"Darn it."

Natalia gave a small chuckle as she walked over to the front of the lab. She adjusted her coat before glancing back once more and opening the door.

She stepped out to see Diego there, leaning against the wall, and he gave her a small smile.

"Oh, Diego." Natalia raised her eyebrows as she smiled. "Hi."

"Hey, Nat," he greeted. "Cute goggles."

She rolled her eyes in amusement as she lifted her goggles to rest at the top of her head before questioning, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was just" —he squinted his eyes and shrugged slowly— "in the neighbourhood."

The door opened once more. Santiago stepped out, and his eyes widened slightly as he saw that he was interrupting a conversation.

"Sorry, Dr. Kim," he apologized, and Natalia gave a dismissive wave and reassuring smile. "I'm heading to class . . . I'll help Henry clean up his candle collection later."

Natalia chuckled and nodded before murmuring a goodbye and turning back to Diego.

Diego raised his eyebrows, his eyes following Santiago as he continued down the hall. "That your boyfriend?"

"Diego, stop asking if my students are my boyfriend," Natalia sighed. Her eyebrows furrowed as she examined Diego's narrowed eyes and slightly set jaw, and she scoffed. "What, are you jealous?"

"Jealous?" Diego repeated as he lifted his gaze from Santiago's disappearing figure and looked at Natalia. "Me? No, of course not. Why would I be jealous? Of what? Of who?"

Natalia quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh, come on, how can I not be?" Diego sighed as he gestured towards the lab. "You're a gorgeous, smart, incredible young woman, and there's probably tons of horny dudes inside there."

Natalia felt her cheeks grow warm, but she did her best to ignore it as she folded her arms and asked, "What are you doing here, Diego?"

Diego's eyes focused back on her as his usual grin appeared on his face. "Figured it was close to your lunch break and wanted to know if you wanted to grab a bite to eat."

"I wish I could." She sighed. "I gotta deal with something."

"Avoiding me?"

"No, of course not," Natalia reassured him with a shake of the head. "You know I love spending time with you."

Diego's upper lip curled, and he raised his eyebrows. "If you love it so much, you know, there's a different way you can spend your time with—"

"Not now," she chided as she playfully slapped his arm, receiving a grin and chuckle in response.

"Seriously, what's the reason? You got a date with—"

"There was a fire, Diego."

A look of realization dawned on his face, and he slowly nodded. "Mhm, makes sense."

"What?" Her eyebrows furrowed. "Why?"

Diego grinned. "'Cause of how hot you are."

Natalia laughed before pushing his arm. "Go."

"Raincheck on the lunch?"

"Yep."

Natalia smiled as he turned around and left, though the smile was quickly wiped off her lips as she went back into the lab and found Rosalyn, who had been peering through the window on the door, with a grin on her face.

"Was that your boyfriend, doc?"

Natalia rolled her eyes in amusement. "No."

"How old is he?" Rosalyn asked as she peered back through the window, a small smirk on her face. She caught sight of Natalia's raised eyebrows, and stammered, "Not because I'm interested . . . Just because . . ."

Natalia's smile became amused. "Too old for you, Rosy."

"You're only, like, four years older than me," she grumbled.

Natalia chuckled before shaking her head and lightly chiding, "Go do your work."

𝒩.

"Nutella! You're home!"

"Hi, Klaus," Natalia chuckled as she locked the door behind her and set her purse aside.

Klaus grinned as he plopped down on the couch. "Have a good day?"

"As good as it gets," she answered with a shrug as she crossed the room and sat down next to him. "What about you? How was your day?"

"Oh, great. I ate, like, half your fridge, watched Love Guru, took a nice nap . . ." Klaus trailed off for a few moments, his grin broadening. "Great day. Wonderful day."

Natalia raised her eyebrows in amusement. "How long you plan on staying here?"

"Until I feel like leaving," he answered with a shrug. "That could range from tomorrow to next year."

She laughed, patting him on the back. "All right."

"Anyway," Klaus sighed as he leaned back on the couch, "are you dating Diego yet?"

Natalia rolled her eyes as she got up and shook her head. "No."

"Are you going to?"

"I'm not sure," she answered with a small groan as she headed into the kitchen.

