The warm embrace of Heath was my favorite place to be. I don't think anything could ever change that. Even a year later, he still remains my favorite everything.

Everyday we've been together has only made our relationship stronger. Even with our small arguments, usually I'm the one coming up with the solutions. But who's really counting how many times I've been right. (Almost 10 times)

The warm summer breeze of the Italy streets welcome our hotel room with just a creek at the window. Our stay here has been everything I could ever dream of so far, the people were quite friendly and the views were just one of the many beautiful things about Italy.

Heath has been oddly nice and romantic since we've got here. Usually he's just gloomy or quiet, although in the right mood he can get quite talkative.

I traced my fingers across his bare chest, remembering that he likes this feeling. I trace over the letters of my name right above his peck.

"What if I broke your heart into pieces and left you with nothing but your thoughts and you can't remove this tattoo?" I meet his lightening blue eyes.

"Then at least I'd still have your memory whenever I looked at it." He responds passionately.

I crack a smile and reach for his thick hair to smooth out. Our sinful late night activities last night didn't do him any discomfort considering he still looked like a glowing angel.

I bet my hair was big and messy and my cheeks were red. He doesn't know that he still has the power of making me breathless and sometimes nervous with just his stare. And he shall never know because then that makes me weak.

And I'll never show weakness. Only in private or in the inside, sometimes in the bathroom stalls too. But that's only on special occasions.

"Or you could just say it's your sisters name or something." I shrug and ruffle his hair once it was already neat.

If I can't look good in the mornings he can't either.

"I'll tell everyone it was my first love." He looks so deeply into my eyes and I wait a few seconds, waiting for a 'Sike' but it doesn't come.

That must mean he's serious, which is cute but also makes me highly suspicious of why he's being so cute and cuddly.

"Enough of this soft act, Heath. What are your true intentions? Give it to me straight." I squint my eyes at him.

"Did you take me all the way to Italy to plan on ditching me here and having the dogs all to yourself? Because if so-"

"Yes, Thalia. I'm leaving you in the streets to fend for yourself. " He adds, sarcastically speaking .

"I knew you being nice was too good to be true. I just knew it. Am I smart or am I smart?" I feel quite proud right now.

"Is there another option?" His hands hold tightly onto my waist, seeking underneath my top for any bare skin.

"See? That's more like you. You insult me like that. It's our thing." I shrug, pretending not to notice or panic about his hand on my hips.

"Im nice to you." He starts, unknowingly squeezing my hips harder when he says it.

"What's your definition of nice?" I tilt my head, messing with him.

"I buy you stuff and deal with you." He struggles to find a real definition.

"Gee, you're a real sweetheart." I shake my head.

"Wait, what do you mean you deal with m-"

"You don't think I'm nice, hm?" His hand caresses my left cheek.

"Well if you're asking for my opinion. You could always be nicer..." I raise my brows before sucking my teeth.

"I'm just kidding. You and I both know that deep, deep, deep, inside you're soft. You just like to think you're not." I explain and poke his chest.

"Only because you don't piss me off like everyone else." His eyes trail over my legs and back up to my eyes.

"Aw, that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me." I playfully hold my hand against my heart.

"Shut up already." He says, sitting up and flipping us over so that he's hovering over me.

"My lips are sealed." I said quickly before feeling his hand on my jaw and he leans in closer to me.

His lips feel soft and if I knew this I would've stopped talking ages ago. This is much more fun anyways. I wrap my arms behind his neck and he backs away before staring at my face for a couple of seconds.

I catch a glimpse of a smile that he tries to hide before his lips are on me again. He's rough but in a passionate way, like he's been waiting to do this. With all my talking, he's probably been waiting ages.

"You're only nice to me so you can kiss me." I back away, furrowing my brows.

"Yeah and it works." He pecks my lips again. I let out a good chuckle at that one.

I stop is from going any further than last night so that we can get the day started with. I didn't come to Italy just to canoodle all day and night long. I came for pictures and dates.

Heath got us reservations for some fancy rooftop restaurant in a couple of hours. Apparently there's some good spaghetti there that we couldn't get anywhere else in Italy.

We peacefully enjoyed the sight at the beach together as we walked alongside the clear blue water. Who knew water could be that blue.

I wrap my hand with his and swing our arms together as we walk.

"We're at the beach, flirt with me." I nudge him on the arm.

"It can't get any more romantic than this." I look to see if he was as excited as I was, which he was but in the non smiling way.

"You look pretty today." He acknowledges and looks me up and down entirely.

