"If you ever feel like the decision you made isn't great, don't hesitate for a second to tell us, okay? No one will be upset with you, sweetie."
Arthur nodded continuously, a soft, grateful smile on his face as Uncle Kevin, looking remarkably proud, patted his shoulder. The older Alpha offered one last round of protective instructions before Arthur finally stepped out of the house and made his way toward the idling car. Natalia was already in the driver's seat, waiting patiently.
There was absolutely no universe in which Arthur was going to regret getting into this car with her. If anything, a frantic, impatient excitement was bubbling up inside his chest, making him eager to pull out of the driveway. But how could he ever brush off the pure, protective care of the elders who had raised him?
"Good luck today, Arthur!" Aunt Kelly added, grinning broadly as she delivered a surprisingly aggressive, motivational pat to his back.
Arthur blinked at her, momentarily derailed. It wasn't like anything wildly out of the ordinary was happening today, so the enthusiastic "good luck" felt a little misplaced. Still, he leaned into it; a mother's blessing was a powerful thing, and heaven knew he needed all the luck he could get.
The moment the heavy car door clicked shut, cutting off the outside world, the giddy excitement in Arthur's chest instantly twisted into a sharp spike of adrenaline. His palms grew instantly sweaty against the fabric of his trousers.
Suddenly, the interior of the car felt overwhelmingly hot.
Arthur stole a fleeting, sideways glance at the beautiful Alpha beside him and quite literally forgot how to expand his lungs. Natalia looked devastatingly attractive when she was focused, her hands resting casually on the steering wheel as she shifted the car into drive. 'Damn it,' Arthur thought, a wave of profound, intimidating admiration washing over him. 'How can someone look that effortlessly cool just navigating a driveway?'
"Arthur... I want to apologize for what happened this morning."
"H-haa?" Arthur's voice cracked, coming out raw and hoarse from how long he had been holding his breath just to stare at her profile. Her sudden, solemn words sent his brain into an immediate tailspin.
No matter how confident or excited he felt in his room, the moment he was within arm's reach of her, he turned into a walking, stuttering disaster.
'Wait… is she apologizing for the choking incident?' Arthur watched her face intently, his heart hammering against his ribs as she continued, smoothly expressing regret for touching his thigh without explicit permission and startling him over breakfast.
'No, no, no! God, no!' Arthur's internal monologue screamed in a panic. 'You can touch me literally whenever you want! I- I actually wish you would- ugh! I am completely losing my mind.'
He realized there was a massive, dangerous misunderstanding brewing between them. He hadn't despised her touch at all; he had only reacted because it had caught him entirely off guard. If he didn't clear this up right now, it would set a terrible, restrictive precedent for the future. He needed to be bold. He needed to be clear.
"I like it!"
The words burst out of his mouth before his brain could filter them. Arthur instantly froze, his soul practically leaving his body. 'Okay… maybe that was a little too bold.' He hadn't meant to sound quite so enthusiastic, but his treacherous heart refused to deny the truth. He loved her touch.
Natalia's hands remained steady on the wheel, but a small, dangerous spark lit up her eyes. "Mmm… really?"
Arthur tried to fake a casual cough to save face, but the sheer, suffocating weight of her intense, side-eyed gaze turned it into a very real, hacking splutter. He reached for his water bottle, thoroughly mortified. For the second time today, he was choking and crying in front of the most sophisticated Alpha he had ever met.
"If you don't answer me quickly," Natalia teased, her voice dropping into a low, rumbling purr that vibrated straight through the leather seats, "I might just have to assume you actually do like it."
Arthur stared resolutely out the passenger window, waiting for the furious blush on his face to cool down. He was thoroughly embarrassed for letting her rattle him so easily. A sudden, stubborn urge to salvage his dignity flared inside him. Taking a deep, grounding breath, he turned his head to face her fully.
"I-I did like it," he murmured, his voice trembling but determined. Then, gathering every ounce of courage he possessed, he flipped the script. "B-but did you like it too? I-I mean… when I touched you back?"
Natalia didn't answer immediately. She kept her eyes anchored to the road ahead, but a wide, unfiltered grin slowly fractured her cool, professional expression.
"What do you think, Arthur?" she countered playfully. "How do you think I felt?"
"H-how am I supposed to know what you feel..."
"Then why don't you try it again?"
Arthur's breath hitched. "W-what?"
"Touching me," Natalia clarified, her tone entirely unbothered but heavy with subtext. "Maybe if you do it again, you can figure out whether I liked it or not."
