Miranda Cynthia Brandao

The moment her manager had told her about the charity event for Christmas, Mira was beyond thrilled to help out. She loved being able to do good and make people laugh and the whole Christmas spirit overall. She made sure to get to the youth center a little early to see if she could help with the preparations. While her schedule was busy, she always made time for charity. It was one of her favorite things to do and actually the greatest motivation to keep working on her career because it provided her with many options to help others. After all, Mira never forgot where she came from. Once she arrived at the location, she entered the building carefully since the door was open and no one was in sight. “Hello?” She called out, letting her gaze scan the large room. “Anyone in here?” 

Lucas handed her the crying child. He watched as she soothed the baby and couldn’t help the resentment that built within him. He couldn’t even really be grateful for her help with how frustrated he was by her and the whole situation. “Yeah, piece of cake,” he said to her, unable to hide the bitterness in his voice. He wasn’t trying to dip on his responsibilities or go against his friends wishes, but he just didn’t understand why they had to raise the child together. It certainly seemed to Lucas that Miranda would be far better off just raising the child without him. “I’ve got a fight this weekend,” he said in a low voice. “Do you think that you’ll be able to watch them?”

Miranda took care of the crying baby, she loved the little one to bits, but it was beyond exhausting to become responsible for an infant literally over night and without warning. Once she tugged the baby in, she turned around on her tippy toes, trying not to make any sounds to not wake the baby up again. Motioning towards the door, she asked him silently to follow her outside. “I didn’t say that.” She sighed, refraining from rolling her eyes at him. “Look, neither of us really imagined any of this to happen. But we made a promise to our best friends and I guess we owe it to them to keep it. This baby meant the world to them and they thought they’d leave it in good hands with us so I think it’s only fair to try our best. It’s the least we can do. “ At least that was how she saw it but she wouldn’t blame him if he had a different opinion. “Of course!”. Mira answered his question, although she had a show planned for the weekend, she didn’t think about cancelling it twice. 

sage slowly lowered the large stone in his hand, setting it back on the ground where he’d found it. “i wasn’t going to damage it, i was just trying to wake lenny up. where is he?” his eyes narrowed slightly as he realized he didn’t recognize this girl, and he seriously hoped she was actually just a regular human being, and not some supernatural creature who had kidnapped his friend, like that dream he’d had before. then again… the girl in his dream had been a mermaid, and this chick seemed to be standing, and also, not surrounded by a body of water, so the odds of that being the case were a little lower than he’d initially thought. still, he couldn’t be too careful. “what’d you do to him?” 

Mira was relieved once he put the large stone back on the ground. “Okay, that’s good. Like I said, i don’t know anyone called Lenny. But if you’d like I could give the the landlord’s number and you can check with them if they know where Lenny moved to.” She offered with a weak smile upon her lips. She was starting to get the feeling the guy was drunk and she wasn’t sure how to help. “Me? Nothing. I never met him. “ She reassured him, hoping he’d believe her words since she didn’t know how to prove she was telling the truth. 

“I’m willing to take bets on who wants to do this less,” he raised his eyebrows at any challenge. Asher wanted to laugh as he let a chuckle slip between his lips as the supposed calm girl was snapping at him. “Uh, does it really matter if they’re going to wait for us anyway? Come on, Mira,” He said ignorantly. Really, Asher just like being right as her eyes rolled, his did too. He huffed out as he put his hands up. “If you keep frowning like that you’re going to get lines,” he taunted as he started to get dressed. “Why do you care so much anyway? It’s just another stupid show. What’s the big whoop? We take pictures, we go in and we go out. It’s not like we are inventing the wheel here.” 

sage slowly lowered the large stone in his hand, setting it back on the ground where he’d found it. “i wasn’t going to damage it, i was just trying to wake lenny up. where is he?” his eyes narrowed slightly as he realized he didn’t recognize this girl, and he seriously hoped she was actually just a regular human being, and not some supernatural creature who had kidnapped his friend, like that dream he’d had before. then again… the girl in his dream had been a mermaid, and this chick seemed to be standing, and also, not surrounded by a body of water, so the odds of that being the case were a little lower than he’d initially thought. still, he couldn’t be too careful. “what’d you do to him?” 

She watched the guy carefully, sighing faintly in relief once he put the stone down again. “Lenny, who?” Miranda asked curiously since she only moved into this apartment a couple of weeks ago, she figured it must have been the previous resident. “Oh, you mean the person who lived here before? I’m afraid, they left about six weeks ago.” The brunette informed him with a slight sigh escaping her lips. “Unfortunately I don’t know where he is now. I have never met him, sorry.” Mira huffed, before her eyes widened at his next question. “Me? Nothing! Like I said, I never met him. I just moved in four weeks ago.” She told me honestly, not sure what was going on with him. “Are you sure you’re okay?” 

“I’m willing to take bets on who wants to do this less,” he raised his eyebrows at any challenge. Asher wanted to laugh as he let a chuckle slip between his lips as the supposed calm girl was snapping at him. “Uh, does it really matter if they’re going to wait for us anyway? Come on, Mira,” He said ignorantly. Really, Asher just like being right as her eyes rolled, his did too. He huffed out as he put his hands up. “If you keep frowning like that you’re going to get lines,” he taunted as he started to get dressed. “Why do you care so much anyway? It’s just another stupid show. What’s the big whoop? We take pictures, we go in and we go out. It’s not like we are inventing the wheel here.” 

muse: asher | open to m/f/nb | plot: celebs dating as a pr stunt

asher walked out of the shower with nothing with a towel wrapped around his waist. he ran his fingers through his long hair as he lifted his head to find the other standing in his hotel room, full glam. his ‘natural’ expression of anger formed on his face. the plan was to go to some charity event and walk the carpet like a doting loving couple or at least that’s what asher could remember. he might have been a little high when things were being explained to him. he just knew that he had to be ready by six. which as he looked at the clock, it was six on the dot. “wow, give me a break,” he muttered under beneath his breath as he threw his head back. “we’ll just arrive a little late, it’s fine.” he brushed off his tardiness, taking his sweet ass time he strolled to the closet to see what his stylist had chosen for him. “black tie?” he questioned as he groaned, already knowing he was about to be bored out of his mind. 

open to: muses of any gender, between the ages of 18-25 muse basics: sage walsh, age 19, pan, he/him ( fc: miguel herrán ) based on: “i threw rocks at the wrong window but i’m a little drunk and my girlfriend just dumped me so hey do you want to hang out with me?”

