Flow prepared a gift for Veil and baked him a small cake.
She planned to invite him over so she could give it to him in private, but he wasn't at the cafe the next day.
So she decided to do it after class, but he didn't show up for that, either.
Her head was spinning so much that she left class early and rushed to his house, with the gifts in tow.
She banged on his door, still panting from running the whole way.
When he opened the door, he smiled softly at her and said,
"What are you doing here?" Flow sorted through her bag, then held out a gift bag with a phone and accessories.
"Regular cellphones don't work on the island... s-so... You can use this to stay in touch." He reached out and accepted the gift from her, then hung it on a coat rack near the entryway.
"Wait," she began again, "I also picked this up for you." She handed him a metallic block. "It's a Laser Saber. That way, you have a real weapon to practice with."
He pressed a button on the hilt, and instantly a glowing red blade shot out. Veil twisted the saber around.
"I actually prefer dual blades," he commented dismissively.
"I can get you another one!" she declared cheerfully. Veil blinked at her, then put his free hand over his face.
"... What are you doing here?" he mumbled, coldly.
"I... missed you today... and I'm sorry if I upset you with what I said." He didn't respond, so she went on, "Also, I wanted to give you a birthday gift."
That's when he started laughing and revealed his face. His eyes shone with affection, and his face was slightly flushed.
He extended his hand towards her and said,
"Do you want to come inside?"
Flow lightly placed her hand in his, then he gently tugged her inside.
First thing he did was retract his saber's blade and place it on a shelf.
After that, he retrieved the box his phone was in and led Flow to the couch with him.
"Your house is so nice and organized." She muttered in astonishment while looking around.
"I haven't had time to buy much, and I never eat here... Anyway, do I have to set up this phone in a special way?"
She took it from him, peeled back the seal, and opened the box.
"No, but you need to make a new user account with the Talitha Communication App. It's called TaCo Chat." Flow answered while turning on the phone and giving it back to him.
"All our phones have lightning bolts etched on the back, in dedication to Pierce," she added with abounding enthusiasm.
"Oh." Veil's reply seemed disinterested, but he quickly set up an account and said, "How do I contact you?" Flow's chest tightened, and she looked down.
"My Username is DyingHealer." Her answer came out barely audible, and on her face was a smile she tried to hide.
"Okay... accept my friend request later." He said as he placed the phone down onto the coffee table.
"I will," she assured. Flow scanned the room again, then commented, "You must not be home much."
"Yeah, I'm mostly only here to sleep," He tapped his chin, "Want to see my bedroom?"
"I'm not sure," she muttered.
"You're right, it's really messy right now anyway." Flow perked up, curiosity lit up in her eyes.
"I want to see!" she said, already jumping back onto her feet. He chuckled, then stood up and replied,
"Alright, follow me." She did as she was told. When they got there, she saw a clean room aside from an unmade bed.
Veil sat at the end of it, then patted the spot next to him.
"I was expecting more," she commented while sitting down.
"What are you talking about? It's a disaster in here," he said, sarcastic and playful.
"But honestly," he continued, "I wanted us to talk in here because it's more comfortable than my couch."
"Comfortable for what?" she asked shyly. Veil hugged her waist, then laid down, pulling her down with him.
"Lying down," he said. After answering her, he pressed his forehead to hers and added, "I wasn't mad at you... I was just slightly annoyed."
Flow's face was on fire from their closeness, and she squeezed her eyes closed tightly before replying,
"Then, where were you today?"
"I realized that I got annoyed because I really like you." He responded with a sigh, "I was planning on leaving at the end of the week, and I started to waver, because again... I like you."
"I like you too!" she shouted in response, then the embarrassment set in, and she rolled over, turning her back to him. "But I won't stop you from leaving," she said, barely audible.
Veil chuckled, then hugged her waist again and pressed against her back. Flow stiffened.
"I want to see where this is going, so I'm not leaving."
He placed a light kiss on the nape of her neck, and Flow gasped loudly. But she stayed put.
