"Hey," Dominic whispered against her ear. His breath ca out warm, threaded with the faintest hint of coffee.
Celeste stirred.
He gathered her hair in his palm and lifted it gently, exposing the delicate line of her neck. He felt the smooth texture of her new hair, and smiled.
Dominic kissed her earlobe slowly, and reverently, as if reacquainting himself with a piece of her he’d been starved of for too long.
A faint moan escaped her lips. She wasn’t fully awake yet. Her body moved instinctively, rolling away from him, and nestling into the pillow.
Dominic let her. He smiled into the hush of the room, and dropped a kiss on the crown of her head.
"I’m back, sweetheart," he whispered, his voice laced with both relief and patience.
Her brows furrowed in her sleep, confusion stitching across her face. "Dominic?" she murmured, her eyes still closed, with her voice weighted with drowsy disbelief.
Dominic’s lips curved.
He pressed his mouth to her hair again and whispered with that rare, quiet joy that had been missing from him for days away. "Yes, baby. I’m back."
Her eyes flew open, and in one fluid motion, she rolled onto him, pulling him by the neck with a sudden fierce strength.
The sheer urgency of her embrace stunned him. He hadn’t expected it. He had expected a hug, but not this raw, and imdiate.
However, he yielded instantly, tightening his arms around her waist and drawing her closer, until their bodies t like magnets starved of touch.
"I’ve missed you," Celeste breathed, her face buried against his shoulder blade. Her voice broke in a way that undid him.
His chest tightened. He buried his face in her hair, inhaling her scent like he needed it to breathe again. "I couldn’t wait to see you," he murmured, each word weighted with truth.
Her arms clung tighter, with an intention to never let him go.
The silence stretched between them, but it wasn’t empty. It was full. Full of everything left unsaid in his absence.
Finally, she pulled back just enough to look at him. Her eyes shimred even in the faint glow from the lamp. "You surprise a lot, you know that, right?" she whispered. "You didn’t tell you’re on your way."
Dominic tilted his head, a half-smile playing at his lips. "I didn’t want to keep you up, waiting." He kissed her on the lip. "I love you."
Celeste smiled at him.
Dominic reached to the side of the bed and dragged forward a bouquet of tulips, freshly cut, and still carrying the coolness of the night air.
The pinks and white flowers blushed softly under the lamplight, and the soft glowing neon room night ti light. He set them in her hands.
Her eyes widened. "Tulips," she whispered, stroking the petals as though they were too fragile to hold. "You rembered."
"I rember everything about you." His voice dropped lower with sincerity. "Especially the little things."
Celeste kissed him. Her lips molded to his with a desperate tenderness. Dominic’s hands tangled in her hair, pulling her deeper, and savoring the taste of her like a man who’d walked through fire to reach water.
When she pulled back, breathless, she touched his cheek. "You’re ridiculous. And you... spoil ."
He smirked, and reached to his side again, and revealed another box. Then another, and another. They were three boxes stacked carefully, and wrapped in rich, dark paper with gold ribbon.
Celeste laughed, the sound bubbling out of her. "Dominic!" Her voice carried a soft surprise.
"Open them," he said simply.
She sat up straighter, untying the first ribbon with shaky fingers. Inside was a velvet case. She opened it and gasped softly. Inside was a necklace, delicate but powerful, and lined with diamonds that caught the lamplight and threw it back at her.
"Dominic..." she whispered.
He leaned back against the headboard, watching her. His smile was quiet, and satisfied. He loves spoiling her. "Keep going." He encouraged her.
Celeste opened the second box, and revealed a small, sleek leather case. Celeste frowned curiously, opening it. And then, she froze. Inside lay a car key. Her breath caught.
"Dominic." She looked at him, her voice caught between laughter and tears. "This is—"
"Yours," he cut in smoothly. "A new one. White, just the perfect brand you like, and how you like it. It’s currently packed in the garage."
She covered her mouth, shaking her head in disbelief. "You’re.... Do you ever stop trying to outdo yourself? You make it so hard to believe I ever lived without you."
He smirked again, his hand sliding along her thigh under the blanket, grounding her. "I told you. Not enough."
Her eyes softened, overwheld. She leaned in and kissed him again, slower this ti. She gave him a lingering kiss, and smiled when his arms wrapped around her waist to deepen the kiss.
She pulled back imdiately, and gave him a teasing laugh. Then, she reached the bedside table. Her hand fumbled for a wrapped object hidden behind the lamp stand. She turned, cheeks flushed, and handed it to him.
Dominic raised a brow. "What’s this?"
"Open it," she said, almost shy.
He tore through the paper and stilled. Inside was a Rolex watch, sleek, and weighty. It was silver and black in colour. The kind of gift he never expected to receive from her.
For once, Dominic looked genuinely shocked. He stared at it, then at her, his lips parting. "You got a gift?"
Celeste smiled softly, though nerves shone in her eyes. "Of course I did. Turns out yours ca in first. Did you think only you could spoil ?"
For a long mont, Dominic said nothing. He turned the watch over in his hands, the gears gleaming under the light, his jaw tightening. Then he looked at her.
"You shouldn’t have," he said softly. His voice was low, but not dismissive. It ca out more like a man struggling with the unexpected weight of being seen.
"I wanted to," she answered, firm but gentle. "You deserve it."
Dominic exhaled slowly, shaking his head with a faint smile that was equal parts disbelief and wonder. He set the watch down carefully on the table, then pulled her back into his arms, burying his face in her hair once again.
"You’ll ruin , Celeste," he whispered against her skin.
She smiled into his shoulder, closing her eyes. "That’s the plan."
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