“hey!” sage tossed another handful of pebbles up at the window, groaning when his buddy still didn’t appear in front of it. so maybe it was his fault that he’d already lost the second spare key he’d been given, but he was going through something right now. and was it his fault that his girl had dumped him in the middle of the night? well… yeah, that one was also a maybe. but that didn’t mean he shouldn’t be allowed inside, instead of out here, freezing his balls off. “come on, man, let me in!” 

It had been an awfully busy and long day for her and her feet were literally killing her. Mira had gotten up at four in the morning to get her make-up done for the first interview, a fitting for the show followed and after that she had a shooting, another interview and the show until late at night. As if that wasn’t enough, there was still the after party and she only just came back home at 2am. The brunette took a quick shower and changed into her PJs, already looking forward to her journey to la-la land but just when she was about to fall asleep she heard strange noises at her window. She opened it lazily, once she forced herself to get up, only to find herself staring at a stranger, who apparently had nothing better to do than throwing rocks at it. “Hey! What are you doing? If that window gets damaged I’ll send my landlord after you!” She warned the guy, although her voice didn’t sound half as serious as it should have, considering the circumstances. 

open to f/nb/m

plot based on this

Lucas held the crying infant in his hands, fingers wrapped across their tiny body and arms outstretched wide. The child was sobbing, and its loud wail sounded like a foghorn as it reverberated around the room. It blew Lucas’s mind that something so small could be so loud. Where did all of that noise even come from. He bought the baby’s bottom up to his nose and sniffed, expecting to be hit with the smell of soiled diaper - It smelled fine. Lucas reared his head back, brows furrowed in confusion. If that wasn’t the problem, what could possibly be the fucking issue. “Name!” He called loudly. “I need help. I can’t get it to stop crying.” He stared miserably at the crying baby; he just wasn’t cut out for this shit. Never in his life did he see himself as father material. He couldn’t imagine what his friend could have been thinking when he made Lucas a god parent and now, Lucas couldn’t even ask.

Miranda’s life had been anything but easy, considering her past and the fact she was just slowly getting back on track, building her career as a model and she was actually doing well. The Brazilian had a lot on her plate and while she always made time for her god child, she would have never thought, her life would take a turn like that. She was absolutely devastated, once she heard the news of her best friend and her husband and she still couldn’t believe it. Of course, she would always do her best and keep her promise to raise the little one like her own - even if that meant, she’d be stuck with Lucas of all people. Mira never liked the guy, for some reason they just couldn’t seem to get along, which was strange, since she usually never had an issue with anyone. She just stepped out of the shower, when she heard him yelling her name. Rolling her eyes at him although he couldn’t see it, she got dressed quickly, before she jolted downstairs to take the crying bundle into her arms, kissing their forehead gently, before she started to cradle the infant, until it finally fell asleep. “Here we go!” She whispered, before she turned to face Lucas. “Now that wasn’t too hard, was it?” 

Ethan rolled his eyes at her comment, knowing very well she would see right through him. Sometimes it seemed like she knew him better than he knew himself. He nodded his head at her words again. “Yeah, don’t worry, I get that.” He told her. “He did take you in and treat you as a second daughter after all.” He added, knowing his dad always asked questions about Miranda. He rolled his eyes at her a bit playfully. “Oh come on.. What can I say I was a cute kid.” He said shrugging his shoulders gently as that is what he’d been told anyways. “Besides, I guess it is only fair seeing your mother did the same to me with you. Except she used to drag out the baby pictures for the occasion as well sometimes.” He teased her. He knitted his eyebrows together at her following words. “Me? You used to find me hot?” He asked her, clueless that that had been anything she’d ever thought about him. “And you found me intimidating?” He added before he let out a laugh. “Well, what can I say… I guess we both assumed the same thing about one another.” He confessed, not ever having mentioned that to her before. “Yeah, your accent is hot.” He told her again. To be fair, he found everything about her hot, and he had just admitted to such. Ethan had to bite down his lips together, hard once he felt her close to his ear. When she whispered, goosebumps stood up on his skin and in that moment, he was so close to just turning his head towards her and kiss her, but instead he resisted the strong urge that arose inside of him again. It happened a lot when she was around. Leave it up to his imagination. That was a lot easier said than done. If it was up to him he would have ravished her long ago, claimed her as his own and put an end to all the lust and urges he had when it came to her. His thoughts were automatically pushed aside at her demand. Close his eyes? What was she up to now? He thought to himself. He did as she said and gently opened his mouth, not sure what to expect next. He opened his eyes again to look at her with a slight smile on his lips. “Yeah like what?” He asked hero ut of curiosity when she said she wanted a lot of things she could not have. “I am guessing a quick shopping spree can easily fix that?” He teased her again as he was sure there was nothing she could not have if she wanted it badly enough. He let out a loud laugh once she caved and said she’d take the couch. “Great! That leaves more space for me and the dog to cuddle on, to give back rubs, and in his case; belly rubs.” He winked a bit teasingly. He clapped his hands together a little before he laughed. “I guess we are, mama.” He said when she announced that they were officially family. Ethan looked over at her, not sure what to make of her expression as he had removed his shirt. Sure he was well trained and all, but surely she did not bother about that as he always had been for as long as they’d known each other. He smacked his lips togheter before he nodded his head at her question. “Sure.. “ He responded, not sure if it was a good idea or not as just the thought of her being on top of him drove him crazy.