"Then... what is this? So I know how to answer next time?" she whispered, tensing when she felt his lips again.
"Hmm... let's think. If someone asks you what's going on with us," He cuddled her tighter, "What would you prefer to tell them?" Flow lay silently, struggling to think straight in this situation.
"I..." she began, "would want to say you're my boyfriend." Her voice was low, but he heard every word and smiled.
"Then tell them that," Veil replied sweetly.
He then sat up and rolled Flow onto her back.
"What are you up to?" she asked, looking up at him in anticipation.
"I just wanted to see my girlfriend's face."
Flow's heart fluttered, and she stared on in a daze as he leaned in to give her a deep, sensual kiss. Again, every cell in her body was on high alert.
She wasn't able to think of anything outside of this moment.
"Now..." he muttered while pulling away and stroking her cheek. "I can give you that massage." He smirked, feeling her face warming.
"O-okay," Flow replied shakily.
"But first... I should warn you. I have this bad habit," he pressed lightly, brushing his thumb across her lips, then continuing, "I'm predisposed to mischief... if the chance to tease you arises, I'll almost always take it. I hope that doesn't bother you."
Flow giggled lightly, then she smiled at him and said,
"I already figured that out." Something unreadable flickered across his face.
"I'm serious... at any given moment, the gears in my head start turning just to figure out how to cause the most chaos," he explained. Flow beamed,
"I think I can handle it," she retorted, fearlessly. Veil smiled,
"Okay. Now that that's been said, undress," he said calmly. She instantly became flustered again.
"What?! Why?"
He tilted his head, clearly pleased by her response.
"How else am I supposed to massage you? The oil would stain your clothes," he reasoned. Flow debated whether she believed him as he got up and walked to his dresser to retrieve a bottle of oil.
"Alright... but I'm not taking off the underwear," she fidgeted with her gi's belt. She hadn't stopped to change. "And, don't look until I'm done or I'll lose my resolve," she added firmly.
He covered his eyes with his free hand and said,
"I promise not to peek."
Her hands trembled as she undressed. Afterward, she laid face down on his bed.
"I'm ready," she mumbled.
He swiftly returned to her, and he hadn't exaggerated.
All the tension and soreness were expertly rubbed from her body. Whenever she became too relaxed, he'd alert her with a nibble on her earlobe, neck, shoulder, and even her thigh.
Once he finished, she felt completely revitalized, but had several kiss and bite marks in various places.
He turned around to let her get redressed and said,
"Do you want to spend the night?"
"I should go home... I need to take a shower, and I don't have any clothes here," she answered.
"You can just wear some of mine," Veil replied.
"There's no way!" Flow shot him down instantly, mortified by what people would think seeing her leave his home in his clothes. "Maybe next time," she added, so that he wouldn't misunderstand her intentions.
"Heh, fine... I'll walk you home, though," he said in a serious tone.
"Okay," she agreed quietly this time.
So they left the house together with her, still mentally reeling from what had just occurred. The walk back to her place was mostly silent, but once there, Flow said,
"One moment, please?" While holding up one finger. He nodded, so she hurried inside and returned with his cake, in a white cardboard container.
He took the box from her with a confused look, but when he opened it and saw the cake, he froze.
"I wasn't sure about what flavors you like. I didn't want to ask, so it could be a surprise. It's marbled chocolate and vanilla," she blurted the words so quickly that they slurred together. He closed the box and replied,
"You're sweet... thank you." For the hundredth time, he had her pulse racing.
"I'll make your favorite next year," she declared boldly, yet still avoiding his eyes. Veil held the cake to one side, then used his other arm to hug her waist and pull her in for a kiss.
The kiss stole her breath away.
"I'm looking forward to it," he murmured, "To us lasting that long... good night, Flow."
"Night!" Her voice squeaked, and she prayed that he didn't notice.
Veil took a step back to hold the cake with both hands, then he smiled at her one last time before returning to his home.
Flow's legs felt like jelly, so she waited till he was out of sight before stumbling her way inside.