Lucian's POV:

I walk into the coffee shop, and there's quite a line today. The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee and sweets fills the air as usual, mingling with the soft hums of conversations. I get in line, glancing around the shop that has become familiar. A few minutes later, I'm only one person away from the counter, and that's when I see her.

My heart skips a beat at seeing her face, god I'm so whipped. She looks stunning today. Her hair is styled differently, flowing down her shoulders in soft waves, with two delicate braids on each side clipped with gold hair rings that catch the light. I can't help but notice that her cheeks have a rosy hue and brightness under her eyes. Her lips are tinted pinker than they usually are, adding to the gentle warmth in her expression. God, I can't get over how beautiful she looks.

As I wait, I overhear the conversation she's having with the guy in front of me. His tone is too cocky.

"You're very beautiful, miss," he says his voice sickly smooth as he leans slightly closer to the counter, and I wanna grab the back of his neck and slam his head onto the counter.

"Thank you," she replies politely, a small, professional smile on her lips.

He then scribbles something on the receipt she handed to him. "text me, beautiful. I'd love to take you out," he adds with a wink as he hands it back to her before walking off with a self-assured stride I want nothing more than to wipe that stupid grin off his face.

My chest tightens with jealousy. Anger surges through me as I imagine grabbing the fuck and cutting his tongue out for daring to hit on my Aurelia.

Is she going to text him? The thought nags at me, and I can't help but wonder why she kept the receipt. As I step up to the counter, these questions whirl in my mind, and my frustration only grows.

"Hi, Lucian," she greets me with that familiar smile, her eyes lighting up as she sees me.

"so, are you going to text him?" I ask, unable to keep the sharp edge out of my voice as I stare at her, searching her face for any sign of interest in that fuck.

"What are you talking about?" she asks, her brows knitting together in confusion.

I reach across the counter and grab the receipt, holding it up between us. "This," I say, my voice low, not caring that there's a line forming behind me.

"Oh," she murmurs, her gaze dropping to the slip of paper in my hand. "No, I wasn't planning to."

"Then why'd you keep it?" I press, my frustration bubbling over. All I can think about is how I should've done more than just let the guy walk away. How I wanted to tell him to back the fuck off, that she's mine.

She looks up at me, her expression gentle yet firm. "I didn't want to throw it away in front of him, Lucian. That's rude," she explains, her tone calm.

I don't respond immediately, my thoughts tangled in a mix of relief and possessiveness. She should've been rude. She's mine; she doesn't need to be nice to other guys. I want to tell her that she never has to be polite to anyone like him. But I force myself to understand, to let go of my irrational irritation. With a quiet sigh, I crumple the piece of paper and toss it into the trash behind the counter.

"My usual coffee, please," I say, my voice a bit softer now.

She nods and quickly prepares it, the familiar routine calming some of the tension I feel. As she hands me the cup, our fingers brush, sending a jolt through me. I look at her, and something shifts inside me. I don't want to leave things like this.

"I'll take you out," I tell her, my voice firmer this time. "We can talk about it more at lunch." I pause, letting the words hang between us before I add, "And you look very pretty today," my tone softer, more intimate.

Without thinking, I reach over and gently tuck a loose strand of her hair behind her ear, my fingers grazing the soft skin on her cheek. Her breath hitches slightly at the contact, and I can see a faint blush rising on her already rosy cheeks. Before she can respond, I lean in, placing a light kiss on her cheek, letting my lips linger just a moment longer than necessary.

"I'll see you later, Aurelia," I whisper in her ear, my voice low and sincere. As I pull back, I catch the surprised yet pleased? look in her eyes. and it sends a warm rush through me.

Without waiting for her reply, I turn and start my walk to the bookstore, still seething a bit inside, but now more determined to show her she's mine and no one else's.

___

It's around the time I usually take a break with Aurelia, so I head to the coffee shop to meet her. I'm pretty sure she's made us lunch again—something that makes me fall for her even more. I swear, she's the closest thing to perfection. But then, the thought of that douchebag who asked her out earlier hits me, reminding me that she probably gets hit on daily. That gnawing realization makes my chest tighten. I need to make her mine as soon as possible. I can't stand the idea of her falling for someone else.

When I walk into the coffee shop, the familiar scent of freshly brewed coffee and sweet pastries fills the air like always. I see her at the counter, checking out some customers. I take a seat where I can watch her without being too obvious. I know she's aware of my presence because she glances my way every few seconds. Each time, it's like a small jolt to my heart.

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About five minutes later, she heads into the back, and another guy takes over. When she steps out, apron off, my breath catches in my throat. She looks absolutely stunning. This morning, I couldn't see what she was wearing under her apron, but now I can see she's in a sundress. I recognize it from when she showed me her shopping cart online, full of sundresses. This one is pink, and it hugs her waist perfectly, the fabric flowing down to tease at her thighs. And those thighs—she's going to be the death of me.

As she starts walking toward me, a bag in her hands, probably with our lunch, I suddenly feel uncharacteristically nervous. I'm not usually good with words, but right now, I'm at a complete loss. I can't help but just stare at her, trying to memorize every detail of how she looks in this moment."Hi," she greets me, her voice like music to my ears. "I hope I didn't make you wait too long."I stand up, stepping so close that she has to crane her neck to look at me. The warmth of her body so close to mine sends a rush of heat through me. I tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear, my fingers lingering for a second longer than necessary. "Aurelia," I murmur, her name slipping from my lips as I try to regain my composure. The way she looks at me, with those big eyes, makes my heart race. I run my hand down her arm to her wrist, taking the bag from her, then grab her other hand, lacing our fingers together. I can't help but think how right it feels to have her hand in mine.