"Why not?" Klaus asked as he followed her in and sat on top of the counter. "You don't like him anymore?"

"It's not that." She sighed as she opened her fridge, feeling the coolness wash over her skin as she slightly crouched to take a good look at her options. She grabbed a container of blueberries and straightened up. "If anything, I like him more."

His eyebrows furrowed. "So then what are you waiting for?"

"Just . . ." she pursed her lips for a moment as she quickly washed the blueberries and poured them into a small bowl before continuing, "the right time."

"And when's the right time?" Klaus questioned as he reached over and grabbed a blueberry.

She shrugged. "I'll know."

"How?"

Natalia paused for a moment before shrugging once again. "I don't know."

"I'm just sayin'," he replied, "Diego really doesn't like being your friend."

"Rude."

"You know what I mean, Nutella." Klaus jumped off the counter and stretched his arms. "Ah, just give the man a chance, he's dying for one."

She gave a light scoff. "I'm sure he's just fine."

"He's not," he rebutted firmly. "It's getting to be rather annoying, actually. Every time I go to him, he's like 'Bro, when do you think Nat will go out with me?', 'Klaus, do you think she doesn't love me anymore?', 'Dude, stop taking those pills, you look like shit.'"

Natalia scrunched her nose as she chewed on the few blueberries that she had plopped into her mouth. "I don't think that last one is about me."

"No, but it's still annoying." Klaus grinned before stepping toward her and placing his hands on her shoulders. "Listen, you love him, right?"

A small smile crept onto her face as she quietly replied, "Yeah."

"Then go to him!" he exclaimed as he threw his hands up into the air. "Let the flower of love bloom!"

"Come on," she laughed, holding her bowl of blueberries in one hand as she used the other to pull Klaus towards the living room, "let's watch a movie."

"Love Guru?" he asked hopefully.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she grabbed the remote and sat down next to him. "I thought you already watched it today."

Klaus grinned. "And?"

She laughed and gave him a small nod, eliciting a cheer from him. Quickly, she turned the TV on and began eating her blueberries as the movie began.

Natalia found her mind soon drifting away from the movie, however, as she thought about what Klaus had said.

When was she going to actually agree to going on a date with Diego? Almost all of the doubts that she had once had two months before no longer existed, and she still knew for certain that her feelings hadn't changed.

The past two months had been quite wonderful for her, in fact, now that Diego was back in her life. They'd go out for lunch at least once a week, sometimes he'd visit her home or vice versa, go for walks . . . and over the course of two months, she found herself falling even harder for him, which she hadn't thought was possible. 

And she had no doubt in her mind that he felt the same way; her heart always fluttered whenever she caught his gaze lingering on her, or whenever he paid her small (or, sometimes, very large and obvious) compliments.

When would be the right time? Would she even know?

After contemplating this question throughout the entirety of both Love Guru and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Natalia had made her decision.

It was the right time—or, at least, she hoped it was.

She quickly murmured a goodnight to an already sleepy Klaus before slipping into her room and folding her arms.

She doubted that Diego would say no, so she should probably dress up, right?

There was the dress Allison gave her . . .

Natalia changed out of her work clothes and into the dress, squinting her eyes as she pulled the dress lower and sighing when it only just revealed more of her cleavage.

After brushing her hair and touching up her makeup, she grabbed her jacket and zipped it up before getting her keys. 

Klaus was already passed out on the couch, and Natalia pulled the blanket over him and kissed his forehead before leaving her home.

She felt her nerves growing higher as she drove there, and her grip on the steering wheel was a little tighter than usual.

The gym only had a couple of people inside, and they didn't bother to glance her way as Natalia entered and headed toward the hallway on the left.

She arrived in front of Diego's door not long after, and her eyes swiftly roamed over the posters that lined the walls.

She took a deep breath as she closed her eyes, and, before she could stop herself, she knocked on the door.

The door swung open a few moments later, and she was met by an amused smile.

"You're not drunk, are you?"

A small laugh escaped her lips as she shook her head. "No."

Diego shrugged as he gestured for her to come inside and went down the stairs. "I wouldn't mind if you were; I like when you tell me everything you don't want to tell me."

