"I love you," he whispered again.

I love you so much.

​​

I am so lucky to have you in my life.

From now on, I am content and happy.

He only said those words inwardly. Loriel didn't want to scare Elise by keep saying how much he loved her, over and over again like a madman. This relationship that they had was still very new. He must not get carried away.

"I love you too, Loriel," said Elise. Her cheeks blushed. Her mind was filled with the scene just now.

They kissed.

Oh my god...

It was wonderful.

Elise was very surprised because of how it happened so effortlessly. It was her first kiss, but it felt so natural and pleasant with him. Was all first kiss like this? It was sweet and adorable.

Everything just felt right when it was with Loriel. Maybe, when one did it with the right person, first kiss, and all other firsts would feel natural like this?

She didn't feel awkward kissing him. In fact, she actually liked it very much. She loved the feeling of his lips on hers, and she loved the taste when they kissed.

Both Loriel and Elise stood facing each other with their eyes locked and smiles curved up on their lips. Loriel could stay still like that and just look at Elise to his heart's content. He loved her so much.

When they finally kissed, he felt so damn happy. Loriel had never been this happy in fifteen centuries. He missed her so much. He missed their intimacy...

Even though they lived under the same roof, he had to hold back and didn't even try to do anything that could make Elise feel awkward or threatened. He really trod carefully with their relationship.

And today, all his efforts and meticulous care paid off.

"Ahh.. you make me so happy today," Loriel stepped forward and hugged Elise tightly. Elise slowly wrapped her hands around his waist and hugged him back.

Mmm... this was the first time for her to hug the man in this manner. He had hugged her several times in an innocent setting, like when he congratulated her for her new job, or when he consoled her after her father passed away.

On all those occasions, Elise felt nothing but a friendly hug from him. But now.. her heart was pounding and she felt slightly nervous. However, the hug also felt nicer. It gave her warm and fuzzy feelings inside.

"I have Christmas gifts for you," Loriel said after he was satisfied hugging her. He just remembered that he still needed to give his Christmas gifts to Elise. He had worked hard to knit a sweater and two scarves for her in the colors that would look good on her.

Winter was not as cold as usual this year, perhaps due to global warming. So, he used thinner yarns so the sweater and scarves wouldn't feel too warm to wear together with her overcoat when she went outside.

Loriel kissed Elise's forehead and let her go from his hug. "Let me get them for you."

Elise was dazed. She really liked Loriel's warm embrace and felt kind of lost when he let go of his hug. She walked behind Loriel and followed him. "Gifts? Don't you give me enough already?"

"No.. no... this is special," said the man happily. He reached out his hand and held Elise's hand. She held it and they walked together, holding hands toward the Christmas tree near the antique fireplace that was kept for decoration.

Loriel bent down and took out one of the biggest boxes on the floor. He gave it to Elise with a broad smile. "This is for you."

Elise pressed her lips, looking pleasantly surprised. "This box is big, What is this?"

Loriel winked at her and said, "Open it. It's something to keep you warm. Just tear open the ribbon over here."

He gave her instruction on how to unwrap his gifts and watched her do it with a happy smile plastered on his face. He really hoped Elise would like his gifts. He spent countless hours knitting them. They were made with love.

Elise took the box and sat on the sofa nearby. Excitedly, she unwrapped the box and opened the lid. Once she saw what's inside, she squealed in delight. "Oh my gosh... this is amazing! The scarves and sweater are sooo beautiful!"

Loriel puffed up his chest when he heard her compliment. Ah... so, she liked them, he thought.

"Try put them on..." Loriel said to Elise. "I want to see if they will look good on you."

Elise did what he asked. She wore the sweater and scarf from the box. They fit perfectly, and she didn't need to worry about cold anymore. This sweater was not too thick but also was not too thin. It was perfect.

"They look so good," Elise kissed Loriel on the cheek to show her gratitude. "Thank you so much."

"Ahh.. don't mention it," said Loriel, feeling like he was floating in the cloud. "I am just glad you like them. I knitted them in my spare time."

"What? You knitted them yourself?" Elise was dumbfounded.

She really liked the scarves and the sweater. The ones that Loriel gifted her looked so good that she thought the man bought them from the high-end store.

However, apparently, Loriel made them himself?

"Yes. Didn't I tell you that I love knitting?" Loriel asked Elise. "I wanted to gift you with something special, something handmade. So, I decided to knit you a sweater and scarves so my gifts will be useful for you."

"Ahh... you are right! These are the best gifts," Elise said with a smile. She was touched when she realized Loriel must have spent so much time on them and he knitted them with care. The knitting was perfect and it felt so comfortable to wear. "I love them."

This man never ceased to impress her. Elise could only imagine the hours he spent on her sweater. Ahh.. he was such a dream boyfriend, she thought.