the wilderness must be explored

He treated her like his own personal doll.

It was something Cupid had noticed since they had started dating in earnest. Valentine was wild. At first it wore itself in little ways. He would wear hearts and arrow earrings. She would look down and see a glint of pink socks where he trousers would rise. Valentine wanted to match her. He would then coordinate entire outfits in pink, a color he’d express he was truly fond of. Cupid was worried at first he was trying too hard to become part of her rather than with her, but she soon noticed other changes. His clothes became more feminine. Valentine, who only sported suits and jeans, started to adorn himself with delicate pieces of jewelry. He wore leggings and makeup. Not that he was afraid of a little guyliner before, but he would steal into her vanity, swathe on some gold and red about his eyes as she was putting on her shoes, and look back at her with that crooked smile. There were no boundaries when he pulled the scarf from her neck and asked if he could keep it. When she didn’t reply immediately, he erased her puzzled expression with a hungry kiss on her lips.

 He would ask to coordinate outfits for her too, and they were always beautiful pieces. Very often they were vintage pieces, with timeless cuts and sweetened details that left her breathless when he was done dressing her. Cupid was worried at first, that he was trying to change her, but he’d smile down at her with pink lips and a new set of gilded lashes and she felt her heart skip, she didn’t care. For all of his eccentricities, he always paused. She would nod and permission was given.

 Sometimes, he doused her in affection. When it became convenient, he’d hold it back teasingly. When she would tire of it, Cupid would speak up, call him on his old patterns, and he’d pull away. He would always look guilty for a moment, and to smother that shame she would pull him into her arms and ask him a million distracting questions about who he wanted to be. He’d always answer. He would never apologize. Then he would buy new sunglasses. Always two.