#reader x grayson

the car ride was awkward, to say the least. a heavy silence fell over the car, and it felt increasingly suffocating as the seconds ticked by despite the large SUV. you could feel grayson’s stare boring into the side of your head, and made it a point to not look at him, choosing to look at the houston scenery instead. 

“such a lovely surprise, y/n. you’ve made your point. i’ll send the car back once i’m dropped off,” he stated.

“no. i am coming with you and i will stay. since, after all, this is about business isn’t it?” you quipped. if he wanted business, he could have it. “as you very well know, i’m an expert with numbers, and from what i’ve been reading, unless avery hires new analysts, since you don’t have any direct ownership after tobias’s will, the foundation needs some work.” you finally turned to look at him. to your surprise, he didn’t seem all that upset, his eyes ablaze with heat and amusement. despite the glint in his eye, his face remained stoic, giving nothing away. 

for a long moment, grayson simply stared at you. ever so subtly, his eyes trailed down to take in your outfit, scanning your bright yellow sundress and wedges. you felt the heat of his gaze down to your toes, but you kept your façade up and simply rolled your eyes to turn back to the window. 

“while we would be glad to have your input on last quarter’s performance, y/n, you and i both know you’re not here to actually be helpful.” he remarked. you could feel anger surging to your face at yet another dig from him, but you steeled yourself to not rise to the bait.

eventually, the SUV slowed down in front the office, and before you could hear anything from grayson, you got out of the car and strode in without hesitation, brushing past the awaiting paps with a quick wave. truth be told, you knew you were out of your mind doing this. but, you had a point to prove and would go to lengths to do it. you kept a brisk pace until you strode right into grayson’s office and sat down right in his chair. 

a few seconds later, he strolled into the room, followed by two assistants, with one holding a coffee and another showing him a stack of papers that needed looking over. without looking up, he took the coffee and papers, and – “get out of my chair, y/n.” 

“you didn’t even look up!” you were appalled at his audacity. “and anyway, i need a workspace to do my job, and this works just fine, thanks for asking. i’m sure you can find somewhere else that suits your fancy,” you commented, leaning back into his seat that smelled so much like his cologne. taking in a deep breath, (and totally pretending it wasn’t because of his delicious scent) you fired up the computer at his desk. when you were younger, your mother often urged you to join the hawthorne boys to visit the office with tobias, learning from his riddled expertise, making you pretty much at home with the internal interface of the company’s system and office itself. 

not even bothering to finish up what he was reading, as he looked up to look right at you and shot you a look. “this isn’t the time for games, y/n. we have an important team meeting later this week and i–” you were so done with his scolding. you were not a petulant child. just as you were about wheel around and tell him off, you didn’t realise how close he actually was and the office chair crashed straight into him, knocking the coffee in his hand onto him.

the warm liquid soaked through his powder blue button up shirt, luckily sparing his suit jacket which had been hung in the corner of his office at some point. and though you felt bad for the accident, the apology dried up in your mouth when you caught the way the shirt now clung to his defined body, not sparing anything to the imagination. you had grown up seeing all four brothers half naked at some point, but for some reason, in the confined space of his office and your fake relationship, grayson’s presence seemed different, and not in a way you wanted to put a name to.

“fucking hell, y/n.” he grumbled, quickly moving to unbutton his shirt and shrugging it off, leaving him entirely shirtless. if you thought your mouth was dry earlier, it had now lost its memory of what any liquid had ever felt like. you quickly muttered an apology, reaching for a tissue box close by and grabbing a bunch to wipe it off his chest and stomach. you worked quickly, not wanting to make any eye contact, afraid of what you might see, or worse, what you might not see. and yet, without looking at him, you could feel his stare bore into you, the increased proximity making it all the more hard to avoid. just as you were about to move away, grayson caught your wrists, forcing you to stay close. hesitantly, you slowly looked up at him, hyper aware of every point of contact. 

“i’m sorry,” you blurted. even though you were unbelievably mad at the asshole, you genuinely felt bad that scalding coffee had spilled all over him with no other clothes to spare. that, and the fact that the increasing tension with the lack of the space in between the two of you was sparking ideas in your head that you did not want to entertain. slowly, one of his hands let go of your wrist to brush a lock of your hair out of your face. he lightly gripped your jaw, holding you in place as he leaned into your ear. 

just as he was about to say something, someone burst into the room, springing the two of you apart immediately. 

“mr hawthorne, ms. mil–” one of grayson’s assistants started, but upon noticing your proximity, and well, grayson’s lack of clothes, immediately snapped their jaw shut before they could finish. before you blinked, alina strolled right in. 

annoyed, grayson shrugged his ruined shirt back on, while alina commented, “interesting business attire today, gray. didn’t realise it was bring-your-fake-girlfriend-to-work day either. i’m sure you’ve seen the tabloids on how much avery appreciates your new fake relationship. tsk tsk, you really ought to warn me beforehand. our meeting starts in 10 minutes, and we’re due for a quick chat, remember?” you felt heat rush to your face in embarrassment, feeling like the petulant child that grayson was telling off just 5 minutes ago. “you know very well that she is my very real girlfriend alina. it’s time you gave up trying to get a rise out of me.” he snapped.

before this could get any more unpleasant, you stepped further away from grayson, quickly logging out on his computer and turning away while he began buttoning his ruined shirt. as you brushed past a smug alina to leave the room, you didn’t bother acknowledging her presence and simply said, “i’ll send over my report and a fresh shirt, grayson,” striding out of the room towards the entrance where you called the SUV to come back to pick you up. it was no wonder the asshole didn’t want you here today, he was too busy entertaining only the nicest person you’d ever met. and you especially didn’t want to think about his only defence to her insult being about your fake relationship. there were a few pap stragglers left from your earlier entrance, immediately catching sight of you and snapping pictures, but you were no longer in the mood to even acknowledge them, quickly rushing into the car before they could ask any questions. 

