“Mm. Hard choice.”
He winced. “I tried to make it quick.”
Awan leaned in to press a soft kiss on Nina's lips. The world’s strongest man trying very hard not to scuff her hardwood floors.
Her chest softened.
“You didn’t have to do all this,” she said, stepping forward.She gestured to the room, “Aww, you didn’t have to.”
He huffed a quiet laugh. “It’s Valentine’s Day.”
“And?”
“And you deserve… something nice.” He thrust the bouquet toward her. “Not just takeout between stakeouts."
She accepted the roses, brushing her fingers over the petals. They were deep red, velvety and perfect.
“Did you laser these into bloom?” she asked.
“I did not,” he said defensively. “I bought them like a normal person.”
“With cash?”
“Yes.”
She grinned. “Look at you. Maybe you're human afterall.”
He watched her with that look—the one that made her feel like the only solid thing in his orbit. Not a city. Not a planet. Just her.
“I also made dinner,” he added.
“You made—” She glanced toward the kitchen and froze.
Her tiny counter was transformed. A white tablecloth she definitely did not own covered the table. Two plates. Two glasses. A bottle of wine breathing dramatically in the center. Steam drifted from covered dishes.
Nina turned slowly back to him. “You cooked?”
“I can cook,” Awan smiled, "I don't understand why you think I can't"
"Well when you had baking soda pancakes come back to me," Nina teased as she sat in the chair.
"That was one!" Awan huffed standing up straight.
She laughed, and the sound eased something tight in his shoulders, "Okay show me."
Steak. Garlic mashed potatoes. Roasted asparagus. And heart-shaped chocolate lava cakes waiting patiently on a separate plate.
“Those were difficult,” he admitted. “Not the baking. The shaping.”
“You didn’t just squeeze them into shape with your hands, did you?”
He looked mildly offended. “I used a mold.”
“Good.”
They began to eat. It was good. The steak was tender, seasoned just right.
“Well, what do you think?" Awan said couldn't help but be anxious about Nina's thought about the food.
She swallowed, meeting his eyes. “You’re wasted on crime fighting.”
He laughed, relieved. “I'll put on my resume.”
They fell into comfortable silence, the kind that didn’t demand to be filled. Outside, sirens wailed faintly in the distance, but they grew softer instead of louder.
For once, he wasn’t leaving.
Nina reached across the table, lacing her fingers through his. “Thank you.”
His thumb traced the back of her hand. “I don’t get a lot of normal days.”
“You’re not normal.”
He smiled faintly. “You know what I mean.”
She did. She’d known since the night she’d watched him fly for the first time. She slid off his lap and tugged him toward the window.
“Come on,” she said.
“Where are we going?”
“Up,” she replied.
He studied her face. “You sure?”
“Always.”
He opened the window wider, cool night air spilling in. Then he gathered her into his arms as naturally as breathing.
She wrapped herself around him without hesitation.
They rose slowly into the sky, the apartment shrinking beneath them.
The city glittered below, streets threading gold through the dark. The river reflected the moon in broken silver.
Nina rested her head against his shoulder. "You know," She said softly,"Most girls get flowers.”
“You got flowers.”
“And chocolate.”
“And cake.”
“And a near-perfect steak,” he added.
She smiled. “Yeah. I did.”
They hovered high above the city, suspended between earth and stars.
“Awan?”
“Hmm?”
“Happy Valentine’s Day.”
His arms tightened slightly around her.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Nina.”
