"Hey Desir, when's your birthday?"
As I took a break from my long day of coding, Althea sat next to me and sprung up an unexpected question. Massaging my shoulders, I frowned and replied: "You mean you don't know when my birthday is?"
"T-That's right!" Althea stuttered as she replied. "It's unforgivable that we don't know each other's birthdays, even though I'm your girlfriend!"
"But I do know yours, though?"
"Y-You do?"
Althea's jaw dropped so wide that an apple could fit in it. Hehe, why are all of her reactions so animated? She's like a fictional character that had sprung out of the comic books. Putting aside my mental image of the girl, I said with confidence.
"Isn't your birthday on 19th July?"
"H-How did you know?!"
"Ah, you were unconscious back then, so you wouldn't know." I smiled teasingly. "When you fainted, and I brought you to the hospital, I went through your purse to get your identity card. That's when I learnt of your name and birthday."
"Y-You went through my stuff?!" Althea's face turned crimson, and she scrambled to remember what unspeakable secret she might have kept in her purse back then.
"It was an emergency, so I had no choice."
"S-Still, to go through a woman's purse when she's unconscious..."
"Don't worry," I rubbed her head, trying my best to appease her rage. "I didn't find anything strange back then."
"I-I wasn't worried about that!!!"
Althea protested as her already red face turned even more animated. Good grief, do you really need to be up in arms about something that happened months ago? Your reaction only makes me more suspicious, you know? However, being the good boyfriend that I was, I didn't press the matter. Instead, I changed the topic fluidly.
"Ah, now that I think about it, your birthday is only a month away! Hmmm, I should begin preparations right now, shouldn't I?"
"W-Wait, I didn't bring this topic up so that you could discuss my birthday!"
"Well, it's still an important topic, isn't it?" I tilted my head, confused about why Althea was making a big deal out of nothing. "It's going to be my first time celebrating your birthday, especially since we're dating now. As your boyfriend, I must be prepared to give you the best birthday ever, right?"
"..."
Althea turned speechless. Her vermillion face remained as red as can be, and the pigmentation reached down her slender neck and down her picture-perfect collarbone.
"... It's unfair that you can say things like that without batting an eye."
"What was that?"
"N-Nothing!"
Althea said something in a whisper. It was so soft that not even my above-average hearing could pick up on that murmur. However, based on her reactions, it didn't seem to be anything terrible.
"A-Anyway, my question still remains! When's your birthday, Desir?"
"Ah, it's 22nd October." I didn't keep the girl in suspense and divulged it entirely. "Though, I'm not really keen on celebrating it."
"Hmmm? Why's that?"
"Well..." I shifted my eyes and pursed my lips. "I'm turning twenty-seven this year. Every time I celebrate my birthday, I get reminded that I'm one year closer to thirty."
Unlike most girls, I didn't care about my age because of how old I may look. The main reason why I dreaded the big thirty bomb was because thirty was the age where most people began deteriorating health-wise. Right now, I could eat anything I wanted without really caring about its nutritional value. However, as age catches up with me, I have to worry about getting hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol levels… The list would be endless.
While I knew that growing old was inevitable, having a date that constantly reminds you that you're one step closer to your grave did turn me off.
"Ah, I kind of get it..."
Althea shook her head, thinking that she'd shared my opinion.
"I'm also turning twenty-two next month, so I can feel my age catching up to me."
"..."
This lass… Is she making fun of me? The difference between twenty-two and twenty-seven is basically night and day! Some people could still grow even after reaching twenty-two! Also, their hormones are still well and alive, unlike mine!
"Ouch, ouch, ouch! Why are you pinching my cheeks?!"
"Althea, you really are an airhead..."
"W-What did I do?!"
Hah… This girl really needs to watch what she says. I wonder how many female friends she had pissed off by absent-mindedly saying things that she shouldn't. Looks like I must consult Grace to learn more about the mindlessness of my girlfriend.
"Still, you're going to be twenty-two, huh?"
"Hmmm? What about it?" While her cheeks were still being pinched, Althea moved her pearly white teeth to question me.
"No, it's just… There's really quite the age gap between us," I sighed deeply. "I wonder if we're really a good fit..."
"..."
Instead of answering me, the girl's eyes turned into a painful glare. She grabbed onto the wrist that was pinching her cheeks and reversed our states by pinching mine.
"W-What is it?"
"If you say that again, I'll get really angry!" Althea pouted as her grip tightened.
Following through, the girl turned her waist around and climbed on top of me. Her arms slipped past my chest and wrapped around my back. The same could be said about her legs. She attached our hips together and made sure I was affixed to my position by pinning me down. From an outsider's perspective, the girl was clinging to me like a koala bear.
"Althea?"
"Desir! Even if you're a hundred years older, I'll still choose to be with you!"
"Haha, what a ludicrous claim," I laughed at the girl's exclamation. "What if I was old and wrinkly, without any of the muscles you love so much?"
