The royal dining room smelled like braised komodo turkey, warm spices, and impending chaos. That last ingredient was entirely Sokkaâs fault.
He had arrived two days ago under the very reasonable pretense of a âdiplomatic visitâ which everyone in the palace understood to mean he had eaten all the sea prunes in the South Pole and needed a change of scenery. He had immediately made himself at home in the most aggressively Sokka way possibleâreorganizing the palace kitchenâs meat storage, loudly critiquing the royal chefsâ spice choices, and staging what he called a âcultural exchangeâ that mostly involved teaching three Imperial Guards how to play Pai Sho wrong.
Zuko was handling it with the strained, tight-jawed dignity of a man who genuinely loved his brother-in-arms and also, genuinely, desperately wished he would go home.
You, on the other hand, were having the time of your life.
âThe problem,â Sokka announced, gesturing with his chopsticks at nobody in particular, âis that Fire Nation desserts donât hit right. Too much spice. Not enoughâI donât knowâcomfort.â
âTheyâre not supposed to be comfortable,â Zuko said flatly, not looking up from his bowl. âTheyâre supposed to be refined.â
âRefined.â Sokka repeated it like a curse word. He looked at you across the wide lacquered table. âY/N, back me up. Youâve eaten in the North. You know what a good dessert tastes like.â
âIâm staying out of this,â you said serenely, pouring yourself a cup of jasmine tea.
âSmart woman.â Zuko reached for his own tea.
âTraitor,â Sokka said to you, but his tone was fond. He jabbed his chopsticks toward the small porcelain dish near the center of the table. It was a delicate Fire Nation layered cake, dark red bean paste between thin sheets of honey sponge, dusted with powdered cinnamon. âIâll admit, though. That thing looks dangerous. In a good way.â
âItâs yuèbing-style,â you said, leaning forward slightly to inspect it. âFire Nation adaptation. They bake it with dragon fruit reduction instead of lotus paste.â
Sokkaâs eyes lit up with the specific enthusiasm he reserved for food and battle strategy. âOkay. Okay, that sounds incredible, actuallyââ
âIt is,â you confirmed. You picked up a small serving spoon, cut a neat portion, and held it out. Not toward Sokka, but toward the man sitting directly to your left.
Zuko stiffened.
It was a nearly imperceptible thing. A millimeter of tension across his broad shoulders, a slight sharpening of his gaze as it dropped to the spoon now hovering in the space between you. The cake sat there, perfectly portioned, an earnest little offering from his fiancĂŠe.
He looked at it. He looked at Sokka, who was watching the exchange with the focused, calculating attention of a man who had once tracked a sea serpent across open water for three days on a bet.
Zuko looked back at the spoon.
âI have my own utensils,â he said.
You blinked. âI know. Iâm offering you mine.â
âI can feed myself.â
âZukoââ
âIâm twenty-eight years old.â
The silence that followed was exquisite. You held his gaze for one long beat. He held it back, expression perfectly composed, jaw set at the precise angle you had privately catalogued as his I am the Fire Lord and I am not flustered, what are you talking about, I am completely fine angle.
You lowered the spoon.
Across the table, Sokka made a sound that wasnât quite a cough and wasnât quite a laugh, but existed somewhere in the loaded territory between them. You caught his eye.
Something passed between you. It was wordless, instantaneous, and absolutely damning. It was the specific telepathy that develops between two people who both find the same man endearing in his mortifying stubbornness.
You looked back down at the spoon in your hand. Then, with the serene composure of someone who had absolutely no ulterior motive whatsoever, you turned slightly in your seat and extended the spoon across the table toward Sokka instead.
âSokka,â you said pleasantly. âDo you want to try it?â
Sokkaâs expression went from conspiratorial delight to the studied, innocent blankness of a seasoned chaos agent. He straightened in his seat. He placed a solemn hand over his heart.
âI,â he said gravely, âwould be honored.â
He leaned forward. He accepted the spoon. He closed his eyes as he tasted it with the theatrical reverence of a man experiencing a religious event, and then he let out a low, appreciative groan that was at least forty percent louder than necessary.
âOh,â Sokka breathed. âOh, thatâsâY/N. Y/N, this is the best thing Iâve ever eaten.â
âIsnât it?â you agreed warmly.
âI might have to move into the Fire Nation palace permanently.â
âWe have a lovely east wing.â
âPerfect. Iâll take it.â
The temperature in the dining room had been climbing for approximately twelve seconds. You felt it before you looked. It was the specific, simmering heat that radiated off Zuko when his composure was being tested. The barely-leashed inner fire usually only made itself known when he was in the middle of a council session gone wrong, or when his fiancĂŠe had just deliberately fed another man dessert right in front of him.
Zuko was staring at Sokka with an expression so flat and so incinerating it could have stripped paint from the walls.
Sokka, to his eternal credit, met that stare with the breezy, untroubled grin of a man who had survived a war and therefore had genuinely recalibrated his fear threshold. He set the spoon down on the table between you with a small, precise click.
âI mean,â Sokka said, in the tone of someone making a completely reasonable observation, âyou did turn it down.â
You pressed your lips together very hard.
âYou specifically said,â you added, with perfect innocence, âthat you could feed yourself.â
Zuko turned to look at you. The flat expression had not moved. If anything, it had intensified. His golden eyes tracked from your face to the spoon to Sokkaâs deeply satisfied expression and back to your face again, and you watched the precise moment he decided he was not going to dignify this with a response.
He reached across the table. He picked up the spoon. He cut himself a portion of the cake with the silent, deliberate calm of a man who was certainly not bothered. He ate it. He set the spoon down.
âItâs fine,â he said.
âJust fine?â Sokka asked.
âItâs cake, Sokka.â
âY/N said it was incredibleââ
âThe conversation,â Zuko said, with a finality that had once ended full council meetings, âis over.â
You and Sokka thought it was funny.
Well. Your little prank is not so funny now.
Because right now, you are in the Fire Lordâs private chambers, stripped bare and face-down across his lap with the heavy silk sheets bunched uselessly beneath your palms, rapidly revising your opinion of the entire spoon incident.
He had been very calm about it. That was the most unnerving part. No raised voice, no dramatic declaration. Just the quiet deliberate efficiency of a man with a point to make and absolutely no intention of rushing. He walked you through the mahogany doors, turned the lock, sat down on the edge of the mattress, and looked at you. That was all it took. One look, and here you were: draped across his lap as his large calloused hand rested light and warm at the small of your back, the blistering heat of his thighs radiating straight through your bare skin, the horrible charged anticipation of waiting.
âYou thought that was funny,â he said. Not a question. His voice was low, that gravelly unhurried register that did something catastrophic to your better judgment.
âA little,â you admitted, into the sheets.
His hand lifted. It came down with a sharp deliberate crack across the curve of your backside, and the sound that tore out of you was not dignified in any conceivable way.
âZukoââ
âA little.â He repeated it perfectly even. His palm smoothed immediately over the sting, the scorching heat of his hand pressing into the bloom of warmth he had left behind. Your whole body clenched involuntarily at the contrast, the sharp bite of it dissolving almost instantly into a spreading maddening heat that pooled low and heavy in your core. âWeâll revisit that.â
He did it again. And again. Slow and measured, with that ruthless patience he applied to absolutely everythingâcouncil sessions, fire katas, and the systematic dismantling of your composure. Each strike was followed by the same soothing pass of his palm, his thumb tracing the flushed curve of your skin almost tenderly, and the combination of it was genuinely unhinged. Your fingers twisted into the silk. Your hips rolled without your permission. You heard the low dark exhale that came from him in response.
That was the thing about him. Zukoâs jealousy was a quiet, suffocating weight. He operated with the exact same obsessive, single-minded intensity that had once driven him across the globe for three years. Now, all of that relentless focus was trapped inside this room, directed entirely at stripping away your composure until you remembered exactly who claimed you.
You supposed thatâs just how Fire Lord Zuko is. The jealous type.
By the time he finally stilled his hand, your skin was flushed a vivid burning pink, radiating its own warmth, every trace of your natural waterbenderâs cold chased clean out of you. Your breathing was a wreck. The sheets beneath your palms were damp from the faint frost that had spiked off your overwhelmed skin and melted instantly against the furnace heat of his thighs.
âThere,â Zuko murmured, his hand resting warm and still against your lower back. His voice had dropped into something quieter. Not soft exactly, but settled. Certain. âThere you are.â
What came after was not gentle, and it was not quick.
He put you on all fours. His hands were sure and unhurried as he arranged you exactly where he wanted you, and the first stroke of his cock splitting you open dragged a completely ruined sound out of your throat that you felt no shame about whatsoever. He was thick and devastating at this angle, every thrust bottoming out so deep you felt it behind your navel, his hips snapping into the still-flushed spanked curve of your ass with a sharp filthy sound that filled the entire chamber. His long dark hair had come loose from its tie and fell around his face as he leaned over you, the ends brushing your spine, and even half-wrecked as you were the sight of him in your peripheral vision made it worseâthat sharp jaw locked tight, those golden eyes dark with focus, the broad scarred expanse of his chest sheened faintly with exertion, lean muscle shifting with every drive of his hips.
He fucked you thoroughly. Properly. Deep hard strokes at a pace that left you completely incoherent, your arms trembling, your face pressing into the pillow as your own voice became entirely unrecognizable to you. Tears tracked silently down your cheeks, the bright overwhelmed kind that had nothing to do with pain and everything to do with the total dissolution of every last piece of your composure. You came with a broken sob muffled into the silk, clenching hard around him, and he followed close after with a low wrecked groan pressed between your shoulder blades, his hands gripping your hips so tight youâd feel it tomorrow.
For a moment, you both just breathed.
Then he drew you up.
He positioned you with those large certain hands, your back against his chest, his legs bracketing yours, the scorching wall of him solid at your spine. You were facing the mirror at the foot of the bed. You understood immediately, completely, why it was where it was.
You looked absolutely catastrophic. Your hair was a total wreck, dark strands plastered to your flushed tear-damp cheeks. Your lips were swollen. Your eyes were glassy, pupils blown wide, the look of someone who had been thoroughly taken apart and hadnât been put back together yet. Your cool skin was flushed with heat and steaming faintly where it pressed against the blistering heat of his chest, the fire-and-ice contrast rendered almost obscene in the amber glow of the hearth.
And then there was Zuko behind you, which was a genuinely unfair thing to have to look at in this particular state. His dark hair was fully loose now, falling in thick dishevelled waves past his jaw and brushing his scarred collarbone. His chest was bare, broad and heavily muscled with the lean hard lines of a man who had trained every day of his life, old battle scars mapping his torso in silver and pale gold. His jaw was tight, a muscle feathering in his scarred cheek. His golden eyes burned steady in the low firelight, fixed entirely on you. He looked like something forged from fire and focused want. You looked like youâd been hit by a wave and hadnât surfaced yet.
The contrast was genuinely criminal.
His chin hooked over your shoulder. His golden eyes found yours in the glass and held.
âDonât look away, princess,â he said quietly.
His hand slid down your stomach.
You were already so sensitized that when his fingers found your clit, your whole body jolted on pure reflex. His other arm banded across your ribs immediately, dragging you back flush against him, keeping you exactly and inescapably in place.
âZukoââ His name fractured in your throat. âI canât, Iâm alreadyââ
âI know,â he said. He didnât stop.
His fingers worked your clit in tight relentless circles, the direct pressure against something so oversensitized from everything before that every stroke felt like too much and not enough at the same time. His other hand slid up to cup your left breast, squeezing the soft weight of it before his fingers found your nipple and pinched, sharp enough to make you gasp and clench and dig your nails into his forearm hard enough to leave marks.
âLook at the mirror,â he said against your ear.
You looked. You wished briefly that you hadnât. Your face was a complete disaster, mouth open, eyes wet, cheeks scarlet, expression stripped down to pure sensation with nothing held back at all. The image of you coming apart while he remained so devastatingly composed behind you, his dark eyes tracking your every reaction with that consuming focused attention, was enough to make your thighs shake all over again.
His fingers tightened on your nipple, a rolling pinch that sent a sharp spike straight down to your already screaming clit. Then the hand at your core shifted, two fingers curling inside you while his thumb flicked directly over your swollen bud, and you actually sobbed. Loud and undignified and completely beyond caring.
âStill think it was funny?â he murmured against your ear, low and dark and almost conversational. His fingers never lost their rhythm for a single second.
You opened your mouth. You were going to say a little. You had fully intended to say a little, purely on principle, right up until his thumb pressed down firm and his fingers curled deeper and his other hand delivered one sharp stinging flick directly to your clit. Your entire spine arced off his chest.
What came out instead was his name. Just his name, over and over, increasingly incoherent.
âThatâs what I thought,â he said, low and rough against your temple.
The orgasm hit so hard your vision went white at the edges, your whole body shaking, thighs clamping shut around his hand. His arm was the only thing keeping you from sliding completely off the mattress. He worked you through every convulsing shuddering second of it without mercy, fingers pumping steadily through the clench of your walls, thumb drawing slow circles over your hypersensitive clit until the sounds you were making were mostly just breath and the occasional broken fragment of please.
He finally, mercifully, stilled.
The room was very quiet. The hearth crackled. Your chest heaved. His chin was still hooked over your shoulder and in the mirror his expression had shifted into something quieter. Still dark, still certain, but underneath it the faintest trace of the thing he could never quite say out loud in dining rooms and corridors. The thing that only ever came out like this.
A thin curl of steam rose where your sweat-damp skin pressed against the furnace of his chest. The hearth fire guttered once, sympathetically.
He lowered you both down onto the mattress slowly, tucking you against his chest the same way he always did, with that quiet absolute possessiveness, like the decision had been made a long time ago and he had no interest in revisiting it. His hand settled heavy and warm at the curve of your waist. His thumb began its slow idle circle.
You lay there completely and entirely destroyed, listening to his heartbeat gradually decelerate against your cheek. The burn of him had faded from overwhelming to something grounding, a steady bone-deep warmth seeping into places the cold had lived for years.
âFor the record,â you said, into the quiet.
âMm.â
âYou could have just eaten the cake.â
A beat. Then, low and dry, his voice rumbling against your cheek. âIâm aware of that.â
âWould have been easier.â
âI said Iâm aware, princess.â
You smiled against his skin. âIâm just saying. For future reference. If I offer you a spoonââ
âIâll take the spoon.â
âGood.â
âDonât test me again.â
âWouldnât dream of it,â you murmured, partially lying as you pressed a soft kiss to the scar over his eye.
prologue â§˝ read more
this is actually a bonus chapter from the main âsublimationâ universe ;)
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romance as a subplot is SOOOOO GOODDDDD because 98% of the time it's an intense slowburn that develops over several chapters. the story focuses on the plot or character development more but somehow it makes the romance SO MUCH BETTER!!! idk how to explain it it's just so good...like when an author's focus is more on characters and plot it gives you as the reader a deeper connection to the characters which makes the romantic/platonic aspect so much better
PLOT! the five times Egg realizes his father was in love with his aunt and the one time he realized how truly doomed they were.
pairing: maekar targaryen x reader
word count: around 5.4k
a/n: NO TARGCEST. this is the first time i wrote in a while, so might not be my best (i also wrote the first part and the ending first and then got lazy writing the middle)
SOME LOVES ARE LOUD ENOUGH TO SHAKE KINGDOMS. Others live and die in stolen glances, in half-finished sentences, in the spaces between what is felt and what is never allowed to be spoken.
The first time Egg realized his father was in love with his aunt, it came to him as most truths did in his childhood: carelessly and from the mouth of someone who should have known better.
The afternoon was hot, with the sun beating down hard on Egg's back, slicking it with hot droplets of sweat. It felt unbearable. Dust was also clinging to the air, to his skin and to the back of his throat.
He thought that squiring would be something finer than this. Something worthy of the stories and songs. Instead it was just weight. It was sweat. It was the sour, lingering scent of wine that followed Daeron everywhere he went.
"Seven save me," Daeron muttered, swaying as Egg struggled with the fastening at his shoulder. "Did they give me a squire or a stableboy?"
"I can do it," Egg said eagerly.
"You always can," Daeron replied, listing his cup. "And yet..."
He did not finish his thought. Egg bit down on his tongue and tried again. His fingers slipped. Until by chance or pure stubbornness, the buckle caught.
Egg stepped back and looked up at his perfect work, waiting for some well deserved praise. But recieved nothing. Egg groaned and looked up ready to complain to Daeron but the older boy was no longer looking at him.
His gaze had gone elsewhere, beyond the yard, beyond the garden hedges, fixed on something Egg could not yet see.
"What is it?" Egg asked, rising onto his toes, as though the height might grant him some assistance with the high hedge. It did not.
Daeron did not answer at once. He drank what remained in his cup, slow and unhurried.
"Have you ever noticed the way Father behaves around her?"
Egg frowned. "Around who?" (the boy was now jumping up and down to try and gain some view beyond the hedges).
"Our aunt. (Y/N)"
Egg blinked. "No?"
Daeron hummed softly. "It's nothing. Less than nothing."
Egg wracked his brain trying to come up with some possible answer to what Daeron was insinuating. "Does Father have some problem with her?"
Egg was worried then because you as well as your family were meant to come to Summerhall before coming with them to Ashford for a tourney.
"Quite the opposite." Daeron turned to Egg and wiggled his brows. Egg frowned, knowing what that meant. "That doesn't mean anything."
"No, it doesn't."
"She's married. To Prince Baelor."
Daeron hummed.
"Father wouldn't-" Egg stopped, the rest of the thought refusing to settle into something. "He loved Mother."
At that, something in Daeron's experession shifted.
"He did."
The words hung there, unfinished. Egg waited for more but none came. "She's our aunt."
"And he's our father."
Egg shook his head. "You're wrong."
"Perhaps." Daeron set his empty cup aside and crouched slightly, bringing himself nearer to Egg's height. "Just watch him. You'll see it, or maybe you won't. These sort of things aren't meant to be seen at all."
He straightened, clapping a hand against Egg's shoulder. "Come on. I'll need another drink before I pretened to be a knight again."
Egg followed, though more slowly. He told himself there was nothing. Daeron was just drunk and imagining things.
The second time Egg noticed, no one said a word at all.
It happened in the Great Hall, in the lull between courses, when the noise softened just enough to hear the quieter things. The scrapes of a cup against the table, the half whispers of conversations and all that. The portion of the night where everyone was relaxed.
Egg had not meant to watch. He told himself he wasn't. But Daeron's voice had settled somewhere in the back of his mind and it was impossible to ignore it. So he took Daeron's words to heart. Watch him.
So he did. Egg watched his father from his place at the dinner table next to Aemon (who had his head buried in some large textbook. Egg was slightly concered over his brother's potential future neck problems).
His father sat at the end of the high table by his brother and Egg's uncle. His posture was straight and his expression was carved hard. He spoke when spoken to, nodded whe required and drank very little. There was little to nothing strange about it.
Until, his Aunt (Y/N) laughed.
It was not loud, nothing that would turn heads or draw attention to it. (Y/N)'s laugh was a lovely one and a familiar one to Egg. (The laugh came from a joke that Matarys told her but Egg did not hear what it was. From what he knew of his cousin, Egg didn't think it was a funny joke and his aunt was just being polite).
But Egg saw it. The way his father had stilled. Not entirely or in a dramatic way. But it was as if the statue had been shooken. A breath that was being held onto for a second too long.
Egg frowned. His father did not turn, did not look, his gaze remained fix on Baelor as the two were in a conversation. Maekar did not speak right away. Baelor carried on, asking a question that was answered by some lesser lord sitting next to Maekar. His paused moment slipped past, unoticed by all except for Egg.
It meant nothing, Egg told himself. Less than nothing.
People paused all the time. People lost their places. It was not uncommon. Afterall some people just get lost in their thoughts. It was not-
His father's hand tightened slightly around his cup. So slight it might have been imagined. Egg watched however, as he took a measured drink and set it back down with too much attention than it required.
Still, he did not look. Not at you. Egg found his gaze looking upon you instead. Looking radiant in the red silks that were probably made in Dorne. You had now reached your hand over to your husbands to get his attention, and leaned in to speak with a soft smile.
Prince Baelor and Princess (Y/N). Future King and Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. They looked right. They looked happy. The very pitcture of what Egg thought a loving marriage would look lile. As though the world had placed them exactly where they were meant to be. Egg was content knowing they loved each other.
So Egg went back to his food and started to shift his peas from his plate to Aemon's instead. Content to pretend that he was overanalyzing his father's behaviour.
The third time Egg noticed, it was close enough to touch.
It happened in the gardens, where the air was softer and world felt far away from the Seven Kingdoms. Egg had not meant to follow. At the time it had felt like nothing at all. He was just wandering paths he knew well, doing his best to avoid the maesters and his lessons.
That was until he saw them. He stopped before he could be seen and hid behind a tree.
They stood beneath the shade of an overgrown arbor, where the light filtered through in fragments painting them in gold. It was rather close. Not close enough to be indecent or improper. Just, closer than what was necessary.
(Y/N) was speaking, though it was too soft that the words could not reach Egg. Instead he had to settle on watching the shape of them. As (Y/N) was speaking his father did not interrupt, did not look away. Just gazed at your face.
From the looks of it, you had finished speaking and there was a moment of silence between the two of you. Then, your hand had lifted.
It wasn't anything dramatic. Just brushing your hand against his sleeve. It should have been nothing because it was nothing. But again, his father had stilled. The way his breath seemed to catch, the way his hand at his side tightened just slightly.
He did not pull away, did not reach back, did not move at all. The two of you stood there, closer than what one would expect, with your hand on his arm. To Egg, it looked like a different sort of painting. One he had not seen at the dinner the other night.
Then you stepped back and distance returned. Whatever had just been there, slipped neatly back into place.
His father inclined his said, said something Egg could not hear but it was probably something drab (his father was a rather blunt speaker). Whatever it was, it resulted in a smiling (Y/N). Your smile was smaller and softer and gone quicker than normal.
And then it was all over again.
Egg did not move from where he stood, though he knew he should. He felt as if he was intruding on something. His thoughts felt tangled. Nothing had occured.
With that, he took a step back and starting walking back into the castle.
The fourth time Egg noticed, it nearly did not remain theirs alone.
It was not meant to be a moment at all. That was what made it dangerous.
The corridors were quieter at that hour, the castle settling into itself as the evening wore on. Voices dulled behind closed doors. Footsteps softened. Even the torches seemed to burn lower, their light unsteady against the stone. Everyone was preparing for bed.
Egg had been sent on some errand he no longer remembered.
It did not matter. He would forget it entirely, later.
What he would remember, what would stay, was this:
The turn of a corner. The sound of a voice, too low to make out. And the way he stopped before he understood why.
This time, from behind a corridor, Egg saw them at the far end of the passage, half-shadowed, as though the castle itself meant to keep their secret.
They were close. Too close. Much closer than before in the garden.
Once again you were speaking. Or not. Even in the dimmed hallway, Egg could see you were loosing your composure. The normal picture perfect you seemed frazzle in the dark corridor. Words were spilling out quick but quietly. As if it was something that had been held back for too long.
Egg could not hear them, only feel the shape of them in the air, sharp and unsteady. (He was thinking to himself that he should really work on his sneaking abilities so he could somehow find himself closer so he could properly eavesdrop).
His father said nothing. He only watched you. Not as a prince might. Not as a brother should. As though the rest of the world had fallen away.
Eggâs breath caught, though he did not know why. He should not have been there. He knew that. And yet he did not move.
You stopped speaking. The silence that followed was not empty. It pressed in, taut, waiting.
His father took a step forward. It was small, measured and hesitant. Enough to close what little distance remained between you.
Egg felt it then, that strange, tightening awareness, like a thread pulled too thin. Something was about to happen. Something that could not be undone.
Your hand lifted, hesitant, uncertain, as though you had not meant to do it at all. His fatherâs followed. Not touching. Never touching.
But close enough that the space between them felt like something real. Something fragile. Something one breath away from breaking.
And for a moment, the two of you didn't move.
Footsteps echoed from the far end of the corridor. And the spell shattered. Your hand dropped at once. His father stepped back just as quickly, the distance snapping into place as though it had never been crossed at all.
By the time the servants turned the corner, there was nothing to see.
It was just a prince standing where he ought to stand. A lady composed, untouched. Silence, neat and proper, where something else had been moments before.
Egg pressed himself back against the wall, heart beating too fast for something he did not understand.
No one noticed. No one said a word. And yet, Egg knew.
That it had almostâ
He swallowed, the thought slipping from him before it could take shape.
It had been nothing.
A step taken. A hand lifted. A moment that came too close to becoming something more.
The fifth time Egg noticed, nothing threatened to happen at all.
There was no interruption waiting in the wings. No footsteps. No tension poised to break. Only certainty.
It happened in a corridor (the same one as before) and he was not meant to linger in, though he had long since stopped believing that mattered. The castle had begun to feel less like a place one moved through, and more like something that simply contained him.
He heard your voice first. And then his fatherâs.
Egg stopped before he saw you.
You stood facing one another, not hidden, not secret, simply⌠there. As though there had never been anything to conceal.
Your hands were folded neatly before you, composed and contorlled. The opposite of what you looked like the previous night he had seen the pair of you.
âI leave with Baelor at first light,â you said. Your voice did not tremble. It did not need to.
His father nodded once. âI know.â
No hesitation. No question. Only acknowledgment.
Egg watched the way you held his gaze for a moment longer than was necessary. Not lingering. Not resisting. Just, steady.
âAs it should be,â you added quietly.
It was not said like a comfort. It was said like a truth that had already been lived. His fatherâs expression did not change. But something in him did.
Not outward. Not visible in any way that would matter to anyone else. Only Egg saw it.
The smallest tightening at the corner of his mouth. The faintest pause in his breathing. As though something had been set down carefully, something heavy, something once held too close.
âYou will be well,â he said. It was not a wish. It was a fact he had chosen to believe.
You gave a small nod. âAs will you.â
And that was all.
No step forward. No reach. No fracture in the space between you. Only distance, held deliberately in place. As if it had always belonged there.
You turned first.
Not away from him in avoidance, but toward what was waiting for you beyond the corridor. Beyond the castle. Beyond this moment entirely.
Duty, already ahead of you.
His father did not watch you leave. Not when it mattered. Not when it might have changed anything.
He simply stood there until your footsteps faded completely, until even the echo had gone soft enough to disappear.
Then he turned away as well.
Egg remained where he was. Not because he was unseen. But because there was nothing left to witness.
Only something he finally understood in full:
Not all loves ended in ruin. Some ended in choice. And in that choice, quiet, certain, unspoken they had already lost each other long before either of them ever reached for anything at all.
The one and probably last time Egg understood how truly doomed they were, it was at Ashford Meadow.
Some loves are loud enough to shake kingdoms.
Others live and die in stolen glances, in half-finished sentences, in the spaces between what is felt and what is never allowed to be spoken.
The tourney had turned the world bright again.
Colour returned in banners and gowns, in the gleam of armor beneath the sun, in laughter that carried too far across the fields as though nothing in the world had ever been wrong.
For a moment, Egg believed in that brightness.
He had never seen so much life. Never felt so far from the boy he was meant to be. He had lost Daeron somewhere in a tavernâs chaos and shaved his head in reckless relief, as though shedding identity might make him freer. He had even met a hedge knight, Ser Duncan, before the crowd swallowed him whole.
Then the royal family arrived. And everything began, quietly, to fall into place.
Egg hid among skirts and passing legs as he watched them take their places. His aunt stood near the pavilion.
The wind caught at her dress, lifting it in soft, unsteady motion, and for a moment she looked less like a princess and more like something imagined, something almost too gentle for the weight of her name.
She smiled more easily now. Baelor lived. And so she could, too.
He stood beside her with easy warmth, speaking to those who approached them, his hand resting at the small of her back as though it had always belonged there.
She laughed at something he said, turning toward him, bright and unburdened.
It should have been enough. It was enough.
And still... Egg knew, somewhere deep and unspoken, that in another life, in another shape of the world, it might have been his father standing there instead.
Behind them, Maekar stood at a careful distance, speaking with a lord he was not truly listening to. His attention kept returning, again and again, to where it should not.
There was no grief in it. No rupture. No visible wound.
Only something quieter. Something held too tightly to be named.
Their eyes met once. His fatherâs. Hers.
It lasted no more than a heartbeat. And yet Egg felt it as something entire. A silence stretched between them, thin, precise, almost reverent.
Until Baelor spoke her name.
She turned. And the moment was gone. The world continued exactly as it should have. But Egg did not move. He watched.