“home, please,” you requested the driver, turning to face the window to keep your anger and shame in check. as the car was pulling away, grayson stormed out of the office with his ruined shirt half hanging off him, the rest of the buttons forgotten in his hurry to catch you. he too ignored the paparazzi but you could tell this moment would be plastered everywhere. but it was too late, and you watched his resigned expression as the car drove off. you made a quick call to the hawthorne estate to send a fresh shirt back to the office, before your phone flashed grayson’s contact on it. you sighed, not wanting to hear another scolding from him and let it ring through.

the rest of the day, you stayed true to your word and went through the numbers of the foundation’s last quarter. it was tedious and you were exhausted by the end of it, but you were nothing if not true to what you promised and sent grayson the report by the end of the day. now, he had absolutely nothing to complain about, since you were taking care of the business side too, and that was apparently all he cared about. having changed into a comfortable lounge set in one of the many rooms on your estate, you walked out to your back patio facing the sunset. you had been working all day and hadn’t had any time to simply rest, forget do anything else, so you curled up on one of the outdoor chairs, until your father walked out and took the seat opposite yours.

“how are you, darling?” he asked, leaning back and crossing an ankle over a knee while nursing a tea. subtly, he watched the hawthorne estate next door, totally giving away his intentions for talking to you. “it’s nothing, dad.” you dismissed, facing the sunset again. you knew he was asking because today was probably a shit show on the tabloids, but you couldn’t bring yourself to talk about it any more.

“well, i’m not sure that’s what the papers and media are saying. nothing would be an understatement by miles,” he chuckled, taking a sip of his tea and assessing you. “you look tired today. and i can imagine why seeing that boy half shirtless leaving the office. not to mention avery being thrown in there too,” he said lightly, but you knew that comment was anything but innocent. 

“dad! it isn’t like that and you know it. i don’t even like him that way and to imagine doing anything of that sort in the office is insanity,” you rolled your eyes. “and as for avery, i don’t know why she did that. she’s naive and new to this world, unaware of how her every expression will be scrutinised to no end. i wouldn’t even blame her if she actually had a thing for grayson,” you added. and it was true, though you still felt a twinge of jealousy, it was natural for a girl like her, thrown way out of her depth to feel some sort of attraction towards the hawthorne brothers, especially grayson. it was understandable, but an inconvenience to the PR stunt you guys were trying to pull to save her ass.

“i’m just pulling your leg, i know why you’re doing this, love. but you need to be careful because you’re in the public eye more than ever now. with avery now thrown in, you need to show a united front to clean this mess up asap. and don’t lie to me, if you didn’t feel anything for that boy you wouldn’t have spent all day looking at those numbers for him for free.” your parents knew you in and out, and it was true, a few weeks ago, doing something like this for grayson would be unthinkable. but things had changed. a fake relationship somehow seeped into your mind as an excuse to actually get to know grayson beyond the stoic man he had now become. 

an exhausted sigh left your lips. you didn’t know what to say to your father, knowing that he was right.

a/n: again, if you made it this far i hope you liked this part! i know it's been a hot minute but i will genuinely try my best to wrap this up in a few more parts so as to not leave you guys hanging. love you all so much for reading <3

you swiped the last bit of burgundy lipstick on your lips and leaned back to give yourself one last glance over. you were never one for appearances, and yet, you could appreciate when your manager had done you well by hiring a top-notch stylist. it wasn’t your regular taste, but you were dressed in a classy champagne dress that ended at your knees followed by a sheer trail, with your hair tastefully done up. you were dressed to impress, and you were sure that’s exactly the impression your manager wanted you to have. after all, today’s interview on the late-night show was for that - impressing people so they would be distracted from the real issue.

after sitting in the makeup and hair chair for almost 2 hours (and many leg cramps), you were ready to just get this interview over and done with. it didn’t help that you were stuck doing the interview with a gorgeous asshole, who was basically just using you for damage control regarding avery’s inheritance. you had to hand it to him though - suggesting that the two of you do an interview together would’ve been a genius idea, if it weren’t for the fact that you barely got along and hated each other’s guts. you vaguely recall your manager trying to talk you down from punching him for suggesting something so incredulous. despite all the odds, however, you were in this new hotel room in LA, still going through with it because you had no other choice. It was either peace or full fledged war with the hawthornes, which of course, no one wanted, despite the amount of dirt you had on them.

getting back into your element, you shake yourself off and click open your hotel room door, and glanced up, meeting a pair of grey eyes. grayson. lord knows, they couldn’t let you two have any kind of space despite how much you protested. you paused for a second, assessing him and his sleek, all-black suit. your eyes particularly caught his hair, which was perfectly tousled just so. all the while, you could feel his gaze burning a hole through you, and to escape his heated stare, you decided that staring at him with your jaw on the floor probably wasn’t the best option. so, extremely smoothly, you awkwardly nodded at him in acknowledgment and began walking towards the elevators. no matter how much you two butted heads, deep down, you knew you couldn’t deny how gorgeous grayson was - and the horrific fact that he never clearly seemed aware of this and the effect it did on the women around him.

as you walked in front of him, he called out, taunting. “for once you’re actually on time, l/n,” he remarked, following you into the elevator. the private elevator was small, leaving the two of you a lot closer than your comfort.

“it’s better to arrive late than ugly, right, hawthorne? oh wait, you wouldn’t know,” you mocked, trying to recover from your awkwardness earlier. 

he dismissed your taunt and looked at the screen counting down the floor numbers. a beat later, he said, “you clean up well.” paired with a side-glanced once over.

your heart dropped for a second. a genuinely nice comment? a compliment? From grayson of all people? was this hell? so, to recover from yet another embarrassing interaction, you replied with, “i know.”

just as the elevator doors opened to reveal your manager, security, and the rest of your team, you swore you heard a soft chuckle behind you, feeling the motion of someone shaking their head. 

