I Want Every Version Of You
The first time Adrian saw Lia truly exhausted, he reacted like the world personally offended him.Not annoyed.Not irritated.Offended.Deeply.Because apparently, in Adrian's mind, the universe had no right to make her tired.
—
Tuesday night arrived quietly.The city glowed beneath soft rain while the penthouse remained warm and dim around them.
Lia sat curled at the dining table surrounded by textbooks, highlighted notes, empty coffee mugs, and emotional collapse.
Her final paper was due the next morning.
Which meant she'd been awake far too long.
Adrian walked out of his office after finishing a late meeting and stopped immediately the second he saw her.His entire expression changed.Softened.Concern replacing exhaustion instantly.
"You're still awake."
Lia blinked up slowly from her laptop.Barely functioning.
"I'm surviving."
A faint flicker crossed his face.
"That sentence concerns me."
She laughed weakly.
"Everything concerns you."
"Yes," Adrian answered calmly. "Especially when it involves you."
God.Even exhausted she still wasn't immune to him.
Adrian crossed the apartment slowly before stopping beside her chair.His hand settled automatically against the back of her neck.Warm fingers brushing lightly beneath her hair.Immediate reaction.Lia physically melted backward into the touch.A quiet breath escaped him.
"You're tense."
"I've been writing for six hours."
"You should've taken breaks."
"You sound like a disappointed yoga instructor."
A faint smile touched his mouth briefly.Gone almost as quickly.Because underneath it—he still looked worried.Really worried.Adrian glanced down at the papers scattered across the table.Then at the untouched dinner sitting near her laptop.
"You didn't eat."
Lia winced slightly.
"I forgot."
The silence that followed felt dangerous.Not angry.Worse.Emotionally distressed Adrian.His thumb brushed slowly against the side of her neck while he stared at her with growing concern.
"You forgot dinner?"
"I was busy."
"Lia."
The roughness in his voice wrapped tightly around her chest.Because Adrian sounded genuinely upset by this.Not controlling.Not dramatic.Just deeply caring in ways that physically hurt sometimes.
Lia reached for his wrist gently.
"I'm okay."
A quiet sigh escaped him.
"You say that while visibly exhausted."
Unfortunately—fair.
Adrian moved suddenly afterward.One second he stood beside her.The next—he carefully closed her laptop.
Lia blinked in disbelief.
"Excuse me?"
"You're done for tonight."
"My paper—"
"Will still exist after you eat something."
His tone stayed calm.Certain.Completely impossible to argue with.Which honestly felt deeply unfair.
Lia narrowed her eyes slightly.
"You're being bossy."
"You're running on caffeine and stubbornness."
"That is a personal attack."
A quiet laugh escaped him softly.Warm enough to make her chest ache despite the exhaustion.Then Adrian reached down and gently took her hand.
"Come here."
Something about the softness in his voice destroyed the last bit of resistance she had left.Lia stood slowly from the chair.Immediate reaction.
Adrian's hands settled instantly at her waist.Grounding himself again.Like touching her reassured him she was okay.He looked down at her carefully afterward.And suddenly—his expression changed completely.Not concern now.Something quieter.Tender enough to hurt.
"You look tired, baby."
The nickname nearly ruined her emotionally on impact.Because Adrian rarely used pet names.And when he did—they always sounded devastatingly sincere.
Lia's forehead dropped lightly against his chest before she could stop herself.Immediate reaction.His arms wrapped around her automatically.
Warm.
Protective.
Home.
"You know what's embarrassing?" she murmured softly against his shirt.
His chin rested lightly against the top of her head.
"What?"
"I think I work harder when you're around."
A faint laugh vibrated softly beneath her cheek.
"That sounds backwards."
"You make me want a future I'm proud of."
Silence crashed softly through the apartment.
Heavy.
Tender.
Adrian went completely still for one heartbeat.Then his hold around her tightened.Not enough to hurt.Just enough to feel emotional.The realization wrapped painfully around her chest.
"You say things," he whispered roughly, "that make me feel terrifying amounts of love for you."
Lia smiled weakly against his chest.
"You already feel terrifying amounts of love for me."
"Fair."
The rain outside softened further while warm silence settled around them.Then Adrian leaned back slightly just enough to look at her again.Big mistake.Because he looked absolutely gone.No walls.No distance.Just love.Everywhere.His fingers brushed gently beneath her eyes.
"You know what I want?"
Lia swallowed carefully.
"What?"
His gaze stayed fixed entirely on her face.
"I want every version of you."
The confession shattered straight through her heart.Because Adrian sounded so certain.Like he'd already accepted loving her through every stage of life without hesitation.His thumb moved softly against her cheek.
"The stressed version." A pause. "The exhausted version." Another soft stroke. "The version who forgets to eat while studying."
Heat spread painfully through her chest.Because suddenly—she realized Adrian didn't just love her at her best.He loved every fragile, messy, overwhelmed version too.
Then quieter—almost vulnerable enough to ruin her completely—
"I don't just want the easy parts of you, Lia." His forehead rested lightly against hers. "I want all of it."