"Shut up."

Diego sent her a grin as he reached the landing, and resumed what he had been doing—sheathing some knives into the tactical chest gear that was hung up—as he asked, "So, what's up?"

"Well," Natalia sighed, staying on the upper landing and leaning forward on the railing, "I was wondering if I could cash in that raincheck?"

Diego paused, turning his attention back to her as he quirked an eyebrow. "Now?"

She shrugged as she took a step towards the door and reassured him, "We don't have to."

"No, no," he said quickly as he sheathed another knife, "it's just that the raincheck was for lunch, and it's nine o'clock at night."

She grinned and slowly turned around, making exaggerated motions as she reached for the door. "Okay, fine, I'll just leave then."

"No, Nat, it's okay," he chuckled, "we can have lunch now."

She smiled as she nodded and leaned forward on the railing once more. "Also, I was thinking something a little different than our usual lunch."

"Oh, yeah?" he asked as he raised an eyebrow, checking the blade of a knife. "Like what?"

"Well," she began, "usually, our lunches are friend-dates, right?"

Diego paused, his eyes shifting towards her as he slowly slid the knife into its sheath. "Right."

Natalia smiled as she gave a small shrug and clasped her hands together. "I was thinking, maybe we can get rid of the 'friend' part?"

He stepped to the side, folding his arms as he questioned, "Are you lying to me right now?"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Why would I lie to you?"

"You're being serious?"

"Of course I am."

Diego grinned, reaching over to his jacket that was draped around a chair and grabbing it. "Let's go."

"Oh, okay," she said in surprise as he quickly headed up the steps while sliding his jacket on.

Natalia followed him out into his car, and she took the passenger seat as he went into the driver's.

"So . . ." Natalia started as Diego began to drive down the road, her eyes roaming over the street signs that were quickly passing, "where are we going, exactly?"

Diego glanced at her, a small grin on his face. "You'll see."

"Do you just not know?" she asked humorously as she looked at him.

"Oh, trust me, I know," he reassured her. "I've been planning this since the day you came to my door, drunk as a skunk."

Natalia gave a light scoff of amusement as she folded her arms and looked back out the window.

They arrived at their destination about twenty minutes later, and Natalia felt a grin creep up on her face as she recognized the bright yellow sign—Griddy's Doughnuts.

Diego unbuckled his seat belt and quickly told her, "Stay here" before leaving the car.

"Okay," she mumbled as she folded her arms.

Diego came back a few minutes later, a grin on his face, and a small box of doughnuts in hand.

"Doughnuts," she remarked as he came inside and handed the box for her to hold. "Great for lunch."

He scoffed as he started the engine once again and began to pull out of the driveway. "It is when lunch is at nine o'clock at night."

"You got me there," she chuckled. "What now?"

He grinned as he merged onto the road. "You'll see."

Natalia gave a small sigh of exasperation, causing his grin to broaden, and she turned her attention back to the outside.

Her eyes widened as he parked on the dock that was in front of a long river, and she leaned forward to peer through the windshield.

She got a better view, however, as the two of them got out of the car.

The lights from the hundreds of buildings alongside the side of the river reflected onto the dark waters, flickering slightly as the waves softly crashed upon the cement. There was the distant sound of the hustle and bustle from the city, and there was a slight hum in the air as the chilly breeze washed upon them.

"Whoa," she murmured, placing the box of doughnuts on the hood of the car as she leaned back against it.

"Perfect view of the city, right?" he asked with raised eyebrows as he leaned back on the other side of the hood.

"Mhm," she hummed.

He sighed as his gaze moved from her face and to the water. "I always come here when I need to think."

Natalia turned to him, an amused smile coming onto her face as she quipped, "I didn't know you could do that."

"What?" he scoffed. "Think?"

"Mhm."

"Shut up," he muttered with an amused smile, eliciting a chuckle from her. "I found this place when we were, like, twenty." He turned to her, and the smile became a little more sincere. "Always told myself I'd bring you here one day; I knew you'd like it."

"And here we are," she murmured.

His smile broadened. He glanced down at the skirt that was peeking out of her rather long coat, and he met her gaze once more as he raised his eyebrows. "You wearing a dress?"