–

you walked onto the stage first, followed by grayson, shaking hands with the interviewer, monica.

“welcome y/n and grayson! It’s such a pleasure to have you guys with us today. I must say y/n, your dress is absolutely stunning - hook me up with your stylist please!” monica jested, warming up the audience. 

with your ample media training, you responded, “thank you so much - the stylists at valentino are truly special! i’m forever grateful for my team for getting me here in one piece.” this earned a few chuckles from the audience. you glanced over at grayson to share the joke and unsurprisingly, he fit into his role perfectly, smiling wide at you. you continued, “i just love hanging out with you, monica, especially because every time i’m on your show you always leave me with a good laugh.” you grinned at the camera.

grayson smiled beside you, a fake one, and agreed. “of course, i totally agree with y/n - it’s such a pleasure to be here, especially with an interviewer as charming as you, monica.”

monica then began asking the same basic questions, catching the audience up to what you and grayson have been up to for the past few months. she even tried to ask about avery, but you and grayson were able to work together to swerve her questions successfully. eventually, she got to the question that you had been dreading all day.

“well, let me just cut to the chase - you guys grew up together right?” monica asked as she turned and gestured to the massive screen behind her, showing a picture of baby you and Grayson, grinning at the camera with cake all over you. you couldn’t believe your manager approved that photo. “aren’t you two such cuties! me and, of course, the rest of the world are dying to know whether you guys are just friends, or potentially something… more?” she wiggled her eyebrows. 

you were used to the question, and yet, you felt uncomfortable. just as you began to open your mouth to deny, deny, deny, grayson quickly grabbed your hand that was resting on your lap and placed it on his thigh. you whipped your head and looked at him, trying to understand what he was up to. you obviously couldn’t give anything away in front of the live audience and cameras, and tried to play along. grayson smoothly replied, “actually monica, we wanted to break the news here, with you, and for the rest of the fans. yes, y/n and I are dating, and have been for the past few months. we’ve kept it a little hidden because we wanted to make it official privately.” 

he leaned towards you and gave you a peck on the cheek - as he did this, you could smell his cologne brush past you, hair tickling you slightly. as much as you wanted to turn around and scream at him, you knew the camera was rolling, and that you had to play along - for now. you awkwardly smiled at monica, who was bursting with excitement. you tried to give your best performance and caressed Grayson’s hand that was still resting on your lap.

“oh. my. god. are you two being for real? i'm so happy for you! the whole world was dying to see the two of you together, especially with your history and chemistry! you have to tell us how and when this happened!” monica enthused. 

your hand was still in grayson’s grip, and in order to play it off, you pretended to give him a disguised loving look, which only he would know the real threat of. you pretended to lean in to give him a hug, but as you did this, you whispered in his ear, “i’m going to kill you.” you faced back to the cameras, trying to hide the murderous storm brewing inside you, and started answering some more questions on your new “relationship”.

murder was on your to-do list tonight.

leading you out of the mansion and outside, grayson’s hand was still wrapped around yours, and not that you’d ever admit it, it felt just right. the sun was low, casting a warm orange glow on the estate, making the trees near the laughlin cottage look majestic. he led you to a distant and secluded spot, which looked sketchy at first, but upon further inspection, it froze your insides.

it was gorgeous. breathtaking, even. when did he have the time? a fluffy blanket lay on the soft grass, with a large spread of bread, cheese, fruits, chocolate and pizza. it was covered in cushions and throw blankets, each one begging to be squished. on the left, a little teepee stood, proud and tall, and surprisingly, seemed big enough to fit two. you didn’t want to think about being alone with grayson in that little tent for another second, or you’d turn red and he’d know where your thoughts were going. the whole area was decorated with fairy lights everywhere, and tiny candles around the grass. the orange glow of the sun brought the whole thing to life.

“gray… what is this?” you said breathlessly. it was almost surreal to think anyone would ever do this for you, let alone someone who’s been a nuisance to you for most of your life.

“a picnic. like promised,” he shrugged. “james and xan almost killed me in the process of setting everything up and i had to make them swear they wouldn’t blurt a thing when you came.”

letting go of grayson’s hand, you moved to take a seat near the spread. you already missed the contact, not that you’d ever admit that out loud. “how’d you know i’d even come today? you didn’t call me over,” you frowned. you almost felt guilty for ignoring grayson for the past 2 weeks after getting back from LA. key word being almost. grayson’s stormy eyes lit up with humour. “actually wait, scratch that. what’d you tell xan to keep his mouth shut? that boy has the loosest lips i know.”

“he’s actually a better secret keeper than you think,” grayson replied, settling into the blanket opposite you. “and as for you, y/n, you always underestimate how well i know you. i wonder who gave me the idea for the picnic,” he smirked, leaning back.

oh boy was he evil for looking like that. the sun’s rich light kissed him in all the right spots, making his golden hair shine even brighter. his skin was glowing, and his sexy-rolled-up-crumpled shirt was doing no favours to hiding his lean yet fit figure, accentuating his arms. you swore you could feel some drool slip out of your mouth but clamped your mouth shut before a fly flew in it instead. having this reaction to grayson, of all people, felt irritating. you mentally began to chant ‘he’s still a dick, he’s still a dick’ otherwise god knows where your mind would go.

looking around again, you realised what he meant. “oh my god, gray. are you talking about the time amelia in the 5th grade had that birthday party and someone dared me to describe my dream date?” you gasped. “the teepee and everything.”

he lightly chuckled but didn’t answer. a comfortable silence settled over the two of you as you began eating. as time passed, you found yourselves lying on the blanket covered with cusions with grayson stretched out next to you, staring up at the bright sky covered in stars. a cool breeze swished by, and despite the cropped sweater, a chill ran down you.

wordlessly, grayson’s arm wrapped under your head and pulled you closer. maybe it was the silence, or the picnic, or maybe even the proximity, but you felt a pressing question you just had to ask.

