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After several years of dating men who were decidedly not Mr. Right, Sonia had trust issues.
Leon was, by far, her most considerate ex, and they'd even managed to maintain a friendship of sorts despite their history. But, for the most part, she was used to cutting ties and breaking up and stitching her aching heart back together as best she could.
Though she’d known that going out with Raihan was a bit of a gamble, she’d also known that she wouldn't have been able to live with herself if she didn't give him a shot. He was a close friend, after all, and she'd always secretly harbored the slightest hint of a crush for him over the years.
Now that he was actually giving her the time of day… Well, she knew that she wouldn't be able to just let him go so easily.
As they strolled through Wedgehurst hand in hand, Sonia considered what this particular moment in their budding relationship could mean. She'd never brought any of her previous flames here to her home town… At least, none besides Leon. That had to count for something, right?
Raihan smirked as they navigated their way to her lab. “Babe, the people are staring.”
“Let them,” Sonia replied with a smile.
The gossips would take their appearance together as new conversation fodder, but she couldn’t really bring herself to care. Such things were inevitable in a small town like Wedgehurst.
After finally arriving at the lab, they greeted Hop who was working on some calculations, tucked away in a corner.
“Hey guys,” Hop called in greeting with a wave of his hand. “If you want me to skedaddle, just let me know.”
Sonia shook her head, “That won't be necessary, Hop; don't worry about it. We'll just be right upstairs!” Then, she winced as her boyfriend bumped his head against the low ceiling. “Sorry about that.”
With a smile, Raihan shook his head, while reaching up to fix his hair. “Nah, don't worry, babe. I'm used to it.”
Recently, Sonia had ordered for the lab to be renovated, and she now had a little office off to the corner of the second floor, past several rows of bookshelves. As she pulled Raihan into her office, she closed the door behind them and motioned for him to take a seat.
“Want anything to drink?” She asked, popping open the door to her mini fridge.
With a shake of his head, Raihan leaned back in his seat, rearranging his long limbs so that he could be more comfortable. “Nah, I'm good. Thanks for the offer, though.”
After taking a seat nearby, Sonia smiled apologetically. “Sorry again about the busy bodies, Rai.” With a sigh, she continued, “They don’t really seem to have anything better to do than speculate on my love life.”
“I'm used to it,” Raihan repeated with a grimace. Of course he was. He was one of the most famous celebrities in all of Galar. What were a couple of small town folk gossiping about him when he was the talk of the whole nation?
Sonia took a sip of her water. “I don't know how you do it.”
Lips quirking into a small smile, Raihan replied, “Magic.” Then, he shifted in his seat, expression becoming more serious. “But… Yeah. People are always talking about me, and I give them things to talk about, and that's just the way my life is.” He met her gaze full on. “It’s my reality.”
Sonia knew that.
But Raihan continued, “I will admit, though, that… Despite being so used to the spotlight… Truthfully? I'm afraid.”
“Afraid?” Sonia placed her water back down on her desk. “Afraid of what?”
Raihan leaned forward in his seat, engulfing one of her small hands with both of his. “Afraid of falling in love with you.” His voice almost wavered. “Afraid of losing you.”
“What?” Sonia blinked, stunned.
“I've never been in love before, Sonia,” Raihan admitted slowly. “Not really.” He continued, “My lifestyle has never afforded me the opportunity before.” Then, he looked down at their joined hands. “But, whatever we have… I don't want to lose it. I don't want to lose you.” His voice dropped several notches as he whispered, “I think I might be falling in love with you, and it kinda scares me.”
At Raihan’s confession, Sonia was reeling. Her heart was thundering in her chest as she placed her free hand atop their joined ones.
“I just don't want the craziness of my life to ruin things,” Raihan added. “I don't want to be the reason your privacy is invaded or your life’s put on display.”
Relief flooded Sonia’s senses. “Raihan, it's okay. I'm pretty scared too. This is the first relationship I've been in for so long where things finally feel as though they might work out someday.” She laced their fingers together. “I think I might be falling in love with you too.”
Almost stunned, Raihan opened his mouth to speak before closing it again.
“You know, you may be used to bumping your head on ceilings and getting gossiped about,” Sonia began slowly. “But I guess I'm sorta hoping that you could get used to this too.”
It didn't take Raihan too long to formulate an answer. “Yes, Sonia, I could.” He studied her features so closely, as though he were immortalizing her in his memory forever. “Definitely.”