She knew she had caught him, as soon as he rolled his eyes at her. Ethan was the purest person she ever met and she loved him even more for it. Her admiring gaze never once left his features, taking him in, his every inch, his every move, like her life depended on it. “Moving in next door back then was the best decision I ever made.” She admitted with a bright smile upon her lips. “I don’t even know what my life would have been like if I didn’t.” There was no Miranda without Ethan anymore and she couldn’t even imagine - nor did she want to- what it would be like without her guardian angel by her side. “You were! I always thought you were adorable on the pictures. And your dad used to say it’s in the family, his kids are going to be just as cute.” Mira chuckled, knowing perfectly well why his dad had always insisted on it. Their parents always hinted on their future together but unfortunately for her, their idea never came true. “She loves those photos.” Her mother never missed a chance to show them off, probably for the same reason his dad did. Miranda frowned at his reaction to her confession and she wished she could take it back but then again who could blame her? He was, and always had been the hottest guy walking on this planet, in her eyes. She bit her bottom lip at his question, inhaling deeply, before she shrugged. “Of course I did, Ethan! You were... -” Stopping herself mid-sentence she figured she already said too much as it was but before she could hold herself back, her next words already slipped. “the most attractive guy I ever met and you were so tall and built, like one of those men’s health models, just more handsome. “ She remembered the moment she first locked her eyes on him and her knees suddenly felt weak, her entire body was electrified by the force of the impact he had on her.  His physical prowess cannot and could not be denied and she was not oblivious to it. “I did, until your smile stole my heart and I suddenly didn’t find you as intimidating anymore.” Mira chuckled despite meaning every word she said. However, her laugh was cut short by his confession and her head started spinning again. “What?” She couldn’t believe his words; if he really thought she was hot, why did he never once say a thing? What would have been if... - Choosing not to entertain the torturing thoughts any further, since they couldn’t turn the time back anyway, she could feel her cheeks turning red as the heat spread throughout her body. “Wow... that’s... I don’t even know what to say.” She was at a complete loss of words yet again. And while she wasn’t even sure if she could handle his answer, she couldn’t refrain herself from asking. “What about now? Do you still think I’m hot?” Miranda couldn’t bring herself to look at him, afraid; scared even, of his reaction. The temptation to take his earlobe between her lips and tug on it was unbearable, her every sense urging her; begging her, to give in. Years of craving him, longing for the man she could only dream about, left their traces, both emotionally and physically. Having him this close, she didn’t even know how she could stop herself from claiming, what in her wildest dreams, had been hers all along. And right now, with the information about his thoughts about her back when they were teens, it was even harder to hold herself back. Her eyes flickered to his lips, lingering for a second as she imagined what it would feel like, what he would taste like. That thought alone was enough to spark a fire inside of her very core. Desire spread like wildfire, consuming every part of her being. She swallowed hard, bit her lips and closed her eyes briefly, before she finally re-opened them again and searched for his own. If she didn’t pull back now, she would have - - god, she was so close to take what she wanted so bad. Pleased about him obeying her instruction, she gently pushed the chocolate kisses into his mouth, her fingers ghosting the soft skin of his lips and once again she found herself craving. “That’s how force feeding works!” She giggled, her eyes shining as she couldn’t stop looking at him. Only one thought; three letters came to her mind at his following question. You!. To avoid overstepping his boundaries, she opted for a more general answer. “Turning the time back for example. Sometimes I wish I could“  Mira uttered softly, as she locked her eyes with his own. If she had known, he thought she was hot back then, things could have been different now. So very different. Before the sadness could take over, Ethan had already defeated it again, simply with being his adorable self. “A shopping spree with you can never hurt!” She agreed with a teasing wink. Truth be told, there was only one thing she couldn’t have, no matter how badly she wanted it. And it just happened to be him. Her lips twitched into a pout, big eyes looking up into his own as she surrendered. “Now you’re just making me jealous! Not fair! “ She whined, hoping he was just messing with her, and even if he wasn’t, she’d still sneak under his covers once he was asleep. It was her bed after all. While he did laugh and make it sound like a joke, there was something about him calling her mama that had her on edge. It was literally the hottest thing ever, to hear him call her that. Mira’s eyes darkened in response, as she grabbed the hem of his shirt teasingly. “Looks like I’m one lucky girl, daddy.” Emphasizing the last word, she made sure to bring her lips close to his ear once again, as she teased him back playfully. Watching him take off his shirt never got old and always had the same, astonishing effect on her. Plain thirst reflected in her eyes as she let her gaze examine every single inch of his now bare, upper body. She bit her lips hard before she teased. “Remind me to hire you as a stripper for my next birthday.” Once he got settled on the couch, she crawled up on top of his back and straddled him. Feeling the heat of his body against her core worked like a powerful aphrodisiac on her and she was about to go crazy any moment. Eyes roaming his muscular back, as she rubbed her hands together to make sure they wouldn’t be too cold on his skin, before she started to rub his back slow and gentle at first, gradually adding more pressure to it, as she took care of every knot she could find. “God you’re so hard.” She whispered, referring to his tense muscles and only realizing what her words sounded like, once it was too late. 

Ethan’s smile remained planted on his lips as he waited her response. He let out a soft chuckle at her words, once she confirmed she’d like his help. “Of course, that is what neighbours are for right?” He told her. At least that was how he’d been raised anyway. He was actually surprised that no one else in the neighbourhood had rushed over here already, not even his dad as he knew he should be home around now. Ethan bent down and picked up the box she had previously been carrying before he started moving towards her house. He stopped and put it down on the porch before he went back to pick up another one, figuring getting them away from the sidewalk was probably the best place to start. “Nice place you got her.” He told her. “Do you live here alone?” He added out of curiosity when he had picked up another box, walking towards her house again. This time he figured he might as well bring it inside as it said hallway on it, so he figured she wouldn’t have to move it again later as it was rather heavy. Once he came back outside, he spotted his dad talking to her, waving at him as he approached them. “Hi Ethan, I was just inviting this lovely lady over for dinner tonight.” He told him. Ethan raised his eyebrows a bit at him before he looked over at her. “I am warning you; his cooking is terrible.” He joked, feeling a slight shove from his dad at his comment. “I am only joking.” Ethan was quick to add, not wanted to get into trouble as his dad excused himself. “Sorry about that, he is very.. neighbourly.” He told her, shrugging his shoulders. “Don’t feel like you have to unless you don’t want to.”