Later, Baelor was called away. And Maekar stepped into his place beside her. It looked like nothing. It was nothing.
A conversation between in-laws. A passing exchange. A courtesy sustained by courtly habit.
But Egg saw too closely now. The ease that should not have been ease. The closeness that should not have existed at all. A handmaiden passed. Words were spoken too quietly to catch.
And then, Maekar offered his arm. She took it with no hesitation. It was a simple thing.
And yet the way her fingers settled there, the way his arm did not move away, the way neither of them corrected the distance. It felt like recognition. Like something remembered instead of chosen.
Too familiar to be coincidence. Too natural to be allowed. A blush rose faintly at his fatherâs neck. Gone as quickly as it came.
And for a moment, it felt almost right.
Until Valarr came running, bright and alive, breaking everything open again. The spell did not shatter. It simply⌠dispersed. Like smoke.
The world ended at Ashford Meadow.
It did not, of course.
The sun still rose over Ashford, pale and indifferent. The wind still moved through the fields, stirring banners that now hung heavy and dark. People still spoke, still walked, still breathed.
But something had ended all the same.
Baelor died.
The bells had tolled for what felt like hours, their sound low and unrelenting, echoing through the castle and out across the tourney grounds. Even now, standing among his family, Egg swore he could still hear them, like something lodged deep inside his chest.
They had chosen to burn him at Ashford. Egg wasnât sure why that made it worse, but it did.
This place had been bright, only days ago. Full of laughter and colour and life. He could still remember it, the banners snapping in the wind, the roar of the crowd, the way everything had seemed so large and full of promise.
Now everything felt hollow.
Egg stood stiffly beside his father, his hands clasped too tightly in front of him. He didnât move. Didnât speak. He wasnât sure he could.
His thoughts wouldnât stop circling back. If only he hadnât left Daeron. If only he had stayed. If onlyâThe pyre crackled. Egg forced himself to look.
Flames climbed steadily, consuming what remained of Baelorâs body. The heat pressed against his face, sharp and unbearable, and still he couldnât look away.
His gaze shifted. His aunt stood closest to the fire. She did not weep. She did not speak.
She stood as though carved from stone, her face pale, her expression empty in a way that frightened him more than tears ever could.
Valarr stood before her, shaking. Egg could see it even from where he stood. The way his cousinâs shoulders trembled, the way his head bowed forward as though the weight of it all might crush him.
Her hand rested gently in his hair. Not moving. Just there.
Behind them, Kiera stood still and silent, her presence quiet, almost ghostlike.
Egg swallowed hard. He had heard what happened. Everyone had.
Whispers had spread quickly, slipping through corridors and between servants like smoke.
They said she had been the first to reach him. That she hadnât believed it. That she had demanded a maester, again and again, as though saying it enough times might undo what had already been done.
They said she had knelt beside his body, hands pressed to him, begging the Seven to give him back.
That she hadnât seemed to notice the blood. That it had soaked into her sleeves, her hands, her skin.
Egg squeezed his eyes shut briefly.
They said Ser Duncan had tried to pull her away. That she had fought him. That she had screamed. Not words, just sound. Raw and broken.
And then his father came.
Maekar had been the one to pull her back. They said she had struck him. That her fists had hit his chest, over and over, as though he were something she could break. That she had cried into him like the world was ending.
Egg opened his eyes. He looked up at his father now.
Maekar stood beside him, unmoving. Rigid. Every line of him held tight, controlled, as though he had locked something inside himself and thrown away the key. Every line of him held tight, controlled, as though he had locked something inside himself and thrown away the key.
Egg wanted to say something. Go to her.
He didnât know if he would have said the words aloud or not. He only knew the thought pressed against his throat, desperate and insistent.
Go to her. She shouldnât be alone. Not now. Not like this.
But Maekar did not move.
He stood where he was meant to stand. He did what was expected of him. Nothing more.
Egg felt something twist inside him.
But he had learned, by now, where to look.
So he looked closer.
He saw the way his fatherâs hands were clenched at his sides, knuckles pale beneath the skin. He saw the tension in his shoulders, in his jaw, in the stillness that was not calm but restraint stretched too thin.
And then it happened. Briefly.
So brief Egg might have missed it, if he hadnât been watching.
His aunt lifted her head, just slightly. As though something had pulled her attention away from the flames. Her gaze crossed the distance between them. And found his father.
Maekar looked at her. Not as a prince. Not as a brother. Just as a man.
Everything was there. Egg felt it, even from where he stood.
Grief, sharp and consuming.
Longing, familiar, aching, unrelenting.
Regret, heavy, suffocating, endless.
All of it, laid bare in a single look that lasted no more than a heartbeat. It was too much. Too intimate.
Her gaze dropped. Maekarâs jaw tightened. And just like that⌠It was gone.
The fire crackled. The wind shifted. The world went on.
And whatever might have been⌠didnât.
Egg shouldnât have followed her. He knew that.
Even so, he slipped from the hall, keeping to the edges where torchlight thinned and attention softened. He was careful, quiet and was left unseen.
He told himself he would stop at the doorway. He didnât.
The hall was dim when she entered, curtains drawn heavy against the day. It felt smaller than it had before. Quieter in a way that pressed at the ribs.
She moved slowly, like each step had to be chosen in advance. Egg lingered just beyond the threshold, half-hidden in the corridorâs shadow.
She crossed to the high table to Baelorâs seat and sat down. For a long moment she did nothing at all. Then, carefully, she lifted her hands. Baelorâs rings caught what little light remained.
Eggâs throat tightened before he could name why. She turned one of them between her fingers. Over and over. Not fidgeting, holding on.
As though stillness might undo something. The door opened again. Egg went rigid. His father stepped inside.
There was a pause in him that Egg did not recognize. Not fear, exactly. Not hesitation either. Something closer to awareness. As though the room had become uncertain ground.
As though he was not sure he was allowed to cross it.
She did not look up. Did not acknowledge him. Did not move. For a moment, he only stood there. Then he crossed the room and sat beside her. Not close. Never close.
Silence gathered between them, dense and unyielding.
âI do not know where to begin,â Maekar said at last.
His voice was quieter than Egg had ever heard it.
She let out a breath that almost broke on its way out. âI do not know either.â
âIâm sorry.â
The words felt too small the moment they left him.
They stayed anyway. Unanswered.
âYou know,â she said after a while, still looking at the ring, âmy mother once told me not to love anyone more than my children.â
Maekar did not speak.
âI loved my children,â she continued. âAnd I loved my husband.â
Something in him shifted at that, barely visible, but real.
âAnd I loved you.â
The silence that followed did not feel empty. It felt held.
Carefully. Like something fragile that neither of them trusted to fall.
â(Y/N),â Maekar said at last, roughened, âthere are no wordsââ
âYou know,â she cut in, not unkindly, but with something steadier beneath it, âin a way, I wish you had meant to kill him.â
The air changed.
Maekarâs head turned slightly, as if the words had weight enough to move him. âHow could you say that?â
âIt would make things simpler,â she said. âFor me. As selfish as that sounds.â
He did not answer. There was nothing to answer. A long pause. Thenâ
âDo you remember,â she asked, quieter now, âwhen Baelor and I were betrothed?â
A breath left Maekar that might once have been laughter. It wasnât now. âOf course I do.â
A faint sound from her. Almost agreement. Almost nothing.
âYou said you would burn your entire house down before you let it happen.â
His mouth tightened at the memory, something old and unguarded passing through him and gone again before it could settle.
âI was young,â he said.
âWe were all young,â she replied.
Silence returned, softer this time. Less sharp. No less heavy.
Then she moved.
Slowly, she took one of the rings from her hand. Turned it once between her fingers. Twice.
And placed it in his palm.
âHere.â
Maekar looked down at it.
âI cannot take this,â he said. âHe was your husband.â
âAnd he was your brother.â
That landed cleanly. Without argument. Maekar closed his fingers around the ring anyway. Not tightly.
Egg stepped back before either of them could notice him there, retreating into the corridor as quietly as he had come. He did not run. He did not linger.
Some things, he understood, were not meant to be seen all at once. Or spoken.
He understood then that some things were never meant to be spoken. Just simply known and lived with.
Ë˰â˘*â⡠sim jaeyun âso your plan is to fake date?â
ââ HOW TO SURVIVE BOYS 101
âÂˇË ŕź * four letters get sent out, and fake dating your brother's best friend becomes damage control.
brother's best friend! jake x fem! reader
đđ if To All The Boys I've Loved Before raised you... this might make sense
ËËË fluff, rom-com, (very) slowburn, angst, friends to lovers, crack, highschool au
wc: 51 219 ; pt1 26 624 , pt2 24 595
part1, part2
disclaimer : the "reader" selfie in this smau is only a filler image for layout purposes. reader is poc-friendly and not meant to represent a specific race, appearance, or identity 𪽠- "flushing" in this story refers to the physical sensation of warmth, not blushing
Tip #1: Donât fall in love.
Itâs one of those universal warnings girls pass around like gum at lunch, punctuated by high-pitched laughter and confident nods. What an overprotective father (and brother, actually) would say at dinner because youâre growing, and apparently, high school is crawling with boys whose testosterone levels are the worldâs biggest threat.Â
It first started with ballet and pink. You fell in love with how the world slowed down when the piano started, how the first pliĂŠ felt like a prayer, the spotlight after your pirouette.
And then there was Jake. The second thing. You, 9 years old and too delicate to ever tag along, would always spot him outside your lawn, waiting for Evan, your older brother. They were 10 and 11, said girls were not allowed.
Jake, with his soccer jersey and his grass-stained knees, white socks browned from rain and soil. Jake, whoâd sit on the curb outside your house after practice, waiting for your older brother, spinning a ball on his finger, and asking if you ever got dizzy doing all those turns. You told him it was called spotting. He told you he could never do that, before mimicking it on the asphalt of the neighborhood street.
Okay, admittedly, it was a crush. That was not a crime. Itâs not like you were writing his last name after yours in your notebook or anything (you were).Â
Itâs just â he was Jake. Jaeyun. The first boy you ever liked.
By the time you turned 13, he was taller, louder, smarter, suddenly full of everything that made all the other girls in middle school realize how cool Jake Sim was. Surrounded by people whoâs got really shitty attitudes and personalities, Jake being way too good for them. You couldnât really fight the fact that you liked him first, the same way kids would claim their favorite colors, saying they favorited it first. He was your brotherâs best friend â which, by definition, is an unspoken rule of forbidden territory.
Heâd come by after soccer practice, shoulders broader, voice lower. Youâd hear the front door open and that familiar âMrs. Lee, we have practice again!â from the hallway. Heâd walk past you while youâre lounging on the couch, with just a small smile instead of a teasing grin, a quick âheyâ instead of a whole conversation.
By 15, you had a boyfriend, Jay. Sweet, safe, the kind of boy your mom liked. He played guitar, texted you good morning, and called you pretty. And it was a good thing, of course. You liked him and he liked you. Jake told you Jay seemed nice, you told him he was.
Jake was busier too, as the captain of the soccer team, busy from girls leaving notes in his locker, laughter always following him down the hall, busy from becoming the picture of what it is to be a golden child that had greatness tail him like a shadow. He wasnât particularly loud or cocky or smug, but that relevance surrounded him easily.
Jay was good to you. The kind of good that felt easy and nice and quiet, like Saturday afternoons. He brought you flowers on random days, not the fancy kind, but the ones you actually liked. There were nights youâd both curl up on the couch (snuggled but still dad-approved), a throw blanket safely between you, watching Netflix romcoms. Heâd quote the cheesiest lines just to make you laugh.
Then the front door would open, and there they were: Evan and Jake, back from practice, loud and sweaty and too full of energy for 7 p.m. And for a long time, it worked. You went to Jayâs gigs, he came to your recitals, he kissed you goodbye before class. But somewhere between the months, something shifted, not in a dramatic, heartbreak kind of way â just slowly. You still cared about him, still wanted him to do well, still smiled at his jokes. You just didnât feel that something you couldnât name but always knew was supposed to be there.
The breakup was quiet, no yelling, no tears, just a long talk on a park bench. He said he understood, and that was it, one and a half years folded neatly.
Ë ŕźâĄ âă
Tip #2: Donât be a romantic. (please)
So yeah, maybe you fell in love too quickly, too softly, too much. You did what any logical, overly sentimental girl with a box full of old stationery would do â you wrote about it. Or, technically, to them. Because apparently, journals were too boring, why wouldnât it be less obvious in floral envelopes and addressed to actual names? They were safely kept in the hidden compartment in your ballerina music box.Â
Four letters. Four crushes.
You wrote them on quiet nights when your head was too full and your heart throbbed loud, when the real world wasnât enough and you needed to spill everything somewhere safe. They werenât meant to be seen or sent â just a way to put feelings back where they belonged: on paper, not in your chest.
At least⌠that was the plan.
âIâm never talking to you again,â you sob.Â
âYouâll survive,â Evan teased, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you into an embrace you willingly melt into. âDonât cry too much, okay? Itâs bad for your pores.â You hit the side of his torso, earning a laugh from him. âYouâre insufferable.â
Evan, who decided to pursue that college scholarship miles away from home which he said was a big opportunity.
Jake was there too, of course. Heâd always been there as Evanâs best friend since forever. Your brotherâs other half, the duo who used to make all summers feel endless. Now, your entire childhood is split down by college, the final stamp that says, âit ends hereâ. It was Jakeâs turn to say goodbye. You stepped back beside your mom, watching the two of them fall into that quiet rhythm of half jokes, half real things. They dapped, then pulled each other into a hug.
Evan turned back to you all, that same grin you grew up with now framed with a goodbye you couldnât delay. You force a small smile, watching until he was just another person walking away and into the gate.
Jesus Christ, who will drive you to school?
Tip #3: If you write letters you donât plan to send, donât put actual stamps on them.
Another tip, for âHOW TO SURVIVE DRIVING 101â. Maybe just donât fucking drive.
Not when itâs driving at night in a neighborhood youâve never been to, and when your phoneâs at 9%.Â
You crashed the car. Youâre shaking â half from the cold (and because youâre only in your stupid pajamas and this was supposed to be an errand), half from the fact that the front bumper is now kind of⌠detached and itâs looking at you like it doesnât know what to do with itself. The headlights are still on, casting these long, uneven shadows across the empty street.Â
Your first instinct is, obviously, Evan. â...what the fuck, dude,â his groggy voice comes through after the 6th ring, heavy with sleep and annoyance and confusion. âWhy are you calling at â what time even is it? Wait â are you crying?â
You sniff, which answers that question. âI â I hit the curb â I didnât mean to â itâs dark and I donât â itâs not starting anymore, and I ââ Your tears are wild as they cascade down your face, spilling everywhere while you pace back and forth across some street you donât know.
âJesus Christ.â He groans, rustling noises in the background. âCall Mom and Dad.â
âI canât, Evan! Theyâll freak out, and itâs â my phoneâs at nine percent, I donât even know where I am â wait,â You said, reading one of the street signs near you. âCornelia Lane, yeah, where the fuck am I?â You sob again.
Thereâs a pause. You hear him mutter something under his breath, then a resigned, âOkay, okay, hang up. Wait. Donât move. Donât cry.â Then he hangs up. Which, frankly, feels cruel, like he shoved a knife right in the space between your ribcage.Â
Two minutes later, your phone buzzes.
Evan đŚś: texted Jake. he knows that area. dont use ur phone. stop crying.
You let out a choked laugh â half disbelief, half desperation. Jake? Out of everyone? Youâre sniffling, holding yourself like it could shield you from the cold and fright of solitude.Â
And, you havenât talked to Jake in weeks, after you dropped Evan off at the airport. Sure, the campus isnât so big that youâd never cross paths with him after one month of returning back to school. Aside from the fact that heâs a senior and youâre a junior, you both havenât really talked much the way little 13-year-old you and 14-year-old him did. Puberty was a jerk too, because who was once your best friend is now an object of probable discomfort.
Ten minutes later, sitting by the curb while your knees are pressed against your chest, headlights spill across the street. You squint through the glare, heartbeat picking up when the car turns the corner, familiar in color and shape â that army green Ford Bronco. Â It pulls up beside you with a low rumble, engine humming even after it stops. For a second, you just stare, your mind running through every possible way this could be more mortifying just before the door opens, and there he is. Jake Sim, in a gray hoodie, a crease between his brows that softens when he sees you.
He takes one look at the car, then at you â teary, puffy, wrapped in your own arms â and exhales, stepping closer. âYou okay?â His voice is low, calm, the kind of tone that feels grounding even when your pulse is anything but. You nod, though your throat tightens, and you start stammering to explain.
âHey.â He cuts you off gently, waving a hand. âItâs fine. Youâre fine. Just breathe, okay?â
You remembered. The Jake, who shared his juice box with you because you tripped over your own feet during tag and started crying, who brought you a popsicle after letting go of your bike. Heâs here now, but gone are those days, now replaced his old bike by that SUV, his soft features sharper with age. Did his jaw always look like that? And his nose?
You sniffle again, and you see how he fights the urge to laugh. He squats down in front of you, tilting his head to chase your gaze. âYo,â You look up, finding his eyes. âIâm here.â
You try to collect yourself with the heat of your palms pressing against your eyelids, grounding you somehow. âAm I screwed?â
He sighs, standing back up and checking on your car, which was awkwardly tilted over the curb. He whistles, rubbing the back of his neck, and then he straightens, pulling his phone from his pocket. âKind of,â he murmurs, scanning the situation once more, âIâm calling Triple A, and then your dad. Heâs gonna ââ
You shake your head before he can finish. âNo, please â donât call him.â
Jake pauses, thumb hovering over his phone. The silence between you hangs thick in the air, broken only by faint chirping of crickets. He studies your face â the trembling lip, the way your shoulders are hunched like youâre trying to disappear. Then, softly, he exhales through his nose and sets his phone back in his pocket. âYou know heâs gonna find out eventually, right?â he says, a ghost of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. âYou canât exactly hide a bumper hanging off.â
You sniffle, wiping at your cheeks with the back of your hand, then tugging your jacket sleeve down like it would stop you from shivering. âIâll tell him tomorrow. I just â I canât tonight.â
Jake nods slowly, that smile settling into something familiar â the one that used to come right before heâd say something teasing but gentle. âAlright. You get the call, ballerina,â he says under his breath.
You almost laugh, but your throatâs too tight, eyelids too heavy, eyes still glassy. He glances back at the car again, hands on his hips. âWeâll wait for the tow, Iâll drive you home, and you can tell your dad in the morning.â
You hesitate, shaking your head. âYou donât have to stay.â You didnât exactly think it through â like if he did leave, then what would you do? But thank God, Jake is Jake the way youâre you.
He turns to you, eyes catching the weak beam of the streetlight. âYeah, I do.â
Something about the way he says it â quiet, steady, like thereâs no argument to be made â makes you look down at your shoes, heart pounding. âWeâre friends.â he says with a kind smile, just to remind you that he still is that sweet boy.
Youâre both there, a little too still, and the silence stretches just long enough that it starts to feel⌠heavy. You shift your weight, hands twisting in your jacket sleeves, and he glances at you, eyes flicking away for a moment before going back to the car. Your heartâs in your ear, and you really arenât sure what to do with your hands, or your eyes when it accidentally meets with his.
Shit, was it always this awkward with him? Did age also just guarantee the discomfort?Â
Jake shifts his weight, glancing at the car again, then back to you. âAlright,â he says finally, with that familiar mix of firmness and calm, âletâs just sit in the Bronco. Heaterâs on, itâs warm. Weâll wait here until help comes.â
You nod, silently grateful, and follow him into the car, your jacket sleeves still twisted around your hands. The door shuts with a soft thud, and the faint warmth of the heater pushes against the cold.
âThank you,â You say quietly, eyes focused on your car propped so awkwardly in front of you. You could sink in embarrassment, avoiding looking at him now. He exhales a chuckle before nodding, trying to glance at you. âYeah, no worries.â
When he dropped you off, you ran to your room and read the letter you wrote to him â stamped and addressed and all. An epiphany, probably, the fact that some things havenât really changed, and heâs still the kind of person whoâs always one call away. You feel floaty, like you once did, just as you do now.Â
Youâre back to the middle school handwritings in pretty letter parchments, which you specifically saved for the love messages. Carefully opening the envelopes, there they are, in the corny glory of immature feelings. You read it just to be reminded of how earnestly you used to feel things. How unfiltered it all was, no self-awareness, just feeling in its rawest, most embarrassing form.Â
Tip #4: Learn how to run fast.
Your parents found out about the car, and they werenât really mad, but they said 18 was too old to let go of a responsibility like that. Half the repair cost would come from your savings, and the other half would come from them, just to be able to teach you a lesson that shit like that comes with a price. No big deal.
You decided to sell some of your things: clothes and bags, stuff you didnât really use anymore. The process was a mess, and your things were everywhere that your procrastinating ass wasnât able to fix it all in one go. Your mom helped.Â
Today? Was going well! You had tests today, and you think you did great, managing to answer all of the questions with confidence. Your makeup was cute too, and you finally tried with your outfit, while your hair fell in this graceful way it rarely ever did.Â
By all accounts, it was a good day. Even the drive to school wasnât terrible, though you were hyper-aware of every turn you made. Your bumper was still fucked and you drive slow, but hey, it drives (you got honked at twice).Â
After classes, you parked at your usual spot by the field, half-proud, half-exhausted, thinking maybe you deserved a nap before ballet practice. Your backseat was a disaster though â skirts, shoes, tote bags, and random receipts. So there you were, leaning into your car, muttering to yourself about where your left ballet slipper went â when a shadow passed across the window.
âHey.â
You froze, glancing over your shoulder.
Jake.
He looked casual â black sweater, grey sweatpants, backpack slung over one shoulder â but there was something in his stance, like he wasnât just passing by or trying to make a civil conversation. And he was looking at you but not really, and there was barely a second you think â heâs blushing, sorta. Mustâve been the sun or the heat; it was a particularly hot week anyway.
âUh,â you blink, straightening, tucking your hair behind your ear as if that would make you less caught off guard. âHey.â
âYou drove here?â He nods at your car, and youâre still not sure whatâs happening.Â
âYeah.â You respond, nodding.
He nods again, offering that polite, careful smile. âCan we talk?â
Your stomach drops, but you try to play it cool, shifting your weight to the other leg. You straightened your skirt, turning to him completely. âOh. Um, sure? About what?â
He hesitates, eyes flicking to the ground before meeting yours again. âI think⌠we should clear a few things up.â
âWhat things?â
And thatâs when he reaches into his backpack â slow, deliberate â and pulls out something that shouldnât exist outside your music box, outside your room, outside the safety of you.
An envelope. Ivory-colored with black accents. Your handwriting on the front. His name in ink.
No, no, no, no â
You canât breathe and it feels like the air just got ripped out of your lungs. The world tilts a little, and your body moves before your brain can even register what itâs doing. Youâre gonna faint â you already probably are, and your feet are off the ground, or youâre probably just falling.
âWait ââ Jake starts, but youâre already gone.
You run. Away from the car, from him, from the stupid piece of paper that just blew your entire existence apart. You hear him call your name once, maybe twice, but your legs donât stop. Your pulse hammers in your ears, and all you can think is â
He read it. He knows. How the fuck did he have it?
Your vision blurs, part adrenaline, part disbelief that this is your life now. You donât even know where youâre running to â just away, as far as possible from the boy holding your 8-year-old to middle school heart in his hands like itâs something he accidentally found in his mail. A piece of you that was only supposed to be yours was between his fingertips â a part of your mind heâs seen, and you canât ever take it back.
Youâre walking now but youâre practically blacked out at this point. The pavement is uneven, the air thick, and your hands are shaking so hard. Youâre just trying to breathe â in, out, again â when it happens.
You accidentally collide with something solid. Before you could stumble back, hands catch you by the elbows, steadying you back.
âWoah, you okay?â
The voice â low, calm, familiar â sends another jolt through you.
Your heart stutters when you see Jay, with discomfort and distress again. What the hell happened to this once-good day?
His face comes into focus through the blur of everything â warm brown eyes, hair tousled from the wind, that same reassuring presence you once thought would always mean safety. You let out a shaky breath, half a laugh, still trying to get your balance. âIâm fine. Sorry, I didnât see ââ
âItâs fine.â He gives a small smile, hands still hovering near you in case you stumble again. âYou were running like someone was chasing you.â
You clear your throat, brushing invisible dust off your skirt, trying to sound normal, casual, human. âItâs nothing. Just â yeah, whatever. Doesnât matter.â
Jay studies you for a second longer, like he can see right through the lie. Then, almost hesitantly, he nods. âAlright.â
Youâre about to thank him, to excuse yourself, to crawl under the earth and never resurface because itâs just better that way than having to face your brotherâs best friend, who now knows your sacred and confidential feelings, when he shifts the strap of his bag off his shoulder and pulls out something that makes your stomach drop again.
An envelope. Dark green in color. The same goddamn handwriting.
Your breath catches and you practically die again. He looks almost⌠awkward, holding it between his fingers, glancing down at your handwriting like heâs been trying to figure out what to do with it all morning.
âLook,â he starts, his tone soft but steady, âI just â I wanted to tell you that⌠past is past. Okay? I read it, and I get it. I really do. But I think we should just ââ he exhales, scratching the back of his neck, âestablish some boundaries, maybe. I mean, we had our thing. And it was great. It meant a lot to me. But⌠itâs been a year. And Iâm ââ
He pauses, glancing up at you, voice dropping slightly. âIâm talking to someone now.â
And for a moment, thereâs no sound â just the ringing in your ears, the pounding of your heart, and the way the world seems to blur at the edges. The last time you saw that, truthfully, was 4 days ago. The last time you actually meant what the fuck was in that paper was specifically 1 year, 11 months, and 22 days ago. Freshly broken up with, with the raw love of a 16-year-old girl with a draft for a heart.
He keeps talking â something about memories, and respect, and how he hopes you understand â but you canât hear any of it. Because all you can think about is how every single one was mailed. Jake. Jay. Kai. Yeonjun.
Your letters, your feelings, all the versions of yourself you thought you buried, floating out in the world for people to read. You just stand there, staring at him, your mouth dry, your face drained of color.
You want to disappear. You want to die on the spot. You want to rewind the past twenty four hours and stuff those envelopes so deep into the ground no one could ever find them again. Maybe take the fucking stamps off and scratch away the address.
You remember everything youâve written there. Two years ago, immediately after the breakup, reeling in the feeling of losing your first boyfriend and first kiss. How youâll miss when he played you the guitar, or when he buys you flowers, or his jokes that always make you laugh.Â
That you did love him, truly, and there will be a part of you who will love him always.
That was two years ago, youâre not so sure you agree now.Â
Tip #5: When your ex shows up, keep your mouth shut (seriously).
You open your mouth, and for a second, nothing comes out â just the sound of your heartbeat thrumming in your ears. Then, somehow, you find your voice, small and breathless.
âItâs â itâs not like that,â you start, shaking your head so fast you almost make yourself dizzy. âThe letter, I mean. I wasnât⌠trying to say anything, or get anything back. Itâs old, Jay. Itâs old. Like, two years old. I justâŚâ You swallow, words tripping over themselves.
Jayâs expression softens, but he still looks a little uncomfortable, none of it making sense yet obviously. âOh.â He blinks, nodding slowly. âI mean, yeah, no, I get that. Itâs just â yeah, it caught me off guard, you know? Reading all that.â
âYeah, no. Totally,â you nod slong. âActually ââ you try for a smile, the kind that feels steady but isnât, which is worse because it looks like youâre smiling through the pain from the revelation of someone new in his life â which is not the case at all, âIâm, um⌠Iâm seeing someone too.â
His brows lift, just barely, caught between polite curiosity. âOh?â he asks, tone light but edged with surprise. âWho?â
And before you can stop yourself â before you can think â the name slips out.
âJaeyun.â
You blink once, realizing too late what you just said.Â
Jay blinks too. Twice. The silence stretches â long, tight, like the world itself just froze for a second. His eyebrows knit together, not jealousy but something between confusion and disbelief. And honestly, you probably have the same look too.
âJaeyun⌠Jake⌠Sim?â he asks carefully.
You open your mouth. Close it. Nod. âYeah.â
The air goes weird, like really fucking weird..
Jayâs gaze flickers somewhere past you, like heâs trying to piece the timeline together in his head â Evanâs best friend, your brotherâs other half, the guy you practically grew up with (all in which he knew) â and when he looks back at you, he gives this small, uneasy chuckle. âWow. Didnât see that coming.â
âYeah.â You force a small smile, gripping your skirt like itâs the only thing keeping you grounded. âMe neither.â
You basically drive over the limit back home, storming into your room just to see that the fucking letters were indeed missing â all of them.
