#sidemen inside

Your family knew, obviously. But unable to tell your fellow youtuber friends was tough, because it was so painfully obvious where you were going.

Having to lie to George, Chris and everyone else was awkward. They had arranged plans for the next week and you had to reluctantly say no, because of course, you would much rather be stuck in a home with people you don’t know and then spending money that could potentially be yours.

Clearing your throat, you introduced yourself.

”Hello, my name is Y/N, I’m 24 and I’m a youtuber slash content creator!” You grinned expectantly at the camera.

Continuing, “Most of my content is just… me and my friends getting drunk and filming it because we think we’re funny!” You answered honestly, thinking back on the many times you got too drunk filming pub golf videos that George had to give you a piggy-back on the walk home.

The camera crew asked you how well you think you’re going to do in the challenge,

“I’d like to think I’ll do well, honestly!” You laughed.

”I spend money but I don’t spend so much at a time; like I could go weeks without buying something, then suddenly I’m a couple hundred quid down within a week?”

You continued, “I think I can go without my phone for a week; I’d like to think I’m not that addicted.” You laughed and cringed slightly.

”If anything I think I’ll miss my friends more than anything. I’m sure I’ll love the people there but it’s meeting new faces, I’d just love to walk in there now and see someone I know— My dog! That’s it, I’ll miss my dog this most!” You interrupted yourself, losing your train of thought.

The camera crew laughed at you and pushed the interest about your dog back home, “I just hope she’s being looked after. I’ve left her with George for the week so I think she’ll live?” You laughed nervously.

Upon this, the camera crew behind the device smirked and tilted their heads downwards so you couldn’t see their face. A couple of them turned around and subtly nudged each other.

It was at this point that the crew said that your interview was over and that it was time to enter the place you’ll be living in for the next week.

You nervously picked up your suitcase, clinging onto your comfort pillow in your right arm and hugging it tight to your chest. You couldn’t remember if you could take this into the house but taking no risks, you took it anyway.

You entered a white room with zero life in it; a metal detector gate stood in the centre of the room and a hole to put your luggage in.

”Oh, God.” You muttered under your breath as you realised there was no turning back now.

You paused for a second and scanned the area before realising it was just you in here, “Oh, I’m by myself… that’s embarrassing.” You laughed at yourself, knowing your friends at home were going to be making fun of you when this aired.

Walking through the metal detector, you lugged your suitcase behind you and only just recognised that you might have overpacked for a place that would not utilise your items in absolutely any way.

After putting your suitcase on the conveyor, you walked through to the main area in which you could hear some voices, none of which you could distinguish.

Walking through the empty hallway, you called out “Hello?”

Upon saying this, two heads poked out and their eyes widened at the sight of you.

The girl ran over to you and embraced you into a hug and introduced herself, “Hey, I’m Mya!” She smiled at you as you responded; she was happy there was another girl in the house with her already.

Meanwhile, the man who had seen you first turned his attention to the other male in the house as you and Mya embraced; “Yo, George, isn’t that your girlfriend?”

George furrowed his brows, a bit taken aback “My what?” He laughed a bit as his feet took him towards the hallway to peek at the new arrival; who was supposedly his girlfriend?

Pulling back from Mya’s hug, you made direct eye-contact with George, your best friend, standing a couple feet away from you. “What the fuck?” You shouted and broke out into a sprint towards him, him already on route to you.

”No way!” He shouted back and caught your figure into a tight hug, his arms wrapped comfortably around your waist and lifted you off the ground slightly as he buried his face into your neck amidst the hug.

You slung your arms around his broad shoulders and fell into the all too familiar embrace, catching his scent and subtly running your hands through the hair on the back of his head.

”Why didn’t you tell me you were coming in here?” He chuckled, his voice muffled as his head was tucked into your neck; he had settled you down onto the floor now but didn’t falter his grip by any means.

You laughed back at him, pulling your head away so you could maintain eye-contact with him, “Why didn’t you tell me?” You retorted jokingly.

PK looked confused, “So they are boyfriend and girlfriend then?” Mya laughed at him, knowing the extent that you and George got shipped on Tiktok, the occasional edit finding itself on everyone’s for you page.

You and George turned back to look at PK,“No, no! George is my best friend!” You smiled at him, still in disbelief that George was actually here; “Half my videos are just with her.” George finished for you.

PK tilted his head, pointing between you two in which at the time you realised George’s hands were still resting on your waist while yours were cradling the back of his neck.

Confused (still), PK shook his head and waved his hand in dismissal, completely convinced that he was looking at a couple in front of him.

As more people entered one by one, you and George dispersed from the group, his arm slung around your shoulders and keeping you against him the entire time.

You shook your head and looked up at him with a smile, “What are you even doing here?”

George smiled down at you as you settled themselves down on the sofa in the living room.

“Dunno, the Sidemen like me so I thought, why not?” He laughed at himself, you scooted closer to him as he picked up a cushion to set it down on yours and his lap.

He nudged you, “What about you, you little minx, how did you keep that a secret from me?”

You smirked and fiddled with the loose threads on the cushion.

”I didn’t tell anyone!” You admitted, “Not you, not Chris, not Arthur; I told no one! Not even— Wait…” You trailed off, eyes widening.

”George, who’s looking after my dog?” You said, fear flooding your features.

George laughed and threw his head back, a hand rubbing up and down your shoulder as you persisted on the whereabouts of your dog.

”She’s living with Chris and Arthur for the week.” He reassured you, an obvious relief washing over you as your shoulders fell from a hunched position.

In your own little world, you and George nattered away to each other, updating him on everything he’s missed and completely ignorant to the new members joining the house; because you were all too consumed with each other.

George just knew at that moment that when this aired, Chris was going to rip into the way he was staring at his ‘best friend’.

A shouting voice tore you out of your George-infused daze as it was directed at you two, “Wait, you’re that couple that’s always edited on my for you page?”

The blonde girl next to her snapped her head around to the pair of you sitting with George’s arm still around you, her eyes widening, “Holy shit! I love you two!”

George’s cheeks suddenly were painted a pink colour and you sported a flushed face. An awkward laugh bubbled from your chest, “What?”

Upon seeing your awkward faces and red creeping up your necks, the blonde girl covered her mouth and apologised, “Oh fuck! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—“

You stood up and left George’s touch, walking over to the girl with a comforting smile on your face.

“Don’t worry! Nice to meet you, I’m Y/N.” You said as you raised your arms out for a hug.

She met you halfway as she responded,“Ugh, you’re gorgeous. I’m Milli.” She smiled sweetly at you, peering over her shoulder to see the other girl still gawking at you.

The louder one strutted over and immediately pulled you into a hug, “I’m Farah, who is sorry about—“ “Oh, God. Don’t even worry about it!” You reassured the girl, finding it quite amusing that you and George had crept your ways onto other people’s for you page.

time skip!

The bedroom situation was the next challenge.

After introducing yourself to everyone (they acted as if they didn’t know who you were, but they had all seen the George x Y/N edits) you all made your way over to the bedrooms, some even breaking out into a sprint.

A couple people jumped onto their beds, claiming it as their own. There were two double beds and the rest were singles, but because there were only 10 people at the time, sharing a double bed wouldn’t be an issue at the moment.

George leaped onto one bed and said sarcastically, “Oh my God, guys, stop fighting over my bed!” You laughed at him and slowly sat down on the one remaining bed next to his.

You crawled onto your bed after readjusting the pillows against the headboard so you could sit up comfortably, leaning back and allowing your eyes to close momentarily.

It wasn’t until you felt a nudge on your shin that you opened your eyes and saw a George Clarke resting on his stomach, a pillow squished between his chest and the bed, his beaming smile staring at you.

You tilted your head at him and smiled softly, lightly kicking your foot back at him as his hand lingered on your leg; the rest of the room became a blur as he kept looking at you.

Sending a quick wink your way, he hoisted himself up off the bed and gestured a hand out to you. You took it as he helped you onto your feet, so the group could walk back into the living room per producers request.

The group all positioned themselves on the couch, George settling down on the end as you squeezed between him and Mandi. With little spare room on the couch, George carefully lifted your leg so it was led over his thigh and his hand rested comfortably on your knee. Opposite you, Whitney grinned at the action.

George was fiddling with his bottle as the group conversed, “So, Y/N what do you do?” Cinna asked you.

Hearing your name, you perked up. “I mainly do YouTube videos with this weirdo here.” You pointed a thumb George’s way.

The group laughed at you and took careful notice at your closeness with George. “And George, what do you do?” She continued.

