tenderness

tala narrowed her eyes. "there you go again, the kind of bullshit i was talking about." the moment he grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away from her face, she laughed despite herself. "you can't just call it a visual aid and expect that to hold up in court. actually, with your level of confidence? you probably could." her head shook. the worst part was that he seemed entirely aware of the effect he had, which was deeply annoying. she groaned when he asked for a kiss. "oh my god." she looked toward the ceiling as if asking for strength. "do you rehearse these lines before you say them or do they just naturally fall out of your mouth? i'm not here to sit on the sidelines. i mean, i didn't fly all the way to barcelona to become a spectator. iwant the whole thing. the butterflies, the bad decisions, the embarrassing feelings, the possibility that i completely misread somebody." her eyes met his again. "that's kind of the risk, right? but unlike some people, i don't plan on turning every conversation into a practical demonstration. some of us are trying to maintain at least the illusion of dignity."

"woah, woah, where'd all the bite come from?" king asked, his eyebrows raising as he held his hands up in a mock 'i'm innocent' gesture. "thought we were having a good conversation here. so... just because i acted like i was going to kiss you, that means i don't have any dignity?" king asked as he sat back, looking a little puzzled. "that's a crazy thing to say when you don't even know me." he said, scoffing out a laugh. but hey, at the end of the day, her acting suddenly so prickly wasn't his problem, and he wasn't just going to take it on the chin just because she wanted to act snippy. "and you want it all, but then judge people for actually trying it all. do you smell that, tala? smells like... hmm, hypocrisy with a dash of bullshit maybe?"

"One was a teacher, the other a ballet dancer," he shrugs. "I guess my sisters just found them bland, and our family is very open, and it felt like they had to pull teeth to get them to connect?" He understood what they meant, but his sisters were strong personalities, and if you couldn't catch their wave, it could be downright intimidating. "I guess it was just easy, but easy isn't worthwhile when life is short. There's gotta be passion and a fire, and maybe I hope it would come...but it never did?" Both ladies were great, but it never felt like their relationship went through any hurdles, and maybe that was his own fault. "You know your fellow Floridians here?" He would be shocked if at least one of them hadn't crossed paths before. "I guess basic," he lets out a laugh. "Clearly need to switch it up, but someone who is grounded in who they are and who they want to become in this world...and I guess someone who makes me feel needed for once?"

"Sisters are such harsh critics, though. They'll tell you like it is, without any remorse, and maybe they really didn't like them to begin with, but are you sure it's not them just being overbearing over their brother?" Candy asked with a shrug. "I don't know, Camy. That sounds like maybe you were the one coming into those relationships with high expectations, but I also can't blame you. If there's no passion, then there's nothing and the last thing you want to do is try to form it into something it definitely isn't." She said before snorting out a lot. "I genuinely don't. I didn't even realize there were a lot of us in here." Candy said before raising her eyebrow at him. "And how would someone make you feel needed?"

"Is this where you tell me you're not only a fantastic writer but an exquisite ballroom dancer too?" he smiles. Grabbing a hold of her hand, he let out a breath as the music started playing. "Eyes on you is easy enough. How are you feeling about everything so far?"

"I just took some lessons when I was younger. My mom wanted me to try everything." Lex admitted with a light laugh. "Nervous." She murmured. "I want us to be a perfect match, you know? Probably too good to be true, since it's only Week 2, and we saw how hopeful Brad and Candy were, but... I don't know, I just... I want that with you. Everything with you seems... easy, and I'm... I'm not ready for that to change if it isn't a match." Lex said, letting out a long exhale, her voice soft. "What about you?"

closed starter for hana & king ( @perfectmvtch )

"and thank god for that." king said with a playful grin. "not sure if this counts but i used to be in a band. before my hockey career took off, i was in one with some friends. i was the lead guitarist and did some backup vocals too and we actually had one viral song that was on canadian radio. we all kind of went our separate ways after uni when it comes to our careers, but we're all still friends. now, your turn."

