mars maiden

You let out a deep groan as you roll over, rubbing the sleep from your eyes and reaching under your cot to blindly search for the walkie talkie you had stashed there earlier. 

You hadn’t meant to sleep for so long but after spending the day navigating the treacherous, ever-crumbling terrain of downtown Seattle and outrunning a small hoard of clickers just to reach this damn watchtower, a quick nap felt more than deserved. 

It was only supposed to be for a few minutes, just to rest your eyes. But those few minutes must have stretched into a few hours judging by the look of the darkened sky. Your hand is still fumbling beneath the cot in search of the device, your fingers brushing over the antenna just as Abby’s frantic voice crackles through the speaker again.

“Baby, this is the 3rd time I’ve tried to reach you; if you don’t pick up soon, I’m coming to find you. Over.”

The worry is clearly evident in her voice but her thinly veiled threat has your thighs pressing together out of pure instinct. You shake off any of those kinds of thoughts before they can take root as you grasp onto the walkie and bring it back up to your mouth.

“Damn, Anderson,” you murmur, soft and teasing. “You really know how to sweet-talk a girl. Over.” 

And despite the miles stretching between you, it’s like you can feel the tension melt from her shoulders after hearing your voice. 

“Oh thank god,” she breathes. “You scared the shit out of me, sweetheart. I’ve been trying to reach you for almost an hour. Over.”

“I was sleeping, Abigail,” you say, trying and failing to stifle a yawn. “You should try it sometime. Over.”

“Haha, very fuckin’ funny,” she grumbles, before that sarcastic edge creeps back in. “You are aware that you’re supposed to be on a scouting assignment, right? Over.”

Your eyes roll before you can stop them. “And you, my love, are supposed to be on patrol. What's your 20? Over.”

Abby suddenly falls silent on the other end, only the soft hiss of static hanging in the air between you. You're beginning to worry that you lost the connection entirely when she finally responds, her tone noticeably softer than before.

“I am on patrol, we ran into trouble with some Scars earlier, so we’re holed up in this old theater for the night and I just…” She sighs, low and thoughtful. “Well, I just really wish you were lying next to me. Over.”

The unmistakable longing in her voice sends a pleasant shiver down your spine, a fond smile tugging at your lips. 

“I miss you too, Abs…” you murmur, letting your words linger for just a moment, before your lips curl into a small smirk. “But you know, it sure gets awfully lonely up here. Over.”

And it’s like you can hear the light bulb going off in her head, as her voice takes on a much huskier tone when it comes through the receiver.

“That so, princess? Over.”

“Mhm,” you sigh dramatically and roll over onto your back. “I could really use some company. Over.”

Abby attempts to stifle a groan but the walkie picks it up anyway, causing a rush of heat to settle between your legs. 

“You know I would be there if I could, baby. Over.” 

The crackle of static does little to dull the heat creeping into her voice. You sink your teeth into your lower lip as you fiddle with the button of your cargo pants, teasing yourself with the thought of her calloused fingers replacing your own. 

And truly, it’s pathetic the way you want to beg, how your lips are already beginning to form around a soft plea of—Abby, please, just tell me what you’d do to me if you were here. 

But she doesn’t give you the chance as her voice sounds over the radio again.

“…what are you wearing? Over.”

You glance down at your patrol clothes, your leather boots that are still caked with mud, the baggy cargo pants that cinch just slightly at your waist and the standard issue WLF jacket which was now shoved behind your head as a makeshift pillow. Nothing even remotely sexy. You grip the walkie tighter between your fingers, barely holding back a snort of amusement when you click the button again.

“Combat boots and a parka. Over.”

There’s a beat of silence, and then—

“Can you stop making fun of me for one damn minute? I’m trying to seduce you, brat. Over.”

The way she practically growls the word brat has your breath hitching slightly, but the knowledge that she’s so far away only emboldens you to push her a little more. 

“How can I, when you make it so damn easy?” You laugh softly, your thumb trailing along the edge of the walkie like you’re aching to be stroking the curve of her jaw instead. “What are you wearing? Over.”

The static hums between you for a long moment, the air growing thick with anticipation. Your free hand begins to trail lower, slowly dragging down the zipper of your pants and slipping your fingers beneath the waistband of your underwear. 

Your thoughts quickly start to wander, conjuring up images of her—laid out on her sleeping mat in nothing but a sports bra and her underwear. Her head thrown back, lip tucked between her teeth as she clutches the walkie in one hand while the other is buried deep inside her boxer shorts. 

Abby’s chuckle filters through the speaker then, low and teasing. “Wouldn’t you like to know, princess? Over.”

But that damn word tacked on at the end of her question gives you pause and you release a small groan as your fingers still right over where you need them most. “Baby, if we’re going to do this, I really need you to stop saying ‘Over’.”

She snorts, the sound rough with amusement. “You know, you’re being real fuckin’ bossy for someone who was just about to beg me to fuck them a second ago. Ov—”

Your lips curl up in a smirk when she stops to correct herself. You got her now. Hook, line and sinker. 

“Good girl,” you coo, your words dripping with condescension. “See, babe? You’re such a fast learner.”

And you can picture it now—the way her jaw would tense, the tendons flexing beneath her overly flushed skin. How her eyes would narrow, those cerulean blues practically pinning you in place with a steely glare. Daring you to push your luck. 

“Keep up that attitude,” she growls, her voice rough. “And you won’t be able to sit the next time I see you.”

You bite back a moan as you impatiently shove your pants down your thighs. “Ooh, is that a threat or a promise?”

“You’re such a little shit, you know that?” she huffs, a metallic clink cutting through the static as her belt gives way. 

Your pulse thrums through your veins, hot and electric and you’re suddenly hyper-aware of the throbbing ache between your thighs. How the damp cotton of your underwear now clings to you, forming to the curve of your body. 

“But if you were here, Abs…” you trail off, fingertips slipping back beneath the hem of your panties and trailing lower. “What would you be doing to me, right now?”

It’s like a switch flips. Your eyes flutter shut as you drag two of your fingers between your slippery folds, circling over your clit with filthy precision. 

Abby releases a small exhale. “Oh, baby girl.” Her words are a dark purr, the sound so close, so intimate it’s like her lips are grazing over the shell of your ear. “You really think I’d be touching you after how you’ve been acting?”

A small whimper spills past your lips before you can stop it. “Abby—” 

“Making me worry about you,” she scolds, and you can hear the way she’s shifting, the soft rustle of fabric beneath the steady static. Fuck, was she touching herself too? “Talking back to me like you’ve got a death wish… Ya’know, I almost broke rank just to come find your bratty ass?” 

You whine softly, teasingly pushing two fingers past your slick entrance, the stretch delicious but not nearly enough. So you start to imagine her sitting in that chair just across the room, see the way she’d easily fill the space with her broad shoulders. How she would lean back into it, her thighs spread wide and pants undone, rolling one of her nipples between her fingers just to tease herself while her other hand slips down the soft contours of her stomach and past the waistband of her boxers. 

There’d be a slight crook in her brow as she watches you, her eyes darkening with each frantic pass of your fingers.

“M’sorry, Abs,” you respond after a beat too long, voice embarrassingly breathless. 

But Abby just laughs, cold and calculating.

“Ah ah,” she tsks, and you can instantly feel the way your body responds to her, clamping down harder around your own fingers. “I think we both know that you can grovel a lot better than that, sweet girl.”

And while the defiant part of you is just itching to shoot off another snarky reply, the desire for her approval severely overshadows it. 

“Abby,” you whimper, voice soft and pleading. “I am sorry, I really didn’t mean to worry you, baby.” 

“Oh honey, I know you didn’t.” Her voice is suddenly far more sincere, but it still holds that teasing edge. “But I think I know how you can make it up to me…”

And it doesn’t take long for her to have you writhing against the cot, the rough fabric digging into the bare skin of your shoulders as you desperately fuck yourself onto your fingers, letting her talk you through it.

“Fuck,” Abby groans, her breath hitching in her throat. “How does that feel, baby? Are those pretty fingers of yours enough?”

Your whines sound absolutely pathetic even in your own ears as you curl your fingers up, thumb swiping frantically over your swollen clit. “No, Abs, fuck, yours always feel so much better.”

Her answering chuckle has you whimpering into the fabric of your jacket. “Oh, you poor thing. God, I can hear how much that messy cunt needs me… You think you can be a good girl and—”

You want to scream when the connection suddenly drops, a burst of static crackling loudly through the speaker. You tighten your grip on the walkie, pulling your hand from between your legs to search for another station. But the only open channels are other WLF sectors, which you know Abby wouldn’t use in a time like this.

So out of pure desperation you flip back to your original channel, clicking the button and speaking directly into the receiver.

“Abby? Come on, baby, please tell me you’re there. Over.”

No response.

“God dammit,” you huff, hauling your legs over the side of the cot to stand.

You’ve barely gotten your pants pulled back up over your ass when the walkie crackles to life, and you almost trip in your haste to grab it off your cot.

“Hello, Abby? Do you copy? Over.”

There’s a beat of silence, and then Manny’s voice comes over the walkie.

“Negative, chica… Abby is a little uh,” he stifles a laugh. “Indisposed at the moment. Over.”

You let out an annoyed huff. “Manny, what the hell did you do to my girlfriend? Over.”

“Ay, bájale dos rayitas, amiga! I wasn’t the one broadcasting my sex life to our entire patrol squad—” He’s suddenly cut off, followed by some ear piercing feedback that makes you wince. 

“Manny? Abby? Come on this isn’t fucking funny, someone answer me. Over.”

Static.

You toss the walkie beside you out of pure frustration, flinching when it bounces off the cot and clatters loudly onto the floor below.

You don’t know whether to feel more worried or irritated as you sit on the edge of the cot, tugging your discarded shirt back over your head. But the longer the silence seems to drag on, the more your thoughts start to drift to dangerous places. 

We ran into trouble with some Scars earlier, so we’re holed up in this old theater for the night.

Her words come rushing back to you now, causing a knot to form in your stomach. Abby had said it so casually earlier, you hadn’t even thought twice about it. But now it’s the only thing you can think about. 

What kind of trouble had she meant? Were they even safe there? 

You’re back on your feet in an instant, shrugging on your jacket and slinging the strap of your rifle over your shoulder before making your way toward the trap door. If her patrol group had been ambushed just now—caught off guard in that old theater, you’d happily endure Issac’s wrath for abandoning your post just to make sure Abby was safe. 

Your fingers close around the lock but just as you start to slide it open and prepare to disappear into the night, the walkie crackles back to life. 

Your body tenses as another burst of static fills the space, and then Abby’s voice comes through, low and rough—sending a pleasurable shiver down your spine. 

“I’m coming to you. Be ready for me, baby. Over and out.”

Click.

or of another sound. cause as you walked through the corridor, building almost empty at this hour. almost. you felt like you were going insane for a moment when you heard a gasp, some hushed whispers and shuffling coming from an office on the other end of the corridor. from an office of your higher-up. like, higher higher-up.

caitlyn kiramman. almost-owner of the whole company. waiting for her mother, cassandra kiramman, to pass down the ownership of the company. golden kid, perfrct fucking heir and a total bitch. she wanted everything perfect and if there was a single, little, teeny tiny mistake? you were most definitely done for.

and now you had to walk past her office to get to the elevator. hoping the heels of your shoes wouldn't give it away that you've heard whatever is happening inside.

maybe there isn't anything happening inside? it's a well known fact she stays late at work, doing god knows what. maybe she just… hit her foot. tripped. god, anything else other than your first guess at this point.

you basically tiptoed forward, cursing your kitten heels in your head. walking slowly and carefully, you neared her office. you dreaded the way the voices got a bit louder, clearer. you could swear you heard a moan. a damn moan. yeah, you're dead if you get caught.

and the doors to the office were slightly ajar. you could hear shuffling, brushing clothes, breathy whispers. as much as you wished you could be as silent as a mouse, but in the quiet corridor your shoes gave you away. you hoped whoever was there was too busy with themselves to hear the click-clacking of your heels.

and for a moment you actually believed you could succeed, so close to the elevator. you didn't think through the little ding! coming from the elevator, politely wanting to inform you about arriving to this level.

"shit— get off me, wait." you heard the posh accent, so specific for that one person.

after a moment caitlyn kiramman fully opened the door to her office, looking around before stopping her gaze on you. she stood tall, fixing her last button of her white office blouse. her expression was empty, scarily calm, but there was the slightest squint of her eyes, as if she tried to remember your name.

then, you saw the oh-so-recognizible hair peeking out from inside the office. violet vanderson was there too, now watching the whole situation with a twinkle in her eyes, as if completely unbothered by being caught. her shirt was unbuttoned on the bottom and the top, the rest of buttons crookedly fastened.

she had the audacity to give you a small wave from behing the kiramman.

"what are you doing here at this hour?" caitlyn asked you with slightly raised eyebrows and a tiny frown tugging at the lines of her face.