Your fault, of course, because youâve completely forgotten to put the envelopes back into your music box after rereading them when Jake dropped you off, and even as you scramble through everything (under the bed, between the clothes, in the bags, and in the trash) they were nowhere.Â
Youâd practically jumped down the stairs, calling for your mom, finding her in the kitchen while she makes dinner. âWhereâwhere are my letters? The ones I wrote? The four letters? They were on my desk and theyâre not ââ
Her eyebrows lift, just slightly, like sheâs trying to place the context. âOh⌠those?â
âYes! Those! The letters! The ones addressed toâoh my Godââ Your voice cracks a little, and you clutch your warm cheeks from the humiliation bubbling beneath your skin.
She wipes her hands on a dish towel, glances at you with that faint, youâre being dramatic smile. And except you wish you were. âI thought you meant to send them. So⌠I mailed them.â
Your knees nearly give out, jaw hanging wide open like the soul was personally snatched from your body. âYou⌠mailed them?! All of them?!âÂ
She tilts her head, like itâs the most natural thing in the world, like mailing your emotional soul is just part of a normal Tuesday. âWell, I figured you left them out for that reason. They looked ready.â
Youâre so fucked.
Tip #6: If your brotherâs best friend finds out you like(d) him, move countries.
Okay, one thingâs for certain (as far as your overthinking mind is concerned), youâre sure Jay did not believe you at all. Youâve always said that you saw Jake as your other brother (lie), the kind that went with Evan as a Buy 1 Take 1 promo â so saying that youâre seeing him?
Who the hell is buying that? Not Jay, whoâs seen it all. So what if he thinks youâre still hung up?
You see Jake two days later. Your mom insists on going to the community fair because âyouâve been cooped up too long, sweetheart,â and you donât have the heart to tell her youâd rather fall into a sinkhole than risk running into Jaeyun Sim in public right now. Because heâs always there, and thatâs just the kind of guy he is.
But of course, fate has other plans. Heâs there â standing by the lemonade stand, sun hitting his cheekbones just right, looking really flawless. Laylaâs beside him, tail wagging, sitting obediently there. He spots you before you can turn away. For a second, you think maybe he wonât say anything because if he was a dear, he wouldnât. Except heâs exactly that, and that heâs this friendly, social dork who looks just as jolly as his dog.
âHey.â
Just one word, but itâs him, careful not to scare you away again. You smile because you donât know what else to do, almost forced and strangled. âHey.â You clear your throat, forcing a casual smile. âSo⌠what are you doing here?â
He shrugs like itâs nothing, looking down at Layla, whoâs staring at you with her tongue out. âWas walking Layla.â
You nod once, trying to look relaxed. âRight. Of course.â You glance toward the next booth, hoping to make a graceful exit, almost turning away when suddenly â
âWanna talk about it?â he asks quietly.
You blink, jaw clenching, pretending to be clueless. âAbout what?â
He looks at you with his a small smile â just a little. âYou tell me.â
And then your entire face feels like itâs on fire. You shift your weight, suddenly aware of how loud your heartbeat is. âI donât know what there is to talk about,â you say, trying for nonchalant but failing spectacularly.Â
Jake laughs. âUh-huh. Sure. Nothing at all.â
You glare at him. He smiles. Then you sigh.Â
âI mean, itâs⌠old. The letter. Itâs⌠history.â
âHistory, huh?â he nods, puckers his lips, all to tease you obviously. âSo Iâm supposed to just⌠pretend I didnât read about how you were obsessed with me in â what? 4th to 8th grade?â
You pinch the bridge of your nose, groaning internally. âObsessed is a strong word, Jaeyun.âÂ
He falls into step beside you, Layla trotting happily between the two of you. âYou know,â he says, voice calm but firm, âI really think I deserve a clarification.â
You snort, exasperated. âFine. I liked you.â you dare glance at him and heâs got that smile so wide you basically sense itsâ smugness. âHappy now? Can we move on?â
He tilts his head, pretending to think, still following you. âHmm⌠vague. Are we talking fifth-grade-level-like or⌠high-school-heart-eyes-like?â
âFifth-grade. Definitely fifth-grade,â you say, waving your hand like itâs obvious â because it is, the handwriting in glitter pens should sell it by now!Â
He finally catches up, stepping just a little closer, the ever-so-annoying grin still on his mouth. âYou know,â he says softly, nudging you lightly with his shoulder, âfor someone who claims itâs all ancient history, youâre awfully⌠defensive.â
âDefensive?â you repeat, mock-offended. âIâm cautious â very cautious. And apparently extremely popular with dogs.â Layla barks happily at the two of you, as if sheâs judging your banter. You look up at Jake too, whoâs brows are raised at you, smile wide.
Dogs!
âPoint is,â He starts again, but you start walking and he follows. âItâs hard to make sense out of this whole⌠âitâs ancient historyâ and âchildhood crushâ ââ Jake falls into step beside you again, like heâs glued there. âWell, you say itâs old but,â he continues, voice casual, but the glint in his eyes tells you heâs deadly serious,Â
âJay told me something.â
You freeze mid-step, hand hovering over a jar of chocolate chip cookies. Their exchanges always shifted a gear inside you, like two worlds colliding â so what more is this now?
Jake quirks an eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. âHe said that you said that you and I⌠are seeing each other.â
Your brain short-circuits. You feel like your entire chest has been replaced by a bucket of ice. âWhat?â
âThatâs what Jay said,â he continues, eyes on you, amused. âSo⌠tell me. That doesnât sound like a fifth-grade, forgettable crush, does it?â
You die. You freeze entirely, turning to him fully with your hands up in surrender. âI said that because thatâs all the excuse I could muster at the moment!â
Jake leans on the counter casually, clearly enjoying your flustered state. âUh-huh. And yet, you said it like itâs nothing.â
You wave your hands helplessly. âIt is nothing!â
He shrugs, giving you that infuriatingly calm look. âHonestly, I think you have a massive, massive crush on me right now. How can you even convince me that you didnât just write that letter a week ago when I saved you?â Heâs trying to look calm but you could see how amused he truly is about this. Like heâs actually enjoying torturing you.
You scoff, glare at him, but itâs a weak glare. Heâs grinning, leaning in just enough that you can feel it.
âI donât owe you an explanation,â you mutter.
âRight. Okay,â he says smoothly, snickering, âso Iâll just walk away. While Layla and I think⌠youâre absolutely in love with your brotherâs best friend. Thatâs⌠crazy.â
You blink at him, scandalized. âCrazy? Okay, first of all ââ
âCrazy.â He cuts you off. âIâm confused. Very confused. And I deserve an explanation, of course.â
You groan again, and you fight the very urge to throw the cookie jar at him. âFine! It was ages ago.â You exhale, training your gaze away. âI wrote letters to guys I liked. They helped me figure out what I felt. Like journaling, but more⌠specific.â
He hums, pretending to think. âWith a stamp and an address?â
You ignore him entirely. âThere were four letters. They got sent out by accident and it wasnât exactly planned.â
âFour?â he repeats, eyebrows raising. âHoly shit, you were a player.â
He laughs, and for a second, the tension dissolves â replaced by that stupid, easy warmth that used to fill every summer evening when you were kids. But the last thing you need is comparing that vibrant-lensed memory to your life now â because it is so, so different. No crushes, or whatever. You both sit at the bench, and he leans his elbows on his knees.
Jakeâs still grinning, the kind of grin that makes you want to both punch him and crawl into the nearest trash bin. âAlright, so⌠four letters. One for me, one for the ex.â He voice drops just slightly. âWho were the other two?â
You sigh. âWhy do you care?â
âCuriosity,â he says, though thereâs a flicker of something else in his eyes â something sharp, a little too interested. âCome on. I feel like I deserve to know what kind of competition I had.â
You groan. âThere wasnât competition.â
âThen tell me.â
You give him a look but cave anyway, because youâve never been good at ignoring that tone. âFine. One was this guy in the community library. Heâd lend me annotated books, and we liked the same books, so,â you shrug, âI thought that meant we were soulmates.â
He tilts his head. âI annotated for you.â
âYou highlighted science notes for me.â you hide your smile.
He shrugs, trying to get a glimpse of your face again. âSame thing.â
You ignore him and continue. âThe other one â well, it doesnât even count. He was a senior during one of my summer camps. He helped me carry my canvases and smiled at me twice. He also said I was pretty and I danced nicely. End of story.â
âSmiled twice,â Jake repeats, pretending to take mental notes. âTragic love story, really.â
âExactly,â you deadpan. âTotally life-altering.â
He smiles, shaking his head, and for a moment, the teasing dies down. âSo⌠four letters, huh?â
You nod slowly, tucking your knees closer to your chest. You feel like a solid-liquid matter, because half of you still canât believe that this is all happening. Heâs smiling, sometimes heâd lick the corner of his mouth like heâs fully processing the information. You could only feel the sink in your stomach.Â
Right now, itâs not the popular, soccer captain, with straight Aâs, and fanclubs â itâs the boy-next-door whom you grew up with. And heâs stealing glances at you like heâs really reeling in the fact this girl that always just kinda stuck to him and his best friend, liked him. Little you with the pink bows and orange popsicles, one who always laughed too loud because he messed up tying a ribbon. Little you and little him because he intentionally ruined the ribbons to make you smile.
Jakeâs quiet for a moment, just watching you in the corner of his eye. Then â of course â he clears his throat.
You look up immediately. âWhat?â
He shrugs. âJay already thinks weâre⌠you know.â He gestures between the two of you. âSo, like⌠maybe we let him think that.â
You blink. âYouâre kidding.â
He doesnât answer immediately, just kicks a rock on the ground. âIf you suddenly backtrack, heâll know you lied just to save face. This way, itâs⌠consistent.â
You gape at him like he just grew a second head. âSo your plan is to fake date?â
He looks up you like itâs the most obvious thing in the world. âYeah.â
You almost practically splutter. âJake â what the actual â no.â
He laughs, which only makes you more flustered. âRelax, itâs not that deep. Just for a bit. Saves you the embarrassment.â
You squint. âWhatâs in it for you?â
Jake bites his lip, looks away, like heâs half-ashamed to admit it. âThereâs this girl. Cheer squad. Sheâs⌠really trying. I tried too, okay? But I canât â â he exhales, running a hand through his hair, â â I canât like her. Not the way she wants. And if I were, you know, dating someone, sheâd stop.â
You stare at him with the gaze of someone judging. âThat is the worst justification Iâve ever heard.â
âYeah, well,â he says with a crooked smile, âyou were the one who started the rumor.â
You glare. âThat wasnât a rumor, it was a defensive maneuver.â
âSemantics,â he says, unfazed.Â
You shake your head. âNo. Absolutely not.â
He just nods once, like he expected that. âYeah, didnât expect it to be easy.â Then he tugs Laylaâs leash, and she immediately stands. âCâmon. I can drive you home.â
You consider refusing, but the thought of walking back alone under this afternoon heat kills it immediately. So you sigh and follow him to the car. The driveâs quiet, the kind of quiet that hums with awkwardness. You hate it, of course, youâve find very little reasons to not be hateful these days. When he parks in front of your house, he kills the engine but doesnât move. Then heâs out, walking you to the front door like some kind of gentleman â except he was, since he was always kinder than Evan, everyone knew that.Â
Youâre fumbling for your keys when you feel a light tug on the back of your top. You look up â and damn, has he always been this tall? A tower that hovers over you? You swore you were the same height like, 5 years ago. The daylight hits his jaw, that stupid, unfair jawline.
âJust think about it, yeah?â he says softly. âThe fake thing.â
You exhale, crossing your arms. âFine.â
His eyes widen, and so does the smile that reeks of smugness at how fast this is turning out. You narrow you eyes at him, just to let him know that you still think itâs a tenth-rate idea. Before he can even comment about how easy you are with so little conviction and, well, thinking time, you turn to your door.Â
âWeâll talk in school.â is all you say before you storm in and block him off today.
Ë ŕźâĄ âă
Tip #7: Set some rules.
Now youâre sitting on the bench beside the vending machines, out of the way from peopleâs sight and hearing, and finally turn to him while you sit. âWe need rules.â You pull out a sheet of paper.
Jake blinks while he clicks some buttons. âRules?â
âYes. Rules,â you say, trying to sound composed, even though youâre one second away from combusting. You are, in theory, very much dying â but you start writing on the paper. âIf weâre doing this fake dating thing, weâre doing it properly.â
He tilts his head, intrigued, a smile already forming. âAlright. Hit me with your list.â
You take a breath, then you write. âRule one: no kissing.â
He snickers, shaking his head. âOkay.â he says, tone dripping with mischief. Okay, Mr. Never-Had-A-Girlfriend! He laughs at the no kissing rule, weirdo.
âRule two,â you continue, ignoring him, âwe donât act unless necessary. In the cafeteria, classes, school events. Thatâs it.â
He nods. âSure.â Then, like he canât help himself: âYou know, most girlfriends actually want to spend time with their boyfriends.â
You shoot him a look so sharp he raises his hands in mock surrender. Then his snack is stuck on the other side of the machine, and he curses, calling it a complete scam. Heâs frowning, hitting the vending machine like a loser.
âRule three,â you finish, âyou donât get to call me âbabeâ or whatever unless someoneâs around.â
That earns you a full-blown grin. âThatâs gonna be tough, babe.â
You groan, rubbing your temples. âYouâre impossible.â
âYeah,â Jake says, that infuriating glint back in his eye. âBut admit it â you kinda like it.â
You look up at him, deadpan. âRule four: donât assume things.â This is very, very crucial.
He laughs, the sound echoing down the hall. âGuess Iâll have to find out which of these rules you break first.â He fishes his chips out the machine by shaking it and you try not to laugh at how heâs acting.
Jake huffs, leaning against the vending machine when he finally gets that godforsaken chips. âAlright,â he says. âThen Iâve got rules too.â
You narrow your eyes. âYou? Making rules?â
He shrugs. âFake relationshipâs gotta look real. Means you come with me to games and parties.â
You blink. âParties?â
âYeah,â he says, like itâs obvious. âPeople will notice if I show up alone. Itâll look weird if my âgirlfriendâ never shows.â
You hesitate, frowning. âI donât like parties.â
âThatâs fine,â Jake says easily. âYou donât have to like them. You just have to be there. Plus, theyâre just socializing, bit of drinking, nothing bad. Iâm not a frat boy.â
You open your mouth to argue â something about how ridiculous that sounds â but heâs already looking at you, calm, steady, annoyingly reasonable, while munching down on his chips. âItâs just part of the deal,â he adds after a beat. âIf weâre doing this, weâre doing it properly. Otherwise, Jayâs gonna catch on. And cheer.â
You let out a quiet sigh, pressing your lips together. Heâs right, technically. You just hate that heâs right. âFine,â you mutter. âBut donât expect me to actually enjoy it.â
âWouldnât dream of it.â
You wrinkle your nose, spine suddenly rigid. âEvan canât know, by the way. Actually â my whole family canât know. Theyâll ââ you wave your hands like youâre swatting away a swarm of angry bees. âTheyâll freak. Theyâll think Iâm reckless or dramatic or that Iâm trying to date within the family friend ecosystem. Mom will ââ cheer, you know she will. â â I donât know, something. Evan will literally murder both of us.â
Jake watches you, amusement softening into something like understanding â because he knows your family like itâs just an extension of his. He nods. âFair. Family stays in the dark.â
Relief burbles somewhere in your chest. âGood. Thank you.â
You feel slightly more human. Then he tilts his head, an eyebrow rising like heâs about to negotiate terms. âOkay â one more thing.â
You already feel the groan forming. âWhat.â
He leans forward, voice casual, practical. âSo â if weâre not doing kisses because thatâs your rule, people will still need to believe this. We should do believable stuff. Public stuff.â
Your first instinct is to say no. Your second instinct is to ask what âbelievable stuffâ even means. Your third instinct is to picture yourself linking arms in the hallway and dying slowly. Not that you hate it but you are not fond of the way youâd react.
Jake watches your face closely. âHolding hands sometimes. Link arms when we walk into parties. Sit next to each other. Little things that read as couple-y without being, like, gross or personal.â
You blink. âHold hands?â
He nods. âNot clingy.â
You fold your arms. âAnd the kissing thing?â
He shrugs. âWe can do non-romantic stuff. A forehead peck at a pep rally, maybe. Or a quick head-kiss after a win at the game. You okay with that?â
You think about it. The idea of a staged forehead kiss makes your stomach flip in a very unnecessary way, but itâs not a full-on mouth kiss and it gets the job done. You donât want to admit any part of you finds the image faintly tolerable. But honestly, a part of you is screaming that you donât want that, just because something fake is too overly romantic for your lover girl heart. Still, you exhale, and nod.
âFine,â you say finally, voice tight around the word. âAnd if anyone gets weird, we stop. Immediately.â
Jakeâs grin is equal parts victory and relief. âDeal. Family stays clueless. Public stuff only. You call the line.â
You stand and pat your knees as if youâve just concluded high-stakes diplomacy. âOkay. Rules set. Now letâs both try not to ruin our lives.â
He snorts. âNo promises.â
You shove him lightly and start toward class, trying not to notice how natural his stride looks beside yours â the kind that makes a fake thing feel startlingly less pretend.
You sling your bag over your shoulder, ready to leave, when Jake calls out, âOkay â one more rule.â
You spin on your heel, exasperated. âJake. We already have, like, a constitution. What else could you possibly ââ
Heâs grinning, that boyish kind that makes you want to throw something at him. âI need to watch your dance practices.â
You blink. ââŚWhat? Thatâs not even relevant to this plan.â
âSure it is,â he says easily. âIf Iâm your boyfriend â fake or not â I should be supportive, right? Boyfriends go to their girlfriendsâ performances. Itâs believable.â
You cross your arms, trying to play it off, but your chest is doing this stupid flutter thing that feels way too alive. âYou donât have to. Itâs just boring arts stuff. No one from school would even see.â
Jake raises an eyebrow, smirk tugging at his lips. âSo? Maybe I just want to go.â
Your mouth opens, closes. âYou donât even like ballet.â
He shrugs. âI liked yours.â
And there it is â those five stupid words that make your pulse trip over itself. But you convince yourself that itâs the heart of 13-year-old you and not 18-year-old you, of course. Itâs not logical and even plausible in this timeline now. You roll your eyes too fast, too defensive, too flustered. âThat was, like, forever ago.â
âStill counts,â he says, pushing himself away from you. âRule stands.â
You glare up at him, but heâs already walking backward, grinning like he knows exactly what heâs doing.
âFine,â you call after him, trying to sound nonchalant, but your voice cracks a little. âYouâll regret it when I dance for one hour straight.â
He winks. âI never did.â
Ë ŕźâĄ âă
Tip #8: Abide by the fake girlfriend etiquette.
When you were 10, things were simple.
Evan was 12, Jake was 11, and you were just the tag-along kid with the pink backpack and juice box, sitting cross-legged on the sidelines while they kicked around a soccer ball. Jake used to wave at you from the field before every practice â grinning, hair sticking to his forehead, yelling, âWatch this!â before missing half his shots but celebrating like heâd won the World Cup anyway.
Youâd clap until your palms stung. His other flock of friends were there too, boys just as rowdy supporting him. Yet heâd always come running over to you and Evan first, all flushed and sweaty, asking, âWell? Howâd I do?â
And youâd giggle, cheeks warm. âYou were cool.â
Evan, naturally, ruined everything by aggressively poking your cheek. âYou like him, donât you?â You puffed your cheeks, shaking your head hard enough to make your ponytail whip around. âDo not!â
You snap back to the present just as youâre walking to the bus station, bag slung lazily over your shoulder, earbuds in. The air smells like asphalt and afternoon rain when your phone buzzes.
Jake Sim. You hesitate before answering. âWhat?â
âHey,â he says, tone way too casual for your liking. âYou gotta show up at my practice.â
You stop walking. âWhat, why?â
âCheerâs here,â he says simply, and you can hear the exasperation through the line, like you can already see the image of girls swarming, and eyeing him down. You groan, tipping your head back. âJaeyun, I have homework. Just let them.â
âDude, thatâs not fair,â he fires back without missing a beat. You roll your eyes so hard itâs almost audible. âPractices are not part of the rules.â
âWow,â he says, fake offended, scoffing, overly dramatic, just the way he is. âYouâre really gonna let your boyfriend play to a thirsty audience?â
âFake boyfriend,â you correct sharply and he ignores you completely. âField. Fifteen minutes. Look cute.â
âJaeyun ââ
The call ends.
You glare at your reflection in the black screen for a full five seconds before groaning out loud, clutching your bag tighter. âI hate him,â you mutter to no one.
But fifteen minutes later, youâre trudging your way across the field anyway. Of course you are. Youâre a woman of your word, even with the guys you hate and used to like and have some stupid constitution with because youâre fake dating him. Junior year is crazy and stupid, and whatever you are now is beyond normal to even be analogous to be compared to other kids your age. You used to believe youâre smart, but now you feel like youâre one red wig away from looking like a clown anyway.
Okay, maybe you glanced a few times in the mirror before getting here. Not that you were trying to impress. Of course not. But when he sees you, you canât help but think if you shouldâve fixed your hair a bit more, your top and shorts â just to look part of whatever this is.Â
Early September this year was unusually cold, but you blame the dawn. You tug your knitted cardigan closer as you find your way to Jake, who was already warming up on the field. Jake notices you instantly, breaking away from his teammates. He jogs over, breath visible in the chill, that easy grin already pulling at his lips. âYou look ridiculous,â he says first thing, eyes flicking over your outfit. âItâs cold tonight.â
You sigh, rubbing your arms. âYeah, well, I wasnât particularly planning to stay at school beyond dismissal time, you know.â
He hums, nodding toward the sidelines where his duffel bag sits and you follow his gaze. âThereâs a hoodie in there. You can wear it.â He says in a way that was more of a casual exchange than a proposed act.
You blink at him, unimpressed. âIâll live.â You start toward the bleachers instead, but before you get far, his voice follows you â lazy, casual, loud enough for a few heads to turn. âHey, get my wallet from the bag pocket and buy yourself coffee from the vending machine.â
You stop mid-step. What the fuck? Then you remember â right, act. Youâre the supportive girlfriend. This is just theater and people like seeing that, the whole princess treatment.
You exhale through your nose and keep walking, pretending not to notice the amused looks from his teammates. Youâre halfway up the bleachers when his voice rings out again, louder this time:
âNo good luck kiss?â
You freeze. Half the field turns to look at you. You feel your face heat up, and you swear you hear someone whistle. You glance over your shoulder, glare sharp enough to cut through the cold. âLater, loser!â
Jake just grins â wide, boyish, triumphant â before jogging back to the field.
You can feel the eyes on you the moment you sit down. The cheer team is scattered nearby â half of them pretending not to notice, half of them definitely noticing. Whispers ripple between them like wind through grass, and youâre used to it or at least, you pretend you are.
Except thereâs one girl who doesnât join in. Sheâs sitting cross-legged on the bench, scrolling through her phone, totally unbothered by your presence. No sideways glance, no whispered comment, not even a flicker of curiosity.
Sheâs pretty. The kind of pretty that takes work but in an effortless way â soft waves that clearly came from a salon blowout, glossed lips, lashes that catch the light every time she blinks. You can tell she smells expensive, like vanilla and something floral. The kind of girl who journals at cafes and has a curated Instagram feed.Â
You donât even need to ask. You just know. Thatâs her. The cheer girl. And honestly, how could Jake not like that?
You press your lips together, dropping your gaze back to your notebooks and textbook. The game starts â cheers start their own practice drills, whistles are blown, the dull thud of shoes against turf â but you donât care. Your pencil scratches against paper as you wrestle with pre-calculus instead of your own thoughts.
As the sky deepens into navy, the air turns sharper, colder. You rub your hands together, glance once, then twice, at Jakeâs duffel bag on the sidelines, staring at you with temptation and oversized comfort and warm caffeine. The hoodieâs right there. He did offer and he did tell you to buy coffee.
You could. No one would even think twice.
But you donât. Because this is fake â youâre fake, and letting yourself get comfortable with the pretend label feels like the first step into something stupid.Â
You straighten in your seat, pull your cardigan tighter, and tell yourself your support here is enough. You deserve that much self-respect because this is an act, no need to be comfortable when youâre already deep in the pretend. So you keep your head down and keep working because pre-calculus sure as hell isnât going to solve itself.
When the final whistle blows and youâve finished the final question, flipping the cursed material closed, the soccer team is dispersing and Jakeâs jogging towards you like he used to with Evan beside you, and still with that grin like heâs in the middle of impressing you.
âI scored half the teamâs points in the practice game.âÂ
You raise a brow without looking up right away, feigning disinterest as you tuck your pencil in your case, and zip your bag closed. âCongratulations,â you say flatly.Â
Jake huffs a laugh, hands on his hips, jersey clinging to him, hair damp with sweat. âYouâre so supportive,â he says, sarcasm dripping. âReally feeling the fake girlfriend energy.â
You finally look at him, which was a mistake, because he should reek of sweat and look disgusting, but heâs neither. âWell, itâs not like I was supposed to actually enjoy being here.â
âCouldâve fooled me,â he shoots back. âYou didnât even look up once.â
âPre-calculus,â you reply, lifting your notebook slightly like evidence in court. âSome of us are trying to pass.â
He grins again, easy and boyish, and it makes something uncomfortable twist in your stomach. Itâs cold, okay. Thatâs why. âYouâre ridiculous,â he says, but his toneâs softer this time.
âSo Iâve heard.â
Jake crouches down a little, eye level with you now, his breath still uneven from the run. âYouâre cold,â he murmurs, less teasing, more observant when his eyes trail to your hands and unmanicured nails. âTold you to take my hoodie.â
You shrug, refusing to meet his gaze. âDidnât need it.â
âRight,â he says, unconvinced. He sighs, which you believe is the disappointment of you not playing further into the GF act yeah, obviously. âYou look like youâre about to catch hypothermia out of spite.â
You snort, finally standing up and slinging your bag over your shoulder. âItâs called dignity.â
Jake tilts his head, smile tugging at one corner of his mouth, taking his duffel bag as well. âYou and your dignity are both freezing.â
You roll your eyes and start walking toward the gate, and he falls into step beside you like itâs second nature. Itâs annoyingly easy, the way he matches your pace â not too fast, not too slow â and you wonder how something fake can feel this familiar already.
Youâre on your way to the school gates, about to part ways with Jake when he calls you. You turn, confused. âWhat.â
He points to the parking lot to where heâs heading, and you shiver. Then you realize. You, Jake, Bronco, outside peopleâs field of view which eems excessive and unnecessary, maybe even scary.
âI can take the bus.â You nod, turning your heel but he laughs under his breath, that low, knowing sound that always seems to find its way under your skin. âYou think Iâm gonna let my fake girlfriend take the bus at night?â
You roll your eyes, pretending to scoff even though the corner of your mouth threatens to curve up. âYou donât have to, Jaeyun. Youâve done your civic duty. Played soccer, annoyed me, performed for the crowd â gold star.â
He shakes his head, walking backwards a few steps again, the parking lot lights catching the edge of his grin. âGet in the car, angel,â he says, teasing but somehow gentle, like itâs a line heâs not even aware sounds too easy on his tongue.
You blink. âBro, I said no calling me ââ
âGet in,â he interrupts, unlocking the Bronco with a beep. âYouâre cold, and I have heated seats.â
âWow,â you say, hugging your cardigan tighter to hide the way your pulse jumps, like it would help, like it could also stop the butterflies. âBossy and selfless.â
Jake opens the passenger door for you, mock bowing. âItâs called good fake boyfriend etiquette.â
You sigh, fighting a smile as you walk over, trying not to show how much warmer it feels just standing near him. âFine,â you mumble, brushing past. âBut this doesnât mean I owe you anything.â
He leans against the doorframe, eyes gleaming under the dim lights. âI can take a âlater, loserâ as payment again,â he says softly, the hint of a smile ghosting over his lips.
You shake your head, pretending to be exasperated â but you still say it, barely above a whisper. âLater, loser.â
And the way his grin widens â just slightly, like heâs trying not to let it show â makes the night feel a little less cold.
