Chapter 23

He said I'm going to have a bed with lots of pillows

And that we're going to build a house with lots of windows

~*~*~*~*~*~

Thursday, October 26, 2020

"That dress looks absolutely amazing on you, Jules," Hanna complimented me as she took me in with a smile. "Now if you'd only stop fidgeting, you'd look like royalty."

I gave her a smile as I again smoothed my dress down nervously. It was a fitted lace cocktail dress by Burberry, and its soft pink color complimented my naturally tan skin. The neckline had a V-shaped cutout detail that gave me a little bit of cleavage, but definitely not too much for a classy restaurant. I'd paired it off with white Mary Janes with a rose gold skull on the strap and rose gold jewelry. It was an amazing outfit, and Ella would've been proud of the simple but sultry makeup I'd applied. My hair fell down my shoulders and back in its usual silky smooth, straight strands. "Do you think Henry will like it?" I asked, once again smoothing the material of my dress down even though there wasn't a single wrinkle in it.

"Girl, I'm telling you this now: The sexual tension between you two will probably get you kicked out of the restaurant, especially once you see what he's wearing. He came to me for advice."

At that, I raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Henry came to you for clothing advice? Why?"

Hanna shrugged. "I guess because he knows I know you best, and I know what you like on a guy."

I snorted. "He's not showing up in jeans and a T-shirt, is he?" I didn't know what it was about that simple outfit, but I loved it on Henry. His butt looked great in jeans, and his shirtsleeves tended to span tightly around his biceps.

She laughed. "No, he's not, though I did suggest it. But you'll just have to see. Either way, it's Henry we're talking about. He always looks like a god descended from the heavens."

"True," I admitted, fighting the urge to bite my lip as I recalled what he looked like in my favorite outfit, or simple sweatpants and a sweatshirt, or naked... I shook my head, not wanting to get sidetracked now. "Did... Did Henry seem weird to you?"

Hanna frowned. "Weird how?"

"Like, nervous? I don't know, he just seemed really nervous when he asked me out last week, and he's been a bit fidgety since then. Normally, he doesn't even really ask me out. He just kind of casually suggests we go out for dinner or something, almost like an afterthought. But this time he was very formal, as if we haven't been dating for nearly eight months and he's asking me out for the first time."

A slow smile spread out over Hanna's face, reminding me eerily of the Cheshire from Alice in Wonderland. "Maybe... Maybe he's finally popping the big Q. Or maybe he's—"

"Oh. No! Shh! Stop!" I said quickly, throwing up my hands to silence her. "Don't put those thoughts in my head, or I'll be such a big bundle of nerves that I won't even be able to go out to a simple dinner."

She pressed her lips together and mimicked zipping them shut.

I took a deep breath and smoothed my dress down again for good measure before nodding at my appearance in the mirror. "All right. I'd better get downstairs before Henry gets here." I grabbed a shiny white clutch and hung it on my shoulder before Hanna and I left my room and went downstairs, where I was greeted with an over-excited Persephone. I crouched down, a wide smile immediately taking over my face. "Hey, Sephy," I crooned. The Labrador pup had already grown quite a bit in the nearly one month I'd had her, but she was still as adorable as the first time I'd seen her, her brown coat still as shiny as ever. "Excited to have Hanna all to yourself for tonight?"

"I sure as hell am excited to have her to myself tonight. She's so cute."

I smiled, scratching under Persephone's chin before getting up again. "She is. Still the best gift Henry's ever given me."

"And we all know Henry showers you with gifts."

Blushing, I said, "I try to get him to stop giving me things, but he simply won't. Every time he does, he says he saw it and it reminded him of me, so he 'simply had to get it.' It's sweet, but... a little overwhelming sometimes."

"Well, he might as well stop trying after Persephone. There's no way he's ever going to top a freaking puppy." She grinned. "Unless it's a huge-ass diamond ri—"

"Shht!" I interrupted her, holding up a finger. "Don't."

"Right. Sorry. Anyway, it sounds like he's here." I listened, and then I indeed heard a car pulling up. "I'll open the door. You take that time to smooth that ridiculously straight dress down a million more times."

Feeling myself blush, I automatically smoothed my dress down again, making her laugh. "Shut up!" I told her, even though she wasn't saying anything. I could hear her cackle all the way to the door.

