Chapter 24
If asked, Gunter could regale you with the full history of magic in the world, the main mage lineages and how they splintered off—including their specialties—and any other amount of niche magical knowledge.
But modern tech? A little outside his field. For that matter, when was the last time he’d gone shopping for a car?
By himself?
Gunter actually strained his brain trying to remember. Maybe…never?
That said, he was determined to do this right. He’d researched online, he’d found the right car (he hoped), and it was just a matter of swinging by the dealership in Sonthofen and picking one up.
In theory.
Theory got dashed to smithereens pretty quickly. Barely five minutes into the sales room, in fact.
Gunter looked at the sales clerk and repeated, “You don’t have that model?”
“I’m sorry, sir, we’re completely out of stock,” she said with an apologetic smile. “We sold our last model this morning.”
“Oh.” Gunter stared at the sea of parked cars, at a loss now.
He had no idea what else to pick. Every car at the castle had been something picked out by someone else, and Gunter had purchased his because he’d liked what Baldewin had chosen.
No deep thought had gone into it. Without having done research on any other model, Gunter wasn’t sure what to choose. Who would know cars?
Cameron was an engineer….
Wait, that was a good thought. Gunter gave her a staying motion. “Hold on, please. Let me call for a second opinion.”
“Of course.”
Gunter tried Cameron first, as Cassie would get far too much mileage out of this. Cameron was more inclined to be helpful.
“Hi, Gunter.” Cameron sounded a little surprised, for some reason. “The world must be ending for you to call me.”
“Uh, no, nothing like that. I’m just a bit perplexed. I came to the dealership to pick up a car, but the model I researched isn’t available. I don’t know what else to get that might be good.”
“New car? Are you looking to replace yours?”
“No, no, it’s fine. This one’s for Nikki.”
There was a digestive pause. Then a smirk visible in the tone. “Ooooh. It’s for Nikki. I see.”
Gunter sighed. Maybe he shouldn’t have called Cameron.
“Gunter, you playboy, are you finally courting Nikki openly?”
“I’m trying to,” Gunter grouched at him. “Assuming our clan consort stops being annoying and helps me.”
“Put your RDF away, you’ll scare the nice employees of the dealership. I’ll help you. Alright, so what did you pick and why?”
Gunter didn’t trust this mood of Cameron’s but obligingly answered.
He’d chosen a car that was a little smaller because Tori had reported that the size of the car made Nikki a little anxious, so a smaller car would fit them better.
And of course something durable. He wanted something with good safety ratings so even if Nikki were in an accident, they’d be protected.
Cameron rattled off two models that might work, Gunter relayed this information to the sales clerk, and she was happy to inform him they had one in stock. In red, no less, which was a favorite color of Nikki’s. Thank god.
She walked him outside to a side lot, and Gunter looked the car over with a careful eye. On the smaller side and with a full list of safety features on an info sheet that he approved of. It was cute, too. Nikki should have cute things. They were suited to cuteness.
“I think this one will work,” he said finally, with satisfaction. “If you could get the paperwork started for this, under the Burkhard account. I believe we have one on file here.”
Her eyes slowly widened with realization. “Oh! Y-you’re one of the Burkhards?”
“Right. Put this under the name of Nikki Burkhard.”
She looked a little starry-eyed for some strange reason, nodded like a bobble head, and promptly went back into the store, through a door marked employees.
“Nikki Burkhard, eh? Things going that well?”
Gunter sighed and pulled the phone back up to his ear. “You can’t stop teasing, can you?”
“That was actually a very serious question.”
Yes, he did sound serious. “Nikki barely remembers much from their childhood. And they’ve made no hint of wanting to leave us. I think Nikki will choose to stay, even if we don’t work out. That said…I want us to work out. Which is why I’m trying to do this courting thing right.”
Gunter wasn’t sure if buying a car was the right tactic, honestly.
Nikki still had moments when the walls closed in on them and they had to escape outside for a few hours.
But Gunter hoped with a car and a clear method for freedom, the urge to leave would die down.
When Nikki had more choice in the matter—to stay or go—surely the urge to escape would fade away.
He prayed it worked out that way and didn’t go the other direction, encouraging Nikki to leave altogether.
He really, really hoped he was doing the right thing.
“Gunter, you just brought a tear to my eye. Such a sweet declaration. But the car is kind of a practical gift. You sure that’s how you want to start the ball rolling?”