The stupid smile upon her lips couldn’t be wiped off her lips as her eyes scanned the beautiful man in front of her. And that smile right there had to be a true lady killer, she thought to herself, as he flashed it at her and it did not fail its purpose in the slightest. Oh she would love to find out what this neighbor was for, that was for sure. Shrugging off her inappropriate thoughts, she nodded, giving him her brightest smile in return. “Thank you! That’s very nice of you! I’d be happy to reciprocate if you ever need anything. Probably not lifting heavy boxes, obviously but... - if there is anything else you need, please let me know.” Mira appreciated his help a lot and she would have been lying, if she said she didn’t enjoy the show. She followed him to the hallway and waited until he set the boxes down. “You can just leave them there. I’ll take care of the rest. “ Her eyes searched for his own once more, as she realized just how intense his gaze was. She could have easily gotten lost in it. “Thank you!” Miranda replied shortly, feeling her stomach tighten at his next question. And as terrible as it may sound, all she could think was - I wish - though there was no use in denying the truth and besides she was sure, he must have been taken and most likely had plenty of girls waiting for their chance with him. Nevertheless, she hesitated before she spoke up again, avoiding his gaze as she didn’t feel comfortable talking about her relationship for several reasons. “No, with my uh... - boyfriend. “ She sighed before she tried to change the subject as quickly as possible. “How long have you been living here?” Her smile instantly reappeared once the conversation was changed to a much more pleasant topic. “I left my bag outside, I’ll be right back!” Mira explained, before she headed outside, where someone had already been waiting. Another friendly neighbor came by to chat and soon she learned, who exactly she was talking to, as he mentioned, he would have offered his help but he had already seen his son approaching and thought, he was more than capable of handling it by himself. Miranda smiled at him with a nod of her head. “He was very helpful, Sir. “ She told him, as she could feel her cheeks blushing. Mr. Jones’ looks were more than meaningful and she couldn’t help but bite her lips as she whispered. “He seems like a great guy!” His dad chuckled and gave her wink. “Why don’t you join us for dinner tonight? I’m sure my son would like that.” Mira knew she was getting a little too excited there but who could blame her? “I would love that!” She chuckled as Mr. Jones waved at his son. Watching him approach, it almost felt like he was walking in slow motion and she was trying to figure out what the hell was going on with her. Laughing at his joke about his dad’s cooking, she shook her head. “I’m sure it’s fine. If not we can always order pizza. “ The two were adorable together and Mira missed her own dad even more for a moment. Once they said goodbye and Mr. Jones left, she turned back to look at the young Adonis. “No, please, there is no need to apologize. I feel very lucky to have neighbors like you. “ She paused for a second, studying him briefly, before she deepened the eye contact. “I’d love to join you tonight! But only if you want me to.” 

Ethan let out a soft chuckle once he felt her nudging his side. “Alright, fine, fine.” He was quick to say, throwing his arms up in the air in slight defence at her words. “No, I am not asking for trouble.” He added, even though they both knew he were. He would find a opportunity again to tease her later. If not today than the next time they were together again for sure. Ethan looked at her with a visible grin, nodding his head as she spoke. “Oh yeah, for sure.” He chuckled again. “I am just glad that we can laugh about it now.” He said as he sometimes found himself reminiscing about the past and their teenage years. Although he most of the time just focused on how he would have done things differently, how they would maybe could have been something differently. “Yeah, I know he mentioned that from time to time that you had been over, but he never said why.” He told her, even though that was what Ethan did as well with her mother as she was the only mother figure, he had in his life ever since his own mother had taken off at a young age. Ethan raised his eyebrows at her remark. He remembered that day very well, but the fact that she had found him handsome and he had not known about this bothered him more than he cared to admit. He was still thinking to himself what if a lot, and maybe if heh ad acted sooner things could have been different between them. “I would not say handsome.” He responded with a light chuckle, refusing to believe her words. “And your accent was hot, Mira. You know that.” He told her, as he had found it very hot the first time, he had met her. His lips quirked into yet another smirk. “That is exactly what I think.” He told her again. “I do, because all I have to do is give you one of these –“He said as he offered her an even brighter smile than before “And you will let me get away with anything.” He winked, obviously still teasing her. “Oh revenge, hun?” He said, his tone of voice was mocking with a teasing smirk now displayed on his lips. “I can’t wait to see what kind of punishment you have in store for me, Mira.” He winked, feeling himself harden just at the thought of her punishing him. He quickly pushed his inappropriate thoughts to the side. It was not the time of the place for him to get excited, not about this. She was his friend and he had to remind himself of that. Only his friend. When he felt her pull him closer he adjusted himself so she would not be able to see or feel the growing bulge in his pants. Goosebumps shut up on his arms by her touch, and he had to swallow the growing lump that was taking shape in his throat. He bit his lips together, hard as his eyes rested on hers. For a split second he though he saw something in her eyes, something that reminded him of lust, but he quickly brushed it off. It couldn’t have been, right? He sent her a smirk. “I am good at putting out fires..” He responded a bit hesitant as he was now attempting to actually flirt with her. “You mean these?” He said as he lifted his hands in front of her eyes. “These can put out any fire if they need to.” He added with a soft chuckle, not really sure if it came across as very inappropriate or not. Not that he really cared right now as he was starting to struggle with his thoughts and was about to let his mind start to wander again, but instead he pulled away and adjusted his hair a little as he at the same time allowed himself to adjust on the sofa once more. It was all becoming too much for him to bare. “Isn’t it?” He responded in a light chuckle. “Then how does force feeding work?” He asked her out of curiosity. “Oh come on, you got to stop teasing me like that Mira. You know banana bread is my favourite.” He argued against her again, not that he thought she was going to let him have his way, but he sure could try. “And that is not fair, that I have to walk around smelling the good stuff but not being able to eat it.” He objected. “Besides, my dad is never on time, you know this.” He added with a soft chuckle. He looked at her as spoke again. She wanted him to be happy, but she had no idea that he would not be happy unless it was with her. “And I want you to be happy too.” He told her as that was his only wish. He just wished that he could be the one thing to make her happy forever, but that was not something that was possible. When she confirmed that he could have anything he wanted, he was so tempted to demand her right there and then. Instead, again, he resisted the growing urge. He chuckled lightly at her movie comment. “Yeah, I know right.” He said with a slight smile on his lips. Ethan looked at her before he shrugged. “Well you can try to wrestle me for it, but I think we both know that I am going to win.” He challenged her a little, even though he would have loved nothing more than to sleep next to her. It was not the same without her by his side. He smiled at her. “I know you would never make me do anything I would not want to do, I am just teasing you Mira.” He told her again, reassuring her he was only joking. “Great Daddy, huh?” He asked her a bit teasingly. “Well, how can I say no to that.” He added, even though he might have made it sound like something completely different to what he had meant. Shivers went down his spine when she whispered in his ear. Not being able to resist much longer, he removed his t-shirt and threw it onto the floor before he adjusted himself on the sofa a little. “Don’t be gentle with me, yeah?” He smirked, imagining her touch now and bracing himself for whatever feeling would come next.