When the door opened and I heard Hanna say, "Damn, Henry. Looking good," Persephone immediately rose to attention. She always seemed to know when Henry was coming, and always went completely insane. Her love for Henry nearly rivaled mine. When the door to the hallway opened and Hanna came back inside, followed by Henry, Persephone shot towards him with amazing speed, skidding to a halt in front of him and jumping up to rest her paws on his knees. He laughed, the sound deep and joyous, and picked her up to cuddle her.

His undivided attention had been given to Persephone, so he hadn't seen me yet, but I sure as hell was seeing him. It was like I was hypnotized. He was wearing a black fitted suit, a crisp white shirt and a skinny black tie. His trousers were hanging reasonably low on his hips, the shirt tucked into it. He looked amazing. He looked better than amazing. Either way, it's Henry we're talking about. He always looks like a god descended from the heavens. Oh, how right Hanna had been. His hair was dark and curly, and now that we'd finished filming the spy movie, the stubble was back full-time.

I was the luckiest woman on this earth.

Finally, he looked up and his eyes connected with mine, and the world fell away. It was almost like we were standing in a tunnel, and he was my light at the end of it. He was all I could see. As his blue eyes raked over every inch of my body, I blushed at the intimacy of it. It was a good thing only Hanna was in the room with us—anyone else and I would've been mortified they'd witnessed this intimate and charged moment.

"Wow," Henry said, his voice hoarse. Ignoring Persephone as she poked her nose against his jaw to ask for his attention, he cleared his throat. "You look amazing."

Feeling myself blush once more, I shot a quick glance to the floor before looking up at his eyes again. "Thank you. You look amazing, too. I hear I have Hanna to thank for that."

This time, I succeeded in making him blush, if only a little. "Uh, yes." Setting Persephone back on the floor, probably so he wouldn't have to look me in the eye, he said, "She gave me a little advice. But I picked everything out myself, though. She just kind of gave me a guideline."

Grinning, Hanna said, "You're welcome. Not that you can't dress yourself just fine."

Slowly, I approached Henry. "You picked well."

When I finally closed the distance between us, he smiled and took hold of my hand. "I sure did. Hey, beautiful."

I couldn't help but smile up at him. "Hey, handsome."

"Right... The sexual tension is already killing me, so I think this is my cue to leave," Hanna said, not at all awkwardly. "Are you coming with me, Sephy? We'll cuddle on my bed." She picked my puppy up and disappeared up the stairs. "I won't wait up!" she shouted down from the top of the stairs, making me laugh.

"Privacy at last," Henry said, pulling me closer by my hand and circling his free arm around my waist. "You really do look beautiful, Juliette."

I lifted my hand to cup his face, the tips of my fingers disappearing in his hair. "So do you."

He smiled at that and dipped his head down, his lips lingering in front of mine, not yet kissing me. His proximity was making me light-headed, and it was a good thing he had his arm wrapped around my waist, or I probably would have fallen. He smelled so amazingly good, his musky cologne mixing with his own scent. That alone was enough to make me dizzy.

When he finally did kiss me, I felt the sparks fly, heating up the blood rushing through my veins, and I was glad that Hanna had gone upstairs. It was a tame kiss, just his lips capturing mine and mine capturing his, but it felt so intimate and tender that I didn't want to share this moment with anyone else. I pressed a little closer to him, my thumb stroking his cheekbone. His skin there was really soft.

I didn't want to pull away, but eventually he did it for me. He broke the kiss and pressed his forehead against mine, not creating any distance between us. It was like he didn't want to be any farther away from me than necessary either. "I love you," he whispered, tightening his grip on my waist a little.

"I love you, too," I whispered back, my hand slowly sliding from his face down to his chest. His heart was beating as fast as mine was.

He gave me another kiss, this one much shorter than the previous one and again much shorter than I would've liked, and said, "We should probably go," though his heart wasn't fully in it, like he was distracted. "I made reservations..."

I nodded. "Yes, we probably should."

But neither of us moved. When we both realized that, we laughed, and he said, "Okay, I'm gonna step away now. Just let me gather up the strength."

