Work Text:
After their joint business trip to Shen City, things had been going so well.
Selene could feel the shift in their relationship. What had been occasional bouts of turbulence had gradually slowed into little bumps that were much easier to navigate. Compared to the rollercoaster that had once been their relationship, it was now smooth sailing. Hopefully, there were nothing but peaceful days ahead of them.
Iris had been much more open with Selene lately, which the latter adored and appreciated. It made it much easier for Selene to tend to Iris’ needs, to reciprocate the love and care Iris had given her. Bit by bit, Iris was starting to lean on Selene and focus on the things that were within her control.
And that was the thing—there were still many things outside of Iris’ control. Her family’s financial situation and how much they relied on her were the most pressing issues.
Selene had felt ashamed for not realizing how dire Iris’ financial situation was sooner. At her insistence, they’d opened up a joint bank account that was meant for emergencies. Iris had agreed, under the condition that Selene’s monthly contribution couldn’t exceed Iris’. Selene understood the unspoken plea behind Iris’ demand and acquiesced. Each month, she quietly invested the difference into Web3, among other stocks she’d given her due diligence. If anything came of it, she could give both of them a much better life.
Over the following months, their humble emergency fund grew into something that put Selene at ease. Her own stock portfolio had grown considerably well for such a short period of time.
She should have been content… but there was something that nagged at her. There was one more thing she could do for Iris, and admittedly, herself.
“Don’t forget to pack your toothbrush!” Selene called out from Iris’ bedroom, hurriedly stuffing a sweater into her overnight bag. She’d done this a million times before, yet she always felt like she was forgetting something.
“I did,” Iris called back. “Did you?”
Selene paused. Then ran into the bathroom. Her eyes swept the counter, but there was no toothbrush to be seen.
She heard Iris’ laughter. “I packed ours together, relax.”
So she was forgetting something. Selene stomped over to the main room where Iris was. As soon as she saw Iris’ smiling face, she dropped the act, throwing her arms around her girlfriend’s shoulders.
“You’re the best, honey,” she praised, nuzzling into Iris’ neck.
Iris dropped a kiss onto the top of Selene’s head, patting her back. “Oh my, you might need to raise your standards.”
“Never. If they were any higher then no one would cut it.”
Selene felt Iris smile into her hair. “Okay, okay. Let’s go soon. We should head over before it gets dark.”
With great reluctance, Selene untangled herself from Iris. She finished packing her bag and headed to the front door where Iris stood, her own bag in hand.
“Do you have everything?” Iris asked, holding up her keys.
“Mhm.” Selene didn’t bother returning the question, already accepting Iris was one step ahead of her.
She scanned the apartment before them. It had always been sparsely decorated, and without Iris’ personal everyday belongings in it, it looked emptier than ever.
Would she miss it…?
“Did you forget something?” Iris asked, puzzled that Selene had stopped.
Selene shook her head. “No, I was just zoning out. Let’s go.”
r/relationships
My (27F) boyfriend (30M) asked me to move in with him. He earns more than me, and he does have a really nice apartment, but part of me is hesitant. Maybe it’s because he’s been living in it for so long, but the place is fully furnished. He cooks and maintains the kitchen well, too. It’s his home. If I move in, I feel like I would be giving up my own space to share his bedroom. Am I being unreasonable?
Top comment: OMG, yes. I once dated an ultra rich guy with good taste, and I felt like a piece of decor being fit in…
Selene scrolled through the comments on her phone. Just as she thought, there were many things to consider when asking your partner to move in with you. Quality of life, commute time, personal space…
She considered the pros and cons.
The pros: Her place was a short walk from their work among other things. Rent was technically under the table and to her parents, who owned the unit, but even half of that was cheaper than what Iris currently paid. And it was spacious—it had once housed Selene’s family of three, after all. As her parents’ work started to pull them away from Ocean City, they left the apartment to Selene and got a small rental for the rare times they were back. They had no qualms about what she did with the place. When Selene had first started university, they even strongly urged her to get a roommate just so she wouldn’t be alone.
Her list of pros stretched on and on. Selene couldn’t help but be biased—she wanted this, after all.
This brought Selene to the most prominent con. If Iris moved in with her, she’d be giving up her own space.
Selene knew how important it was to give Iris space. She needed time away to process her thoughts and feelings, something she’d never been given the luxury of doing back when she was stifled by family. But that was metaphorical space—hadn’t Iris already let Selene into her personal bubble? They already lived together 24/7; it was just a matter of switching locations every other week.
Besides, Selene had already prepared to clear out the guest room for Iris to use as she wished, if she wanted a room all to herself.
The more Selene thought it over, the more she was absolutely certain this was what she wanted. In the end, it was all up to whether Iris wanted it too. But could she trust Iris to say no if she truly felt uncomfortable?
Selene shook her head. She couldn’t get down in her thoughts about this. She decided to close the app and opened Inztagram instead, mindlessly scrolling through it. Her algorithm had recently picked up on cute animals, which served as a welcome distraction.
She kept scrolling until a short video of a particularly cute kitten caught her eye. Apparently, it was a stray that the original poster had taken in.