Itâs the second Sunday of the month, so you do the task of buying groceries. Everythingâs as planned â except you donât even know why youâre⌠sorta doing this out of planned. The list in your Notes app says âbread, toothpaste, detergent, blah blah essentialsâ and yet your cart is full of snacks you swore youâd stop buying, instant noodles, and a new body wash that smells really good. Right, as well as the basket loads of sweets that you swore youâd cut because you cannot live that sugary life anymore.Â
The gray sky was hanging low, the grocery aisles nearly empty except for parents dragging their kids and college students attempt at adulthood. And the managerâs trying, okay? With the new pop music thatâs hot in the radio, but they need to put the decade old speaker to rest.
Youâre halfway through the snack aisle when you see him. Out of your plan because you look half-dead and itâs just embarrassing. He doesnât though, because he never does. Jakeâs hoodie is up like always, sleeves pushed past his wrists, a basket in one hand and a can of Pringles in the other like heâs been standing there deciding between flavors for ten whole minutes.
You blink, hoping maybe youâre hallucinating. Because why the hell is this dude suddenly everywhere? Like, sure, he always has been everywhere ever since the beginning, but itâs so frequently this time that it feels intentional. Why would you two be in the same aisle in the same grocery store at the same time?
He spots you, and that familiar grin pulls at his face, amused and wide that pulls his cheeks up. âOh my god,â he says, like heâs genuinely shocked. âYou actually grocery shop.â
You roll your eyes, pushing your cart forward, attempting to make this as trivial as possible. âYeah, I do basic human things sometimes.â
But he doesnât let you because he starts walking beside you, basket swinging lightly from his hand while you push the heavy cart. âDidnât take you for a domestic type.â
âIâm not,â you say. âWe just ran out of cereal.â
Jake hums, looking into your cart. âAnd chocolates, chips, ice cream, coffee pods, three packs of different drinks â real essentials.â
âAre you stalking my cart?â You glare up at him.
âMaybe.â He shrugs, grinning.Â
You huff a laugh under your breath.
The aisle hums with fluorescent light which flickers sometimes, begging to be replaced. Your wheels squeak every few steps and the old front casters decides a mutiny to turn left when you mean right. However, Jake doesnât leave. In fact, he follows you to the next section, sometimes he stays quiet and sometimes heâs still talking about nothing â milk prices, the weather, some inside joke you actually donât get â like itâs the most normal thing in the world to tag along when your fake boyfriend just happens to bump into you at the grocery.
âShouldnât you leave me alone.â You say it not as a question but out of exasperation.
âNah.â
You move on, pretending to check labels, but your focus is gone. You can feel him a few steps behind you, basket getting fuller with things he clearly didnât come here for, looking at things he probably doesnât care about. Simply because youâre here and he chose to be there too.
By the time you reach the checkout, heâs still there. He helps you unload your stuff onto the counter like itâs habit, then quietly plucks out the ice cream and sets it aside.
You frown, looking up at him. âHey, thatâs mine.â
âIâll carry it,â he says simply, not even looking at you. âSo it doesnât melt.â
He pays for his things, and you both head out â the automatic doors sliding open, letting in the smell of rain. The parking lotâs damp, glowing faintly under the streetlights. The air is cold in a way that it seeps into your sleeves and makes you hold the bags tighter, and Jake falls into step beside you, shoulders brushing just barely, like heâs not really thinking about it.Â
Itâs drizzling and the droplets catches on your hair and lashes before you realize it. Thereâs a beat of silence before he lifts his hand slightly over your head, his hoodie sleeve brushing your hair as if to shield you from the drizzle. Not quite touching â but close enough to make you look up at him.
You blink up at him, caught, but heâs looking somewhere else, pretending to study the clouds. âThere,â he says casually. âProblem solved.â
You roll your eyes, but your voice comes out a little softer. âThatâs overreacting.â
âYeah,â he says, grinning. âBut at least youâre dry.â
With an arm over your head, you both head to your car. He helps you with your bags because you clearly have gotten way more than what your list said you needed. He tucks them in your trunk for you, smirks just a little when he sees your still very fucked bumper.
âStill havenât fixed this?â he asks, tapping the dent lightly with his knuckles.
You roll your eyes. âLeave it alone, bro.â
Clearly, he laughs at that, bending a little and just adds a quiet comment about getting called âbroâ.Â
You adjust your bag, trying not to look at him when he nudges your shoulder lightly with his own. âSee you, bro,â he says, soft. And when he walks the other way, ice cream still in his hand, you realize your groceries are lighter but your chest isnât.
Youâre gonna kill him. He stole your ice cream.
Fuck ass alarm clock, actually. For not ringing. And then, you missed the first bus but seriously, youâre not driving to school. Not when your bumperâs still fucked (repair shop said one month at least before itâs back to good condition) for the whole school to see.
Youâre sprinting through the campus, late, backpack bouncing, hair barely held together by a clip thatâs losing the will to live. The school is crowded today â student org booths, food stalls, music, chatter â everything youâd normally love if you werenât racing the bell.Â
And then â bam. You collide into someone hard enough that your said dying claw clip flies out of your hair.
âOh my god, Iâm so ââ you start, but the words die somewhere in your throat. Because the girl in front of you is gorgeous. Effortlessly so. Tousled chestnut hair with blonde highlights (religious monthly retouch, you swear), glossy lips, eyes lined just enough to look like she woke up perfect. And you know her. You know her.
Jakeâs practice. The girl who didnât look at you. The one who acted unbothered while the others whispered. Her.
She smiles, soft and polite, like you didnât just crash into her soul-first, like youâre not something thatâs barely holding herself together while sheâs the human embodiment of that Vivienne Westwood tartan in Pinterest. âHey,â she says, voice smooth. âI see you around sometimes, but weâve never officially met.â
Your stomach sinks. Oh, that line. The âI know exactly who you areâ line dressed up as small talk because no one actually ever says that to someone they bumped into even if theyâve seen them around in campus. Itâs intentional, and meeting you was on purpose.
You force a smile, straighten your bag, try not to sound like you swallowed air wrong. âRight. Yeah. Sorry, Iâm ââ
âYeah, I know,â she says easily, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, effortlessly, the kind of way someone like Jake Sim would like. âIâm Vivienne.â
Of course she is named the way she looks. Of course her name sounds like luxury brand. Youâd half expect violins to start playing behind her and maybe even youâd start performing Giselle right there on the pavement, tragic and delusional, with her as the hauntingly beautiful lead.
You nod, flustered. âNice to meet you. I gotta â I have class and ââ
Her smile is gentle, too gentle, like sheâs not even trying to compete because why would she need to? âOh, sorry! Didnât mean to hold you up. See you around, okay?â
You manage a half-wave before turning and bolting toward the hallway, heat crawling up your neck. You just met the girl whoâs probably starring in Jake Simâs next romantic subplot â and you looked like a winded raccoon doing it.
Ë ŕźâĄ âă
Your footsteps echo down the nearly empty hallway, the faint hum of chatter spilling from open classroom doors. Youâre just minding your business, totally normal, completely fine â until you see Jay.
And of course, heâs not alone. Heâs leaning against the wall, head tilted slightly, smiling at the girl beside him. Sheâs laughing softly, one hand brushing his arm â itâs all so cinematic.
And then â just your luck â his eyes flick to you.
Oh no. Oh no.
You werenât supposed to be here, alone, empty-handed, totally boyfriend-less. Because what kind of person fakes a relationship to their ex and then gets caught solo in the hallway while heâs out there looking like a K-drama poster? And your competitive ass would not lose to that. You swear you can feel his stare linger, assessing, amused â like he knows, like heâs already caught you in your own lie and that you suck and youâre still a sucker for him, the two-year-old letter was still the very symbol who you used to be and are now.Â
And then, you spot Jake. Thank god.
Heâs walking down the opposite end, surrounded by his usual crowd, voice loud and laughter louder, sleeves rolled up, looking every bit like the boy everyone somehow orbits around.Â
Your stomach twists. This is a bad idea. This is the worst idea. But Jayâs still there.
You feel it â that lingering awareness, that quiet amusement burning into your back â and suddenly, standing still feels worse than anything else. So you move.
You cut through Jakeâs friends without really looking at them, fingers wrapping around his sleeve, pulling harder than you mean to. He stumbles mid-laugh, words cutting off as you pull him out of orbit and straight into you.
âHey ââ he starts.
You donât give him time.
You back up against the lockers, the metal cold against your back when you press, his arm instinctively bracing beside your head to keep himself from knocking into you. Heâs close â closer than either of you planned â breath warm, eyes wide with surprise.
Your heart is trying to escape your ribcage.
You tilt your head up, voice low, urgent. âKiss me.â
Jake blinks.Â
His eyes flick over his shoulder, quick and assessing â the hallway, the people, the goddamn fucking context as to why youâre acting the way you are â before landing back on you. Something shifts in his expression, seriousness cutting easily through the teasing.
âAre you sure?â he murmurs.
You nod surely.
Thatâs all it takes before he leans in and presses a kiss to your forehead, gentle and grounding. His hand settles lightly at your waist, steadying you, like he knows your legs might give out otherwise. Then he presses another kiss, lower this time, just on the bridge of your nose.
For a second, the hallway fades. Youâre too aware of the way his breath ghosts your skin, the warmth of his palm, the fact that this feels⌠stupidly good.
When he pulls back, your eyes meet. Thereâs a beat where neither of you says anything and the air feels thick with something unspoken, something that doesnât fit the excuse you just used. Jake studies your face like heâs trying to read it, then his mouth curves into a soft smile.
He reaches up and ruffles your hair, affectionate and familiar, like how itâs always been. He pulls away, putting a close but safer distance between you two.
âThereâs a party later,â he says casually, thumb brushing your sleeve. âIâll drive you.â
You scoff, leaning away just enough to breathe again. âI canât. I have a paper due in, like, two days ââ
âHey,â he cuts in, grinning. âContract.â
You open your mouth to argue, but he steps closer again, quick and deliberate, and presses a kiss to your cheek. Itâs brief â almost teasing â before he pulls away entirely.
âThink about it,â he says, already backing up. âSee you.â
You freeze, like someone just ripped the air from your lungs. Heart hammering, brain fizzing.Â
And then, just out of the corner of your eye, you notice her. Vivienne whoâs glancing at the scene, calm, composed, not giving anything away. For half a second, your eyes meet just before she turns her head and walks away, graceful as ever, leaving you blinking against the lockers.
Okay, yeah, thatâs why. Obviously.
You want to punch him. You also want to melt. Both, simultaneously.
Ë ŕźâĄ âă
The houseparty is loud and bustling from the inside â the kind you eye while walking past when youâre supposed to head for the convenience store at 10âŻp.m. Yet youâre here, standing by the entrance, Jake at your side while you tug at the hem of your low cut dress. You glance at yourself in the hallway mirror half a dozen times ever since youâve gotten here â which is less than two minutes ago.Â
Jakeâs there too, just beside you, in a simple bomber jacket over a white shirt. You fidget with your hair, messing with a strand of hair thatâs already fine, and itâs definitely not helping you feel more composed.
âYou look good,â Jake says suddenly, low enough that it feels like itâs meant just for you, and not the thrumming crowd around you. For a moment you think it is, to help you not look so rigid beside your supposed boyfriend.
You glance at him, slightly flustered, trying to hide the flutter in your chest behind a scoff. âThanks,â you murmur, not daring to let the hint of a smile slip.
âNot that youâd notice,â he adds, tilting his head, eyes flicking over the curve of your hips and the way your hands twist nervously. âYou think too much.â
You canât help it â a small, almost embarrassed laugh escapes, and you tug the dress down a bit, just enough to remind yourself that youâre standing here in front of Jake Sim, who somehow makes it impossible to act like youâre not completely aware of him.
Again, you think about how this is a bad idea. The whole fake dating thing. Because itâs Jake Sim and not just some random dude, itâs someone people know â which is not your kind of thing, and it does make you a bit nauseous when you think too much about it. Something about the fact that youâre pretending to be in love felt so wrong, like itâs going against a sacred scripture. At least, in your world, you are. Because when did something as pure as the romantics and butterflies have to be an act.
You let Jake guide you further inside, the bass of the music and laughs vibrating under your feet. Lights flash against faces you recognize, people who seem to exist on a higher plane of social gravity and took Instagram curation as serious as resumes. You stick close to Jake, letting him pull you along like a practiced partner in a dance youâre quite close to mastering.
âDrink?â he asks, voice low as he leans a little closer so only you can hear. He gestures toward the kitchen where a small crowd has gathered, laughter spilling out like a current. You nod, letting him pull you through the current.
Inside, the kitchen is chaotic but manageable â half-empty bottles, solo cups clattering on the counters, someone talking loudly about a prank from last week. You grab a cup and fill it with the fizzy liquid in the suspicious fishbowl at the middle of the counter â you only assume its safety from the hospitalable set-up.
âI ran into Vivienne the other day,â you say as if youâre trying to sound like youâre just passing the time.
Jake pauses with his cup halfway to his lips. âOh. Okay,â he mutters, low and clipped, uninterested with the way he continues to drink, and how he doesnât ask anything nor even glance back at you.
You frown slightly, but decide to keep going anyway by pressing on like a good narrator in your own story. âSheâs⌠really pretty.â
His posture doesnât change, heâs still relaxed against the counter but the way his fingers tighten slightly on his cup betrays something. You notice because you always notice things about Jake.
You scoff a chuckle, failing to act nonchalant. âSheâs, like, perfect. For a guy like you.âÂ
Jake lets out a soft, almost amused sigh, finally loosening his shoulders a fraction. âA guy like me?â
You shrug, letting a smile twitch at the corners of your mouth. âYeah. I mean, donât the soccer captains usually fall for the cheer captains?â You drink the fizzy liquid, juicy with the alcoholic after taste â you hum at its surprisingly nice flavor.
Jake scoffs, and for a moment, he leans back a little, tilting his head as if weighing how much he should entertain this conversation. âWell, youâve been reading too much romance novels, thatâs for sure.â
You grin, sipping your drink. âIt adds⌠flavor. Like a plot twist.â
He tilts his head, gaze locking on yours. Itâs tall, steady, and a little intimidating in how calm he looks while you stare up at him. âOkay,â he says slowly, âthen what about this plot twist?â
You freeze a little, trying not to overthink the weight in his tone and the way his eyes stay on you while you attempt to not look stricken. Your emotions move without authority, and suddenly you feel tingly when you look at him. But before you can respond, someone calls his name from across the room. He exhales, and does not waste a second longer to look for the source, slipping into the crowds for a more sensible conversation with his friends.
You take the cue, moving away into the crowd, thankful that the tight kitchen which reeks of questionable alcoholic beverages no longer becomes your stage of frightful beginnings. The living room feels spacious and easier, so you let yourself collapse onto the couch, settling in, feeling your tensed shoulders finally relax. Your drink fizzes in your hand, a cold reminder that youâre still very much here, alive, and playing a role of a dangerous act.
For a moment, you just sit there, letting the noise of the party blur around you, watching the way Jake moves through it, impossible to ignore even when heâs not looking at you. He easily mingles with the people, while you find yourself thinking too much in helpless solitude.
You might have been too lost in your thoughts because you donât realize the presence sinking just a few feet away from you. And itâs nothing, really, until you look over and itâs Jay.
Okay, seems scandalous, because youâre both (essentially) seeing other people and this is too close for comfort. Though you donât leave, even when he meets your eyes.Â
He advances quick, starting with a friendly smile. âSo, you and Jake?â His tone isnât pointed or bitter â itâs just curiosity, and you laugh like youâre out of breath. Mostly because you are, but you cannot warrant a reason why.Â
âYeah.â you manage, brushing a loose strand of hair behind your ear.
âSince⌠when?â he asks, leaning forward, elbows on his knees. Itâs not a jab â no. You know heâs thinking about the timeline: when Jake was always around, when he got there, when he left, and how it all fits together.
Honestly, yeah, itâs weird.Â
You take a sip of your drink, steadying yourself. âOkay, soâŚâ You grin a little, and itâs all part of the script you and Jake agreed on. âIt kind of just happened. Evan left, and Jake and I got closer, hanging out more. Thatâs all. Nothing else crazy.â
âYeah, I just,â he shrugs, eyes flicking down. âI just needed to piece it together, you know? Heâs been around forever and then I came along. And when I left, Jakeâs just⌠there. I guess I just wanted to know I wasnâtâŚâ
âA placeholder?â you finish softly, your tone teasing but gentle.
He huffs a laugh, sheepish. âSomething like that.â
You shake your head, smile easy. âNo, Jay. Itâs not like that.â
âI know.â He laughs, you shake your head.Â
âThere was space between timelines.â you mean for it to sound reassuring with the way you say it, and it does. He smiles, small and almost shy, and for a second, itâs familiar.
âOkay,â he says finally, nodding. âGood. Weâre good.â
You chuckle, the corner of your mouth curling up. âYeah. Weâre good.â
Silence, but not the kind thatâs not uncomfortable â that never happens with Jay. Itâs the kind that makes you remember why it worked between the two of you before, and you think that softness you had for him for 1 year was always going to be there (in the corner of your heart).
He clears his throat. âHowâs ballet?â
You blink. âHuh?â Then, softer: âOh. Yeah. Still good. Not as consistent lately, but⌠I still love it.â You nod, more to yourself. âItâs nice to still have it.â
He smiles. âYou always looked like you belonged there.â
You laugh, half embarrassed. âYeah, well. I try.â Then, because youâre curious â or maybe because you want to know if heâs happy as the way long time friends do it â you ask, âHow about you? How are you and ââ
But before you can finish, a voice cuts through.
âHey.â
You turn.Â
Jakeâs eyes flick between the two of you, quick, assessing, like heâs walked into a scene he doesnât quite understand.Â
âDidnât mean to interrupt,â he says, hands in his pockets. âEverything okay?âÂ
Jay leans back, âYeah, man. Just catching up.â
âRight,â Jake says, and itâs not sarcastic, just⌠uncertain, which makes you sink into the cushion. His gaze lingers on you for a second longer before he nods. âCatching up.â
The air shifts, though itâs not awkward, just suddenly aware. âYeah.â you pause and smile too quickly. âJust catching up.â
And thatâs it â no one says anything else which is more distressing than it is good. The silence hums between you three, heavy and delicate at the same time. Jayâs hand drums lightly on his knee and Jakeâs thumb grazes the edge of his pocket. You pretend not to notice the way Jakeâs still looking at you like heâs trying to figure out what he just walked into. And maybe, if youâre honest, you donât really know either.
Jay glances at his phone, the screen lighting up his face for a second. âHey, I should probably head out,â he says, standing and giving you that small, polite smile. You nod, maybe too quickly. âYeah, of course. Iâll see you around.â
âYeah.â he looks at Jake for a second, something unspoken flickering in the air, then back at you. âTake care, okay?âÂ
You smile, small. âYou too.â
He waves lightly before slipping into the crowd, and just like that, heâs gone. The space he leaves behind feels heavier somehow.
Jakeâs still standing there, watching the retreating figure like heâs waiting for something else to happen. Then he lets out a low breath, half a laugh but not quite. âSoâŚâ he says, lowering himself onto the couch beside you, not in the Jay-feet-away, the Jake-way with your legs touching, and it makes your breath hitch a little. âWhat was that?â
You blink, caught off guard. âWhat was what?â
He tilts his head, studying your face. âThat. You and Jay. You looked like ââ He pauses, searching for the word, a corner of his mouth twitching. Then he shrugs like heâs really trying to look nonchalant. âLike something.â
You huff, defensive without meaning to be. âWe were just talking.â
Jake lets out a small laugh, then heâs shaking his head while looking away. âRight. Just talking.â
You donât answer. You can just feel how close he is now â the space between you shrinking until you can smell the faint trace of his cologne, especially when he leans back, arm resting on the back of the couch, failing to be casual.Â
Then his knee brushes yours, and you face him with narrowed eyes. It feels as if heâs meaning to get close subtly even though it isnât subtle at all. His jaw flexes slightly, eyes flicking away from you for a second.
Then, finally, he sighs, straightening. âItâs getting late.â He glances around the room, unimpressed. âAnd this party sucks.â
You manage a small laugh, bored and unamused. âYeah. Kind of does.â
He stands, slipping his hands into his pockets, that easy Jake posture you know too well. âCome on. Letâs go.â
You hesitate, but heâs already headed for the door regardless. The room feels too loud, too crowded, and following him feels like the only option that makes sense rationally and irrationally.
You follow him out â through the hallway, past the half-empty red cups, the fading music, and people that tell him to stay â and into the cooler, quieter night that welcomes you with a crisp breeze. It actually wasnât that late, only a quarter until 11, much unusual from the time heâd leave. You wrap your arms around yourself the way you always do, still following him while crossing the cold street, looking over everything before it moves to the back of Jakeâs head.
The carâs parked out front, headlights catching the faint shine on the wet pavement. Jake unlocks it without looking back, the familiar beep echoing softly in the dark.
You walk to the passenger side, exhaling the chill of September through the mist of your breath.Â
âSo what did you guys talk about?â Jake breaks the silence while he rounds the front of the car, his voice casual but not really. He stops by the driverâs side, glancing at you over the hood.
You blink, hand already on the door handle. âWhat?â
He shrugs, unlocking his side and sliding in. You open the passenger door and climb in, the car greeting you with that faint leather smell and the low hum of the engine warming up.Â
âYou and Jay.â He says it simply, but thereâs something underneath â something easy to miss if you werenât listening closely â but thank God you actually donât listen close enough and know nothing about his tone because you donât care enough for that obviously.
Yeah, duh.
âNothing,â you answer, buckling your seatbelt. âJust caught up. He asked about ballet.â
Jake hums, nodding like he believes you, though you can tell he doesnât fully. His hands grip the wheel lightly, thumb tapping against the leather. âRight. Ballet.â
You glance at him, raising a brow, âWhy do you sound like that?â
âLike what?â
âLike you donât believe me.â
He lets out a small laugh this time, the kind that sounds like heâs trying not to sound bothered. âI didnât say that.â
âDidnât have to,â you mutter, looking out the window. The reflection of the streetlights flickers, blurring in the glass.
Jake exhales, eyes still on the road. The carâs warming up and not moving, so you two sit in the boiling evidence of your bad decisions and the overcomplexities of trivial matters.
âIâm not ââ He stops himself, jaw tightening before softening again. âForget it.â
âNo, what?â you press, turning to him.
âItâs nothing.â He glances at you briefly, the corner of his mouth twitching upward, like heâs really trying to play it off. âJust⌠weird seeing you talk to your ex. Thatâs all.â
You blink, processing it, because thatâs not something you thought youâd hear tonight â least of all from Jake. âDoes it matter?â
âWell, yeah. If weâre trying to pretend like weâre dating, youâre not really supposed to be talking and getting cozy with an ex like that.â
âWe were just,â you shrug, âtalking. He asked about you and me. Because the timeline was kinda weird and he needed reassurance.â
He scoffs, a bit loud. Okay, way too loud than necessary volume. âReassurance.â he repeats.
And thereâs this part of you, teetering so close to the edge of asking if heâs jealous, but why would he be? Why was he acting that way? Why would it matter? His tone is weird and thereâs a crease between his eyebrows, lips puckered just a little like heâs close to whining.
âItâs just, not. A good look.â he sighs like he read your mind and responded before you could ask. âItâs whatever. I feel whatever.â
You shake your head, trying not to smile, but failing a little. âYouâre ridiculous.â
Jake laughs under his breath, but more disbelieved than it is amused. âYeah, maybe.â His hand shifts on the gear, his tone becomes quieter now. âStill didnât like it, though.â
You turn to him, surprised, but heâs already looking ahead â focused, expression unreadable. The dome light catches the edge of his profile: sharp jaw, steady eyes, lips pressed together like heâs not sure what he just admitted or got into.
For a second, neither of you say anything. The car hums softly beneath you, the night stretching quiet and long outside.
Then he exhales, mutters almost to himself, âThis thingâs gonna kill me.â
Your pause and you turn to him. âWhat?â
But Jake just smirks, turning up the radio, avoiding your eyes like it will save him. âNothing. You hungry?â
You stare at him, pulse loud in your ears, but heâs already pulling onto the road like nothing happened. Heâs good at running away from you too, even though youâre only a center console away.
You exhale, sinking just closer down the softness of the passenger seat, unsure where the sudden need to explain comes from. âHe really just asked when we started dating.â
He puckers his lips, looking as if heâs debating whether to ask further or not. Of course, he decides to feed his rumination. âAnd what did he say to that?â he taps the wheel, just stealing one glance at you.Â
You scoff, maybe a bit disbelieved, also a tiny bit of enjoyment in whateverâs happening. âWhat matters was we didnât look friendly, okay? And no one was looking.â You turn to him again even if heâs not looking back. âNot everyone has the spotlight on them 24/7 like you, Jaeyun.âÂ
Jake laughs under his breath, a single huff through his nose. âSpotlight, huh?â
You roll your eyes. âDonât pretend you donât know what I mean.â
âI really donât,â he says, though the faint grin tugging at his mouth says otherwise. âYou make it sound like Iâm out here doing press tours.â
âYou kind of are,â you mutter. âGolden boy, soccer captain, girls whispering your name in the hallway â ring any bells?â
He chuckles, low and quiet, shaking his head. âYou pay way too much attention.â
You bite back a smile. âI have eyes.â
The road hums beneath the tires, streetlights flashing rhythmically across the dashboard. The silence that follows isnât heavy, but itâs charged â the kind that makes your chest feel too small for your heartbeat.
Later that night, when youâve cleaned from alcohol and popular kid atmosphere, your phone buzzes from your nightstand.
When your phone buzzes again, you see Jake posted on his Instagram story. Itâs you when you were fixing your dress at the mirror by the entrance of the houseparty, a candid shot you didnât realize he took. With a caption: âmy pretty girlâ.
You stare at the ceiling for a long time before setting your phone down â because even when you tell yourself itâs all pretend, the thing in your chest still feels way too real.
âShe hasnât stopped.â Jake announces to you, leaning against the locker beside yours while you unload your things.Â
You sigh. âItâs not my fault Vivienne-the-perfect actually isnât a girls girl and would flirt with a taken man.â you give him a glance and try not to smile at the completely worried and concerned look on his face, like heâs clearly very offended by this revelation.
âThatâs bullshit! Is that not â girl code, or whatever?âÂ
You close your locker and shrug. He frowns â pouts even. âShe literally had her hand on my jacket and did the thing with her eyelashes. We should just try harder.â
You scoff and couldnât control when your eyes rolled, which you hope he didnât take for a different reason. You canât just believe people like her existed! âI doubt making out in front of her would keep her hands off you if she doesnât care youâre taken.â
You couldâve chosen better words, really, because now Jakeâs smiling and leaning in. âWanna try?â
Your book lands on his arm and he winces in pain, while you glare at him before walking down the hall, away from him, and to your next class.
Fake dating Jake was⌠easy. And that should be a good thing when you look at it in a perspective of⌠colleagues, or workers, or groupmates. People who are working in a system that needed to abide by a certain degree to be considerably functioning in the area of expertise.Â
But in a perspective of a 18-year-old girl whoâs in love easy and a hopeless romantic; itâs hell dressed in fluffy hair, easy grins, soccer practices, tall stature, kind personality (the kind your mom likes) and pretty brown eyes.
He shows up just as much as you do, in places that needed the presence of a good partner. In the school fields, classrooms, hallways, parties, games. Showing up was easy â he made it easy.
Sometimes itâs the smallest things.
Sometimes itâs the bigger ones. When it started getting harder because more were getting involved, and showing up became consistent unnecessarily.
When his mom had called you to come over to taste her baked treats â you immediately agree. You catch up and she asks mostly about school, ballet, college, and then Jake. Jake, whoâs pretending heâs not eavesdropping from the living room.
You promised not letting your families know, and sure, she wasnât asking if you were dating, but she looked at you like she was already welcoming you in their family anyway. In the âiâll-start-expecting-grandchildren-soonâ way now, mostly because youâve always been part of the Sim when you were kids.
Jake would look at you with a kind of gaze that says sorry when he passes by to grab a glass of water. Youâd shake your head and mouth âitâs okayâ. Even though, deep down, you know itâs kind of not.
Or that time Jake was invited by your dad over for some âusual family barbecue nightâ. Usual would mean involving Evan, but heâs states away â so itâs just this kind of awkward set up of your parents plus Jaeyun.Â
Heâs laughing at your dadâs jokes and stories while they grill barbecue. He asks about school, soccer, and college, Jake responds easily, asks questions in return to keep it going.
You stay with your mom by the lounge while you eat your portion, and, well, ruminate your small acts of self-sabotage in the very form of barbecue night. Your mom notices, just like she always does.Â
âJakeâs a good kid.â she says, testing the waters of your very deep thoughts.
