Author's Note:

Hey everyone! Another oneshot which I hope everyone will enjoy! This is my entry for the 'Breaking Up, Making Up' contest, so I really hope I satisfy all the rules and guidelines.:D Anyway, hope you guys like it! Oh, and in case anyone's wondering, I'm working on a short story. It's going to be more than a chapter but probably less than fifteen. I don't know when I'll post it, but I've already started working on it, so stay tuned to hear more news about that! Anyway, everyone, have a great day and enjoy! Oh my gosh, and thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who continues to support my works! You guys are just awesome!:D

Rules:

1. Has to be a one-shot above 2,500 words, and below 10,000 words

2. Must be ridiculously happy

3. Set in the current world

4. The main pairing must be het.

5. Be realistic

6. Add the words 'For the Breaking Up, Making Up Contest' in your summary.

Guidelines (for the Breaking Up, Making Up Contest):

1. Must be about a couple breaking up, and making up again.

2. No flash backs or flash forwards please. Must be set entirely in the present.

3. Must include any or all of the following;

(a) someone obsessed with flaws, who points them out all the time

(b) someone fears everything, especially getting sick

(c) someone who is VERY over enthusiastic

4. The person (or people) with these characteristics must also be given a suitable NICKNAME.

Notes:

1. The characters must have a real reason to break up, and a real cause to make up again. No ambiguity please.

2. Please, please, PLEASE let the reason for their breaking up not be "How dare you kiss her?", "I didn't kiss her she kissed me." Lets have some originality, huh?

Thaliana Watson and Mason Black are at the top of their own game. They might as well be Wall Street's power couple, but sometimes, the greatest things in life could lead to the worst. For the 'Breaking Up, Making Up' contest.

Thaliana Watson shot a string of curses the moment she heard her alarm clock ring deafeningly on her bedside table. It was still too early in the morning to get up, but she needed to get to work, so groaning, she rolled to her side and expected to see her boyfriend of three years sleeping beside her, but nada. All she saw were a bunch of pillows tangled up in her comforter.

"Morning, babe." That was Mason Black, exiting the bathroom with only a towel hanging dangerously low on his hips. "In case you've forgotten, we both have work today."

Mason Black, with sandy blond hair and misty azure eyes, was definitely a great catch for Thaliana. He wasn't only drop–dead gorgeous at twenty–eight years old, but he also had the career of someone decades older than he was. They met three years ago, both at twenty–five years old, and each time they recounted that specific event, they'd end up laughing and then cuddling.

They had been rushing to get to their respective jobs. Mason was typing away on his Blackberry while Thaliana was trying to juggle holding her Starbucks cup and her Sidekick in only one hand while her other one held a number of portfolios. They were too busy in each of their own worlds that they hadn't been looking where they were going and ended up knocking each other out. After mouthing out multitudes of apologies, Mason asked for her contact number, and the rest was history.

"Ugh, work," she said, rolling her eyes and getting out of bed. "The only thing I'm excited about it is that I know I'll eventually have to come home, and then I can sleep again."

"And?" Mason pressed, starting to dress up.

"Oh, and before I sleep, I'll have to drive you wild."

With a small smile, she looked at him for a moment before entering the bathroom to prepare for another day at the office. When that was done, she saw Mason leaning against the doorway with a mischievous smile on his face.

"What are you up to?" she asked, inching her way closer to him, and when she was an arm's reach away, Mason placed his hands securely on her hips. "You aren't going to make–out with me like there's no tomorrow, are you?"

His smile said it all.

"What will your officemates think when they see your clothes all scrunched up so early in the morning?"

"I know they'll be envious," he said, tugging her even closer, if that was still possible, and bringing his lips down to capture hers.

At the last second before their lips touched, Thaliana pulled away and placed her hands smoothly on his crisp polo. Then, she shook her head, smiling to herself.