She shrugged. "Yeah."

"Take your coat off," he egged, "let me see."

"I don't know," Natalia murmured with a frown. "Alli made me get it, and it's a little . . . much."

"Can't be that bad," he chuckled. "Let me see."

She licked her lips before protesting, "It's cold."

"You can put your jacket back on after," he pointed out with raised eyebrows.

She sighed and conceded, "Fine."

Natalia unzipped her jacket, immediately feeling the cold wind brush upon her exposed chest as she slipped her jacket off and rested it on the hood of the car. She spread her arms out and did a little spin before raising her eyebrows.

She grew a little nervous as she saw that Diego's eyes were roaming every inch of her body, and, apprehensively, she asked, "Too much?"

"No, it's perfect," he reassured her with a small shake of the head. He gave her a small smile, his eyes flickering up to meet hers, and he softly continued, "You look perfect."

"Thanks," she murmured, feeling her cheeks grow awfully hot as she grabbed her jacket. "Still putting my coat back on, though."

She ignored his chiding as she grabbed her jacket and slipped it on. She zipped it up as he opened the box of doughnuts and gestured for her to take one, which she gladly did.

"So, what made you decide that it was time for a date?" he asked as she took a bite of her chocolate doughnut and melted into the sweetness. "Finally realized that seventeen-year-old me is still" —he tapped his chest— "in here?"

Natalia shook her head, an amused smile coming onto her face as she swallowed. "You're pretty different than seventeen-year-old you."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"Mhm," she hummed in confirmation. "You used to hate eggs. Now, look at you, eating raw eggs every other second."

"Not because I like it," he quickly rebutted with a raised finger. "For protein. To build muscle."

"There are about a million different fully cooked things that you could eat for protein, you know," she pointed out.

"Too much work."

"Though," she sighed, "you're still really messy, just like your teen self."

Diego shrugged. "Some habits never change."

Natalia frowned as she took another bite of her doughnut, noticing the lack of dessert in his hands. "Hey, why aren't you eating?" she chided after swallowing, and she pointed down to the box. "Eat."

"Nuh-uh," he scoffed as he glanced down at the box that held three more doughnuts. "You know how much sugar's in there?"

"So?" She shrugged as she took another bite. "It's fine to have some sugar once in a while."

Diego shook his head and gestured down toward himself. "My body is a temple, Nat. I can't put junk in it."

She shuddered. "Never say that again."

He shrugged as he muttered, "It's just the truth."

"One doughnut," she pleaded. "One."

"No way."

"For me. Please."

"No."

Natalia huffed. "I'm not kissing you unless you finish a doughnut."

"Who says I want to kiss you?" he scoffed, though the corners of his lips tugged upwards and his cheeks coloured.

"Fine." She shrugged as she turned around to face the river once again, and she felt a sense of satisfaction as she heard him sigh and open the box.

Glaring at her, Diego grabbed a glazed doughnut and began to eat, at a much faster pace than she. He grumbled under his breath between bites, though she couldn't make out any of it.

He swallowed his last bite about a minute after she had finished her own doughnut, and spread his arms out. "Do I get my kiss now?"

"Mhm." She nodded as she shifted towards him.

Gingerly, she placed a hand on his cheek and felt her heart jump as he gently gripped her waist. Their eyes quickly locked onto each other, and she could smell the faint scent of icing as his lips neared hers.

Right before their lips could touch, however, Natalia grinned and kissed his cheek before pulling away.

"Oh, come on," Diego groaned as she stepped back, "that's not what you promised."

She shrugged. "I never specified where I was going to kiss you."

He let out a long sigh. "Even on a date, you gotta be like this?"

"Yep." Natalia nodded. She glanced down at the box, and folded her arms as she promised, "If you eat another doughnut, then, I'll kiss you on the lips."

"Another doughnut?" he repeated incredulously, looking down at the box with a look of horror. "Nat, that's suicide for my muscles."

She laughed, "You and your muscles will survive."

"Fine," he muttered after a moment's worth of contemplation. "Only because I want that kiss."

Natalia watched with amusement as he reluctantly opened the box and grabbed a vanilla sprinkle doughnut and began to eat.