WHO: Alexis Nassir WHERE: Week 2 Dates - Flamenco Dance Lessons

"Well, that's why I'm here. To help you." Lex said with a warm smile. "Without the judgmental stares, of course." she added, in a conspirational whisper, sneaking a look at their instructor before giggling. "But c'mon, eyes on me. We're starting off easy, okay? It'll be fine. You'll be fine. You'll be a pro in no time."

"I'm a bit of a foodie, plus the whole timezone has tripped me up a bit, so why not?" He also had been so nervous that he hardly ate today, so he figured a classic school lunch platter was the way to go. "Oh, good. And here I thought you were gonna tell me face to face the kiss was absolute shit," he bumped her lightly as he put away the rest of the food and utensils back in their proper places. Honestly, it was one of the best kisses he'd had in a while. 'Want.' It's what his sister said he needed to keep an eye out for. There was something about wanting to be needed by someone else that he hadn't been able to articulate before about any of his previous relationship. Lex was different.

"Me too. I'm also such a snacker, and I know I shouldn't be, especially late at night, but when those cravings hit, they hit, you know?" Lex said with a light laugh before looking straight at Cam with widened eyes. "It was most definitely not shit! It was-" She paused, letting out a nervous giggle as she turned her head slightly, hoping to hide just how red she knew her cheeks probably were. "It was... really good, actually. I... Maybe I actually came out here looking for you because I wanted another kiss. Did you ever think of that?" Lex asked, trying to play it off as her just being playful, but it pained her just how strong the urge actually was. Now that it happened, it was like she just wanted more.

"Isn't that the gravy over fries?" she asks as she follows his lead. "I thought your Canadian staple with bacon and maple syrup." Was that rude of her to be so stereotypical? Probably, but she's never been to Canada. Vale automatically assumed it probably was just as bland as English staples. "Soy, really?" She was learning some new facts about this man just from this topic alone. Why she saw King eating red meat with a bunch of his hockey bros made her giggle. "I think the best thing is for you to whip up all these dishes, for me to watch you make them, and I indulge," she smiles as she helps herself to the kitchen island stool. "Let's just say I'm a killer at pressing buttons on an air fryer and electric oven."

"Don't forget the fresh cheese curds." King pointed out before letting out a laugh. "I love bacon, I love maple syrup, but I hate the two together. Usually sweet and salty work, and I know a lot of people like it, but I really don't. Also, if anything, the Canadian staple should be beavertails. You know what that is?" He asked before nodding his head. "Yeah, soy's freaking delicious. It's not the healthiest, but it tastes real good, especially when done properly." King said before gesturing towards the fridge. "They don't exactly give us a lot to work with. You think if I give production a shopping list, they'll give it to me?" He asked before shooting Vale a pointed look. "I'm not fully judging. You can do a lot of things with an air fryer, but... what about regular day life? Do you do takeout often?"

"Yeah, they are fucking idiots," she chuckled at his protectiveness towards her as she wiped the remaining tears. "I won't anymore. I promise." If she didn't get the chance to walk away with love, she could walk away with a stronger sense of self. Valentina appreciated his comforting touches, leaning into him more, and could only wonder how Kaan would posture himself towards her exes. None were comparable.

"Good." Kaan said, showing her a smile, making sure the tears were completely wiped away before leaning back slightly, but still holding onto her hand as she talked. The smile crept back onto his lips as he listened to her talk about her family, chuckling as he tried to imagine it. "They sound very chaotic in the best way." Kaan said, smiling warmly. "Yeah, I get what you mean. I couldn't imagine life without them either. My parents are still together and now fully retired. I have a younger sister who likes stressing me out because she doesn't really know what she wants for her future. With her, I've learned how to toe the line between being supportive and being firm, especially when she would consistently come home too drunk to even stand on her own." Kaan said with a little shake of his head.