“what does this mean gray? the picnic, the niceness, all of it. what are you playing at?” you were desperately waiting to hear him admit that he felt something, anything, between the two of you.

a long pause stretched. “y/n. don’t ask something you’re not ready to hear,” he remarked.

offended, you turned to face him. “what does that mean?”

“it’s business, y/n. i thought we discussed this. there’s no falling in love with each other remember? we made that clear from the first day. don’t tell me i underestimated you,” he said, matter-of-factly.

you felt the blood rush to your face. you were stupid. stupid to think anything could ever happen with him. he was him, an asshole, who was cold and unforgiving. no room for someone like you in his life. and the worst part? he was right. it was a business transaction. nothing more and nothing less right?

“like it’s ‘just business’ with alina?” you scoffed, sitting up. “where are the paps then? surely spending time in my presence requires some compensation right?” you spat. you couldn’t help it, the bitterness flowing out of you. you didn’t even know why his admission was so hurtful. 

you quickly got up and stormed away, back towards the mansion, using your phone to light the way. you could hear his quick footsteps behind you, but you didn’t have it in you anymore. you broke into a sprint, racing back to the house. you could feel pricks of tears beginning of form, and you quickly swiped your sleeve on your eyes. to hell with him. 

reaching one of the many back patios of the mansion, you quickly dialed your manager, telling her to tip off some of the paps to show up in front of the mansion. grayson managed to catch up and opened his mouth to explain, but you stopped him.

“no. i don’t want to hear it. you are going to come with me, in front of your house, kiss me like you mean it, and act like you’re in love with me. i want something of use to come out of this evening for one of us,” you quipped.

roles reversed, you grabbed his left wrist and dragged him behind you towards the entrance of the house. he followed you silently, and for once, knew when not to cross the line. you swung the front door open, and stepped out. as expected, the paps were waiting, already greedy for information on avery but even more excited for gossip on you and the hawthorne family.

you grabbed grayson by the collar and pulled him in for a deep kiss, deeper than any kiss you’d ever had before. your fingers quickly found their home in his soft hair, and you kissed him hard, unapologetic if it hurt him. his arm wrapped around your waist, curving you towards him, and you pulled back before it went into territory that wasn’t appropriate to be on tabloids. you stepped back, gave him your best fake smile and waved, walking back towards your house down the street.

grayson hesitated, unsure if he should let you go. he knew your anger was justified, he’d been an asshole, ruining the moment even though he didn’t mean what he said. after that kiss, he knew he couldn’t let you walk away that easily. he chased you down the driveway, wrapping his arm around your waist. 

“what are you doing?” you hissed through a feigned look of pleasant surprise.

“i know i don’t deserve it. but please. let me walk you down,” he pleaded. his eyes soft, you were almost convinced he meant it.

you rolled your eyes and kept walking, knowing the media were getting a full fledged drama scene unfold in front of them. the two of you kept walking until your front door, where you gave him one last peck for the cameras and shut the door in his face. you turned your back to the door and caught your breath. he would truly be the death of you.

–

the next morning, you were up at dawn. if he was going to use you for business, it would be on your terms. you wanted him to suffer, and decided to don your best summer dress. practical uses only of course, as texas was hot this time of the year. at around 9, you strolled over to the hawthorne mansion. 

as security cleared your entrance, xan was already waiting for you in the entryway. 

“oh no. i know that look. did gray do something? after all that work for the picnic?” xan scrunched his eyebrows. “i’m gonna kill him one of these days…” he murmured. 

“xan, darling, it’s nothing. don’t worry about it. i’ll have my revenge in due time. isn’t he leaving for the office soon?” you raised an eyebrow.

xander looked suspicious. “he is.. but what are you doing with that information, y/n?”

“oh, nothing..” you looked around. and speaking of the devil, grayson magically appears in front of you, sexily dressed in corporate wear with a mildly annoyed expression.

“no. you aren’t coming with me.” he deadpanned, making a move for the front door. you quickly blocked him, putting a finger to his lips.

“it’s business right? then surely i can be of some use,” you taunted, turning back around and opening the door wide open. before he could argue with that, you quickly walked over to his car, flashed your face for the paps to know it’s you and not a mysterious woman and slid in the SUV.

grayson shook his head in mock defeat. “she’s going to be the death of me, that siren,” he remarked, earning a laugh from xan. as he walked over to the car, you couldn’t help but secretly admire him from the tinted windows where you knew he wouldn’t know. these moments were just for you, and never for him to find out. but before your thoughts could go anywhere, you caught yourself and faced the opposite window. you were mad at him, remember? 

as grayson climbed into the car next to you, you noticed the front door open behind him again, showing a disappointed avery. xander quickly pulled her back in the house before the paps noticed, but it was too late. a sick feeling curled in your stomach. the whole point, of everything, this ‘business’, the dates, the kisses, everything, was to deflect off avery. and of course she was a child, but she was still naive. unaware of the hunger tabloids have for the next story. everything, over the past few weeks, would be for nothing, because the whole world would watch a lovely fake hawthorne love triangle unfold.

a/n: please let me know what your thoughts are on the story so far - i feel a little directionless atm but i also don't want to waste your time with these chapters to if you have any ideas/suggestions for where you want this to go, i am open to all! if you read this whole thing, ily.

tag list!!! (oh my god we have grown!!!! i am so excited shfjsdhfk welcome to the cool kid club <3): @shadowqueen25, @manyfandomsfanvergent @tragicallygray, @darkenwolfie, @stonksman8, @jujutsukaisenfan

there was a dull ache in your chest the whole journey back to houston. entertaining the crazy possibility of it having anything to do with grayson was absolutely absurd and yet, that’s all you kept hearing from everyone around you. first, your parents, who were absolutely confused about finding out about the deal that was struck between you and grayson.

