T/N: The vacation was added by me to deepen the relationship between Lin Yi and Elizabeth Olsen. Hope you like it.
[Elizabeth's POV]
I woke up slowly, wrapped in that half-dream state where everything feels soft and warm. The sheets are familiar, the weight behind me even more so. I shift slightly, instinctively tucking myself closer.
Then I feel it.
A kiss, light at first, brushing the side of my neck.
I let out a quiet laugh before I can stop myself. It tickles. Another kiss follows, then another—along my hairline, my cheek, back to my neck again, unhurried and deliberate, like he has all the time in the world.
"Hey…" I murmur, my voice still sleepy, words barely formed. "Stop."
He doesn't. Instead, his breath grazes my skin, warm and annoyingly effective. I squirm a little, half trying to escape, half enjoying it.
"You're tickling," I say, smiling despite myself.
"That's the point," Lin Yi replies, his voice low and far too awake for this hour.
I finally open my eyes, blinking against the morning light leaking in through the curtains. He's right behind me, chin near my shoulder, looking far too pleased with himself.
"You're supposed to be up," he adds. "We need to get ready. Vacation, remember?"
I groan dramatically and roll onto my back, staring at the ceiling. "I remember," I say. "I'm just… not participating yet."
He chuckles. I know that sound. It's the one that says he's already decided what happens next.
"I'm too lazy," I announce, turning my head to look at him whilst raising my arms towards him. "Carry me."
He raises an eyebrow. "You're serious."
"Very," I say, nodding once for emphasis. "I refuse to walk."
For a moment, I think he's going to argue. Instead, he sighs, the long-suffering kind that isn't serious at all, then shifts off the bed.
"Fine," he says. "But don't move."
Before I can respond, he's already lifting me, steady and careful, like it's the most natural thing in the world. I laugh as he settles me onto his back, my arms looping around his shoulders automatically.
"Comfortable?" he asks.
"Very," I say, resting my cheek between his shoulder blades.
He walks us into the bathroom like this, completely unbothered, as if carrying his girlfriend around first thing in the morning is just part of the routine now.
I close my eyes again, pressing my face into his neck, smiling.
If this is how our vacation starts, I think I might never want it to end.
...
I was still half-draped over his back when we stopped in front of the sink. Lin sets me down gently, like he always does, hands steady at my waist before letting go.
We stand side by side, brushing our teeth in comfortable silence. I catch our reflection in the mirror—sleep-tousled hair, bare faces. He notices me staring and raises an eyebrow, toothpaste foam making it impossible for him to look anything other than ridiculous.
I laugh, nearly choking. He just shrugs, like this is perfectly normal.
After that, the bath feels like the most natural next step. Warm water, steam curling into the air, the world shrinking down to just the two of us. I lean back against him, his arms resting loosely around me, no rush, no urgency—just warmth and presence.
This is when it hits me.
How absurdly lucky I am.
If someone had told me, back then, that a single encounter would lead here—to quiet mornings, shared routines, this sense of being completely at ease—I wouldn't have believed them. Lin Yi was supposed to be a passing moment in my life, an encounter with an NBA first pick. Nothing more.
And to think all this started over ice cream.
The lonely nights, the early mornings, the home games, the dinner dates, their simple conversations. The way he always listens attentively when I speak about art and movies. The way he tries to make time and space for me in his busy life. This—us—has been one of the best experiences of my life.
And sometimes I wonder, am I worth it?
But selfishly, deeply, I didn't want it to end.
"Elizabeth."
No response.
"Elizabeth."
Still nothing.
Then a snap of fingers right in front of my face.
I blink, startled, water rippling around us. Lin is looking at me with that familiar mix of concern and amusement.
"You disappeared," he says.
I turn fully toward him, really look at him. At the familiar lines of his face, the calm confidence in his eyes, the softness he only shows when it's just us.
"I love you," I say quietly.
For a moment, he doesn't say anything. He just looks back at me, expression softening in a way that still makes my chest ache.
"I love you too," he replies.
He leans down, pressing a gentle kiss to my lips—unhurried, reassuring. The kind that feels like a promise.
After that, we finish up quickly, slipping back into routine. Towels, clothes, familiar movements that don't need coordination because we've already found our rhythm. Our luggage was waiting by the door, packed neatly from the night before.
The villa was unusually quiet as we moved through it. No voices, no footsteps—just the faint echo of our own. Tijana left earlier with her brother, Darko, to go back home for their vacation.
Outside, the morning air is crisp as Lin gets the car out of the garage and opens the car door for me. I slide into the seat, watching as he walks around to the driver's side, sunlight catching him just right.
As the engine starts and we pull away, I rest my head against the window, a smile lingering on my lips.
More alone time, just me and my gentle giant.
...
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