Aaron adjusted Aarvi to a comfortable position and securely wrapped her in his arms. His thumb caressed the side of her forehead looking at her tear-stained, flushed exhausted face and the lost gaze of her drooping eyes.

'How did you survive in such a harsh world?' He thought softly planting a peck on her forehead causing her to finally close her eyes and rest.

'Selfish?' He remembered why she told him about her family and her childhood.

She felt selfish because she finally got to see, feel, and relish being pampered, loved, and cared for her without expecting anything in return. She finally got to call a house a home that is filled with affection for her and she wasn't alone there. She feels she likes him because she thought she was craving his warmth but not him.

However, she failed to discern she never let anybody else show affection to her other than him. It may be the past or present, she carefully took steps before embracing him.

In his opinion, she was never selfish. She was feeling all those because he was the one who wanted her to feel loved, feel at home next to him. If that's what made her feel selfish, then he was one too. He needed her for himself in any situation, time, or place.

The exhaustion finally brought rest to her body, he could only hope, her thoughts in place, rest her mind without nightmares.

He quickly pulled his mobile out and dialed a number twice before it was answered and got a response, [Young Master?!] Aaron quickly instructed but in a whisper before hanging up the call.

Melia who was sleepy felt wide awake looking at the solemn and aloof man having melancholic air around. There wasn't a facade of seriousness, he had the real emotions on, unhappy and pained.

It had been six years, the warm teenager became cold like freezing ice hiding all his emotions. She had seen him sitting like a lifeless statue when he lost his mother and sister back to back. Then the extreme coldness when he failed to search his Cupcake, then all just saw his blankness.

Only after Aarvi got to know he loves her, Melia started to see the teenager Aaron getting back to life, indulging Aarvi in everything. She had hoped, wished he could be happy for the lifetime but his state left her in a daze.

She wanted to ask but her eyes fell on the girl in his arms as he carefully pulled the comforter on them. Her swollen eyes, trembling brows, pained expression, blocked nose, breathing through the mouth, Melia needed no words to understand Aarvi had cried for too long time.

She knew her boundary and limits so she didn't cross it other than praying in her mind they should live a happy life ending the sorrow.

Aaron helped Aarvi to drink a little water from the glass by holding her up, then he wiped her face, neck with a warm wet towel before noticing downcast Melia who was unhappy just by seeing them sad.

His voice was low hiding his emotions from the tone, "Thank you, Aunty Melia." Melia nodded and left deeply sighing to herself.

It took sometime before Melia slept in her room and Aaron dozed off in the swing.

---

In the morning, it took time for Aarvi to open her heavy eyelids feeling the warm sun rays falling on her face passing through the tree leaves and branches. Slowly recovering memory from the night, she noticed Aaron still sleeping while the sun was dazzling in the sky.

She didn't know what time they slept but she definitely could guess their morning routine was missed. Since both had no plans to go to the office or Aaron to the hospital, she didn't wake him up.

She never ever told about her parents and her childhood to anybody, not even Shawn or Dax. In fact, Zain didn't know much other than what he had seen. Now the deepest secret was out and there was a thing less to hide from Aaron.

She was glad he didn't curse her parents or say anything against them other than becoming all ears to hear her, he was there to provide her comfort and silently accompanied her.

She didn't want anybody to tell her that her parents are the worst or she deserves better or she had the worst childhood. She already knows all that, so she was grateful for having him beside her.

Moving up from his embrace, her right hand snuck under his neck, her left hand wrapped around him and her cheek rested on his cheek, giving him a warm hug.

Aaron yawned again wrapping his arms, "First time you are welcoming a morning in the right way."

Aarvi smiled hearing his tease without bringing up about the night and subconsciously tightened her arms and teased back, "Oxytocin in the morning is a good way to start."

She wasn't stuck back in the memories so Aaron yearned to see her face but she wasn't letting him go. He flipped on his back and Aarvi ended up laying on top of him. "Aaron.."

