I Think We Already Built A Forever
The first fight happened over closet space.
Which honestly felt deeply unfair considering Adrian technically owned an entire penthouse.
But apparently—
according to him—
Lia's sweaters were "invading structural organization."
"You color-coded my hoodies."
Adrian didn't even look guilty.
"They were chaotic."
Lia stared at him from the middle of the bedroom holding three folded sweaters while Adrian calmly reorganized the closet like a man preparing military operations.
Morning sunlight poured through the windows behind him, catching against the silver watch resting on his wrist.
Beautiful.
Annoyingly beautiful.
Which made arguing with him significantly more difficult.
"You realize normal people don't reorganize closets at eight in the morning?"
Adrian adjusted another hanger slightly.
"You left your jeans folded incorrectly."
"That is not a real sentence."
A faint smile touched his mouth.
"It bothered me."
God.
Living together really exposed how insane he actually was.
Lia dropped dramatically backward onto the bed.
"You're emotionally attached to organization."
"I'm emotionally attached to you."
The answer came instantly.
Without hesitation.
Like breathing.
Lia physically covered her face with one hand.
"That should not have worked."
"But it did."
Unfortunately—
it absolutely did.
A quiet laugh escaped Adrian before he finally walked away from the closet toward the bed.
His expression softened automatically the second he looked at her properly.
Always that.
Always the immediate softness.
Like his entire nervous system changed around her.
"You're dramatic this morning."
"You alphabetized my skincare."
"You were searching for cleanser yesterday."
"That does not justify this."
Adrian sat beside her slowly before his hand settled naturally against her thigh.
Warm.
Comforting.
Necessary now.
Lia noticed that too.
Somehow every conversation between them eventually became physical.
Small touches.
Hands brushing.
Foreheads resting together.
Like closeness had become its own language between them.
Adrian's thumb moved slowly against her leg while he studied her face carefully.
"You stayed up too late reading again."
"You fell asleep on top of me."
A faint flicker crossed his face.
"You looked comfortable."
Heat rushed instantly into her cheeks.
Because honestly?
She had been.
That was the terrifying part.
Lia rolled onto her side slightly to face him better.
"You know what's weird?"
His eyes softened immediately.
"What?"
"This already feels normal."
The confession settled quietly between them.
Not dramatic.
Just honest.
Because somehow—
living together no longer felt new anymore.
It felt natural.
Like waking up beside Adrian and finding his coffee already waiting in the kitchen had become part of her life frighteningly fast.
Adrian's gaze stayed fixed completely on her.
Then softly—
"It feels normal to me too."
The roughness in his voice wrapped tightly around her chest.
Because Adrian sounded affected by that realization.
Almost overwhelmed by it.
His fingers slid lightly against her thigh again while his expression softened further.
"I used to think permanence would scare me."
Lia blinked softly.
"And now?"
A quiet breath escaped him.
"Now I think I've been lonely my entire life without realizing it."
The confession shattered straight through her heart.
Because Adrian said it so calmly.
Like he'd only recently understood the difference between existing and actually being loved.
Lia reached for him instinctively, fingers brushing softly through his dark hair.
Immediate reaction.
Always immediate.
His eyes closed briefly while his shoulders relaxed under her touch.
"You really like when I touch your hair."
A quiet laugh escaped him.
"You really enjoy pointing that out."
"It's cute."
Adrian opened his eyes slowly.
Dark.
Warm.
Completely ruined for her.
"You make me soft."
The honesty wrapped painfully around her chest.
Because Adrian Monteverde probably hated softness before her.
Saw it as weakness.
Something dangerous.
But now?
Now he leaned into it with her.
Wanted it from her.
Lia shifted closer across the bed until their knees brushed.
Immediate reaction.
His hand slid automatically to her waist.
Protective.
Natural.
"You know what I realized last night?" she whispered softly.
His thumb brushed lightly against her waist.
"What?"
Lia looked around the bedroom slowly.
At the closet filled with both their clothes.
Her books scattered beside his.
His watch resting beside her hair ties on the dresser.
Tiny domestic evidence everywhere.
Then back at him.
"I think we already built a forever without noticing."
Silence crashed softly between them.
Heavy.
Tender.
Adrian stared at her like she'd physically reached inside his chest and touched something fragile.
Then slowly—
his composure cracked completely.
Not dramatic.
Not messy.
Just visibly emotional.
A sharp breath escaped him while his forehead dropped lightly against hers.
"You can't say things like that casually."
The roughness in his voice nearly ruined her emotionally.
Lia smiled faintly.
"You say devastating things every day."
"That's different."
"How?"
Adrian's hand tightened carefully at her waist while his eyes stayed closed for a second longer.
Then finally—
because Adrian never lied to her—
"When you talk about forever with me," he whispered softly, "it feels real enough to hurt."
The confession wrapped tightly around her heart.
Because suddenly—
Lia understood something terrifying.
Adrian no longer loved her like someone hoping she'd stay.
Now—
he loved her like someone already planning the rest of his life around her existence.
And maybe the most dangerous part?
She was doing exactly the same thing.