"I've never been more sure about anything." His hand came up to cup my face, thumb brushing my cheekbone with infinite tenderness. "Ruby, I would never uproot you two. This is your home, and Teddy is finally feeling safe again."
My throat tightened with unshed tears. "He is doing well, isn't he?"
"He is." Cristox's voice was warm with something like pride, something paternal and protective. "I know he still hasnightmares sometimes, but..." He paused, and I heard the smile in his voice. "He comes to find me now when he's afraid."
I remembered the small weight of Teddy pressed against my side just two nights ago, his little hand clutching my shirt, Cristox's arm stretched protectively across both of us. "You make him feel safe."
"We make him feel safe," Cristox corrected gently, his voice firm on that point.
I bit my lip, the worry I'd been carrying finally spilling out. "But what about you? Will you be happy here? Stuck in one place?" I traced the edge of his collarbone with my finger, feeling the solid warmth of him. "You've spent your whole life jumping from planet to planet, ship to ship. Adventure after adventure. What if you get bored? What if you wake up one day and realize you're... trapped?"
Cristox was quiet for so long I thought maybe I'd said the wrong thing, exposed too much of my own insecurity. Then his chest rose with a deep breath.
"You think I'm addicted to adventure?" His voice held a note of amusement, but also something deeper—understanding, maybe.
"Aren't you?" I asked softly. "You were a spy, for heaven's sake."
"I was," he agreed. "But Ruby..." His hand slid into my hair, tilting my face up so I had to meet his eyes in the darkness. What I saw there made my breath catch. "You and Teddy are the greatest adventure of all."
My breath caught.
"Every day with you two is something new," he continued, his voice thick with emotion. "Watching Teddy discover the world. Seeing him smile when he tries something for the first time. Hearing him laugh—really laugh, not that careful sound he made when we first met." His thumb traced my lower lip."Waking up next to you. Learning what makes you happy, what makes you worried, what makes you come undone in my arms."
Heat flooded through me at his words, at the intensity in his voice.
"That's not boring, Ruby. That's not being trapped." His forehead pressed against mine, his breath warm on my lips. "That's finally coming home."
Tears pricked my eyes, hot and insistent. "Cristox..."
"I don't need to jump between planets to feel alive anymore," he murmured, each word deliberate. "I just need you."
His words wrapped around my heart and squeezed until I could barely breathe. I kissed him then, soft and slow, trying to pour everything I felt—all the love and gratitude and wonder—into it.
When we finally pulled apart, I stayed close, my fingers tracing idle patterns on his chest, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breathing. "We should probably talk about practical things," I said reluctantly.
"Practical things?" His voice was lazy, content, satisfied.
"Like where we're going to live." I bit my lip, feeling heat creeping into my cheeks. "We can't stay in Mei's guest house forever. It's generous of her, but with us..." My cheeks heated further. "We need our own space. And maybe a bedroom that's not quite so close to Teddy's."
Cristox chuckled softly, the sound rumbling through his chest, and his hand stilled on my back. "About that."
Something in his tone made me pull back to look at him, suspicion and curiosity warring. "What?"
"I may have already taken care of it."
I blinked, processing his words. "What do you mean?"
He had the grace to look slightly sheepish, a rare expression on his usually confident face. "I bought a house."
"You what?" I sat up fully now, staring down at him in disbelief.
"It's just a few blocks from the restaurant," he said quickly, words tumbling out. "Close enough that you can walk to work. Three bedrooms—one for us, one for Teddy, and one for guests or an office or whatever you want." His gaze softened, becoming almost vulnerable. "Or maybe a nursery someday. There's a small yard in the back. The neighborhood is safe, the school is nearby."
My mind was reeling, trying to catch up. "You bought a house. Without telling me."
"I was going to tell you," he said, reaching for my hand and lacing our fingers together. "I just... I wanted to make sure everything went through first. And I wanted to get the furniture ordered so it would be ready. We should be able to move in within a few weeks."
"Cristox..." I didn't know whether to be touched or annoyed. "That's a huge decision."