Arthur's face burned a brilliant, radiant red. His eyes automatically dipped toward her tailored slacks, the memory of the firm, heavy muscle of her thigh sending a jolt of heat to his stomach, before he violently snapped himself back to reality. She was actively inviting him into her space.
"I… I w-would have to guess you liked it," Arthur let out a breathless, nervous chuckle, his fingers frantically twisting the strap of his bag as he watched her. "Because… wouldn't you only ask me to do it again if you did?"
The grin on Natalia's face widened, turning into something completely breathtaking. Arthur subconsciously clutched his chest, his heart fluttering wildly. The silent confirmation was loud and clear. She liked it. She wanted him close.
"I like it a lot, Arthur," Natalia murmured. She stole a quick, lingering glance at him, letting out a soft chuckle before focusing back on the traffic, the brilliant smile still painting her lips.
"I'm… I'm glad," Arthur whispered to himself, completely unable to fight the goofy, lovesick grin spreading across his own face.
"So, Arthur," Natalia said, her tone shifting back into a casual, conversational rhythm. "Would you like to go on a date with me? We haven't had a proper one yet."
The word date hit his ears like a physical wave. His heart hammered wildly against his ribs. "U-umm… w-where would we be going?"
"Tell me a place you love," Natalia said gently. "I want our first official date to be entirely about your preferences. Wherever you want."
"…I-I don't really know many places," Arthur admitted softly, his shoulders shifting self-consciously. "I don't really go out much."
"I don't believe that," she replied with a light, encouraging tone. "Even if you're a homebody, there must be a spot you've thought about visiting, or somewhere you've been at least once. Anywhere is fine, Arthur. Truly."
"…Well… um… the mall?"
Natalia let out a soft, warm chuckle. In truth, the answer wasn't a surprise at all. Her mother had already dropped plenty of hints about Arthur's favorite weekend spots. Natalia already knew about the specific, cute little cafés he liked to eye and the bookstores he frequented. She could have easily whisked him away to a high-end, exclusive restaurant, but she wanted their first milestone to be entirely within his comfort zone. Arthur rarely ventured out alone or with anyone outside of his family; for this massive step forward, she wanted him to feel completely in control.
"Then the mall it is," she agreed smoothly. "You can show me all of your favorite shops. That sounds like a perfect afternoon. So, is it a plan?"
Arthur hesitated, his brow furrowing as a sudden wave of overthinking crashed over him. The mall felt like such a mundane, unromantic, and utterly basic answer. Worse, what if she thought he was trying to drag her around as a personal ATM?
"I… I'm sorry," Arthur muttered, looking down at his lap. "I actually don't really know anywhere else. Other places… I've maybe visited once or twice, but I don't remember them well enough to plan a day around them. Maybe… maybe it's better if you choose the location instead."
Natalia's grin only softened, a look of profound fondness washing over her features. "Well, you're telling me to choose, but I'm completely clueless, Arthur. I've been living abroad for years, and I honestly don't know the city anymore. So, wouldn't it be best if we stick to your favorite spot?"
"Mmm… I-"
"So, is it confirmed then? Next Sunday?"
Looking into her eyes, Arthur finally felt the tight knot of anxiety in his chest unravel. She wasn't just being polite; she genuinely, truly wanted to share his world. And honestly, who said a mall couldn't be romantic? If it wasn't, he would simply make it romantic.
'I am overthinking again,' he scolded himself, a bright, genuine smile finally breaking through his hesitation. 'I don't need to constantly perform or impress her. If we're going to build a life together, it's about sharing who we really are. Trust yourself, Arthur. Love yourself as much as you love her.'
"S-so… next Sunday?" he confirmed, his eyes sparkling. "I'm completely free. But… what about Uncle Kevin and Aunt Kelly?"
"Arthur," Natalia said, her voice dropping into that cool, unshakeable Alpha confidence that made his knees weak. "Just like I managed to get you into this car today, I will handle my parents. You don't need to worry about a single thing. Just relax, and leave everything to me."
"…Okay then."
Arthur quickly turned his head to stare out the passenger window, desperately needing a barrier to conceal the absolute, overwhelming explosion of pure happiness currently detonating inside his chest.
'Fu- Oh-! No, don't curse! Ahhh! I'm going on a date! A real, actual date! With her! Yes! Yes! Yes! Fuck!'
God, he was happy. Impossibly, ridiculously happy. He was entirely certain that, at this exact moment, he was the single happiest man on the face of the earth.