I giggled, and we finally stepped away from each other at the same time, though there still wasn't much distance between us. To distract myself, I tugged on his lapels to straighten his jacket and then straightened his tie. "Maybe Hanna wasn't that far off when she predicted our sexual tension would get us kicked out of the restaurant."

Henry laughed. "She really said that?"

"She did. But then, you know Hanna—she likes to exaggerate. Either way, we should probably go or we'll never leave this living room."

"Reservations be damned. I kind of don't want to leave this room. And otherwise we can always go to my place," he said, suggestively wiggling his eyebrows, a smirk on his lips.

I playfully slapped his chest. "You insisted on going out, so we're going out. No take backs. But..." I reached up, my lips grazing his earlobe. "We could always go back to your place after dinner."

Henry groaned, the sound almost guttural. "You are a very, very cruel woman, Juliette Morrison."

I grinned up at him. "I know. And yet, you love me anyway, Henry William Dalgliesh Cavill."

"I do." He kissed my cheek and took my hand, leading me outside to his car. "By the way, it really sucks that you don't have a middle name. Me saying your full name just doesn't have the same impact as when you say mine."

"Not my fault, William Dalgliesh," I teased.

He playfully rolled his eyes in response before opening the passenger door of his car and helping me inside. As I switched between radio stations, Henry drove us to the restaurant he'd made reservations at. I had no idea where we were going, just that it was a classy place (hence the fancy outfits), but I trusted Henry's judgment. When we finally arrived, Henry helped me out of the car and handed the keys to the valet before taking me into the restaurant. It was named something French that I couldn't pronounce in my head, let alone out loud, but it sure did look fancy. It was one of those restaurants that I never would've been able to afford before I'd landed If You Love Someone, the lighting dim, and romantic candles on every table.

Henry approached the hostess, his arm wrapped casually around my waist, and said, "I have a reservation under Cavill."

The hostess smiled, and I couldn't help but notice the awestruck look in her eyes as she took him in. Funnily enough, though, it didn't make me jealous—just amused. "Of course. Right this way, sir." She led us to our table in the back, and I knew right away that Henry had requested for that seeing as it was kind of sequestered. Apparently he wanted privacy for our date. "A waiter will join you shortly. Have a wonderful evening."

I held back a giggle when she nearly curtsied before she walked off again, and I couldn't help but wonder if she always did that or if it was just Henry's presence affecting her. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter. He sure knew how to play with a woman's mind, even when he was far from trying.

"You know what? I've decided you need to become just a tad uglier," I teased. "You're making women fall for you left and right."

He frowned in confusion. "She wasn't flirting with me, was she?"

I smiled at his adorable innocence. "No. But she was so flustered by you that she curtsied."

Snorting, he asked, "So you noticed that too, huh?"

I giggled, covering my mouth with my hand in attempt to stifle it. "Yes, I did."

I was still giggling when our waiter showed up, introducing himself as Gordon. Henry ordered us a bottle of (unnecessarily expensive) red wine, but I noticed how Gordon kept sneaking glances my way, worsening my urge to giggle as my cheeks heated up.

When Gordon was finally gone to retrieve that bottle of wine, Henry leaned closer to me across the table conspiratorially. "I think it's you who needs to get ugly, Morrison," he told me confidingly. "That poor kid couldn't stop staring at you."

I couldn't help myself—I burst out in an unstoppable giggle fit. Henry just regarded me with an amused curiosity as I attempted to reel it back in. "So fucking typical," I hiccuped, trying to keep my voice down. I had a feeling this place frowned upon cursing.

"What is?" Henry asked, trying not to laugh himself as he reached for my hand.

Feeling the tears prickle in my eyes from laughing so much, I said, "I don't even know why I find it so funny that we both have people ogling us while we're on a date."

He smiled. "Well, I don't blame Gordon for staring at you. You're looking extremely gorgeous tonight."

I grinned, my thumb stroking the knuckles on his hand. "Nor do I blame our hostess. I just blame you for looking so goddamn good all the time."

Henry snorted. "I do love your way with words, love. And just for the record, you look goddamn good all the time too."

"You're biased."

"Probably true," Henry admitted with a halfhearted shrug. "Gordon would probably agree with me, though."