“seriously y/n? you think we can’t survive this? we’ve been through this once and we’ll go through it again - and so will the hawthornes. there was absolutely no need to do this with grayson,” your mother sighed, leaning back into a plush armchair in one of your family’s many seating rooms. “unless… do you have something to tell me y/n? maybe something that’ll explain why you’ve been off since you got back from LA?” she leaned forward.

you rolled your eyes, seeing where she was going with this. “no, mom. there’s nothing of the sort going on. he’s busy being the man of the house at the hawthorne mansion and i’m sure he has his hands full with avery,” you looked out to the cloudy sky, taking a sip of iced tea.. “probably literally too,” you grumbled. it was probably true, anyway. it had now been a few days since your return back to houston and not a single peep from that asshole. you couldn’t tell if you liked that he was giving you space or if he was being insufferable by not doing anything about it. while you were mad at him for having arrangements with alina, business was business and you had to respect that. but truth be told, it wasn’t alina that bothered you - you knew she was a product of her environment and was a bitch to protect herself, something even you could respect - but it was his lack of honesty. you expected better from him. 

“whatever it is, y/n, you should finish what you started. i’ve taught you better than that. the press think you two have broken up already. if you want to see this through, you need to be seen together. soon.” your mother gently laid a hand over yours. “i never wanted this for you - a life of lies, pretend, games… but you get what you get with the hawthornes. tobias was a force to be reckoned with and he made sure his grandsons are the same. actually - y/n - you should check on avery. poor girl’s been thrown into a completely new life and being the only girl in house full of teenage boys? she’ll need the support.” she advised.

as much as you wanted to take out your irritation on avery, you knew your mom was right. avery was innocent, unknowing to the rules and laws of the cutthroat world of the hawthornes. a plan clicking into place, you decided to head over to your beloved’s, plan set to work.

__

after having the hawthorne security team green-light your entry, you walked into the entrance room and looked around the familiar place. distant memories of chasing grayson and then younger jameson around tickled the back of your mind. xan, to be really honest, was your favourite. not that you’d ever admit it. hearing of your arrival, you could hear xan’s footsteps picking up in pace to come to a dramatic halt in front of you.

“y/n! it’s only been 10 days, 54 minutes, and 29 seconds since we last met. truly a disgrace! and you never even mentioned that you’ll soon be a hawthorne,” he teased, leaning in for a hug. you squeezed him tight. being the youngest in a group of ruthless brothers couldn’t be easy but when you were as smart as xan, it balanced out.

“i missed you, idiot. don’t joke about me taking your name. even if i were to get married to your cretin brother, he’d be taking my last name, not the other way around.” xander scoffed in mock offence. you linked arms with him and began leading the way to the left, towards the east wing. “now, do tell. i’m here for avery. i want to chat with her, meet her, get to know how she’s doing.”

“before you do that, y/n. could you clarify what you meant by ‘he’d be taking my last name, not the other way around’. because last i checked, hawthorne sounds supremely better than y/l/n.” grayson’s voice behind you sent chills down your spine. 

you tried to hide the shudder that ran through your body after not having heard his voice in a hot minute. xander wouldn’t let it go if you didn’t swallow it down. without turning around you quipped, “it’s okay to be wrong, grayson, welcome to the new normal since we’re dating and all.” you heard a short chuckle with footsteps following you.

xander barked a laugh before opening the door in front you, apparently leading to where avery currently was. “your highness,” he gave a dramatic curtsy. laughing, you playfully pushed him up before walking in. stopping abruptly, you spun around and blocked the doorway. 

“let me innnnnnnn,” xan whined. a singular eyebrow arched on grayson’s otherwise perfect face behind him. he was intrigued. 

“nope. girl’s time.” you grinned, knowing they would hate you for this. shutting the door in their faces, you turned back around, only to see avery’s wide eyed gaze already watching you.

you flicked imaginary dirt off yourself and your tasteful flared jeans and cropped sweater. hardly houston-weather friendly for this time in the year, but fashion was always a worthy sacrifice. locking eyes again, you smiled, unable to take her innocent expression seriously. 

“hi avery - i didn’t mean to corner you in here. xan and gray have a way of meddling in things that don’t need any testosterone, and this happens to be one of those times.” you quickly looked around the room, noting it to be one of tobias’ many libraries. you felt a flicker of approval hum inside you.

“hi, y/n.” a beat passed. avery was still sat in the same armchair she was settled in when you entered, watching you sit across from her. “xander’s been constantly talking to me about you. aren’t you grayson’s girlfriend?” her eyes seem to assess you, but you didn’t feel attacked, despite the twinge of want when she said gray’s name. tobias would only choose someone intelligent and worthy of his will.

“well, yes and no. publicly i am, but privately i’m not. it’s a ploy, really, to keep them distracted off your case and to let you have some room to breathe. i imagine you’re starting school with jameson and xan next week?” you inquired. you didn’t want to discuss gray if you could help it.

“i’m still trying to wrap my mind around it, but i guess xander mentioned it yesterday?” she huffed a short laugh. “it feels ridiculous here. surrounded by all this money? and it’s just normal? i’m an imposter,” she confessed.

you leaned back, relaxing into your chair. hearing her confess something so honest this quick was a good sign, a sign she was genuine and wanted your help. “i have to be honest, avery. i don’t know why he chose you. but i know this: he would only choose someone intelligent and worthy of it.” you looked away, feeling unhelpful. “i know it feels crazy and overwhelming. and i hate to break it to you, living with the hawthornes isn’t going to make it any easier. but that’s precisely why i’m here.” you paused for a second, realising how ridiculous and serious you sounded.

