Diamond Has It Rough

“And with this, it should be… perfect!”

Once again surrounded by the smells of a freshly cooked meal, Diamond Tiara stood in her kitchen. A thick, creamy mushroom risotto accompanied by an equally creamy grilled chicken in herb sauce. It was moments like these when she thanked her mother for drilling her cooking lessons into her instead of letting her go out to the mall every weekend.

She wiped her brow with her apron, then pulled it off to prepare the table. She fixed two plates and placed them in the appropriate positions. She put the forks and spoons in their place, then scanned the table.

“Okay, everything's right,” she mumbled. Her eyes looked off to the side. “Except…” This time she remembered. And this time, it would be the star player in her new idea.

She skipped over to the far end of the counter, grasping the special glasses that lay there, away from anything else. She smirked at her reflection in the glass, then returned to the table.

Just then, the familiar sound of a lock turning took her attention. It was a bit different from before, though. This time, it came from the door right in front of her: the door to the apartment. Her eyes turned to the clock that hung above the sink. He was a bit early, but nothing that she couldn’t plan around. She chuckled, then turned to the door. Once it slowly opened, she met eyes with Anon again.

“Welcome back,” she said with a grin. “How was your day?” He was silent for a moment but eventually answered.

“Okay.” A short response, as always. It didn’t put Diamond off.

“That’s good,” she said with a nod. “Well, I just finished dinner. When you’re ready, come in and have a seat.” Her eyes darted away for a moment. “Don’t take too long. I’ve got a surprise for you!” As he took his shoes off, he nodded without a word. Once he was in his socks, he quickly escaped from Diamond’s view again. Once he was gone, she took a deep breath. “Alright, going smoothly.”

It took a few minutes for him to return. He was still wearing a dress shirt and his slacks, his work attire from this morning. The bland attire had its charm, but it contrasted heavily against Diamond’s purple sleeveless sweater and a pair of designer jeans. Despite her choice to wear clothes, he didn’t seem to react to them at all.

“I’ve been waiting,” she said, picking up her fork. He made his way to his seat, then eagerly eyed his food. It made Diamond feel even more proud than before. “Feel free to dig in.”

“Thank you.” He had already begun before she spoke. He tore into the plate without a second thought with a sudden ferocity that took Diamond by surprise. She chuckled, then focused on her plate.

After a couple of minutes of silence between the two, save for the sounds of eating, Diamond took a deep breath. She’d been keeping a careful watch on him as they ate, and it seemed like the time for her plan had arrived. He looked up from his plate, wiped his mouth, then reached to the side. Once he grabbed the empty glass, he looked at Diamond.

“Um—”

“A drink, right?” Diamond exclaimed, hopping up to her feet. “Just a sec!”

She circled the table and walked to the fridge just behind him. She pulled it open, grabbing a tall glass bottle full of a blush-colored liquid. She grasped it tight, then returned to the table just as quickly as she’d left. Without a pause, she began to open it.

“My mother sent me a bottle of this new wine, called rosé.” She got it open, then bent over the table, poised to pour the contents. “Well, it’s not new. It’s been a huge thing in France for years. We’ve only just now heard of it, thanks to—”

“Um. Sorry.” The words in her throat died and she froze in place. She’d been living here with him for a few months now. He had never spoken over her. Not even once. “I’m not too good with alcohol.”

“Oh!” Diamond pulled back. Embarrassment rose from her stomach, scattering frenzying butterflies all around it. Her face turned red, and she put the bottle down on the table. “D-Don’t be sorry! I, um, should’ve checked with you first, haha.” She moved towards the fridge, pulling it open. “I’ll find something else for us to drink.” She turned her attention to the fridge’s contents.

She squatted down, put her elbows on her knees, then put her face in her palms. It was an honest mistake, and he probably wouldn’t be too mad or offended by it. Still, it made her feel silly. Still, she had to get up and face him again eventually. Staring into the fridge was bound to raise some concerns. She lifted her face, gave her cheeks a gentle slap, then grabbed a box of Orange Juice.

“It’ll be a bit odd, but we have some orange juice,” she said, forcing down her embarrassment. She got up, closed the fridge, and started returning to the table. “It’s probably not your ideal drink but it’s…”

The bottle, which took her two hands to wield properly, was being held by him in one. The glass placed next to his plate was nearly full of wine. He placed the bottle down, picked up his glass.

“Um…” Diamond watched in amazement as he downed the entire glass in two large gulps. He placed it down, his face scrunched up. A few moments later, it changed to one of astonishment.

“It’s not bitter.” He looked at his glass. “That was pretty nice. Thank you.”

“Did you like it?” asked Diamond, slowly recovering from the shock. She placed the orange juice on the table. “I didn’t expect you to drink so much all at once. Do you feel alright?” He looked down and nodded.

“Yes,” he said simply. “Also… I’m sorry.”

“No, no, it’s fine!” she exclaimed. “I shouldn’t have pushed it on you like that.” This time, he shook his head.

“You sounded so excited about the surprise,” he said. “And I outright rejected it without a second thought. If only just for that, I apologize.” Diamond offered him a gentle smile. Her hand reached out and rested on his.

“You don’t have to apologize, you know. I’m thankful regardless.” She smirked, then circled back to her plate. She sat down and poured herself a glass. “Let’s get back to dinner, okay?”