Miranda chuckled, even though she heard him, they both knew he was doing this on purpose. “You’re such a bad liar, Eth!” She commented in a sing song voice. “Me too! Who would have thought? Back then I thought we’d never get over it.” She remembered and couldn’t help but notice how much things had changed since then. “No special reason. I just... he was the only father figure in my life and I enjoyed spending time with him. Especially when he told me all the sweet and funny stories about you as a child.” Miranda giggled, as she could think of quite a few but she was sure, her mother did the same with Ethan so there was that. She had no idea what had gotten into her as she was finally, after more than seven years, opening up to him about the first day they’d met. Mira remembered it like it was only yesterday but until now she never once mentioned how she felt about him. “Okay fine, handsome doesn’t quite describe it. You were hot and I was kind of intimidated by you.” She finally gave up and admitted her first impression of him, not really sure what he would think about it. Though she was genuinely surprised he found her accent hot, she perked her eyebrows as she looked at him, studying him carefully. “Hot?” Mira repeated more to herself while she tried to wrap her thoughts around the unexpected information. It’s just an accent Mira, no reason to read into things. She told herself while Ethan snapped her out of her daze once again with his breath-taking smile. Damn him and his unique charm. And to be fair, he was probably the only person on this planet, she actually would let get away with just anything for his smile. “Probably, it depends what you’re trying to get away with.” She teased with a mischievous grin upon her lips, before their conversation took an interesting turn again - at least it did in her mind, where she could picture all the ways she’d punish him in all the right and wrong ways. And him entertaining those inappropriate fantasies even further with his teasing, was not helping at all. “I’ll leave that to your imagination, Eth!” She whispered, leaning in close enough to almost brush her lips against his ear. At this point, she wasn’t just teasing him anymore, she was flirting with him shamelessly. In moments like these, it was even harder to remind herself they were just friends. Sometimes it felt like so much more or maybe it was just wishful thinking. Mira was so confused about them and their friendship, she couldn’t even think straight anymore. Then again, it had always been like that, ever since she first met him. Ethan was.... she’d call him the man of her dreams but then again, he exceeded even that. He was everything she could have been wishing for in a man and so much more - the only thing about him she wasn’t happy about, was the little fact he was not into her - not that she could blame him for something he couldn’t control. Even during the worst times, he always managed to make her smile, it was like he could just spirit off any negative thought or feeling with the blink of his eye lashes. All she needed was to look at him or hear his voice to forget about everything else. Her body’s reaction towards her best friend never ceased to amaze her; she could feel her heart pounding faster in her chest, her eyes piercing his own, as the heat radiating from his body merged with her own, once she pulled him closer. She got entirely lost in his gaze for a moment, her dark orbs filled with so much need and want, she could even see it reflected in his own eyes. Oh she was sure, so very sure about all the wonders these hands could do. Self control be damned, she bit her bottom lip hard and took the bait without even knowing if he even meant it that way. “Mhmm... - they better; considering you lit the fire in the first place, they better know how to take care of it!” Her suggestive words came out just below a whisper, her voice hoarse as her imagination took her straight to hell again and she almost lost the battle with her inner devil, who was urging her to close the last, tiny gap between them. Just when she closed her eyes and was about to do the unthinkable, he pulled away and Mira could only stare at him, while he adjusted his hair as if nothing happened. Her heart skipped a beat, more at the realization of how close she was to lose it than at his reaction. What was she thinking? Nothing obviously! Her emotions got the best of her yet again. A moment of silence passed until the shock wore off. “Close your eyes.” She demanded with a wicked grin playing around the corner of her lips. Mira took some chocolate kisses out of her bag, before she approached him and whispered. “Open your mouth!” Chuckling light-heartedly, as she teased him further. “I know; it’s my secret weapon and I will use it against you if I have to.” Not that she’d throw banana bread at him but she’d definitely bait him with it. Well, it is also not fair I have to see the good stuff, and am not allowed to taste or touch it! She thought to herself as he complained about having to smell the banana bread without getting to eat it. “That’s life, Ethan. I want a lot of things that I can’t have.” She chuckled, trying to to make it sound like a joke. Mira sighed heavily and pulled him into her arms once more. “Then we can just be happy together.” While it may have not come across the way she meant it, the look in her eyes should have said it all. Ethan was the synonym of happiness in her life. Wrestling him sounded tempting but it was never as innocent as she pretended for it to be - and right now she knew there was no way she could handle herself in any of the positions they’d end up in. “Fine, you win. I’ll take the couch.” She pouted, puppy eyes begging him to show some heart. It didn’t even matter what kind of Daddy they were talking about, because she knew he’d be perfect at it either way. Mind slipping away once again, she nodded. “Well then, congratulations, Ethan! We’re now officially a family!” And while it was just a joke, it felt way too good to say those words. Her jaw dropped slightly at the view of Ethan removing his shirt; not even Magic Mike could make it look sexier - and Mira was throbbing for him. She examined every inch of his now bare arms, shoulders, chest and slowly let her gaze travel further south. Thankfully for her, he got settled on the couch, or else she would have jumped him right then and there. His next words aroused her more than they should have and she was on the brink of doing something she would be regretting later on one way or another. She sat down next to him, leaned in and whispered “Mind if I sit on you?”