"What if let's just have dinner, and we can do our thing then," she suggested, and she felt Mason loosening his grip on her. "What do you say?"

Running his hand through his sand–colored hair, he bit his bottom lip for a moment, which Thaliana found absolutely adorable, before curving his lips down.

"I'm working late. I'm sorry."

"Oh," was the quick reply. "Then I'll just see you back here."

With a swift kiss, he led her out of the condo unit they owned, and when they arrived outside, there were two limousines, with a chauffeur waiting beside each car, parked in front of them. Before they parted ways, the two faced one another, and engaged in an activity that was practically their hobby already.

"Don't. Wait. For. Me," Mason inserted between kisses as Thaliana responded rather demandingly to his call.

"You work too hard," she then responded, pulling away for a moment. "No wonder your officemates call you 'Matronly Mason'. The office's practically your baby."

"Why?" He, too, held his head up to catch his breath. Thaliana was definitely a wild kisser, and that was only one of the many things he loved about her. "Jealous?"

Chuckling to herself and tweaking his nose, she answered, "Maybe, so don't be too hard on yourself, alright?"

"Would you rather I go hard on you?"

With a hard punch on the chest, Thaliana said 'goodbye' to her boyfriend with one, last kiss and a bout of laughter. The chauffeur held the limousine door open for her before she stepped inside and began dialing away on her mobile phone. She was the manager of legal technology for one of Wall Street's most powerful banking corporations. It was a daily activity for her to communicate with the members of her team, and some of them were based in India, China, London, etc. It wasn't the most exciting of jobs. Instead, it demanded a lot of time from her, but it was definitely rewarding.

"Thanks, Albert," she then said, handing a few bills to the chauffeur when he parked the car in front of her office building. "I have a lunch meeting at one, so I'll be needing you. Oh, and Maria, my secretary, needs to do a few errands for me, so you'll be driving her around."

She groaned when she stepped into the lobby of the building. She definitely didn't want to be stuck in her office again, continuously making phone calls and analyzing statistics. She hated numbers and lengthy paragraphs, but she was very good at that stuff, great even. Then, she wondered if Mason was doing any better right at this moment, and she realized she didn't need to wonder. She was sure he was enjoying himself. Mason's office was also along Wall Street, yet they still decided to go to work in two separate cars. If she was a manager of legal technology, Mason was a software engineer and also the manager of his team. His pay was two and a half times as Thaliana's, and to add to that, he loved his job. He loved working, period.

"Now, there you are!" Thaliana heard the unmistakable and overly–excited voice of Maria. "Shall we start this day doing something productive?"

Rolling her eyes whilst chuckling, Thaliana replied, "Give me a break." She tipped her lips up at her secretary. "I'm always doing something useful, industrious even."

"So why should this day be any different?"

"Exactly," was the boss' reply. "Oh, were you able to get my daily necessity for the morning?"

"Ha–ha…here you go," Maria then said, holding out a white coffee cup. "White Chocolate Mocha, just the way you like it."

"Seriously, Maria," Thaliana then said. "I don't know how I'd get through the day without you."

Eyes growing bigger, Maria feigned a look of surprise before she opened her mouth to speak.

"Did Thaliana Watson just give me a compliment?" Her look of amazement never left her face. "I must be dreaming…"

"Now, don't mock me or you aren't going to get a raise."

"Eff you," was Maria's blatant reply, and the two of them ended up banging their fists on the table and laughing like crazy.

The day continued on just like any other day in Thaliana's life. She finished up her work, had lunch with her officemates, completed more of her duties in the afternoon, and when the clock struck eight, she, Maria, and a few more of their co–workers decided to grab some drinks at one of New York's hottest clubs.

"So, where's your delicious boyfriend?" One of her co–workers asked, taking a sip of her Pina Colada. "I barely see you two together anymore."