George tilted his head, “I started on TikTok.” He trailed off as Whitney butted in. “Do you talk on TikTok?”

“Yeah.” George responded. Whitney persisted, “Why not in real life?” You furrowed your brows at this. George, oblivious to her, said “Should I stop?” as he pointed at himself jokingly.

“But you don’t talk in real life! I’m like “George…” Whitney said. She was then interrupted by the Sidemen walking in, smug smirks tugging on their face.

You and George smiled at the familiar faces, previously being in Sidemen videos in the past. You took notice that George’s mood had picked up more now he knew more than one person, becoming more comfortable in the odd place he was confined in.

JJ began for the group, “Welcome to the new series of Inside!” 

The group whooped and cheered at this. Everyone was excited at the prospect of winning a million pounds.

The Sidemen began listing off the rules and concept of Inside, everyone nodding along and the occasional verbal reaction. 

Harry pointed at you and the group, “You’ll be glad to know, the shop is now open!” You and Farah made eye-contact and started jumping up to run to the shop as a joke, the group laughing at the pair of you.

JJ said one last thing before everyone bid their goodbyes to the Sidemen, “Good luck, motherfuckers!”

You all clapped and half heartedly cheered, more nervous than excited at this rate because the money you could win was in the hands of everyone else.

Farah quickly asked as they were leaving, “Wait, can I ask? When is the first challenge?”

“Shut up.”

time skip!

The group all discussed that you wanted to keep the prize money at least 800K, agreeing with a ‘hands in the middle’ before you all jogged down to the shop.

As you entered, half the group were already in there and complaining about the lack of choices they could purchase, Milli however wasn’t upset about the prices at this point.

You and George lurked at the back, shoulder to shoulder and laughed at Mandi as she stood up to the camera asking about the whereabouts of her vodka.

As a quarter of the group decided on food and drinks as the first purchase before you butted in with a suggestion, “Wait, surely we should get some entertainment first, just so we don’t all want to die on the first day?”

George, Dylan and Milli pointed at you, nodding and verbalising their agreement. Milli grabbed your upper arm and took you both to the camera to confirm your order.

“I’ll say table tennis bat and you’ll say table tennis ball, right?” You asked her, she smiled as you both poked your head up to the camera and held your microphone to your mouth.

“Can I confirm the table tennis bat,” “And the table tennis ball, please?” You and Milli spoke, giggling at each other after as you made eye-contact.

You distanced yourself from the group and they began talking louder and speaking over each other, finding yourself settled next to George who had barely spoken outside of you since being in here.

Looking at the list of items, you nudged George, “What the fuck is a ‘golden straw’?” You laughed and furrowed your brows.

You saw his eyes scan the list and chuckle at the item considering its price, “That’s actually a stupid price.” He thought out loud.

“I swear if anyone buys that shit…” You closed your eyes and shook your head, sneaking your arms around him so you could link arms.

The door suddenly opened to reveal the items you and Milli had bought. She turned around and called your name to come over to her. You walked over and tugged George close along behind you.

You saw Milli’s shoulder drop and she leaned down to pick the item up, “What?” You questioned. She turned around and lifted up the one tennis bat.

“No!” You gasped and tightened your grip on George’s arm. “Is it one?” He asked, dreading the worst after your reaction.

“It’s one!” Milli confirmed your suspicions. You groaned, cursing out the Sidemen as everyone around out kept bickering. You watched as Dylan walked back to the camera.

“I’m confirming that you did scam us with that one, I’m not going to lie. So we are ordering one more bat.” He purchased the other bat.

You turned around to face George, smiling up at him as his figure towered over you. “I’m gonna kick your ass at table tennis.” You promised to him and yourself. Laughing at you, he drifted his hands down to rest on your hips, “Best out of three; guaranteed I’m gonna win all three.” He replied smuggly, looking down at you with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Not bothering to listen to everyone talk about eating arrangements, you yanked George’s arm and the pair of you ran back to the living room, table tennis bats in hands and laughing in joy. Even in a confined house with 10 other people, you found George attached to you as if it was only the pair of you; no one else mattered except for him.

George walked around the table, shoving you lightly before the game started in an attempt to throw you off. You cleared your throat, “This is a practice round, no cheating and no foul play!”

“You’re only saying it’s a practice round so you’re not embarrassed when I kick your ass.” George winked at you and threw the table tennis ball down onto the table.

You heard a playful gag next to you, “Ew, guys stop flirting!” Cinna stated sarcastically. You and George only laughed and began playing against each other.

George played against you for a couple rounds, the game going back and forth a handful of times. Eventually, after a good 15 minutes, you beat George in a tight game. George only shrugged and walked backwards to sit on the couch, leaning his body back and relaxing for the first time since walking in here.

You tilted your head and called Dylan up to play against you, still high on adrenaline. “Dylan, come play the reigning champion!”

Hearing this, George’s head popped up with furrowed brows. “What? I thought you said it was a practice round?” He asked in mock offence.

You shrugged, “Yeah it was… until I beat you.” George suppressed a laugh into a groan and rolled his head back as you shot him a sickeningly sweet smile; knowing he had been caught out by you once again (not that he did anything to stop it).

interview room!

“I mean, I think I’ve started off decently. Barely spent money so far, but I haven’t been down there since I got the table tennis stuff.”

“I mean, I don’t really care about winning now that I’ve beaten George in table tennis! I’ve known him for years, played against him thousands of times and now suddenly hours into my new home for the week and straight off the bat I’ve already taken the win”

“My main concern right now is that I’m so hungry. And I know the meals are gonna be shit, but honestly, I could take anything right now!”

After gossiping about the whole pot noodle fiasco, an alert came up on the screen: ‘Lunch is now ready to collect from the shop’.

“Oh, thank God.” You groaned, feeling the effects of a constant rumbling stomach taking a toll on you. George, who was sitting opposite you looked puzzled and partially offended, “You’re taking the piss. Lunch?”

Leading the pack down to the shop, you skipped down to the final step and came face to face with an open trap door and met some… unpleasant food. Picking up two of the pots, you inspected the food.

George creeped in behind you and peered over your shoulder. Upon seeing his presence, you passed him his meal and stiffled a laugh at his scrunched up nose and face of disgust.

Grabbing a spoon, you opened the pot and attempted not to be put off it immediately. You watched Mandi verbally express her utter hatred towards the food; placing a hand on her shoulder, you urged her to try a bit before she opted out. “Hey, Mandi. Just try a little before--”

“Can I confirm an upgrade, please?” You sighed as she ignored you. Feeling awkward now, George wrapped his arm around its usual spot on your shoulder and tugged you against him, whispering in your ear not to worry about it; unbeknownst that the cameras can see and hear everything.

The pair of you walked away from the chaos of buying upgrades, chatting to each other and sitting back down onto the couch.

Cinna watched you and walked up to you, “Come with me to get the rest?” She urged, knowing many people had left scraps of food down in the shop and was aware of your hunger earlier on.

You smiled at her and left George’s touch, him frowning slightly. You followed side by side with Cinna, strutting into the shop and splitting the weight of the spare food between the two of you.

As you began walking away, you spotted something shiny left in the shop.

“No fucking way.” You murmered, now having personal issues with this goddamned straw. Cinna turned around at your words, eyes widening and walking over to pick up the straw.

“Is there a golden straw in there? Did they leave it?” She questioned no one in particular.

You threw the straw a rude face, “That shit cost fucking £2,500?” You shook your head, already having some suspects on who bought it.

Snatching the straw off her, you stormed ahead to the living room to ask some very needed questions; Cinna laughing at you as she trailed behind, finding your beef with the straw hilarious.

“Who bought this?” You spoke loudly as you entered the room, watching George on the beanbag throw his head back in mock frustration, murmuring some swear words in the wake.

Cinna walked in and made a bee-line for Mandi, “It was you, wasn’t it?” Mandi’s lack of an answer told you the whole story.

Passing the straw to Mandi, you felt a hand brush yourself and looked down to George playing with your fingers as he remained seated, his eyes watching the conversations rather than you. You suppressed a smile at this and tried to fight back a blush from creeping onto your face.

You were snapped out of your thoughts as the voice of Tobi rang around the house, “It’s time for your first challenge.”

time skip!

Finally, it was you and George remaining; neither of you had been selected to compete in Insider Dating (a part of you felt like they set you two up on purpose, but by no means were you complaining).

“And lastly… George? Y/N?” Simon smirked, holding his card close to his chest.

The group whooped and cheered as the pair of you stood up, even JJ was jeering you on. Tobi leaned in to whisper something in his ear, and JJ let out his gawking laugh in response. You groaned, fully aware it was something revolving between you and George.