You could only hum in response. Because itâs true. Which is what makes it particularly harder to fake date him.
Games were part of the contract, so you show up, of course. It was nothing crazy, just sitting by the sidelines beside the field, and cheering during the right time, screaming at the right time.
Friday nights always smell like rain and turf. The field lights blaze against the sky, and the air hums with that familiar game energy â cheers, whistles, the announcerâs voice echoing across the stands. You pull your jacket tighter and sink into the bleachers with the rest of his friends.
Jake looks very much in his element, all focus and motion, hair sticking to his forehead under the lights. Heâs got that captain thing going on: steady, composed, easy smiles for his teammates, the occasional glance toward the stands.Â
By the time the final whistle blows, theyâve won by a mile. The field floods with students and friends and noise, everyone rushing in to celebrate. You stay by the sidelines, waiting, watching him disappear into the chaos.
And then he finds you â sweaty, breathless, still smiling â jogging on his way.
You decide before you could think, rounding the fence and down the stairs towards the field. Not overly excessive, itâs part of the act if you really wanted to sell it, thatâs what you tell yourself when the cold breeze makes you realize suddenly.Â
Before you could reach him, you notice the familiar stature. Her perfect hair and perfect figure, hand brushing slightly against his arm while they talk. Sheâs all smiles â the perfect cheer captain â and honestly, you know they look good together. Like they make sense, more than Jake Sim and his best friendâs younger sister.
You slow down to give them space, just before she leaves. And then Jake finds you. Immediately, he walks over to you, smiling through the sweat and, well, an expression you canât name. âShe, uh, just congratulated me.â Maybe unease.
You nod, your smile coming out smaller. âYeah. I saw.â
Jake runs a hand through his damp hair, chuckling nervously. âDidnât even realize she was there until after the whistle. Sheâs⌠loud.â
You huff a laugh, trying to match his energy, but itâs thin. âYeah. Sheâs your cheerleader.â You mean that literally, and you thank the divinity that it does not reek of bitterness.
He studies you for a moment â the way your voice dips, the slight tightness in your expression. Then, like heâs trying to smooth over something he doesnât quite understand, he grins wider and nudges your shoulder. âYou saw the goal, though, right? That was clean.â
âYeah,â you say again, forcing the corners of your lips up. âReally clean.â
He grins, bashful and proud, but thereâs still that tiny crease between his brows â the one he gets when heâs not sure what youâre thinking. The crowdâs still cheering faintly behind you, the smell of grass and sweat and aftergame chaos in the air. You should be used to it by now â the way people look at him, the noise that follows him everywhere.
âHey,â he says softly, stepping closer, looking you over from his height. âYou good?â
You blink, surprised by how easily he reads you sometimes. âYeah,â you lie, voice light. âAre you?â
Up close, you notice the faint shadows under his eyes, the way his shoulders sag now that the adrenalineâs gone â like heâll be sick by morning. But heâs smiling so widely at you. âYeah, of course.â he says, as if you donât know how fast he actually gets tired.
That easy grin places like what heâs feeling now is nothing. âLetâs get food after, yeah? Iâll even let you pick this time.â
You laugh â small but real from the amusement of his suddenness sometimes. âWe donât have to.â
Jake beams, slinging his towel over his shoulder. âDonât play coy with me.â
Maybe youâre just overthinking. Maybe Vivienneâs hand on his arm really didnât mean anything. And even if it does, it shouldnât mean anything to you.
Still, when he turns to wave at his teammates, you canât help but glance at her again â laughing with her friends, still watching him. And this time, you look away first.
Tip #9: If you have to fake-date someone, maybe donât pick the boy you actually like(d???).
Liked. You are not the same 13-year-old girl who made stupid excuses to watch Jake beat Evan up in video games in the living room. Youâve grown out of that phase, and you know better than to be part of the crowds that fill his locker during Valentines day.Â
But, maybe, you really should have taken into account who you blurted out when Jay asked who you were seeing. Because this, truly, was a predicament as it is awkward, when you finally had an eye-opening realization of who the entire campus knows youâre dating.Â
Your older brotherâs best friend? Seriously? Now heâs the (fake) boyfriend everyone wonât shut up about.
You hear the whispers get louder. âWait, Evanâs sister?â and âOh my God, theyâre actually together?â followed by the inevitable, âDude, thatâs his best friend.â
And honestly, yeah. You get it. Itâs weird. Messy, even. The kind of setup that belongs in some bad teen rom-com â except this time, youâre living it, and thereâs no laugh track or fade-to-black scene when it gets complicated. Youâre praying it doesnât travel to Evan, whose texts youâve been ghosting, and name have been avoiding when it gets brought up at the table.Â
Your parents have been gazing a little longer, and implied multiple times the possibility of âsomeoneâ. But you never let it drag, quick to dismiss or retreat back to your room before it could be some topic.
What was a little harder was joining the hang outs and keeping the friends out. Not when itâs Jake Sim youâre dating â which by definition, was basically dating the entire soccer team.
Itâs one of those boys nights (again) â spontaneous, loud, and absolutely unplanned. One second, youâre about to wash your face and call it a night, with your face lathered in moisturizer and serum. Youâre ready for the comfort of your mattress when your phone is buzzing and heâs texting you.
So now youâre in Sunghoonâs living room â a mix between cozy and chaotic â with piles of notebooks, tangled chargers, and the faint hum of music from someoneâs speaker.Â
The group study isnât as productive as it should be. Someoneâs half-asleep on the couch, two of them are arguing over the whiteboard, and the rest â including you â are pretending to highlight notes that stopped making sense thirty minutes ago.Â
Youâre sitting on the floor, back pressed against the side of the couch, hair tied up loosely, currently chewing the end of your pen while the same sentence stares back at you for the fourth time.
Okay, no. Youâve been studying and you have been productive for the past few hours. Just not anymore when youâve consumed 5 lessons and youâre surrounded by seniors who are bickering at each other for getting âthisâ wrong and âthatâsâ how you actually get the answer.
âSnacks!â Sunghoon announces as he comes from the kitchen, holding up a tray like itâs a peace offering. He sets it down in the middle of the circle and starts distributing, tossing and throwing, really. âOh, hey, got you this one,â he adds, tossing a pack of chips your way. âSaw it on that story Lia posted â figured you liked it.â
You blink, smiling a little. âOh, thanks ââ
But before you can open it, Jakeâs hand shoots out from beside you, plucking the pack from your grip. âDude,â you protest, half-laughing. âWhat the hell are you doing?â
Heâs already scanning the tray, unfazed. Then, without a word, he grabs another pack, the right one, the one you actually always buy, and tosses it into your lap.Â
âThis one,â he says simply. âYou donât even like that flavor.â
You blink at him, startled for a beat, then laugh, shaking your head. âAre you keeping tabs on my grocery list now?â
Jake just shrugs, reaching for his highlighter again, not looking at you. âMaybe.âÂ
The room hums with quiet conversation, pages flipping, pencils tapping. You swear your pulse shouldnât be this loud in your ears.Â
âDamn, weâre out of drinks,â Jungwon groans, standing and stretching. âIâm gonna run to the store.â
âIâll come,â Jake says immediately, pushing himself up. Then, glancing down at you, âYou want anything?â
You look up at him from where youâre sitting. âIâm good.â
He tilts his head, not convinced, and then pretends thatâs not what you just said. âYour usual, then? Or ââ A beat. His voice softens, almost casual. âIce cream?â
You look up at him, blinking once, twice. You mean to say something, maybe a teasing âyou donât have to,â but the words donât come out.
Jake tilts his head slightly, waiting. âOr both?â
Itâs ridiculous, the way your heart trips over something that small. You try to play it off, the back of your pen still pressed to your lips as you shrug, then nod.
He nods too, easy, like you didnât just short-circuit. âGot it.â Then he grabs his hoodie from the armrest, calling out to Jungwon to wait up before heading for the door, nonchalant like itâs nothing. Like youâre not going insane.
You stare down at your notes, highlighter hovering mid-air. The words blur into a jumble of letters that refuse to make sense. You realize youâre one paragraph off from where you left off but your brain refuses to process anything.
Because all you can see is him, brows furrowed, reaching across the table to swap out a snack just because he knows what you actually like. Because he doesnât ask what your usual drink is, he asks if you want it.
And that stupid, fluttery feeling youâve been trying to ignore for weeks creeps up again, crawling up your chest until you melt into the couch a little, pretending to reread the same line for the fifth time. When it doesnât work, you sigh and fall back, letting the heat of your palms hide away your eyes from the rest of the world.
By the time theyâre back, the airâs colder. Jungwonâs loudly announcing that Jake almost tripped on the curb because what an idiot, he wasnât looking where he was goiâ ack!, Jakeâs hitting him, and your lips are puckering before you even look up because youâre in the middle of ridding him away and yet he just comes back every time.
He doesnât even stop to talk to you â just twists the cap off your drink before handing it over, eyes still on Jungwon because theyâre mid-argument about the change and who owes who, even bringing up the past 6 years when 13 year old Jake actually still very much has a balance to pay.Â
His voice comes out distracted when he finally looks at you: âThey didnât have the big one, so I got two small ones.â
You blink down at the drink, the cap loosened just right, and before you can thank him, heâs already walking off toward the kitchenette. You catch the faint creak of the fridge door.
Heâs putting your ice cream away first.
You donât realize youâve dozed off until your phone buzzes against your thigh â three missed calls, a text from your mom:
Mom đŤś: Where are you? Itâs getting late.
You blink the sleep out of your eyes, seeing your disregarded textbook on the floor which must have fallen when you fell asleep. The roomâs dim now, only lit by the soft glow of laptops and a lamp someone forgot to turn off, a background of key clicks and quiet murmurs as they recall their topics. The air feels heavier, quieter â half the groupâs already passed out in awkward positions across the couch and floor.
You stretch a little, turning your head â and there he is.
Surprisingly, he isnât sleeping like everyone else, but rather looks very focused. Jakeâs on the couch right behind you, hoodie sleeves pushed up, one leg tucked under him, the other acting as a pillow for Sunghoonâs half-conscious foot that somehow found its way onto his lap. Heâs hunched slightly over his laptop, typing something with one hand, writing notes with the other. Thereâs a faint crease between his brows, hair a little messy, face softened by the dim light.
You wonder what his study material is, and whether you could just stare a bit longer.
You tug at his sleeve. âHey,â you whisper, voice still groggy. âI gotta go home.â
He looks up immediately. And he doesnât argue, doesnât ask why, just nods once, pushing Sunghoonâs foot off his lap with a quiet, âMove, man.â He stands, stretches, then heads straight for the fridge. You watch him grab your ice cream from the fridge, and then carefully grab your stack of notebooks from the table.
Jake leans down to Sunghoon, whoâs barely awake, and murmurs, âGotta get her home.â Sunghoon grunts something that mightâve been âokay, broâ before they dap hands lazily, clearly too passed out for it.
You follow Jake out the door, the night air hitting your skin like cold water. Itâs quiet, streetlights stretching in gold lines down the road.
âYou donât have to take me,â you say, hugging your things close to your chest as he unlocks his car. âItâs late, I can justââ
Jake scoffs, cutting you off with a sideways glance as he opens the passenger door for you. âYeah, right. You think Iâd see the next sunrise when your parents find out I let you Uber home?â
You blink at him, caught somewhere between flustered and fond. âYou make it sound like Iâm five.â
He smirks, motioning for you to get in with a nod. âThen stop needing supervision.â
You roll your eyes, but you get in anyway. And when the car door shuts, itâs quiet again â just the hum of the engine, the faint music from the radio, and the soft thunk of your ice cream settling in the cup holder after he cleared it from his things.
Jake glances over once as he pulls out of the driveway, eyes flicking to your face before the road again. âSeatbelt,â he says quietly.
You buckle up, still fighting the small, traitorous smile tugging at your lips.
Tip #10: Remember itâs not a big deal (youâll fail).
The morning is still too pale to be real, and just the kind where tomorrowâs a Tuesday and you have 3 quizzes lined up so you actually kinda just want to die. You didnât try either, face bare, wearing the first sweater you got from the pile, and Crocs. Itâs pathetic, lowkey. Itâs also the kind of quiet where footsteps echo too easily, lockers slam too loudly, and itâs feeling a lot like the monthly visit is coming.Â
Youâre barely awake, stacking books you donât want to read, when a hand appears in your periphery â a paper cup in a pale brown sleeve.
You blink up. Jake. Hoodie up, hair just kind of dry, eyes a little sleepy.
âHere.â His voice is soft. Rough in that just-woke-up way. Like hereâs here in a way thatâs like, you know, you texted him to run an errand before getting to school and here it is. Except you didnât, you havenât even texted in 2 days actually.
You stare at the cup like itâs foreign currency. âWhatââ
âCoffee,â he says simply.
You hesitate. âWhy?â
He looks down, kicks an invisible thing on the floor. âYou looked like you needed it.â
Thatâs all. No smirk, no punchline (which you wait for) â just that, and the faint tap of his fingers when you donât take it fast enough. But he doesnât rush or add another half witty half mean comment.
So you finally do get it, reaching for it tentatively like youâre waiting for the joke to arrive.Â
The scent: vanilla, a little caramel, smells exactly how you order it. You blink. âUh, is this?â
âYeah,â he murmurs, hitting the locker beside yours without any real force, looking over your head from his height.Â
You clear your throat, pretending to fuss with your bag, even though itâs perfectly fine. âYou didnât have to.â
âI know.â He shifts his weight, shoulder leaning against the lockers.Â
The hallway hums awake around you â lockers slamming, someone laughing down the corridor â but itâs all muffled. Thereâs only the heartbeat in your ear and the stupid warmth crawling up your neck. Youâre racking your brain for something witty and rude, establish the banter you always exchanged.
Not this time. Not when he notices and remembers. Like thereâs a part in his mind thatâs specifically sectioned for your coffee order. He remembers and heâs so casual about it.
Jakeâs watching you, your brows and nose and lips, eyes gentle in a way that makes it worse. âYou okay?â
âYeah.â You nod too quickly, take a sip to hide your face. Itâs perfect, of course. âItâs good.â
He smiles â not the wide, field-bright one. âGood.â
You stare at the cup again. âYouâre weird.â
âProbably,â he says. âSee you later.â
He just gently tugs the hem of your sweater when he passes.Â
And then heâs gone â the smell of coffee and rain air trailing behind him â leaving you by your locker, awake for the first time that morning, pulse thrumming too fast for something that was supposed to be pretend.
âHey, Jakeâs shawty,â Riki says, sliding into the seat across from you with that shit-eating grin heâs so proud of. Jakeâs already beside him with his tray, looking way too comfortable for someone who doesnât even belong at this table. Your friend looks at you with exasperation and you can only return it.
You donât even look up right away, still eating your mashed potatoes. âDonât call me that.â
âAnywayââ he glances at Jake, smirking, â âyouâre going to the trip with lover boy here, right?â
That makes you look up. âWhat?â You laugh, an incredulous little scoff as you set your fork down. Because thereâs no way thatâs happening, not when you know Jakeâs very enormous friend group would be going, consisting of those you do not hold goody-goody friendships with and a tolerable attitude to their excess thereof. âNo way.â
Riki blinks, caught between amusement and confusion. âWait â sheâs not? You said ââ
Jake just sighs, shoulders slumping as he shakes his head. âI told you,â he mutters, half under his breath, stabbing at his fries like they personally offended him.Â
The Simâs are just as their youngest son is: kind and hospitable. They own a lakehouse 4 hours away from the urban, and his family had always been welcoming that Jake and his friends make use of it. It had a dock that creaks when you run too fast, the canoe that always leaks a little, the porch light that stays on even when everyoneâs already asleep â but itâs large and have always been cozy, making up the yearly bricks of your childhood. Youâve been there when you were kids, when Jakeâs friend group was barely a group. Just you, Evan, Sunghoon, and Jakeâs older brother. No teams, no cliques, no unspoken rules about who was âallowedâ to come.Â
You stopped going when the group got bigger with names you only knew through known Instagram handles in middle school, and something that once was your sanctuary stopped feeling like a place you belonged to. Really, you were the only girl Jake ever invited, so coming along (even if Evan was) stopped making sense and instead threaded closer to scandal.
Through the eye of the outside, Jakeâs girlfriend should go. Of course, he has been attempting to convince you, while he drove you to the dance studio, held your bag, drove you back home â just any kind of bribes and sweeteners to get you to say yes, although they didnât feel so absurd because Jake had always been sweet without the sweeteners.
You canât help it â you bite back a grin, watching the way his jaw flexes in mild frustration. âWhat, were you planning without me now?â you tease, leaning forward.
Jake doesnât look up right away. âJust thought itâd be fun,â he says finally, quiet, but thereâs that lilt in his voice â the one that gives him away every time.
Riki, oblivious as ever, grins. âOh, itâd definitely be fun. A cabin, really fucking cold lake, hot chocolate ââÂ
Right. Usually theyâd go during the summer, but now they spontaneously decided to go during the winter break. The lake wouldnât be frozen, just worthy of hypothermia.
You throw him a look. âItâs not working, by the way.â
Jake finally glances at you then, and thereâs something small in his smile â not his usual teasing one, but the softer kind, the one that looks like heâs almost shy to have been caught hoping.
Riki, being Riki, props his elbows on the table, preparing to be the best wingman apparently.
âYeah, I mean â the tripâs gonna be good. You know how it gets. Thereâs â uh ââ itâs uncharacteristic of him, so it only makes you chuckle, âcold weather, everyone will have fun ââ He gestures with a fry awkwardly. âJake will totally miss you and I heard Vivienne and her friends are invited ââ
You still your fork and cock your brow at him. âReally?â
Riki nods eagerly, conviction all over his face. âYeah, like competition â â
Jake clears his throat to hide the way he kicks Rikiâs foot underneath the table, eyes flicking from you to Riki â whoâs now blinking, finally realizing he mightâve gone too far. Jakeâs eyes are wide, signaling the younger to shut the fuck up because clearly taunting through Vivienneâs name will not work on you, if not piss you off truly.
âWhat the fuck dude,â Jake mutters under his breath, voice low, before sending Riki a glare sharp enough to cut steel.
Riki holds his hands up, laughing nervously. âFuck, went off script.â
The muscle in your jaw jumps at the realization that Jake had invited Vivienne to someplace youâve preserved as something sacred refuge. The place where your summers lived and the air always smelled like pine and sunscreen and lake water, where you learned how to skip stones with Evan counting aloud, where Sunghoon once fell off the dock and laughed so hard he swallowed half the lake.Â
It was yours before it was anyone elseâs.
Why is she even invited? Since when did she get to sit on the same dock, drink from the same chipped mugs Mrs. Sim kept in the cupboard, laugh in the same rooms you once slept in with the windows cracked open?
The same place where you learned Jake, besides on the asphalt of your neighborhood. Before teams, before labels, before people like Vivienne ever had a reason to exist in his orbit and got to favorite your first-favorite-boy too.Â
You donât look up, stabbing and munching on the fries with the effort of duty to eat rather than enjoyment. Yeah youâre pissed off, not with Riki and his awkward reckless mouth, nor Jake with his friendly invites and decisions â but at yourself for letting yourself believe you could swim the damn lake called fake-dating-Jake-Sim and expect to float.
Jakeâs still staring â not in the teasing way, not with that easy grin he always holds with ease; just watching you, quiet, like heâs trying to read the space between your words.
Tip #11: Listen to your mom.
With headphones on, wrapped in thick blankets, you rot in bed. Nothing better than that, usually, until your brainâs swarmed by the flies of suffering and overthinking. Your curtains are drawn shut. The soft hum of your playlist spills into your ears, dulling the outside world, like theyâd help pull out the nightmares.Â
Your phone buzzes once â Jake again, probably. You ignore it. Itâs the plague no one has an ailment for other than avoidance and detachment.
Your room smells faintly like lavender detergent and indecision. You havenât moved in hours (10 minutes). Thereâs a bowl of cereal on your nightstand â untouched, the milk soggy with regret, because lifeâs shitty and youâre a buildup of your worst flaws and you actually donât know how to survive boys named Jake Sim.
Thereâs a knock on the door, light but purposeful. You yank the covers higher.
âSweetheart?â your momâs voice filters in.
You scramble to pause your music and pretend to be asleep, but your throat betrays you with a cough â dry and unconvincing, healthy and lying.
Youâve been lying to everyone for months now and youâre not sure if you could do it to the woman who can easily see through you. Your mom opens the door anyway. She stands there for a second, eyes flicking from your laptop (closed), to your cereal (dismal), to your face.
âYouâre not at school,â she says gently, with the tone of someone whoâs not mad. Not even concerned. Just⌠watching.
You groan dramatically. âI have a very contagious flu,â you mumble, stuffing your face deeper into the blanket cave.
She raises an eyebrow and walks in anyway. âOh no,â she says, deadpan. âIâm probably already infected.â
Without asking, she kicks off her slippers and climbs into bed beside you. The mattress shifts as she settles against your side. Sheâs warm, familiar, her hand automatically finding your hair, stroking gently like she used to when you were little. And you could cry from this alone.
You sigh, long and full of static.
âSo,â she murmurs, like itâs just the two of you in the world. âWant to tell me whatâs going on?â
âIâm confused,â you admit, voice small. The blanket muffles it, but she hears, which comes maternally probably.
Jake has been driving you to school, more usual than not. Thatâs a bearable routine â just not when he decided upon both of you to drive to the dance studio too. So, almost every single time, heâs waiting outside with the engine running.
He stays during practice, sitting on the floor with his back to it, holding your bag when you forget where you left it. Sometimes you catch him watching. When practice ends, heâs the one helping you gather your things, untying straps, carrying the extra stuff you said you can manage on your own. Then he drives you home.
He says itâs because youâre still kinda scared to drive, right? Then adds itâs fine, really, itâs not trouble.
Except it is. For you
Your mom doesnât push. Just keeps combing her fingers through your hair until the silence makes your lungs tight like your ribcage is caging you in and that traitorous heart of yours is still growing larger.
âItâs not about Jake,â you say suddenly, a little too quickly, just to hide the fact that it is about him.
Her hand pauses, then resumes. âDidnât ask,â she says lightly.
You roll your eyes. âYou were going to.â
She chuckles. âNo, but thank you for confirming.â Then, after a pause, âYou know your dad and I love him, right?â
Your head shoots up. âMom.â
âWhat? Heâs always been around. And heâs funny! Kind. Polite. Good teeth.â
You groan again, dragging the blankets over your head like you can disappear into the fabric. âPlease stop talking.â
âHe makes you laugh,â she says softly. âThatâs all Iâm saying.â
You donât answer. Your throatâs tight again, but for a different reason now, like youâre completely clogged and everythingâs piling on top.
After a while, you say, âHe invited me to go on their lakehouse again.â
âYou should go, sweetie. Itâs been a while.â she says.
You shift restlessly. âI donât like his friends.â
âYou can learn to like them.â
âAnd I donât know what to do.â
She gives you a look. âAbout making friends?â
You let out a breath. You donât have the words for it â and itâs not like youâre trying to tell her the fake dating and the not-so-fake feelings. The way Jake looked at you the other day like he knew and that maybe he didnât know what he was doing either. In theory, it should be a good thing because then youâre both balancing on a rope thatâs starting to snap, and that in itself should give you some sick kind of comfort.
Except appearance doesnât equate reality (thanks Roy Bhaskar), and how heâs been looking and acting shouldnât ever make up for the space he could easily fill with clarification. You know better than to fall for the theatrics of the guy every girl liked because he was too friendly and maybe too close all the time. He invited the girl he wants to get rid of! Because heâs a decent guy whoâs friends with the girl who likes him and finds no faulty in that kind of order.
Mixed signals, basically. Itâs not new when it came from guys who knew they looked good and even if heâd try humility, his eyes glisten with the awareness of the public's fondness for him.
Your mom doesnât need the details. She just hugs you a little closer and says, âItâs okay not to know.â
You nod against her shoulder, the warmth of her shirt soaking into your cheek.
âBut I will say,â she continues, âyouâve looked like youâre having a lot of fun lately. Real fun. Not the kind you fake.â
You close your eyes and then take a deep breath, because that sounds more like a nightmare than solace. Not here, not when the main point was to fake it, yet even then the player is fooled by his jests.
âYouâre different when heâs around,â she says, almost to herself. âSofter.â
You whisper, âI wasnât supposed to be.â
âSome of the best things arenât,â she replies. She doesnât exactly get what you mean and youâre thankful for that (because you will be getting an earful), that even then, she knew the right things to say.
She kisses the top of your head like she did when you were a kid with actual fevers and actual tears. Though you refuse to cry. Youâre not crying for a boy who probably isnât thinking twice about this.
âYou donât have to go,â she says. âBut you might want to think about it. It might be fun.â
You lie there in silence, the question hanging like fog in your chest. Because pretending stopped feeling like pretending somewhere along the way, or maybe the truth in your heart remains that even when you believed it was gone in the presence of your feelings for another, it really hasnât. Just kept and stagnant in a warmer, refusing to spoil.Â
Your mom gets up, brushing your hair out of your face one last time. âLet me know if your flu miraculously clears up by tomorrow,â she teases.
The door clicks shut behind her, and you're left with the silence again.
Youâre 9, Jakeâs 10, and Evanâs 11, the perfect age for scraped knees, loud laughter, and tears you think youâll never forgive.
It happens in the backyard. Evanâs teasing you again, something about how you âthrow like a babyâ when you join their catch game, and everyone laughs, even Jake at first. But then Evan goes too far by muttering something about how youâre always ruining things.
You try to blink it off, try to laugh with them. But it catches in your throat, that sharp, stupid sting behind your eyes, and before you know it, youâre crying.
âHey!â Jakeâs voice cuts through the air, a little panicked.
Youâre already running toward the porch, sniffling, wiping your face with the back of your hand, muttering about how you hate all of them. The worldâs blurry and hot, your chest tight in that awful way that makes you hiccup and sob.
When you turn, Jakeâs there, breathless, holding the ball in his hand, dirt smeared across his cheek. He looks like he sprinted the whole way just to fix it.
âDonât cry,â he says, voice soft and unsure, like he doesnât really know what to do with crying girls yet. He just holds the ball out awkwardly. âEvanâs just dumb sometimes.â
You sniff, arms crossed. âHe said I ruin everything.â
Jake frowns. âYou donât.â
He looks down at you then, eyes all earnest and serious in a way that 10-year-olds shouldnât manage. Then he steps forward, small arms wrapping around you in this clumsy, tight hug. Itâs warm, smells like grass and sunlight.
âCome on,â he says, holding out the ball. âWeâll team up on him this time.â
Tip #12: Never call your fake boyfriend when youâre sad.
Because apparently, heâll show up.
Itâs 11:38 p.m. when you cave â when your room feels too quiet and your chest too heavy and your notebooks are a mess on your desk and your textbooks and empty highlighters feel useless and your phone screenâs too bright as you stare at his name for a full minute before hitting call. You donât even know why you do it. Maybe because Jake talks and doesnât run out of things to say, and you need something that sounds like that right now.
He answers on the 6th ring, voice low and groggy. âWhat,â he mumbles, like you woke him up mid-dream. Heâs tired from a whole day of classes and soccer practice, which had ended when the sun has long dipped.Â
You open your mouth, but nothing comes out. Just a sniffle, quiet and shaky. âJaeyun?â
Thatâs all it takes. You hear the sheets rustle, then a faint thud, and his voice suddenly sharper, awake. âHey, hey â whatâs wrong?â
You try to laugh, to make it sound stupid and lighter than it really is. âNothing. Sorry. I justââ You sniff again, tugging your blanket tighter around you, eyes closing while the streaks of tears finally start pouring. âItâs dumb.â
Thereâs a beat of silence. Then, âStay on the phone.â
And before you can ask what that means, the line goes quiet â except for the sound of car keys jangling and a door closing.Â
Seven minutes later, heâs outside your window, hoodie and sweatpants and all. You stare at him, eyes wide, half-horrified. âAre you insane?â you whisper-shout.
He just grins, breath fogging in the cold. âYou called.â
You should shut the window or just tell him to go home because thatâs the right way to do this shit. But instead, you grab a jacket and your phone, climbing out as quietly as you can. He helps you down, hands firm and warm, and before you know it, youâre in his car, city lights passing in soft blurs through the window.
You donât even ask where youâre going, you just let him drive.
