Living in the moment, you wrapped your arms around his shoulders and slowly rubbed your hands along his broad shoulders and white cotton shirt that outfitted him. Feeling a warm wetness against your neck, you felt his staggered breaths and his shoulders shake. Moving one of your hands up to his hair, you slowly let your fingers run through his long locks as you slowly began to rock him from side to side allowing him to do whatever he needed to.

Holding onto him, you rubbed his back and rocked him as he cried in your arms, letting out all of his frustrations and soft mumbles into your shoulder. After a while, he pulled away as he stood up tall and wiped away the smeared tears under his eyes. Releasing your arms from him, your hand brushed down his arm before falling to your sides.

“Thank you” Peniel sniffled

“You’re welcome and anytime” You reassured him knowing that no one likes to see them in their weakest state.

The room got quiet as he his lips slowly and bit his bottom lip between his teeth, “You know… she was the reason that I replied to your offer the way I did”

“I know, she wasn’t good for you” You smiled softly at him, trying to not push the issue if he didn’t want to.

“I can see that now” Peniel let his eyes meet yours, “I might need to stop looking and start seeing.”

“How so?” You tilted your head cutely to one side, unsure what he meant by his words.

“Love comes when you least expect it but from the most qualified” Peniel tried to hide his smile from you as he lifted his arm up and laid it over your shoulders.

“Yah! You could kill someone with those words” You giggled, tickling his side with your fingers, watching him double over, he removed his arm from around you as you made your escape to the large bean bag.

“You are going to regret that as he growled, trotting over to you, he jumped on the bean bag and quickly attacked your sides and stomach.

Laughing loudly, you tried to push him off of you, yet he was stronger than you besides, you were enjoying yourself. Your laughter filled the room until you were laughing so hard that no sounds spilled from your open mouth. Wrapping his arms around you tightly, he pulled your back against his chest as he laid within the comfy confines of the bean bag with you.

Feeling your rapid breathing slowly slow and your laughter fading slightly, you felt his strong arms tighten around your sore abdominal muscles.

“What’s this?” You questioned poking his arms playfully

“All part of the plan” Peniel whispered next to your ear, sending shivers down your spine.

You turned your head, his warm breath spilling over your face as you slowly lifted your eyes while you whispered back, “What plan is that?”

“To get you to fall in love with me, like I am with you…” Peniel confessed, his brown eyes moving around your face, taking in this beautifully intimate moment.

“You didn’t need a plan for that” You giggled as you lifted a hand up and rested it against his cheek, feeling the heat radiate from his skin.

“Why is that?” He whispered back as he pressed his forehead against yours, his fingers spreading out along your stomach and calling the butterflies to appear in your stomach.

“I’m already in love with you” You confessed quietly as your hand gently dropped from his cheek to down his neck, your fingers tracing the curves and the muscles that protected his neck.

“Oh you are?” Peniel’s words were laced with a beautiful chuckle

“Mhmmm” You hummed with a cute nod

“I guess the plan worked then” Peniel stated proudly as his lips brushed over your skin before he pressed a chaste kiss on your forehead.

“That was the easy part though, keeping me is the next challenge” You smirked, your eyes closing at the warm kiss.

“Challenge Accepted”