“i sound like i’m about to recruit you into the secret service.” both of you laughed. “none of that, okay? as a fellow girl who’s grown up with these idiots, i know what it’s like. if you’re ever feeling lost or just bored, i’m right there. literally. i live next door.” you winked. despite only being 2 years older, the role of an older sister felt natural, fluid, even. this seemed to comfort avery as she smiled back, a genuine one this time.

a few hours later, and the two of you were sick from giggling at stories from your childhood with the hawthorne boys. as you headed to the kitchen for dinner, grayson almost materialised from nowhere in one of the hallways, silently guaging the two of you together. 

“take a picture, i heard they last longer,” you retorted, once you felt his gaze linger on you for too long. you could basically hear avery’s smirk next to you.  

“good thing you’re feeling better. i was worried our deal was off,” he replied drily. you rolled your eyes, about to cross him for your quest for dinner, only to feel him catch your wrist. you turned to mouth him off, but he beat you to it.

“avery. left and keep walking straight. xan will find you.” his eyes never left yours for even a second. you couldn’t help but meet his piercing gaze, unable to look away. you heard avery pause, but eventually walk away. 

“what are you doing,” you whispered. you two were uncomfortably close, close enough for you to count his eyelashes, see the light ring of grey around his pupil, and feel his warm breath on your face. you refused to think about his lips. that was a spiral no one wanted to think about.

“taking you,” he leaned in, your face automatically leaning up towards him like a sunflower turning towards the sun. you felt his lips brush yours briefly, before he added, “on a date. we’re having a picnic.”

a/n: this chapter was slightly harder to write bc i'm not fully solid as to where this story is heading - i'll try and flesh it out asap so as to not bore you guys hahahah. i hope you liked it regardless and i am so excited to add all these new lovelies to my tag list!!!

to your surprise, grayson had booked the two of you a table at your favourite restaurant in LA. what was shocking was that he even put in the thought to do that. “i can’t believe you actually chose a decent place.” you smiled, looking around the restaurant.

he glanced at you sideways with an unreadable expression. “i don’t know what you mean, i have impeccable taste.”

you didn’t want to think deeper about what that meant, specifically about how his eyes lingered on you when he said it, and moved on. he pulled out a chair for you and sat across from you. he somehow managed to pick a secluded spot that had the best view, with just enough exposure for the paps to be satisfied. even though this was supposed to be fake, the moment feel strangely intimate. naturally, to ruin the moment, you glared at him, frustrated with this being sprung onto you without warning but also with grayson for being thoughtful about it, which made it even more infuriating.

“you do know we’re in the public right? most people tend to be nicer to their boyfriends,” he commented, without looking up from the menu. his slender fingers drummed the table lightly. at this point you were sure you were fuming at the ears. he had the audacity to be calm and collected too? well fuck him. 

“well you need to convince everyone here, too, you do realise. if anything, you should be nicer to me and break off this deal. pretty please? me being your girlfriend and all?” you mocked. 

grayson gave up and put the menu down, making direct eye contact with you. there was that mischievous glint to his eye again. he brought his hand and put it over your free hand that rested on the table. “y/n,” he warned, cocking his head to the right. “don’t try this here. i thought we had a matured, grown up conversation about this just some time ago? be nice.” even though his words had a dangerous undertone to them, he seemed at ease - if anything, he was amused. he liked this.

you rolled your eyes, ignoring his comforting hand that still rested on top of yours. you pulled your hand back to your lap. “nevermind. not holding hands just yet.” you murmured, looking at the menu to avoid his gaze. you heard a chuckle and chose to ignore it, ordering your food instead. 

“just trying to be a dutiful boyfriend. i thought we agreed we weren’t falling in love? surely a little physical touch doesn’t have you this flustered, y/n.” grayson teased. aaaand there the infuriating asshole was. how could you have forgotten? 

the meal and night was pleasant enough, with a few teasing remarks exchanged between the two of you. as you both walked back to your hotel, carefully choosing a hidden route to hide from the paps, a comfortable silence settled. the moon was bright, shining a silvery glow on grayson’s blond hair, giving him a halo of sorts. you carefully watched him, and noted the exhaustion written all over his face.

“damn. i must be really annoying if you seem that tired grayson. surely today wasn’t that bad considering you got to spend it with such an amazing and fabulous person?” you teased.

a short huff of laughter escaped him. “no, for once it isn’t you.” you tried not to point out the insult in that statement, but didn’t want to interrupt him, so you let it go. “it’s just… once avery showed up at the house those few weeks ago, no one had any idea what was going on. and well, james and xan are kids, you can’t even expect them to be helpful about it. nash is just wonderful because he’s been doing jack shit. i guess, today’s been the first day i haven’t had to directly deal with everyone and everything and my mind just feels.. quieter.” he confessed. you were dumbfounded by the fact that he actually answered honestly, which just suggested that he was seriously exhausted to admit this so easily.

“the fact that you went on a talk show, announced a fake relationship, and went on a fake date with your enemy, i am surprised you’d call that quiet. it must be pretty bad then.” you empathised with him, having dealt with PR issues with your own family in the past as well. it was never easy to manage the public eye, but it had to be done when you were as rich and famous as the hawthornes. you looked up at him, to find he was already looking at you. at a loss of words, you didn’t know what to say and looked away first. 

the two of you remained quiet for the rest of the walk back to your hotel. as you went back up the same fateful elevator and reached your rooms, you turned to open your door. as you were about to shut it behind you and bid grayson good night, he said, “for the record, i’ve never thought of you as my enemy. if i did, i wouldn’t have taken you on the show today. good night y/n.” with that, his door clicked shut.

you didn’t have a chance to reply but his words were swarming in your head as you undressed and got ready for bed. he didn’t think of you as an enemy? was it weird that it felt insulting? it almost felt like he didn’t think of you as important enough to even be considered that. or worse, he was indirectly telling you he liked you. but there was no way that was true, right? 

right?