"i was told to finish the project about the expectations for the next year and propositions of new ideas for the business. i didn't mean to-"

"don't. don't mention… this. i want to know why your supervisor left that amount of work for you." she ordered, interrupting you. you could swear there was a tiniest bit of blush at her cheeks when she mentioned their little affair.

you knew of violet vanderson. obviously. she told everyone to just call her 'vi'. she was this confident but friendly token butch lesbian at your job. you didn't really work with her often, but you saw her sometimes at bigger meetings or work outings. she had that boyish charm, cute freckles and a dangerous smile. your coworkers liked gossiping about her. they'd die if they heard about this.

caitlyn took the name of your higher-up, praising your work in a casually manner. she obviously was thinking about something else than the amount of work you had to do, but she had to keep up the mask of a serious boss.

"…you're to come tomorrow to my office. preferably first thing in the morning. then we'll talk about… everything." she said, clearing her throat before taking a step back, glancing at vanderson, biting the inside of her cheek.

violet nodded, as if they talked with their minds, before she looked at you.

"all you need to know for now is that you saw nothing." said vi.

you nodded almost immediately, knowing that much. you were a smart girl. you were here, in the kiramman company, after all. you would do anything to not lose this job.

"well. have a peaceful night." caitlyn said, her words a sign that you're free to go for tonight. tomorrow will be hell of its own.

the whole way back to your appartment you were nervous. the whole evening, taking care of your cat, making your food, taking a shower and then watching some bullshit, you were nervous. you fell asleep nervous, and you woke up nervous too.

at work, your boss gave you a look that meant he was already informed about the consequences of his own, lazy actions. whoops. well, not your fault. caitlyn was the one who asked, you just answered.

you left your stuff at your desk, hands trembling just a bit. this small office was your place of work for the last almost year and now you were close to losing it. your first serious job. first job you felt good in. first job that paid good money. you let out a sigh, loking at the litte trinkets you brought here, little sticky notes with cheerful affirmations and simple drawings.

after a short walk you raised you hand and knocked on the door to caitlyn's office. you heard a soft 'come in', muffled from inside the office. you listened and entered, closing the door behind you, standing all tense, looking at her. she sat there, behind the computer, in a dark blue blouse and white slacks, glasses perched on the top of her nose. her hands rested one on top of the other on the desk, nails short and manicured.

she raised her gaze to you, humming with a soft nod to herself as if annotating that, yes, you came. she was pleased with it. with a wave of her hand she let you know to sit down at one of the two chairs opposite from where she was sitting.

seconds after you sat down another knock was heard. was that—?

it was.

vi entered, looking way less ruffled and unprofessional than yesterday. her white office shirt was buttoned up properly, sleeves rolled up a bit to show off her tattoos. you couldn't help but wonder where else she hid tattoos. it was a slightly inappropriate thought, but it came on it own at the sight of vi like that. sue you.

"i'm glad we all are here." caitlyn spoke up when vi sat down next to you, looking at you almost intensely. you couldn't help but feel like you're in deep, deep trouble. "and we all know why we're here."

you looked at both of them. sure, you knew what it was about, but you weren't sure how it'll end. with you losing job? with you moving to a different department? god forbid changing offices from your cozy, decorated one.

"let's cut to the chase, yes?" kiramman spoke up, pushing a piece of paper towards you. well, that was a bit confusing. huh.

both of them were watching you as you grabbed the paper, looking down at it.

"nda?" you asked, blinking a few times, "you're not firing me?"

"and why would i fire you? you're a great worker. it would be a shame to lose you over something so… trivial, right?" caitlyn replied with a hum, raising one of her eyebrows as she looked at you, her gaze making you a bit nervous, challenging you but at the same time making sure you're obedient and honest with your promise. well, if you're not, there will be legal consequences.

"so i just… need to pretend it never happened? that's all? no sudden cut from my paycheck, no losing the job?"

"she's not that cruel. believe me, behind that fancy accent and stern pout is hiding a softie." vi finally spoke up, making you look at her, eyes widening in the sloghtest at the casual tone, at the familiarity in her gaze. you could guess yesterday wasn't their first time doing… whatever they were doing. it made you curious, wondering how many people had caught them before, with how casual their reaction was. papers all ready, nda formulated.

"violet." caitlyn warned the redhead with a small huff, though she was surprisingly not actually annoyed.

vi shot something back, something playful and casual with a smile on her face before looking back at you, crossing her arms, biceps bulging in her office shirt. woah. yeah, you could understand why so many women from your workplace kept whispering about her everywhere.

"nda and i will have my eye on you. you can already get mentally ready, cause whatever next project will be, you'll end up with me." vi spoke up sure of herself, as if they already talked about it last night. they probably, most definitely had.

"but… you're from a different deprtment?" you replied, glancing at vi, then at caitlyn.

"doesn't matter. i already decided that next project will be done by two departments working together. also, i had a talk with jefferson. thanks to you i had a harsh realisation one of my workers, handpicked by me, turned out to be a lazy man. dissapointing." caitlyn chimed in, sighing at the end of her sentemce, shaking her head. you really did get my boss into some trouble… did you regret it? not at all.

that's how you went back to your decorated office, happy. you didn't get fired. you didn't have to live off the scraps while begging everywhere for a job. you still had it. you just… got a private bodyguard, somewhat. violet kept 'accidentally' ending up in the same places as you. cafeteria, grabbing coffee? what a surprise, she's there, getting something sweet! you go to eat lunch? she's there! happy to join you, of course. she just had to control from time to time that you didn't accidentaly blurt anything out and all. that's how she explains it, at least.

but the women from your department have different opinions. it's obvious that you, the pleasant to work with person that's not really that extrovertive, suddenly have the 'kiramman company's playboy' everywhere near. obviously the girls that loved to gossip immediatelly assumed that there was something between you. awkwarddddd.

it was even more awkward when they came up to you to ask you about it and vi appeared out of nowhere, hovering near you, saying only "we just have our little secret, ladies." all charming and all, but it definitely didn't calm down the gossip. quite the opposite. you obviously knew that the secret was the fact that she's a thing with the boss, but you let the girls believe whatever they wanted to believe in.

you actually started getting used to vi's company. especially when you two actually started working on a project together, getting a fancy, perfect presentation ready about something as boring as 'how much our company has spent on xyz and how we can make it better?'

working with violet was irritatingly easy. she listened, remembered what you said and actually considered all of it. she also didn't bail and stayed later every time you did as well. she even drove you to your place when it was late. she was so damn sweet when you got to know her and, yeah, you could understand why caitlyn kiramman wanted her. you almost started wishing you were first to discover what a wonderful person she was. you could imagine how gentle of a lover she was. you could imagine how sweet and caring she would be in bed.

jesus, you need to get laid. desperately.

vi wasn't helping with your hormones. you could remember her hand on the low of your back, above your ass, as she lead you out of the crowded meeting room. you almost cursed, biting your lip hard. what were you, a teenage boy that got a first ever hard-on? you gotta get over it. it's just a silly crush. on the girl your boss already called dibs on.

"you good?" vi asked you one evening, and when you looked up at her, god help you, her tongue darted out to wet her lips and you saw a glimpse of silver. a tongue piercing. you cursed caitlyn kiramman in your mind, imagining vi on her knees for caitlyn, showing her what the piercing feels like. oh my god, you thought, shaking your head to wake the fuck up from that daydream, feeling her gaze on you. you were sure you were all embarassed in the face.

"yup! all good! just… tired. we should get going soon. actually— you can go now! you can drop by and see miss kiramman while i… close everything and stuff." you replied with a smile. vi begun enjoying working with you in your little office, dropping by whenever she could, playing with the little trinkets, touching everything.

"you sure?" she asked, raising one eyebrow, the one with the scar splitting it almost in half, tilting her head to the side. like she knew. like she was aware of all your nasty, inaproppriate thoughts. you assured her that, yes, she can go. she listened with a bit of amusement in her gaze, taking all her stuff before saying goodbye.

and when you left your office around half an hour later, you heard it again. kissing noises comming from caitlyn kiramman's office, door left ajar just a bit. just to taunt and tease you. make you want it, want more. you glanced towards the inside as you waited for the elevator and, lord help you, you caught caitlyn's gaze. she looked into your eyes, her lips parted, cheeks flushed, a few strands of hair free from her slickback pony, making her even hotter. vi was all over her, you could see the redhead woman leaving small marks on caitlyn's collarbones. you could swear caitlyn smiled just a bit to you before you disappeared into the elevator, feeling all hot.

something changed throughout the next few weeks. slowly but surely. you still had your job, your cozy office and you still had vi nearby almost always. what changed was the fact that caitlyn started asking you more often to come into her office. for small things. at first you kept being nervous, thinking she kept noticing some mistakes in your rapports, but no. she kept saying things like "i really liked this part" or "i can see you spent quite a while making it perfect" or "i really appreciate how thorough you are". she kept praising you. and each time you visited her office, she kept losing a small piece of her cold mask. a small smile here, a softer gaze there. she even patted your shoulder once. she was awkward with it, as if nervous. caitlyn kiramman nervous? impossible.

and yet, here she was, her hair loose, glasses perched on her nose as she looked away from the screen of her computer, resting her gaze on you.

"do you enjoy sushi?" she asked suddenly, catching you off guard. well, that definitely wasn't a work related question, huh?

before you could do anything more than nod, vi entered the office. just like that, without knocking. it was late enough that nobody was here to notice this way too friendly and unprofessional behaviour.

"brought for three, just like you asked, cupcake." vi said, walking up to the desk and putting down take out sushi. you would've drooled, but you noticed the nickname.

"cupcake?" you repeated, looking up at vi.

"she's sweet. like a cupcake." she answered with a shrug before sitting on the chair next to you with a pleased smile.

you then asked caitlyn what's happening. sushi? for you? just like that? you knew that she has more than enough money, but… you didn't think you were that close with both of them. weren't they just keeping an eye on you just so their secret is safe? well, turns out that the answer is 'no'.

caitlyn didn't let you reject their offer, making you eat late dinner with them in her office, talking casually. at first you were pretty nervous, but you eased into it with help of vi who kept joking, making caitlyn even snicker once. you could see what vi meant when she said about caitlyn being a softie.

"so… how's your love life looking like?" caitlyn asked, surprising you yet again that night, making you laugh a bit as if the question was silly.

"well, you two know best how long i stay here almost every day. who would survive with a girlfriend like me?" you replied jokingly, though there was a bit of truth in your words.

"oh, stop. you're smart, capable and… well, pretty." caitlyn said, her glasses slipping just a bit lower on her nose as she looked at you, her gaze moving down and then back up. it's like she wasn't even trying to be subtle. maybe she thought there's no need to be subtle anymore.

"mhm, pretty." vi hummed in agreement, putting chopsticks down and turning on her chair to look at you as well, her lips curled in a smirk. "real pretty. and you know what i like the most?"

you looked at vi with curiosity in your eyes, raising your eyebrows in a silent question. the whole situation seemed so damn unreal you were sure they would tell you soon that you're fired or that this was a joke or-

"that lil tramp stamp above your ass." she said bluntly, honestly, with a pleased grin.

"you— what? how did you know about it? i swear i made sure it's always covered!" you replied, eyes widened as your hand unconsciously went to tug your shirt lower, even though it was covering everything now.

"well… can you really blame me? we spent quite some time together lately. i woulda seen it sooner or later, princess." said vi with a chuckle, her eyes twinkling with mischief as she watched you fumble nervously.

"and you didn't share what you learned? wow, vanderson. i'm disappointed." caitlyn said, though there was a tiny smirk at her lips as she looked at you, "wanna show me?"

you were dead. you were sure you were dead. this can't be real, can it? you kept asking yourself if this was a dream as caitlyn stood up from her fancy chair and slowly circled the desk, looking at you as if you were a prey and she was so, so hungry. a starving panthress, running the tips of her fingers along the desk, her other hand making a move of curling her fingers in a clear sign ordering you to stand up.

you listened, standing up before she gently pushed you forward, pressing your frong against the edge of her desk, her cold hands pulling the hem of your white shirt up, eyes stuck on the tattoo.

"who would've guessed? such a good girl, such a good worker. and such a slut, it turns out." caitlyn tutted, shaking her head as her fingertips brushed along your spine, making you shiver, your hands grasping the edge of the white desk.

"but a sweet slut." vi added and you could hear the noise of her chair scraping against the floor, meaning she stood up as well. "right? you're always so sweet. so eager to help."

you could feel them, so close to you, basically caging you between their bodies, feeling the tall, lean posture of caitlyn on your left and the buff, always warm body of vi on your right.

"vi already told me a few times how eager to help you always are. and it just so happens that we have a small, tiny problem." caitlyn spoke, her posh accent making you feel all weak in the knees. this was cruel. they were cruel, playing with you like that. "both me and violet prefer… to hold the dominant position in intimate situations. it complicates things a bit. you're a smart girl, you must understand what i'm saying."

you were most definitely overheating. this must be some kind of a crime, the way they made you feel all pliant and obedient. it's not because you want to keep this job. no, this wasn't the case for quite a bit already. you're not moving away because you want it as well. you kept thinking about all the perverted thoughts you had - about both of them - and you can't even think you'd ever want to move.

"what— what do you want me to do about it?" you asked, daring to look over your shoulder, up at caitlyn. and holyyy shit, she looked so good. angelic almost. and yet, as good as a sin at the same time.

"smart girl, remember?" vi chimed in with a tsk, her hand casually moving to rest on your ass, on top of the maxi skirt you wore. she couldn't stop herself when she began, her fingers flexing and squeezing the fat of your butt, letting out a pleased noise that didn't make anything here easier.