When that was said, a number of heads bobbed up and down, and Thaliana could only purse her lips and contemplate. She always saw Mason. They were together everyday, but that was because they lived in together. She then wondered whether or not they'd still get to hang out as often as they did if they lived separately. The answer was obvious, and slowly, her smile faltered, but she couldn't let her co–workers know there was trouble in paradise.

"He's just busy. You know how he loves the office," was her silent reply.

"Seems to me that you aren't his first priority," one of her gay officemates then said. "Maybe the sex isn't like how it used to be?"

Gaping, she slapped him, or her, on the arm before responding, "Excuse me! I'm very good at it if I say so myself!"

"Then why does it seem like there's a strain in your relationship?"

Fuck. Fuck. And…fuck.

That was all Thaliana could think about on her way home from the club. They didn't stay late, and in fact, she found herself at the doorstep of her condominium unit around midnight. When she opened the door, she felt her heart plunge. Maybe, her officemates were right – that there was something wrong in their relationship – that they were just on two different pages, even chapters, of a book. What she feared a while ago suddenly became true. There was Mason, handsome as ever, typing away on his laptop. He hadn't even noticed that she already arrived until she wound her arms around his neck. That was the only time he stopped what he was doing, and Thaliana realized her co–workers were right, and she wanted to slap herself for being so blind, but she didn't want to give up yet. She was still hoping she could fix things, fix him, so she tested him.

"Hey, I was thinking if we could maybe check out this new restaurant tomorrow while you're on your lunch break," she said as she sat down on his lap. "What do you say?"

Rubbing his eyes and trying to stay awake, Mason gently placed her on the seat beside his before he closed a window on his laptop and turned to look at her.

"I'm sorry," he said, and Thaliana felt her heart tighten. "I'm trying to reach this deadline, and I'm afraid I won't make it if I lose focus."

Biting her lip, Thaliana rolled her eyes before walking away. She entered the bedroom they shared and then slammed the door closed. It was then that Mason realized something was up, so he stopped what he was doing and sat down beside her on the bed.

"What's wrong?" Mason asked, reaching for her face, but she was adamant not to let herself turn into goo at the sight of him, so she placed herself further away from him. "Did I do anything to upset you?"

"My officemates say you love your work more than…"

She couldn't continue her sentence. She was afraid of what might happen if she raised the problem and started to reprimand and question him. She loved him all too much, but at the same time, she knew she needed to say what was on her mind.

"More than what?"

Mason had no idea as to what Thaliana was so worked up over. He knew she was mad or pissed or sad, but he was clueless as to why she was acting like that. He wanted to comfort her and hold her in his arms. He wanted to wrap his arms around her the way he usually did ever since they became a couple, but tonight, every time he reached his arm out to touch her, she'd just move further away from him.

"Do you love your work?" she then asked him, her bright, azure eyes turning darker.

"Where is this going?" he questioned, running his hand continuously through his hair, and she swore to herself that he needed to stop doing that or else she'd just lose control and pretend nothing was wrong. "Please tell me…"

"Can we just sleep it off?" she asked, trying to test him once more. "Now?"

"I'm sorry…I really need to finish my work."

"Finish your work, and I'll finish this relationship," was her firm response, but the second after she said those heartbreaking words, she lost herself and fell to the ground.

The waterworks started, and she just knew she looked terrible beside an Adonis look–alike such as her boy–…ex–boyfriend. He tried to help her up, but every time he'd try, she just pushed him away. When she woke up this morning, she thought today was just going to be like any other day in her life – systematic, boring, and robotic. She had no idea she'd end the day single and crying. What was worse though was that it took her three whole years to realize how different Mason and she really were.