George sat down opposite you, a worried grin painted on his face as you sucked in a deep breath, picking up the menu in front of you.

“For not the first restaurant date for these two,” Simon started, smirking as he watched both of your faces grow a shade darker and keeping your heads down low. Some of the other contestants let out a wolf-whistle and slammed the table as they laughed at Simon’s joke. “On the menu for you two is Shocking Questions.”

As you inspected the menu more, confused on what was happening, George had already figured it out. He looked at the Sidemen for confirmation and said, “Oh.” You looked up at him, hoping he wouldn’t see your blush. “What’s that?”

“We’ll be getting shocked.” He said with a lack of enthusiasm. You closed your eyes and sighed, nervous about both the questions and being shocked; but remaining determined that you wouldn’t press the red buzzer.

Simon started, “Okay, George. You’ll be answering the questions first, so, Y/N, please ask the first question.”

You took a deep breath, inspecting the question before looking up at George and asking him, “What is your worst online dating experience?”

Unsure when to start, George looked around him and then at the camera, “Okay, um…”

He placed his hands on the table in front of him, “I matched with somebody on--” He cut himself off as an electric jolt sent his body forwards as he groaned in pain. You covered your mouth in shock and offered a hand out on the table for him to grip onto for comfort.

Taking your hand very quickly he continued, “That’s a lot of power. Um. I matched with somebody on Hinge, and I was speaking to them for about two days. Voice notes back and forth, it was fun. And then--”

Another jolt came through and he squeezed your hand hard, cursing out in the meantime, “Oh, God! I’m sorry, Y/N!” You shook your head and reassured him, “No, no! Keep going, you’re doing great!” The contestants laughed at you as you attempted to comfort George as more jolts came through.

“Fucking hell. Um, then I tried to meet up with them, but it turns out they weren’t real. I was there for an hour and a half.” You didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at his story, focusing on him and keeping eye-contact with him to try and urge him through this. Also thinking at the same time, if his questions were bad, think of the masacre for you.

“I came back home, reverse Google Image searched them--” George’s body locking up in pain from the electric, “And they weren’t real. Fucking hell, that’s a lot!” He groaned, still squeezing your hand across the table.

Simon urged you to ask the next question, “Could we please have the second question?”

Your eyes widened at the question and George felt more jolts come through, “Oh, my God, please, can we make it a quick one?” He begged, playing with your fingers and cracking your knuckles as a way to distract himself from the pain. “Oh, my God. That was actually quite bad.”

You began starting the next question, interrupted by George burying his head into his bicep and groaning out, “Fuck!”

“If you had to snog, marry and avoid three Insiders, who and why?” You stared into his eyes as a faint pink sprinkled his cheeks; you couldn’t decipher whether that was out of pain or embarrassment of the question.

George pulled a shocked yet puzzled face, “I don’t fucking know!” 

PK from the side shouted out, “Yes, you fucking do!” while pointing your way; you were unable to see this as your eyes were trained on George in front of you.

“Both genders?” George joked to try and diffuse the situation, making the Sidemen laugh as jolts of electricity came through more frequently and painfully.

George shook his head and gestured towards you, “Snog you, avoid Farah,” He turned around to face her and sent an apologetic look her way, “Sorry, you’re quite loud!” The rest of the group laughed as he turned back to you, “And marry Y/N!”

The group, including the Sidemen all screamed and pointed accusing fingers at George, while you sat with a mouth open and a surely bright red face by now. “You said Y/N twice!” Simon raised his brows and shouted at the man. “You can’t pick the same person twice!” JJ laughed.

George’s eyes widened as he realised what he did, “Shit! I meant marry Y/N, snog Y/N-- Shit!” He cursed as another jolt came through and stumbled over his words, “Fuck! No! Snog Mya!”

Everyone, including you laughed at him as Simon now approved the answer, and George’s grip on your hand faltered and he hid his face on the table, embarrassed beyond belief.

Some of the girls awed at his answer as the chaos had only just settled down, the focus turning on to you (as if it wasn’t already).

You rolled your head back in an attempt to release some nerves but failed to do so. You swallowed hard and looked in front of you to see George, now sat upright, staring at you with something in his eyes that you couldn’t decipher.

Looking down at the table, you saw George’s extended hand open for you, “Tit for tat?” He tilted his head, smiling at you as you accepted it, your palm brushing his. He took a deep breath as his heart jumped a little bit at the intimate moment shared in front of everyone and dozens of cameras.

Simon perked up again, “George, could you please ask the first question?” 

George looked down at the question sheet, eyes widening at the second question in particular, but chose to tackle that situation when he got there.

“Y/N,” You were waiting for the first shock but it hasn't come yet, “Why did you break up with your last boyfriend?” George asked.

Your mouth dropped open in shock, “Oh, God. Alright, so basically--” You screamed as the first shock came through and your body jolted forward in a much similar fashion as George’s previously had. You gripped his hand hard, feeling bad that you could potentially be hurting him in the process.

“You’ve got it, you’ve got it.” George encouraged you, a soft smile etched across his face.

“Shit! Okay--” Another shock going up your spine, painful but quick, “He said I was in-- Fuck!” More and more shocks came through. You understood you would have to rush this answer because there was no way you could get through it at this rate.

“He said I was in love with someone else apparently, so he-- Shitting Hell!” You gripped George’s hand. “So he cheated on me and I snitched on him to his mother!” You blurted out, hearing the loud laughter from the contestants and the Sidemen around you, even George was trying and failing to suppress a laugh.

JJ’s laugh stood out from everyone elses, “Damn Y/N! We’ll take that. George, next question?”

George’s smile fell slightly, “Right, Y/N…” Your body jolted forward in pain, “Shit! George, I love you but please hurry up!” The group laughed at your reaction.

“Okay! Okay! Y/N explain the story of your first kiss.” His voice faltered towards the end, heart thumping in his chest as your face paled.

Your eyes widened and you shook your head rapidly, “No! No! I can’t say that!” Tobi butted in, “Answer or lose 10K!”

A horrendous jolt of electricity went through your body and your hand held George’s while the other bunched up the cloth of the table as you squeezed it.

“Tell us, Y/N!” You heard other contestants shout at you. Milli shouted, “Come on, Y/N! You can do it!”

You tossed your head back, “Fuck! Okay! So basically, we were younger and neither of us-- Shit!” 

“Neither of us had had our first kiss yet, so we--” You groaned, head now falling forwards as your hair covered your face slightly. George leaned over and brushed it away, tucking it behind your ears. 

“Push the button, Y/N!” JJ urged. “Fuck off!” You screamed back, some of the group crying with laughter and standing up in doing so.

“We played odds on that we had to kiss right then and there! That’s it! Please turn this fucking thing off!” You begged, feeling sweat drip from your forehead now.

However, Simon decided to alter the rules of the game.

“Y/N, we’re not accepting that until you tell us who it was with.”

Your eyes bulged out of their head as the screaming around you ensured, George falling unusually quiet compared to everyone else as his gaze remained locked on you.

“What the fuck? That’s not-- Oh, God!” You groaned, “That’s not fair!”

JJ and Tobi just laughed, “Just tell us!”

You shook your head rapidly, “No fucking way!”

“Say it!” They screamed.

“No!” You responded with the same energy.

“You’re not leaving until you tell--”

“George!”

Everyone around you jumped up in shock and amusement, smacking the table laughing and pointing fingers at you and George.

George’s mouth also dropped open in shock as he didn’t think you would actually admit to it, blush coating his neck and cheeks as everyone was looking at you two and that you had exposed your deepest secret.

Your body relaxed as the shocks stopped but you didn’t necessarily win; sure, not losing 10K is great, but now on day one of your new home, everyone would talk about you and George, definitely not helping your case that you’re not dating.

Simon removed his hand from covering his mouth in shock, “Well… I guess you passed.” He didn’t know what to say, no one did really; everyone was just screaming incoherent words in disbelief of this entire situation.

You had never wanted to hear the words of Tobi more in your entire life, “Insiders, you have completed your first challenge of the series.”

time skip!

After a long first day, you had settled yourself down onto the couch in the living room. Led down, you sported George’s hoodie as he found himself back at the table tennis court; this time battling against PK. Blocking everyone out, you drift off for your much needed nap.

As George played against PK, the new contestant DDG had some questions.

“I didn’t know the Sidemen let couples on here.” He thought out loud, catching everyone in the room's attention. They looked at him with tilted heads. “Who’s the couple?” Cinna asked.

DDG pointed a thumb in your direction as you laid unconscious on the couch, “That’s your girl, right?” He nodded towards George.

