Sabrina ⋆𐙚₊˚⊹

✶ everyone assumes you must be with him out of pity until they actually see you together. then it becomes painfully obvious that you’re the one completely gone for him. the way your face softens the second he walks into a room. the way you’re always unconsciously reaching for his hand. the way you look at him like he’s the most handsome man you’ve ever seen.

you are, without question, the most intimidatingly gorgeous person in town. people stop and stare when you walk past. women ask where your dresses are from. men try their luck every now and then. none of it matters because the only person you’re interested in is the painfully awkward six-foot something sweetheart who blushes if you kiss his cheek in public.

✶ you’re ridiculously protective of him. someone laughs a little too hard when lars stumbles over his words, and suddenly they’re met with you smiling politely while saying, “that’s not funny. explain the joke.” the smile never leaves your face. somehow, that’s the scary part. people quickly learn that flirting with you isn’t worth the risk because you’ll politely point towards lars across the room and say, “my boyfriend’s right there.” meanwhile, flirting with lars is somehow an even worse idea because you get so jealous, not in a toxic way. just… deeply offended that anyone would even look at your boyfriend.

margo greets lars a little too enthusiastically one afternoon and you spend the next ten minutes quietly attached to his arm like a particularly glamorous guard dog. afterwards lars asks if something’s wrong.

“’course not.”

“…okay.”

“just wondering why everybody suddenly wants to touch my boyfriend today.” lars nearly chokes because… your boyfriend.

you say it constantly too.

“my boyfriend made that.”

“my boyfriend fixed my car.”

“my boyfriend picked these flowers.”

like it’s your favourite phrase in the english language. meanwhile lars still gets flustered every single time he hears it.

✶ he also becomes unintentionally smug after a while, though nobody would ever accuse lars of actually showing off. he’ll just absentmindedly mention, “oh… um… i should probably head home. my girlfriend’s making dinner.” cue every man in town wondering how on earth that happened.

✶ you adore dressing him up. shopping becomes one of your favourite hobbies because lars would happily wear the same five jumpers forever if left alone. you’ll hold up a jacket and go, “baby, you’re going to look so handsome in this,” and he just quietly lets you steer him towards the changing rooms because making you smile is worth every second of embarrassment. the first time he comes out wearing something properly fitted, you actually put a hand over your heart.

“…good lord.”

lars immediately looks concerned. “is it bad?”

“bad? baby, i’m trying very hard to behave myself in the middle of this shop.” he goes bright red from the roots of his hair all the way down his neck.

✶ you never let anyone underestimate him. if somebody talks over him, you subtly redirect the conversation straight back. “sorry, lars was saying something.” and then you look at him with so much patience and encouragement that he always finds the confidence to finish.

✶ lars absolutely loves watching you get ready, and he’ll never interrupt. he’ll just sit on the bed reading while you do your makeup, every few minutes he’ll glance up and ask. “…what’s that one for?”

“blush.”

“…oh.”

“…and that?”

“highlighter.”

“…it… sparkles.”

you smile at him in the mirror, “you’ve been watching this whole time, haven’t you?” he immediately looks guilty, and you think it’s the most adorable thing in the whole world. “…maybe.”

“come here.”

he shuffles over, and you take a tiny bit of highlighter on your finger and dab it on the end of his nose. lars looks mildly concerned, “…am i shiny and golden?” you laugh so hard you nearly fall off your vanity chair. “yes!”

“…oh.”

“you’re so cute!!”

“…i’m shiny.”

“both can be true.”

✶ your favourite place in the world is tucked into his side. it doesn’t matter if you’re wearing designer boots or a silk dress that has half the town staring. the second lars slips an arm around your waist, you melt into him like you belong there. and despite how confident you are with everyone else, you’re impossibly soft with him. your voice drops. your smile changes. every compliment becomes genuine.

“there’s my handsome boy.” and he blushes every single time.

✶ everyone talks about how lucky lars is, but the truth is, you think you won the lottery, because beneath all the shyness and awkwardness is the gentlest man you’ve ever known. someone who notices when you’re tired before you do, who warms your car up on freezing mornings without being asked, who remembers the smallest things you mention in passing and quietly acts on them weeks later.

✶ people see the beautiful girl dating the awkward guy, you see the kindest heart you’ve ever been trusted with, and you’ll defend it with your whole chest.

✶ you also love making lars flustered, you’ll walk past him wearing the tiniest little dress you’ve ever owned, kiss him on the forehead like it’s completely normal, and watch as he completely forgets what he was about to say.

“…i…”

“yeah?”

“…”

“baby?”

“…i don’t remember.” you just smile and kiss his cheek again.

