It seemed like all their promises to take their relationship to the next level had been brushed to one side as Roxanna excitedly showed him around the place that was now theirs. "This is your room, Henrik. I gave you the larger bed, since I thought that if I spend a few nights a week here with you, it would be easier in this size bed than the small bed in my room. I just didn't want to assume that we were going to sleep together every night. I mean, that is a bit presumptuous, right?"

He nodded dazedly as he took a look around the room that she had made for him. The dark paneling of the walls was somehow made lighter by the bedding she had chosen, and he smiled as he took a seat on the bed, feeling at home in the cozy space. "When did you have time to do all this? You were only here for a week!"

"I'm great at time management?" she replied as she took a seat next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Do you really like it? I tried to pick the things that reminded me of you, and ended up with this. I also pulled your books out of storage and set them up on the shelves. I hope that I arranged them correctly, I went alphabetical by author's last name, since that's how I organize my books."

Henrik looked at the bookcase, smiling a little as he nodded. "That will work. Sometimes, I organize by size, since that feels more right. I like things to be in order."

"I have gathered that from the way you organize your work space in the lab," Roxanna said with a small laugh, her arm wrapping around his waist as she took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, I will probably be a bit clingy for a day or two, since I have you here now. A part of me didn't think that this was ever happening, since, well, since I'm used to losing the people I care about."

A little of the happiness left the room, and he sighed as he nodded, pulling her back onto the bed, allowing her to snuggle in close as he rubbed her back gently. "You have to learn how to hold onto relationships with a loose grip." She tensed in his arms, and Henrik winced as he mentally kicked himself. "I'm not talking about leaving you, darling, but when my mother walked into the lake when I was a child, I learned then that even though we might love someone deeply, the harder we try to hold on to them, the more likely they are to leave us. I would never want you to feel trapped, I would never expect you to stay with me if you felt your heart moving on. Because I know that trying to stay in a place that hurts just makes things worse. We're both adults, and I will always try to treat you as such. You're in my heart, for as long as you want to be there."

Roxanna let out a tiny "oh" before she turned on her side and nestled in closer to him. "I'm a vine, and you're my trestle," she murmured before burying her face in the crook of his neck. He nodded before encircling her in his arms. "If we get a house, I want a trestle in our garden, with roses climbing up it. I see this happy future, and I want to believe in it, but I don't want to move too quickly. Just, tell me if I do get to be too much?"

"Always. And I promise to try to be a little more open with you." He kissed the top of her head before staring up at the ceiling. "So, you've done almost everything for me already. What else do we need to do to get the apartment ready for our time here?"

"Well, I didn't get much food, since it's been just me all week, and I was focused on getting things done around the apartment. I could go grocery shopping for us, if you want to put your clothes away?"

He shook his head as he sat up, smiling as she popped up next to him, ruffling her hair with her hand before pulling her knees up to her chest and looking at him from the corner of her eyes. "Let's go together, and we can have a meal before we go shopping. Classes start Monday, so we only have three days to do what we want."

A pleased smile spread across her face as she nodded. "That sounds lovely," she said as she slipped off the bed and looked at him. "And don't think I haven't forgotten about what I told you in my bedroom." Chuckling a little, Roxanna sashayed from the room, and Henrik found himself watching her bum sway back and forth before he shook his head a little and followed after her.

Checking to make certain his wallet was in his pocket, he adjusted his tie as he waited for her by the door. She had changed into a short jean skirt and tights, his sweater tied into a knot on her right hip. The look was so effortlessly lovely and he held out his hand to her, knowing that she would want to touch him as they went out to her car. "I have been craving clam chowder since I arrived at the airport, Roxanna. Do you think we could stop at that restaurant you found last year?"

"That was actually my first thought, too," she said as they climbed into her vehicle. "Dad just wired me some more money, so it will be my turn to pick up the tab." He ticked an eyebrow up, watching Roxanna shake her head as she started the car and backed out of her spot. "I am still an independent woman, even though I think of you as my partner. That means I can pay for things every once in a while. Okay?"

He laughed as he nodded, settling back into his seat as he watched the scenery pass by. It was comforting to be back in a familiar space when he was embarking on a new phase of his relationship with Roxanna. "I suppose that I can allow that," he finally replied, keeping his voice as smooth as possible, knowing that it wouldn't take her long to react.

A sharp gasp left her lips, and he braced himself for the soft smack across his chest that came moments later. "You will allow that?" Roxanna tried to sound serious, but he heard the giggle in her voice that she couldn't quite contain, and he finally allowed his face to relax into a warm smile. "Well, I suppose that it's a good thing that I adore you, so I'll let that little comment slide. For now."

Henrik nodded as he shifted in his seat, watching her as she drove. Shaking her head a little, she turned the radio up and started to sing along softly, and he felt something in his heart soften even more as they went along, feeling like this was the place that he was meant to be.