George chuckled and looked down, “Yeah, George. How’s your girl?” PK teased.

Shaking his head, George served the tennis ball nonchalantly, “She’s just my friend.” He didn’t know who he was trying to prove, himself or those around him.

Dylan butted in, “Oh yeah, I just kiss my best friends every now and then.”

Without looking at them, George continued, “Ah! I was her first kiss, that doesn’t mean we just kiss every now and then.”

“Bet you’d like that, huh?” PK laughed. In mock retaliation, George served a harsh ball his way, the mini group laughing at him.

DDG looked between you on the couch and George standing to his right, “Hold up… you’re not dating her?” George shook his head.

He raised his brows, “For real, man?”

George slowly nodded, “For real.” He sounded partially disappointed but masked it as he continued playing table tennis.

time skip!

You found yourself standing in the shop alone, inspecting the items as you were yet to purchase anything for yourself, excluding the singular tennis bat earlier. You heard someone creeping up behind you.

“What are you thinking about, beautiful?” George whispered from beind you, crouching down slightly so he could reach your height. You leaned back into him and his hands wrapped around your waist.

“Why the fuck do I want that jiggly ball so bad?” You thought out loud. George responded with a loud gawking laugh, stumbling back a bit and bringing you with him.

You turned around and slapped his chest, “No, George! It’s not funny! Why does every part of me need that jiggly ball?”

He looked down at you with a suggestive eyebrow raise, your face fell as you understood what he was insinuating. “Oh, shut up!”

Laughing, you held his hand and walked out of the shop together. You settled on the couch again after your nap, reintroducing yourself Patrice as the last time you saw him was when you were half-asleep.

A couple of minutes later, you heard your name being whispered at the door. Standing up, you followed the noise and was met with George suppressing a wild grin and something stuffed up his shirt. “Oh, God. What did you do?” You smiled.

George leaned down and dragged the pair of you into the corner of the room, “I might have suggested that Farah get something for you.” Your eyes sparkled in excitement.

“No, you didn’t…” You mumbled. 

It was then that George whipped out the bright purple and blue jiggly ball from underneath his shirt, handing it to you and bouncing it between his hands in the process, giggling in excitement. “Oh, my God!” You squealed.

You took the ball from him and played with it for a moment before looking up to see George already staring at you. You shook your head, smiling at him, “Thank you!” 

You pulled him into a crushing hug, his strong arms wrapping around your waist and lifting you off the ground, swaying the pair of you back and forth slightly. He placed you back down as you seperated from the hug, hands remaining on your waist as you stared at each other, not breaking eye-contact. 

Neither of you said anything to each other, but your eyes said so much more. The hand that wasn’t holding the ball reached up to his face and urged him to tilt his head to the side, before you leaned up and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

Pulling away from your peck, you smiled at him and backed away slightly. You tossed the ball so it hit his forehead lightly and bounced back into your hands, “I’ll see you later.” You bit your lip to keep your smile from growing.

Walking away, you didn’t notice that George watched you as you went; a hand pressed up against his cheek where you had kissed him, only hoping it was closer to his lips.

As bedtime rolled around, you situated yourself in your bed next to George’s. You rested on the side facing him, finding him doing the same and could recognise his beaming smile even in the darkness.

You rolled onto your back, staring up at the ceiling as the tiredness took a toll on you. You let your hand flop off the side of your bed, not thinking too much of it.

Then, you felt a soft brush against your hand and looked down at it, seeing George’s hand lacing his fingers with yours as his hand was stretched off his own bed. Leaning off the side of his bed, George pressed a soft kiss onto the back of your hand, signaling a sweet ‘goodnight’ to you before the pair of you dozed off.

Maybe this weird, confined lifestyle where everything was overpriced and challenges determined your mood for that day wasn’t too bad. But maybe, it was rather the person holding your hand that could help you tolerate this.

taglist (ps love u all):

—

you'd been killing it so far during your time on inside. you and george had both been a bit worried that people might accuse you of having unfair advantages, being closer friends with the sidemen than the rest of the contestants, but fortunately (and unfortunately), those fuckers did anything but play favorites with you. it had been a rough few days.

grateful wasn't the word when you found out you were going in with a friend, and with george being a similarly awkward, quiet person in new social settings, the two of you clung to each other a fair bit at the start. he was also the only one who knew you were dating harry, and it helped to have at least one person aware of the extra layer of torture you were experiencing, seeing your boyfriend almost every day and having to pretend you weren't enduring a whole challenge separate from the games all on your own: ignoring him.

you didn't expect it to be so difficult — not wanting to jump harry's bones every time he caught you staring and gave you a smug wink, or every time you caught him staring and he went adorably red, face spreading into a cheeky lopsided grin. hypocrite, you mouthed at him while no one was looking, sticking your tongue out between your teeth.

of course, he and the boys intentionally made shit difficult.

they purposefully made sure you were placed near him during group shots, but just far enough apart to make you wish you were closer.

if each member of the sidemen was getting a contestant ready for a challenge, harry'd make a beeline for you every time — attentively tucking your hair behind your ear, slowly buckling your helmet under your chin, tightening the strap gently, his eyes locked on yours. it would take everything for you not to tackle him to the floor.

he'd whisper stupid little jokes to you through the PA system when you were alone in a room, just in time for someone to catch you smiling to yourself like a weirdo when they entered a moment later.

on day four, he snatched you by the arm after the challenge, sneakily pulling you away into a dark corner and grabbing your face with both hands, planting a hard, hot kiss on your lips. it only lasted a few seconds, and he let go entirely too fast, turning around and walking away, leaving you floating where you'd once stood.

the inside of your lip had been chewed raw throughout the week.

george played both sides, really. he'd be understanding and sympathetic most of the time, but he'd be remiss not to snicker along with the other sidemen at harry's relentless efforts to drive you crazy when opportunity struck. you could hardly blame him. you'd laugh at yourself too.

but you weren't going to let your boyfriend and your friends interfere with your very competitive edge. you had come to win, and you were fully on track to do so. you'd spent about as little money as george, and you'd already made a pact with him to split the winnings if you were the two who made it to the final.

however, everyone was due a trip to the temptation room... and you had yet to be called down. you were certain it would have something to do with harry, but since your relationship wasn't public, you had no idea what would meet you behind that door. and it was day six of seven, so you were destined to find out tonight.

"whatever it is, I think you should take it honestly," cinna chimes in as you and the remaining contestants lounge on the couch. "we still have way more money left than I expected, lowkey. and I know a lot of that is because of you."

george and jason nod in agreement. "yeah mate, you've been impressively stingy," george follows. "I truly did not think you'd survive in here."

you roll your eyes at your friend's backhanded compliment. "gee, thanks bro." you all laugh, but they successfully convince you that you do in fact deserve to give in to temptation, within reason, if it's something you really want. (you and george glanced at each other, knowing damn well it absolutely would be.)

right on cue, the bell chimes, and the sultry robot voice summons you to the mysterious room down the hall.

you look at george again, and he gives you a knowing wink and a single nod. you jokingly salute him like a soldier leaving for war as you head off, the others cheering you on. you stop in the bathroom on your way, and it suddenly occurs to you that you look like a bit of a gremlin, having only taken cold body showers all week as you'd refused to pay for hot showers (and refused to take a cold one nearly long enough to wash your hair). yikes. thank god he already loves me.

nervous energy flows through your body as you reach the temptation room. you take a deep breath as you push the door open, surprised to find the space dimly lit and... empty?

candles light your path to an envelope with your name on it. tearing it open, you read aloud:

your temptation, should you choose to accept it, is hidden in plain sight for £50,000, take a hot shower and be alone with your boyfriend for the night whether this part stays in is up to you, going public can be pretty scary but if you simply can't resist, just say "send me sweet producer harry"

you giggle at the cheesy rhyme, ruminating over the proposal. you suppose that even if you reveal your relationship on camera, the show won't be out for several months and you'd have some time to mentally prepare before the secret actually went public, so you decide to bite the bullet. you hide your blushing cheeks with the card, turning to the camera and looking down the lens. “send me sweet producer harry, please,” you say shyly, almost whispering.