Ethan had had a long day in school, closely followed by his football practice soon after. The pressure was starting to get to him, but he knew he had to make his dad proud. It was the least he could do after everything the family had been through ever since his mom had taken off. She had big dreams, and apparently there was no room for her existing family to be a part of it. 

As Ethan was getting closer to his house, he noticed their elderly neighbour huffing and puffing as he passed him on the street. “Greetings.” He said, being police, although he was met with a scoff, like always. Ethan had learned not to take it too personally as the elder generation was just not always easy to reason with. 

It was when he rounded the corner that lead him down his street that he saw a small figure lifting was looked like a box twice their size. He smiled a little to himself as he closed in on them and just as he was about to speak, the other bumped into him. Obviously, they could not see, so it was not like he was going to start screaming at them. “Hi there.” He said. “Do you..” He stopped as soon as the cardboard box was put down and he was met with one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen in his entire life. Granted, he lived in a fairly small town, so anyone he’d never met before was intriguing, but she.. She made him speechless for a second. “Hi.” He simply spoke again, offering her a slight smile. “No worries, I saw you struggling so I figured I’d stop and offer some help in case you needed it?” He asked her with a polite smile shaped on his lips. 

Big changes like the ones Miranda was facing right now, were never easy but after everything she had been through, she was actually looking forward to it - for the most part at least. Her family supported her as best as they could, however, her mom wasn’t happy with her choice to move in with her boyfriend, after being together for about a year and a half. She couldn’t blame her though, considering the couple had been on the rocky side since the beginning. They had broken up countless of times since and yet Mira couldn’t free herself for good. It was all she had ever known in terms of relationships and for some reason, she just considered it to be normal, since she had nothing to compare and not wanting to admit the fact, her issues were deeper.

It had been a long day and Mira was beyond exhausted but she had no intention to get in trouble with the new neighbours on day one, so she did her best to clean up the mess the moving company had left on the driveway. As she tried to carry the box inside and hit someone, she cried out even though it was not her who possibly got hurt. Her pupils grew at least twice their normal size, as they met the athletic male in front of her and scanned him thoroughly without wanting it. She could feel her jaw dropping slightly, thinking he looked like he was straight out of the men’s health magazine and if that was going to be her neighbour, she would, by any means, not complain about the view. It took her a second to recollect her thoughts, as he literally took her breath away for a short moment. Mira usually didn’t pay attention to men like that but there was just something about this guy that drew her in with a magnetic pull she had never experienced before. She was mesmerized by him and even forgot about her boyfriend for a minute.

A weird, unknown, tickling sensation spread in her stomach and soon took over her entire body as she locked her eyes with his own. Intense wouldn’t even come close to describe the emotions she experienced, as she felt his eyes on hers. Her lips automatically formed a bright smile and probably made her look like a stupid thirteen year old, who was completely taken aback by the sight of her first crush. “Hi there to you too.” Really, Mira? That’s the best you can come up with? She scolded herself internally. First the comment about hitting on him - in which she only realized what she just said once it was already too late - and now this. And just when she thought, she calmed herself down a little, she was blown away by his smile. “Uhm..” Her brain was having a hard processing all the information and it suddenly seemed incapable of forming proper words. “That’s very nice of you, thank you! I’d appreciate it a lot.” She finally managed to get out, wishing she could get rid of her accent that was still shining through.

Miranda was about to start a new chapter in her life. A very important one and after everything she’d been through, she was looking forward to some normality. She was both very excited and nervous about the changes. Moving to the US made sense, as she was determined to pursue her model career while finishing her studies and although she’d miss her family terribly, she needed some distance. Everything back home reminded her of the events she wanted to forget about. Her boyfriend recently joined a famous soccer team and despite their rocky relationship, he convinced her to move in together. 

Unlike him, she had never seen their new house before, but despite her looks she didn’t give much about superficial and material stuff anyway. Miranda had just arrived by plane this morning and unfortunately she would have to deal with the majority of the moving by herself since her other half was out of town for an event. 

As soon as she arrived at the address, she already saw the moving boxes right in front of the driveway. Apparently the moving company just left them there. Sighing, she opened the door and looked around first. It was a nice house and now she was really getting excited to unpack and get settled. Just when she went for the first box, one of her new neighbors didn’t even give her the chance to introduce herself first, as he already cursed and demanded for her to get rid of this mess before he called the police on her. Trying to force a smile, she apologized politely and promised to take care of it right away. The older man took off without so much as a goodbye. 