He was work–oriented. To him, work always came first, and nothing could stop him from doing his job, not even getting sick. He hated, feared even, catching a cold since missing work would cut him back a day or two from finishing his job. Even though Thaliana was extremely successful in her profession, she'd rather spend time with her friends and family than be stuck in an office making tons and tons of money. At twenty–eight years old, she'd begun to think about what her dream wedding would be like, and when it would happen. Mason, on the other hand, seemed like he had no plans to marry and start a family. After three years of being together, one would think they already talked about marriage or their future together, but that wasn't the case for Thaliana and Mason. Thaliana didn't know why, but Mason was just all work and no play. What? Did he fear that if he stopped working, he'd lose all his money? Thaliana shook her head and came to the conclusion that she'd just been blinded by Mason's disarming charm and boyish grin, blinded for three whole years.

"Babe…" He tried to reach for her, but she just slapped his hand away and rushed to her closet to pack up some stuff.

"Ju–…just…" She said in between sobs. "Just work. That's what you do best, anyway."

One whole week. It had been a whole week since the night they fought and broke up, and Mason Black couldn't believe the fact that Thaliana was really gone and out of his life. She still had some of her clothes in the condominium, most of her clothes even, but she wasn't texting him or knocking on the door asking for her stuff. No, it was like nothing, like they were just nothing, and he racked his brain for a possible reason as to why Thaliana had that kind of outburst seven days ago.

"Fuck," he then said to himself, realizing that if he didn't leave soon, he'd be late for work. "I have to go…"

The ride to his office was silent…as usual. He thought about the things he needed to finish up. Well, he tried to think about his work and all that he had to accomplish today, but no, Thaliana occupied every possible nook and cranny in his brilliant mind, and he realized that if he kept this up, if he kept thinking about her, he'd really lose focus. Then, he felt the limousine come to a stop, and robotically, he thanked the driver, went inside the building, and sat in front of his desk. A minute after he settled in, his secretary, Lana, entered and handed him his daily cup of coffee.

"White Chocolate Mocha," Lana said to him. "Just the way you like it."

He took a sip from it and then smiled, remembering just how much Thaliana liked that particular flavor as well. Then, something registered in his brain, and he looked at Lana like she was an angel sent from above.

"Let's have lunch," he then said to her. "It's an order, not a question, by the way."

When the clock struck noon, Mason got up from his computer chair and headed over to where Lana was. The moment the two made eye contact, Lana closed her laptop and got her coat, and together, they made their way to the bistro a block away from their office building. They took one of the tables outdoors, and flipped through the menus.

"So what's the problem, boss?" Lana said, breaking the ice. "Today's the first time you actually fulfilled the purpose of having a lunch break."

"And what's that purpose?"

"To have lunch, duh," Lana answered with a small smile as she rolled her eyes. "Seriously, what's up? You don't skip breaks."

"I don't know…Thaliana and I…"

"I heard about your break–up, you know," she said, telling the waiter who had just approached them her order. "So what happened? You look terrible, by the way."

"Well, thanks," he muttered sarcastically. "I don't kno–…it's just, fuck, I don't know. I can't get her off my mind."

Lana pondered for a moment, resting her chin on a finger, and placing her arm on the table in front of her. She heard about her boss' break–up with his girlfriend. Hell, the whole office knew about it and could see how torn up Mason was. He did his job alright, but unlike a week ago, his results now were just great when before they used to be out–of–this–planet spectacular.

"First off, why'd you even break up? You're obviously still in love with her…"

Mason contemplated for a moment and began to think about last week's events. He still clearly remembered the night of the fight, the conversation he had with Thaliana and how torn up she looked when she ended their relationship. He still knew by heart the hurtful things she said, and he tried to understand when during that night he wronged her.

"I don't even know…I was so confused that night. Hell, I'm still confused." He balled his fist and placed it firmly on the marble table in front of him. "All I remember is that she kept going on and on about work, work, and work. She even told me to 'just work'."

Lana smiled and shook her head at her boss. Mason was incredibly smart, but apparently, he was a bit slow when it came to life outside the office. Lana, without even knowing Thaliana's side of the story, immediately understood why she did that, why she broke up with Mason. Mason then noticed the amused look on his secretary's face and immediately asked her, "What's so funny? This isn't a laughing matter, Lana."

