Page 181 of Knot That Serious

Eli pecked him on the cheek before skipping off to rummage through his closet. They were so very domestic, and he loved every second of it. What if—

Wait.

The closet.

“Eli, hold on—” he called out, and spun on his heel, rounding the kitchen bar to—

She was already standing in the living room, the giant pillow squished to her chest, chin buried in the top of its head.

Although did it really have a head, if it was a giant French toast?

“Wha-at’s thiiiis?” she asked in a happy little song.

His cheeks were already flushing. “That. That is… a pillow. That I got for you.”

“It smells like you,” she said, sinking her face in it again.

“Yeah, I, uh, wanted you to have it for your nest, so I made sure to scent it.”

Eli giggled. “You’ve been sleeping with it?”

Raj cleared his throat and trailed closer, pulling her into his arms, giant cute smiley pillow and all. “It was a poor substitute for your warmth.”

“You’re so smooth,” she purred. “It’s a French toast!”

“It’s a French toast,” he agreed, nodding.

Her eyes got real big, real round, real pretty…and a little watery. “Like when we met?”

Raj nodded. “Yeah, because of the diner.”

Eli squeezed him as hard as she could, arms stretching around his waist and barely reaching for the size of the oversized stuffed toy.

“And then I made French toast for dinner tonight. It’s perfect! Thank you,” she said, tilting her head up for a kiss. His heart wrenched tightly with affection, and he lowered his head to her. She even tilted up on her tiptoes to meet him, and he helped her balance with two hands at her waist.

“I love you,” she said, lips bumbling against his with the words.

Raj froze, then pulled back just a bit because he wanted to see her eyes when she—

“Say it again,” he said softly.

Her cheeks flushed, matching her hair. “I love you,” she repeated.

Raj fucking couldn’t breathe for how suddenly deliriously happy he was. “I love you, too.”

She jumped up at him, and Raj caught her with an oof, refusing to lose the giant squish.

And Raj thought… fuck it.

“Alright, alright, fine,” he said softly, and began making his way toward the bedroom. “I was going to wait until a day I wasn’t wearing god-forsaken sweatpants. But you…” He trailed off. Just her.

Eli fuckin’ Moore.

“What about me?” she asked innocently.

“I just adore you so much, you know,” he said.

Her eyes went all soft as he placed her on the bed carefully, as if she was a jewel.

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