She folded her arms as she leaned back against the hood of the car, a smile growing on her face as he sent a playful glare her way.

A couple of minutes later, he had finished the doughnut.

"Done."

Natalia let out a light laugh as he grabbed her waist and pulled her closer to him, and felt her heart flutter as he used his index finger to tilt her head up.

She gently cupped his cheeks, her heart rate growing faster and faster as his face grew nearer. Their eyes latched onto each other, and his greeted hers tenderly.

Natalia quickly pecked his lips and began to draw away, though Diego shook his head and pulled her closer.

"Nice try," he murmured before cupping her cheeks and pressing his lips against hers.

Natalia's stomach was packed with butterflies as his soft lips moved against hers, and her arms quickly wrapped around his neck. The feeling of familiarity embraced her kindly. 

He tilted his head to deepen the kiss, and his hands slid down to grip her waist once again, only increasing the butterflies and adding a fiery feeling in her stomach. 

After a few moments, Natalia pulled away, though she still kept her forehead against his as she murmured, "Happy now?"

Diego smirked. "Not yet."

She let out a small giggle as he kissed her once more, this time just as passionate as the last. He traced his tongue along her bottom lip and slipped it inside as she opened her mouth to grant him access. 

He drew away after another few moments and murmured, "Now I'm happy."

Natalia smiled before gesturing down at the box once more. "Eat another doughnut."

Diego kept his grip on her waist as he glanced down at the box and shook his head. "I've already had two."

"Eat."

He gazed at her for a moment before tilting his head and questioning, "What do I get in exchange?"

"A happy tummy," she offered.

Diego shook his head. "That's not gonna cut it for me."

"Well, then," she asked softly, "what do you want?"

Diego rested his forehead against hers, his eyes flickering over her lips as he murmured, "I think you know what I want."

"Do I?" she asked innocently, feeling her heart rate pick up once more.

"Mhm."

"I do." She nodded. "Happy tummy. Eat."

He chuckled. "No, two is enough."

Natalia sighed as she stepped back and leaned against the hood of the car. She gazed out at the city once again as she murmured, "I remember when you didn't care about your body being a church—"

"A temple."

"—and you just completely devoured those doughnuts when we were younger."

"And do you remember how skinny I was?" he pointed out with a wrinkled nose. "No muscle."

Natalia shrugged. "You had a little muscle."

"Yeah, and now?"

She squinted her eyes as she turned to him and shrugged once more. "A little."

His playful expression fell away as an unamused one took its place. "Nat."

"What?"

He gave her a glare that caused her to chuckle. "Don't lie."

"I'm not lying," Natalia said earnestly, though she couldn't help the small giggles from coming out of her mouth as she profusely shook her head.

He scoffed, an amused smile now on his face. "You are definitely lying."

"Am I?"

"Look at this." Diego pulled his arm out of his jacket and pulled up his sleeve so that his arm was exposed. He flexed. "Does this look like a little?"

Natalia kept herself from looking at his muscles for too long as she shrugged and lied, "Yeah."

"You're blind," he scoffed as he rolled his sleeve down and slipped his arm through the jacket. "Teen me didn't even have half of this."

"Really?" she asked with her best confused expression plastered on. "Looks the same to me."

"Nat."

"Okay, kidding." She grinned. "You're very strong."

Diego winked. "I know."

Natalia smiled before shifting closer to him. She rested her head on his shoulder, and her smile grew as she felt him snake his arm around her waist.

She gazed out at the water, watching as the stronger winds created small ripples.

"So," she murmured after a few moments, "you said you come here when you need to think."

"Mhm," he hummed in confirmation.

"Still don't totally believe you can do that" —she grinned as he lightly pinched her waist— "but think about what?"

"Couple of things," he answered with a small shrug. "I come here after my boxing matches to, you know, clear my head. When Klaus gets on my nerves . . . which is often. When I want peace and quiet to think about you."

"Me?" she repeated softly, turning her head to face him.

"Mhm," he hummed as he looked toward her and gave her a small smile. "Gets too loud where I live."

"What do you think about me?"

"Well, before you came to my door, drunk" —he chuckled as she playfully elbowed him— "it was about how much I missed you, and wondering what you were up to. I think one reason I never got over you was because I could never stop thinking about you."