"I'm not laughing at this matter. I'm laughing at you, airhead," she couldn't help but say. "I'm sorry for the candor boss, but you're kind of dumb when it comes to things not related to software engineering, the computer, or business."

"Well, thanks," he answered sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "So what did I do wrong?"

"There's a reason why we call you 'Matronly Mason' in the office." Lana's entertained smile was still intact. "You do nothing but work."

"And that's bad?"

"Maybe Thaliana felt neglected…when was the last time you two actually had dinner on a week night? Except Friday night. When?"

Mason clamped his mouth shut. He didn't know the answer to that. Sure, they spent their Saturdays and Sundays together, but that was because he wasn't working, and still, sometimes half of his Saturdays and Sundays were dedicated to finishing his projects at the last–minute or at least improving them.

"You can't answer. Am I correct to assume the answer's a long, long time?"

"This is humiliating…I don't even remember."

Then, he took a sip of his coffee and turned to look at Lana, who looked like she was about to say something.

"Why do you work so hard, anyway? You have all the money in the world, and you're not going to become broke anytime soon."

Mason thought about it. Why? Why did he stress himself out every night just to get his job done? What made him a workaholic? What was it in working that made him choose it over Thaliana? The answer quickly came to him. He just had to look into his past to get the answers to his own questions.

"I guess I'm scared." Here, Lana cocked up an eyebrow, signaling Mason to continue. "I came from the poorest of families. My parents worked multiple jobs at a time, and still, what they earned daily was just enough to get our family through the day. There was no extra money for a new set of clothes or a new toy."

Lana just continued nodding as she listened intently to all that Mason had to say.

"And then I reached high school, and I started to plan my future since I didn't want to be poor my whole life. Hell, I was fucking scared to be destitute for the rest of my life, so I promised myself I'd get a scholarship to be able to go to college, and once there, I'd make it a point to do my best so I could graduate with the highest of honors. And I worked hard. I was a good student in high school."

Here, Lana looked at Mason questioningly, and she knew he was just being humble.

"You were a good student?"

"You can say that. I was offered a full–ride to MIT, and I ended up graduating Summa Cum Laude. My whole family was so proud of me, and when I saw how happy they were during my graduation, I promised to strive harder, so that I could help not only myself but also my parents and my siblings. Then, I was offered a spot in one of Wall Street's booming corporations, and the rest, I guess, is history. I might have started at the lowest of lows, but then I got one promotion after the other, and when I had much more than I needed, I couldn't stop. Work became my life, and I guess, it finally took its toll on me."

"That's an understatement, Mason," Lana said, not calling him 'boss' or 'sir' anymore. "Work is your life."

"So what should I do?"

"Are you seriously asking that question?" Lana looked like she was about to laugh. "Simple. Get a life."

And that was how Mason found himself in a bar with a few of his officemates, Lana included, and he couldn't forget how surprised they all looked when he told them he'd come. It was as if they had been dreaming and couldn't believe that their boss was really going to leave his office to just have fun with them.

"Cheers to 'Matronly Mason'," Lana proposed the toast, holding her glass up along with the rest of the group. "For finally leaving his baby, aka the office, to have a good time with actual people!"

"Cheers," everyone else in the group responded, and they couldn't help but laugh at what Lana said.

"I suggest you stay quiet if you want to get a raise," Mason teased, taking a swig of his beer.

"Hey, I just helped you a while ago, and that is how you repay me? By threatening me?"

Mason laughed and was about to respond, but his mouth immediately closed when he spotted a familiar figure enter the bar. The familiar figure was none other than Thaliana, and Mason immediately felt like he'd been punched in the gut. She was with a few of her friends, and she was laughing and smiling with them. In short, she was having a good time, and she certainly didn't look like she was sulking over their break–up. He couldn't stop staring at her. Actually, he didn't even know he was staring until they made eye contact and she pursed her lips before tilting them up into a small smile. He wanted to go over to her, but too late. It was Thaliana who was coming to him.