✶ lars has this habit of looking for you in every room without realising it. if you’re at church, he’ll unconsciously glance over every few minutes just to make sure you’re still there. at community events he’ll quietly scan the crowd until he spots you laughing with someone, and the second he does, his shoulders relax. you catch him doing it once, after that, you make sure he’s the first thing you look for too.

✶ people assume you’re dragging lars everywhere, the reality is much sweeter. you’ll get invited somewhere and immediately ask, “can lars come too?” and if the answer’s no, you don’t go, it’s that simple.

✶ every woman in town suddenly discovers lars is actually incredibly handsome once he starts dressing a little better. which is unfortunate, because now they’re looking, and you notice. one afternoon you’re at the grocery shop when the cashier smiles a little too brightly at him.

“have a lovely day, lars.”

“oh… thank you.”

you don’t say anything until you’re back in the car, “…she smiled at you.” lars slowly nods, “…yes?”

“way too much.”

“…i think… that’s her job.”

“doesn’t mean i have to like it.”

lars spends the next five minutes trying not to laugh because you’re pouting over someone saying have a nice day.

✶ despite looking like you belong in a fashion campaign, your favourite thing to wear is one of lars’ oversized jumpers, it smells like his laundry detergent. lars walks into the living room, sees you curled up wearing it, and just quietly smiles to himself because his heart physically cannot cope with the sight.

✶ you always hype him up, he’ll come downstairs wearing the most ordinary outfit imaginable. “how do i look?” you immediately put both hands over your mouth. “my god…”

“…what?”

“you’re so handsome it actually annoys me.”

he looks down at himself. “…it’s just… a sweater.”

“exactly. and somehow you’re still making it everyone else’s problem.”

✶ if anyone ever says, “i never would’ve expected someone like you to date someone like lars…” you don’t even hesitate, “someone like me?” they immediately regret opening their mouth. “you mean someone who’s obsessed with him?”

✶ lars is constantly buying you tiny presents because that’s how he shows affection. not expensive things, just thoughtful things. a hair clip because yours broke last month, your favourite chocolate because he noticed you hadn’t bought any recently, flowers he thought matched your dress, and he’ll hand them over almost apologetically. “i just… um… saw these.” and every single time you react like he’s handed you the moon.

✶ he starts absentmindedly fixing your jewellery. your necklace clasp gets tangled and before you can even ask, his fingers are carefully untwisting it. your bracelet catches on your sleeve, he notices. your earring comes loose, he quietly reaches over. his hands are always so gentle that you barely feel them.

✶ your favourite game is complimenting him completely out of nowhere. he’ll be washing dishes, “you’re so handsome, baby..”

“…”

driving.

“your hands are so big, lars.”

“…”

reading.

“you’re so hot when you’re concentrating, honey.” eventually he just covers his face with both palms.

“please…”

“never.”

✶ he starts getting a little braver with affection because of you. at first he’s nervous even holding your hand in public. then one day he absentmindedly kisses the top of your head while you’re waiting in line at the supermarket. he doesn’t even realise he’s done it, you do. you spend the rest of the day smiling like an idiot.

✶ because you’re so effortlessly confident with everyone else, people assume you’re the dominant one in the relationship, they couldn’t be more wrong. the second lars quietly says your name in that soft voice of his…

“love?”

you’re there immediately, “hm?”

“could… could you come here for a second?”

you drop everything, because if lars asks for affection, it’s basically a national holiday for you. he opens his arms a tiny bit, “…i was wondering if maybe…” you’re already hugging him, he smiles into your hair so softly nobody else even notices, “…thank you.” lars doesn’t ask for much, so when he does ask, even in the smallest ways, you never make him ask twice.

✶ the whole town slowly realises something important. you may be glamorous, you may be confident, you may turn heads everywhere you go, but around lars? you’re just so hopeless, completely, helplessly in love. the second he smiles at you, every bit of your carefully curated composure disappears. suddenly you’re giggling, and playing with his fingers, and leaning into his shoulder, looking at him like he’s the prettiest thing you’ve ever seen. and he looks at you exactly the same way.

✶ every now and then, lars catches people staring at the two of you. he knows what they’re thinking, how did he end up with her? he still doesn’t really know either. but then you’ll reach over, intertwine your fingers with his, and absentmindedly kiss the back of his hand while you’re talking to someone else, like it’s the most natural thing in the world, and for just a second, he stops wondering why you chose him. because the way you love him is so effortless, so certain, that he starts believing maybe he really is exactly where he’s meant to be.

✶ he’d fall in love because you were kind to him, and you’d fall in love because he’s lars. the whole “she’s a baddie and he’s just… lars” thing only works because neither of you actually sees it that way.