You Belong Beside Me
Living with Adrian changed everything.
Not because he became different.
Because Lia finally saw how deeply she existed inside his daily life.
And honestly?
That realization terrified her in the best possible way.
—
Monday morning started with coffee.
Specifically—
Adrian standing barefoot in the kitchen at seven in the morning making her coffee before she even fully woke up.
Which should not have felt as intimate as it did.
Sunlight spilled softly across the penthouse while the city slowly came alive beyond the windows.
Lia wandered sleepily into the kitchen wearing one of Adrian's shirts and fuzzy socks, still half-asleep from studying too late the night before.
The second Adrian looked up and saw her—
his entire expression softened.
Immediately.
Like instinct now.
"There you are."
The rough warmth in his morning voice wrapped tightly around her chest.
Lia blinked slowly.
"You say that every single time you see me."
"That's because I like seeing you."
God.
Morning Adrian genuinely had no mercy.
He crossed the kitchen toward her without hesitation before pulling her gently against his chest with one arm.
Warm.
Sleepy.
Comfortable.
Lia melted against him instantly.
Also concerning.
Adrian pressed a soft kiss against her forehead before resting his chin lightly on top of her head.
"You should still be asleep."
"You left the bed."
A quiet laugh escaped him.
"You sound offended."
"You're warm."
The honesty made something dangerously soft flicker across his face.
Then his arm tightened slightly around her waist.
"You moved around looking for me after I got up."
Heat rushed instantly into her cheeks.
"You noticed that?"
"I notice everything you do."
Unfortunately—
that was absolutely true.
Adrian pulled back just enough to hand her a mug.
Her mug.
Not technically hers originally.
Except now it practically was because Adrian somehow memorized which coffee cup she reached for most often and always used it for her automatically.
The realization still emotionally damaged her slightly.
Lia accepted the coffee carefully.
"You made this too sweet."
"You had a long night studying."
She stared at him.
"You adjusted my coffee based on stress levels again."
A faint smile appeared.
"You complain every time and still drink it."
Because he was right.
Again.
Lia took a sip anyway while Adrian watched her far too carefully.
Then immediately—
"There."
Her brows lifted.
"What?"
"You relaxed."
His fingers brushed lightly against her waist again.
"You stop looking tense after the first sip."
The fact he knew that nearly ruined her emotionally before eight in the morning.
"How are you real?"
"You moved in with me voluntarily." A faint flicker crossed his face. "You tell me."
Warmth spread painfully through her chest.
Because Adrian still sounded amazed by that sometimes.
Still looked at her like permanence with him felt too good to fully trust yet.
The kitchen settled into soft quiet afterward.
Coffee brewing.
Sunlight warming the counters.
Adrian checking emails one-handed because the other remained possessively against her waist.
Like touching her while existing had become automatic now.
Lia leaned lightly against the counter while watching him type something on his phone.
Then suddenly—
she frowned.
"What?"
Adrian looked up immediately.
"What?"
"You changed my emergency contact information."
Silence.
Then Adrian looked back down at his phone calmly.
"You noticed."
Lia stared at him in disbelief.
"You made yourself my emergency contact?"
"You live with me."
"That is not the point."
A faint smile touched his mouth.
"If something happens to you, I should know first."
God.
The terrifying part?
That logic actually made sense to her now.
Lia physically covered part of her face with one hand.
"You're impossible."
"No," Adrian murmured softly.
His eyes lifted slowly back to hers.
"I'm serious about you."
The honesty hit hard.
Because even tiny things mattered too much to him.
Coffee cups.
Closet space.
Emergency contacts.
Every piece of commitment between them felt sacred in Adrian's hands.
The realization wrapped painfully around her heart.
Adrian noticed immediately.
"You're thinking again."
"You make normal relationship milestones feel emotionally devastating."
A quiet laugh escaped him.
Then suddenly—
his expression softened further.
Something thoughtful flickering behind his eyes.
"What?"
He set his phone down slowly before walking toward her again.
Focused entirely on her.
Lia's pulse stumbled automatically.
Because Adrian looked at her like this constantly now.
Like she was still the most important thing he'd ever touched.
His hands settled carefully at her waist before he leaned down slightly.
"You know what I realized this morning?"
Lia swallowed carefully.
"What?"
Adrian studied her face quietly for several long seconds.
Then finally—
"I stopped thinking of space beside me as empty."
The confession shattered straight through her chest.
Because he sounded almost surprised by it himself.
His thumb brushed softly against her waist through the fabric of his shirt resting on her body.
"I used to wake up and go through entire days without noticing how alone everything felt."
Then quieter—
"You changed that without even trying."
Lia stared at him silently while sunlight spilled across the kitchen around them.
And suddenly—
she imagined Adrian before her.
Cold apartment.
Empty mornings.
No sleepy girl wandering into the kitchen wearing his clothes asking why her coffee tasted different.
Nothing soft.
Nothing warm.
The realization hurt.
Adrian noticed immediately.
Of course he did.
His fingers tilted her chin gently upward.
"You look sad."
"You say heartbreaking things too casually."
A faint smile appeared briefly.
"You still stay."
The quietness in his voice nearly ruined her emotionally.
Because even now—
after moving in—
Adrian still sounded relieved every time she chose him again.
Lia reached for him first this time.
Her arms sliding slowly around his neck.
Immediate reaction.
Adrian physically softened beneath her touch while his forehead rested lightly against hers.
"You know what your problem is?" she whispered softly.
His eyes stayed fixed completely on hers.
"What?"
"You still act surprised someone loves you this much."
Silence.
Heavy.
Tender.
Then Adrian's expression cracked open completely.
Not composure.
Something deeper.
Vulnerability.
His hands tightened carefully around her waist while his voice lowered almost painfully soft.
"That's because you love me in all the places I thought were unlovable."
The confession wrapped tightly around her heart.
Lia brushed her fingers gently through his dark hair again.
And for the first time since moving in—
Adrian smiled without restraint.
Warm.
Certain.
Home.