"What about the other days?" I ask, catching that.

"Just take the compliment." He pushes, staring at me.

" You're a beautiful person everyday Thalia." He looks ahead of him and doesn't hide the small smile on his face as he walks.

"That nice for you?" He teased and I nod, smiling.

"You could've also just said That I'm smart and funny but that works too." I look down at the sand.

"You told me not to lie." Heath jokes, reaching out to hold me against him again.

"Come, I'll let you repay me for that insult with food and a milkshake." I let myself out of his arms and drag him along with me.

Sitting at the booth of a diner with him across from me, I share my fries because I've slowly learned to not hog my food and share. I also ordered Heath a vanilla milkshake like mine.

"I'm about to blow your mind." I wiggle my brows as I hold up a fry and dip it into my milkshake.

His eyes narrow, intensely judging me as I take a bite of the fry.

"Try it." I push but he only shakes his head.

"C'mon have I ever been wrong?" I raise a brow.

"Don't answer that." That question shouldn't have been asked.

"If you don't like it, when we get home I'll give-"

I barely finish my sentence before he dips in two fries into his milkshake and puts it all into his mouth.

I watch his expression the whole time, waiting for me to be right yet again.

"So?.." I'm eager when I can't read his face.

"It's not bad." He shrugs but reaches for another fry, doing the same thing over again.

"That means you like it. And I was right." I grab one myself and do the same as him one more time before eating them regularly.

Just as I was about to take my last bite I back away and slouch on the seat, holding onto my stomach.

"You can have the rest." I furrow my brows at the now bloated feeling I'm getting.

"You already ate all of it." He looks at the empty plate then back at me.

"Looks like I did, didn't I?" Just as I was about to say something else, I grab my stomach and lean forward.

"My stomachs hurting now. Who's idea was it to eat fries this damn early anyways?" I groan and grip onto the end of the table.

"I wonder who's the idiot that came up with that." Heath only said, no expression whatsoever.

"I feel like I'm pregnant with triplets." I reach for his hand and squeeze.

"You could be." He thinks out loud.

"You're just adding more to the pain." I lean back again and take a deep breath, staring right ahead at Heath for a couple of minutes before I'm okay again.

"I'm fine now. I was just being dramatic. Y'know me." I stand and move out of the booth.

"Let's get going." I snap my fingers on his face and he stands up, almost stumbling down and I hold in a chuckle at what I witnessed.

"Stop." He looks around to see if anyone else witnessed him almost dragging the table down with him. Unfortunately nobody else did but me.

"Why? Are you embarrassed that I almost saw you fall to the ground?" I raise my brows up at him as he pushes me out the door.

"It wouldn't be the first time I've seen you fall or on you're knees." I realize the last part sounds dirty but that's how I intended it.

"No it wouldn't be." He acts nonchalant and opens the door of our rental car for me.

"Get in." He waits until I'm inside the car before shutting the door closed.

"That's my thing." I realize when I'm inside the car, usually I'm the one opening doors for him.

"So where to now?" I ask him, putting on my dark sunglasses and handing him the same ones.

He grabs them and puts them on himself, He turns on the car before answering me finally and reversing the car.

"I'm taking you somewhere I know you'll like." That's all he tells me even when I push him to give me more details.

"Oh so basically you know a spot, cool." I nod my head, looking out the window.

"I bet you take all the girls there." I side eye him to see his reaction.

"Its how I get all the girls whenever I come to Italy." He jokes, sticking an arm of his own out the window as he drives at a steady pace.

I let of a sigh and open the window myself, copying his actions.

"I know you're joking but it's only funny when I say things like that." He brings his arm back inside and uses that one to steer the wheel, while holding my hand with the other.

"You think I'm joking?" He moves his head to glance at me for a second before returning his eyes to the main road.

"Oh. Fine, maybe I should runaway from you then, I know when I'm not wanted." I'm only joking but I'm dramatic so I say what I gotta say.

"You'd break my heart if you ever did that." I can tell he's serious now.

"Wanna make out?" I blurt out and turn my head to stare at him just as his head snaps towards me.

"Did I ruin the mood again?" I ask him but he just chuckled before focusing on the road again.

"I'll park the car." He swerved the car to the left only for me to be left stunned, I didn't think he'd actually want to go through with it.

I'm not complaining though.

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A/N

This chapter was so cute 🤩

I like writing about their relationship but it's weird bc it's like I'm flirting with myself in a way because I'm the one writing it 😃

But anyway thanks for reading 📖!

12/10/22