"you want to help us, don't you, pretty?" asked caitlyn, her hand on your back pushing you and before you knew it, your chest was pressed against the desk. the desk in the office of caitlyn kiramman. your boss. your boss's boss.

"just be sweet like always." said vi, her voice tense with need and excitement. was it hot in here? or was it just them?

it was almost painful how slow caitlyn took everything. she let her hands wander around your back, sneak down and fondled with your tits while she kept you pinned down, let herself enjoy this and experiment with different forces and ways to touch you. you were pathetically soaked long before she actually tugged your skirt down, exposing your white, lacy panties.

"well, damn. you wear 'em every day, pretty? or are we special?" vi couldn't keep her mouth shut as she watched both of you from her chair, looking down at your ass, obviously enjoying the show.

you were actually thinking about replying, trying to say something bratty, snarky, something that wouldn't make you seem even more pathetic, but all that left your mouth was a whimper when caitlyn suddenly spanked your ass cheek.

it was getting harder and harder to focus on your thoughts, no matter how hard you tried. what you could focus on were vi's smart quips and the way caitlyn tortured your ass, as if you weren't tortured enough already.

"come on." you whined, shaking your hips a bit, making caitlyn scoff under her breath. "don't tease."

"impatient much?" she asked ironically, but she pulled your panties down, humming and letting vi whistle at the wet patch on your panties, fabric completely soaked through that you started making a mess on your inner thighs.

"damn, pretty. don't tell us you've been thinking about this. cause it makes you look like a little pervert." vi mocked, her voice holding no malice, thoigh it still made you squirm a bit in embarrassment before gasping harshly when you felt long, slim fingers brushing along your slit, collecting your juices.

but caitlyn listened to your pleads and didn't tease much more, fingers disappearing in your hole, the pace making you hold on your dear life to the desk, not even trying to stop the whiny noises that kept escaping your mouth. you were worked up, pent up, so damn horny for a while. you deserved this. and it seemed like this was a treat for the two of them as well.

vi kept commenting on everything that it was so, so obvious she couldn't wait for her turn, twisting in her seat, feeling her boxers turning wet as well. it was unbelievably hot, watching her lovely girlfriend finger a pretty coworker she had her eye on for a while. she knew caitlyn felt similarly - she noticed when her girl paid more attention to her employees than usually.

"miss— k-kiramman, please—" you gasped, feeling the tension in your abdomen growing constantly, making it hard to just not come there and then.

her fingers slowed down and she tutted in annoyance, making vi laugh.

"i'm quite literally ruining you with just my fingers. drop the titles." she ordered, her free hand delivering a smack to your ass cheek, making you arch your back.

you mumbled a weak apology before fixing your mistake, your voice a shaky, whiny mess.

"c-caitlyn." you said, feeling a bit weird. calling your boss by your name. well, it can't be that weird when she's fucking you, right?

"mm, good girl. lovely. come on, now." caitlyn praised, her fingers almost immediately picking up the pace again, her other hand moving to rub your clit.

"what a whiny princess, huh? does it feel that good?" vi asked, slowly standing up from her seat and rounding the desk, finding herself in front of you. her calloused hand went to grab you by your chin, making you look up. she almost laughed at the sight of your eyes all glassy. "answer me. it's not polite to ignore your higher ups."

"i— sorry, sorry. feels good, yes. uhuh. g-good." you babbled with a nod, arms trembling as you tried to keep yourself up just a bit on the desk while caitlyn kept finger-fucking you with one hand, tracing surprisingly gentle circles around your clit with other hand.

"i'm— close. close, i- can i? please?" you begged, pleaded, pathetically. you felt that if they deny you, you will simply crumble and cry, sobs getting closer to escaping as the pleasure started to overwhelm you, the tension in your abdomen so close to snapping.

vi looked up, exchanging glances with caitlyn, smirking.

"yeah. make a mess, pretty." vi said before she leaned lower, kissing your lips. you kissed back almost instinctively, not able to stop the noises against her lips when caitlyn pushed you over the edge, making you come on her fingers.

caitlyn kept going with her touches for a while longer, slowing down and when you were done and spent, she pulled her fingers out. you whined at the sudden lack of her in you, resting on her desk, your tits squashed against the wood.

when you looked up, you saw caitlyn walking up to vi, pushing her fingers between the lips of the other, making vi taste you on her fingers. wow. that was unnecessarily hot.

"shit, princess. gotta taste you more." vi mumbled after licking caitlyn's fingers clean, moving before you had the time to react.

before you could even move, she was behind you, on her knees, pushing your asscheeks open and then diving in, as if she would die if she didn't taste more of you right this second.

you whimpered, trying to squirm away for a moment when it felt too much, but you were too spent. caitlyn's hand rested on top of your head, pressing a kiss to your forehead and gently caressing you, mumbling soft praises that made you putty in their hands.

you could feel vi's tongue against your pussy. hells, you could most definitely feel the tongue piercing, too. the memory of it was turning you on way more than it should.

vi didn't need to do much to bring you to your peak again and before you could know it, you came again, back arching and moans leaving your mouth. vi's name kept escaping your lips when she fondled with your ass and kept her tongue moving like she was starving. like she needed every single drop of your cum to survive the night.

"t-too much. too much, please." you babbled when she kept licking you clean, trying to reach for her with one of your arms, but not being able to.

"poor thing. you're crying?" caitlyn cooed, her thumbs wiping away the few tears that managed to escape your eyes as you sniffled, lost in the haze of pleasure.

after a few more seconds vi was finally satisfied, giving you last pat on the ass before standing up.

"come on, we gotta clean you up. you really made a mess in kiramman's office, huh?" vi teased, making caitlyn laugh a bit in amusement as she reached for some tissues from her desk.

your thighs were trembling and you were positively wrecked. how could you go back to your normal life after this mind-changing experience?

"i was thinking pasta for tomorrow?" caitlyn offered casually, looking at vi before giving you a glance as well while vi helped you put your skirt back on.

"me… too?" you asked, unsure if this was just a one-time thing or if she actually was asking you as well.

"well, you're a part of the secret now, pretty. so, yeah. you feelin' pasta tomorrow?" vi asked, nudging you with a soft smile.

you could get used to it. good news: you will get used to it.

“You know there’s an afterparty, right?” she says quietly, pulling her fingers from your mouth even though she doesn’t want to, just to hear your answer.

You nod. “I don’t give a shit about the afterparty,” you admit. To you, one more party or one less never meant much anyway. It’s all the same in the end. “I’m good here.”

“You sure you’d rather have this than a party with music, food, alcohol?” she asks in that low, dirty voice.

“Mm.” You murmur against her neck, leaving open-mouthed kisses, soft and lazy, teasing her with a small bite that makes her grab the back of your neck. “You’re better than all that, Violet.”

Vi laughs, flips you over in one sharp movement and leaves you underneath her, her thigh wedged between yours. She leans down, kneading your tits, staring at them like they’re something precious, or like she likes to call them, “her stress balls.” She licks one nipple hungrily, moaning before you even do, enjoying this as much as you, maybe more. Vi takes her time, sucking each nipple one by one, biting right at the edge of pain. She talks with her mouth still against your skin.

“We could be on a yacht right now,” she says, “But you want a stiff bed and hotel sex.”

You pull her hair back and stare into her dark, burning blue eyes.

“You can leave if you want,” you reply, pretending not to care while partly daring her to do it. With a glance, you point at the faint smoke still rising from the joint she abandoned on the nightstand. “Give it to me.”

Vi brings it to her mouth, takes a long drag, then parts your lips with her thumb and blows the smoke into your throat while kissing you. You choke a little, the burn sliding down your chest, your mind starting to float while your hands move on their own, desperate, touching Vi’s body like she’s liquid, like every inch of her skin is charged with static electricity.

Vi lowers her hand to your cunt, just playing, like she could torture you mercilessly all night long. Her finger gets bolder, stroking between your lips where she finds wetness. She laughs under her breath.

“You’re sick,” she mocks. “Concerts turn you on?”

“You turn me on, idiot.”

Now it’s your turn. You slip your hand between her legs and rub her clit with practiced rhythm, pressing slow circles, feeling the heat build while Vi curves toward you, mouth at your ear, breathing hard.

“Come on, doll, I know you love making me cum. Do it,” she begs, and the fragility in her voice catches you off guard.

You answer with the same touch, picking up the pace without going too fast, searching for the exact spot that makes her shake. Vi kisses your cheek, your neck, your shoulders, biting everything she can until you feel marked and feral. Before letting her enjoy your fingers too much, you switch positions, climbing on top of her, pressing your pelvis against hers until your cunts line up, heat and slick mixing together, your clits searching for each other.

It’s slow at first, just brushing, grinding, feeling the pulse of your bodies and the sway of your hips, sticky skin sliding together, slick overflowing between your thighs. Vi guides you with her hands on your waist, tattoos shining under the dim light, fingers digging in hard enough to leave marks.

“That’s it, baby,” she murmurs against your neck, already lost in the feeling of you against her. “So good, so fucking good. Don’t stop.”

Vi forces you to grind harder, to crush yourself against her like you could eat her whole.

“Fuck, Violet.”

“Ah, there it is,” she teases quietly, breath brushing your skin. “That little voice. I like that one.”

You bite her shoulder just to shut her up for a second, but she only laughs against your neck, completely entertained by you.

“Don’t laugh at me.”

“Then stop making such pretty sounds.”

There’s no sound except your bodies slamming together, Vi’s muffled moans, your ragged breathing, the dull thud of your heads against the headboard, hot crushed tits and the smell of sex filling the whole room. Your mind goes blank, only movement and hunger exist, the need to grind her down until she surrenders, until she cums first.

But Vi is stubborn. She holds on like a champion. So you take control, hook her legs over your shoulders, spread her wide and line your cunt up with hers higher, closer. Then you start grinding again, slower this time, your clits rubbing together, swollen pussy lips slick and hot, heat climbing like a fever.

You look down at her, your pace slowing more and more, like you want to feel every tiny tremor running through her body. Vi’s cheeks are flushed, lips shiny and swollen from all the kissing, and she’s still smiling at you in that insolent way that melts you.

“What?” she murmurs, still rubbing against you. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

You don’t answer right away. You just brush a strand of hair stuck to her forehead aside and run your thumb over her bottom lip, soft, almost tender.

“Open your mouth, my love.”

Vi does it without questioning you, staring up at you, trusting, like she’d let you do anything to her as long as it was you. The gesture is slow, intimate, more vulnerable than anyone would ever expect from her. And when your spit falls onto her tongue, slow and warm, Vi lets out a quiet sound that tightens something in your chest more than between your legs. Her fingers sink into your thighs as she swallows without looking away.

“Again,” she whispers, rough and needy. “Please.”

The way she asks makes you kiss her before answering. Your mouths crash together wet and messy, sharing breath and taste without caring about anything else. There’s no disgust, no shame, just hunger and affection tangled together in a way that can’t be separated.

Vi cups your face while you keep grinding together, slow but desperate at the same time. Every kiss feels like she wants to swallow your moans, your soft laughs, even the air from your lungs.

You’re close, too close, orgasm bubbling low in your stomach, but you refuse to cum before she does. Vi looks wrecked, mouth open, begging for more, repeating “don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t stop,” so you keep going, grinding your cunts together until suddenly her body arches and she cries out, rough and animal, pure pleasure. Heat explodes between you, soaking everything, and only then do you let go too, your legs shaking while your body collapses onto hers.

You stay there for a moment, breathless. Vi strokes your hair, your cheek, kisses your eyelids.

“Now it actually feels like we had a party.”

“We’re disgusting,” you say, but you’re laughing.

“Does that bother you?” she asks, with a hint of vulnerability.

“The opposite.” You kiss her cheek, her forehead, her mouth. “I want you exactly like this. With everything you come with.”

“You wanna skip rehearsal tomorrow?” she asks, grinning with that wicked spark in her eyes. “Stay here all day, fuck and write songs.”

“Otherwise what the fuck are we rockstars for?” you say, kissing her, and inside that kiss, it feels like the whole world fits.

FRATBOY!VI who is obsessed with making you feel good.

Your hips buck up as Vi’s palm smacks against your clit, two of her fingers knuckle deep inside of you and pounding into you regardless of your squirming.

The wet sound of your cunt could almost be drowned out by the music coming from the small speaker on the desk if she didn’t have you so wet and worked up.

Her legs stay hooked over yours to keep your legs spread and open for her and she rests her head on your shoulder from behind you. “You feel so fucking good baby,” Vi breathes into your ear, her free hand sliding up your bare chest to palm your breast, rolling the nipple between her thumb and forefinger. “So wet for me, god…”

You drop your head back against her shoulder as she attaches her lips to your neck again, your chest heaving beneath her hand. “Fuck Vi, please…”

Vi pulls her face away from your neck, looking over your shoulder to watch as she pulls her fingers out of your, soaked with your slick, and pulls them up to spread it around your swollen clit.

“Please what, baby?” Vi pants, the sight of you all flushed and writhing against her turns her on to no end, her nipples hard against her shirt and boxers damp against her cunt.

“Let me cum,” You whine as you turn your head to look back at her, you hand reaching down to grab Vi’s wrist to guide her fingers back inside of you but she just takes her hand off your chest and grabs your own, lacing her fingers with yours.