I shook my head, laughing. "Let's just forget about Gordon, okay?"

"Kind of hard to, considering he's bringing our bottle of wine over now," Henry whispered, and I took that as my cue to seriously reel my amusement back in.

Restaurant employees ogling us and giggle fits aside, Henry and I had a really good time on our date. It was a nice change from busy workdays and late nights of being lazy on the couch (though I did always love those nights). I had another giggle fit when I tried to pronounce the dishes on the menu and failed miserably. They were all in French, and luckily Henry was there to translate and order for me, seeing as he spoke French fluently. He did try to make me order escargot, though, ensuring me I would love it. I did have some knowledge of French, and I threatened to put snails—or better yet, slugs—in his pillowcase if he ordered the escargot for me.

We were now sharing a giant brownie as dessert—which was amazingly delicious, just like my steak had been—but I noticed that Henry was growing quieter and quieter. That nervous edge that I'd already noticed earlier this week was back, and my anxiety-prone mind couldn't help but wonder if something was seriously wrong. I kept quiet, though, not wanting to ask him if he was about to bring me bad news.

"So," Henry said when we were nearly entirely through the brownie, obviously attempting a light conversational tone. He was a good actor, but I knew him too well by now, so he didn't entirely succeed. "Did you have fun tonight?"

I smiled, nodding. "I did, yes. Then again, I always have fun with you, whether we're dining in a fancy restaurant or watching SpongeBob SquarePants in our pajamas because there's nothing else on TV and we're too tired to go upstairs."

He laughed. "Admit it, secretly you love SpongeBob."

I grinned, holding my thumb and forefinger a quarter of an inch apart. "Maybe just a little bit."

He smiled, but it quickly dimmed as that nervous energy came back. "I, uh... I got you something."

Feeling a little flustered, I smiled at him. "Henry... You've already given me so many gifts."

He gave me a sheepish smile in return. "I know. But this is more a symbolic gift, I guess." He reached into his pocket, and I felt my heart stop when I noticed he pulled a jewelry box out of it. I relaxed a little when I realized it was too big to be a ring box, but I didn't entirely know how to feel, either. Did I want him to propose to me or not? Looking at him and at the sincerity on his face, I decided that I would've said yes had he proposed tonight. I would've said yes a thousand times. But I could definitely be patient and wait for him to actually pop the question.

He slid the box over to me and gestured for me to open it. I unclasped it and lifted the lid. Inside was a gold necklace with an antique key as pendant. The word 'love' was engraved into the key. "Wow, it's beautiful, Henry," I said as I let my finger slide along the jagged edge of the key. It really was beautiful. It had this vintage feel to it that I loved immediately.

"Juliette?" he asked, and I looked up again at the nervous note in his voice. "Will you move in with me?"

The question didn't register with me at first, so I just sat there, staring dumbly at my amazingly cute and adorable and nervous boyfriend. My finger was still sliding along the key's edge.

"Juliette?" he asked when I still hadn't answered, seeming even more nervous than before. "I'd get it if you don't want to move in with me. I mean, it would be a pretty big step in our relationship. I just thought that, since you spend most nights at my place anyway, you might not object to the idea," he rambled. When I still didn't answer, he kept rambling. "And of course we'll find a new house and make it entirely ours. I mean, the apartment was always meant to be temporary anyway, and I really want to build a life with you. I always knew that eventually I wanted to live with you. We kind of already are, but I mean officially. And really, you can stop me anytime."

I giggled. "I'm sorry, I was just... a little surprised, that's all. And I thought it was my job to ramble," I teased.

He smiled sheepishly. "We can switch jobs every now and then. But? What do you say?"

"Of course I'll move in with you," I told him, reaching for his hand and squeezing it reassuringly. "I'd love nothing less."

"Oh, good," he breathed, a wide, relieved smile spreading over his face. "I was pretty sure you'd say yes at first, but then when you didn't say anything... You had me kind of worried for a sec."

"I'm sorry. I just wasn't expecting it. But it's a very pleasant surprise."

He squeezed my hand. "I'm glad."

"So," I said, picking up my fork to steal the last bit of brownie. "You said you wanted to look for a new house."