"Hey," she said, clicking her glass of wine against his beer bottle. "It's good to see you."

"Yeah," he responded, trying to think of what to say next. "Well, I'm out of the office."

He mentally smacked himself at his idiocy. That was a stupid thing to say, really. He wanted to apologize for that, but when he saw her smirking, he tried loosening up a bit.

"Yeah, I can see that," she said. "It's really good to see you. I was actually planning to call you since I still have most of my clothes in the condo. Is it okay if I drop by tomorrow?"

"Yeah, sure," was his short response.

God, he just wanted her back already, but doing it at a bar just wouldn't do it for her. Thaliana deserved more than that, and Mason knew that if he wanted her back, he'd have to do something out of…he needed to do something he wouldn't usually do.

"Sure, you can drop by at around nine in the evening. Does that sound good?"

"Sure," she said, still smiling. "That's an hour after I get off from work."

They parted ways after a brief hug and kiss on the cheek, and staring at her back as she joined her group of friends, he couldn't stop thinking about 'them'. He missed waking up beside her, and he made another promise to himself. He wasn't going to lose her ever again, and just like that, he knew what he had to do to keep her all to himself.

She couldn't believe it. She had approached him, expecting him to do something, but no. All he did was smile at her, nod his head, and answer her questions. She didn't know why she approached him. She just…she had been an idiot a week ago. Maybe, she had a point. Mason was indeed a workaholic. He was scared of not working, but she just broke it off with him without leaving him room to explain his side or at least defend himself, and she regretted doing that. She was hoping she could to talk to him and ask if they could try and work it out, but she was scared. She didn't want to sound desperate, so she told him about how she still had some of her clothes in their condo unit, and that was stupid. She could imagine how idiotic she looked saying that, and she shook her head. Maybe, she should come up with a game plan tonight instead of drinking with her friends and arriving back at her hotel drunk. She wanted him back, but at the same time, she didn't want to look desperate. She nodded her head in affirmation. She'd leave in an hour, so that she would have time to come up with a plan on how she could get him back, a plan which she'd put into action tomorrow.

She was scared. Her inside were twisting like they were trying to squeeze the life out of her. She was standing on the doorstep of her and Mason's condo unit. She stretched her arm out, her hand itching to ring the doorbell, but she settled herself with knocking. After a few seconds of waiting, the door opened, and there he stood, in a ruffled polo and a pair of dark denims. When they made eye contact, the smiles the two gave each other were instantaneous.

"Hey," he said, moving to the side to make space for her.

She walked in, breathing in the scent of garlic, lemon, and a hint of basil, and then, her mouth began to water. Whatever Mason was cooking, it sure smelled deliciously addicting, and then she stopped in her tracks and began to wonder. Mason rarely cooked, and when he did, it was usually during the weekend. She knew that on weekdays, Mason preferred to either get take out or just defrost a dish then microwave it, but it was a Wednesday night, so something was up. She just didn't know what exactly.

"Are my clothes still in the closet?" she asked, and when he nodded at her, she made her way to the master bedroom.

She mentally cursed herself. Last night, she had come up with the perfect apology, and she memorized it by heart, but she couldn't do it, not right now. She needed to find the right time to tell him she wanted him back, and she needed to find the right timing tonight since she just wanted him to be hers already, and she was stupid in the first place to have broken up with him.

The condominium was big and spacious, so she was still walking to the main bedroom of the unit. When she stood in front of the door, she rested her back against it. She just had to get her feelings out. It was suppressing her insides.

"Listen, Mason," she began, and when she said that, his eyes widened. He looked shocked, like he wasn't expecting her to do that. "I hate it that you're a workaholic. I also hate it that you're scared of getting sick because that means you'll have to miss work. I hate it that for you work comes before everything else. And after three years of dating, you still haven't talked to me about our future."

