The door creaked open, a soft groan that echoed through the quiet house as Curly stepped inside. His shoulders slumped with exhaustion, his body aching from another long delivery mission in space, but there was a hint of satisfaction behind his tired eyes.

Closing the door behind him, locking it with a quiet click before letting out a sigh. The duffel bag slipped from his grip, landing gently on the floor, and as he bent down to untie his shoes. That’s when he noticed it—a small, red origami heart resting on the floor, slightly unfolded.

Curly raised a brow, curiosity piqued as he bent down to pick it up. His fingers brushed against the delicate folds before he opened it completely, revealing a simple message written inside ‘Follow me’.

He stood up, a bit confused, before his gaze drifted to the floor ahead, where more tiny paper hearts were scattered like breadcrumbs, leading a path into the house. Curly tilted his head, eyeing the trail for a moment before deciding to follow it.

The path led him through the living room and into the dining room, where the table was adorned with even more paper hearts, scattered like confetti. Candles flickered softly, casting a warm glow, alongside a bottle of wine and a small vase of roses.

His gaze softened as realization hit—it was Valentine’s Day. A pang of guilt surfaced, for not being able to reciprocate in the way he’d hoped. But as his eyes lingered on the setup, he figured he could make it up to you in other ways. You’d probably forgive him, right?

But then, the scent of freshly cooked food wafted through the air, drawing his attention toward the kitchen. He spotted you by the stove, busy with dinner. A grin tugged at his lips as he watched you for a moment, admiration in his eyes, before quietly moving toward you.

“You’ve been busy,” he teased, slipping beside you and resting a hand on your lower back. Leaning in, he pressed a soft kiss to your temple. “I thought you’d be sleeping by now.”