"Well, yes. I mean, yours isn't very private anymore," he reasoned (which was true—the paparazzi had discovered my address and often stood outside my door these days, plus there was the fact that Hanna and Scott were there often, giving us hardly any privacy inside the house either), "and my place was always supposed to be temporary. I want to look for a place that's actually a house. Something that could really become our home, and where maybe..." he said, getting a little nervous again, "where maybe we could start a family. If you want, I mean."

I smiled. "I do, eventually."

Relief spreading through him once more, he relaxed a little. "Good. And I want to look somewhere in Los Angeles. I know how much your friends mean to you, and how big a part they are of your support system, so I would never try and take that away from you. I'm here most of the time anyway. Maybe, down the line, we can look for a place in London or something, but for now I mainly just want to settle down here."

"Are you sure? I mean, L.A. traffic is horrible, after all," I teased. But despite the lame joke, I was being completely serious. I knew how much he loved England.

He laughed. "You're right, it is. But your life is here, so mine is as well."

I smiled, feeling the tears jump into my eyes once I realized what this meant for him. "All joking aside, are you really sure? I know how much you love your family, and London would be much closer to them."

"And I know how much you love your family. And I don't mean the one you were born into, but the one you made for yourself here. And I have to admit... they've kind of become my family too."

I squeezed his hand even tighter and blinked rapidly in an attempt to prevent the tears from spilling over. "Have I told you how much I love you recently?"

He brought my hand up to his lips, kissing my knuckles gently. "You don't have to; I already know. Doesn't hurt to hear it again, though," he joked.

I laughed, dabbing at my eyes as one fat tear finally spilled over. "I love you so incredibly much. I love you so much that it kind of hurts sometimes. It's like a physical ache in my chest, but like a good ache. I don't really know how to explain it."

"I know exactly what you mean, love. And I love you, too. Goddamn, I love you, too."

"Maybe we should ask for the check," I suggested with a small smile. "Both so I can cry my happy tears in private in the car, and so I can show you just how much I love you when we get home."

He pressed another kiss to my hand, and maybe it was just the candle light, but I was pretty sure his eyes had darkened. "That sounds like an excellent idea."

As soon as we were in the car, the energy between us became extremely loaded. I kept stealing glances at him, and his hand was resting on my knee, his fingers occasionally dipping down to my inner thighs. Every time he did so, my breath caught in my throat and my head spun. I kind of felt like asking if he could drive faster, but seeing as he was already pushing the speed limit, I refrained.

When we finally reached his apartment and he parked his car in the garage, I didn't even wait for him to open the door for me, something he always insisted on doing. He didn't seem too bothered by it, though—he just fumbled with the keys to open the door to the kitchen, disabling the alarm before it could start blaring. Then he turned to me, finally taking me in his arms.

We kissed feverishly, and I pushed at his suit jacket, carelessly letting it drop to the floor when it finally slid down his arms. I burned everywhere he touched me; his lips on mine, his hand cupping my neck, his thumb stroking my jaw, his other hand on my waist, his fingers digging into the lace of my dress. I loved how, even after all this time, kissing him still felt as exciting as that first time on the set of If You Love Someone. He was such a good kisser that it was almost unfair. It would've been, had I not enjoyed these kisses as much as I did.

We stumbled past the living room, still kissing passionately—almost desperately. When I felt Kal press his wet nose against my bare leg, I managed to pull away enough to look down at him. He was panting happily, his tail wagging fast. "Hey, buddy," I said, but Henry was already whisking me away before I could say more. Kal was smart and didn't follow.

We reached Henry's bedroom, and as he shut the door firmly behind us and kicked his shoes off, I bent down to unclasp my own. When I stepped out of my platformed Mary Janes, I was about six inches shorter, but I knew we could make up for the difference in height.

I grabbed Henry's tie, pulling him closer with a playful smirk. "Have I told you..." I started slowly, "how sexy you look in this outfit? It's giving me fantasies of you fucking me on a desk, to be quite honest."

A slow grin that made him look even hotter spread over his face. "I quite like that fantasy of yours," he mumbled, dipping his head down to let his lips graze my ear. "So that's the first thing we need in our new house, huh? A nice, sturdy desk that I can fuck you on."