--

the next morning, as you were heading to get dressed, you got a call from grayson. normally, you would let it ring, but since he’s your newly acclaimed “boyfriend”, you had to pick up. “good morning, loser. why are you calling when your room’s right opposite mine?” you questioned. 

without answering your question, grayson gave a curt reply. “you up? come down for breakfast, we need the paps to get photos of us together.” the phone cut. what? 

you couldn’t believe him. after last night, after what he said, you thought you both were on better terms. sure, you weren’t best friends, but hell was that conversation even real? was anything about last night real? you didn’t want to think about it, because you could feel the anger building up inside you again.

huffing in annoyance, you quickly dressed in fitted green shirt and a pair of bellbottom jeans. if the paps were gonna shoot you, the least you could do was look good while they were at it. you quickly accessorised with hoops, a gold watch and some bracelets. to top it off, you applied some concealer, mascara and lip gloss. you took the elevator down to the main breakfast area, looking for grayson. you found him sitting at one of the secluded outdoor tables with a pretty model sitting opposite him. she seemed familiar, but you couldn’t put your finger on it.

as you walked closer, you tried to ignore people’s gazes watching you. you stepped outside, and you saw the models’ gaze flick up to yours as you neared their table. it was a relatively cool morning, as per LA standards, but her gaze ran a chill down your spine. it clicked. 

she was the notorious alina milkhov, one of the world’s top models and also one of the biggest pains in your ass ever. she was entirely responsible for the media controversy that circulated around your family a few years ago and still to this day. she woke up one day and decided to talk pure shit to every media source that was willing to listen about you and your family, accusing you of all kinds of things. so no, she definitely wasn’t a friend. what was pissing you off even more in this moment was the fact that grayson sat opposite her, just as at ease as he was last night, chuckling at something she said. 

you stood next to the table. “good morning boyfriend.” you sent daggers at grayson through your eyes. your gaze slid to alina’s, and in an effort to be civil, you simply said, “move.”

alina scoffed, flipping straightened and shiny locks behind her shoulder. “you interrupted a very wonderful conversation. anyhow, i’ll see you later gray. let me know when you’re not hanging out with..” she trailed off, giving you a dirty once over. 

grayson abruptly got up. “alina, you and i are strictly on business relations. if you want to continue that business relationship, you will watch the way you speak to my girlfriend.” 

she looked taken aback for a moment, but quickly collected herself. she got up and strutted away in one fluid motion, not bothering with another word.

you sat down where she was just sitting without saying anything. you glanced at the menu, not acknowledging grayson. after placing your order, you looked off, not wanting to talk to the idiot that sat across from you.

he sighed loudly and leaned forward, grabbing your hands and holding them on the table between you two. caught off guard, you looked up at him with a skeptical gaze. he simply shrugged. “the paps are supposed to show up soon,” was all he said.

this annoyed you even further. you glared at him, finished your breakfast as soon as you could to get away from him. you couldn’t believe him. you scarfed down your meal, quickly stood up and rushed back to your room. you needed to clear your head, especially away from him. 

unfortunately, you could hear grayson rush after you, squeezing into the lift with you despite your best efforts to try and get it to shut before him.

he leaned back, facing you. “why are you mad this time? pretty sure the paps are definitely not convinced with whatever that was out there.”

“i am not even going to dignify that with a reply. fuck off gray,” you mocked. 

the lift dinged, and you stormed towards your room. you heard his steps behind, following you. just as you opened your door and were about to shut it behind you, he slipped behind you.

“don’t think i missed you calling me your boyfriend in front of alina. i know you don’t like her, but we have business relations with her company, and i can’t avoid her.” he explained, sitting on the rolling chair in your room to face you.

you huffed and sat on the bed. “i don’t care about her. i’m mad that you were rude to me yesterday, assuming i would agree to this business between us and asking my manager before me. i’m mad that my word or consent didn’t feel enough to you and you had to do it behind my back. i’m mad that we had an actually meaningful conversation last night and you woke this morning pretending it didn’t even happen. i’m mad that you called me down to have breakfast but were busy with your beloved alina. and i’m even more mad that you tolerate her presence knowing the damage she’s done to me and my family. you said you never thought of me as your enemy but are you sure? it sure doesn’t fucking feeling like it, grayson. and don’t think i missed you calling me your girlfriend either. ” you felt hysterical almost, and you didn’t even know why you were bothering telling him any of this. he was a dick and he sure as well didn’t care enough about you for it to make a difference.

grayson sat there, simply staring at you. his gaze felt like it was seeing through you, seeing through the bullshit facade you tried to show the rest of the world. “you’re jealous.” he stated. he chuckled softly, turning into a full-blown laugh. “oh my god, y/n, you’re jealous. and i was out here thinking you hated me.” he got up and walked towards you. you rolled your eyes and before you could open your mouth to retaliate, he placed two hands on your shoulders, looking down at you. “y/n. you’re the only fake girlfriend i could ever wish for. and i meant everything i said last night - it was a quiet day, one that i haven’t had in ages. and that’s thanks to you. you’re definitely not an enemy. i’m sorry i spoke to you rudely both yesterday and this morning. you’re right, i should’ve asked for your permission first - this definitely isn’t an excuse but i felt like i was running out of options and you were my last resort and i couldn’t have it backfire. i needed some kind of reassurance that you would do it. and about today, i was in a bad mood because alina had just called me, telling me she was dropping by for a chat after seeing our interview air last night. it’s definitely not an excuse, but.. i hope you can understand where i’m coming from.” 

his gaze pierced your own, and you felt the pounding in your ears quiet down. what? you were expecting a full blown fight, but grayson was actually being mature and understanding? did you wake up in an alternate universe by any chance? the restless energy that was building up expecting a fight felt useless considering he just admitted to his mistake. what kind of person does that? immediately apologises for their actions? ridiculous. 