“Here’s five things I did to make my former stray feel at home…”
Selene’s eyes glazed over as the poster began listing off her cat’s various behaviors and how to improve them. Skittishness, sudden avoidance, anxiety. Selene squinted. This was beginning to remind her of something.
“And lastly, if your pet has something that’s familiar to them, put it in your house! They’ll associate you with ‘home’ in no time.”
Was there anything that Iris had a positive association with, that she could buy for the apartment?
Wait. Selene caught herself right there, burying her face in her hands. Did she seriously just compare her girlfriend to a stray cat?
…But. If it worked, it worked. Right?
Even though Selene had the privilege of seeing Iris everyday at work and having dinner together every day of the week, weekends were still her favorite. They guaranteed at least one whole day of Iris. Sleeping in with Iris, a leisurely breakfast with Iris, and even lunch with Iris—workday lunches were almost always spent with their respective teams.
This Saturday, Iris had let Selene plan their date. Selene settled for something simple: a newly-opened café she’d been wanting to try, a walk in the park, and then fried chicken takeout at home.
Today, Iris had ordered a dirty matcha latte with oat milk. Selene observed her closely. “Oh, this is good,” Iris said, surprised. She took another sip. “I’m glad I got it with oat milk. I feel like the creaminess ties the matcha and espresso together.”
So she liked it. Selene filed this info away for later. It was important to remember your girlfriend’s coffee order, after all. Especially if your girlfriend was a former barista.
“Xuejie, have you ever wanted to make these kinds of drinks at home?”
Iris hummed, stirring her latte. “If I did, I wouldn’t get to have coffee dates like this with you,” she replied smoothly.
“Oh, you,” Selene said, cracking a smile. Even though Iris was just being playful, their coffee dates were special to her too. Their first meeting, their breakup, Iris opening up to her—it was always over coffee.
“Espresso machines are generally pricy, and it takes up a lot of space,” Iris said. “I was lucky my part-time job had such nice equipment. On slow days, I felt like I was getting paid just to play with coffee.” She sighed. “Ah, even though I have more free time now, I kind of miss it.”
Selene sighed along with her. “I miss your uniform too. You looked very cute in it.“
To her absolute delight, Iris looked a little embarrassed. It was worth it, flirting left and right just for a chance at a reaction from her. “Ah…” she muttered, the tips of her ears red. “When did you learn to talk like that?”
“Why do you think I kept coming back?” Selene happily pushed it. When would she get this chance again? “Business must be in shambles without you.” She paused, pretending to think. “And not just because you made yummy coffee.”
“Okay, okay. That’s enough,” Iris pleaded, covering her face. “Any more and you’re picking up the tab.”
Selene giggled, taking out her wallet. “I’d be glad to.”
Later that night, Selene waited until Iris was soundly asleep in her arms before whipping out her phone.
She opened up the search engine, typing in ‘home espresso machines.’
Wow. Selene hadn’t realized how complicated they were. There were various sizes, price tiers, and even indications of whether they were manual or semi-automatic. Terms she had never heard before flitted across the screen, but she was determined to understand it all. She had done it once with her stocks and she would do it again.
Selene devoured information for what felt like hours into the night. Not only were there espresso machines, but there were tools and accessories to go with them as well—grinders, tampers, some pokey looking tool that looked more sharp than useful. Not to mention beans.
She refused to let it overwhelm her. Eventually, she found videos from baristas who recorded from their own point of view as they worked, to see if she could identify what was needed.
It was all very precise and methodical. Was this what Iris always did, back when she worked at the café? Newfound admiration flowed through Selene. She couldn’t help herself—she leaned down and pecked the top of Iris’ head.
There was no way she would half-heartedly pick out Iris’ gift, not when Iris was someone who always gave it her all.
Thanks to social media, Selene realized it was quite common for university students to offload their kitchen appliances for much cheaper than what was listed online. Whether it was because they were moving to another city, or another country, or simply just needed the cash, many were willing to part with relatively expensive equipment for half the price.
As a seasoned office worker with a good salary, Selene was perfectly willing to take advantage of these desperate students. The very next day, she found a girl who had listed a slim machine, grinder, and various other accessories Selene now recognized, all in working condition.
There was no doubt her post would become popular. Selene called upon her most forbidden business-savvy technique: She DM’d the girl and offered ten-percent above asking. The girl accepted. Selene told Iris she would be meeting up with Megan, then went out for a short walk.
Luckily for Selene, Iris had stepped out by the time she made it home. She quickly set up the machine on the counter, gave all of the accessories a cursory rinse and dry, then fanned them out on the counter. The girl had even thrown in a bag of beans, though Selene had no idea if they were any good.
Selene sat at the kitchen table, excitement thrumming through her. However, after twenty minutes of sitting in silence, hands folded, she realized she had no idea when Iris would be back. She opted to lie on the couch instead, hoping the drama on the TV would help her pass the time.
After an episode and a half, Selene heard the door unlock. She bolted upright.
“Welcome home!” she greeted as Iris appeared in the doorway, holding a bag. “Where were you?”