I loved it when Henry was being the extremely sweet boyfriend that I knew he was, but his dirty talk... it never ceased to make my blood boil in the best sense ever. "That'd be nice," I said, smiling coyly as I tugged his shirt out of his pants. "And where would we put this desk?"

"We could make an office," he mumbled, placing wet, sensual kisses in my neck, just below my ear.

"Do we need an office?"

I felt him smile against my skin. "Not really, no. But it'd be nice to have one. We could fill it up with tons of bookcases, and I'll buy you all the books you want. It'd be especially nice to have an office if I can fuck you in it. Slow and tender... or hard," he said, suddenly tugging me closer to him roughly.

I moaned at just the mental image he was giving me alone. "That really would be nice." A little reluctantly, I undid his tie and threw it on the floor. I loved seeing him in this outfit, but I loved seeing him naked even more. Slowly, one by one, I unbuttoned his shirt, and then when I was done, he helped me slide it down his arms. "Fuck, you're hot," I nearly whined.

He laughed, the sound low and deep, driving me even crazier. "Why do you say that like it's a bad thing?"

"Because it's unfair. It's unfair how you distract me simply by being in the same room, how you look so damn good that it makes my head spin, and just one smile from you renders me completely fucking useless."

He gave me a lopsided smile, that one where one of the corners of his mouth goes up and the other goes down. "The feeling is entirely mutual. Now come here."

Henry turned me around, slowly tugging my zipper down, kissing every inch of newly bared skin. The hairs on his chin were scratchy, but his lips immediately soothed the sting. He kissed all the way down to where the zipper ended on my lower back so he ended up on his knees. He let my dress fall to the floor, and after I'd stepped out of it, made me turn around. He kissed my stomach, just above the waistband of my underwear, and slowly kissed upwards as he stood up. When he reached my breasts, he bit into my flesh, his fingers skimming the material of my sheer lace bra. "Oh," I moaned in surprise, twisting my fingers in the curls on top of his head, pulling hard.

"Have I told you how much I always love your bra choices?" he asked, his voice low as his thumb grazed my nipple through the material.

I smiled, biting my lip. "You leave subtle hints every now and then. And by subtle, I mean—oh!—not subtle at all."

Henry grinned. "Oops."

I grinned back and pulled his head down, his lips landing on mine again. I kissed him hard, nipping at his lips with my teeth and always soothing the sting with my tongue. "Enough talk about my bras. It's time for you to let me show you just how much I love you," I said, unbuckling his belt.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Wednesday, November 1, 2020.

"Henry?" I shouted, doing my best not to fall over as I balanced mostly on one foot.

"Yes, love?" Henry called back from the kitchen.

"Have you seen my other shoe?"

"I think it's behind the door," he shouted, a laugh in his voice.

One foot clad in a five inch heel, one foot bare, I managed to make my way towards the door and moved to close it. There, I indeed found my other shoe. "Thanks!" I put the other heel on as well and, now much better balanced, walked to the kitchen. Kal and Henry were there, the latter frying up some eggs for breakfast. The bacon was already on the table, and, the delicious smells in the kitchen making me realize just how hungry I was, I stole a piece.

"You thieving thief," Henry said, laughing.

I stared at him. "You have your back to me! How did you know I took a piece of bacon?"

He looked at me over his shoulder, a grin that made my heart melt shaping his lips. "Because I know you, and because I know how much you love bacon."

"True enough. Would've been embarrassing for you, though, had I had better impulse control."

Henry laughed, sliding the eggs onto two plates. He set them down on the table and sat down next to me. "When it comes to bacon, you don't have any impulse control."

I giggled, popping another piece of bacon into my mouth. "True."

Henry surprised me by planting a sudden kiss on my lips, even as I was still chewing. "I love you."

Smiling, I swallowed my bacon before I said, "I love you, too."

"So, we'll be meeting the realtor in an hour, and she'll probably want to know what our demands are for our house."

My smile widened as he said 'our house.' "I've had a few days to get used to the idea, but I still get butterflies every time I think about us officially moving in together. In our own house." I shook my head. "Anyway, I don't know. A pool?"