“already here, love.” you jump at the sound of harry’s voice behind you, as he appears from around a hidden corner at the far end of the room, leaning against the wall.

part of you was worried he’d be all dressed up or something for the sake of your extravagant £50,000 temptation, despite how grim you looked in your current state. but no, here he was, in pajama pants and a childish hoodie, hair a perfect mess and a classic cheeky harry smile to match. you can’t contain the grin on your face as you rush over to him.

you wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him in for the kiss you’d been dreaming about for days. his eyes glowed as you pulled apart, his hands on your waist. “hi baby,” you hum happily, nuzzling against his cheek. you feel his dimples deepen against you. “hey, pretty girl,” he replies in a low voice, kissing you on the temple. “you sure you want to do this?" he asks, pulling back. "like, tell people? we can cut it, seriously. the boys said we don’t have to. it was a dumb idea really I just thought mayb—“

“babe. stop. yes. I’m — I’m ready to. let’s do it.”

“you’re sure? b-because it’s only october and this isn’t out til march so netflix said we had til january to make any final major edits so you can change your mind unt—“

you press your lips against harry’s again, urging him to stop stressing — to believe that you want everyone to know. “I’m sure, harry. I’m... I'm sick of being in the same room and pretending I don’t want to be next to you all the time.”

a small smile tugs at his lips as a light dust of pink fades across his nose and cheeks.

“oh, and also, I’m sick of hearing all the boys talk about how nice your arse is every five minutes when I can’t chime in with my expertise,” you tease, squeezing his bum as you nip at his jaw. he fidgets all giggly before pulling your hands away. “alright alright, behave yourself, darling. cameras are still on.”

"alright alright,” you concede, stepping back. “fine. I do believe I’ve just been granted a hot shower I am dying to take anyway.” he looks at you, eyes narrowing, like he knows that wasn't a complete thought. you lean in to whisper in his ear, “don’t suppose I get to enjoy my boyfriend’s company for that part of the evening too, do I?”

harry’s eyebrows raise. there it is. without looking away from you, he turns his head to the side slightly towards the crew. “CUT.”

the rest of the production team quickly exits, leaving you and harry to your own devices. the temptation room had its own full bathroom, and you’d sleep on the fucking floor if it meant sleeping next to harry, so you were perfectly content staying in here for the next 10-12 hours.

—

“ugh I missed you so much,” you mutter against harry’s lips between increasingly desperate kisses. he smirks against you in response. “you’ve seen me almost every day in here, silly.”

“wasn’t the saaaaame, missed getting to actually be with you… missed touching you,” you specify, running your hands up his chest.

“I know, love. me too, I’m here,” he promises as his soft lips trail down your jaw and neck, setting all your nerves alight with need. your clothes have gradually started peeling away — your hoodies both on the floor, shoes long discarded, shirts on their way out.

you enter the hot shower together, and you feel all your muscles relax instantly. “oh fuck,” you sigh, letting your head fall back against the warm water as you take a deep breath, inhaling the steam filling the space. you’d been more tense than you realized. harry’s hands glide up your torso, over your breasts, trailing his fingers along your collarbones and back down your arms, before pulling you in close against him. “feel good, baby?”

“mmm,” you nod contentedly. “missed hot water.” he brushes his fingers through your hair, getting it fully soaked through and gently untangling your curls. you drop your head against his chest, wrapping your arms around him as he massages your scalp. a soft sigh falls from your lips as his strong digits unravel you, sending tingles down your spine.

you zone out for what you think is no longer than a few seconds, in complete bliss at the sensation, feeling like you might be dreaming.

harry’s hands then leave your scalp and slide down your back, rubbing soft circles into your skin. “you alright, sweetheart?”

you snap out of it, lifting your head and feeling mildly embarrassed. you’d definitely nodded off for a moment. “oh my god, sorry, guess I was more tired than I thought,” you laugh awkwardly. “that felt so nice I guess I just like, passed out. sorry baby, um, let me wash my hair.”

“I-I already did, love,” harry admits, suddenly feeling slightly embarrassed himself, for some reason.

only then do you notice the bubbles running off into the drain at your feet. “you.. you washed my hair for me?”

“wow, you really were asleep," he chuckles softly. "um, yeah… you just seemed so like, spaced out and calm and peaceful I.. um, I didn’t have the heart to stop playing with your hair so after a minute or two I thought I might as well kill two birds with one stone, y'know. I hope that’s okay…”

maybe it was exhaustion, delusion from being in a prison cell with no windows for a week, finally reuniting with harry, who knows, but you thought you might actually cry. your heart ached with pure unadulterated stupid love and you felt like you could burst at the seams all because he washed your hair for you.

harry looks concerned, maybe seeing the tears forming in your eyes, but his fear is swiftly interrupted by your lips smashing against his with a newfound sense of urgency.

his arms tighten around your waist as your fingers get lost in his spiky wet hair. your tongue twists around his hungrily, and he drops a hand to grab your arse and pull you closer to him. you tug at his roots and dig your nails into his back, like you’ll die if you don’t crawl into his skin and make camp there.

lifting you by your thighs and crossing to the other side of the shower, harry places you down onto the small tiled bench, your back instinctively arching against the cold surface and into him. his lips and tongue travel along your jaw to your neck, kissing and sucking your skin needily, taking care to only mark you where your clothes will cover the evidence. your breath quickens as his hot mouth fans over your nipples, the contrast of his rough, calloused hands against your soft skin making your eyes flutter.

he drops to his knees in front of you under the water, pulling your legs over his shoulders as he kisses your stomach, your hips, your thighs, slowly nearing your core as it starts to weep for him. you can't look away — those long, pretty lashes resting over the biggest, bluest eyes you'd ever seen. not the kind you drown in, but rather the kind you get fucking waterboarded by. his soft plush lips, perfectly built for the most devastating grins, for sweet talking his way out of anything, for tearing you apart.

harry licks a thick stripe up your core, a deep groan spilling from you and your head falling back as he pulls your thighs apart, burying his face in between. his lips wrap around your swollen clit, sucking and flicking his tongue, and your hands claw at his shoulders, pulling his hair, whining frantically as you melt under him.

one hand reaches up to tease your chest, massaging and caressing, as the other moves in to join his mouth. a long, thick finger fills your wet heat, and you moan out in pleasure, harry stimulating you in every way he physically can. he pumps his finger in and out of you slowly, pushing deep with each thrust, as he laps at you, kissing and licking through your slick folds, sucking on your aching bud, throbbing as he drives you to a quick orgasm.

he pushes a second finger into your tight pussy, and the stretch has you panting heavily, feeling yourself nearing the edge of the cliff. you tug on the roots of harry's blond locks, muttering obscenities, pleading with him to push you over. "ff-fuck, harry, ohh-ffughh... there... don't stop baby mmfff..."

your eyes shoot open, rolling back as your peak hits you hard and fast. broken moans tumble out of you as harry slows his movements, but doesn't stop. his fingers leave you, but his tongue carries on softly, sending waves of aftershock through you as you come down from your high.

your chest heaves as you fight to catch your breath, looking down at him. he meets your gaze — eyes blown wide, face flushed red, lips wet and swollen and curled into a cheeky smile.

sitting up straight, you put your hands on either side of his face and lean in, his eyes falling closed as you kiss and lick him clean, saving his lips for last.

you pull him up to the bench, swiftly taking his spot on the floor, sinking to your knees in front of him. you wrap your hand around the base of his painfully hard cock without hesitation, without any teasing. he sighs quietly, stroking your face gently before dragging his thumb across your bottom lip. you duck your head to take it in your mouth, swirling your tongue around it, as your fingers slowly start sliding up and down his shaft. he can’t tear his eyes away from you as you sensually suck on his digits, pressing his thumb pad into your outstretched tongue.

once his cock is in your throat, both of harry's hands get lost in your tendrils. he tugs at your roots firmly, your eyes rolling into your head as you drool around him. “ugh fuck, you feel so good,” he groans, the suction around the head making him inhale sharply. you hum at his praise, sending vibrations up his spine.

you take your sweet time with him, trailing the tip of your tongue along every vein, kissing and sucking along his length, wrapping your lips around the head and taking him in all the way. he moans as you bury him in the back of your throat, swallowing around him and gagging slightly, and every filthy sound from him spurs you on. “you’re so fuckin’ perfect.”

bobbing your head up and down, you feel harry’s cock twitch against your tongue. he groans and tenses, and you know he’s getting close. you sit up fully on your knees for leverage and take in as much of him as you can, your eyes stinging with tears as he pulls your hair, panting rapidly as his orgasm builds. “mmmffuck, m’so close baby.”

you swallow around him again, your tongue painting the underside of his shaft as you gag on the tip, a gentle hand cupping his balls and squeezing with the lightest pressure.

harry’s hands fall from your hair and grasp the bench at either side of him as he snaps, his movements stuttering and breath shaky as hot cum pours down your throat. a slightly whinier moan escapes him, and you hum around his cock, the gorgeous sound making your chest go tight. he releases a little whimper as you swallow around him again, sucking him dry. you pull away, looking up at him, wishing you could take a picture of the view.

