After a long moment of holding each other, Julian slowly pulled away, his cheeks burning red.
He wiped at his face quickly, embarrassed that he had cried so much, even though Ruby hadn’t said a single word to tease him.
Her gentle smile only made it worse and better at the same time.
Sniffling softly, Julian cleared his throat, his hands fidgeting with the edge of his robe.
"I-I... I brought you something," he mumbled, his voice small.
Ruby blinked, curious.
Before she could ask, Julian turned around and practically ran out the office door.
Ruby stared after him, biting back a laugh.
Moments later, he returned carrying the small tiffin box he had carefully set down earlier.
He held it like it was something precious.
His fingers gripped it tightly as he walked back inside, his ears glowing pink.
He stood in front of her awkwardly, lowering his head slightly.
"I... I made sure it was still warm," he whispered, offering it with both hands like a sacred gift. "I... I thought you might be hungry after working so much."
Ruby’s heart softened even more.
She took the tiffin gently, their fingers brushing, and she felt how much care he had packed into it.
"Thank you, Jules," she said warmly, smiling up at him.
Julian’s face flushed deeper, but he looked proud like he had just been handed a golden medal.
And as Ruby opened the tiffin and the soft scent of freshly cooked food filled the office, she realized...This was happiness.
After Julian left the room, practically glowing with shyness and happiness, Ruby leaned back in her chair, staring at the soft golden ceiling for a long, quiet moment.
And that’s when it hit her.
The messy trail she had left behind.
Milo had always been the plan...the simple, innocent start. The first she thought she would gently open her heart to when the time was right.
And today, she kissed Julian.
One after another, Ruby thought, covering her face with one hand.
She could still feel Karl’s warm, impulsive kiss from the night he sneaked into her arms, rambling about how he couldn’t stand it anymore.
And now Julian, sweet, shy Julian, who had kissed her back with trembling hands like he had been waiting his whole life for her.
Her heart was a complete mess.
She closed her eyes tightly.
But despite the embarrassment, despite the sudden realization that things had moved faster, messier than she had ever planned...
She didn’t regret it.
They were already hers.
The ones who woke up under the same roof, laughed and cried with her, protected her fiercely without asking for anything back.
What did it matter who kissed first?
What did it matter if love bloomed in its own chaotic, wild way?
They were already hers.
Already heart-deep into her soul.
Ruby exhaled slowly, a small smile playing on her lips.
"Messy or not," she muttered under her breath, "they’re mine."
Julian walked back toward the house slowly, his hands lightly holding the empty tiffin box against his chest.
His face was still flushed red, and he couldn’t stop the small, dreamy smile that kept tugging at his lips no matter how hard he tried to hide it.
Today was the best day of his life.
The world seemed softer somehow. The sky bluer. The purple flowers blooming brighter on the edges of the stone path. His heart floated somewhere high above the clouds.
When he reached the house, Karl was already standing at the door, munching on an apple like usual.
The moment Karl’s eyes landed on him—
On his glowing cheeks.
On his soft, swollen red lips.
Alarm bells exploded in Karl’s mind.
He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, almost dropping the apple from his hand.
Wait... wait wait wait.
Was this what he thought it was???
Karl stepped closer, staring at Julian’s face like a detective catching a criminal.
"Oi, Jules." His voice was slow, suspicious. "What happened to your face?"
Julian jumped slightly, clutching the tiffin tighter. "N-Nothing!"
Karl leaned closer, squinting. "Why are your lips all... all... puffy? Like you fought with a bee and lost?!"
Julian’s face turned even redder, if that was even possible.
He looked down at his feet, mumbling, "I-It’s nothing! My lips are Bitten by mosquito!"
Karl stayed crouched at the doorstep, squinting at Julian like a guard dog who smelled something suspicious.
"Really?" Karl said slowly, his tone dripping with doubt. "You’re telling me...a mosquito made your lips look like that?"
Julian’s face turned even redder.
He clutched the tiffin box tighter against his chest, avoiding Karl’s sharp gaze.
"Y-Yeah!" he blurted out. "On the way back... a mosquito bit me. A very, very big mosquito..."
He nodded frantically, as if saying it faster would make it more believable.
Karl narrowed his eyes even more, looking like he wanted to interrogate him under a bright lamp.
Julian fidgeted under his stare, heart pounding.
Because how could he possibly say it?
If Karl found out, he would never let him live it down.
So Julian did the only thing he could—he lowered his head and rushed past Karl into the house, mumbling something about needing to wash his face.
Karl watched him go, arms still folded, lips pressed into a thin suspicious line.
He stood there for a long moment, squinting at the empty air where Julian had vanished.
And then he scratched his head.
"Wait..." Karl muttered to himself, tilting his head.
"Why does that excuse sound familiar?"
He stood there thinking hard, tapping his chin like a philosopher.
His big blue eyes widened even more, full of pure suspicion, as if he had just uncovered a deep conspiracy.
He stared at the doorway Julian had disappeared into, his brain whirring loudly.
Karl’s mouth fell open slightly.
His mind replayed the past—
Wasn’t that the same excuse he used?
—To be continued...🪄