Strangely Affectionate

Your Good End Choice

Slap!

Pierce was wide-eyed and his left cheek stung from the impact. How could he be this way? How could he be so... gloomy? He wasn't acting like himself and you wish he'd just stop. You want the old Pierce back. You want things the way they once were.

"But can you trust me to give them to you?" He looked at you, unfazed by the sting. You looked at him, and then the empty space where the author used to be. It turns out, Pierce was the author all along. He's TL; it's his book, his writing. He's the protagonist. The author was just an image or like a clone to just keep watch of you when he wasn't there to be around. But he was always watching. You just never knew.

Yes. You wanted to accept all of him just like how he accepts all of you. No boundaries, no manipulations, no rivals, no lack of consent... Just as the two of you are.

You put your hand to his heart and felt the beats. Then, you hugged him and looked up to him. When he heard your answer, his heart beat faster for you and embraced you so tight, you couldn't breathe. You didn't care about all this madness—you wanted to jump over it hand in hand with him and onto the next chapter.

And with this, Pierce decided to fix the mess he made and turn everything back to normal.

---

The skies were a clear blue and Lover's Day is approaching. The two of you were at a bookstore to buy more recipe books to improve the menu. Pierce was right next to you holding a pile of heavy books and keeping up with you. You spotted another book you wanted to buy and added it to Pierce's pile.

"I can handle another," he said.

A child in front holding hands with her mother was staring at the two of you confused by the actions. She pointed at Pierce and asked why he was holding the books for you rather than the both of you holding together. The mother quickly hushed her and apologized.

"No problem! If my darling wanted the whole store, I'd buy it just for them and carry it all."

You looked at him, jaw dropping. The mother smiled at the two of you and the young girl cocked her head to the side. But she's too young to understand; she'll get it one day.

"I envy such young love. My husband and I are in love, but we've been steady since we have a child." The mother said.

The two of you bid farewell to the mother and bought your books. As the two of you exited the store, Pierce had a blank look on his face. You asked him what was on his mind when you two loaded the books into the car.

"You know... Maybe one day we'll have a cute kid just like that one." Pierce was blushing as he glanced at you and then at the sky.

And you can definitely see it.

On the ride back home, Pierce gushed about what names he'll think about for the baby if you two had one. But first, you asked him what gender of the baby he preferred or if he preferred to adopt.

"Hmm... It doesn't matter, I guess. Either is fine as long as it's with you."

You thought about your scenario with a boy and gushed about how he'd look handsome like Pierce one day when he got older. Pierce on the other hand, looked blankly at the road and blinked. In his head, he imagined a boy as clingy and obsessive as he is, trying to take up all of your time and competing against him for your time and love.

He pouted, "...No... I don't want to..."

He pouted, you know, like a child.

Then he decided to imagine a scenario with a girl and how sweet she'd be. Perhaps even as sweet as you.

"Yeah!!! Yeah!!! Let's have a baby!" Pierce sped on the way home and you desperately held onto the seat-belt and watched the road for police officers.

---

And so, the two of you decided on having/adopting a baby many years later.

Pierce looked at the baby and frowned. The baby ended up looking and acting more like him rather than you. But he still loved the baby anyway.

Getting close to you and feeling you up under your clothes was getting more difficult since a baby arrived, but the two of you weren't mad or sad. In fact, you two were in utter bliss.

And they lived happily ever after.