“Yes.” He nodded, then looked at the bottle she placed down. Diamond followed his gaze. “Erm…”

“Another glass?” she asked, lifting the bottle once more. This time, she poured his glass halfway, as she’d done for herself. “You can have as much as you want, you know. The surprise was for you.” He didn’t react, as she suspected. But after a few seconds, Diamond felt her heart skip a beat as she watched him.

For the first time since she’d moved in with him, she saw his smile.

It seemed like she was dreaming, but it was there, clear as day. Her body had frozen, but her heart beat faster and faster. He downed another glass, then went back to his food. Though his smile had faded, it was burned in Diamond’s eyes. Over time, she got back to her senses, and she downed her cup. Her face was the same rosy colors as its contents.

The rest of the night continued in relative silence. Diamond couldn’t help but steal frequent glances at him as he ate. While she was nearly finished with her third glass, he’d drunk about twice as much. By all accounts, her plan should’ve been working. Despite this, it didn’t even seem like he was fazed. He continued with his meal and eventually wiped the plate clean. His fork hit the table with a low thud and he took a deep breath. While Diamond could start to feel the buzz of the alcohol in her system, his face looked completely normal.

“Thank you, again,” he said, getting up. He wiped his face with a napkin, then pushed his chair into the table. “The food was delicious, and the surprise was wonderful.”

“Mhm,” she hummed. Patches of heat spread all over her body, and her breathing became shallow. Her chest felt the hottest of all, her sweater seemingly harboring heat as she breathed. She pulled at the neck, attempting to free some of the heat to keep herself cool. “Ugh…”

“Diamond?” The call of her name startled her, and she was even more taken aback by how close he’d gotten to her in a heartbeat. His eyes stared into hers. From this close, she could even feel his breath, hot on her skin. It sent a shiver up her spine. “You’re sweating a lot.”

“Mmm…” She leaned forward, her forehead pressing against his. With one hand, he pushed ber back. The other patted her face down with a towel from the table. Despite his efforts, it didn’t seem to help. After he realized it, he set it aside. They stared at each other for a bit more, then he left her vision in a flash.

In the next moment, she was hoisted off her feet and into the air. It was incredibly disorienting for a moment, but in the next, she was looking at his face as it loomed over her. All around her, she could feel his warmth. He was holding her in his arms.

Without another word, he started moving. He was looking ahead, but Diamond couldn’t look away from his face. The thought of reaching up and touching his face flashed in her mind. And Without anything to stop her, her body obliged. Her hand caressed his cheek, sliding down to his chin. The roughness of his beard felt nice against her fingertips. He didn’t even mumble in response.

Eventually, he came to a stop. He fumbled a bit but eventually overcame what he was fiddling with. A door swung open, taking Diamond’s attention away from him. She looked at her surroundings. The walls were decorated with white swirls on a pink background. Pictures of various famous people were hung everywhere. There was a bookcase next to a cluttered dresser. It was her room, and once he stopped moving, she realized they were at her bed.

Gently, she was let down. The feeling of his arms holding her up was replaced by the softness of her bedsheets. She looked up at him again, looking into his eyes as he did so. He pressed his palm against her forehead, and she pressed on it with her hand.

“I’m… hot.”

“What should I do?” She swallowed hard, then answered.

“Take off my shirt.”

“Okay.” Diamond was taken back by the speed of his actions. He reached for the bottom hem of the sweater, then pulled upward. He slowly slid it up her body and up to her neck. With his off-hand, he lifted her up enough to completely remove it. Her heartbeat began speeding up once again.

“I’m still hot…” she mumbled. She looked up at him, pleading with her eyes. He nodded.

“Okay.” This time, his actions were a bit slower. He pinched her undershirt, lifting and exposing her belly, then her chest. He peeled it off in the same way he did her last shirt. Once his hand touched her back, she felt a chill down her body. He laid the discarded undershirt to the side.

The two stood in silence again. He looked down at Diamond, his face unreadable as always. She could feel her face heat up again, despite the bareness of her chest. Under his gaze, her nipples twitched and danced.

“... me,” she mumbled.

“I can’t take any more off.” Diamond swallowed, then repeated herself clearly.

“Kiss me.”

The silence that followed was unbearable. She felt like climbing into bed and never getting out. However, over time, the feeling subsided. A feeling of confidence grew inside of her. She reached out for his hand, grabbing it tight once she got a hold on it. His eyes turned down to his hand, then back toward her. At that moment, Diamond saw him steel himself.

“Okay.”

The words sent fire up Diamond’s body. She almost gasped from the surge in heat. He leaned down, his free hand pressing into her bed on her other side. Butterflies exploded in her stomach as she watched him grow closer and closer. His hair ticked her face as he hovered just above her. Her eyes darted all over his face.

“Close your eyes.” His voice was low, but she heard him clearly. She took a deep breath, then slowly closed her eyes, as instructed. Her face became hypersensitive. She could feel his hair even more now, and as he closed in, his breath brushed against it as well. She could feel him as he got closer. He got closer and closer and closer until…

A kiss. On her forehead.

Diamond kept her eyes shut for a few moments, even once she felt him move away. The butterflies slowly settled. She placed one hand on the spot he kissed, and then the next. She opened her eyes, surprised to find him still standing there.

“Good night, Diamond.” He nodded once. “Hope you feel better in the morning.” Without waiting for a response, in two large steps, he was gone.

Once again that night, silence took over. Besides her breathing and the rampant beating of her heart, she couldn’t hear anything. Her hands slowly slipped down her face and over her eyes. She took a deep breath.

“Why…” she mumbled. “Why would that be what I meant…?”