—

“nice night?” george inquires with a raised brow as you practically skip back into the living room the next morning, on cloud nine after your time with harry.

“a lovely night, yes,” you grin, not feeling particularly obligated to elaborate. you plop onto the sofa in your fresh shorts and t-shirt, feeling brand new with clean hair and refreshed skin after your long, hot shower with your long, hot boyfriend.

suddenly, george bursts out laughing. you look at him confused.

“oh, really? that’s good. perhaps a bit of a bold move to wear shorts when your knees are covered in bruises though, mate.”

your eyes widen as you look down at your knees and see that george is correct. you do in fact have bruises all over your knees. some even vaguely resemble the shower tiles that put them there.

you go totally red and sprint out of the room to put joggers on. not before taking another peek and smiling to yourself about them.

—

later in the day, you’re summoned to the challenge arena, and harry gives you a quick, inconspicuous “hibabyiloveyou” hand squeeze when you walk past him.

as you take your seat next to george, he abruptly starts cackling once again. you look at him like he’s insane, but he just points at harry’s exposed legs, which you’ve now noticed are also covered in bruises. “oh my god, you’re matching!” george chortles with hysterical tears in his eyes. “that’s so cute, you little fuckin’ freaks.”

It happened after a year of skirting the line: hundreds of inside jokes layered with meanings, countless one-on-one moments that felt far too intimate for 'just friends', lingering glances you hoped no one noticed, and endless excuses to be near each other. Friends constantly asked "will they or won't they?" as they did whatever they could to set something up, push something to happen. Meanwhile, your fans created millions of edits, insisting that it had been secretly happening all along.

But beyond all your friends' efforts and fan speculation, nothing ever happened.

Until two nights ago, alone in his empty flat.

Both of you gave each other the heads up that for the next week, you wouldn't be able to talk due to 'important family trips'—a lie, of course, to cover up being on the show. A week wasn't long, sure, but for you two—seven days felt forever. You hadn't gone more than a single day without at least texting since you met during the Sidemen Talent Show. His roommates were out on the town, and while you were both invited, you opted to spend the night alone—just the two of you. At some point, the shitty television show playing in the background became nothing but noise—forgotten between the shared laughter and stolen glances that lingered longer than they should've. Soon, the silence felt loaded. With one too many glasses of wine, your guard dropped...but it was the way George looked at you, almost as if he was trying not to. You don’t remember exactly how it happened, but he was soon hovering over you. You could feel the warmth of his breath and see the flicker of hesitation in his eyes, like he knew it was a bad idea but wanted it anyway. His hand brushed your jaw, a feather-light touch that sent a jolt down your spine and butterflies fluttering in your stomach. You whispered, "We shouldn't." But you wanted nothing more. "What are we doing?" George mumbled, his eyes now locked on your lips. His voice was low and a little slurred, and for a while, none of you moved. Until you leaned up, and his lips were on yours. The kiss, though soft, was hungry and aching. Like a secret finally breaking free, like a weight being lifted off both your backs. His mouth moved against yours with a year’s worth of restraint unraveling all at once—desperate, tender, and a little clumsy from the wine, but so, so real. Each kiss tasted like everything you’d never let yourself say sober.

"Can the contestants please make their way to the challenge room?" Tobi's voice blasted from the speakers, accompanied by the screen flashing the same message in bold white letters.

Cinna and Milli stood up from beside you, prying themselves off the beanbags you'd all practically melted into. You let out a playful groan, dropping your head back. “I don’t want to go. I know they’re going to be evil,” you whined, making both girls chuckle.

Taking Milli’s outstretched hand, you let her pull you to your feet. As the others started making their way toward the challenge room, you caught George’s gaze lingering on you out of the corner of your eye. He stayed back, letting everyone else pass.

He disguised it as adjusting something on his microphone pack, which only made your chest ache. Him waiting for you wasn’t odd—no one would’ve questioned it. Everyone already knew you two were close before the show. Mandi had even declared the moment you walked in that it was unfair both of you were here, claiming you were “definitely dating,” which would make "doing nothing together too easy." Her theory, of course, was backed by the dozens of TikTok edits she and Milli had watched of you and George together.

You both denied it—laughing it off with an ease that had been practically rehearsed for months. But you silently prayed none of them noticed the flush in your cheeks, the redness in George’s ears, or the way your eyes kept finding each other across the room.

As Cinna and Milli moved ahead, their laughter blending into the buzz of the rest of the group, you hung back. For a second, it felt like it used to—just the two of you; normal, almost. You had to physically restrain yourself from throwing your arms around him and telling him how happy you were that he was here. He licked his lips, and you had to force yourself not to remember how they felt on yours.

"Hey," He said, soft enough that only you could hear.

You swallowed. "Hey."

The silence that followed stretched between you like a tightrope. One wrong word—one mention of that night—and it would snap, sending you both tumbling.

He rubbed the back of his neck, eyes flickering to the ground and then back up at you. You noticed how they paused, just briefly, at your lips. "So, uh...how are you finding things so far?"

The conversation already felt...so small. Meaningless.

You forced a smile. "Fine, you?"

He nodded slowly at your words, sheepishly even. "Yeah...just...you know," he shrugged, "ready for the lads to fuck with us." He put on a stupid accent, one that he knows always make you chuckle. And it almost did. Almost.

Silence filled the space again, thick and charged. You stared at each other a little too long, both of you trying to refrain from subconsciously moving closer to each other, as you always have done. George shifted his weight from foot to foot, clearly unsure of what to say next.

His voice dropped down to an even quieter whisper so that no one could hear (as if he didn't have a microphone pack strapped to his chest). "You left before I could wake up. I'm not sure if you wanted to talk about it...or if we can...but I think we definitely should."

You hesitated. Too many words fought to reach your tongue, none of them right. Not here. Not now.

"Yeah, uh, I don't know..." you mumbled, "but we definitely should." Your eyes darted around. Everyone else was already in the challenge room, just two studio managers still tidying up the set.

He nodded again, too quickly this time. "Yeah, yeah, of course. Just, I wanted to let you know that I don't want it to be-"

"Oi! Lovebirds!" JJ poked his head from the challenge room and into the hallway, "Get your asses in here right now! We're waiting on you two!"

George let out a low breath and let out a quick smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Guess that's our cue." He held out his hand for you to take.

You stared at his outstretched hand, your heart thudding in your chest.

For a split second, and against your better judgement, you almost reached for it—almost letting muscle memory win. But instead, you wrapped your arms around yourself and took a small step forward, slipping past him to join the others without another word.

Not a rejection. Not quite. Just...space.

His hand hovered mid-air for a moment longer before dropping back to his side. He didn't say anything, just followed behind you—his eyes trained on the ground.

When you stepped into the challenge room and saw JJ, Simon, and Tobi—JJ in mid-rant about how he was this close to starting without you, you smiled.

Familiar faces. Some sort of normalcy. Even under the far too bright lights, you could pretend that nothing actually happened; that you weren't spiraling and panicking underneath your cool exterior; that George's closeness doesn't mean anything more than usual.

You mumbled an apology as you took your spot next to Milli and Dylan, trying to keep your expression neutral. Out of the corner of your eye, George slid into his place across the room.

Your eyes met once—just once. A flicker. A slient later.

But for now, the cameras were rolling, the game was beginning. And you can't let Tobi, Simon, or JJ have an idea that something was weird between you two. Then you'd never hear the end of it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"The challenge is Insider Dating," Simon began, clapping his hands together. "You'll each be given two questions that you must answer to our satisfaction. Think of it as a chance to really get to know your fellow Insiders!"

The group let out a chorus of exaggerated awwws, leaning into the bit for the cameras.

"But," Simon added with a mischievous grin, "there will be distractions. You can opt out… but it’ll cost ten grand from the prize money.”

A collective gasp echoed through the room—playful, dramatic.

Tobi jumped in. “We’ve already paired you up. We’ll call your names. When it’s your turn, sit at the table, open the menu, and read what you see.”

As stage managers did a final sweep, double-checking mics and cues, everyone began speculating about what the distractions might be.

“I think we got this,” Dylan assured you, resting his hand on your bouncing knee. “Don’t worry.”

Milli grinned. “Remember, you’re a bad bitch!” You laughed, grateful, until something across the room caught your eye.

Mya leaned in toward George, who seemed to be explaining the rules again. Her hand rested lightly on his bicep, a sly smile on her lips. Your stomach twisted. She was gorgeous. And George? Maybe he’d like her more.