Easier said than done for the petite, young girl, considering the boxes had at least half of her own body weight. But it needed to be done and she didn’t know anyone she could have asked for help, so she picked the first one up and tried to maneuver it towards the house. without being able to see anything as it completely blocked her sight. Two steps later she hit something - or more like someone by the sound of it. “Oh my god, I’m so, so sorry! I didn’t see you.” Quickly setting the box down, she flashed her brightest smile - unintentionally but automatically at the view of the very tall and handsome guy in front of her. “Are you okay? My apologies for hitting on you! ” 

Ethan looked at her with a teasing smirk shaped across his lips. “Alright, boss.” He told her again, obviously teasing her now, even though he did understand what she meant or was hinting at. He was hoping that things would not get weird between them overall now that he was going to be working for her, but at the same time he was confident that their friendship could handle it. He let out a laugh at her comment about the old days. “Oh man, I was so nervous that time I as sure they were going to either kick us our or give us detention for the rest of the school year.” He said, amused that she remembered and had decided to bring it up. Sometimes he really did miss the good old days, and if he ever got the opportunity to go back, he would have changed a lot, including their relationship status, that was for sure. Ethan nodded his head a little. “Yeah he is pretty great. He did a good job at raising me and my sister that was for sure.” He said, followed by another light chuckle at her words. “Is that so? Were you nervous because of a.. certain someone?” She asked, pointing at himself for obvious reasons. “I mean, I get it if you did, because I was a total charmer back then.” He added in a sarcastic tone of voice, as he remember himself being nervous as heck to have them over for dinner. Ethan nodded his head at her. “I know you don’t.” He said. “I am only teasing you because I know I can get away with it.” He added with a teasing wink. He watched her as she touched him again, making her way up his arms with that teasing smirk of hers. Fuck..  He thought to himself as he watched her. Smirking a little at her following comment while she gave his biceps a squeeze. “Oh there is a lot of thing these bad boys can do. Carrying a couple of heavy bags ain’t got nothing on these.” He responded by sending her a teasing wink. Again, Ethan raised his hands up in the air in defense at her words. “Alright Mira, but if you are going to feed me you better start preparing those banana breads, because that is all I am going to be force fed from now on, I have decided.” He told her. “Besides, bananas are healthy, you can’t argue with me there.” He added. Ethan looked at her, a bit shocked at the now harsh tone of voice she was displaying. “Hey, Mira. I was only joking.” He told her, seeing the only chick he cared for was her, and it always had been. He moved a bit closer to her, attempting to cup her face gently to move her eyes back to meet with his, but she did not seem to be budging. He had obviously hit a nerve, because she never snapped, not at him. But he was not sure why she had snapped. If it was because he had sounded like he wasn’t going to take his education seriously, or because of the girl part, which to him did not make sense as she was obviously not interested in him that way. He chuckled lightly when she mentioned the banana bread again. “Well it is a damn shame that I have got a great sense of smell, and if I am really hungry, I am sure I’d be able to find all 3 and eat them, before you can even scream my name.” He told her with a teasing wink. Again, Ethan was a little set back by her attitude when he mentioned Tinder again. “I mean.. You never know.” was the first words that escaped from his lips. “But fine, I won’t come complaining to you, don’t worry.” He added, slightly confused as he shrugged his shoulders at her. He looked at her, knitting his eyebrows together. “Mira, is everything okay?” He asked. “Did something happen?” He added, curious to know what was going on with her. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her and right now that is all it appeared that he was doing, upsetting her. “Its okay.” He said when she apologized. “I just.. Just let me know if I say something that upsets you, alright, because that is the last think I want.” He added, wanting her to know that, even though he had told her so many times before. Ethan raised both his eyebrows at her comment. “Anything I want? Just by letting you touch my hair?” He responded, before he cracked his lips into a smirk. “Well I’dl still like a massage I think.” He told her with a grin, just imagining those small hands trying to reach over his muscular back.. He shook his thoughts to the side as quickly as he could, not wanting to get excited again. He rolled his eyes at her. “Nah, nah, it is just how they act mostly. You know, boy fights with girl, girl runs our in the rain, boy chases girl, they kiss and make up, you know that sort of thing.” He teased, as he was obviously joking. He shrugged his shoulders at her comments about the dog and the sleeping arrangements. “I mean, I think the best thing would me just me and the dog in the bed, while you sleep on the couch or something.” He told her with a teasing wink. He shrugged at her following question. “I don’t know what he looks like to be honest, maybe Jack would suit?” He suggested. “Or is that dumb?” He added before letting out a soft giggle. “Well seeing I work for you now, you can make me do whatever you need me too, so I can.” He told her, more than happy to already knowing he was going to love the dog just because it already made her so happy. Ethan had slowed down the backrubs by now and was scratching the back of his neck a little when her following words took him by surprise. “Take of my shirt?” He asked her, not sure if he had heard her right. “Why?” He asked, still a bit confused. 