Henry laughed. "A pool is a very good start. And we'll need an office or a space we can convert into one so we can put a desk in it." He gave me a meaningful smirk, making me blush. "And of course we'll need enough space in case our friends come over—I mean, there's twelve of us, so we need enough space if they're staying over—and for potential additions to our family." I shook my head with a smile. Of course he would be able to hint at kinky sex and then talk about kids in the same minute. "Is there anything else you want?"

I shrugged. "Just a good place where we can chill, especially if we're having another horror night. And I want a big backyard, for the dogs but also for when we eventually have kids. And of course it needs to be private."

He smiled, that sparkle in his eyes letting me know he was as excited about our future as I was. "Those are good points. And what style do you like? Modern? Old fashioned? Bohemian? I'm literally just naming things that pop into my mind."

"I don't know. I've always been partial to modern, but then I also like those Victorian houses, or those amazing mansions. Or a castle," I joked. Getting serious again, I said, "Honestly, I think I won't  know what I want until I fall in love with it."

"True enough. We'll just see then."

I smiled. "We'll just see."

An hour later we met up with our realtor, Marianne, and after telling her our demands, she showed us the first property. It was beautiful, but a little too modern for both our tastes, and the small backyard was nearly entirely taken over by the pool, so we soon decided to go see the next property.

That one was by the beach, and had all our demands. It was modern, with a lot of light because of the big windows. The pool looked amazing, and there was even a really cool fire pit. It would've been perfect, had it been a little more private. Our neighbors would be able to look right into our kitchen.

So we moved on yet again. This house was yet another amazing one and ticked off all of our demands, even the privacy and the big sturdy desk. And even though it was a perfect mix between old and modern, Henry and I just couldn't fall in love with it.

But then we saw our fourth option, and not being able to fall in love was no longer an issue. It was a huge mansion, reminding me a little of a fairytale castle with its pale yellowish walls and blue roofs. It had a long driveway and a big garage with enough room for ten cars in total. I could see a lush green backyard from where I was standing, and I knew it would be perfect for the dogs and any eventual kids somewhere down the line.

When we walked through the huge double doors, we were met with a grand entrance hall. It was a beautiful aristocratic design but with a slight modern touch, and I loved it immediately. And that was only the hall. To our left was a staircase going up to a mezzanine landing, to our right was a bathroom, and right in front of us was a door that led to the patio. The realtor took us there, and we were half outside, half inside. It was like a huge covered patio, with a chandelier hanging over the sitting area and a TV on the wall. When we walked farther, we encountered a large dining table with room for ten, still covered by the ceiling. The patio could be closed by thick curtains, obscuring the view of the huge backyard.

Our realtor took us there, and I fell in love with the place even more. Adjoining the patio, there was a big grass field, certainly big enough for running around. To our left, there was a big barbecue setup, with a kitchen island big enough to prepare an entire meal on. To our right, there was a big pool with fountains on the side. Henry and I shared a glance, both knowing that we loved the backyard.

We went back inside to explore the kitchen. It was huge, with two stoves, two ovens, and two fridges. It wasn't likely we'd use all of it all the time, but it would definitely be nice if we'd ever have a party here, like maybe for Thanksgiving or Christmas. The kitchen led to a smaller dining room with place for eight, but just around the corner was another dining room, but this one looked much more impressive, with place for twenty. There was another living room area, this one much cozier than the one on the patio.

"Now, you said you wanted an office," Marianne said, a somewhat smug smile shaping her lips. "This house has quite an impressive one."

She took us to a kind of round room by the side of the house. It was a cozy room with definitely enough space for a ton of books. And right in front of us stood a huge oak desk.

Henry eyed me, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "That's definitely a sturdy desk."

I felt the heat rise to my cheeks. "It is."

Then our realtor took us to the basement level, where three bedrooms could be found. Each bedroom had a queen size bed, a TV, and an en-suite bathroom with shower. The rooms were spacious and tastefully decorated. But what was perhaps the most impressive room on the basement level was the home theater. It had big plush seats covered in a soft, red fabric, and the ceiling was dotted with tiny lights made to look like constellations. Adjoining the theater was a cozy room with a bar, perfect for hanging out with friends.