It shouldn’t matter. You and George were just friends who’d… hooked up. No claims. Still, the way she tilted her head toward him, the way he let her—it made your chest feel tight.

You looked away quickly, turning back to Milli. “As long as it’s not snakes, I’m happy.”

Finally, the challenge began.

First up: PK and Cinna—rats crawling over them.

Since entering, Cinna was the person you trusted most. She seemed genuine; serious about the challenge, lovely, and just overall kind. PK, on the other hand, terrified you—loud, outrageous, unpredictable. You worried he’d spend more than he’d earn.

Still, you had to give them credit. They both endured the rats. Neither tapped out.

You looked up—George was watching you. But as your eyes met, he quickly looked away.

Next came Farah and Jason. Though Farah had been rowdy so far, you admired how kind she truly was. When Jason panicked about the nail near his ear, she comforted him, hyping him up.

“This is so fucked up!” Jason screamed, sending the room into laughter. Except George. He had his own bit ready.

“It’s gonna get more fucked up!” he said, slipping into that same ridiculous accent he always used to make you laugh. Everyone cracked up—but you knew that joke was targeted particularly for you. It became clear when George's eyes looked over to see if you were laughing.

His eye contact made you feel small. You sank a little into your seat, hands beginning to fidget.

“Hey,” Dylan whispered, taking off one of his rings. “Here. Fidget with this, if it helps.” You smiled gratefully, twiddling the ring between your fingers.

Dylan and Mandi were up next—"a kiss from a chicken" as their distraction. Dylan admitted what he’d do if he could be invisible; Mandi revealed her first kiss.

“This is our only group of three—a threesome, if you will,” JJ announced with a smirk. “Milli, Mya, and Whitney—please take your seats.”

Shit. That meant you were left with George.

You were pretty sure the realization showed on your face, especially when JJ and Simon winked at you. Tobi’s lack of reaction was more concerning—did he realise something?

“You got this, Milli.” You gave her a smile as she stood.

Creepy spiders crawled across their heads as they answered: Milli’s most embarrassing date story, the most famous person in Mya’s DMs… and then Whitney tapped out. Another $10K lost. Fuck.

Now it was your turn.

Tobi called out yours and George’s names. JJ led the group into a chorus of exaggerated “Ooooohs.”

You forced a laugh, heart pounding as you stood. George met you halfway, giving your hand a quick squeeze. You hadn’t realized how visibly nervous you were—but he had.

Still, he looked away quickly. His expression unreadable.

“Go on, loverbirds!” Jason heckled. The group erupted in laughter. George flipped him off, and you forced a laugh.

You sat across from each other, and today, the table felt too small. George slid his foot between yours—a subtle touch to ground you. This time, you didn’t pull away.

As always, JJ made another joke at your two's expense “This isn’t your first date, so you know what to do.” You rolled your eyes and flipped him off again, earning some more laughter.

"Please open the menus." Simon instructed.

You flipped it open.

SHOCKING QUESTIONS.

“Ladies first,” JJ said, smirking. “So George, you're up.” George nodded in resignation as a technician locked you both into the shock devices.

You look at the questions listed on your menu. "What is your worst online dating experience?"

You’d heard this one before. But instead of listening, your eyes tracked the way he flinched—eyebrows furrowing in pain. Your hand instinctively reached for his, ignoring the group’s collective aww. You squeezed it, silently telling him to hang on. He squeezed back.

“Was that satisfactory?” George muttered, wincing.

Tobi, Simon, and JJ nodded. "Please ask the next question."

Really? You turned to look at the three hosts, who all had a mischievous look in their eye. These bastards.

"Snog, marry, and avoid three Insiders." He's going to say Mya.

George hesitated. "Do I really have to answer this?"

“You can tap out,” JJ taunted, “but we all know what your going to say anyway."

“Can it be any gender?” George asked, trying to stall. A shock hit. He grimaced, then gave in.

“Snog Cinna. Marry you. Avoid Farah.” He turned to Farah. “Sorry—you’re quite loud.”

“Fair,” she shrugged. She had admitted that was her red flag.

Tobi clapped. "Good job, George. It's now your turn to ask the questions."

"Which Insider do you currently trust the least?" George asked hesitantly, his hand now enveloping yours even before the shocks started.

The jolt shot through you. You yelped.

“This is unfair—I've just met them!” you protested. Another shock hit. You squeezed George’s hand tighter.

“You can always back out,” Simon teased, shuffling the cards.

But ten thousand...

Cinna came to your rescue. "It's okay! We won't be offended, right guys?" She got everyone to agree.

“Okay, really, no offense, but—either Whitney or Mandi!” They immediately jumped up, demanding to know why.

“Let me explain!” you pleaded. “It’s obvious one of you got the golden straw, and your denial makes me not trust you. Just admit it—it’s teamwork, so there's no point in being mad. ’Just be honest.” You were rambling, rushing to defuse the tension. “Also—the prices are literally extortionate! Who the fuck charges that much for a straw?” you added.

As the group laughed at your extra comment, the Sidemen motioned that the answer was satisfactory.

“George, just—please ask the next question,” you blurted, voice getting higher as you try and ignore the pain.

He looked down, face flushing red.

“Really?” he asked the Sidemen. They nodded. He berudgingly asked the next question; “Which Insider of the opposite sex would you… uh… be willing to share a bed with?”

“Agh—literally fuck off!” you yelled, jolted by the next shock.

You could answer honestly. Or safely. But the pain—and your instinct—won.

"George." You didn't dare look him in the eye, instead staring at the ceiling. You didn't see George's gaze fixating on the menu, refusing to make eye contact with anyone.

"Why?" JJ prodded.

“That’s not part of the question!” George defended for you.

“Uh uh,” Simon tutted. “We decide when the answer’s complete.”

Tobi stayed silent. And that’s when you were sure—he realised something was up.

You didn’t care anymore. “I’ve fallen asleep in planes with him, and on his couch plenty of times.” Even before two nights ago, you've stayed the night countless of times; mostly on his sofa, whether that is side by side on the chaise lounge or on his shoulder.

The Sidemen finally nodded. Accepted.

With the challenge over, the hosts announced how much prize money had been lost. Everyone began to file out—some toward the shop, others back to the living room.

George lingered by the door, waiting for you who stayed behind to playfully punch JJ in the shoulder.

“Hey, can we get you in Room 19 for a confessional?” a producer asked, pulling you aside. “Tobi wants to speak with you too.”

He knew.

You turned to George, his eyes locked on yours. Sorry, you mouthed. Later.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Room 19 was too bright and too quiet .

Tobi was already inside, lounging on the sofa like he hadn’t just summoned you in. He’d asked the camera crew to give you two a minute.

You slid into the sofa beside him, hiding your face in the back of the sofa. "Why do I feel like I'm about to be told off?"

He didn’t answer—just looked at you, like he was waiting for you to crack.

"What?"

He raised an eyebrow, "Something happened."

You shook your head too quickly, too defensively.

Tobi, of all people, wasn’t going to buy that. He knew. He knew. Ever since the YouTuber Pub Quiz—when he’d finally gotten fed up with watching you and George make heart eyes for three hours while being far too close to him. He heard firsthand George calling you snookums and had to physically pull George closer to him in order to protect their answers, especially after George kept gravitating towards you. When Tobi pulled you aside that night, he managed to get you to confirm it, drunk and giggly (fuelled by the alcohol from the night, and the shots you did with George), slurring out your not-so-little crush.

Maybe this was your sign to stop drinking.

“Don’t even deny it,” he said. “You and Clarkey aren’t acting like your usual lovesick selves.”

You rolled your eyes, scowling. “Fine. But you can’t tell any of the boys.”

Tobi mimed zipping his lips and tossing the key. You sighed.

“We slept together.”

His jaw dropped. “And?”

“And… nothing. We haven’t talked about it.” You could see the panic spiral forming in his head. “We were both drunk, and it was two nights before filming. We didn’t know we’d be here together. I kind of… left before he woke up.”

Tobi groaned. “You idiot. You didn’t want it to be awkward, so you made it more awkward.”

“I panicked!”

“For what it’s worth,” he muttered, “that poor sucker looks even more in love with you than before.”

“Tobi, we haven’t even made eye contact.”

“He looked wrecked when you were hurting earlier. That wasn’t acting. And trust me—Clarkey can't act for shit. Trust me, I've seen it."

You snorted. He wasn’t wrong.

There was a long pause. You didn’t say anything more. Not yet.

