* 𝕙𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕪, / 𝓱𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂

❝ I could stop. ❞ He of course wouldn't. He enjoyed coming back here with a fresh bouquet of flowers, hot coffee and maybe even a foot message for her. Feeling her body form against his, he smiled about it, wrapping his arm around her waist while the water washed over their bodies. ❝ If you were a Scrooge maybe. ❞ He joked with a half chuckle.

She reached up, her damp digits tracing the line of his jaw before resting at the nape of his neck. Her expression softened. "You're a creature of habit." She murmured, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Lucky for you, I happen to love those habits. If you actually stopped bringing me coffee and flowers, I’d probably think you’d been replaced by a clone." She turned slightly in his arms, her hands settling on his shoulders as she matched his gaze. "So don't stop. I'm pretty sure I'm addicted to the attention anyway."

Slowly nodding her head, Ripley gave a slow clap of approval. ❝ Okay mister hot shot, consider me impressed. ❞ She spoke twirling the ring in her hand. The competitiveness inside of her was telling her to throw her shot, to make it and prove that she was great, but the flirty date inside of her was also debating about asking him to help guide her. She took the third option, turning her back to him, leaning down slightly to shake her ass in front of him, aiming to toss her next ring, bounding off of the one to swirl around the neck of another bottle. ❝ And that would be two for three now baby. ❞

When the ring caught the glass with a satisfying clink and settled around the neck, he finally whistled. "Two for three, baby." He repeated, his voice dropping an octave as he stepped closer, closing the distance until he was standing just behind her. "I see how it is. You lure me in with the 'help me' eyes and then you pull a stunt like that? Dirty pool, Ripley. High-level manipulation." He reached out, his hand hovering just inches from her waist before he instead plucked the final ring from the counter, offering it to her with a mock bow. "You've got one left to sweep the boar." He murmured, his eyes gazing onto hers. "But if you’re looking for a tie-breaker that doesn't involve plastic rings, I might have a few ideas."

❝ Come on... is that even a question? ❞ He asked raising up a brow. To Jasper the answer would always be both, both or bacon if he had to choose between the two. He was always a foodie, loving food, loving eating, loving breakfast. He couldn't help slightly laugh to her, looking at her, keeping his menu down on the table, a smile beaming on his lips.

She leaned her chin into her palm as she watched the sheer enthusiasm radiate off him. She didn't even need to look at the menu to know what he was thinking. "Right, right. Silly me." She teased, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "I forgot I was talking to the man who thinks 'variety' just means ordering one of everything on the griddle." She reached across the table, playfully nudging the corner of his menu with her index finger. "But if you're going for both, you better be prepared to share a bite of that bacon."

To say Rory was excited for her was an understatement. He was, he was ecstatic. This was her dream and he could see the light imitating off her her, radiating in her smile. He listened to her speak, or more so rush to get the words out which made him softly laugh. ❝ I'll make sure that I can get a break away. I'm sure the team will be okay if I miss one practice. ❞ Between traveling between cities, practice just about every single day, it was hard to build relationships and keep them. ❝ I'll be front row cheering you on, seeing your dreams come true. ❞ Looking down at his almost naked body, seeing the massive bruise, he nodded his head. ❝ Yeah, it's no big deal. ❞

Carly’s heart did a nervous little skip in her chest, a rhythm that had nothing to do with the stage. When he laughed, she finally paused, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. Hearing him offer to miss practice felt like a heavy weight lifting off her shoulders, though a flicker of guilt followed close behind. She knew his world; she knew the pressure of the jersey and the unrelenting schedule that demanded his presence every single day. "You don't have to downplay it. I know how much you give to that team." The woman paused. "If you're really there…in the front row…I don't think I'll be nervous at all. I’ll just be performing for you."

An actual date with Avery. Freya never thought she would see that day but... it was her best friend, she was hot, she made her smile, laugh, feel important and she wouldn't deny that she didn't think about what her lips would feel like against her own. ❝ I can definitely get behind that. One suggestion... Start the night with a kiss then dinner. ❞ Part of her was teasing, joking, while another part of her was completely serious.

Avery stood up straighter, her confidence catching up to her heartbeat. If Freya wanted to be bold, Avery was more than happy to meet her halfway. "You realize that I'm about to you're about to watch me stumble over my words, Freya." Avery admits softly. "Because if that's the new itinerary...I might be at your door five minutes early." She paused. "Consider the suggestion accepted. Prepare to be kissed thoroughly before we even see a menu."

Holding her body on the edge of his pool, his eyes looked up at her, almost searching them as he felt like his ear twitched at what she said. It made his swim trunks get tighter, his hands inch higher up on her thighs that were exposed, dangling in the pool while he was rested between her legs. His mouth started to get dry. This was his best friend and he was starting to cross the line between friendship and something more. His hands inched even higher, the tips tracing against her bikini bottoms. ❝ I'll keep trying anything to make you happy. ❞ His voice was a soft whisper, lips attaching to her neck now.

Leila’s breath hitched, the sound caught in the back of her throat as his digits grazed the edge of her bikini bottoms. The water from the pool felt cool against her skin, but where his hands rested, she felt a searing heat that made her mind go hazy. She looked down at him, her digits instinctively tangling into the damp hair at the nape of his neck to steady herself. When his lips pressed against the sensitive skin of her neck, a shiver that had nothing to do with the water raced down her spine. She tilted her head back, exposing more of her throat to him, her eyes fluttering shut as the boundaries she had spent years building began to dissolve. "You're playing with fire, and I don’t think I want you to stop."

There was never a specific day or pin point as to when he started feeling such strong feelings toward Nova. Never a day that he could remember that made him think that this was the person that he wanted by his side. She started off being his best friend and now.. now he wanted her to be his girlfriend, the guy by his side, the person he could call any hour like she always was. ❝ I'll be here as long as we can get before reality has to set back in. ❞ He half laughed, licking his lips slightly.

Nova watched him, her head tilted slightly. When he spoke, she felt that familiar pull. As he mentioned staying until reality set back in, Nova felt a small, secret smile tug at the corners of her mouth. Nova shifted closer to him. "Reality is overrated anyway." She murmured.

Alaska leaned her shoulder against the doorframe, arms crossed, giving him the exact kind of unimpressed stare that usually sent grown men scrambling for safety, though it was actually extremely sweet of him. ❝ Wow, ❞ she drawled, eyeing the sunflowers, the chocolate, the paints. ❝ Aren't you being adorable today. ❞ But despite the razor edge in her tone, the corner of her mouth tugged upward—just barely, but unmistakably. Alaska stepped aside to let him in, watching him with that look that said she was whipped. ❝ We both know what the answer is going to be now baby. You feed me truffles while getting me naked in pain. ❞ She smirked.

He stepped past her into the room. He set the paint down on the table first, the colorful tubes clattering softly, before turning back to her with the sunflowers. He closed the distance between them, ignoring the door she’d just opened to crowd back into her space. He liked it when she was "whipped," mostly because it meant he was the only one allowed to see the cracks in her armor. "You say 'adorable' like it's a dirty word, Alaska." Jacob teased. "But if the price of admission is feeding you chocolate while you're…occupied…then I think I can manage the overtime." He straightened up, his eyes gazing onto hers. "Now, are you going to keep standing there judging my floral arrangements, or are we going to put those paints to use?"