True Intention

Ch 18- Making plans for Halloween...

Soren POV

I had a plan. Probably a slightly risky one, but I was willing to take a chance.

I was going to try and push my girl for a little more on Halloween. Not too much, just...

The s****l tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Thank God my cargoes effectively hide my almost constant state of arousal. I don't think Naomi is unaware, I think she just really wants to be more stable before rocking the boat. Which is why I'm not asking her to be official yet, but I'm going to see if our mutual attraction will allow us to take a step closer, maybe physically. As much as my situation below the belt is uncomfortable, what I really want is to make her feel good.

I was to worship her body, let her enjoy it. She knows nothing about carnal pleasure, obviously, but I had this feeling that with the right person, it would be liberating. I wanted that person to be me.

I can already tell that the nude sessions are helping. I'm working on a piece to show her exactly how I see her. Beautiful and totally worthy. I'm also working on a secret tattoo design of a Japanese-style phoenix. She is rising from the ashes. I'm thrilled she's gone back to therapy and found a more effective therapist. Therapy is only as good as the person providing it, much like any service. She has blossomed between our friendships and the sessions with Leslie, but I know there is still more to be done. I'd bet she needs therapy for some time, even if we're able to move forward, and that is totally fine with me. I want to make sure she gets what she needs.

It's part of why, as irresistible as I find her, I've held back and behaved myself.

Her hope that I'll push her and just have my way is as obvious as the nose on her face, but I'm not about to let her get out of making a firm decision. Giving in could be dismissed as momentary weakness, and nothing about our relationship was weak. I wouldn't let it be.

The holiday was fast approaching, and I was conspiring carefully with our friends to make it as positive an experience as I possibly could. I wanted her time with us, with me, to be unforgettable and eminently pleasant. I'm not into SpongeBob, but "the best day ever" was definitely my goal.

There were sure to be tons of parties Halloween weekend, since the holiday fell on Thursday, but I wasn't sure I wanted to venture in that direction. College parties weren't exactly known for being places of safety and good judgment. I felt a little bit like it would be a good way to test how recovered Nao actually was, as long as we stuck to her. I'd been talking it over with the girls, and they both thought if we were selective, avoided the rowdier options, it could be good. Avoid the Greek Row parties, obviously. Though regulated, students were adults. The school only got as involved as they needed to.

We decided on a party being hosted by ECOEagles, a club focused on sustainability. Several of Steph and Heidi's peers from their Geosciences curriculum were in the club. It was probably the closest I could come to "safe" outside of our friend group. We'd gone on little day trips and hung out as a group, and it was the most fun I'd had in my life. Every night before I fell asleep, I took a moment to think about how grateful I was to have my friends, and Naomi.

Was I ready for more with my beautiful girl? Of course. But just meeting her was special. Like I said before, I'm a romantic. I believe in all that fate s**t. Frankly, I believe that you are reincarnated and that you are supposed to find the one in each lifetime, like a challenge. Naomi was mine before, and I would do everything in my power to make her mine again. I knew her soul to its depths. I felt it in my bones. Just like when you go somewhere you've never been before and yet it's as familiar as home. You don't have to agree with me, I get it. For me though, my faith was 100% behind it.

It's the only explanation that reconciles love at first sight. The true, lasting kind, of course. Like my own parents had. They met once and just knew. Never looked at another person again. They were just as much in love now as they were in high school. I wished I'd met my girl in high school. Where we were from was not so far apart that it was impossible, either.

I guess that meant that now was my time. Now was when I was supposed to meet her. Now was when I was supposed to help her heal and teach her what ral love looked like.

I wanted her to have a fun, relaxed holiday. Carefree and enjoying the simple things. From our conversations, she hadn't had a good holiday since her family left Brooklyn as a child. Her parents weren't bad people or anything like that, they were just very focused on their art. Selling one piece would feed them for a few years, so I understood it, but they just didn't connect with their daughter. They loved her, but seemed to lack the emotional capacity to give her what she needed. They'd come from wealthy families as trust fund kids that met at some socialite party. They were the "spares," so to speak, not part of their family businesses.

It caused them to be entirely too Laissez-faire for my taste.