“They’re gonna call you for a confessional soon,” he said gently. “You good?” You nodded, even though you weren’t sure. Your head was a mess of George. "If you ever need a break, just ask them to go to the smoker's area. And, if you ever need to talk to me, just say so. We can hear everything."

You gave him a grateful smile, and then he was gone. The door shut behind him.

The crew came back in, cameras rolling.

You straightened your shoulders, just enough to fake composure. Although the world as you know it felt shook to its core, you had to pretend it was all fine.

Giving the producer a small nod, you convinced yourself you could do this. You'd done harder things. You just should not mention George, as much as you want to.

Maybe being away from your phone is harder than you thought. You wished you could text your roommate for her advice, although you could already guess what they were. Maybe you just needed the comfort. Maybe you just need George.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The end of the day came around faster than you expected.

With two new faces—Patrice (or “Uncle”, as he insisted) and DDG—the group loosened up again, especially after that tense challenge. Chaos resumed not long after, as people either tried to sneakily snag meal upgrades or tried to stomach the quite...unpleasant dinner prepared.

You wanted to keep track of who was doing what, to have a better idea of who to trust. But George was already on top of it. And right now, you couldn’t trust yourself around George, let alone what you might say if you were alone with him.

So you stuck close to who you could trust so far; Milli, Dylan, Jason,a and Cinna. Luckily, DDG managed to wrangle everyone into a budgeting talk—half serious, half banter—and you nodded along, grateful for the distraction.

Across the room, George finally stopped circling the space, his self-appointed half-joking job of policing the 'ruffians' (his words, not yours) done for the evening. But his gaze kept drifting. Back to you.

His eyes were pleading.

You could tell he wanted to talk. Needed to talk. About that night.

And you knew you should.

And part of you really, really wanted to.

But you were scared.

With a week still ahead of you—and cameras in every corner—this wasn’t the time.

Not quite yet.

Not quite here.

So you laughed a little louder with Dylan, leaned a little closer to Milli, and pulled Cinna deeper into the conversation.

Maybe you could avoid him for seven more days.

Maybe by then, you’d know what to say.

Maybe, in the real world, without all these cameras, this would feel less messy.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You walked into your shared bedroom to see him packing. "Hi," you whispered as you wrapped your arms around his torso. "Hello darling." He turned around, now looking down at you.

"You alright?" He asked softly. You nodded slowly before replying, "just gonna be weird not having you here." He squeezed you tighter in agreement. "I know, I'm gonna miss this face," he said, running his thumb over your cheek.

"What're you packing?" You asked once you'd broke apart, inspecting his suitcase. "An toothbrush-" you interrupted him with a chuckle. "What?" He smiled, confused. "Just, 'A toothbrush', still can't believe a Jeremy Clarkson quote has become apart of your daily vocabulary."

"Oh, right. Yeah, I don't know why I picked that up to be fair," he replied. You took a step closer to him with a bright smile. "I think it's hilarious."

An hour later he'd finished and had everything at the door, ready to go for the morning. He sighed deeply as he plopped himself down on your large, comfy sofa. "Done?" You asked, putting your phone down. "Done," he confirmed.

You spent the rest of the night watching a movie and cuddling after you'd ordered one last big takeaway, since George was most likely going to be on a diet of rice and beans for the foreseeable.

Somehow, as the credits of the film played in the background, you'd ended up on George's lap, while the two of you slowly made out.

"Not gonna see you for a whole week... a whole week without sex," he whispered into your ear. You breathed heavily, lips puffy from kissing as you took in his words.

Your sex life was un-fucking believable in the beginning and the flame just never really burnt out... meaning, -even though you weren't animals and could go a week without fucking each other- you knew when he came home you were going to get straight into bed.

"Mmm... yeah. We should probably do it twice to make up for it?" You smirked. "Definitely." He flipped you onto the couch and your back hit the cushions. "Ow!" You yelled. The vibe changed and George's face turned white.

You reached behind you and pulled the tv control from underneath your back and flung it onto the rug covering the floor. He immediately calmed and let out a breath of relief. "All good, continue." You both burst out laughing before getting back to business.

He reached a hand back to pull his shirt over his head, discarding it... somewhere, you weren't paying attention and didn't actually care. You hummed happily as he leaned down to pepper kisses along your collarbone.

The both of you were savouring the moment, though were completely naked within a few minutes. George slowly made his way down your body, leaving bright purple marks as he went. When he settled between your legs you ran a hand through his hair. "Sure?" You asked. "Always," he replied before placing a kiss to your clit, making you tense in pleasure.

"Oh m' god George...!" You moaned out as he ate you out. His tongue going from circling your clit to sliding down your folds to dip into your aching cunt.

"George, George, George," you chanted, extremely close to the edge, which he was well aware of, "don't stop- I'm gonna-" you sank back into the pillows as your orgasm overcame your body, vision turning white.

"That was- fucking-" "yes it was fucking, good analysis sweetheart," he teased as his face met yours once again. You giggled as you pushed his shoulder playfully. "Very funny, now are you gonna fuck me or should I go to bed?" "The first one," he replied quickly. "Thought so."

George grunted and his face twisted when he finally pressed into you. "Jesus- god- always so- hmf- tight baby," he husked as he reached the hilt. Your eyes practically rolled to the back of your skull at the sensation.

"Move George, move." Your arms and legs wrapped around him, heels pushing on his lower back. Without hesitation he pulled his hips back until just his tip remained inside of you, then he plummeted back into you.

His rhythm picked up and you met his thrusts as the room filled with your lewd sounds. "I love you- ugh- so fucking much y/n," he breathed out as your bodies collided over and over again.

"I'm gonna miss you- and this, you and this," you said as his thrusts grew sloppy and you approached your second orgasm. "y/n I-" "I know, me too. Come for me," you cut him off.

The both of you came hard, one after the other. His body fell onto yours. Your breath's heavy as you recovered from the last thirty minutes. Nether of you said a word as he got up, reached down, took you in his arms and walked towards the bathroom, your head resting tiredly on his chest.

"Okay?" He checked as he set you down on the toilet before leaving for a split second to grab two towels, then he moved to turn the shower on, steam beginning to fill the room from the hot water. "Yeah, incredible," you replied, voice quiet as you remained slightly dazed.

You got up and joined him in the shower a moment later, the water immediately making you feel ten times better and cleaner. "Here," he poured your favourite body wash onto a loofah and began running it gently over your body.

You and George were friends and made content together before you started dating him so it wasn't out of the ordinary if you guys were touchy no batten an eye that was until…

Everyone was in the living room,someone people at the table,then some people included you and George on the couch

Everyone was talking about what they think the next challenge is going to be or if they won the money what they would do with it, you and George on the other hand were laying down next to each on the couch with George’s hand on your hip and your hand resting on this shoulder.

You whispered in George’s ear that you were going to be right back, as You were getting up to go refill your water bottle, George out of nowhere says without thinking "Babe, can you bring me my hoodie it’s getting kinda cold” He said casually

Everyone snaps there neck at George then at you, George realizes what he said and freezes

Cinna and Millie look at George and you then both at the same time say “ wait are yall actually together?“ but before you or George could say anything Whitney say “Bebe..? The fuck. Yall are dating that HAS to be cheating,that not fair!”

"nahh y'all were dating this entire time" DDG says instigating, Your still standing there frozen George then let’s out a awkwardly noise still not know what to do.

Whitney speaks up again and says “you know I always knew there was something going on with you two I mean the sexual tension in the room went crazy I thought y’all just fuck once then for some odd reason y’all just went back to being friends “putting her hands up after the last sentence

As much as you didn’t like Whitney you let out a chuckle from that,finally George realized that none of you have confirmed or denied anything so he get up and comes over to you and pulls you closer to him.

“Oh god this is so awkward way for everyone to find out…but yes we are dating” George says with his face clearly flushed, jason then daps up George “ayy didn’t know you have game like that” then Jason pause for a second before he finally speaks up again with a grin on his face “wait..is that why you ignored me for a full day because I said y/n is pretty!?”

You look at George and poke his shoulder “you ignored him!” You say now dying of laughter because of how red in the face he is but before George could say anything pk shout, “ay since Mr and ms are together we should get some sweets to celebrate!” As soon as pk said that everyone raced to the shop

You and George make sure everyone leaves the room before being the last ones out so everyone is in front of the both of you

“ There So using that against us “ george says covering his face with his hands ,you pat George on the shoulder. “oh yea definitely, ugh that little rat Ethan is definitely going to be the most annoying about this tho”

George laughs in agreement,”oh boy I wonder how the internet is going to react when the show drops” you groan into George chest “ oh don’t remind me”