Turns out, itâs that McDonaldâs on the hill, the one at the edge overlooking the city, glowing faintly like a secret that never closes. But still, it makes you smile.Â
The parking lotâs almost empty, the air smelling faintly of fries and rain. Jake parks near the edge, taps the hood. âCome on.â
You climb up beside him, the hood cool beneath you. The city sprawls below, quiet and endless.
For a while, you just sit there.
In his company, with the ghost of your thoughts silenced for a moment. Like youâre saved without much attempt, all because heâs here. Then you talk, trying to make the noise in your head lighter, the thing youâve been trying not to say out loud, because Jake always had the thing for showing up.Â
âEvanâs on this full scholarship, you know that, right? My parents keep bringing it up. How proud they are. How amazing he is.â You laugh, but it sounds thin, and your voice is breaking. âAnd then they ask how my application for my scholarshipâs going, and I justââ
You shake your head, not fast enough to wipe that tears that managed to fall. âIâm trying. I am. But itâs like nothingâs ever enough. Iâm tired⌠and I just want a break.â
Jake doesnât interrupt. He doesnât fill the silence like he usually does. He just listens, legs stretched out, hands in his hoodie pocket, eyes soft and focused on you like youâre saying something that matters.
When your voice cracks again, you look away, embarrassed. âSorry. I didnât mean to ââ
âHey.â He shifts closer, voice low. âYou donât have to apologize for that.â
You nod, and before you can stop yourself, your head drops onto his shoulder. You feel him tense for a second, then his body eases. A few seconds later, he leans his head against yours, careful, like heâs afraid to break something fragile that just so happens to be you.
Neither of you speaks for a while.
Then, when heâs sure that you feel lighter and your breathing is more stable, he says softly, âYou know⌠that trip might be your break. Like, a reset or something. Fresh air. New view.â
You laugh through the last of your tears, nudging his arm. âYou never quit, do you?â
âNot when Iâm right.â though he doesnât it with smugness, just an attempt at comfort.
You sit up then, wiping your face with your sleeve, turning to him. His hairâs messy from the wind, his hoodie slightly pulled at the neckline. He looks⌠tired, too. Maybe he is, from school, senior year, and soccer expectations â because behind the golden name, heâs just like you. But he doesnât look at you like this is burden, that heâd rather be in the confines of his sweet bed than the cold breeze of the city night.
He doesnât look at you like you ruined anything.
He looks at you like this is his rest too.Â
Like you are.
âOkay,â you say quietly.
He blinks. âOkay?â
âIf I do well on my finals,â you clarify, trying to sound casual, but your smile is too wide for anything like that. âThen Iâll go.â
Jakeâs smile starts small, just a twitch, before it grows into that bright, boyish grin that used to make you clap from the sidelines years ago, and shows the teeth your mom likes. âThen you better do well.â
You laugh, the last remnants of your vulnerability wiped by his thumb. Heâs just watching you â the corners of his eyes soft, the glow of the dashboard painting his face in gold. When it finally dies down, you sigh, still smiling, and rest your cheek on his shoulder.
Under the flickering streetlight, with the city glowing beneath you and the air smelling faintly of salt and fries, you think maybe calling your fake boyfriend when youâre sad isnât the worst thing youâve ever done.
Tip #13: Survive hell week first.
Itâs finals week. Hell week. The kind of week where your brain feels like itâs being roasted slowly over the fire of pre-calculus, history essays, and chemistry equations.
You wake up early, already rehearsing the formulas in your head before your feet even hit the floor and while youâre brushing your teeth, you swear they stack as tiles instead of the ones on your bathroom bricks. You keep scrolling through your planner like it might magically rearrange itself into something manageable â but honestly, itâs working out for you even when youâre basically brain dead with information. Youâre not confident (and healthy) enough but at least you know youâd be able to answer.
Library becomes your second home. The smell of paper, ink, and desperation is sickening in a way you donât want to admit. Every table is littered with notebooks, highlighters, pens uncapped and youâre growing tired of them all. Your desk has its own ecosystem of sticky notes and half-drunk coffees.
Every time you think youâve conquered one chapter, three more take its place. The world outside? Frozen and inconsequential and time exists only in increments of âexam periodâ and âstudy break,â and even those breaks are spent panicking about the next exam instead of actually relaxing.Â
Which, in hindsight, is really fucking exhausting and is not healthy for you.
Failure is not an option. Not when Evan Lee is your brother, succeeding in life as an ace.
Yeah youâre still doing really well and your grades are still pretty high, but the amount of times you didnât have time because you were with Jake or at least rotting because you were overthinking about him: way too much time was spent.Â
Youâve been definitely spent more time offline and⌠might have ghosted everyone. Even Jake. And he understood â you think â because he doesnât bug you even when he knows where youâd be. He doesnât show up with coffee or good luck sticky notes.
You donât wish for them but â okay, whatever.
He just doesnât show up and you donât find for him. It becomes that way throughout the entire week, and although you donât linger in the hallways, he doesnât stop when he sees you there.
Itâs weird. You overthink.Â
Sometimes youâd pass one another like the deal had ended and something flipped completely. You try not to let it sting, really only because it wouldnât make sense because youâre ghosting him and heâs letting you. A girl could only really be dramatic, okay.
This whole routine was not good for you and your social life but it was what works. Plus, it was a sort of reality check from his distractions.
Tip #14: Never trust your mom with visitors.
Youâre not sure whether it was some sort of planned comedy stage or truly a well thought out exam schedule that was somehow strategic in someones perspective? Because you did try to understand why physics was on a Friday and the last exam of your week.
Sure, people liked that shit. Some. Not you. When when youâre exhausted by the studying and youâve extinguished all your efforts throughout the entire week until thereâs none left for the devilâs spawn itself. Not a good idea probably and maybe you shouldâve given it more thought, but there you are, on the brink of death anyway.
Which, might be some kind of dramatic thing to say. But physics never understood you compassionately.
Itâs Thursday. Youâre perched on your desk, notes spread around like a desperate fortification, textbooks stacked in uneven towers. Youâve been staring at the same word problem for what feels like decades, and somewhere deep inside, you start questioning your entire grasp of the English language. Is this even a sentence? you wonder, because clearly, the words have formed themselves into some sadistic riddle meant only for the scholars of the universe.
And you didnât notice. Not once. Because youâre dead focused, remember? You donât see the notification.
Then the bedroom door creaks open, and you whirl around like a startled cat.
Itâs Jake.
You freeze on your desk, blinking. In all his glory after ghost town, heâs here in your fucking room.
âWhat â what the hell â what are you doing here?â you stammer, half whispering, half shouting, standing to get to him. âWho even let you in?â
Jake just grins, slow and amused, eyes sweeping lazily over your room. âYour mom,â he says, tone too fucking annoyingly sarcastic for you not to roll your eyes. âShe said you needed to cool off.â
You groan, smacking your forehead so hard it actually stings. âOh my God.â
He laughs â quiet, low, the kind that comes from somewhere deep in his chest â and takes a slow step inside, glancing around like heâs trying to take everything in.
Itâs⌠surreal, kind of. Seeing him here, in your space, grown and not the kid with scraped knees to muddle with your stuffed toys. The place thatâs so painfully you â the fairy lights pinned along your wall, the photos taped near your mirror, the pile of books that you swear youâll return to someday. Itâs warm and soft and just slightly chaotic. Youâre not messy, but youâre not exactly organized either.
Jake hums, running his fingers along the edge of your desk. âLooks different,â he says, eyes trailing across your shelves.Â
Youâre suddenly very aware of what youâre wearing. Tank top. Shorts. Hair messy. Unprepared for a visit from the boy whoâs been messing with your brain as of late (3 months).
You fold your arms instinctively, like maybe itâll make you less visible and bashful. âYou couldâve at least texted before â you know â invading my room.â
He raises an eyebrow, that teasing half-smile appearing again. âI did. And I was literally invited in by your mom, so, less of invading.â
You give him a look.
He chuckles, glancing at the fairy lights again. âStill cute,â he murmurs, almost to himself. âDidnât think this room could fit more pillows.â
You sigh, slumping back into your chair, attempting to concentrate back despite his discernible presence behind you. âJaeyun, youâre not supposed to be here. Itâs finals week.â
Jake raises both hands in mock surrender, still laughing softly. âI know, I know. Youâre in full-on scholar mode.â He walks closer though â slow, careful steps that make the space between you feel smaller and tighter. âBut I figured if I didnât see you soon, youâd forget to look after yourself.â
You roll your eyes, even though your heartâs already tripping over itself. âIâm fine.â
He glances at your desk â three empty mugs, crumpled notes, a highlighter graveyard â and raises an eyebrow. âYeah? This looks real fine.â
You grab a pen just to look busy. âDonât start, Jaeyun. I only have two exams left.â
Jake hums, leaning against your desk, close enough that you can smell his cologne. âThatâs why Iâm here.â
You blink, squinting your eyes at them. âTo distract me?â
âTo help,â he says simply, smiling like he knows exactly what effect that word has on you. âOr, you know, make sure you donât forget how to chill. Or eat.â
You purse your lips. âAnd how exactly do you plan to do that?â
He licks the inside of his cheek, shaking his head in exasperation.Â
âDude, you really are impossible.â He glances back at you. âMaybe I just missed you, no?â
You freeze. For a second, you think you misheard him.
Jake doesnât look away this time. His toneâs still playful, but thereâs a trace of sincerity â like a line heâs tiptoeing past without meaning to. âYou disappeared on me, angel.â
That nickname slips out like muscle memory. And God, it shouldnât make your stomach flutter the way it does. You should hate it, because itâs part of your stupid constitution â one you set up, but youâre the one reeling in it now.
âI didnât disappear,â you mumble, eyes dropping to your notes. âI was just busy.â
âToo busy to even text?â he asks softly, and thereâs no accusation in it â just quiet curiosity.
You sigh. âYou know how it gets.â
âYeah,â Jake says, voice low now. âI know. Thatâs why I didnât push. But ââ He leans closer, bracing one hand on the back of your chair. âI donât know.â
You turn your head, and suddenly, his face is right there. Too close. His eyes flicker down to your lips before he quickly looks away, smiling like he didnât just do that.
âJaeyun,â you whisper, because you donât know what else to say.
He grins â small, soft, utterly devastating, teeth and dimples that could ruin everything â like you and your life.Â
âRelax, genius. Iâm not here to ruin your study streak. Iâll just sit here quietly and ââ He gestures at the open textbook. He pauses mid-step, considering that for half a second before leaning against your desk. âHow bad?â
You gesture helplessly at the notebook open in front of you, full of scribbles, eraser dust, and one very sad-looking free-body diagram. âBad enough that I might actually cry.â
Jake hums, stepping closer to peek at your work from behind you. You can feel the faint warmth of him â close, but not too close â as he bends slightly, one hand on the back of your chair for balance.
âAh,â he says, in that low, thoughtful voice of his. âProjectile motion. Classic pain.â
You turn, squinting up at him. âWhat, you know this?â
He gives you a look thatâs somewhere between offended and amused. âMove over.â
You blink. âYouâre kidding.â
He isnât. He pulls your chair a little to the side and slides in next to you, the scent of his cologne faint but distracting â something like cedar and laundry detergent and boy.
You scoff. âYouâre seriously helping me? You, Jaeyun Sim?â
He grins, already picking up your pen. âI think Iâm pretty okay with numbers.â He glances at you, eyes glinting. âNow, whatâs killing you here?â
You hesitate, pointing at the question. âThis one. The angle. I donât get how they got the answer.â
Jake hums again, his brow furrowing as he starts to explain â slowly, clearly, patient in a way thatâs both unexpected and weirdly comforting. He gestures a little as he talks, tracing imaginary parabolas in the air, and when you donât get it right away, he doesnât tease. He just grins and tries again.
âSee? You just overcomplicated it,â he says after a minute, nudging your pen toward the solution. You look back at your paper, then up at him, and realize â annoyingly â you actually did, and itâs starting to make a bit of sense.Â
âOkay,â you mutter. âFine. Youâre kind of a genius.â
Jake leans back in his chair, smug. âKind of?â
And for a few quiet seconds after that, with your playlist humming softly in the background and the faint glow of your fairy lights against the window, it feels strangely normal.
Because the problemâs on paper, but the real oneâs sitting right next to you, smiling like he has no idea what heâs doing to your heart.
You continue working on the equations and solutions, finally getting the hang of it while he watches just to keep an eye for a mistake. Okay, fake boyfriends really arenât that bad when they help with the numerical homeworks, and maybe, possibly, might not actually be the worst idea one ever had.
Jake watches you scribble down the last line, then hums approvingly. âSee? Youâre getting it.â
After some time, you both decided to move over your bed. You gather your notes and textbook, then you climb onto the bed and sit cross-legged near the headboard. The sheets are cold, slightly rumpled, unmistakably yours with the cute little prints. Jakeâs sitting beside you, back against the pillows, long legs stretched out, your bunny stuffed toy resting on his lap like sheâs part of the discussion.
He sets the book between you, close enough that your knees brush, enough to make your thoughts go static even though physics require full attention.
âOkay,â he says, businesslike, pointing at the page. âSame concept, different numbers. Walk me through it.â
You swallow. âUh. Okay.â
You start explaining, a little shaky at first, but he listens, nodding, occasionally interrupting gently to correct you or ask why you chose a certain step. When you mess up, he doesnât laugh, he just tilts his head, then pretends he doesnât notice how embarrassed you look explaining.
Itâs fine. Itâs fun.
âTry that again,â he says softly. âYouâre almost there.â
At one point, you frown at the page, frustrated. âI donât get why the time changes here.â
Jake leans closer, shoulder brushing yours as he reaches over to tap the equation. His arm stays there, warm against your side. âBecause the vertical and horizontal motions are independent,â he explains quietly. âThink of it like ââ
He pauses, searching for a metaphor. âLike us.â
You blink. âWhat?â
He grins, sheepish. âBad example. Ignore that.â
He continues explaining, his voice low and steady, and you find yourself focusing less on the numbers and more on how close he is â the way his knee nudges yours when he shifts, the way his sleeve brushes your arm, the way his eyes soften when you finally nod and go, âOh. Ohhh.â
âThere you go,â he says, smiling like he just watched you win something. âTold you.â
You laugh, light and breathy. âOkay. Youâre officially helpful.â
He shrugs. âFake boyfriend perks.â
You ignore him. You focus on the work on hand, writing your formulas down and then solving the problems with a focus that is straightforward and unforgiving â the kind Jaeyun gets to see while you busy yourself.
Heâs across you now while you continue writing, mumbling to yourself the little keywords he mapped for you just so you wouldnât get lost.
He smiles, inevitably.
The next problem takes longer. And youâre way too concentrated that the hair that keeps falling forward, slipping loose from behind your ear, is far from noticeable to you. Though of course, he notices.
Then, quietly, âHold on.â
Before you can react, he reaches out and gently tucks the strand of hair behind your ear. His fingers barely graze your skin â careful, deliberate, like heâs unaware of exactly how close he is.
Your pen stops mid-sentence. You look up at him and he seems to realize what heâs doing.
Jake pulls his hand back like heâs touched something hot. âSorry,â he says quickly, a sheepish and awkward smile already forming. âIt was just â it was in your face.â
âYeah,â you manage. âI â yeah.â
Silence stretches. Your heart is doing something unhelpful.
He clears his throat. âUh. Continue.â
So you do, blinking away back to the number that demands your attention just so youâd finally be able to get this over with. Except now, the focus isnât as directed â itâs in fragments, and youâre more aware when he shifts, leans close to check your work, and when heâs looking at you instead of the paper.
You finish the problem, itâs the easiest, but Jaeyun comments.
âThatâs not right,â he says gently.
You didnât notice the mistake in your work, youâre a number off, and now youâre scrambling for your eraser.Â
âI know,â you say. âI just ââ
When you look up at him to leave a witty reply, heâs already looking at you. No smirk or tease. Just Jaeyun.
So you automatically look down and stare at the page, pretending youâre thinking on how to move on to the next step. Except it does the opposite. Jake watches you stare at the page a little too long, eyes unfocused, pen hovering like itâs forgotten its purpose.
âBreak?â he asks gently. âJust to chill for a bit, yeah?â
You hum in response, noncommittal, already shifting. You scoot down the bed and flop onto your back with a dramatic sigh, your brain is scattered like broken shards that reflect the way heâs looking at you. Heâs trying to help and he has been, but youâre still distracted and nothing will cure the nuisance of a fake boyfriend youâre secretly in lâ
Silence settles when you close your eyes, still pretending to be relaxed even though youâre hyperaware of every little movement and presence. Jake quietly watches you for a few more seconds, letting the soft hum of your playlist fill the spaces between breaths. Then he shifts a little closer, stretching his legs out until they lightly brush against yours.
You feel it before you see it â his fingers brushing your knee, absentminded, like he doesnât realize heâs doing it. He traces a small shape there, slow and lazy.
Then another.
Your breath catches into a breathy laugh. âJaeyun.â
âYeah?â he says easily, still drawing.
âDonât do that.â
âDo what?â He looks down at you still lying down with your eyes at him, his brows lifted, lips twitching like he knows exactly what heâs doing.
You swallow. âThat.â
He pauses. Just for a second. Then he stops, pulling back and starts playing with the bunny on his lap, flopping its ears.Â
Then you decide to sit up, hugging your knees to your chest, letting your hair fall loosely over your shoulders. You watch him idly play with your bunny, at the way his fingers pinch the ears, how carefully he flops them back and forth. You notice how pink his knuckles are, and the difference of size between his hands and the bunny is almost comical.
Your eyes wander to his face, noticing the way his brows crease when he concentrates, the slight pout on his lips. And then you tilt your head, giving him a look thatâs both playful and slightly challenging.
He catches it.
His eyes snap to yours. And you notice his pupils dilate slightly before he looks away.
You smile, small and slow, keeping your eyes on his face. You look at the high point of his nose, and the lines of his cheekbones.Â
He looks back at you just to check, and when your eyes meet again, he quickly looks away. He laughs nervously, flopping the bunny more aggressively.Â
âStop that.â Jake says.
You chuckle, shaking your head. âStop what?â you pretend.
Then he suddenly he starts punching your bunny as some sort of stress-relief, earning a gasp and laugh from you before you snatch it away from him. Then now, he flops dramatically on your bed, closing his eyes while he tries to retrieve his cool back â one you successfully stole.
You hover, just a little, because youâre still not done checking him out apparently.
You poke his cheek and he smiles so wide you canât help but return it. âStop what, Jaeyun?â
Jake opens his eyes slowly, stretching lazily across the bed like he owns the space. Youâre sitting near his head, hugging your bunny close, knees tucked to your chest, leaning just slightly over him but not so close that itâs obvious youâre hovering.
For a moment, neither of you says anything.Â
Your eyes just meet, and itâs like the world narrows until all you can see is him.Â
The sharp line of his jaw, the smirk tugging at his lips, his dilated pupils that makes your chest tighten.
You blink first, maybe out of nerves, maybe because youâre caught, but he doesnât look away. He just holds your gaze calmly.
Then, casually.Â
âYouâre so pretty.â
Itâs not whispered nor is it shy. Itâs said with that steady, sure confidence that makes your stomach flip and your heart stumble over itself.
You snicker, hiding your face behind the bunny for just a second, pulling away slightly. âOkay⌠back to physics,â you mumble, trying to sound authoritative even though your heartbeat is anything but.Â
You straighten up, flipping open your notebook, pen poised. You try, really try, to focus. The numbers blur a little at first, your mind still tangled around his words, the way his eyes lingered on yours. Jake sits up too before casually sliding over to sit beside you. His shoulder brushes yours, and suddenly, the space you just claimed for concentration still feels scattered all over, some in his grasp.
You grit your teeth, forcing your eyes back to the notebook for numbers, angles, trajectories. You try to drown out everything else while scribbling formulas. Jake leans closer, elbow lightly bumping yours. âCheck your units here,â he says, pointing at the line youâve miswritten.
You sigh, muttering, âYeah, yeah, I see it.â You fix it, trying to maintain a straight face.
Youâre hunched over your notebook again, pen moving in a flow state, numbers lining up in a way that finally makes sense. Your brow furrows, lips pressed together in concentration as you work through this, murmuring little reminders under your breath.
Then you notice him shift beside you, and when you glance â
Jakeâs chin is tucked against his chest, shoulders hunched forward ever so slightly, eyes peeking up at your face from under his lashes like a bored cat trying to look innocent. His lips are pressed together, fighting a smile.
You snort, shoving his shoulder lightly. âStop.â
He lets out an oof and immediately commits to the bit, flopping backward onto the bed with zero dignity, arms splayed like heâs been taken out by a sniper.
âOh,â he groans. âShe hates me.â
You shake your head, continuing what youâre doing, deciding to ignore him.
After a surprisingly productive half-hour, you shut your notebook with a decisive snap. âOkay, genius,â you say. âYou should go now.â
Jake pouts slightly, groaning a long one while he falls back on your bed. Then he rises, glancing at the time on his phone because he decides to be good now. âKicking me out after all that is crazy, by the way.â
You wave him off, smiling. âYeah. Itâs still finals week, Jaeyun.â
You both climb down the stairs, forgetting completely your parents are in the living room, having just finished a show. They immediately greet him when you both get down, and seeing Jake must always flip a switch because theyâre immediately smiling â well, your mother, who you are quite sure favors Jaeyun more than anyone.Â
âJake! Good to see you!â your mom chirps, eyes lighting up while she scoops her ice cream. Your dad grins, nodding. âYou became her tutor, huh?â
Jake laughs, that easy, friendly laugh that makes everyone instantly comfortable, with a kind of charm so polite and likeable. Heâs Jake Sim, after all. âYeah. Just helping her out,â he says, voice smooth, the very thing that makes him easy to like and talk to.
They talk about classes, mutual friends (like Jungwon, who your mom likes, then Sunghoon, who your mom also likes), and even your parentsâ favorite TV shows, nodding along, laughing at the right moments. You can see it in the way he occasionally glances at you, you try not to look back.
Your mom leans forward slightly, curious. âSo, were you good with her?â
Jake nods, smile so wide his cheeks practically rip. âWe did okay. Sheâs a fast learner,â he says with enthusiasm.Â
After a few more minutes of polite conversation â Jake: still charming, careful, a little sheepish under the scrutiny â you finally wave him along. âOkay, Jaeyun, letâs get you back outside,â you say, lightly steering him toward the door.
Once youâre outside, the winter air hits. He says you should stay inside, although he also tugs your hand in his so you wouldnât leave. You walk with him to his car, as the nightâs quiet around you.
He pauses at the car door, turning toward you with a glint in his eyes. âSo⌠one more goodbye?â he asks, voice low.
You roll your eyes, crossing your arms over your fluttering heart. âNo. Go home, Jaeyun.â
He pouts while he leans down at you, his breath fogging in the cold, and his face way too close for someone whoâs supposedly leaving. His bangs fall forward again, grazing his lashes, and he ducks his head just slightly to catch your eyes and meet your height.
âCome on,â he murmurs, lips tugging into that soft, borderline smug smile. âJust one? I was a really good tutor.â
You scoff, though your pulse jumps. âYou were average at best.â
Jake hums, pretending to be offended, pouting, glancing down at your mouth. âWow. Thatâs cold, baby.â
You laugh. âItâs cold, yes. Get in your car.â you shoot back.
He grins, teeth showing this time. âWell, someone wonât let me leave properly.â
You open your mouth to retort â but he gently uncrosses your arms, fingertips brushing your wrist like heâs memorizing the feeling. His hands slide up to your elbows, warm even through your cardigan.Â
He leans a bit closer, voice lowering. âIâll go,â he whispers, âbut Iâm not leaving without something.â
Your heart stutters. âJaeyun.â
âHm?â he tilts his head, innocent in the fakest way possible.Â
âYouâre impossible.â
âAnd you,â he says, smile softening, breath misting in the cold, âmake me want to be.â
You exhale sharply â half laugh, half surrender. And maybe itâs the cold, or the quiet, or the way he looks at you like heâs trying really hard not to be stupidly happy (he is, he really is)Â â but you rise onto your toes and press a quick, graze of a kiss to his cheek.
Jake freezes. Then his entire face lights up â hollowed cheeks, shy grin, eyes flicking away like he canât handle it.
âThat wasnât what I meant,â he whispers, pretending not to melt, âbut that was⌠very okay.â
You smack his arm. âGet in the car.â
He laughs â bright, giddy, a little breathless â and finally opens the door. Before slipping inside, he catches your hand again, thumb brushing your knuckles.
âText me when youâre in your room?â he asks.
You roll your eyes. âYouâre already going to text me before you get to the end of the street.â
He grins. âYeah. Probably.â He sits, door half-closing. âGoodnight.â
âGoodnight, Jaeyun.â
The door clicks shut. His car starts. He gives one tiny wave through the window before pulling away, and youâre left standing in the cold, smiling like an idiot, heart absolutely swept and taken into the Bronco pulling out your street.
You stay out there for a second longer, breath puffing in the cold, watching the red taillights drift down the street. The second they turn the corner, you let out a tiny, ridiculous squeal into your hands.
Your bedroom door shuts and you flop on your bed, face buried in your pillow for exactly one second before your phone buzzes.
You turn off your phone and immediately press it to your chest, kicking your blankets, because there is absolutely no surviving this boy.
only 1000 blocks are allowed per post saauurr the other half is in the next link
continuation!
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summary: Your first days as Congressman James Barnesâ assistant are supposed to be all work, schedules, and meetingsâbut nothing prepares you for the tension simmering beneath his professional exterior.
WARNINGS: 18+ explicit content, MDNI. miscommunication, curse words, smut mixed with a bit of angst, lowkey a slow burn, shy reader, praise kink, fingering, virginity loss, mutual desperation, bucky's quite a freak, PiV, unprotected sex, breeding.
A/N: very inspired by the inbox message I got from bri @iamthatonefangirl, although the prompt she gave me didn't even happen in this fic so... part two maybe...? Thanks to the lovely @blowingbarnes and @flockoff-featherface for beta-reading đ¤
You sat at the edge of the leather chair, hands folded too tightly in your lap. The silence of the office was suffocating, broken only by the faint hum of the air conditioning and the distant shuffle of footsteps in the hallway. It smelled faintly of polished wood and coffeeâexpensive coffee, the kind you werenât used to drinking.
Your gaze flickered to the clock on the wall, then down to your phone, then back to the door you had been staring at for what felt like hours. He wasnât lateâyou had been early. Too early, probably. You had been ushered inside by his secretary, told that âMr. Barnes will be with you shortly,â and left to drown in your own thoughts.
Congressman James Buchanan Barnes. Even just thinking his full name made your stomach flip. You had read it on campaign posters, heard it on the news, rehearsed it in your head when you applied for the position last week.
But you hadnât actually met himânot in person. Not until today.
And that was what made your palms sweat against the fabric of your skirt, what made your chest feel too tight as you sat there waiting. This wasnât just another job. This was his office. His world.
You smoothed your skirt again, fingers brushing over the crease youâd already ironed three times that morning. Your thoughts kept circling back to the same place: last weekâs interview, the moment you had stepped into this very building for the first time, clutching your resume like it was a lifeline.
You had expected to be laid straight into his office, to see him face-to-face, but instead the secretary had smiled tightly and gestured you down the hall.
âMr. Barnes is busy, so unfortunately you wonât meet him today,â she had said, her heels clicking against the floor as she guided you into a smaller office, tucked beside his.
It wasnât disappointment that had bloomed in your chest thenâit was relief, tangled with something sharper. Meeting him outright would have been too much, too soon. Instead, you sat across from the secretaryâs desk, trying to keep your posture professional, as she skimmed over your application.
She glanced up at you, expression unreadable. âThe position is demanding,â she explained matter-of-factly. âLate nights, long hours, travel when necessary. Congressman Barnes expects his assistant to be reliable, discreet, and quick on her feet.â
You nodded and slid your resume across the desk with fingers that didnât feel steady. She picked it up, scanning over the neat lines of text you had agonized over for days.
âLooks good,â she said at last, setting it back down. No smile, no inflection. Just those two clipped words that somehow made your chest ache with both pride and dread. âSomeone will call you,â she continued simply, as though the matter had already been decided.
You blinked at her, your mouth opening slightly before you caught yourself.
Thatâs it? No questions? No chance to prove Iâm more than just words on paper?
But her gaze was already dropping back to the files on her desk, her posture making it clear the conversation was over. You rose carefully, thanked her for her time, and left with your stomach knotted tighter than when you had walked in.
You hadnât actually expected a call. Considering how quick the conversation had been, how impersonal, you were sure you just werenât the right person for the job.