“It’s part one of my gift,” Gunter corrected. “I got them a tree, too.”
“A…tree. Um, okay, I gotta ask. Why?”
“I think they’ll like the tree. It’s an alder, a very powerful tree.”
“Uh…the logic is there, swirling and swirling, but it’s not connecting. Seriously, why a tree?”
The sales clerk was back, this time with the paperwork in hand. Gunter really shouldn’t be trying to explain this while buying his present; he had to be available for questions. “I’ll explain it later, okay? I have to go. Thanks, Cameron.”
“Good luck. You might need it.”
Gunter hung up with a snort. No, he didn’t. He had this all planned out perfectly. To the clerk, he said, “I’ll pay for this in all cash. I can drive it off the lot today, correct?”
“Sure, we can do so quickly if this is a cash purchase.”
Perfect.
Gunter had both presents all set up with bows on them, in their separate locations, waiting to be given at the right moment, which fortunately appeared after lunch.
He drew Nikki out of the dining hall and toward the garage in the main courtyard.
It was a quicker trip from here to there than it would have been climbing up the stairs from his library.
Nikki went along, hand in his, expression curious. “Where are we going?”
“A surprise gift for you.”
“Ooh. I love surprises. The good kind, anyway. Although I’m really curious about why we’re going outside for this one.”
“It’s too big to fit through the doors, for one.”
“I’m now more and more curious.”
Gunter opened the garage door, displaying the cute little red car in all of its shiny glory. Then he stepped back with a voilà sort of motion. “Your car.”
Nikki stared at it for a full minute, then at Gunter. “I…suddenly feel like maybe my hearing has left me in my young age. Did you just say your car? As in, this is mine?”
“It’s yours. I know you’re still in the process of learning for your license, but I want this to be available to you when you are ready.”
Nikki walked forward in a daze, looking it over, lightly touching the hood with fingertips. The growing delight on their face made it clear this was a welcome gift, one they liked the look of. That had been one of Gunter’s fears, that Nikki wouldn’t like his choice. But it seemed unfounded.
Opening the driver’s door, they slid inside and sat there, both hands on the wheel, taking in the interior. “It’s so sleek and cool. And it fits me; it’s not big like Tori’s car.”
“I bought it hoping it would be a better size for you.”
“It’s perfect.” Nikki slid back out, sprinting to him and catching Gunter in a fierce hug. Then they peppered Gunter’s face with kisses, grinning from ear to ear. “I love it. This is a seriously expensive gift, though, are you sure?”
Catching Nikki about their waist, he gave a gentle caress against their chin. “Nikki, I want to be honest with you. I do have a few fears where we’re concerned.”
Nikki blinked up at him, those wide purple eyes blank. “What fears? Have I said something—”
“No, it’s not what you’ve said. Rather, it’s more how we met?
” Gunter didn’t know how to phrase any of this right, and was fairly sure he was about to make a hash out of it all.
But he had to try anyway because the uncertainty was eating away at him.
“You were coming out of captivity, and Ravi literally threw you to me on a battlefield. And since then, you haven’t left my side. ”
Now those eyes narrowed, as if studying Gunter and coming to their own conclusions. “You’re afraid of this being hero worship. Aren’t you?”
“A little?” A lot, really, but Gunter wasn’t about to admit that.
“Gunter, seriously, have you not looked at you?” Nikki waved a hand up and down in elaborate illustration. “Of course I took one look and wanted to lick you like a popsicle.”
“Oh.” A flush lit Gunter’s cheeks; he could feel the heat of it. “Oh, um, is that why?”
“At first, sure. When I got to know you better, I decided I really liked you. And I still wanted to lick you like a popsicle. It’s why I was so happy when you finally made a damn move.
” Nikki shook their head in exasperation.
“Is that what held you back from me, all this time, no matter how many hints I gave you? You were afraid my desire for you would fade?”
Gunter shrugged a little. It was something he’d wrestled with; he couldn’t pretend otherwise.
“I kissed you twice and you still dragged your feet,” Nikki muttered. “I guess I now get why. You do understand now my feelings for you are absolutely not going to die off, right? I’m not going to ever choose someone who is not you. You’re the only one I want.”
Joy and relief swept through Gunter in a dazzling rush, his knees trembling from the force of it. Nikki’s arms wrapped around his waist as he said, “And you’re the only one I’ll ever want.”
“Good.” And when Nikki kissed him, it was more than good—it was everything.