“You almost always meet with Megan for snacks or coffee, so I figured I’d grab our dinner ahead of time,” Iris said, waving the bag. Selene perked up—those were her favorite dumplings from the shop down the street.
“You’re the best!” she said, bounding over to help Iris with the bag.
Iris shooed her away, a smile on her face. “Go sit down. I’ll plate them in the kitchen first.”
“No, I’ll help you,” Selene said, beaming. She followed Iris into the kitchen, heart pounding as she anticipated her reaction.
Iris saw it immediately, head whipping to the side as she took it in.
“Is this…?” She set the bag down and approached the espresso machine, shock and confusion on her face. Selene moved in next to her.
“Um,” Selene began, then immediately realized something. She had been so caught up in her research, her scheming, that she had never planned on what to say to Iris. Her brain that she had been so proud of all day struggled to string together words. “I, um, thought you might like it. I have space in my kitchen, so I thought, why not? And, um…” She started to panic. “But if you don’t like it, then I can use it. Maybe you can even teach me! Or not—“
Iris turned to her. There was a big, wide smile on her face. “You know, if you wanted me to become your personal barista, you could’ve just asked.”
Selene’s face burned. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to assume—“
Iris enveloped her in a hug. Selene stopped her rambling at once, clinging onto her warmth.
“I love it, I really do. Thank you,” Iris said. Selene could feel the smile against the top of her head. “You don’t have to overthink things with me. I want you to do and say what you’d like.”
“Then…” Selene began, taking a breath. She remembered the real reason she had done all of this, what she originally wanted to ask of Iris. She subconsciously held on tighter, as though afraid Iris would let go. “Move in with me,” she blurted out. She buried her face into Iris’ shoulder. It felt almost counter-intuitive—hiding from the person you were speaking to by burrowing into them.
There was a short pause. “Is that what this was all about?” Iris asked, her tone indecipherable. Selene tensed up, imagining her worst-case scenario: anything that would cause Iris to pull back or shrink away. Or even worse—agree because it was what Selene wanted to hear.
“…Yes,” Selene quietly admitted.
After a few moments too long, Iris spoke. “I don’t want to be a burden,” she said, voice small and unsure. “Don’t just do this for me.” Good. Iris was upholding her end of their silent deal—voicing her actual feelings.
Selene shook her head, secretly relieved. “Sure, there are practical reasons behind it. We could both save on rent, and you could use the difference to help your family, or yourself, or even put it towards our emergency fund.”
Iris stiffened slightly. Had she already made up her mind? Selene’s heart pounded. She mustered up her courage for the next part—the part that wasn’t just pure intentions. “But more than that, I want you here with me… I’m greedy. It’s not enough to just see you every day. I want to share a home with you.”
For a moment, Selene thought she had really done it. But when Iris held her tighter, Selene smiled, hugging her back. It was a good sign. “Do you really mean that?”
She sounded doubtful, but Selene had learned to not be offended by her disbelief. She just needed some things reaffirmed for her. “I do,” she said. “I mean it.”
“If I come live with you, it would make it harder to get rid of me…”
Selene laughed, even if she knew Iris wasn’t entirely joking. “That’s kind of the point.”
Iris pulled back, looking Selene in the eyes. Selene studied her face. The hesitation she had heard in Iris’ voice had melted away entirely. All she could see was love and adoration in her eyes. And something else, Selene was about to find out.
“You’d better not regret it, then,” Iris murmured, leaning in.
Selene mirrored her movements. Her hands skated up to the base of Iris’ neck, holding her in place. “I would never!” she teased, eyes already sliding closed.
They met in a sweet and tender kiss. At least it was, until Selene couldn’t help but part Iris’ lips with her own. She could never help herself, in moments where Iris was being open and vulnerable. Every time, it was like a switch going off in Selene’s head. She just had to have her.
And like always, Iris matched her passion tenfold. Her tongue slid past Selene’s just as she gently pushed her into the counter, one hand holding onto the edge. Her other hand came to rest on Selene’s back.
“My girlfriend is so kind and thoughtful,” Iris said, as she dove in to kiss Selene’s neck. “How did I get so lucky?” Selene let out a small moan, clutching the back of Iris’ head. Iris rose to meet her lips once more, and Selene felt the words in her kiss: Thank you, I love you.
She loved it—she loved the way her head had to tilt up slightly, how Iris pressed her body into hers as they kissed, but her knees began to grow weak. Any longer and she felt she would melt into a puddle on the floor.
As always, Iris seemed to sense this before she could voice it. She gave Selene one last peck before pulling away, running a hand through her tousled hair. Selene couldn’t help but admire the sight of her flushed and disheveled girlfriend.
“Why don’t we continue this on our bed?” Iris asked, smilingly innocently. Her choice of wording was deliberate.
Selene shivered. It was almost jarring how effortlessly Iris could transition from sentimental to seductive. Especially with how easily she pulled Selene along with her, guiding her by the hand.
“Xuejie…” Selene said halfheartedly, “I have to do some work tonight.”
Iris brought Selene’s hand up to her mouth, giving it a quick kiss. She gave her a cheeky wink.
“Have you forgotten about your little gift? I’ll make you a cup of coffee afterward.”