“I’ve got you, darling.” Vi catches your lips in a kiss, a little awkward due to the position but that doesn’t stop her. She relishes in the slight falter of your lips as she pushes her fingers back inside you and picks up her rhythm again.

You don’t even get through the next song before you’re pulling your lips away from Vi’s with a gasp, your legs tensing as you grind your hips into her fingers with every thrust. “Vi, fuck, ‘m gonna cum, Vi—“

“Yeah?” Vi keeps the same speed, only changing so her palm grinds into your clit harder. “C’mon then baby, come for me.”

Your eyes roll back as pleasure crashes over you, your back arching against Vi’s chest and your cunt clenching around her fingers. Your hand tightens almost painfully around Vi’s where they’re still linked against your chest.

Vi fucks you through it, letting you ride out the high as she murmurs into your ear how beautiful you are when you come apart for her. She only slows down once you slump back against her, chest heaving, eyes hazy. The most gorgeous sight she’s ever seen.

FRATBOY!VI who is the CEO of the middle finger. Someone teasing her about you? Middle finger. Someone telling her to knock off the pda? Middle finger. Someone being an asshole to you? Nah, that’s an attempted punch in the face, usually being pulled back by you before she gets kicked out of college for breaking the assholes nose.

FRATBOY!VI who always has her arm around you in public. Slung around your waist to rest on your hip, sometimes shoving her hand in your pocket to keep you close. An arm around the back of your neck, resting on top of her jacket that’s sitting around your shoulders.

FRATBOY!VI who is always sleeping half naked in the summer. When you sleep over, you wake up to her in just her boxers. Either being held against her, an arm wrapped around you and her bare chest pressing against your back or she’s sprawled out on her front, tattoo’s out in the open for you to trace as she slowly wakes up beneath your touch.

FRATBOY!VI who isn’t always the one in charge during sex. Sometimes you like to boss her around a little and sometimes all the time she likes it.

Vi groans, her hands tightening on your hips as you trail your hand down her abs and into her boxers. Fingers sliding through the wetness and stopping to rub circles around her throbbing clit.

You lean forward, littering kisses down her neck from where you’re straddling her on the couch in the corner of her room. You pull your hand out suddenly making her curse and lift her head from where it was leaning against the back of the couch.

“Baby, what…?” She pauses as you slide off her lap, shoving your fingers in your mouth and moaning at the taste of her as you sink down to the floor between her legs.

“Up.” You pat the side of her hip, your thumbs hooking into the waistband of her boxers to pull them down.

“Fuck,” Vi curses, lifting up for a second to shove them down her legs and kicking them off her onto the floor, a visible wet spot on the front of them from the affect you have on her.

You don’t even give her a second before you’ve placed your hands on her thighs and attached your mouth to her clit, sucking it into your mouth and burying your nose in the hair surrounding it.

Vi moans in surprise, her hand immediately coming down to your head as her other clenches the arm of the chair. She pushes her hand through the front of your hair to move it away from your face so she can see you looking up at her, eyes fluttering shut every now and then as pleases little hums leave your mouth.

“Shit, you’re so pretty like this,” she pants, a small whimper leaving her lips against her will as your tongue flicks over her clit just right.

You pull back slightly to lap up the wetness seeping out of her, leaving sloppy, open-mouthed kisses as you go before burying your face in her heat again. You wouldn’t wanna be anywhere else.

FRATBOY!VI who wears her strap to a party under her clothes just so she can fuck you against the counter in the bathroom. Who loves being able to see you get more fucked out as she pounds into you in the mirror opposite.

FRATBOY!VI who, despite the image she has as a fratboy, loves the softness. Cuddling with you in the morning, watching you as you do your makeup, staying on call with you as long as you both can into the night whenever you don’t sleep together.

FRATBOY!VI who had girls all over her before you. Still does. Except now, she has the dull throbbing marks on her neck to show she is very much taken that she doesn’t even try to cover up. Not caring about who sees them.

FRATBOY!VI who loves when you ride her strap. Seeing you on top of her, tits bouncing and moans coming from your mouth every time it bottoms out inside you, she could cum just from the sight of you. Who grabs your ass in her hands to help you along when you start to falter as your orgasms builds up.

FRATBOY!VI who watches you beat all the others at beer pong. Who sits on the couch with a drink, one arm slung over the back of it where you were previously sitting, listening to the cheers from the surrounding people and the groans from the guy you were up against.

“That’s my girl.”

── .✦ ARCANE TAGLIST ・ @angryoilslick516 @cutflwr @ryleeluvslottiematthews @starlight-miyo @gigi83738283 @vxtanne31 @dizzy-dyke @minaaminaa8 @pvrnowitch @babyd0llyy @fortunxa @thatredheadloserlesbian

Mia calling

You sigh dramatically before grabbing the phone. “If I collapse, avenge me by filling the coffee maker with sand.”

“Gotcha.”

Your sister’s voice takes over as soon as you answer the call. “Quick question, do you want a king-sized bed or a double bedroom?”

“…what?”

“I’m booking the rooms right now,” Mia says slowly, clearly bothered by your confusion. “So, I need to know if you’re okay with the kids sharing your bed or if you want them on a second one.”

Your fingers stop moving over the keyboard. “I’m sorry?”

“The kids, Y/N. Luca and Ana? My children?”

“No, I heard that part,” you snap. Vi glances up at the change in your tone. “Why would they be sleeping in my room?”

“I mean… they love staying with you.”

Your eye twitches slightly. Love. Yeah, right. More like you’re the unpaid babysitter every family vacation.

Last year, your nephews had been dropped off at your room every day of the trip while your sister and brother-in-law disappeared for some “alone time”. The year before that, you’d spent an entire afternoon trying to stop Ana from eating leaves while everyone else drank margaritas by the pool. And the year before that… yeah, it’s an ongoing issue.

“I’m not sharing a room with the kids.”

Mia laughs once. “Okay, you’re funny. King size, then?”

“I’m serious.”

There’s a pause. Beside you, Vi has gone suspiciously quiet.

“Well,” Mia starts, impatience creeping into her voice now. “Mom and dad are paying for your room again, so I don’t get why this would be an issue.”

Heat crawls up the back of your neck. “I never ask them to.”

“But they are. You don’t even have kids, Y/N, we want to enjoy this trip.”

Something sharp twists in your chest. Mia’s not even considering her own statement: you don’t have kids. They always expect you to drop everything and take over their parenting responsibilities while they get to have fun.

To hell with that, you are making the most out of this trip.

“I’ll pay for it myself.”

“Oh my God,” Mia laughs incredulously. “Are you for real? You’re going to spend all that money just so you don’t have to help out?”

“I’m going to spend all that money so I can actually enjoy a trip for once.”

“You’re so selfish.”

You let out one short laugh, mostly because otherwise you might scream. Luca and Ana are adorable, you love them like crazy, but the idea of spending ten days taking care of their every need while Mia and her husband can relax makes your blood boil.

You need to come up with a way they won’t end up leaving the children with you, and you need to think fast.

“Actually,” an idea pops into your head, and you sit up straighter in your chair. “I’m bringing my girlfriend this time, so I won’t be available to babysit.”

Beside you, Vi slowly lowers the pen she’s been pretending to write with. The whole conversation had caught her attention ever since you picked up the call, but girlfriend? Since when did you have a girlfriend? And why is it bothering her so much?

“Your what?” Mia repeats after a second of stunned silence.

It’s too late to take it back, so you decide to double down immediately.

“My girlfriend.”

“Since when?”

“A while.”

Mia makes a noise in half-disbelief, half-annoyance. “You’ve got to be kidding me. This is so inconvenient for Matt and me.”

“Too bad,” you clear your throat. “So, don’t book me with the kids.”

“You know what? Fine. Whatever.”

She hangs up the call, and silence crashes over the desk. You stare at your phone for a couple of seconds before slowly lowering your head into your hands.

What did you just do?

“So,” Vi says carefully from beside you. God, you had completely forgotten about her presence. “You got a girlfriend?”

“No,” your voice comes out muffled against the desk.

“Oh, good.”

Vi mentally slaps herself. Oh, good? You’re crashing out right in front of her and the only thing she can focus on is the fact that you’re still single. A wave of guilt washes through her as she realizes how relieved she feels after the confirmation.

“Family drama?” she tries to change the subject, arms crossed over her chest as she looks down at your exhausted figure.

“My family does this annual trip,” you start explaining, lifting your head only a little bit, “and somehow I always end up as my nephews’ unpaid nanny.”

Vi leans back in her chair slowly, visibly trying to process the insanity of the situation. “They just dump the kids on you?”

“Pretty much,” you gesture vaguely. “As soon as we get to the hotel, everybody needs a break. Spa, dinners, excursions— meanwhile I’m stuck stopping Ana from licking electrical outlets.”

She snorts despite herself. “Your niece did that?”

“She tried,” a smile tugs briefly at your mouth before it fades again. “And they always pull the same card. I’m single and child-free, with a lot of time in my hands, so I should help out.”

“Yeah, because clearly vacations are only meant for people with kids,” the sarcasm is clear in her voice.

“Exactly!”

Vi watches as you groan dramatically before dropping your forehead back against the desk. You look genuinely drained.

“What am I even supposed to do now?”

“You could just not go.”

“I can’t,” your voice comes quieter this time. “My mom gets sad because she wants everyone together, I can’t do that to her.”

Vi’s chest twists unexpectedly at that. You’re willing to compromise just to make your mother happy, even if it comes at the cost of actually enjoying your own vacation.

“What are you thinking of?”

“Either I rent a girlfriend or fake my own death,” you murmur. “I’m leaning toward death.”

“Reasonable.”

You finally lift your head enough to look at her properly, and Vi immediately regrets making eye contact because now she can fully see the exhaustion in your expression.

“I just wanted one vacation where I get to do what I want,” you admit quietly. “To relax, have some fun and just… enjoy myself for once.”

Vi’s chest tightens.

She knows how hard you’ve been working the last couple of months. The thought of getting a break, with not a care in the world or having to worry about anything, shouldn’t sound like an impossible fantasy for either of you.

Before she can stop herself, she mutters, “Damn. I haven’t had a real vacation in years either.”

You blink at her, and Vi immediately regrets speaking.

“Ignore me,” she says quickly, waving a hand. “I was thinking out loud.”

But you’re still staring at her.

A slow, dangerous thought begins forming behind your eyes.

“Hear me out…” you sit up straighter.

“No. I know that look and I’m scared of it.”

“You said you haven’t had a vacation in years.”

Vi narrows her eyes. “And?”

“And,” you continue, “I need a girlfriend.”

There’s a beat of silence. Somewhere across the office, a printer starts making horrible dying noises, but you keep staring at each other. There’s a determined look in your eyes, and Vi isn’t sure if she likes or dreads what you may be suggesting.

“You cannot possibly be thinking of—”

“I’ll pay for everything,” you cut in, and her eyes widen in surprise.

“What?”

“The room, food, drinks. All-inclusive fake dating experience.”

Vi laughs once in disbelief. “That’s your master plan?”

“It’s a great plan!” you clap your hands together. “You get a free luxury vacation and I get freedom from babysitting.”

“And in exchange I have to pretend to be in love with you for, what, a week or two?”

Heat creeps instantly up your neck. “It sounds weird if you say it like that.”

“It is weird.”

“Please, Vi.”

Vi should say no. She knows she should say no.

You’re coworkers. Barely even friends, at most. Sure, sometimes you grab lunch together or a couple of drinks after shifts, and maybe the flirting has gotten a little out of hand lately, but agreeing to go on a family vacation together and pretending to date is… a bad idea.

“You’d really pay for everything?” she asks carefully.

It’s a truly terrible idea. She shouldn’t even be considering it, especially with how the small crush she has on you has evolved into a massive one over the last couple of weeks.

You nod immediately. “I swear.”

Vi hums, pretending to think harder than she actually needs to.

The idea of spending two weeks beside you makes her brain short-circuit over and over again. Dinner with your family, being together every waking moment, sharing a room—

It’s a dangerous move.

“Scale of one to ten, how convincing do we have to be?” Vi props her chin against her fist. “Like full romcom?”

You stare at her for a second too long, and Vi grins to hide how nervous she is inside.

What are you two getting into?

“Okay, don’t forget the—,” you stop yourself, brows furrowing as you realize Vi’s not even looking your way. “Violet! Are you even listening?”

“Mhm.”

“You’re not. And stop smiling so much.”

Vi glances over at you as the two of you step through the airport entrance, sunglasses pushed up into her pink hair and travel bag hanging lazily from one shoulder.

“I’m excited for my free vacation.”

“I need you to focus,” you mutter, adjusting the grip on your suitcase. “My mom’s a hugger, my dad’s obsessed with music, and if Mia starts talking about essential oils just nod and smile.”

Vi snorts. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Don’t let Ana convince you she’s allowed to drink soda after eight… and no, she can’t join you at the Casino no matter how good she is at Blackjack.”

“That kid sounds cool.”

“She’s terrifying.”

Vi laughs quietly beside you. She’s far too relaxed for someone who will pretend to date her coworker in front of her entire family for ten days. You, on the other end, feel one minor inconvenience away from throwing up.

You risk another glance at her and immediately regret it.

