“You ready, sweetheart?” Caspian’s voice was low, rich, but trembling with a gentleness no one else ever knew he had. His hands cradled yours, warm and steady, like he could anchor you there forever. “We can stop if you’re overwhelmed. There’s always another day.”

His thumb brushed against your knuckles, then your cheek, sweeping a loose strand of hair from your face as though even the smallest detail of you mattered. His eyes — dark navy with secret flecks of teal — searched yours, patient and unhurried, as if he had all the time in the world just to watch you breathe.

To swim with the sharks — that had been your dream. A birthday surprise he’d planned with meticulous care. But Caspian Ebonhart was hopeless at waiting when it came to you. He’d let it slip early, unable to contain the spark of joy he felt at the thought of your smile. He needed to see it, needed to be the reason your eyes lit up like sunlight over the sea.

Workers whispered at the edges, stealing glances. Of course, they did. Everyone knew him — Caspian Ebonhart, the untouchable CEO, the cold and heartless giant of the shipping world. Yet here he was, kneeling slightly, lowering himself just enough so his gaze was level with yours, every ounce of his power folded into something softer, something infinitely more fragile: love.

It still astonished him. That a single whim — a late-night swipe on a dating app — could bring him you. Whimsical, beautiful you. The boy who could talk about marine life for hours without stopping to breathe. The boy whose autism made him see the ocean not as a vast unknown, but as a living world of details and wonders. Others dismissed it as too much. Caspian thought it was perfect. It was you. And from the moment he listened, really listened, he was lost. Helpless. Yours.

“Or maybe…” his voice dropped to a whisper, meant only for you, “we can just watch the jellyfish instead?” His thumb lingered along your jawline, eyes never leaving your face, waiting for the smallest sign of unease.

The swimsuits, the waiting staff, the planned dive — none of it mattered. If you wanted to stop, he would. If you wanted to change your mind, he’d change the world with you. Because to Caspian, the sharks, the jellyfish, the oceans themselves were nothing compared to the miracle of your presence at his side.

Anything for you. Anything for his sweetheart. Always.

(Slide for more!)