He was more than delighted to share a kiss with Lex during the game. There wasn't anyone else he'd been hoping more for than her. He liked their conversation in the Boom Boom Room of all places. Ironic considering he wasn't the type to hook up on the first night whatsoever. She was sweet and he wanted to learn more, so he was surprised when she approached him wanting to talk. He was just finishing making himself a late-night turkey and cheese sandwich with potato chips and slid the plate towards her. "Sure, if you'll have half and indulge with me," he offered as he grabbed them both some water. "Should I be concerned?"

"A little midnight snack? Don't mind if I do." Lex said, smiling as she held onto the plate. "No! No, not at all. I just... I just wanted to talk to you more, really." She admitted, her cheeks warming up at the admission. Obviously, she didn't want to be one of those people that got overly attached right at the start, but she figured there was nothing wrong with just being around someone who made her feel comfortable, right? Even if they talked about nothing. "Also, you're one of the people who's still awake." Lex added with a light laugh. "Are you a night owl? A morning person?" She asked before gesturing towards the fire pit. "You want to head over there for a bit?"

"My sisters locked me in a room and wouldn't let me out until I agreed. Apparently, my exes were less than suitable from their opinion." More like Cameron was potentially settling for people who provided comfort rather than those who challenged him to be a better man in every facet. "Guess I've had a habit of choosing agreeable individuals which does not make well for a marriage longterm if not a boring one."

"Jeez, what kind of people have you been bringing home and what did they do for your sisters to not like them that much?" Candy asked, snorting out a laugh. "Is it bad that boring is worse for me than toxic is? At least with toxic, there's some... spark. Boring is just boring. It's dead. It's the whole reason why I came here to begin with. Everyone back home was just... boring and I was sick of it . I think that's what happens when you're around all the same people you've been around since you all were kids." Candy said with a shrug. "So what's your type, Camy?"

It would have been easy for Valentina to let him have his way with her, but that defeated the reason why she was here. She wanted someone who wanted her beyond just her looks and sex appeal. If they were anywhere else, she probably would have been more agreeable. "You're such a fucking tease," she smirks as she steps back after placing a kiss. A phrase she'd been told countless times. Figured she'd throw it back in a man's face for fun. "Food sounds good. After all, you did say married life would be you in the kitchen, so let's see if it's as good as you make it out to seem," she says before intertwining her arms with his as they head to the kitchen. "What do you enjoy cooking?"

"Says you." King teased her right back, saying the words with a light laugh before leading the way to the kitchen. "You ever tried poutine? It's a Canadian staple." He started to say. "I love making a good tuna bake, or anything soy. I like chicken just because there's so much you can do with it - my best friend's Filipino so he put me on lemongrass chicken so that's probably my favorite to make - and pasta's easy. I'm also Scottish so I can make a mean Lorne Square but my mom always asks me to make her favorite, which is Dijon Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb. That or seared scallops. There's really so much you can make. Do you cook?"

Cam hadn't gone into this expecting anything. Keeping things light felt like the safest option. Yet as she pulled him closer, his hand instinctively found the back of her neck, steadying her as he returned the kiss with the same energy she was giving him. For a little while, everything else seemed to disappear. It was just her. And honestly, he wouldn't have wanted it any other way. He had no idea how much time had passed before he finally pulled back, pressing one last quick kiss to her lips. A crooked grin fell on his face. "Alright, Ms. Lex. I see you.”

Maybe it was because she was finally starting to let loose, but Lex felt like she was wired the entire time she got back to her seat after the kiss with Cam. Her face didn't stop being warm, the smile stayed on her lips and she figured she shouldn't just keep waiting around. It was definitely very early into the game, but now that the daunting first kiss was out of the way, Lex felt herself comfortable enough to find Cam later on that night. "I'm going to sound like I'm on the wrong show and am on Love Island but can I pull you for a chat?" She jokingly said as she smiled up at him. Honestly, she wouldn't mind another kiss with the man, but she enjoyed talking to him regardless.