She’s wearing a loose black tank top, tattoos fully visible and insanely looking beneath the airport lighting.  It’s like she had walked straight out of some annoying vacation ad, rings glinting every time she adjusts her grip on her duffel bag, looking so attractive and—

God. This was a more-than-terrible idea.

“You’re doing it again,” Vi says suddenly, and you blink in confusion.

“What?”

She points at you with a mischievous smile on her lips. “Your eyebrows scrunch together when you’re spiraling.”

“They do not.”

“They absolutely do.”

You groan softly, dragging a hand down your face. “I just… I need this trip to go well.”

“It will.”

“You don’t know my family.”

“I don’t,” Vi agrees, glancing back at you. “But I know you.”

The words hit harder than they probably should. Around you, the airport buzzes with overlapping announcements and chatter, but your brain feels weirdly narrowed in on the way Vi is looking at you.

She studies your expression for a moment. Slightly furrowed eyebrows and lower lip slightly pumped with how hard you’ve been biting at it minutes ago, nervousness clear in all your features.

Vi bumps her shoulder lightly against yours, holding out her hand toward you. “We got this, sweetheart.”

You stare at it for a second too long, and she notices immediately.

“Gotta play the part.”

“Oh,” you clear your throat, “Yeah.”

After one more second of hesitation, you slide your hand into hers. Warm fingers immediately lace between yours naturally, like this is something you’ve done a hundred times before.

Vi’s mouth twitches up as your breath catches embarrassingly hard, and her thumb brushes lightly over your knuckles. She tries to convince herself she does it to play the perfect performance, obviously.

The two of you make your way through the busy terminal together. Heat crawls violently up your neck as you spot your gate number overhead. God, Vi’s already got you all flustered and you haven’t even introduced her to your family yet.

“There they are!” your mom’s voice rings out across the terminal before your brain can spiral any further.

A small group stands near the gate with stacked luggage and coffee cups in hand. Your dad’s waving enthusiastically already, your mom already walking over to you with a wide grin on her face. Luca and Ana are sitting on the floor, both of them playing on their iPads, while Matt, their dad, stands a couple of feet away from everyone.

Mia glances up at the commotion, eyes squinting the second she spots you. Her eyes land on Vi, and she lets out an exasperated groan before looking down at her own phone.

“Oh, you made it,” your mom says warmly, pulling you into a quick one-armed hug before immediately turning toward Vi.

Her expression lights up immediately.

“She’s gorgeous!”

Vi’s taken aback as your mom pulls her into a tight hug before she can even properly introduce herself. Her chest tightens, surely because your mom is holding her so warmly. It has nothing to do with you having let go of her hand when she was just getting used to it.

“You didn’t tell me your girlfriend was this pretty,” your mom mutters, still holding onto Vi’s shoulders as she looks her over delightedly.

“Mom,” you mumble weakly, face burning up.

Vi bites down hard on a grin before she hugs your mom back. You shoot her a warning look immediately.

“Hi,” Vi recovers quickly enough to flash your mom one of her stupidly charming smiles as soon as she pulls away, “It’s really nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Y/L/N.”

“Oh, sweetie, call me Eve.”

Your dad appears next, pulling you into a quick hug before looking at Vi with open curiosity.

“So, you’re the mysterious girlfriend.”

“Mysterious?”

“She was keeping you a secret,” he says dramatically, pointing accusingly at you. “We didn’t know you existed until, like, three weeks ago.”

“Is that so?” Vi turns to look at you.

“I— Uh, sorry, babe,” the nickname feels weird on your mouth, but you notice the amusement in Vi’s expression as soon as it comes out.

“Don’t sweat it, sweetheart.”

The smugness in her voice makes your eye twitch.

Meanwhile, Mia still hasn’t moved from where she’s sitting, though she is very obviously listening now despite pretending to scroll through her phone. Matt gives Vi a polite nod, and Luca is the first to actually look up from his iPad.

He elbows Ana, who gasps loudly enough to scare everyone around her.

“AUNTIE Y/N, IS THAT YOUR GIRLFRIEND?”

“Yes,” you say through gritted teeth, closing your eyes briefly. “Ana, please be nice.”

Ana ignores you completely, immediately scrambling to her feet and running over. Vi barely has time to react before your niece stops directly in front of her, staring up with open fascination.

“You have pink hair!”

“I do.”

“That’s so freaking cool.”

“Thanks,” Vi shoots her a warm smile. The kid reminds her of Powder when she was little.

Ana narrows her eyes thoughtfully. “Could you beat my aunt on a fight?”

Vi glances sideways at you.

You sigh. “Don’t encourage her.”

“I could take her,” Vi says confidently.

Luca finally wanders over too, quieter than his sister but equally curious. He hugs your leg, peering at Vi as you gently stroke his hair.

“You’re really Auntie Y/N’s girlfriend?”

Your stomach twists unexpectedly at the question. Beside you, Vi’s fingers brush lightly against yours again. She hesitates for a moment before fully taking your hand back into hers.

This is something she could absolutely get used to.

“I am.”

Ana immediately beams. “Cool. Mom said you were probably fake.”

“Mia!” your mom snaps, turning to look at her with furrowed brows.

“What?” your sister calls from across the waiting area, not even looking up from her phone. “I said probably.”

You stare at the floor in horror as your mom starts scolding your sister, your nephews trying to get Vi’s attention, your brother-in-law busy in his own world. How are you going to survive ten days of this?

Beside you, Vi starts laughing. “Oh, I’m gonna love this trip.”

By the time the two of you finally make it to the resort, you’re pretty sure you’ve aged at least five years. Between Ana asking Vi two hundred questions during the flight, your mom wanting to know every detail of your relationship, and Mia watching the two of you like she was waiting for you to spontaneously combust, your brain feels dangerously close to shutting down.

The hotel room door clicks open, and you step inside.

“Shit,” you stop dead on your track.

Vi walks in behind you, following your line of sight toward the massive king-sized bed sitting in the middle of the room.

“Ooh, nice.”

You turn slowly. “Nice?”

“What?” Vi shrugs innocently, acting as if her heart isn’t about to burst out from her chest with how fast it’s beating. “I’ve never slept on a bed this huge and comfortable before.”

And next to you, she keeps that part to herself.

Your suitcase drops beside the couch with a dull thud as you drag both hands down your face dramatically.

“Of course they would get us one bed, we’re a couple,” you let out a humorless chuckle. “This is a disaster.”

“Oh, relax,” Vi kicks the door shut behind her before wandering farther into the room. “I don’t drool in my sleep, don’t worry ‘bout it.”

You flop backward onto the mattress with a groan instead of answering. The bed is very soft, and you wonder if Vi’s strong arms are just as soft or—

“This is all your fault somehow,” you mumble into one of the pillows, cheeks warming up as you try to ignore your own thoughts.

Vi laughs quietly as she starts unpacking some of her stuff onto the dresser.

“You’re the one who hired me, babe,” she tests out the nickname, humming in satisfaction. “So, are you a drooler?”

You throw a pillow at her head, and she catches it easily. A smile tugs at your lips before you can stop it.

“Seriously though,” Vi’s voice is softer now, and you look away as soon as she turns toward you. “You okay?”

You stare up at the ceiling for a second too long. “…I don’t know.”

That wipes some of the teasing from her expression immediately.

“The trip just…” You exhale slowly. “It always turns into a mess somehow. Now we’re lying to my entirely family, Mia already thinks we’re fake, and—”

You turn your head slightly to look at her.

“And I dragged you into it.”

“Please,” she gestures around the room, a wide grin taking over her expression. “I’m at a beach resort for free. I’m thriving.”

Despite yourself, a small laugh escapes you. Vi’s chest tightens at the sound, and she can’t help but follow suit.

“There she is.”

Before she can figure out what to do with that feeling, a knock suddenly interrupts the moment.

Vi glances toward the door. “Are we expecting someone?”

“No?”

There’s another knock. You freeze instantly, sitting up straighter on the bed, as Vi crosses the room.

“Vi, wait—”

It’s too late. Vi swings the door open, her body positioned perfectly so whoever is standing outside of your room can’t peek inside.

“Oh,” Mia seems surprised, clearly having expected to see you instead of Vi. “Is Y/N here?”

Vi glances back toward the bed where you’re still half-sprawled against the blankets. She noticed your sister holding one of the kid’s backpacks, so she needs to think fast on how to get you out of an unexpected babysitting job on your first day of vacation.

“She’s asleep,” she says easily. “What’s up?”

Mia sighs dramatically. “Matt and I wanted to go try that seafood place down the beach tonight. We were wondering if Ana and Luca could stay here.”

Of course this is happening already. Not even your fake girlfriend, the one your family doesn’t even know is fake, will work on your sister.

You start moving instinctively, ready to say yes before the argument even starts, when Vi speaks again.

“Oh, shoot. Sorry, we already made dinner plans.”

You blink in confusion, but your movements halt altogether.

Mia frowns immediately. “I thought you said Y/N’s asleep.”

“Yeah,” Vi leans casually against the doorframe without missing a beat. “She’s resting before we head out later. Long flight, y’know?”

There’s a tiny pause. There’s no way she’s giving up, she will talk Vi’s ear off until she eventually agrees and—

“I’m probably gonna nap too,” Vi adds with an easy smile. “Anything else I can help with?”

You stare at the back of her head in disbelief.

Mia looks annoyed for exactly half a second before forcing a tight smile. “Right. Okay.”

“Maybe tomorrow?” Vi offers politely.

“Sure.”

There’s another awkward pause before your sister finally turns and walks away down the hallway. Vi lets out a long whistle as she shuts the hotel room door again, slowly turning around to face you.

You’re staring at her with widened eyes, still frozen on the bed.

“…what?”

“You said no.”

“Yeah.”

“To Mia.”

Via blinks once, confusion clear in her gaze. “Did you want me to say yes?”

“No, but—” you stop, genuinely thrown off. She had made it look so easy. “You actually said no.”

Vi’s expression softens slightly with understanding. She walks toward the bed slowly, brows furrowing in concern as she takes in how puzzled you look.

“You said you wanted one vacation where you finally get to have some peace, right?” she says, and your chest tightens painfully at the gentleness in her voice. “I’ll take care of it. All you have to do is relax.”

She sits down next to you, and you only stare at her for a moment. Nobody’s ever stepped in before you had to, so it’s nice to know what it feels like to have somebody on your side.

Vi nudges your knee lightly with hers, sending a jolt of electricity through you.

“Now,” she starts, lighter again, “since I accidentally committed to fake dinner plans…”

You let out a chuckle. The sound makes Vi’s heart skip a beat, and she feels relieved now that she sees you let your walls down.

“Wanna go get actual dinner?”

“Thought you’d never ask,” a grin spreads slowly across her face. “If I’m pretending to be your girlfriend, I expect at least one expensive dinner out of this arrangement.”

You roll your eyes, though the warmth through your chest makes it hard to put any real annoyance behind it.

“Give me twenty minutes,” you stand up, grabbing your suitcase and heading toward the bathroom.

“Take thirty,” she mumbles, reaching out for her duffel bag. “I gotta make myself look hot enough to impress your family, just in case we bump into them at the lobby.”

“Please. You already captivated my mother by existing.”

“That’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

You snort softly before disappearing into the bathroom. The second the door clicks shut behind you, you lean heavily against the sink.

It’s okay, you can do this. It’s just Vi. You’re very attractive coworker who’s pretending to be your girlfriend and keeps calling you sweetheart. No problem at all.

You splash some water onto your face before starting to get ready.

By the time you finish changing into a light outfit more suited for the warm beach air, your nerves have settled at least a little. That confidence lasts just until you open the bathroom door and walk directly into a problem: Vi standing beside the bed with her back partially turned toward you, shirtless and half-ready.

Broad shoulders, tattooed back and low-slung linen pants hanging dangerously from her hips while she digs through her suitcase looking for another shirt. The view alone makes your brain stop functioning.

“Oh,” you blurt out.

Vi glances over her shoulder, and now it’s her the one who’s short-circuiting.

You look unfairly good. Your hair’s still slightly damp from fixing it, you’re wearing softer and more relaxed clothes than what she’s used to seeing at work, your skin warm beneath the hotel lights.

“Sorry,” you close your eyes dramatically, turning your back toward her to give her some privacy.

Vi finally pulls on a dark short-sleeved button up, leaving the first few buttons undone casually before running a hand through her hair.

“’S fine,” she clears her throat. “You ready?”

“Yep,” you answer way too quickly.

“Cool,” Vi grabs the room key before holding the door open dramatically for you. You finally take a good look at her, and your heart skips embarrassingly hard again. “After you, sweetheart.”

God help you.

Dinner turns out surprisingly nice. The restaurant sits right on the beach, warm lantern lights reflecting softly against the ocean while waves crash quietly somewhere beyond the patio.

For the first time all day, you feel at ease. There’s no family drama, no need to pretend for an audience, no pressure at all. Just you and Vi sitting across from each other, sharing appetizers and teasing each other over overpriced resort drinks.

“Wait, wait,” Vi stares at you in disbelief, a mischievous glint on her eye. “You got banned from laser tag?”

“The employee was being dramatic.”

“You climbed into the ceiling vents.”

“I was twelve!”

“Nah,” she shakes her head in fake disappointment, “That’s way too old to think you’re freaking Spider-Man.”