"Uhm, Thaliana…"

"No, shut up and let me speak," she said, holding her hand up in front of him, telling him that she wanted silence on his part. "I hate the fact that you'd rather sit in front your laptop than have dinner with me, but what I hate most is that I still I want you. I hate it that I still love you. I hate it that I want you back and that I have no plans of getting my clothes. I want to sleep here tonight. I want to sleep beside you. And it's still our condo, so you can't say no."

To prove her point, she opened the door of the master's bedroom and stepped in, and when she saw the bed, she could only gape and fall to the floor. There, on their king–sized bed were dozens over dozens of white, red, and pink rose petals. Even better, at the center of the bed was a small turquoise box. Tiffany & Co., Thaliana thought immediately. Then, Mason stepped into the bedroom as well and held his arm out to help Thaliana up. When she finally stood up, Mason breathed a deep sigh, ran his hand through his hair, and reached for the box on the bed before he bent down on one knee.

"Thaliana Watson, be my bride."

She couldn't believe it. She had just professed her love for him minutes ago, and here he was bending down on one knee and asking her to marry him. It seemed surreal, and she noticed how it wasn't only the bed that was showered with rose petals but also their whole room. It seemed like a fantasy, but when their hands touched, she knew it was anything but. This was real. He was real, and her dream wedding with him would be real.

"Mrs. Thaliana Black," she said to him, smiling. "I like the ring of it."

"So is that a 'yes'?"

Thaliana pursed her lips before furrowing her eyebrows at him.

"You know, for a summa cum laude graduate, you're pretty slow when it comes to understanding subtle hints or messages." Then, she broke into a chuckle. "Yes, silly, I'll marry you."

His boyish grin was unbreakable, and right after he slipped the ring on her finger, he held her face delicately in his hands and brought his lips down to hers. Thaliana eagerly responded to his desires, wounding her arms around his neck and tugging herself closer to him. Laughing, they fell onto the bed, with Mason landing on top of her, and propping himself on his elbows to avoid crushing Thaliana, Mason trailed soft kisses down her neck. She groaned and moaned and bathed in the satisfaction of finally being with him once again before she held his face and crushed her lips against his. After minutes of just satisfying each other's wants and needs, Thaliana pulled her lips away from his, and she chuckled when Mason groaned in dissatisfaction.

"How'd you manage to get all this done in a matter of minutes?" she asked, still holding his face in her hands. "I know you get off from work at eight."

"Thanks for ruining the moment," he said, rolling his eyes then kissing the bridge of her nose. "Well, if you really want to know, I took the day off."

Thaliana couldn't help but smile.

"Really? You aren't bullshitting me?"

"No, and I'm also taking tomorrow and Friday off," he said, smirking at her and getting impatient.

He just wanted to kiss her already.

"No, really?"

She furrowed her eyebrows and looked up at him questioningly, and in response, he ended up grinning and then laughing, and she couldn't help but squeeze his shoulder. He just looked so adorable when he did that.

"Okay, fine," he said, rolling to the side of the bed and placing his hands on her hips. "You got me, but I really skipped work today."

"To do all this?" she then asked, giving him a small yet deep peck, and he groaned again when she pulled away right before he could hold her face.

"It's worth it." He pulled her closer to him before maneuvering her expertly so that she was straddling him. "You're worth it."

"And did you really cook for me? The smell of garlic, lemon, and basil together is just amazing, you know," she said, and it was her turn to trail kisses down his jaw line and his neck.

"Well, I had a little help from Lana," was his answer. "She also helped pick out the ring. I hope it's nice enough."

"Are you kidding?" Thaliana said, the incredulity in her voice obvious. "It's just gorgeous."

"Then, good," Mason said, basking in the satisfaction she was gifting him with. "It fits you perfectly."

Mrs. Thaliana Watson Black. She could get used to hearing that. Even more, she could get used to being with him…forever.