"I-I don't really care about the muscles!" Althea choked a little, showing that she wasn't all that honest. However, it became apparent that her latter words weren't lies at all. "The person I care about is Desir Snow! So I don't care how withered you look! I'll still be with you."
"... Oy, don't curse me like that."
"A-Ah, I didn't mean it in that way."
"Haha, it's fine. I know you didn't."
Goodness… How did such an honest soul grow up in this corrupted world? I took one of my free hands and began caressing my elven girlfriend's supple white skin. Didn't she just come out of puberty? How is her skin so perfect? There were barely any blackheads or pimples, let alone any significant blemishes.
Did Althea really descend from the elves and wasn't able to grow pores?
Haha, what a comical thought. Althea's parents must have been quite careful about Althea's health to have built such a gorgeous creature.
Wait a second… Althea's parents?
"Hey, Althea… About your parents..."
"Yeah, what about them?"
"Have you told them about our relationship yet?"
"No, I didn't mention it to them during our daily calls." Althea shook her head to deny my question. Althea was a single university girl who lived alone in the city. Furthermore, her parents were stuck overseas, with no method of returning. It made sense for them to check in on her once a day.
Most of the time, Althea would take their calls in her apartment, so I didn't know what contents were shared between them. And while I did keep in contact with Althea's mother due to my promise to her, it wasn't to the extent where I would share my relationship status.
"Why? Did you want me to tell them?"
"N-No, that's not the case… Actually, do you think that we should tell them?"
"Hmmm, that's up to you," Althea replied after giving it some thought. "Although I'm close with my parents, it's not to the extent where I would share every single aspect of my social life with them. Of course, it would be nice if you could get their approval, but it's still early in our relationship. I wouldn't want you to feel pressured."
"R-Really? Do you think that they would disapprove of me?"
I was genuinely worried that Althea's parents might not like me. My relationship with Althea began solely because of happenstance. She was my neighbour, and I had saved her when she'd fainted. I'd even promised her mother that I would look after her like a guardian.
Worst case scenario… They would think that I was a predator that took advantage of their daughter when she was most vulnerable. No, they might think that I'd abused my guardian status to get closer to a young beauty who was out of my league.
Urgh… Just thinking about their condemnation is giving me an ulcer.
"Haha, why would they?" Contrary to my expectations however, Althea laughed off my worries. "They are mostly thankful that you'd taken care of me in their stead. My mother especially, she would ask me about you all the time."
"I-Is it?"
"Yeap!" The girl declared with a smile. "Don't worry, both my parents have a relatively good impression of you!"
"Are they not concerned about the age difference?"
"This again," Althea rolled her eyes sternly. "My parents aren't the traditional type where they would care about every single thing about who I decide to hang out with. They support me in whatever I wish to do, and it's the same with friends. In particular, my mother told me that she didn't care who I dated, as long as he's a decent chap. So, are you a decent chap, Mister Boyfriend?"
"I-I guess… B-But the five-years..."
"Good grief, why are you still on that?!" Exasperated, Althea gave my head a little slap. "Five years isn't that big of a gap. Besides, my parents have a four-year age gap as well! They won't care about such a trivial matter."
Oh, so Althea's parents had an age gap as well. If that's the case, they might be more accepting of our relationship. While my thoughts ran rampant, I peered into the eyes of the girl seated on me. Her eyes were as clear as a moon reflection on a still lake, allowing me to see my fidgeting self through her pupils.
Jesus, it's not like me to worry so much about someone else's opinion.
Even if Althea's parents disapproved of us… Would I easily give up on my relationship with Althea?
The answer was no.
"Hehe, you've enlightened me..." As if a boulder had been lifted from my chest, I leaned in and touched my nose with Althea's. "Alright, we'll tell your parents about our relationship."
"Mmmm, that's more I like it!" Althea beamed in support of my words. "But, it would be better if you wait for them to return. Let them get to know you a little better, let them understand how wonderful you are and how much you care for me. After that, you can tell them in person."
"Yeah, that sounds reasonable."
Althea was right. If I had a daughter that I deeply loved, I would be wary of every guy that approached her. Therefore, it would be better for me to build a rapport with her parents before exposing the truth to them.
"Alright! Now that we've gotten that out of the way..."
Althea raised her arms and lifted my head to meet her line of sight. The gorgeous crystals that housed her eyes began to sparkle in anticipation, and her face lit up into a smirk.
"Cuddle time!"
"... It's not evening yet."
It was still the middle of the day, and I had to get back to work soon. Logically speaking, I shouldn't be wasting time talking to Althea at all. Alas, whenever I dealt with my girlfriend, it seemed that logic was thrown out the window.
"You don't want to?
"Of course not," I smiled in jest. "I live to serve, my Princess."
"Hehe, you and your glib tongue."
And thus, I left that afternoon with swollen lips and red-marked cheeks, more so than any other cuddle period of recent memory. Also, it became a problem when I had to speak to my manager for a meeting later that day, but that's a story for another time.