Marianne then took us to the second and top level. It had seven more bedrooms, each with an en-suite bathroom. They were all pretty similar to the bedrooms on the basement level, except for the master. It was a little bigger than the others, and had an adjoining walk-in closet with definitely enough room for both my and Henry's clothes. The bedroom had a king size bed with lots of pillows, and the mattress was incredibly comfortable. This was the only room that had a balcony, and it looked out over the backyard. The bathroom was a little better than the others as well, light and spacious, with a big two-person shower and a jetted tub.

When we'd seen everything, Marianne left us alone to discuss things. Henry and I sat down on the bed inside the master bedroom, holding hands.

"Henry... This is... entirely too..."

"Perfect?" he asked, grinning.

"Much. It's too much. I mean, this house is absolutely fucking gorgeous and I can definitely see us living here, but... It's so big, and it'll only be the two of us until maybe we get kids one day."

"Maybe?" Henry asked, quirking an eyebrow.

I smiled. "I definitely want children; I was just checking if you were serious. You are serious, right? I mean, there's still time for you to back out, but if you want to run for the hills, you've gotta do it now."

He pulled me closer so I was nearly sitting on his lap. "Juliette, shush," he told me sternly. "I'm as serious about this, about us, as I am serious about... my hatred for Donald Trump."

I snorted at that. "That's very serious."

He smiled, cupping my face in his hands. "It is. So, though I know it's in your nature, try not to worry. I love you, and I wanna have your babies," he joked. "Not yet, but eventually." He pressed a long, soft kiss to my lips, and I swayed a little when he pulled away.

"Can we even afford this place?" I asked, looking around the grand master bedroom. It really was quite beautiful.

"I think we might have to rethink our budget a little, but we already left plenty of wiggle room. We can definitely afford it, especially considering the projects we both have lined up so far. Besides, we're both—okay, no, you're pretty frugal, and you'll probably watch me closely the coming time to make sure I don't spend too much."

I laughed. "As if you can be stopped when it comes to buying gifts for yourself or for me."

He grinned. "Don't forget Kal and Persephone. They're spoiled rotten as well. Speaking of the dogs, the yard will be perfect for them."

"It definitely would. So... Should we take it?"

Henry smiled at me, his eyes shining. "I think we should."

I copied his smile. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

I squealed, throwing my arms around his neck. "Oh my God, Henry. Did we just find our new place?"

He laughed, wrapping his arms around my waist and pressing a hard kiss to my cheek. "I think we did."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Tuesday, December 5, 2020

"I can't believe this is really happening. We've been joined at the hip since we were four, and now you're moving away for good."

I laughed, hugging my best friend tight. "It's only Beverly Hills. It's not like I'm moving to the other end of the world."

"For as long as we've known each other, we've either been neighbors or roommates," Hanna reminded me. "So fifteen miles might as well be the other end of the world."

"We've been apart before."

"True, but at least then I knew you were coming back. Now you're really starting the rest of your life, and it'll be without me constantly by your side."

I laughed. "Stop being so dramatic. I thought that was supposed to be my thing? Besides, it's us we're talking about here. We have way too much to share and way too many things that have to be discussed a million times, so we'll still be talking nonstop. Besides, I have a feeling you'll be found in the theater room more than Henry or me."

She grinned cheekily. "True. But all joking and drama aside, I'm really, really happy for you. You're starting a life together with Henry, and I know that's something I know you've always wanted. I mean, you might've had Brad Pitt in mind when you first started fantasizing, but Henry Cavill isn't a bad second choice."

I giggled, hugging her again. "I really am gonna miss you, Hanna Banana."

"I'll miss you, too, Julie. But seriously, look where we are. We both found amazing guys, you found an amazing house, and my script finally got picked up by an actual film studio, and you'll play the lead in it. For as far as life goes, we've pretty much made it."

I smiled, trying my damnedest to ignore the urge to cry. Things were just going so extremely well. "We really have, haven't we?"

She smiled, giving me one more quick hug. "We really have. Now, get your butt moving. We need to move your stuff into your brand new fancy house."

"You know I love you, right?"

"I do," Hanna answered, her smile widening. "And I love you, too."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hey, guys! I don't really have an author's note for y'all today, seeing as I'm sick on the couch. I also haven't had the chance to proofread it again, so if the chapter's not as good as usual or you encounter any typos, I'm so sorry! I still hope you enjoyed the chapter, though. <3

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