“look, i don’t know. i need time and i think i need space. i just want to fly back to houston and go back to my family to think over this whole ordeal. we can do outings for PR but grayson, know that i can’t get my feelings involved any further. i’m trusting you to be responsible and not fuck up like this again, or i’m out.” you watched his reaction. his expression was unreadable. you knew this was for the necessary good - if you didn’t make this clear now, god knows how many times you’ll end up having this conversation. but you also knew that he was desperate to make this work.

and with a simple curt nod, he apologised again and left the room with a quiet click. and even though it felt good to have gotten that off your chest, why did it hurt to watch him leave?

a/n: i hope you all loved this chapter as much as i did writing it - i love these two and how fluffy they are in this <33333 cannot wait for you all to see chapter 4 i'm so excited!! thank you for reading!

once the interview was over, monica thanked you and grayson, leaving the two of you in the makeup and hair room alone. you turned towards him, silently glaring at him for a few seconds. finally, he broke the silence with a sigh, and said, “what is it?”

“what is it? what is it? what the fuck do you mean ‘what is it?’? what the fuck was that grayson? explain yourself. now.” you seethed. you couldn’t believe him. he had some audacity springing that onto in front of the cameras without even checking in whether you actually wanted to do this or not. yes, you had agreed to help with him this interview, and yes, it was consensual, but it was also supposed to be for this one time. you didn’t want to deal with this for months. this was crossing all kinds of boundaries. 

“well, if it weren’t obvious enough, you and i need to orchestrate a fake relationship. and before you go off on me, you need to understand it’s to keep the paps busy and off avery and the rest of my family’s case. we need any and all kinds of distractions right now. you of all people know that i hate pretending too. and regardless, we need to act quick and act now if we want to make this convincing enough.” he impatiently responded, briefly glancing at the rolex that sat on his lean wrist. he stepped closer, trying to reason with you.

your mind fuzzed a bit, but you had to stand your ground. 

“absolutely not. I’m not doing that, are you fucking insane? i hate you. i would never date you, let alone for the public. we’re announcing the breaking up in 2 days.” you were beyond angry, you were pissed. you were even more ticked off that what he said was making sense. 

“y/n. be reasonable - i know you are. you know you have to, your agent and my agent signed on this - we have to if it means keeping our families safe from the public eye. you and i know well enough the repercussions of letting them pick us apart.” memories of not even being able to leave the hawthorne mansion for months flitted your mind. it definitely was horrific. “we need to do this, and you’re the only person i trust at this point,” he admitted, sounding resigned. “i don’t like this any more than you do, but it’s a sacrifice we’re going to have to make.”

that caught you offguard. he trusted you? he’s a hawthorne; surely this was a trap. “you really must be desperate if you’re looking to me for help. wow.” you scoffed. you were still pissed off, but he had a clear point. when it came to family, you and grayson were always on the same page. family first, always. there was no arguing that. what was more frustrating, though, was that grayson knew exactly which strings to pull to get you to do what he wanted, and that made you hate him even more. 

“how do i know this isn’t one of your family’s infamous traps? i’ve dealt with enough with just xander and jameson - please don’t add to my list of vendettas.” you arched your brow. you knew grayson was always the more serious one of the brothers, but you also knew had a hidden mischievous side hidden for his most loved ones. not that you’d ever seen it, but you could tell.

“honestly? there’s no guarantee.” you narrowed your eyes. “but think about it, y/n. if i wanted to prank you, i would’ve put the spotlight on just you. remember, my neck’s on the line with this arrangement too.” he tilted his head trying to read your face. his grey eyes pierced your own, but you held his gaze. the anger was still coursing through your veins and you had to pick a fight.

“and what made you think i’d agree when you spoke to my manager before me, the person you’re actually faking a relationship with?” you crossed your arms. 

he sighed, brushing his hand through his hair tensely. “because you’re reasonable, y/n. you know what’s right and you know when to do it. but i had to get your manager’s yes before you to make sure you won’t do what you’re trying to do right now. wiggle out of it.”

after a long moment, you sighed. apparently hell was freezing over, because you said “fine. and since we’re doing this, we need to set some rules.”. you couldn’t believe you were giving into his plan.

“i knew you’d understand,” he shot you a small smirk. “what do you propose? oh wait, let me guess, ‘don’t fall in love’. trust me, you don’t need to worry about that.” he scoffed.

you couldn’t fight it and rolled your eyes. “that was not what i was going to say. i meant boundaries around PDA and how much we’re actually telling our families. and of course, since i’m head over heels for you, my love, please, take my hand in marriage,” you pleaded, with a melodramatic flourish.

weirdly, grayson’s eyes sparked with mischief, a sight you never really noticed before, with a playful smirk dancing on his lips. “don’t worry about it y/n. you and i aren’t dumb enough to not know the basic rules. we know each other a lot better than either of us want to admit. and when either one of us is uncomfortable, we’ll figure it out. together.” his grey eyes warmed a bit, catching you offguard. 

“why are you being nice about this?” you were skeptical. grayson had rarely ever been this nice, especially to you, his mortal enemy. or at least you thought.

“what do you mean? i’m always nice.” you giggled, walking past him to the vanity behind. you leaned forward, reapplying your lipstick carefully. in the mirror, your gaze flicked back to grayson, who had turned around and was apparently watching you this whole time. before engaging in an even more awkward encounter you looked away before you did anything stupid. 

grayson’s piercing gaze sent a shiver down your spine. you huffed again, mainly just for drama, knowing that this conversation wasn’t going to go anywhere. “okay, creep. so where are we going?”

a/n: if you made it all the way here, a reminder that i love u. pls pls pls send me ur thoughts on this chapter and if any of you have a req for where you want this to go i'm open to suggestions. see u all! &lt;3