99

99

Sophia’s POV

The restaurant was cozy, dimly lit with flickering candles on every table. A soft, soothing melody played in the background, adding to the already romantic atmosphere. Ian had chosen the place, of course, and as usual, it was perfect. I couldn’t help but smile at how effortlessly he could make a simple dinner feel like a grand event. It wasn’t the first time we’d gone out like this, but it was the first time in a while that I actually felt… normal.

“Wine?” Ian offered, lifting the bottle in his hand.

I nodded, sliding my glass toward him. “Yes, please. I could use a glass.”

He poured slowly, the deep red liquid swirling in the glass before settling. I watched his hands as he worked—steady, graceful, like everything else he did. Sometimes I forgot just how old he was, how much life he had lived, but moments like these, when he moved with such refined elegance, reminded me of just how old he was.

“What’s that look for?” Ian asked, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

I blinked, realizing I’d been staring. “Oh, nothing,” I said, trying to sound casual. “Just thinking.”

“About what?” He raised an eyebrow, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

“About how you make pouring wine look like a ceremony,” I teased, lifting the glass to my lips and taking a small sip.

He chuckled softly, leaning back in his chair. “It’s all in the wrist.”

I grinned, setting the glass down. “I’ll have to learn that one day.”

“I’ll teach you.” His smile was playful, but there was a warmth in his gaze that made my heart flutter.

For a moment, we just sat there, comfortable in the quiet of the restaurant, the flickering candlelight casting soft shadows across his face. I could’ve stared at him forever, but the smell of food drifting from the kitchen snapped me back to reality. My stomach growled, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“I guess someone’s hungry,” Ian remarked, his tone light and teasing.

“You have no idea,” I said, shaking my head. “I think I’ve been living off coffee for the past week.”

“You do tend to forget to eat when you’re busy,” he observed, his gaze softening as he watched me. “I’ve noticed.”

I shrugged. “Well, school’s been crazy, and, you know, all the other… stuff.”

“Stuff,” he repeated with a knowing smile.

“Yeah, stuff,” I said, rolling my eyes playfully. “You know, vampire drama, hunters, the usual.”

Ian chuckled, and the sound warmed me from the inside out. Being around him always made the situation of things less overwhelming than it actually was. Like right now, I could almost forget all the insanity of our lives and just focus on the way his smile lit up his face.

“Let’s make a deal,” Ian said, leaning in a little closer, his voice low and intimate. “Tonight, no drama. No vampires, no hunters. Just us.”

“Just us?” I raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

“Just us,” he repeated firmly, his eyes locking with mine.

I smiled, feeling a rush of warmth in my chest. “Deal.”

The waiter arrived with our food just as I agreed, placing a perfectly cooked steak in front of Ian and a plate of pasta in front of me. It smelled heavenly, and my stomach growled again in anticipation.

I twirled my fork in the spaghetti, lifting it to my mouth and taking a bite. “Mmm, this is amazing.”

Ian cut into his steak with precision, nodding approvingly. “They have a good chef.”

I watched him take a bite, savoring it slowly. For a second, I forgot that he didn’t need to eat, that this whole thing—dinner, wine, conversation—was more for me than for him. But he did it anyway. He always did. He indulged me in these little human things, and it made me love him even more.

“So,” I began, after another bite of pasta, “what’s something you’ve never told me?”

Ian paused, raising an eyebrow. “Something I’ve never told you?”

“Yeah,” I said, leaning forward a little. “There’s got to be something. I mean, you’ve been alive for centuries. Surely you’ve got some secrets stashed away.”

He smirked, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “You want one of my secrets?”

“Just one,” I said, grinning. “For now.”

He leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the table as he thought. “Alright. When I was young—very young—I was in love with the idea of being a pirate.”

I burst out laughing. “A pirate? Seriously?”

He chuckled, nodding. “Yes. It seemed like the ultimate freedom. Sailing the seas, no rules, no boundaries.”

“Let me guess,” I said, still laughing. “You had a ship and everything?”

“No ship,” he admitted, his smile widening. “But I did steal a small boat once. It didn’t go well.”

I laughed harder, imagining a young Ian trying to sail a boat. “What happened?”

“I crashed it into the docks within minutes,” he said, shaking his head. “Nearly got myself killed.”

“Well, I’m glad you didn’t,” I said, still grinning. “I like you better as a vampire than a pirate.”

He smiled, his eyes softening. “I’m glad too.”

The rest of the meal passed in easy conversation, laughter flowing between us like it always did when we were alone. For a moment, it really did feel like it was just us. No vampire politics, no Council, no hunters—just me and Ian, enjoying dinner like any normal couple.

As we finished eating, the waiter came by to clear the plates, leaving us with our half-full glasses of wine. Ian reached across the table, taking my hand in his. His touch was cool but familiar, and I intertwined my fingers with his, relishing his touch.

“This was nice,” I said softly, looking at him over the candlelight.

“It was,” he agreed, his thumb gently stroking the back of my hand. “We should do this more often.”

“We should,” I said, squeezing his hand. “But I know things are… complicated.”

“They don’t have to be,” he said, his voice steady and calm. “Not all the time.”

I nodded, knowing he was right. We could make time for moments like this, even if the world around us was always spinning out of control.

“Thank you,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

“For what?”

“For this,” I gestured to the table, to the restaurant, to everything. “For making me feel normal. Even just for a night.”

His gaze softened, and he lifted my hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to my knuckles. “You are normal, Sophia. At least to me.”

I smiled, my heart swelling in my chest. “You’re not so bad yourself, you know.”

“Glad to hear it,” he said, his eyes twinkling with that familiar mischief.

We sat there in comfortable silence for a while, just holding hands, just being. It was strange, how something as simple as dinner could feel like a luxury. But with everything going on in our lives, these moments were rare, and I cherished them.

“Ready to get out of here?” Ian asked after a while, his tone light and easy.

I nodded, feeling a sense of contentment wash over me. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

He stood up, offering me his hand, and I took it without hesitation. As we walked out of the restaurant into the cool night air, I felt a sense of peace settle over me. For the first time in a long time, I wasn’t thinking about the dangers lurking in the shadows or the secrets we still hadn’t uncovered. For once, I was just happy.

And that, I realized, was more than enough.