She blushed. 

He let out a long sigh and looked toward the water. "But after . . . it was just wondering if I did something wrong."

"Wrong?"

"I thought that maybe the night you came, I just" —he shrugged— "said something, or did something that made you doubt your love."

"No," she said softly, "of course not."

"Well, I know that now." He smiled as he looked down at her. He then tilted his head, his eyes squinting as he added on, "I was also a little worried that Klaus would say some stupid shit to you."

"He has said some stupid shit to me," she agreed with a small chuckle. "But I guess he's kinda the reason I came to your door tonight."

Diego raised his eyebrows mildly. "Yeah?"

"Mhm."

"Well, I guess he can be of help," he murmured as he straightened up and faced her body. He placed his hands on her waist, tightening his clasp on them as he added, "Sometimes."

"Just a bit."

"Allison, too," he continued as his eyes roamed down her body (though most of it was covered by her jacket). "She picked out a great dress."

Natalia nodded in agreement. "Your siblings are very helpful."

"Thank God for them." He then paused. "Also hate them, but . . . not right now."

"Oh," she scoffed lightly, "you're just as sentimental as ever."

Diego chuckled as he rested his forehead against hers. "Just for you, baby."

She had no time to answer as he captured her lips in hers, and she gave a soft hum as she cupped his cheeks.

The kiss was gentle at first, as their lips slowly moved in synchrony, but as soon as Diego slipped his tongue inside her mouth, it became passionate.

Her lips moving quickly with his and her arms now wrapped around his neck, Natalia suddenly found herself pressed up on top of the hood of the car. The metal underneath her was cold against her back, though she hardly paid any attention to it as she tried to pull Diego as close as possible.

Diego's hands slid down to her hips, and her heart rate picked up as he tightened his grip and slightly caressed her hips with his thumbs.

After a few minutes, Diego pulled away, his breath a little short. His eyes flickered over her face, and a small smirk tugged at his lips as he whispered, "My place?"

"I don't know," she murmured, finding amusement as his eyes grew worried. "You didn't eat that third doughnut."

She giggled as he rolled his eyes and took her hand. He pulled her off the hood before gesturing for her to take her seat, and he grabbed the box—which had one doughnut left—before tossing it into the back seat and going into the driver's seat.

Diego drove a little above the speed limit, and they arrived at the boxing gym in less time than they were supposed to.

Leaving the box in the car, Diego pulled Natalia out and quickly fished his key out of his pocket (it was a little past eleven; the gym was closed).

She could feel both her excitement and nerves growing higher as he pulled her towards his room, and as soon as the door to his room opened, he smashed his lips against hers.

She let out a small squeal as he picked her up and closed the door with his foot before bringing her down to the landing. He put her down, though he kept his lips attached to hers as they pulled their jackets off and stumbled closer to his bed.

Before they could reach the bed, however, Diego roughly pushed her against the wall. He tilted his head to deepen the kiss, and pressed his hips against hers so that she could feel his growing bulge through his jeans.

Her arms around his neck loosened as he began to trail kisses down her neck, and she let out a soft hum of satisfaction as his lips roamed further down. He sucked at the skin on her chest, making her moans grow louder, and she was sure that bruises would soon develop as he continued to kiss her.

"This dress looks amazing on you," he murmured into her ear, causing a shiver to run down her spine. "Shame it has to come off."

He returned to her lips, and she felt her heart jump as he unzipped the back of her dress. She quickly slipped her arms out of the sleeves so that the dress fell to the ground around her feet.

Natalia tugged his shirt upwards, and their lips parted for a moment as he pulled the shirt over his head and tossed it to the side.

Diego quickly placed his lips back on hers, and she allowed her hands to roam the soft skin of his shoulders as he swiftly unbuckled his belt and let that and his pants join the heap of clothing.

His fingers quickly made their way to the back of her bra, and he, quite easily, unhooked it and pulled it off.

"You're experienced in taking bras off, hm?" Natalia murmured as he began to kiss the swell of her breasts.

"You know it." He paused his kisses for a moment to wink up at her. He straightened up and quickly pressed his lips against hers once more, the taste of the vanilla icing from his last doughnut mixing into her mouth.