We're definitely driving to the park today, I think to myself. I need to get her somewhere private, away from prying eyes. The thought of some other guy even glancing at her right now... I don't know if I could handle it. Not when she looks this good. Not that she doesn't always look good, but man today I'm fucking whipped.

"We're driving today, okay?" I tell her, and she looks up at me, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.

"Oh? How come?" she asks, a smile tugging at her lips.

For a moment, I'm torn between telling her the truth—that I'm desperate to have her to myself—and keeping my feelings locked inside. Instead, I just stare at her, then shrug, looking away. I lead her to my car, every step making me more aware of how close she is. I open the door for her, placing the food by her feet and buckling her in. It's an instinctive move, something I didn't even think about, but as I pull back, I hope she doesn't think it's weird. I just want to take care of her.

I close her door and get in on my side, my fingers brushing against the keys as I start the car. The hum of the engine breaks the silence, and I hand her my phone, which is connected to the car's Bluetooth. I know she likes to listen to music while driving; she once told me how much she loves Lana Del Rey's voice and how it makes her feel calm and ethereal or something like that. She looks at the phone for a second, then at me. "Um, what's this?" she asks, her brow furrowing slightly in confusion.

"You want to play some music?" I offer, hoping it'll help me focus on driving and not on how much I want to kiss her right now.

"Oh yes!" she says excitedly, her whole face lighting up. It makes me smile too, seeing her so happy. She grabs the phone and quickly finds a Lana Del Rey song. Her excitement is contagious, and I find myself relaxing, the tension in my shoulders easing as the music fills the car.

Instead of heading to the usual park, I drive us to a clearing I discovered a while ago. The sun is warm, the sky a clear blue, and I hope she likes what I've prepared. I had it set up earlier, getting someone to cover for me at the bookstore in the morning so I could do it, granted it was last minute so it's not really all that. I pull up to the side and walk around to open her door. She lets me, and I can't help but notice how her hand feels in mine, soft and warm. I grab the food and lead her by the hand."I thought we'd do something a little different today," I say, my voice softer than usual.

She smiles, looking around at the view. "It's pretty," she says, her eyes wide with appreciation."Yeah definitely pretty," I think to myself looking at her, but instead, I just say, "Yeah, it is." I take her hand and lead her toward my setup—a simple blanket on the ground with some flowers and a small cake. I know she has a sweet tooth, and during one of our breaks she told me how much she loves strawberries, so I got her a strawberry cake. She stands still, taking it all in, then turns to look at me, her eyes shining. "Is this for us?" she asks, almost in disbelief.

"Yeah," I reply, suddenly feeling nervous again. "I hope you don't mind. I just wanted to do something for..." I trail off, my heart pounding as she suddenly jumps on me, wrapping her arms around my neck. I lean down so she doesn't strain herself, then stand up straight, her legs dangling as I wrap my arms around her waist, holding her close. She feels so good in my arms, and for a moment, I wish I could just keep her there forever.

She lets go, and I set her down gently, my hands lingering on her waist. "So, I guess you like it then?" I chuckle, feeling relieved that she's happy.

"Like it? I love it, Lucian!" she exclaims, her giggles filling the air. "This is so freaking cute," she squeals, and I can't help but grin.

I set our food down and sit, but when she goes to sit across from me, I grab her wrist and pull her down to sit next to me. I just want her close, need to feel her warmth beside me. She doesn't protest, just blushes slightly, and settles in next to me, her shoulder brushing against mine. She opens the food, revealing pasta, and we dig in. Her cooking is the best thing that's ever entered my mouth, and I can't help but eat quickly, savoring every bite. I finish my meal while she's still working on hers. She sets her food aside after getting mostly done and stares at the cake. I grab it, open it, and hand her a fork, grabbing one for myself too.

"Here, let's try this," I say, handing her the fork.

She takes a bite and moans softly, exclaiming how good it is. The sound sends a jolt straight through me, and I freeze, staring at the sky, trying to keep my thoughts in check. She doesn't realize what she does to me, how much she affects me without even trying. I take a bite of the cake, and it is good, but all I can think about is her, so I just turn my whole body towards her and just stare, shame flying right out the window. Then, she grabs a strawberry from the top of the cake, dips it into the frosting, and slowly sucks the frosting off, all innocent-like. I look away quickly, feeling the tension building inside me. *I can't handle this,* I think to myself. *I'm such a freaking wimp. There's no way I'm getting turned on by her eating a damn strawberry.*

"What's wrong, Lucian?" she asks, her voice soft and concerned.

*Don't talk to me right now,* I think, her voice only making it harder to stay composed. "Yeah, I'm good," I manage to say, forcing a smile. "You like everything?" I ask, hoping to shift the focus away from my internal struggle.

She smiles warmly, her eyes meeting mine. "Yeah, I love it. Thank you, Lucian," she says, her voice filled with genuine appreciation. "This is so nice."

"It's nothing," I reply, feeling bashful under her gaze. I can feel my face heating up and hope I don't look like a tomato right now.

After we eat some of the cake, she starts talking, her words flowing easily like she doesn't have a care in the world. As she chatters on about everything and anything, I couldn't be happier. Just being here with her, listening to her voice, it's everything I didn't know I needed.