At his his teasing, she nudged his side and rolled her eyes playfully. “Someone is really asking for trouble here.” Miranda chuckled, her delighted smile never left her lips as she watched him carefully; noticing once again just how cute he was when he was being such a tease. His smile never ceased to amaze her and every time he flashed it, the brunette was smitten by it. Although he was likely unaware about the effect it had on her - or any female as it was - it was one of his most powerful tools and Mira refused to tell him that, because she was afraid he’d use his super-smile to charm even more girls than he already had. Despite her fears, things might change between them, she somehow couldn’t imagine them to be any different. The two of them shared a very special connection, that went way beyond the one of your ordinary best friends and she knew it. Not only did their friends and family constantly remind them of it, she could always feel it was different; stronger, deeper somehow. “Not us, me if anything. I wouldn’t have let them punish you for my mistake. But it was fun! Did you see the faces of our so-called cool kids? They were so scared and saw the apocalypse coming right their way.” Miranda chuckled at the memories. What Ethan didn’t know was, at the time, she was a stupid teen who did even more stupid things and while she knew the formula by heart, she let herself get distracted by him. Admiring him, she had gotten lost in her thoughts and mixed up one of the ingredients, which then resulted in a little explosion, literally. Thinking about it, most of her favorite memories, the happiest ones of her school years, were the ones she shared with him. Sometimes she wished, she could travel back in time but unfortunately that wasn’t possible. “Obviously he did. If I ever need parenting advice or a second opinion on my mom’s advice I know who I’d go to.” She laughed before he wiped her smile away and replaced it with a frown, caused by his question. By the sound of his voice she could tell, Ethan was joking but he was so right about it. When his dad invited them for dinner for the first time, she’d just moved into the neighborhood and only met him briefly once before. Despite being in a relationship - and that was something she couldn’t explain to herself, - there was something about Ethan that got under her skin, the very first time she laid eyes on him. It may sound stupid but it was almost like she was hit by something out of this world and was magically drawn to him in a way she couldn’t describe. That pull never changed. Even now, every time she saw him or heard his name, it was still the same and hit her full force. Clearing her throat, she thought it would be best to play it off cool, but before she knew, the words came out - probably in an attempt to discretely test the waters again and see his reaction, if there was any. “Can you blame me? There was this tall, handsome guy who apparently was my new neighbor and I was new, my English wasn’t perfect and my whole life was about to change. “ This time, she didn’t even try to make her words sound like a joke, though she wondered, why his sounded sarcastic. He really seemed to have no clue how charming he was. In her eyes, he was the cutest guy she’d ever met and while he’d changed a lot since then; as he grew up and gained confidence - which just made him even hotter - she did find his nervousness very cute back then. Miranda loved the fact he wasn’t one of the wannabes, he didn’t pretend to be someone he wasn’t. It took a lot of courage in her opinion to just be yourself at high school and Ethan was brave enough to be himself instead of trying to copy whatever was supposed to be cool. However, he really needed to stop with his ‘is that so’ because the way he said it, always sent chills down her spine and Mira didn’t know how much more of that she could handle without losing her last bit of self control. “Oh that’s what you think, hu? You think you can get away with just about anything, don’t you? Just wait my dear, my revenge will be sweet for me and bitter for you.” She giggled as she playfully pulled him closer. Her hands slowly wandered up his arms as she tried to mesmerize every single Inch of his skin. His words pulled the trigger and now there it was; her eyes darkened as they pierced his own, her gaze revealing way too much want and need at the proximity. This, right here, was torture and Mira knew a lot about that. Her heart pounded in her chest and the sound of it almost hurt in her own ears. The heat radiating from his body along with the sound of his voice, the feeling of his hot skin and steely muscles had her on overdrive. She could only imagine all the things they could do and it was driving her crazy to hear him say it. Biting her lips, her eyes flickered up to meet his own once more, and by now, she was undressing him with her eyes. “Careful, Ethan. You’re playing with fire! Don’t get your talented hands burned in the process. It would be such a shame!” Fighting the urge to rip his shirt off and explore his gorgeous body just little bit further, Mira tried hard to focus on her breath and calm herself down. When he raised his hands, escaping from her grip, she was both, relieved and disappointed at once. He just saved her from embarrassing herself but her body was protesting at the loss of contact, so much, it physically hurt. “That’s not how force feeding works, Eth! You don’t get to decide. I will give you whatever I think is best for you and you won’t have a say in it. But, I’m a nice person and I like to see you happy sooo banana bread might be your treat if you finish up the main dish.” She teased shortly before their conversation took a turn. She watched him approach her after her unwanted outburst and Miranda felt terrible about it. “I know, Ethan.” It was really not his fault she couldn’t take this Kind of a joke when it came to him. That was her issue and had nothing to do with him. Nonetheless, she felt like she was going to break completely if she let him touch her - and despite of it - she gave in regardless as she felt his large hand on her cheek. Automatically, she leaned into his touch, wanting to feel as much of him as possible. Her eyes slowly trailed up to meet his own. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.” Mira did have a temper, but she never let it out on Ethan. She just couldn’t bring herself to. Usually she’d opt to take it out on the girls she was jealous of but this time she lost it. Thankfully, the chat was brought back to banana bread and her expression softened again. “Oh believe me, the moment I scream your name, it will already be too late. “ And yet again, her mind took a dark and dirty path, in which it made up all the ways she’d scream his name - very, very pleasant ones at that. Shaking herself out of her fantasy once more, she shrugged at him. “In that case I’ll just have to Keep you distracted until your dad and sister are here.” Still trying to process everything going on around them and with herself, she sighed desperately. “Eth! Of course you can always complain to me. You know that! I didn’t mean it. I just...” How was she supposed to explain her feelings to him when she didn’t even understand them herself? Miranda hated her lack of control when it came to her best friend. Now she made everything worse and it was the last thing she wanted. And again, Ethan was just being his adorable self, proving once again he was too good to be true; too good for her. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with all the emotions cursing through her - a mind blowing cocktail of unrequited, undying love, regret, hurt, admiration and about a million more ingredients. He was her very own poison. In a good way and bad. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it. I just want you to be happy. You deserve it. I’m just... worried, that’s all. Just ignore me.” As their banter finally changed back to the usual, she was beyond happy. Keeping up an attitude around him was impossible anyway. “Anything you want. Your wish is my command.” Mira reassured, winking at him as she threw her arms around his neck, waiting for him to make a wish. “Touching your hair is my thing, Eth! So yes. You got me right there.” The brunette chuckled and couldn’t have been happier about his choice. “Anytime!” Delight clearly audible in her voice, as she agreed on giving him a massage, she couldn’t wait to get her hands on him. “Yeah, too bad those things only happen in the movies. I would love that to be real, actually. Kissing in the rain does sound romantic.” And of course her mind betrayed her again, as it sent images through her head with Ethan as the lead character in her head cinema. “You don’t get to kick me out of my own bed. You’ll just have to suck it up and bear with me.” While she knew him well enough to know he was just messing with her, she couldn’t help but feel rejected. Insecurities kept creeping their way back as she wondered if she was really the only one who enjoyed sharing a bed with him. What if he only did that to make her feel better? Not because he actually wanted to? Her thoughts were shoved aside by the mention of her dog and a bright smile reappeared on her face. “I won’t ever make you do anything you don’t want to.” She just felt like pointing it out for the record. “But I think you would be a great Daddy and Jacky boy needs one.” Mira laughed, already happy with the name he chose. It was perfect. “I love it!” Reluctantly retreating herself a bit to get her top and slipping it over her head, she raised her brow at him, deciding to tease him a bit, as she  leaned in and pulled at the hem of his shirt. “Take it off! Or do you want me to give you a hand here?” Smirking at him, she was eager to satisfy her need to touch him again. “It’s your turn for treats now.” Mira whispered into his ear, her lips almost touching his skin.