Their attitudes felt an awful lot like Nao was an afterthought, especially after the incident, as it was referred to within her family. Could they not come out and acknowledge that she'd been brutally victimized, even if Robert hadn't met his end goal? Not to mention that nobody did a thing about her abuser continuing to harass her alongside his bitchy little girlfriend. They call this s**t triggering for a reason. Because it refreshes the victim's experience and forces them to go through it all over again, emotionally.

Nao had never even carved a pumpkin!

Never went trick-or-treating or dressed up in a damn costume!

For someone who loved fashion and the arts, it was positively dreadful that she'd not been able to participate in an opportunity to explore her creativity. We were too old for trick-or-treating, of course, but carving a pumpkin, putting together a costume, and going to a party were definitely on the table. Steph was in charge of getting us all pumpkins and whatever carving tools we would need. Heidi was in charge of making sure Nao had an actual costume, not just a random goth outfit thrown together from her standard day-to-day wardrobe.

Not that I am complaining about her hot Goth-Techwear look. Not. At. All.

But I wanted her to have the full experience, and taking a shortcut because she looked like a vampire, or maybe even a witch on a daily basis, was not acceptable. The chance to be something different than usual was part of the enjoyment.

Archer and Enzo were tasked with making sure certain Carla supporters, and the b***h herself, were coming nowhere near the party that we planned to attend. Thankfully, it was likely that she and her groupies were going to try and hit up Greek Row. Guess they figured they'd let anyone in that had a costume. I kinda hoped so, just to keep her out of our hair. Crazy chick still tried to talk to me, if you can believe it. Someone had finally told her my name, much to my dismay, but I never leave my house without proper protection from bullshit.

I was right, no matter who put her in her place, she just kept popping up like a bad penny.

One rather unfortunate side effect of Nao's re-emergence into social situations? Admiring eyes from the guys. All the f*****g time. Look, I never considered myself to be the possessive or jealous type, but I seriously felt a constant need to mark my territory with body language. Putting a hand on her lower back, an arm over her shoulders, kisses to her cheek. I couldn't say anything because we weren't official, even if I slept in her bed every night. The girl was gorgeous, sexy and spicy. When they hit on her she was quick to put them in their place.

Only problem?

Some of them thought she was playing hard to get. Kinda like my situation with Carla.

It was going to take a real relationship for people to finally get the message.

We spent nearly every minute together, in all honesty. We separated when we got up for showers (and me trying my best to relieve my aroused state), and obviously I didn't go inside the bathroom with her. But I did wait outside, and pretty much everywhere else we were stuck together like glue. I loved it, of course, that my girl let me hang all over her.

This did result in occasional catty comments on social media and in-person, but most were smart enough to keep their comments socially acceptable and not push the boundaries into bullying. If not, one of us was quick to put them in their place, and few were willing to deal with our acerbic tongues. Our college seemed to house pretty reasonable people, thank God.

My phone started vibrating in my pocket. It was a text from Heidi.

H: Hey Ren, I think I found the perfect costume ;)

R: Oh? Tell me more, my friend.

H: Are you thinking about matching her, possibly?

R: If it's doable, why not?

H: So, I found this Chinese-style Gothic Lolita dress on Milanoo. Some cool accessories. She can do two buns you know? Super cute and not too fussy.

She sent a picture. It was a high-necked qipao with cap sleeves. It had an ink painting panel in tones of black, gray, and white with purple accents down the front. It was fitted, but had two slits in the front of the thighs to mid-thigh, with these cool metal accents at the apex of the slits and also at the classic Chinese-style neckline with a cutout. Almost like a collar. There was a ruffle of sheer white with black trim at the sleeves. There was also a corded braid belt in purple with a bead and tassel at the end. It was going to look hot as f**k on Naomi.

I was already thinking too hard about it as my body responded. Ugh.

H: You wanna see the male version?

R: Sure.

She sent another picture. It was a long Chinese-style black high-necked coat that was full length, with red trimmings. Super easy to wear, actually. I really liked it a lot, as far as costumes went. Looked cool without too much bullshit.

H: Hope you like it, because I already ordered it a couple weeks ago, lol. Should be arriving this weekend.

R: Looks great, thanks Heidi!

H: You guys are the cutest couple ever, no way was I going to fail you :)

It was Friday, meaning the costumes could arrive tomorrow. Halloween was next week.

I rubbed my hands in excitement.

Let's just hope all goes to plan!