"Yea…" Julian brushed a few locks of hair behind Matheio's ears and then lifted his covers over him, tucking him in tightly.

He turned back to the closet, staring harshly at the closed doors as if he was staring straight through to the black and while PJ's sitting on the floor.

"I should have burnt it down why I had the chance," Julian growled, turning away sharply from the closet disgustedly.

Gradis stared at him, her head c.o.c.ked slightly.

Julian turned to her, catching her stare, "sorry… did I bore you?"

"No… of course not. I was just wondering how much Matheio has gone through and how much you guys fit together so much," Gradis smiled, "kinda wondering if I'm ever going to fit into this family since you guys rely on each other so much and it's only been a week."

"Fit in?" Julian repeated like it was some question he didn't understand, "why would you need to do that when you are already a part of the family?"

"Huh?" Gradis flinched.

"You saw his reaction earlier when he first met you. He was overexcited and immediately called you his mother," Julian laughed, remembering Matheio's giddy movements, "There's no need for you to do anything to "fit in" because to us you are already family. Not sure that applies with my family yet but I'm the only one you need to focus on…"

He pressed his forehead against Matheio's. "Along with this little guy," He looked up at Gradis and gave a bright rea.s.suring smile, "and you already won in that area."

A second pa.s.sed as Gradis tried to figure out a way to reply. In the end, a smile crept onto her face and she beamed at Julian.

Julian looked at Matheio sound asleep, then to the watch around his wrist and back up to Gradis, "it's 2:36 hun, I guess it should be about time we say goodnight now."

"Awwwww seriously?!" Gradis sulked, crossing her arms defiantly, "I don't wanna go yet!!!"

"It's been about 1hour and 10 min since we've been on facetime" Julian chuckled, "adding the time on the voice call, that's 74 minutes."

"We can make it 80 minutes," Gradis grinned.

Julian blushed, "I've only been on a conference call for that long, maximum was 4 hours but it wasn't facetime."

"Then I'll make sure we beat that record 2 times over soon," Gradis chuckled, judging by the red on Julian's face after she said that, she knew she had gotten under his skin. 'Cute,' she thought to herself.

Julian looked away for a second, getting up from Matheio's bed and flicking a switch that powered the nightlights on and then another off, that powered the lightbulbs on the chandeliers.

"Fine then," Julian replied, walking back to Matheio and patting him on the head one last time, before turning to Gradis, "we can try to beat the record of 4 hours but 3 times over."

"Doubling the stakes huh?��� Gradis grinned mischievously.

"And…" Julian walked past the jacket closet at the entrance of the room, and pulled open the door, shutting it softly behind him, "It's not going to be on facetime. I want it to be real life."

"What?" Gradis muttered, taken aback by his comment.

"In fact.. Make it 6 times over," Julian smiled, "I want to spend the entire day in your presence."

"I-... that-" Gradis muttered, staring at him impa.s.sively for a second before her face flew into a flurry of red.

Julian laughed, admiring the way she hid her face behind her hands shyly. Despite his attempts at the beginning of their relations.h.i.+p, he had soon grown accustomed to her smile and even when he tried to look away, he would turn back to her in the end.

"2:39, 3 more minutes," Julian announced, glancing on the time at the top of his phone as he walked back to his home-office.

He turned back to Gradis and smirked, "anything you wanna say, love?"

"Y-you… you're so honey-lipped," Gradis stuttered, avoiding eye contact with Julian.

"It's only sweet cuz' I'm talking to you," Julian shrugged, finally reaching the door to his office.

Gradis felt another wave of heat rush over her cheeks, "STOP IT!!"

"I don't wannaaa," Julian teased, turning the doork.n.o.b, and pus.h.i.+ng the door open.

"You're such a baby," Gradis huffed.

"I'm your b-"

"SHUT UP!" Gradis shrieked, covering her pink ears, "YOU'RE SO CRINGYYY!!"

"Can't believe it took you that long to realize that," Julian smirked, pulling down on his tie.

"W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Gradis stuttered, pointing to his finger that yanked down on his tie, revealing a bit of his chest.

"Excuse me? I've been working in this outfit for almost 12 hours now. I need to breathe," Julian huffed.

"O-oh.." Gradis muttered, looking away from Julian.

Julian raised his eyebrows teasingly, "what were you imagining with that mind of yours?"

"Aish," Gradis growled, "shut uppp."

"Yes ma'am," Julian mocked.

"Tsk,"

"Welp, one more minute and 30 seconds," Julian sighed, "time to say bye, it's almost 2:42."

"You really..kept track of the time..?"

"You did say you wanted to make it 80 minutes, so I'm going to make it exactly 80 minutes."

"I should have said 90," Gradis sighed.

"You should've," Julian shrugged, "a bit too late now,"

"Sigh… you're so time conscious,"

"Gotta love that about me,"

"Sure, sure,"

"HEY!" Julian huffed, pouting.

"Haha…" Gradis chuckled. She took a long pause before continuing, "I guess I should say bye now..?"

"Yup,"

"Not even gonna stop me?"

"We have time. I can spend more time with you than I did today in the coming years,"

Gradis blushed, "sure a smooth-talker."

"Your smooth-talker,"

"Yea, yea," Gradis grinned, "goodnight Mr. Honey-lips."

"Goodnight my lady," Julian smiled, "I love you."

"Me too."

CLICK

Gradis turned to the time on her phone, a small giggle escaping her lips, "exactly 2:42am."