Natalia's hands roamed through his short hair before reaching the back of his neck, and she clasped it tightly. She gave a small groan as Diego began to grind his hips against hers.

Diego removed his lips from hers and nibbled her earlobe before murmuring, "I wanna hear you moan my name, baby."

Natalia had no choice but to heed as he pushed her hips further into hers, and the moan of his name passed easily through her lips.

"God," Diego breathed out as he began to nip at her neck, "I've missed that."

The two of them gradually made their way over to the bed, and Natalia gave a small giggle as Diego pushed her down onto it and crawled on top of her.

He had the biggest smirk on his face as he pulled the curtain close, and he raised his eyebrows as he neared his lips to hers. "How you like the curtain now?"

"You know what," she murmured as she cupped his cheeks and brought his face close enough so that their lips were brushing against each other. She matched his gaze as she whispered, "I don't think it's that useless anymore."

Diego gave a low chuckle of agreement before placing his lips upon hers once more.

Her hands infused with his short hair as his fingers teasingly toyed with the top of her underwear, and she lightly tugged the strands as he slid her underwear off and trailed kisses down her body.

She could feel the fire in her stomach grow hotter as his kisses became lower and lower, and she let go of his hair to then grasp the pillow that her head was rested upon.

She gave a short gasp as he began to nibble her inner thigh, and a small plea escaped her lips as she felt her desire grow stronger by the second.

Diego smirked against her skin as he grew closer and closer to the spot she needed him in, and, quickly, he fulfilled her wish. His hot tongue stroked between her legs, his rhythm strong and steady as he tightly gripped her thighs. 

His pace only grew faster as she moaned his name, and her clutch on the pillow became so tight that her nails dug into her palms through the thin fabric.

Before she knew it, she felt her body become overwhelmed with spasms of pleasure, though she was once again drenched in desire as he crawled his way back up toward her.

Natalia cupped his cheeks and pulled him in, allowing his tongue to roam the inside of her mouth as his hands outlined her body. Her hands swiftly moved to the back of his neck, trying to pull him as close as possible as he gripped her hips tightly. 

After a few moments, she separated her lips from his and gently pushed him onto his back. She kissed him once more and smirked as his grip on her weakened.

She swung one leg over and straddled his hips, loving the sound of his groan as she shifted forward slightly and kissed him. She could feel his bulge growing harder underneath her and slowly trailed the tips of her fingers down his chest before eventually reaching the top of his boxers.

She tugged them down, fully aware of the fact that Diego's eyes were fixed on her every move as she shifted downwards. She could hear his breathing grow heavier, and as her gaze locked with his, she could see the hunger glinting in his brown eyes.

It wasn't long until his fingers were the ones twisted up in her hair as she placed his tip in her mouth, slowly allowing more and more of his shaft inside. She began to bob her head, using her hands to caress the top in a matching rhythm.

Natalia felt nothing but pleasure as she heard Diego moan her name. The feeling only increased as he finally came into her mouth, and she swallowed it, holding back a gag. She climbed back over him and crashed her lips against his once more.

Diego wrapped one hand around her, pressing her as close as he could to his body while his other hand reached out of the curtain and opened a nearby drawer. He grabbed a condom, and, while keeping his lips attached to hers, he quickly ripped the packaging open and took it out.

He flipped her onto her back before sliding the condom on and kissed her once more as he slowly spread her legs.

Natalia could hardly even think anymore. She just had one thing running through her mind: She needed him.

He settled between her legs and positioned himself so that his tip was at the entrance to her body. He paused, however, and looked up at her as he murmured, "You sure about this?"

Natalia's breathing was uneven as she assured him, "I'm sure."

He smirked before he entered her, keeping his movement slow so that she could adjust to his size. Soon, his thrusting became faster, and, eventually, he continued at a strong and even pace that shook the bed.

Moans and cries of his name escaped Natalia's lips without a second thought, and over all the pleasure and satisfaction that came over her, she felt one thing the most: this was right.

The voice that had always nagged her before was absolutely, positively, one hundred percent right.

With every second that passed, she only grew more sure of the answer:

Diego was the one.