"Do you remember how to breathe?" he asked with a smile, moving in close to me.

"I don't recall," I replied, batting my eyelashes.

He left me breathless. Despite the laid-back Viking vibe suiting him down to the ground, I couldn't deny that the outfit made him look even more handsome.

"I saw you grab the black dress before you went to shower and I thought it'd be fun if we dressed alike," he said, buttoning up his cuffs.

His beard and hair stood out even more against the dark outfit. I was lost for words, overwhelmed by what I was feeling in that moment.

"You look stunning," I assured him, moving in closer to examine him more closely.

"Thanks. Do you know how to braid?" he asked, giving me a kiss and turning to face the mirror to detangle his long, damp locks.

"Yeah, do you want me to do one for you?" I asked, and he nodded with an excited smile.

"I love them, but I'm rubbish at doing them and always end up with a bun," he said, as I went to fetch one of the transparent hair ties from my makeup bag; when I returned, he was already sitting on the floor, at the edge of the bed, so I could sit comfortably.

I brushed his hair, which was already detangled, and began to braid it slowly, making sure it was perfect.

"If you had a longer beard, you could braid that too," I joked.

"I've been thinking about it for a while, but I didn't know if you'd think it was a daft idea," he said, stroking his beard with his fingers.

"Why would I think it's a bad idea?" I asked, puzzled.

"I don't know, because it would look like I'm a tramp," he laughed.

"A very handsome and sexy one," I added, adjusting his head so he'd look up.

"Blimey, you didn't say 'we're not dating'!" he laughed, and I smiled back at him with amusement.

"I'm starting to think we are dating," I said, teasing him.

"Really?" he asked, turning to me with a happy expression, and I adjusted his head again, trying to hide my smile.

"Add clumsy to the list of handsome and sexy," I leaned in to give him a kiss on the head.

As I braided his hair, Erik gently stroked my ankles. When I finished, he gazed at himself in the mirror with the look of a kid who'd just received their dream gift.

"I love it," he said, moving his head to see himself from different angles.

It was a simple braid, no big secret to it, but it seemed to be something very special to him.

"I can do it for you anytime you want," I offered, and he nodded, wrapping his arms around me. "And if you grow your beard long, too," I added, softly kissing his lips. If it was important to him and the only reason he hadn't grown his beard that long was because he thought I'd dislike it, I wanted to show him it wasn't the case.

"I'm the luckiest man in the world with you," he whispered, gently stroking my face.

"You'll regret it, yet," I said with a smile, looking into his loving eyes.

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"Do we go or do you need more time?" he asked, softly kissing my nose.

"I'm ready," I replied.

We left the hotel, and despite wearing warm clothing, the air was freezing, so the dress didn't provide the warmth I needed. Erik pulled me close to shield me from the cold, but when we arrived at the restaurant, I felt relieved to enter a warm and cozy space.

Erik gave his name and a waitress led us to a long table where some of his colleagues were already seated, who, upon seeing him so elegant and with his hair braided, smiled and teased him, hugging him affectionately.

I knew some of them from the day before, but other faces were new. Erik introduced me to his colleagues and their partners, and for the first time in a long while, I felt like I wanted to belong to something more than just being myself.

"Are you sure you're Scottish?" Joe asked, arriving with a blond man who must be Sam. "You look stunning," he said, giving me two kisses. "Let me introduce you to Sam," he said, and the man, who had a bright and sweet smile, greeted me warmly, saying that Joe hadn't stopped talking about me all day.

"I hope it's been good," I said, and Sam nodded with a cheerful smile.

"Is Hanna with your sister?" Erik asked, shaking Joe's hand and giving him a hug.

"Yeah," Joe replied. "What time are you leaving tomorrow?"

"10:00am?" Erik asked, not sounding very convinced.

"10:30am" I clarified to both of them.

"That's early, I doubt we'll have time to say goodbye," he commented with a hint of annoyance.

"We can catch up when we get back, I'd love to meet her," I said, and Joe lit up with a smile.

We settled in at the table and the others didn't take long to arrive. I spent most of the dinner chatting with Sam, who, although he didn't speak Spanish, had a very clear accent and spoke slowly, allowing me to understand him. He was very kind and I could clearly see why Joe had fallen for him. He was one of those people with a natural talent for winning others over, like Joe.

After dinner, they decided to go for drinks at a nearby spot. Erik was in his element, laughing and joking with his friends, and the more I saw him enjoying himself, the more I fell for him hopelessly. He was the embodiment of joy.

"I know that look," Sam said, sitting down beside me and placing his hand on my knee in a conspiratorial manner. "How long have you two been together?" he asked, and I took a sip of my drink.

"In theory, we're not together, but... we've been practically living together for a couple of months," I explained, smiling, and he told me that a friend of his had started out the same way with her boyfriend, living together before becoming an official couple.

"And how's it going for them?" I asked, interested.

"Oh, very well, they complement each other perfectly, they're a match made in heaven," Sam smiled, observing how Joe was playfully tugging on Erik's braid.

"If it were up to Erik, we'd have been together for two months, but... it's hard for me," I admitted, feeling a lump in my throat.

"Did someone hurt you?" Sam asked, and I nodded, remembering the pain of the past.

"I was with my ex for 20 years and... he cheated on me with someone else after asking me to marry him. It's hard for me to trust," I said, stirring my drink and focusing on the ice.

"It's normal that it's hard for you to accept, but... do your ex and Erik have anything in common?" Sam asked, and I immediately shook my head.

"No, not at all, they're complete opposites. Oliver was... a liar, cruel, selfish... Erik is the complete opposite, he's an amazing person, caring and fun," I said, looking at him laughing and enjoying himself among his friends.

"Then, if they're not the same person, you shouldn't fear being hurt in the same way," Sam said, shrugging his shoulders.

I knew he was right, but every time I thought about the stability of a relationship, I felt trapped.

"I know. It's just a label, really... we're living like a couple, but it's like without putting that label on it, I feel free," I sighed.

"Honey, you're not free if you're currently a prisoner of your fears," he said, gently squeezing my knee, and I looked into his blue eyes, because he was right.

"It won't change anything, just because I accept that we're something, right?" I asked, almost as if I needed to hear it.

"It shouldn't... and if it does and you feel bad, you're still in time to run. Although, by the way you look at him, I think it's not exactly what you're thinking every time your eyes meet," he smiled, and I blushed.

"That's true," I smiled, timidly.

"Then, face your fear and take away its power," Sam recommended with a confident smile.

I nodded, because he was right. Maybe I was just acting like a scared and hurt child, but in these months, Erik had shown me not only that he was a great guy, but that I could trust him, because he wanted to make me truly happy, in a grown-up, mature, and responsible way.