She tried to get off but he rested her back on him, fastening his hands securely, "See, I told you, we should cuddle to sleep every day. You will get a human-sized Plushie."

'Plushie?' Aarvi forced her head up to look at his face and poked his chest, "You aren't even soft to be my Plushie so NO." She turned him down again.

Aaron saw her and involuntarily cupped her face. Her eyes were still a little swollen but weren't much noticeable, They were bright and mischief erasing all the sadness away.

'My Cupcake is a true warrior.' He thought looking at her gaze which was trying to find something in him.

He responded to her rejection, "Alright, you be my plushie." He raised his forefinger and teased, "Do you want me to poke and check?"

Aarvi who realized she had poked his chest immediately placed her hand on her chest damning her V-neck night top, "Don't you dare look anywhere other than my face." She passed her verdict and earned an enticing chuckle from him. She failed to realize she just had to get off from him.

Before Aaron or Aarvi could continue their conversation, they heard a voice from the mansion nearing them, "Yo, my sister-in-law is on top. Dominating indeed."

Aaron saw him and was ready to sit but saw Aarvi's cheeky grin before she shouted, "Stop right there. Don't come.." As she pulled the comforter up hurriedly.

Aaron: "..."

Shawn immediately believed her act and assumed they were naked on the swing, "Are you guys crazy?" He jumped around covering his eyes.

Aarvi chuckled silently and countered, "What crazy? I am with my boyfriend."

Shawn who was working his brain countered back without walking away, "If not crazy, what else? That is the swing and how the hell can you guys do on it? Won't it keep moving and take.."

Aaron didn't want his Cupcake's naivety about lovemaking to be polluted hence he covered her ears to avoid her from hearing his chatter about how disturbing it would be making love on the swing.

Rolling her down, Aaron saw her surprised before he planted a kiss on her forehead to avoid her attention on Shawn's words. He removed his hand from her ear and whispered.

"I love you, only you, then, now and forever." He lifted his face and saw her smile with a tinge of a blush creeping on her cheeks. Kissing her cheek, "Never forget that."

He was about to get up but Aarvi held his collar and pulled him down. She really wanted to know, "You really don't feel pity for me?"

Aaron brushed his nose on her saying, "Nope!" He cupped her face resting his weight on his elbows, "You don't need pity, you deserve to be admired and adored."

After the quickest thought, "I am there for you to lavish all your love and care boundlessly."

Aarvi slowly touched his face. He was really a dream, hard to believe but he was real for understanding her with words or without them. She couldn't believe there exists a man who was capable of knowing her heart so well.

Whenever she showed a bit of care to Jose or her parents, her mother would always call her clingy so she didn't know if she was capable of loving somebody. Even if she did, she didn't know the difference between the love of family, a man, and friends hence she always defined it as an attachment.

She knew Aaron was more than a friend to her but she didn't know if she really loved him. If she is in love with him then how to know that?

Aarvi wrapped her arms around his neck and requested, "Wait for me." She hoped she could sort out her feelings without letting the man wait longer.

However, Aaron pulled her from the swing bed to sit and faced her, "No rush. Take your time." He knows she wants to be real with her feelings when it's about love.

Aarvi nodded with hum flashing him a fulfilled smile and then her attention went on the blabbering man who was confused. "What did he say? I didn't hear him."

Aaron was glad she didn't listen to Shawn's words of saying 'Wouldn't it be difficult to roll around, change position..' and etcetera. "He is thinking your mischief can't be done on the swing."

"Oh," She got out of the swing and went to Shawn. She nudged his shoulder, "Tsk Tsk.. What a boring man!"

Shawn, Aaron: "..."

Shawn was speechless, he couldn't believe his naive innocent Little Heart called him a boring man with respect to sexual activity.

Seeing her skip away in delight, Shawn gazed at the moving swing thinking if he should try. 'What if I get high and couldn't do anything due to the swing movements? What if swing's string cut off and fell down?'historical