You laugh loudly enough that a couple nearby glances over, and Vi’s chest tightens unexpectedly at the sound. She likes making you laugh, maybe a little too much.

The conversation flows strangely easily after that. So far, Vi has picked up on a couple of cues: you hum absentmindedly while reading menus, steal fries without asking and how your eyes crinkle when you laugh hard enough. You’re so much softer outside of work, and she can’t have enough of this version of you already.

You learn how much she hates sunscreen and how instantly she burns, and how badly she wanted a motorcycle at sixteen. You’ve also learned she’s never actually traveled outside of the country before, which popped the idea of going on a different vacation sometime in the future. If the fake-girlfriend gig is still needed, of course.

By the time the two of you walk back toward the hotel, the earlier tension has melted into a warmer feeling.

“I’m showering first,” you mumble tiredly as soon as you step inside the room, already grabbing pajamas from your bag.

“Be my guest.”

The warm water helps wash away the exhaustion from the flight and the emotional chaos of the day. Sleep is already dragging heavily at your limbs as you finish changing into an oversized shirt and shorts.

Vi’s sitting cross-legged on the bed, scrolling through her phone when you walk out. Her eyes lift immediately and soften as she notices how sleepy you look. And cute, but she tries to shake the thought off her mind.

“You’re falling asleep standing up,” she mutters, shooting you a soft smile.

You yawn in response, proving her point instantly.

“Bed’s all yours for now,” she says, standing up and grabbing her own clothes.

You mumble something vaguely coherent before crawling beneath the blankets, the mattress sinking warmly around you almost immediately.

You try waiting up for Vi, you really do. But between hearing the bathroom water start running and the exhaustion finally catching up to you, your eyes drift shut.

When Vi steps out of the bathroom fifteen minutes later, with a towel hanging loosely around her neck, the room is quiet.

A small smile tugs at her mouth before she can stop it as she takes you in. The steady rise and fall of your breathing, the softness in your expression, how you’ve somehow managed to steal almost the entire blanket already.

Vi stands there for a moment longer than necessary, just looking at you curled up comfortably against the pillows. A warm, very familiar feeling settles in her chest, and it almost scares her.

Quietly, she grabs one of the spare blankets from the closet and tosses it onto the couch. She doesn’t want to risk waking you up after the day you’ve had, nor letting that uncomfortable feeling keep growing stronger.

Besides, the couch can’t even be that bad.

The first thing you notice when you wake up is that the bed is empty. Your brows furrow, squinting at the sunlight already pouring through the curtains.

“Vi?”

There’s no answer. Still half-asleep, you sit up slowly, hair a mess and shirt slipping off one shoulder as you look around the room properly. No Vi in the bathroom or balcony, you’d almost think everything was part of a livid dream if it weren’t for her suitcase on the room.

You grab your phone, quickly opening up your chat with her to see if there’s any unread messages. None at all.

you: where are you??

Your phone buzzes almost immediately, and you let out a disappointed groan as you realize the notification comes from the family group chat.

mom💕: Breakfast buffet downstairs!! 🍽 Everyone come join us 😋🙏

Attached beneath it is a blurry picture of your dad holding three plates of pastries for absolutely no reason. Most probably, one for your mom and two for him— you place a mental note on speaking to him about lowering his sugar intake.

You glance around the room again, and your stomach twists lightly. Family breakfast, and Vi is nowhere to be found.

you: vi are you alive?

After a couple of more unanswered texts, you hurry through getting ready, brushing your teeth in record time before changing into something casual. The entire time, your phone stays suspiciously silent.

By the time you leave the room, mild worry has started creeping into your chest. What if she got lost? What if she decided this was too much to deal with and took a plane back home? Oh God, what if Ana found her and challenged her to hand-to-hand combat?

You pull your phone again as soon as you walk out of the elevator, walking through the hotel lobby and calling Vi before you can overthink it over.

You look up, line ringing just as you spot her sitting at one of the outdoor tables near the restaurant windows, sunglasses perched on top of her head while she leans comfortably back in her chair. She’s already having breakfast… with your parents.

Your dad’s mid-conversation with her already, and your mom looks delighted. You hadn’t realized she had picked up the call until her voice hits your ear.

“Hey, baby.”

She looks toward the elevators, face brightening as she makes eye contact with you.

“There you are,” she lifts her free arm to wave you over lazily. “C’mere.”

You hang up quickly before approaching the table, trying very hard to ignore the fact that your heartbeat has suddenly piked up. This is deeply embarrassing.

“Well, good morning,” your mom greets you the second you reach them. “Look who finally decided to wake up.”

“She was exhausted yesterday,” Vi hops in before you can answer.

Your mom’s expression softens immediately. “Aw.”

You stare at Vi, who shoots you an innocent smile before taking a sip of her coffee. The morning sunlight catches against her, warming the sharp lines of her face. She looks completely at home sitting there beside your parents, one arm draped lazily over the back of her chair.

God, she’s doing it on purpose.

Well. Two can play this game.

You put on the sweetest smile you can manage, leaning down before your brain can stop you and pressing a quick kiss against Vi’s cheek as you slide into the seat beside her. The contact lasts barely a second— warm skin, faint traces of her perfume and the surprise inhale she takes beside you.

She freezes instantly, subtle enough that your parents probably don’t notice. Her shoulders tense for half a heartbeat, and a faint flush spreads across the tops of her cheeks almost immediately, pink dusting over her face and disappearing beneath the collar of her shirt.

Your own stomach flips violently at the realization that you caused that.

Your mom watches the interaction with undisguised excitement.

“You two are adorable.”

Heat floods instantly to your face. Vi clears her throat, trying to recover from whatever just happened to her mere seconds ago.

“You know, Vi,” your mom continues, leaning toward her conspiratorially, “she’s never brought anyone on these trips before, so you must be super special.”

“Mom,” you give her a warning look.

“What? It’s true!”

Vi glances at you with obvious amusement, far too pleased with herself. “Really?”

“Please ignore her.”

“Oh, I could never.”

You groan softly, dropping your forehead briefly against Vi’s shoulder in defeat before realizing what you just did. Slowly, you lift your head, a faint pink tint dusting across your cheeks now, too.

Cute, Vi thinks to herself. Very cute.

Before either of you can say anything else, more voices approach the table. Mia and Matt arrive with the kids trailing behind them, both looking significantly less awake than everyone else.

Ana spots Vi instantly.

“YOU LEFT WITHOUT SAYING GOOD NIGHT.”

Several nearby tables glance over, and Vi lets out a low chuckle.

“Inside voice, kiddo.”

Ana ignores that completely before climbing into the chair beside her, grabbing a waffle from your dad’s plate. Luca quickly comes running toward you, settling down on your lap as he gives you a gentle hug.

“Well,” Mia reaches for coffee, eyes flicking between you and Vi briefly, “Matt and I are gonna have breakfast and then head down to the beach for a while.”

Your stomach tightens instinctively, and you prep yourself for what’s about to come.

“So, you guys can take the kids after this.”

The words hit automatically enough that you already open your mouth to answer.

“Sure, we can—”

“Actually,” Vi cuts in smoothly before you can finish, “we already have plans for this morning.”

Mia blinks once, grabbing the mug strongly. “Oh.”

Vi smiles apologetically. “Maybe we could take them around noon instead?”

Ana gasps instantly. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Vi nudges her slightly with her shoulder. “There’s an arcade place near the pools. We gotta check it out.”

Your niece looks ready to explode from excitement, even Luca perks up immediately. Meanwhile, Mia’s expression flickers through several emotions at once: annoyance, calculation and, finally, reluctant satisfaction.

“Noon works for us.”

By the time the sun starts setting, both kids are half-dead with exhaustion.

Ana had spent an hour trying to beat Vi at air hockey and losing spectacularly every single time, while Luca had attached himself to your side for most of the afternoon after winning an absurd amount of tickets at the arcade. They had eaten as much pizza as they could, and honestly? It had been incredibly fun.

Which explains why you’re smiling when the four of you stop outside Mia and Matt’s hotel room later that evening.

Ana groans dramatically the second the door opens.

“I don’t wanna leave.”

“Had fun?” Mia asks, stepping aside to let the kids in.

“So much fun,” Luca steps inside, stopping only to wave goodbye at Vi and you before heading toward the bed.

Matt is sitting on the couch, looking significantly more relaxed than in the morning, currently holding a takeout drink and wearing swim trunks. Mia’s gaze flicks between you and Vi before settling somewhere closer to neutral than annoyed for the first time during the trip.

“Thanks for taking them,” she almost sounds surprised by her own sincerity.

Vi shrugs, ruffling Ana’s hair. “They’re cool.”

The little girl beams instantly at that before running into the room. “We’re playing Mario Kart tomorrow!”

“Oh, absolutely not,” Vi calls after her. “You play dirty!”

“I learned from my aunt!”

“Ah, that explains a lot.”

You snort softly beside her, elbowing her playfully. Mia watches the interaction for a moment, an unreadable expression crossing her face before she finally shakes her head.

“Goodnight, guys.”

“Night, sis.”

The door clicks shut behind her, and the hallway feels much quieter almost immediately.

You and Vi start walking toward your room side by side, shoulders brushing every now and then as you move through the warmly lit corridor. As soon as the two of you walk into the room, Vi kicks off her shoes with a relieved groan.

“I think I’ll need a foot transplant.”

“Geez, you’re so dramatic.”

“And yet you still like me.”

The words slip out so casually that neither of you reacts at first.

Then, it hits. Vi’s breath catches almost imperceptibly as her own sentence registers in her brain, eyes widening just slightly before she looks away too fast to make it seem natural. Shit.

Your stomach flips because the worst part is that your first instinct isn’t to deny it. A warm rush spreads through your chest at hearing her say it so naturally, and the room suddenly feels smaller, warmer, quieter.

You become painfully aware of the sound of the air conditioner humming softly, the lingering warmth where your shoulders brushed, the way Vi’s hair is still messy from playing with the kids in the afternoon.

Vi clears her throat first, rubbing awkwardly at the back of her neck.

“I mean,” her voice comes out rougher than expected, “as a person. Obviously.”

You swallow once, pulse thudding embarrassingly hard against your ribs.

“Obviously,” you echo, hoping your voice sounds steadier than you feel.

To save yourself from further humiliation, you disappear into the bathroom to get changed. When you come back out a few minutes later, Vi’s sitting at the edge of the bed scrolling through her phone.

She glances up as soon as she hears the bathroom door opening, and there’s that soft look again. The one that keeps catching you off guard.

“What?” you ask suspiciously.

“Nothing.”

It’s just you look so fucking adorable. Of course she can’t tell you that.

You climb onto the bed beside her, exhaustion finally starting to settle heavily into your bones after the long day. For a moment, neither of you says anything.

“…thanks.”

Vi looks over at you, brows furrowing in confusion.

“For today,” you explain, fiddling absentmindedly with the edge of the blanket. “For helping with Mia, the kids and… for everything.”

Her expression softens almost painfully. “You don’t gotta thank me for that.”

“Still,” you glance toward her. “You’ve made this trip a lot easier.”

Vi holds your gaze for a second too long before looking away with a small shrug. She hopes you didn’t notice her ears burning up with every word that left your mouth.

“Nah,” she mumbles lightly, though there’s warmth tucked underneath the words. “I like hanging out with you.”

By day five, at some point between shared breakfasts, late-night conversations, and Vi instinctively reaching for your hand even when your family was nowhere to be seen, pretending starts feeling dangerously easy.

You don’t even think twice when Vi lazily hooks her arm around your shoulders while the group walks through the marina that afternoon. Tourists move around the dock taking pictures of the ocean and nearby cliffs. Warm sunlight glitters against the water, salt lingering in the air every time the breeze rolls through.

Your dad is already taking approximately a thousand photos of everything. Your mom keeps stopping to point out cute spots around the harbor. Ana’s currently holding onto your hand, trying to convince you to buy matching shark keychains. And Luca, surprisingly, is sitting comfortably on Vi’s shoulders while she walks.

You stare at them for a second longer than necessary, because Luca doesn’t do that. It takes him forever to warm up to people. He barely lets relatives hug him half the time, usually glued to your side whenever he gets overwhelmed.

But now? He’s sitting happily above Vi with both little hands tangled in her pink hair while she complains loudly about becoming a “human playground”.

“She’s too tall, Auntie Y/N,” Luca says seriously from above.

“You hear that?” Vi looks at you in betrayal. “I risk carrying him around and he says that about me?”

“You’re right, I’ll fix it,” you nod, looking up at your nephew. “Luca, she’s not even that tall.”

She lets out a scoff, shaking her head with fake indignation. “This is the respect I get?”

You snort softly beside her, and the sound makes Vi glance sideways at you automatically. There it is again, that warm feeling in her chest every time she makes you laugh. It catches her off guard every single time.

The soft crinkle near your eyes, the way your shoulders relax when you’re genuinely amused, the quiet laugh you try to hold back and always fail to. Somehow, all of it has started feeling addicting. It’s dangerous, because Vi has realized she’d do almost anything to keep hearing that sound.

“Oh!” your mom suddenly exclaims from a few steps ahead. “How lovely!”

A small photography stand has been set up near the dock entrance, decorated with simple vacation photos in island-themed frames and plastic keychains shaped like hearts and palm trees.