But a few days later your phone rang.
And here you were.
You had spent the entire weekend hunched over the files the secretary had handed you after the second meetingâanother one before you actually started working here. A neat stack of papers meant to be a âwalk-through,â something to prepare you for the position⌠but it had felt more like a test.
You studied every page until the words blurred together: his schedules, his upcoming meetings, his committee notes, his speeches. And him. You had researched him more than you probably should have, reading between the lines of the public record, watching clips of his interviews late into the night.
This job wasnât just a paycheck. You needed it. So of course you tried to do your best, to make sure when you finally walked into this office, you werenât walking in blind.
And yet, sitting here now, waiting to actually meet him, all that preparation didnât feel like nearly enough.
Your eyes drifted to the mug of coffee waiting on his desk. Youâd made it the way the secretary told you he preferredâblack, two teaspoons of brown sugar, nothing more.
The steam had already thinned, curling lazily, into the air, and you wondered if heâd even notice. If heâd take a sip and know instantly that you hadnât stirred it enough, or that the ratio was off.
It was such a small thing, a cup of coffee, but the secretaryâs words echoed in your head: He likes things a certain way.
So you sat there, staring at it like it held the verdict of your entire future, your pulse jumping every time you thought you heard footsteps outside the door.
The handle turned and the sound made you jolt in your seat. The door opened, and he walked in.
Congressman James Barnes.
You scrambled to your feet so quickly the chair scraped faintly against the floor. Your folder was pressed tight to your chest like a shield, and you hoped he couldnât see the way your fingers trembled against the cardboard edge.
His presence filled the room easily, more commanding than any headline or photograph couldâve prepared you for. Broad shoulders under a perfectly tailored suit, tie loosened just slightly at the collar, hair brushed back but not stiff. He looked tired in the way powerful men always didâyet alert, eyes sharp as they landed on you.
âYou must beâŚâ His voice was lower than you expected, a rough timbre that made your stomach flip.
You managed to get your name out, though it felt like it caught in your throat on the way up.
âRight.â His mouth curved, not into the politicianâs smile youâd seen in interviews, but something softer, quieter. A flicker of warmth as his gaze swept over you, taking in the nerves written all over your face and posture.
He set a folder on the edge of his desk and nodded toward the chair youâd just abandoned. âDonât look so nervous,â he said lightly. âYouâre not on trial.â
He moved past you, unhurried and slipped out of his jacket before draping it neatly over the back of his chair.
You sat quickly, spine too straight, fingers tight around your own folder.
As he reached for his chair, his eyes flicked briefly to the mug of coffee waiting at the corner of the desk. The glance was quick, unreadable⌠And he said nothing. He only picked it up, took a sip, and set it down again as though it was the most natural thing in the world.
Then he flipped open his folder, voice setting into something clipped and focused. âAll right. Letâs get started.â His eyes scanned the first page before he leaned back in his chair.
âAs my assistant, youâll handle scheduling, correspondence, and research. That means keeping my calendar clean, making sure Iâm where I need to be and filtering what reaches me.â His gaze lifted to meet yours, steady and sharp. âPeople will try to pull you in a dozen directions at once. Donât let them. If youâre unsure, you bring it to me.â
You nodded quickly, clutching your folder impossibly tighter.
âI need you to be organized. Efficient. And discreet.â The last word lingered in the air a fraction longer but his expression was steady. Then he tapped the folder with his knuckle, brisk again.âYouâll travel with me when necessary and late nights are inevitable. If thatâs a problem, this wonât work.â
Your mouth felt dry, but you managed words out, âI know. Itâs not a problem.â
He gave a short nod, satisfied, his eyes flicking over you once more. âGood. Then letâs go over next week.â
Mr. Barnes flipped another page in the folder, glancing down at the schedule. âNext week, thereâs a budget meeting Monday morning. Iâll need all the preliminary reports on my desk by Friday afternoon. Tuesday, I have a series of briefings with the committeeânothing too complicated, just background notes and talking points.â
You scribbled furiously in your notebook, trying to capture every detail, your handwriting messier and faster than usual. âGot it,â you murmured, glancing up only occasionally to make sure you werenât missing anything.
âWednesdayâs mostly open, but thereâs a fundraiser Thursday evening. Youâll coordinate the guests and make sure everything runs smoothly. And Friday, I have a town hall in the morning. Prep materials for that as well.â
You nodded, writing each point down, your brain spinning with all the information he was giving you.
Then, just as you paused to take a breath, he stopped mid-sentence and lifted his gaze from the folder. His eyes met yours, and a small smile tugged at his lips.
âRelax,â he said softly, the corners of his mouth twitching with amusement. âYou look like youâre about to explode.â
Heat flooded to your cheeks. You bit your lip and stammered, âIâIâm sorry, Congressman⌠I just⌠I want to get everything right.â
He chuckled, a low easy sound that made your stomach twist and your hands tighten around your pen. âI know. Just⌠breathe. Youâll be fine.â
You took a shaky breath, forcing yourself to calm down, letting your shoulders loosen fractionally.
He noticed immediately, his eyes softened again. âI can see youâre trying. Donât worry. Weâll start with something simple, okay? I have a list of calls to make. Appointments andââ
âIâve already done it.â Your voice cut in, a little shy, your fingers brushing over the edge of your folder as you reached for it.
He froze, blinking at you. âWhatâŚ?â
âYour secretary handed me the list last time I was here⌠I⌠already took care of it.â
You held out the folder, letting the neatly organized papers fall just so. The list of appointments, calls, and scheduled meetings was all there.
He leaned forward slowly, eyes scanning the pages and you noticed the slight pause in his movements, like he wasnât quite believing what he was seeing. His fingers reached for the papers, brushing against yours in the process. The contact was fleeting, accidental but enough to make your heart skip a beat.
Finally, he lifted his gaze from the folder, eyes meeting yours with something caught between surprise and approval. âImpressive,â he said quietly, almost to himself.
âWell⌠Guess I underestimated you.â He continued, voice a touch lighter, the faintest smile forming at his lips. âLet's take care of next week then. You just proved you know what to do, so it shouldnât be a problem for you."
You nodded, raising from your chair and grabbing your folder as he handed it back to you, leaving himself only the papers meant for him. Your chest felt tight. Your pulse thundered in your ears, hot and insistent, and for a moment you were hyper-aware of every detail in the roomâthe polished desk, the faint scent of his cologne, the subtle hum of the air conditioning.
âCome back to me when youâre done with it, okay?â he added, and you nodded again, swallowing hard.
You turned toward the door, trying to steady your breath. Again. But then his voice stopped you.
âLoosen up,â he said, much softer this time, almost a murmur. âYou did well.â
Your cheeks flamed. The heat spread across your neck and chest, and you could feel your hands trembling ever so slightly as you clutched your folder. You forced a tiny, awkward smile and whispered, âThank you.â
âââ
You closed the door to your office behind you and leaned against it for a second, letting out a breath you hadn't realized you were holding. The office was quiet with the faint scent of paper and pens around you.
You sank into your chair, still gripping your own folder and trying to straighten your breathing, trying to make sense of how flustered you felt over someone who hadnât even spoken to you more than necessary.
You began sorting through the papers, double-checking the appointments and calls. Everything was in order, nothing out of place. You scribbled a few notes, rearranged a couple of things, and tried not to think too much about the brief interactionâthe folder you handed him or the slight smile heâd given you.
Itâs fine. You did what you were supposed to. Keep it moving.
The quiet of the office pressed around you as you settled into the work. Typing, jotting, and making sure everything was ready for the next week.
That was all that mattered.
âââ
The next day, the summary plan for the week was finished. Every appointment and call laid out in neat lines, double-checked until you were sure there was nothing left to adjust. You slipped the pages into a folder and carried it down the hall, rehearsing in your head how youâd present it.
His office door was open and Mr. Barnes was on the phone, voice low and even as it carried across the space. You hesitated on the threshold, second-guessing yourself. Maybe you should come back later. Maybe you should wait until he wasnât busy. You shifted the folder in your hands and started to turn awayâ
âStay.â His voice cut through the air, not loud, not sharp, but enough to stop you in place. He didnât look up from the papers spread across his desk. He lifted a hand, gesturing for you to wait.
You nodded, the sound caught in your throat, and you stepped inside. The door clicked shut behind you, muffling the noise of the hallway.
The chair opposite his desk sat waiting, and you lowered yourself onto it, careful not to make a sound. The folder was pressed into your lap, palms flat against the cardboard, holding it steady like it might betray your nerves if you didnât.
He spoke in an even tone, attention fixed on the conversation. The words were measured, his voice carrying an edge of authority that filled the room.
You sat still, but your eyes wandered. His hair wasnât as neat as it had been yesterday. A strand had fallen loose over his forehead, and when he pushed it back, it settled in a softer wave. His sleeves were rolled up, fabric straining against the breadth of his arms. The light hit the polished metal of his left one, catching the edges and gleaming surfaces, impossible to ignore.
You forced your gaze down to the folder.
The call ended with a hum of agreement and a clipped goodbye. He set the receiver down, leaned back in his chair, and for a moment rubbed his temple with two fingers. The tension in his shoulders eased as he exhaled. The corners of his eyes softened as his gaze lifted to you.
âYouâve got the schedule I asked for?â His voice was both low and steady, carrying across the desk without effort.
âYes,â you said, pushing up from the chair before the word had fully left your mouth. The folder felt heavier in your hands as you crossed the space and set it on his desk.
âThank you,â he said, glancing up at you as he pulled it closer. A smile flickered across his mouth, softer than you expected. âSettling in alright? Or have we scared you off already?â
The question caught you off guard. You shook your head, probably a little too fast. âNo, not at all. Itâs been⌠good.â
âGood,â he echoed, as though filing the answer away. His eyes dipped back to the folder, his fingers unfolding the cover with care. The smile lingered a moment longer before his expression sharpened into focus.
You sat back down as he began to read, fidgeting with your fingers in your lap while silence filled the room again. The only sounds were the faint rustle of paper and the steady tick of the clock.
His eyes skimmed another page, then another, and then his brow furrowed. He tilted his head slightly. The corner of his mouth twitched. âWhatâs that?â
He flipped the sheet around and slid it toward you with a single finger. A yellow sticky note clung to the margin. Your own small doodleâjust a quick sketch, a little symbol, youâd used to mark an important pointâstared back at you.
Heat rushed to your face. âOh. Thatâum. Itâs a⌠just⌠something I do sometimes. I read that it helps with memorization, so I thoughtââ
He chuckled, low and sudden, leaning back in his chair âYou think Iâm in fifth grade?â
Your eyes widened. âNo, no, thatâs not what I meant. I justâGod. I wasnâtââ
âIâm just playing with you,â he cut in, still smiling. The sound of it softened the words, took the sting out of your panic. He let the page fall back into place and tapped it once before closing the folder.
âItâs okay,â he said, quieter this time. âItâsâŚcute.â
âOhâŚâ The sound slipped out before you could stop it. Small, awkward, nothing close to a real response.
His eyes caught the faint flush rising across your cheeks and his smile deepened lazily. âYouâre cute too when youâre flustered.â
Your breath snagged. You could feel your face burning hotter, and your hands knotted together in your lap.
What the fuck?
Was he flirting with youâ? No. No, he couldnât be. That had to be another joke, the same way he teased you about the sticky note. Just a throwaway comment. Nothing more.
He straightened in his chair, the shift almost seamless, like heâd flicked a switch. His metal hand rested on the closed folder as his expression settled back into focus. âNow,â he said, tone even again. âabout the fundraiser next Thursday.â
You blinked, scrambling to catch up. "Right. The dinner at the Grand Hotel."
He nodded. "It's going to be crowded. Press, donors, half the state's board members. I'll need talking points prepped, but nothing too stiff. They'll want me approachable."
You grabbed your notepad, grateful for the distraction and the familiarity of pen against paper. "Casual but polished," you murmured, jotting the words down.
"Exactly." His gaze lingered on you as he spoke, though it was impossible to tell if he was watching your notes or your face. "And make sure I've got five minutes with Gary before the main speech. He's⌠sensitive. Needs the right attention or he'll sulk for weeks."
"Got it." You wrote quickly, nodding along.
The conversation carried on for another ten minutes. All logistics and fine-tuning. You asked questions, he answered with the same deliberate quality. His words were careful but never cold.
"Press will want a soundbite at the end," you said, scanning notes. "Do you want me to draft something in advance orâ"
"Draft it," he cut in gently, "but keep it flexible. I like to read the room first."
You scribbled the line down, biting the inside of your cheek to keep your focus. And Mr. Barnes continued watching you as you did so.
Finally, the last point was covered, the last detail tucked neatly into your notes. You closed your folder and looked up, waiting for the dismissal.
But he didn't speak right away. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, studying you across the desk in a silence that stretched just long enough to feel intentional. His expression was neutral, professional of course, but his eyes tracked your face like he was reading something written there.
You shifted in your seat, suddenly aware of the way your hands clasped in your lap. "Is there⌠anything else?"
His mouth twitched again, almost the start of a smile, but it never quite broke through. "No," he said after a beat, voice low. "That's all. You've done well."
Your breath caught, ridiculous in its reaction to such a simple phrase.
He reached for the phone on his desk, already moving on. "You can go."
You rose quickly, your folderâas alwaysâ hugged to your chest. And at the door, you glanced back without meaning to. Your eyes caught on him again. The way the light fell across his broad shoulders, the way his brows furrowed in concentration, the way heâŚ
God, why was he making you feel like this? It wasn't supposed to be like that. He was your boss, and this? This was work.
But he didn't even look at you. His attention was already fixed on the receiver in his hand, his expression already sharpened into something businesslike, distant. The fleeting softness you thought you'd seen earlier might as well have been imagined.
You swallowed, heat prickling at the back of your neck. You slipped out of the room before you could think yourself into another spiral. The door clicked quietly behind you, sealing him back in his world and you in yours.
The hallway stretched ahead, silent except for the echo of your own footsteps. You clutched your folder tighter, willing yourself to focus on the work, on the schedule, on anything but the echo of his voice.
âââ
Mr. Barnes' office was quiet on the Monday afternoon, and suddenly the ticking clock on the wall sounded louder than it should. You sat on the leather couch, notebook balanced on your knee, pen moving idly across the page. Little lines, loops, nothing important. Just doodles to keep your hands busy while you waited.
Congressman Barnes was still in his budget meeting, the one everyone in the building had been talking about since morning. You were supposed to go over final details for the Thursday's fundraiser once he got back, and until then, all you could do was wait.
You kept telling yourself not to think too much. Not about him, not about the way the last few days had felt. He'd been all professionalism since then.Composed and careful with every word. Yet underneath that, there had been moments, too fleeting to name, that made something in your stomach flutter.
A smile that lasted too long. The warmth in his tone when he praised you. Little things that shouldn't mean anything but somehow did.
You pressed the tip of the pen harder to the paper, shading in the corner of a doodle until the page threatened to tear.
Focus.
Thursday was all that mattered. The seating arrangements, the order of speeches, the press briefings. You had to stay ahead of it all, not just sit here and thinking about his voice like it meant more than it did. You leaned back into the couch, notebook slipping down into your lap.
The door clicked open, breaking the stillness.
"Good morning," Mr. Barnes' voice carried easily into the room, unhurried, as if the budget meeting hadn't drained the life out of him.
You straightened on the couch, notebook in your lap again like you hadn't been doodling your nerves away. "Good morning," you echoed, too quickly.
He shut the door behind him with one hand, the other already tugging at his jacket. The navy wool slid from his shoulders in one practiced motion. He draped it over the back of his chair, then reached for his tie, loosening the knot with a short tug. His fingers worked the silk down, leaving the top button of his shirt undone.
You looked away or⌠tried to. Your eyes betrayed you, dragging back over the sharp line of his shoulders, the slow shift of muscle under crisp white cotton, the gleam of metal at his wrist as he rolled his sleeve once. You caught yourself staring and dropped your gaze to the mess of pen marks in your notebook, cheeks warming already.
He didn't move straight to his desk. Instead, he crossed the room toward you with unreadable expression. For a second you thought he'd ask you to join him there, where the work always happened. But then he lowered himself onto the couch beside you, the cushion dipping under his weight.
He leaned back, one arm draped casually over the backrest. The position was effortless, commanding space without even trying. From this close you could see what the distance of his office desk usually hidâhow faint shadows lingered beneath his eyes, the lines of strain carved faintly into his brow. He looked⌠tired.
You turned your notebook closed in your lap, glancing at him before you could think better of it. "How did the meeting go?" The question sounded softer than you intended, almost careful.
His mouth tugged at one corner, not quite a smile. "Long," he said, voice edged with a dryness that wasn't unkind. He shifted, letting his head fall back briefly against the couch. A quiet exhale escaped his mouth before he angled toward you again.
"Long," he repeated then let out a short laugh under his breath. 'You'd think with half the staff in there, we'd get through a budget in under three hours. But no. Half of them argue for the sake of hearing themselves talk."
You turned toward him. He didn't sound angry, just⌠worn out.
"They tore into transportation first," he went on with a faint shake of his head. "Then healthcare, then someone thought it'd be a great idea to tack on a discussion about education reform. None of it on the agenda. Just⌠derailed everything." His hand lifted, metal fingers tapping lightly against the armrest. "Sometimes I wonder if they want progress at all, or if they're just addicted to the sound of their own voices."
You listened, not just nodding alongâno. You really listened. Your eyes followed him as he spoke, taking in the way his shoulders shifted when his frustration rose, the way his jaw worked before he forced himself calmer. Every word he let out, you held onto like it mattered.
Because to him, it did.
And he mattered to you.
He finished with a low exhale, eyes dropping to the space between you. For a moment he stayed quiet, as if weighing whether to say more. Then he swallowed hard and glanced back up.
The weariness softened in his face, replaced by something quieter and⌠gentler. He studied you for a beat too long before the corner of his mouth lifted into a tiny smile.
Heat rose to your cheeks and you blushed before you could stop it. The weight of his smile sat heavy in your chest, making your breath stumble. You shifted in your seat, eyes darting down to your notebook, anywhere but at him.
He noticed. Of course he did. His head tilted slightly, as though he was trying to solve a puzzle he found amusing. Then, mercifully, he let the moment slip away.
"The fundraiser," he said and his voice slipped back into the steady cadence of work. "Did you manage to correct the draft of my speech?"
"Yes⌠Of course." The words came out quick, your relief bleeding through. You reached for the folder at your side, flipping it open with fingers that trembled just enough to annoy you. The papers were crisp, neatly marked. You handed them to him.
His hand met yours in the exchange, fingers brushing over yours for a second too long. Warm against your skin, steady and grounding. You hated how it made your stomach twist. You pulled back carefully, hoping he hadn't felt how your pulse jumped at the contact.
He scanned the pages, eyes moving quickly, his lips pressing together in thought. Then, with a faint sound in his throat, he read one of the lines out loud.
"âŚa promise not just for today, but for every tomorrow we want to build together." His brow arched slightly as he glanced sideways at you. "You think that's convincing?"
Your hands twisted in your lap before you found your voice. "I think you are convincing, Mr. BarnesâŚ"
The silence that followed was heavy, charged. He didn't immediately answer, just let the words hang there. His gaze dropped back to the paper in his hand, but instead of continuing, he set it down slowly on the glass table in front of you.
His tongue swept once across his bottom lip. Then his eyes lifted to yours. "You think?" he asked, quieter now, almost testing and a thread of curiosity wound tight through it.
Your breath caught. His eyes didn't leave yours, almost like he was waiting to see what you'd do with the space between you. He leaned in just slightly, his arm still draped along the backrest, closing the distance without fully crossing it.
The air shifted. Somehow it felt heavier, warmer. Your pulse thudded against your throat and you swore he could hear it. The faintest trace of smile tugged at his mouth, not the polite one he wore in front of cameras, but something different.
Something meant for you.
It was only an inch closer, maybe less. Just enough to make your body tense with awareness, to make you wonder if you were imagining it, if you were reading into something that wasn't there.
But his gaze stayed on you, unblinking, patient⌠Testing.
His head tilted and there was the faintest spark of amusement in his eyes. "Do I still make you nervous?"
Your throat went dry. You shook your head, quickly though the heat raising in your face betrayed you. "NoâŚno, Mr Barnes. I justâ"
"Just what?" The words cut in smooth, playful, his voice dipped low like he already knew the effect he was having on you.
Your chest tightened, the weight of his attention pressing down until you could hardly sit still.
He was enjoying thisâyou could see it in the twitch of his mouth, in the quiet patience with which he waited for your answer. Enjoying how flustered you were, how you stumbled under his calm.
You opened your mouth, trying to form words that made sense, but they tangled. "IâjustâŚ" Your voice faltered.
He didn't rush you. Instead, one hand moved deliberately, setting lightly on your thigh. Just enough to press and enough to anchor your pulse in a way that stole your breath.
"Is that better?" He whispered, his gaze still on you.
Your own eyes shot down to his hand. Then up. Then back. You froze. Heart hammering, throat tight, every rational thought abandoned. The world had narrowed to the weight of his palm, the heat of his presence, the soft teasing in his toneâand you.
His hand didn't stay still. It shifted slightly, brushing along the curve of your thigh, firm but gentle. The contact sent the heat crawling through you.
"I've been thinking about you, you know?" His voice was a whisper that felt way too intimate.
Your breath hitched and your body locked up, every muscle tense. Your mind screamed at you to move, to pull awayâbut something in the warmth of his touch and the softness beneath all the playfulness of his words rooted you to the spot. You blinked at him, unable to speak, unable to believe this was real.
His thumb stroked once across your leg, lazily. "You sit here all flustered, trying so hard to keep it together. You know how hard that is to ignore?"
He leaned in closer, the couch shrank beneath the weight of him. His arm behind you brushed your shoulder, caging you in, pulling you into his gravity. The scent of him filled your lungsâcologne and faint coffee.
"Use you words, sweetheart," he murmured, lips curving like he knew the chaos inside your head, "Tell meâ" his hand slid higher, fingers grazing just under the hem of your skirt "âdoes this make you nervous?"
Your thighs tensed and you felt the heat pooling low and insistent. Your lips parted, some broken excuse catching at the back of your throat "Iâ"
But his hand kept moving. Up your thigh. Slow strokes, his thumb brushing the sensitive skin inside, inch by inch. The fabric of your skirt bunched under his palm, every touch making your breath stutter.
Your gaze was fixed thereâon his hand. On the way his fingers teased and lingered. You couldn't tear your eyes away.
His metal hand lifted, smooth and unyielding. Cool fingers brushed your jaw, tilting your face toward him. Firm, but gentle. A command disguised as a caress.
"Eyes on me," he murmured as his gaze burned into yours. "Not my hand. Me."
Your chest rose sharply, caught in a breath you couldn't release. The warmth of his palm on your thigh contrasted with the cool steel on your skin, both grounding and undoing you.
"You hear me?" he asked, thumb grazing your cheek as his other hand pushed your skirt higher, leaving the edge of your panties just in reach.
You nodded. Still dazed with whatever the fuck was happening.
His finger toyed lazily with the thin lace, brushing the hem of your panties like he had all the time in the world. Just enough contact to make your pulse thunder but not enough to satisfy.
"Do you want this, baby?" he asked softly, eyes never leaving your face. His thumb stroked the fabric once, twice, right where your body burned for more.
Your throat worked as you tried to swallow, the answer trapped somewhere between your chest and your tongue. Instead, you just nodded.
Fuck. Of course you wanted this. You wanted it so badly your skin was buzzing. Your blood was hot and frantic in your veins. But you hated yourself how cowardly you must've looked, wide-eyed and trembling under his touch. Pathetic.
Still, how could you not be scared? No one ever touched you like this before. Not there. Not like this. Every brush of his fingers over the lace felt like fire, like was unraveling you stich by stich, peeling back something you weren't sure you knew how to give.
You squeezed your thighs together on instinct, as if you could stop the ache building there. Your eyes flicked up to him, just for a second and it was enough to ruin you.
Because, fuckâ He was so close. So handsome it was unfair. Unfair that he got to look at you like thatâ eyes heavy, lips curled like he already knew the answer you couldn't say out loud. It didn't even feel real. It felt like a scene out of a movie, the kind you'd never admit you fantasized about. The powerful man, the forbidden touch, the way your breathing was uneven just because he chose you.
And you wanted him. You wanted to give in, to sink into the couch and let him do whatever the fuck he wanted with you, because wasn't that what you'd been dreaming of every single night since the moment you met him?
But then the panic twisted in your chest, mixed up with the need. Because it wasn't just anyoneâit was him. Your boss. The man who was supposed to sign your paychecks, the man whose name sat on the plaques in the hallway⌠The man who trusted you to sit in his office like you belonged here.
And you didn't belong here. Not really. Not with him looking at you like this.
Is this what you are? Some fucking sex toy for him to use as he wants?
The thoughts piled faster, crashing over each other. You were a virgin. You'd never even been on a real date, never let anyone close enough to see you bare, to touch you like this. And nowânow it was him. The man you weren't supposed to want. The one you couldn't stop wanting.
You wanted to surrender. You wanted to stop thinking and just feel. But fear rose in your stomach, pulling you back just as your body screamed to go forward.
He was still there, still waiting. His metal thumb was stroking lazily at your jaw, other hand resting at the hem of your panties like it was nothing. Like he wasn't your boss. Like you weren't his assistant.
It was almost like he noticed the thoughts fighting in your mind. His touch on your face softened, thumb now brushing along your cheekbone like he could soothe the storm inside you.
"Hey," his voice dropped low, coaxing and steady. "It's okay⌠I won't do anything Ifâ"
The words should have calmed you. They should have untangled the knot in your chest, because maybe you werenât in this position just because he wanted to fuck you. Maybe he did care about you. But the words started to blur, as if your mind shut down and instead, your throat closed around a sob you didn't mean to let out. A hot tear slid down your cheek, slipping beneath his thumb.
His brows drew together instantly. "HeyâŚHey, sweetheartâ"
You couldn't bear it. You shot up from the couch so fast the folder nearly slid down from the couch but you caught it, clutching it to your chest like a shield.
"I'm sorry," the worlds tumbled out from your lips, broken and frantic. "I'm so fucking sorryâ"
You could hardly breathe as you backed toward the door, every nerve on fire with shame and want and fear all at once. His hand lifted, reaching for you, like he could stop this from unraveling.
"Waitâ"
But you were already pulling the handle, already fleeing. The heavy door thudded shut behind you before he could rise from the couch.
âââ
You didn't even remember the way back.
The city blurred past you, streets folding into one another, your legs carrying you without thought. All you knew was that you had to get out. Away.
By the time you stumbled through your front door, your hands were shaking so badly you nearly dropped the keys. The folder slipped from your arm and landed on the floor with a dull slap, papers spilling across the tile. You picked them up quickly and got into your apartment.
Your phone buzzed. Once. Twice. Over and over and the name "Mr. Barnes" lit the screen. You couldn't even look at it anymore. You held down the power button with trembling fingers. The silence that followed was almost worse than the sound.
Fuck.
You sank onto the edge of your bed, pressing your palms into your eyes until stars bloomed behind them.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
You ruined everything, hadn't you?
The perfect jobâgone. You couldn't possibly show your face there again, not after bolting like that. Not after leaving him sitting there, hand half-reached toward you and eyes soft in a way you'd never seen.
You had him, God. You had the man you wanted in front of you, wanting you back and you'd thrown it away.
What the fuck?
What the fuck were you even doing?
Your chest felt too tight, air caught in your throat as you doubled over, elbows on your knees, fingers tangling in your hair. You wanted to disappear. To rewind. To fix it somehow. You dragged in a shaky breath, lifting your head but it didn't make anything clearer.
What the hell were you supposed to do now?
Call in sick? Pretend the whole thing hadn't happened, like you'd just been feeling under the weather and ran for the door?
Call him back? You looked at your phone, black screen reflecting your blotchy face and the thought of hearing his voice right now made you want to throw up. What would you even say? Sorry I ran out like a lunatic while you had your hand on my thigh? Sorry I cried because I don't know how to let myself have something I want?
Show up tomorrow like nothing happened? Walk into his office, hand him the fundraiser notes and pretend your heart and brain were cooperating again?
Every option sounded impossible.
You pressed your fists into the mattress with stuttering breath, trying not to cry again. Why were you like this? Why did you have to be such a coward?
Why couldn't you just open to him?
