Alone time.

Misha laid in bed, limbs outstretched like an octopus while Stephanie quietly clicked away at her laptop and sipped her coffee. Every time he stirred, she paused, nervously waiting for him to be still. It was imperative to her that he didn't see what she was doing.

A little over an hour later, she closed her laptop and laid back to get a few more hours of sleep before work.

***

That evening, Stephanie was a half-hour late in getting home, and Misha noticed.

"Hey Steph, did you get stuck in traffic or something?"

"Not quite."

Stephanie set a purple box with a red bow in front of him.

"I got you a present."

Misha's eyes widened and he flashed Stephanie a toothy grin.

"Can I open it?!"

"Ye-"

The words had barely left her lips when Misha frantically opened the box. Inside was a light gray dress shirt, a black blazer, a pair of dress pants, and a royal blue necktie. Stephanie smiled at the look of amazement on his face.

"Get changed Misha, we're going out."

***

Misha stepped out of the bedroom, his shoes making a sharp clack on the marble floors.

"Hey Steph, look how go- holy shit.*

Misha's jaw dropped when he saw Stephanie's outfit. A black sleeveless dress that came to her mid-shin, with a striking white stripe on her left that led down to a teasing slit, showing just a little of her upper thigh. Her makeup subtly accented her cheekbones, and her hair elegantly tumbled over her shoulders. She was gorgeous, and Misha felt a pang in his chest when he looked at her.

"Steph, you- you look amazing!"

"Thanks, Misha. You look pretty sharp yourself."

"There's 1 more thing I'd like to do. Watch this."

Stephanie cocked her head to the side as Misha closed his eyes for a moment. Then, at the roots of his hair, that electric blue color gave way to hazel, and the triangular ears on his head disappeared. The only trace of that familiar blue was his eyes, which were now a deeper, more normal blue. He now looked completely human. Anyone who saw him would have no clue he was anything but.

"Wow, that's... weird, but cool."

***

At the restaurant, the only strange looks the 2 got were the envious looks some of the men gave to Misha. But even those were minimal, probably because most of those men were there with women.

This time, Misha ordered a glass of water, and Stephanie a glass of white wine. They sipped and talked and laughed and joked while they waited for their food to arrive.

Stephanie, always classy, slowly ate her meal, some kind of pasta dish, while Misha eagerly ate away at a large piece of steak.

As they ate, the two told stories of their past. Stephanie told tales of her time in a college, and Misha told her about making the journey from his home in the northern forests to the portal that took him to the New World. When he mentioned his home, Stephanie got the impression he was leaving something out, but the thought passed when Misha mentioned getting into a fight with a northern snow serpent.

***

While Misha and Stephanie dined, a girl in a cloak, no older than 10, hurriedly picked the lock on their front door. After a few minutes, she was inside. Hands shaking, she pulled a small gift box out of a pocket in her cloak and set it on a table. She pulled a pen out of another pocket, and carefully wrote "To Misha Sathis." A minute later, the door was locked behind her, and she was running away, leaving no trace of her presence, save for the box.

***

After they had finished eating, Misha and Stephanie walked home, hand in hand, enjoying the cool night air. Once they were inside, the couple ran, giggling into the bedroom, probably to have a pleasant conversation and then go to sleep. In their rush, they didn't notice the box on the table in the living room. The box glowed faintly when Misha walked past it, but he didn't notice.