One of the photographers waves enthusiastically the second he spots your group approaching.

“Family pictures! We make keychains too!”

Your mom gasps like she’s just discovered treasure. “We absolutely need those.”

Your dad is already pulling out his wallet before anyone even agrees. Within seconds, everyone’s getting shuffled toward the little backdrop while the photographer starts enthusiastically positioning all of you around.

“Okay, whole family first!”

Instinctively, Vi takes a small step backward.

“Oh, I’ll just—” she gestures vaguely behind her, already starting to move away. “I’ll let you guys have the family one.”

Before she can fully step out, your mom grabs her wrist gently.

“Honey,” she says warmly, looking genuinely confused by the suggestion. “Nonsense. You are part of the family.”

Vi stills, and the noise around the dock feels strangely distant for half a second.

Part of the family.

The words hit deep in her chest unexpectedly hard. There’s no teasing tone in your mom’s voice, she actually means it.

Vi glances you toward you automatically, and softness flickers across your expression when you realize how affected she looks by the comment.

“C’mon,” you murmur gently. “Get over here.”

She lets herself be tugged into place beside you.

And for some reason, standing there with your family crowded around her —your dad already complaining about camera angles, Ana trying to make bunny ears behind her dad’s head, Luca clutching your hand— feels incredibly nice.

The camera flashes several times while everyone laughs through increasingly chaotic poses. Then come the individual photos.

Your parents insist on taking one together, your dad kissing your mom’s cheek dramatically enough to make her laugh so hard she nearly ruins the picture. Ana poses like a tiny celebrity for hers.

Luca hides behind your leg for the first two attempts until Vi crouches beside him and quietly promises they can make “the weirdest face possible” together. The resulting photo is terrible, but you immediately declare it your favorite.

Then Mia and Matt take theirs, with your sister grabbing her husband’s face and giving him a kiss that makes both kids gag in horror.

Your mom turns toward you and Vi again. “You two need your own set now.”

“Oh, it’s not—”

“But it is,” your mom cuts you in, already pushing you two in front of the camera. “You barely have any photos together!”

Ana gasps loudly. “They gotta kiss like everyone else!”

Your entire body heats instantly. Beside you, Vi goes suspiciously quiet again.

“Ana…”

“What? Couples kiss!”

“Fair point,” your dad agrees, unfortunately for the two of you.

Vi slowly steps closer beside you while Luca wanders back toward Mia, already distracted by something else near the dock. Your pulse starts hammering harder the second Vi’s hand settles carefully against your back.

“You don’t have to,” she mutters under her breath, barely audible beneath the chatter around you.

Somehow that makes it infinitely worse, because she’s giving you a choice. Because you can tell she’s nervous, too. And because some reckless part of you wants to know what kissing Vi actually feels like.

Your arm slips around her shoulders automatically, fingertips brushing lightly against the warm skin at the back of her neck.

“It’s okay,” you whisper back before you can overthink it.

Vi inhales softly. Then, slowly and carefully, you lean in.

The kiss is gentle, tentative at first. Her brain is short-circuiting and is barely registering what it’s actually happening— your warm lips, the salty air, the way your hand tightens unconsciously against her shoulder.

Then she kisses you back more firmly. It’s still soft and brief, but it’s enough to send heat rushing violently through your entire body. Your stomach flips so hard it’s almost dizzying.

The camera flashes.

“Awww!”

“EWWW,” Ana yells at the exact same time.

You and Vi pull apart a little too quickly, both visibly flustered now. She clears her throat hard, suddenly very interested in the boats behind you while a faint pink flush spreads across her cheeks.

You can still feel the ghost of her lips against yours, and judging by the way Vi keeps avoiding your eyes, she can too.

The room is quiet when you step out of the bathroom later that night, steam still clinging faintly to your skin as you rub a towel through your damp hair.

For a second, you think Vi’s already asleep. Then, you properly look around the room and blink, puzzled as you find her settled on the couch.

“Vi?”

She glances up immediately, one arm tucked behind her head while the hotel TV plays some low-volume reality show in the background.

“Sup?”

“Why are you sleeping there?”

She pauses, genuinely not expecting that question. Suddenly, several things click together in your brain at once— the spare blanket disappearing from the closet, the couch pillows always being slightly out of place every morning, the fact that every single night you’d fallen asleep first and every single morning Vi’s the first one to wake up.

“Oh my God,” you mumble, horrified. “Have you been sleeping on the couch this whole time?”

Vi rubs awkwardly at the back of her neck. “Um, yeah.”

“Vi, that couch is tiny.”

“I’ve slept in worse places.”

You smack your own forehead in disbelief. “How did I not realize?”

“You’re usually unconscious by the time I’m ready for bed,” a small smile tugs at the corner of her mouth.

“Still! You should’ve said something.”

“Meh, it wasn’t a big deal.”

You take another good look at the couch, and realize it absolutely is a big deal. One of Vi’s legs is literally hanging off the edge.

“You’re not sleeping there anymore,” you decide immediately.

“What?”

“Come sleep in the bed.”

The words leave your mouth with significantly more confidence than you actually feel. Now that it’s out there, your brain starts catching up with the implications.

Vi’s eyes flick toward the mattress briefly before landing back on you. There’s a faint pink tint creeping across her cheeks again. Huh, you’re kind of loving this look on her.

“You sure?”

“Yeah,” you answer quickly. “Like… c’mon. We can survive sharing a bed.”

Vi huffs out a quiet laugh, nervousness hidden underneath it.

You climb beneath the blankets first, mostly because you need somewhere to put your face for a moment while your heartbeat completely loses it. A minute later, the mattress dips carefully beside you. Immediately, every nerve in your body becomes hyperaware.

“So,” Vi starts, speaking in a low voice. “That was a convincing kiss, wasn’t it?”

Oh, you’re going to pass away.

“Shut up,” your entire face burns.

She laughs softly again, and the sound settles strangely deep in your chest.

“It was still nice,” she admits quietly, trying to ignore how fast her heart is beating.

You turn your head slightly before you can stop yourself, and find Vi already looking at you. She’s close enough that you can make out the softer details of her face beneath the dim bedside lamp— sleepy eyes, messy pink hair, the faint flush still lingering across her cheeks.

“You’re a jerk, anyone ever tell you that?” you whisper back, the air between you dangerously delicate.

“Yeah, you. All the time.”

Eventually, exhaustion catches up to both of you. The conversation fades into softer teasing and slower replies, until neither of you can keep your eyes open anymore.

Several hours later, morning sunlight spills warmly across the bed when you start waking up. At first, all you register is warmth, but soon comes the weight. And then, a heartbeat.

Your eyes blink open slowly, and immediately widen. At some point during the night, you and Vi had ended up tangled together. Your face is buried against her chest, one of her arms is wrapped securely around your waist, and your leg is halfway thrown over hers.

She’s still asleep, holding you instinctively closer every couple of breaths. Your heart stumbles violently against your chest, and you try to shift around slowly as to not wake her up.

As if sensing movement, Vi shifts slightly against you with a sleepy groan. Her arm tightens unconsciously around your waist, and her face presses softly into your hair.

The breath leaves your lungs entirely. She’s so warm, and you can feel the way her fingers curl against your side like she’s scared you’ll drift away.

This is a bad, bad, bad idea.

Instead of pulling away immediately like any other person would, your first instinct is to melt closer just for another second. Vi makes another quiet sound in her sleep, brows furrowing faintly before relaxing again when you stop moving.

Then slowly, very slowly, Vi starts waking up too. You feel it happen in real time: the sleepy shift of her breathing, her hand flexing once against your waist, the gradual tension returning to her body as awareness kicks in.

“Oh,” her voice comes out rough with sleep, barely above a whisper. “Hi.”

You squeeze your eyes shut briefly. “Hi.”

Morning sunlight spills across the sheets, warming the bed around you while the air conditioner hums in the background. Somewhere outside, muffled voices and distant ocean waves drift up from the beach below.

But all Vi can focus on is you.

You’re still tucked impossibly close against her chest, hair messy from sleep, face warm from embarrassment, and Vi feels the strong impulse to kiss you again. She’s pretty sure this trip might actually kill her.

She swallows once, pulse thudding loudly against her throat.

“Did you drool on me?” she murmurs weakly, clearly grasping for literally anything to say.

Your head snaps up immediately. “I did not!”

Vi lets out a sleepy laugh, low and warm beneath you. The sound vibrates through her chest straight into your ribs, and your entire body heats instantly.

One of your hands is resting against her stomach, your knee is tangled between hers, and neither of you has made any real effort to move away yet. The realization hits you at once, and you scramble backward immediately.

The blankets tangle around your legs, nearly sending you straight off the mattress before Vi catches your wrist on instinct.

“Careful!” her hand wraps around yours automatically, pulling you back.

She releases you a second later, only after making sure you’re not about to throw yourself off the bed by accident, clearing her throat roughly before sitting up too quickly.

“Right,” she mumbles, dragging a hand through her already messy hair. “So, breakfast in thirty minutes?”

“Yeah.”

Neither of you looks at the other as you stand up to get ready, which would probably work better if both your heartbeats weren’t still absolutely out of control.

The restaurant buzzes softly with warm evening chatter, and somewhere nearby, someone laughs loudly enough to make Ana giggle. Lantern lights cast everything in soft gold while the ocean glimmers darkly beyond the railing.

By now, sitting beside Vi feels so natural you don’t even think about it anymore.

Your knee presses lightly against hers beneath the table while everyone looks over menus and talks over each other. Luca’s half-asleep against Vi’s side already, curled into her arm after spending the entire afternoon attached to her hip.

“You spoil them too much,” Mia mutters, though there’s far less bite to it than there used to be.

Vi looks genuinely offended. “Excuse you. I’m their favorite now.”

Ana claps happily from across the table. “You are!”

“Traitor,” you stuck your tongue out at her.

“Auntie Vi got me extra fries.”

Vi stills for the smallest fraction of a second, the nickname landing somewhere deep in her chest before she could prepare for it.

Warmth spreads through her so suddenly it almost catches her off guard. She’s been called a lot of things in her life —some affectionate, some definitely not so nice— but hearing Ana’s tiny excited voice does something unfairly soft to her heart.

Luca shifts sleepily against her side at the same moment, his small hand still curled loosely in the fabric of her shirt, and her chest squeezes painfully hard.

God. This family is going to ruin her.

She tries to play it off casually, leaning back in her chair with an easy grin despite the warmth blooming across her face.

“I’m the cool aunt, then.”

“Oh,” you roll your eyes, crossing your arms over your chest. “That’s all it takes? A couple of fries?”

Vi leans slightly closer beside you, voice lowering. “Honestly? Yeah.”

Your stomach flips stupidly at the warmth of her lips brushing your skin. It keeps happening whenever she gets close to you, and neither of you moves away anymore.

Across the table, your mom watches the interaction with an expression so fond it’s almost embarrassing.

“You two look really happy together.”

Your dad hums in agreement while looking through photos on his phone. “Best mood I’ve seen Y/N in during one of these trips.”

Heat creeps immediately up your neck. Beside you, Vi suddenly becomes very interested in her drink.

Ana squints suspiciously. “Why are your faces red?”

“It’s cause they’re old,” Matt answers immediately.

“Hey!” you and Vi say at the exact same time, which only makes everyone laugh harder.

Luca shifts sleepily against Vi with a tiny yawn. Without even thinking about it, she adjusts him carefully so he’s more comfortable, one hand rubbing gently up and down his back.

Suddenly, your dad’s face brightens as he turns his phone toward Vi, showing her some photos and videos of you when you were six. Crying at swimming lessons, at your first spelling bee, playing with your old dog. Even your mom hops in, telling Vi stories about how you used to be when you were just a kid.

You groan, covering your face briefly while everyone keeps laughing around the table. And the worst part? You’re happy. Over the last few days, this trip has stopped feeling like a survival show and started feeling like a warm and safe vacation you could actually enjoy.

Your gaze drifts sideways automatically toward Vi. She’s still smiling at the video your dad is showing, Luca asleep against her side, your family talking to her like she’s belonged there forever.

A sudden, terrifying thought hits you so hard it nearly steals the breath from your lungs.

You can picture this lasting. Not the trip. Her.

You look away quickly.

Across the table, Mia notices.

The last full day of the trip arrives far too quickly.

By noon, everyone’s gathered around the resort pool under bright sunlight and the constant sound of splashing water. You’re stretched comfortably across a lounge chair in your swimsuit, sunglasses pushed up into your hair. Nearby, Ana’s shrieking dramatically as Vi lifts her clean out of the pool.

“PUT ME DOWN, AUNTIE VI!”

“You kicked me first!” she argues back, grinning.

“In self-defense!”

Luca clings quietly to Vi’s back while she carries Ana around with one arm like she weighs nothing. The sight alone is enough to make your heart skip a beat. God, you’re in so much trouble.

Vi glances over toward you automatically, catching you staring. A grin spreads instantly across her face.

“You just gonna sit there lookin’ pretty or you gonna help me?”

“I’m busy,” you reply lazily. “I’m taking care of this chair now.”

Vi snorts, shaking her head before Luca whispers something in her ear. Her brows furrow.

