She Belongs To No One

Shopping

Bjorn's POV

I almost laugh. Well, I do sleep without a shirt. The room is warm, there is no need for more. It was only out of courtesy that I had kept my boxers on. Of course that means she had been watching me sleep, which is much more interesting.

I quickly gulp down the rest of my tea before I say something stupid. I sense now is really not the time for at least half the possible remarks I have floating through my head.

"I am sorry." She finally stops working on the stain, her hands falling limp, the sweater a sodden mess in the kitchen sink. "It will not come off."

"Like I said, it is fine."

Seraphina returns to her chair and picks up her cup of coffee, cradling it as she takes another sip, her silence letting me know she is still upset.

And I hate seeing her upset.

I stare at the stain on the sweater, clearly visible even from here. Even when she had been wearing the thing, the sweater had looked like a tent on her. Now she just looks small and cold in the T shirt she had been wearing under it.

"You know, why do not we go and buy you some clothes?"

Her eyebrows go up. "Buy me clothes?"

"Yeah." I nod. "Clothes that will fit you, suit you. You need them, do not you? I mean, you cannot go back home in my clothes."

She puts her empty cup on the sink. "You are right. I cannot. But I..."

"I can lend you some money and you can pay me back when you can," I tell her. "Not that you have to."

She taps her fingers on the sink then turns around to face me. "Alright. But I will pay you back. I promise."

"Okay." I rub my hands together. "Where shall we go first?"

I HAVE NEVER GONE SHOPPING before, except for food and the barest of necessities, and I certainly have never taken delight in it.

With Seraphina, it is different. I watch her go through every piece of clothing on the racks with immense concentration, running her fingers carefully through the fabrics and then checking the price tags. Afterwards, she either sticks her lower lip out or smiles, face all lit up. If it is the latter, she pulls out the item and continues, ending up with quite a pile in her arms before heading to the dressing room.

I hear her humming in there. I hear the scuffle of fabrics as they rub against each other, of clothing gliding across skin, buttons popping and zippers zipping.

I shake my head, trying to loosen the image the sounds conjure out of my mind.

After a few minutes, she emerges in a pair of jeans and a cobalt blue turtleneck under a white coat tied around her waist, a pale blue hat tilted jauntily on her head.

I blink, almost thinking that a different woman has appeared in front of me. But there is no mistaking the tawny hair or those smoky eyes.

"Well?" Seraphina gives a whirl, her hair dancing around her shoulders. "What do you think?"

Beautiful. That is the first word that comes to mind, but I do not say it out loud.

"Nice," I say instead, scratching the back of my neck. "Much better than my old sweater."

She chuckles then goes back into the dressing room. For the next few minutes, she goes in and out, each time with a different pair of pants on, a different blouse, sweater, or dress, a different coat or jacket, a different headpiece, sometimes with a scarf.

And each time, she looks beautiful, leaving me utterly in awe, my breath stolen and my heart pounding.

"She looks good in anything, does not she?" the woman next to me remarks.

A feeling of pride explodes in my chest. "Yeah, she does."

It is a great thing, but for Seraphina, it seems to be a bad thing, too. Her eyebrows furrow as she goes over the clothes she has tried on. Finally, she makes up her mind, picking the pair of black jeans with a sandy brown belt, the cobalt blue turtleneck, a tan coat, and a white fur cap.

I give her a thumbs up. "Great choice."

"Thanks." She puts the other items back on their racks. "And thanks for taking me shopping and getting me clothes. Now, I feel like a human."

I frown. "You did not feel like a human before?"

She chuckles and considers me seriously. "You know, we should get you something, too."

"Me?" I point a finger to my chest, eyebrows rising to get lost somewhere in my hairline.

"Yes, you. When was the last time you bought yourself a sweater? Or something new?"

I shrug.

"My point exactly."

She rushes over to the men's section, already looking through the racks. I follow her.

"Seraphina, this is not necessary. I..."

"A ha. What about this?" She pulls out a gray and maroon sweater, holding it up. "What do you think?"

I give another shrug. "I really do not..."

"I, for one, think it will look great on you," she interrupts, holding the sweater against me.

My eyes narrow. "You think?"

"Totally. It will make you look hotter."

Hotter? My eyebrows go up for a second time. If I keep this up they will get lost up there and not come down again.

She turns away. "But if you do not like it, I can keep looking. I am sure..."

I grab the sweater from her. "I will take it. If it fits, that is."

The corners of her lips turn up into a rewarding smile that convinces me I have made the right choice.

"Let us hope it does."