“Shoot,” she mutters, having learned to filter out her curse words around the kids after Ana accused her of teaching them. “I left my sunscreen upstairs.”

“I can go get it,” you offer immediately, already sitting up.

Her expression softens in that way that keeps wrecking you lately. “Yeah?”

“I mean, you’re kinda busy being a human playground.”

Ana laughs loudly. “She LOVES being the human playground.”

“I absolutely do not.”

A chuckle slips out before you can stop it. Vi watches you for half a second too long, before splashing you with some water.

“Thanks, pretty girl.”

Heat rushes so fast into your face it almost hurts. Vi looks way too pleased with herself as she turns back toward the kids, as if she didn’t just completely mess with your brain.

You hate her.

You’re definitely in love with her.

The elevator upstairs gives you exactly enough time to attempt regaining your composure. By the time you make it back downstairs with Vi’s sunscreen, your face finally feels normal again.

At least, until you pass through the hotel lobby.

You recognize Mia’s voice immediately.

“…I’m just saying, Vi’s great with them.”

Your steps slow instinctively.

Matt hums in agreement somewhere nearby. “She’s awesome.”

“She is. Honestly, I didn’t expect to like her this much.”

“But?”

“She’s obviously amazing,” Mia continues, quieter now. “I just don’t see someone like Vi sticking around long-term.”

You freeze completely behind the corner wall.

“And Y/N… you know how she gets. I don’t want her getting hurt when Vi eventually leaves.”

By the time you walk back outside, the sunlight suddenly feels too bright, too warm. You barely hear Ana yelling your name as you walk toward the chairs again. The second Vi’s eyes land on you, her smile fades instantly. She can tell something’s off.

“What happened?” she asks quietly once Luca slides off her back.

“Nothing,” you avoid looking at her.

And suddenly, the rest of the afternoon feels wrong.

You laugh when you’re supposed to, smile when spoken to, even nod through conversations, but Vi notices every single crack. Every forced grin, every distant state, and every moment you stop reaching for her automatically.

By evening, the guilt and concern sitting in her chest has become unbearable.

The sun hangs low over the ocean while everyone walks along the shoreline after dinner. Waves roll gently across the sand while Ana and Luca run ahead collecting shells near your parents.

Somehow, eventually, you and Vi fall behind from the group. The ocean breeze cools your skin while your feet sink softly into damp sand, and Vi glances at you for a moment.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

Your chest tightens instantly at the nickname. You let out a quiet laugh, but there’s no humor in it.

“It’s nothing.”

“Bullshit.”

Vi slows beside you.

“Hey,” her voice softens. “Talk to me.”

You stare out at the darkening ocean, because you know you might break down if you look into her eyes and she gives you that look again.

“I overheard Mia and Matt earlier,” you admit in a low voice. “Speaking about you, about me… about us, I guess.”

Vi’s expression changes immediately. “What’d they say?”

You shrug tightly, arms crossing over your chest.

“That you’re great,” your throat tightens. “And that this probably won’t last.”

Vi goes still beside you. She’s staring at you in disbelief, a soft frown covering her features. You force another laugh.

“She’s right, though.”

“What?”

You shake your head quickly.

“Come on, Vi. Let’s be realistic for a second,” your voice comes harsher now. “I’m single for a reason.”

Vi’s face hardens instantly. “Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“That, this,” she steps closer toward you through the sand, frustration flashing openly across her face now. “Talking about yourself this way.”

You let out another hollow laugh, though it sounds shakier this time.

“I mean, come on,” you gesture vaguely between the two of you. “I had to ask a coworker to pretend to date me for a stupid family trip. How fucking lame am I?”

Vi stares at you like you just said something genuinely upsetting.

“Y/N.”

“She didn’t even mean it in a bad way,” you continue before she can speak again. “She just knows me.”

Vi scoffs incredulously. “No offense, but your sister’s an idiot.”

Despite everything sitting heavy inside your chest, your mouth twitches faintly.

“She thinks you’ll realize this whole thing isn’t worth it eventually,” you admit quietly. “If only she knew we were pretending this whole time.”

Her expression changes completely, like the idea itself offends her.

“Are you serious right now?”

You finally look at her then, and immediately regret it because she’s staring at you with so much intensity it almost knocks the air from your lungs.

“You know what your problem is?” her voice comes out tougher than she intends, frustration and vulnerability tangle underneath it. “You act like you’re difficult to love when you’re not.”

Vi steps closer enough that you can see the tension in her jaw and the way her hands flex uselessly at her sides whenever she has too much she wants to say and no idea where to even start.

“It’s actually kind of insane,” she says softly now, shaking her head once. “The way you talk about yourself is nothing compared to the person I’ve gotten to know better these days.”

Your throat tightens, the words hitting so hard your chest physically aches.

“You take care of everybody before they even ask,” her eyes stay locked on yours. “You’re patient. Like… ridiculously. Even when your family’s driving you insane, you still show up for them because you love them.”

Your heartbeat grows louder and louder.

The ocean breeze moves through her pink hair softly, and for the first time since you met her, Vi looks jittery.

“And the kids?” she laughs weakly under her breath. “God, Y/N. Luca looks at you like you hung the moon, and Ana admires you so freaking much.”

Your eyes burn immediately.

“Your parents adore you. Your mom lights up every time you walk into a room. Your dad literally carries embarrassing childhood photos of you around on his phone like you’re his greatest accomplishment.

You blink to try and hold the tears back, clearly taken aback with how gentle and soft Vi is being toward you.

“And me?” her voice lowers almost to a whisper now. “I like being around you so much it’s actually become a problem.”

The confession slips out of her and Vi realizes it a second too late. Your breath catches as soon as you notice she didn’t mean to say it out loud, with the way her eyes widen and her shoulders tense up.

But now that it’s out there, she can’t stop.

“You make everything feel easy,” she admits, eyes softening in a way that makes your stomach flip. “Even stupid stuff. Breakfasts, walking around, sitting around doing nothing… I just— Fuck, I look for you constantly now.”

“Vi…” you whisper, every word landing deep inside you with how sincere she sounds.

“And hearing you talk about yourself like this?” She keeps going, visibly upset now. “It pisses me off cause it’s not fucking true.”

Vi’s breath is uneven now, chest rising and falling faster beneath the ocean breeze. She’s been holding all of this in for days and she can’t stop it from spilling it out.

A tear slips free before you can stop it. Vi notices instantly, her expression softening so fast it nearly undoes you.

“Hey,” she murmurs, voice dropping completely now.

You look down immediately, embarrassed, but Vi gently catches your wrist before you can fully turn away.

“No, no, don’t do that,” the warmth of her hand around yours sends your pulse spiraling. “You don’t get to sit here and act like you’re unlovable when I—”

Vi cuts herself off abruptly. The words hang there between you unfinished, but painfully obvious.

When I what?

Your heartbeat pounds violently against your ribs. Her eyes widen slightly like she can’t believe she almost said that out loud. A faint flush spreads across her cheeks, but she doesn’t let go of your wrist.

The ocean waves crash softly behind her while your entire body feels too warm, too aware, too full of her. Slowly, Vi exhales.

“When I look at you,” she corrects quietly, though her voice still sounds shaken, “all I see is somebody worth loving.”

Nobody’s ever spoken about you this way before. Hell, nobody’s ever even looked at you like this before.

Your eyes burn harder now, emotions crowding painfully inside your chest all at once. And Vi—

God, Vi looks terrified. Not because she regrets saying it, but because she knows that there’s no turning back now. And to be sincere, she doesn’t want to take it back.

The realization settles between you both heavily, mixing with the sound of crashing waves and distant laughter farther down the beach.

“…you really mean all that?” your voice comes out small and fragile in a way that makes Vi’s chest ache instantly.

“I do,” she answers quietly.

Your heartbeat violently against your ribs as Vi takes another small step toward you, close enough that you can feel the warmth radiating from her skin despite the cool evening breeze.

“You have no idea how easy you are to care for,” Vi admits softly, eyes flickering between yours. “Honestly, I think I was screwed the second you offered me a free vacation.”

A shaky laugh escapes you, and Vi’s mouth twitches at the sound. Oh, how she’s missed it all day long.

The air between you shifts.

Her gaze drops briefly to your lips, and your breath catches immediately. Your body instinctively leans toward hers before your brain can stop it.

Vi notices immediately, her own breath hitching. Slowly, her free hand lifts toward your face, making your pulse jump so hard it almost hurts. Her fingertips brush lightly against your cheek, warm and gentle, and the look she gives you nearly steals all the air from your lungs entirely.

Your eyes flutter shut, and Vi leans close enough that you can feel her breath against your lips—

“AUNTIE VI, AUNTIE Y/N!”

Both of you jump apart so fast it’s almost embarrassing.

Ana comes sprinting down the beach at full speed while Luca trails behind her, carrying three seashells and a juice box with extreme concentration.

“We found a crab!” Ana announces proudly.

Vi tips her head back toward the sky with a strangled groan. You clap a hand over your mouth immediately, laughter escaping despite the emotional whiplash currently going on inside your chest.

Ana squints suspiciously between the two of you. “Why are your faces red again?”

The trip comes to an end the following day.

One moment, you’re falling asleep to the sound of ocean waves and Vi’s sleepy voice beside you. The next, everyone’s standing near the airport drop-off with luggage piled around you while the morning traffic rushes by outside.

The goodbye chaos is immediate. Ana’s already clinging to Vi’s waist before anyone’s even finished unloading bags.

“Nooooo,” she whines. “You can’t go home.”

Vi laughs softly, crouching down enough to poke her forehead lightly. “I live in the same neighborhood as you, kiddo.”

“That’s still too far.”

Luca stays quieter beside them, but he’s holding onto Vi’s hand with both of his little hands, not planning on letting go anytime soon.

Vi shoots you a tiny smile over Ana’s head. The kind that still makes your stomach flip embarrassingly hard.

“Guess I’m stuck now.”

“You better be,” Ana points at her sternly.

Your dad walks over next, already pulling Vi into a warm hug before she can escape.

“You survived your first family vacation,” he jokes. “That’s basically official induction.”

Vi snorts. “Do I get a trophy?”

“…no, but you do get twenty embarrassing childhood stories about Y/N.”

“Oh, I already got those.”

“Dad,” you groan instantly.

Your mom laughs warmly before stepping toward Vi too. And immediately, her expression softens. It’s the kind of emotional softness that catches Vi completely off guard as she’s pulled into a gentle hug.

“You better come to brunch next weekend,” your mom says firmly. “I’m serious.”

“I promise I’ll do my best.”

“No excuses, sweetie,” your mom warns before her expressions turns softer still. “And… thank you.”

Vi blinks once, clearly puzzled. “For what?”

Your mom glances toward you briefly. “For making my daughter happy.”

The words land like a punch straight to Vi’s chest, her breath catching almost imperceptibly. Your mom says it so simply and sincerely, like it’s so obvious that Vi’s already become so important. For a second, she can’t even find s joke to hide behind.

Vi’s eyes drift toward you automatically, and the look on your face nearly ruins her on the spot. Soft, embarrassed and hopeful, all in one.

“We’re keeping you, by the way,” your mom squeezes Vi’s arm gently before stepping back.

“Mom.”

“I’m just stating the obvious, dear.”

Mia walks over last. There’s an initial awkwardness, and Luca attaches to her side now, looking significantly less pleased about the trip ending.

“…okay,” she admits reluctantly. “You were kinda amazing.”

Vi gasps dramatically. “Wow. Is anyone recording this?”

“Don’t push it.”

But Mia’s smiling when she says it. She glances between you and Vi before adding a quieter:

“Take care of each other, okay?”

The final goodbyes blur together after that. Your mom makes Vi promise to visit next week, Luca quietly asks if she’ll really come to the park with them someday, and suddenly it’s over.

The airport disappears behind you as you and Vi step out into the warm afternoon air alone for the first time in days.

The silence that settles between you inside the cab ride home feels different now. Heavy, and anticipating. By the time you stop outside your apartment building, your heartbeat feels completely out of control again.

Vi stands beside you as she puts the last bag down in your living room. The city noise hums softly through the open windows, but all you can focus on is her and the way she’s looking at you now.

You let out one nervous laugh.

“So…” you start weakly. “Guess the job’s over.”

Vi smiles at that, but there’s shyness underneath it now. She steps close enough that your breath catches immediately.

“Yeah?” she murmurs.

Her eyes flick down to your lips before returning to your eyes, making your pulse jump like crazy.

“Um…” she smiles against the nervous tension between you. “You planning on firing me as your fake girlfriend?”

A laugh escapes your throat before you can stop it, quiet and breathless and completely fond. God, you’re so gone for her.

You shake your head slightly, stepping closer too until there’s barely any space left between you.

“Depends,” you mutter, a grin taking over your lips. “You interested in becoming my real one?”

The look that crosses Vi’s face almost undoes you completely. Then, she kisses you.

For real this time. No audience, no pretending and no excuses. Just Vi’s hands sliding gently to your waist while your fingers curl instinctively into the front of her shirt, both of you smiling helplessly into the kiss almost immediately.

It’s softer than the first one, but somehow it hits ten times harder. Because now you know that every stolen glance, every touch, every blush and every word… it was real all along.

Vi smiles against your lips, forehead resting lightly against yours when you finally pull apart.

“Took you long enough,” she whispers.