âââ
By afternoon, you'd managed to drag a blanket off your bed and onto the couch. Cocooning yourself like that could keep the world out. The TV flickered across the room, some sitcom rerun with canned laughter echoed far too loud in the quiet of your apartment. You weren't watching. Not really. Just letting it fill the silence so you didn't have to sit alone with your thoughts.
Your phone was still off. You hadn't dared turn it back on. The idea of seeing his name on the screenâwhether the missed calls or unread messagesâmade your chest feel like it was caving in.
You pulled the blanket tighter. God, you were so fucking afraid. It wasn't supposed to go like this.
You wanted himâwanted him in ways you hadn't let yourself admit until his hand was on your thigh and his voice was in your earâbut not like this. Not with your panic rising and with tears spilling before you even understood why.
It was new. Too new. And you'd been scared. Scared of him seeing how little experience you had. Scared of what it meant if you gave in. Scared of what happened after.
Now everything was a mess.
The sitcom laughed again, high-pitched and cruel. You pressed your palms hard against your eyes until the static behind your lids drowned it all out.
You snapped back to reality the moment you heard someone knocking on the door. You jolted so hard the blanket slid off your body. For a second, you thought you'd imagined it. That it was your nerves playing tricks on you. But then it came again. Firmer.
Your heart pounded as you dragged yourself off the couch, each step to the door was slow and hesitant. You didn't know what you expected when you opened it. But definitely not him.
Mr. Barnes stood in the dim light of your hallway, hair slightly disheveled, suit wrinkled in a way you'd never seen before. He looked⌠upset. Tired. Worn⌠And worriedâso worried it was like the air around him pulsed with it.
For a split second you wondered if all of it was because of you. Because you'd run. Because you hadn't answered and left him there alone.
Before you could get a word out, his voice broke the silence, low and ragged. "I'm so sorry. I know I shouldn't come here, but you weren't picking up the phone andâ fuck. I'll go. I just had to make sure you're okay. I'm⌠I'm so fucking sorry."
He turned already, shoulders tight as if the weight of his mistake was dragging him away from you.
"WaitâŚ" The word left your lips before you could stop it. barely more than a whisper, but it stopped him cold.
He froze. Then slowly, he turned back toward you. His eyes searched yours, disbelief flickering there like he hadn't heard right. His gaze softened and his brows furrowed as though bracing himself.
"IâŚâ His voice cracked once, then steadied. "I'm so sorry. I'm so fucking sorry, I thought you wanted this⌠I must've read the signs wrong. I'm so sorry. I'm such an idiot."
The way his voice broke on the word idiot made your chest tighten. Your throat felt tight, words caught somewhere between fear and relief. All that finally tumbled out was, "How did you even find me?"
He let out a weak chuckle, though there wasn't much humor in it. His hand raked through his hair, tugging at the strands like he hated himself for the answer. "I⌠I found it in your insurance papers in our system." His voice was rough and tired. "I'm sorry. I just⌠I was worried."
Something in your chest cracked.
You should've been angry. He had no right to look up your address. No right to show up at your door uninvited. Especially after what happened. But the way his shoulders hunched forward, the exhaustion written into the lines of his face, the quiet sincerity in his voice⌠it didn't feel invasive. It felt desperate.
And fuck, he did care.
Your lips trembled as you bit down on them, nerves making your stomach chum. For a long second, you stood in the doorway. The air was thick between you. Then, slowly, you stepped back, opening the door wider.
"Come inside."
His eyes flicked to yours, searching, almost hesitant before he finally nodded. He stepped past you, careful and quiet, as if he was afraid even the sound of his shoes on your floor might push you away.
The door clicked shut behind him, and suddenly the silence of your apartment felt deafening. You hovered by the arm of the couch, twisting your fingers together until your knuckles ached.
"IâŚ" Your voice was small. âYou didn't read the signs wrong. It was just⌠me"
His head lifted, eyes locked on yours, waiting.
You swallowed hard, forcing the words out before you could choke them back down. "I was scared. Because⌠Well, first of all, you're my boss. And I don't even know where this is supposed to lead.. And, god, I didn't want you to just⌠fuck me and pretend it was nothing. Especially since Iâ"
"I like you."
The words cut clean through your ramble. They were firm and steady with no hesitation. His voice was soft like he knew the weight they carried.
"Really like you," he added, and there was the faintest curve of a smile on his mouth, even though it didn't reach his eyes. A sad smile. One that said he was just as vulnerable standing there in front of you as you were admitting the truth.
Your gaze softened and your chest ached with something that felt like guilt. Because you managed to think less of him, and yet⌠here he was. Saying what no one had ever said to you before.
No one had ever thought of you that way. No one had ever told you they liked you. And hearing it nowâhearing him say itâmade your chest feel like it might shatter.
Your feet moved before you had time to think. One step. Then another. Until the distance between you was gone and you had to tilt your chin up just to keep your eyes on him.
For a heartbeat, he just looked at you like he couldn't quite believe you were standing so close. Then his hand lifted slowly, fingers brushing along your jaw. His palm cupped your cheek and his thumb traced a feather-light stroke over your skin.
"I'm sorryâŚ" The words spilled out from your mouth. Small and cracked.
"Hey," his voice was gentle and the sound vibrated through your chest as mush as your ears. He shook his head slightly, thumb brushing your cheekbone. "Don't⌠Don't apologize."
His eyes became tender and for a moment, it felt like the whole world narrowed to just the two of you in that tiny space.
"IâŚI was just so scared andâ"
"I know," he broke in quickly, his voice tight with his own guilt. His thumb still traced your cheek, but his gaze faltered, dropping as if he couldn't quite stand to meet your eyes. "I know, I shouldn't⌠I shouldn't have done that. I pushed too far. I'm so sorryâ"
"No, JamesâŚ" The sound of his name on your lips cut through like a blade. He stilled instantly, eyes flicking up to yours again, something raw flashing there. You could see it hit him like the sound alone was enough to knock the air out of him.
You shook your head, forcing the words out even as they felt stuck in your throat. "I just⌠I've neverâŚ"
The rest disintegrated. You couldn't say it. Couldn't bring yourself to saying the truth out loud.
The realization spread across his features slowly, piece by piece. His brow drew together first. Then his mouth parted, but no sound came. His hand stilled against your face, thumb hovering frozen near your skin as if he'd touched fire.
And then his eyes widenedânot with shock, not even pity but with something heavier. Some kind of ache that appeared on his face before he managed to hide it.
You were a virgin.
The silence stretched, thick and fragile. You could feel your heart hammering against your ribs, feel your lungs straining for air as if the admission had left you bare in a way you'd never been before.
His jaw tightened. He swallowed hard, throat working. His touch softened and his fingers curved more carefully along your jaw as though you were glass he hadn't realized he'd been holding this whole time.
"Sweetheart, Iâ" The word was rough, torn from somewhere deep, almost reverent. His gaze searched your like he was looking for confirmation, for any sign he'd misunderstood. But he hadn't. He knew.
His mouth parted but it took him a moment to find his voice. "Fuck, I'm⌠I really am an idiot."
The words were so raw, so self-condemning that for the first time all day, a laugh escaped you. Small and nervous but real. You shook your head, tears prickling at the corners of your eyes even as your lips curved faintly.
"You're not," you whispered. "I wanted it. I swear, I did⌠just⌠not like this. Not when I was panicking. Not when I couldn't even breathe. And I should've told you instead of running away like that."
He exhaled, long and shaky. His shoulders loosened as if your words had cut through some invisible cord holding him too tight. His mouth twitched. His thumb brushed over your cheek again, catching the edge of a tear before it could fall.
You leaned into his touch without thinking and his gaze dropped to your lips, then flicked back to your eyes.
"Can I�" he whispered, his breath warm against your face.
You didn't answer with words. You didn't need to. The tiny tilt of your chin with a nod and the way your lips parted just slightly was enough.
He leaned in, slow and cautious, as if every second gave you a chance to pull away. And when his mouth finally brushed against yours, it was feather-light, almost trembling.
But the moment you felt him, something in you snapped. The fear, the shame, the aching wantâall of it collided. You kissed him back, harder, surer, fingers fisting in the fabric of his shirt as if you were terrified he might disappear.
His sharp inhale, stuttered into the kiss, surprise melting into something deeper. He pressed closer, still gentle but no longer tentative. His lips moved with yours like he'd been waiting for this as long as you had.
Your fingers curled tighter into his shirt, tugging until the kiss broke just long enough for a shaky breath to leave you. His eyes were glassy, pupils wide, his lips swollen from your mouth.
"PleaseâŚ" you whispered, your voice barely holding together. Desperate and fragile all at once.
He swallowed hard, steadying himself but the moment your hands slid lowerâgripping at the fabric of his shirt, tugging him closerâhe let you guide him. Each step backward you took, he followed. His lips caught yours again and again, more frantic and more consuming.
By the time you entered your bedroom and your legs hit the edge of the bed, his breathing was ragged. His chest was rising and falling as if he'd run miles. You sat down, tugging him with you, your hands roaming over the the solid muscle of his chest, down to his waist. You were greedy and scared this was just another dream you'd wake up from.
"SweetheartâŚ" he rasped, kneeling between your thighs, hands braced on either side of you. "I⌠I don't wanna rush you, fuckâ" he breathed. "I don't wanna hurt you again."
You grabbed his wrist and guided his hand to the hem of your panties right under your skirt. His touch lingered there. Your pulse trashed so hard you thought it might kill you. But you needed this. There was no way you'd run away again.
"I want this," you said and even though your voice trembled it was certain. "I want you."
His jaw tightened, a muscle ticking as he searched your face, looking for ever the slightest hesitation. But he found none. You held his gaze, unblinking and that was all he needed.
He bent forward, capturing your mouth in another kiss. This one was much hungrier, claiming. His hand slipped beneath the thin fabric at your hips, fingers tracing along the heat of you, teasing and coaxing, while his other hand cradled your face.
Your back arched and a gasp of yours broke the kiss. James groaned low in his throat, the sound vibrating against your skin.
"God, you're perfect," he muttered, lips trailing hot down your jaw, your throat, marking you in ways words never could. "I wanna make you feel good, baby."
His hand shifted then. pressing firmer against your clothed core. You jolted, a strangled sound tore from your lips.
"Fuck⌠you're soaked," he breathed. The curse nearly swallowed by the reverence in his voice.
Your body burned and heat pooled between your thighs. And when his fingers curled around the edge of your panties, tugging them aside, you couldn't stop the moan that broke free. Cool air hit your slick folds for a moment before his touch followed. Two fingers sliding down, gently parting you.
You whimpered, helpless and trembling. The sound was so raw it made him shudder against you. His metal hand cupped your jaw, steadying you and tilting your face toward his so he could watch every flicker of your expression.
"Shh, sweetheart," he whispered, tracing slow circles over your clit. "I've got you, baby⌠Let me take care of you."
Your thighs quivered, clenching around his arm as the pleasure rolled through youâforeign, overwhelming but so fucking good. You tried to form words. Something⌠anything, but all you managed was another whimper that had his jaw clenching tight.
"No one ever touched you like this before, huh?" he rasped, his eyes flicked up to meet yours.
"NoâNoâŚ" you answered through your moans.
His fingers slid lower, stroking your entrance, collecting the wetness there before circling back up. Every movement was patient and delicate. His lips brushed over your temple as his fingers slid just a bit lower. "Just relax for me, baby. Gonna make you feel so fucking good."
James pressed the tip of his finger against your entrance. Your breath hitched and your entire body tightened instinctively.
"It's okayâŚ" he soothed, his metal hand tilting your jaw so you couldn't look away, couldn't hide. "Just look at me, baby. It's just me." He rested his hand on your hip then, keeping you in placeâjust where he wanted you.
You nodded, and with that he eased one finger inside. The stretch burned and a cry slipped from your lips.
He cursed under his breath as his forehead pressed to yours. "Fuck⌠so tight. It's okay baby. It's okay." He repeated. His finger stilled inside you, giving you time to adjust. "You're doing so good for me."
Your nails dug into his shoulders, grounding yourself in both warmth and safety of him. Slowlyâachingly slowâhis hand began to move.
A moan ripped out of you, much louder than you meant.
"That's it," he groaned, pumping his finger a little deeper. "There you go. Taking me so fucking well." He kissed your cheek. 'Gotta stretch you for me, sweetie. Wanna feel you ready before I'm inside you."
Your hips twitched, rocking forward without your permission, chasing the friction. It just felt too fucking good. "Jamesâ"
"Hmm?⌠You want more, don't you?" he chuckled darkly. His breath ghosted over the skin of your neck.
âYâYes, pleaseâŚâ
âFuck, baby," he murmured. The thumb of his metal hand stroked softly over your hip while his fingers kept working you open. "So perfect for me. So. Fucking. Perfect." His forehead pressed to yours again. "I'm gonna give you another, okay?"
"Yes, YesâPlease, Jamesâ" you pleaded, desperately.
He kissed your lips gently, swallowing your shaky yes before sliding his second finger in beside the first.
"Just like thatâŚ" he whispered, lips brushing over your jaw. "Breathe, sweetheart. Just breathe for me. You're doing so good⌠fuckâ So, so good."
His fingers stretched you. It felt almost uncomfortable but your body craved it. And his touch? Fuck, it was so grounding. Like he was never letting you go. His metal hand cradled your cheek again. Thumb now sweeping away a tear that slipped free.
"Hey, baby," he tucked a strand of hair away from your face. "You're beautiful like this. You don't even know, do you? How perfect you are. How much I want you."
The words had you melting. Your body adjusted slowly into a fullness that had you moaning against his mouth.
"Oh yeah," he breathed, finally moving his fingers with careful thrusts. "God, baby⌠That's my girl. Taking my fingers so well. Letting me make you feel good."
Your hips shifted again, chasing the rhythm. James' lips curved into a cocky smile against your temple. "You're so fucking sweet like this. So tight, so wet for me. You're everything I ever wanted, pretty girl."
He curled his fingers then just so. Dragging against a spot inside you that had your back arching off the mattress with a strangled moan.
"Mhm," he groaned, watching your face twist with shock and pleasure. "Right there, huh?"
He pressed into it again. Each curl of his fingers pulled another broken sound from your throat. Then another. And another. Your legs trembled as heat coiled tight in your belly. Tighter than it ever had before.
"Jamesâ fuck!" you gasped, voice breaking but he shushed you with a kiss to your lips. His pace never faltering.
"I know, baby. I know, you're close, aren't you? Fuck, I can feel you squeezing me." he cooed and pressed a kiss to your temple. "Fuckâ I can't wait to feel you squeeze my cock like that⌠Let go for me. I've got you."
It hit so fast you could hardly breathe. The pressure snapped. Your walls fluttered desperately around his fingers as you cried out, clinging to him like you'd fall apart if you let go.
He groaned against your neck, still moving inside you and coaxing every wave from you. "Yes, fuckâ Yes, baby. Look at youâŚ. You're so perfect, so beautiful when you come."
Your whole body shook. Your legs twitched as aftershocks rolled through you. His metal hand stroked gently over your ribs, grounding you while his other hand stayed buried inside, easing you down slow.
"So proud of you, baby," he whispered, kissing the damp corner of your mouth. "There you go⌠Shhh⌠I've got you."
He pulled his fingers out of you, glistening with your release. For a second, he just stared, chest rising and falling. Then with a low growl, he brought his hand to his mouth.
His eyes stayed locked on yours as his tongue slid over his fingers tasting you. A shudder went through his broad frame and he let out the filthiest sound you'd ever heardâhalf groan, half sigh.
"Sweetest thing I've ever fucking tasted," he rasped, his tongue chasing the last of you from the seam of his knuckles. "Gonna get addicted to this. To you."
You blushed. Your thighs clenched and your core ached for more.
He lowered, kissing you rough, desperate. His weight pressed you deeper into the mattress as he shifted between your legs. The clink of his belt buckle filled the room, followed by the zip of his pants. He shoved them down. Boxers with them and your breath caught in your throat when his cock sprang freeâthick, flushed, the head already dripping with precum.
"Fuck," you whispered before you could stop yourself. He smirked faintly at the sound, but there was nothing cocky in his eyes nowâonly heat and hunger.
He dragged his length through your slick folds slowly, groaning as his tip caught against your clit, making you flinch.
"You feel that?" he murmured, voice low and ragged. His forehead rested against yours. "That's what you do to me, baby. Been hard for you since the second I saw you in my office."
He didn't push in. Not yet. Instead, he slid his cock along your soaked cunt. The movement was slow, torturous. He repeated it a few times. The thick head dragged against your clit before dipping lower, gliding through your slick.
Your breath hitched every time he pressed against your entrance. Your body twitched with hope that he'd finally sink into youâonly for him to pull back again.
"Jamesâ PleaseâŚ" Your voice cracked, high and needy.
He moaned at the way you said his name, cock twitching against your cunt, but still he didn't give in. He moved again, dragging himself up through your pussy, coating himself in your wetness and smearing it along his thick shaft.
"God, you're drenched for me," he muttered, almost to himself. His metal hand gripped your thigh firmly, keeping you spread open for him. "Look at you, baby. I could slide in so easy, but fuckâ listen to you. Already whining, begging with those pretty little sounds.â
You clenched around nothing, your nails digging into the sheets. "Please," you breathed, desperation bleeding through. "Please!"
"Please what, sweetheart?" He smirked and leaned down, his thick cock still dragging against you, grinding against your swollen clit until you whimpered. "Tell me what you want. Tell me exactly."
Your cheeks burned. Embarrassment and need colliding, but the feeling of him pressed right where you needed it the most, pulled the words out of you like a confession.
"Please⌠Fuck me, James. Pleaseâ"
"Good girl," he whispered and his tip pressed against your entrance. Firmer this time, no teasing. You breath shuttered and your chest rose fast as you felt him finally push forward.
The stretch was intense, but fuckâyour body welcomed him. Inch by inch. He sank into you slowly. You could see how his brows furrowed with focus or⌠control. As if he was holding himself back from slamming in all at once.
"Jesus Christ," he hissed through his teeth. "You're so tight, baby. I knew you would be but fuckâ Baby, you're squeezing me so good."
Your fingers clawed at his shoulders, then at his back. Your thighs were trembling⌠and so was your entire body. "Jamesâ Fuck!"
"Just a little bit more, okay?" He soothed, his voice breaking on a groan as he pushed deeper. "You're doing so well for me, sweetheart."
Every word, every praised wrapped around you, grounding you as he filled you. He stretched you open in ways you'd never felt before. Your eyes fluttered shut, a whimper spilled from your lips when he bottomed out. His hips were finally flush against yours.
He stayed there, buried deep, chest pressed against you as he kissed the corner of your mouth, your jaw, your temple, your cheek.
"FuckâŚ" He pulled back just enough to look at you. His gaze softened for a moment. "Look at me, baby."
Your lashes lifted and your gaze locked with his. The heat in his stare made you clench around him, making him let out a quiet whimper.
"Does it hurt?" he asked, voice hoarse.
You shook your head quickly and your lips parted in a shaky moan. "No⌠justâfull. It feels⌠full."
He kissed you again, slower this time. His hips shifted, testing a shallow thrust and your body arched in response.
"Good girl," he rasped, brushing his thumb along your cheek. "You take me so good."
James moved slowly at first, almost painfully so. His hips rolled forward in a steady rhythm. He dragged his cock out just enough to make you feel the stretch again before sinking back into the heat of you.
Each thrust stole your breath. Your body trembled as he filled you to the hilt every time. His hand cradled your jaw, thumb brushing tender circles against your cheek as if to ground you through the intensity of it.
"God⌠You feel unreal, baby. So fucking perfect around me," he whispered right into your mouth before pressing a soft kiss to your lips.
Your nails raked gently down his back, clinging to him as the slow, deep strokes built a pressure inside you you'd never known. Your lips parted on a moan, every sound breaking free without you intending to.
He continued kissing you, swallowing the noises. His tongue slid against your in sync with the languid drag of his cock. It wasn't rushed or frantic. Just deep, steady and consuming.
"Iâ God, it feels so good, Jamesâ" you gasped against his mouth.
He pulled back a little to look at you, his hips still working. "I'm here," he murmured. His eyes were focused on your face. "I'm right here. You're mine. Just mine."
The words made your walls clench tight around him, making him groan. The sound was guttural and broken. His metal hand gripped your hip more firmly as he began to thrust deeper, hitting that sweet spot of yours.
"You like that, baby?" he whispered, testing the angle.
You couldn't even answer. Just a sharp cry left your throat as your body arched into him. He smiled softly, kissing you again and again as he gave you exactly what you needed.
Your breaths quickly turned into ragged, short gasps, breaking into moans and your nails dug into his skin like you were holding on for dear life. "Yes! James, Iâ fuck, please! Don't stop!"
His hand slid down and his thumb found your clit. He began rubbing soft, steady circles in time with his thrusts. "I can feel youâfuckâyou're so close."
Your vision blurred. Tears pricking at the corners of your eyes as the pleasure built too fast, too much. And just a few seconds later you came.
Your pussy clenched around him and your back arched off the bed as your orgasm ripped through you. A sob left your throat, your entire body trembled under the feeling.
James moaned as he felt you spasm around him. His thrust slowed even more, rocking into you and fucking you through the waves. His thumb didn't stop either, coaxing every last pulse from you until you were left gasping and limp beneath him.
After a moment his thrust grew rougher, deeper. The control heâd held onto finally slipped away. Each snap of his hips drove his cock harder into you, filling you to the edge of pain but keeping you rooted in the bliss of it.
"Oh my god," you gasped. Every nerve felt raw and oversensitive and you grabbed the sheets impossibly tight, trying to anchor yourself.
"Just a little longer, baby," he cooed and pressed his forehead to yours, sweat dampening his hairline. His hands gripped you tightâflesh digging into your hip, metal spreading across your thighâanchoring himself as mush as you. "I'm so close, justâfuckâ"
The words broke out with a desperation of a man at his breaking point. His thrusts stuttered, pace faltering as he buried himself as deep as your body would take him.
And then the shattered.
A moan tore from his chest as he came, hips pressed flush to yours, cock twitching deep inside you. Hot, thick pulses spilled into you, filling you until you swore you could feel it spill over, marking you from the inside out.
His breath came ragged against your lips. You felt the weight of him pressing you into the mattress as he groaned through every last pulse, refusing to pull away.
"Fuck," he panted, voice trembling with the aftershocks. His hand cupped your face again as his body finally stilled inside you.
You lay there. Chest rising and falling, hair sticking to your forehead as your body tingled with the intensity of it all. Your eyes met his, dazed and small. An exhausted smile tugged at your lips.
He chuckled softly. His thumb caressed over your flushed cheeks.
"I fucking love you," he murmured, amusement softening the roughness in his voice. Then he leaned down to press a slow, lingering kiss to your lips.
Your hands found his shoulders, clutching lightly and you melted into the warmth of him.The world outsideâhis office, your nerves, everythingâfelt impossibly far away. There was only this. Only him and the quiet, sweet aftermath of having everything you wanted pressed into a single, stolen moment.
Summary: He was supposed to be just your friend. The funny one. The one who never took anything seriously.
Until you started sitting too close to Cedric Diggory.
Warnings: Slow Burn / Soft Jealousy Spiral / Friends to Lovers / Cedric Diggory as an Unintentional Rival / Sibling Chaos & Teasing
It started the way most bad decisions usually do.
With laughter.
With noise.
With Fred and George Weasley in the middle of it. And with you, right there beside them like you had always belonged there.
You werenât the quiet type.
Never had been.
If anything, you were worse.
Loud when you shouldnât be. Smiling when you were supposed to be serious. Saying things that made professors sigh and classmates laugh in the same breath.
Somehow, you had ended up orbiting the Weasley twins like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Fred liked to call it âa shared lack of survival instincts.â
George called it âfriendship.â
And you just called it home.
You sat with them at meals when you could, snuck out with them when you shouldnât, and got dragged into half of their ideas whether you agreed or not.
Which, most of the time, you did.
Right now, the three of you were sprawled somewhere just outside the corridor near the courtyard, half-hidden from professors and fully hidden from responsibility.
Fred was mid-story, hands moving as he spoke. George was laughing already, like he knew how it ended. And you were leaning back against the stone wall, trying not to choke on your own laughter.
âYou did what to Ronâs wand?â you asked, breathless.
Fred looked far too pleased with himself. âI didnât do anything,â he said innocently.
George snorted. âThatâs the problem. He didnât do anything. Thatâs when itâs worst.â
You shook your head, wiping your eyes. âYouâre both going to be the reason Hogwarts burns down one day.â
Fred tilted his head at you. âAnd youâll be right next to us cheering it on.â
You opened your mouth but didnât get to answer, because footsteps cut through the moment.
Sharp.
Familiar enough to make all three of you pause at the same time.
You didnât even have to turn around to know.
Professor McGonagall.
âMiss L/N,â McGonagall said crisply.
Not angry.
Worse.
Controlled.
You stood up slowly. âProfessor.â
Her eyes moved between you and the twins. Then she spoke: âIâve been informed that your academic performance this term is⌠concerning.â
Fred let out a quiet, almost invisible sound beside youâsomething between amusement and âoh this is going to be good.â
You shot him a warning look.
McGonagall continued. âIf your grades do not improve, you will not pass this year.â
Silence.
Even Fred stopped smirking.
You swallowed.
âIâll⌠fix it,â you said quickly.
âI hope so,â McGonagall replied. âBecause repeating a year would be⌠embarrassing, for someone of your capability.â
That hit a little harder than you expected.
Then she added: âI will be arranging mandatory tutoring sessions for you. Mr Diggory has agreed to assist you.â
Fred blinked.
Georgeâs eyebrows lifted.
You, on the other hand ââŚCedric Diggory?â you repeated slowly.
âYes.â
There was a pause where your brain tried to compute it.
Cedric Diggory.
Perfect grades.
Perfect posture.
Perfect smile.
Perfect everything you were not.
You exhaled.
ââŚRight.â
McGonagall gave you a look. âYou will begin tomorrow.â
And just like that, she turned and walked away.
Leaving silence behind her.
Fred was the first to break it. âWell,â he said lightly, but his tone had shifted. âThatâs your downfall sorted.â
âShut up,â you groaned.
George didnât laugh immediately, which was unusual. When you looked at him, he was watching you. Not teasing, not joking.
Just watching.
Then he smiled.
âMaybe heâs not that bad,â George said.
Fred looked at him like heâd grown a second head.
You blinked. âYouâre joking.â
George shrugged. âMaybe youâll learn something.â
Fred scoffed. âShe wonât survive ten minutes of Diggoryâs voice.â
You threw a pebble at him.
It missed.
Unfortunately.
Fred caught it anyway, grinning again like nothing had changed.
But something had.
Even if none of you said it out loud yet.
The first study session was a disaster. You were late on purpose. Not very lateâjust enough to make a point.
Cedric Diggory was already sitting at one of the long library tables when you arrived, books neatly stacked beside him, parchment organized in perfectly straight lines.
You stopped at the end of the table and stared.
âI just want it officially written down somewhere that McGonagall is ruining my life.â You dropped into the chair across from him dramatically.
Cedric slid a book toward you. âOpen to page seventy-two.â
You stared at him in disbelief. âNo greeting?â
âI said hello when you walked in.â
âThat barely counted.â
Cedric leaned back slightly in his chair, studying you for a second. âYou talk a lot when you donât want to do something.â
You narrowed your eyes. âAnd you sound exactly like someone who color-codes his notes.â
âI do color-code my notes.â
âOf course you do.â
Somehow, impossibly, that made him laugh quietly and annoyingly it suited him.
You decided immediately that this was unacceptable.
The next hour was painful. Not because Cedric was mean.
That wouldâve been easier.
No, Cedric was patient.
Calm.
Infuriatingly calm.
Every time you tried to derail the lesson, he just looked at you steadily until you eventually answered the question anyway.
By the time the session ended, your brain hurt.
âYou survived,â Cedric observed as you packed your bag dramatically.
âBarely.â
âYou answered everything correctly by the end.â
You froze slightly. ââŚI did?â
Cedric nodded once. âYouâre not bad at this.â
The words hit strangely, because most professors sounded frustrated when they spoke to you.
Cedric just sounded certain like he hadnât doubted it.
You looked away first. âThatâs suspiciously encouraging.â
âIâm trying a new strategy.â
You narrowed your eyes. âManipulation?â
A small smile appeared again. âPositive reinforcement.â
âDisgusting.â
Cedric laughed quietly under his breath as he stood.
And for some reasonâ
you smiled back.
The common room was loud when you returned later that evening.
Fred and George were exactly where you expected them to be: occupying far too much space on one sofa while Lee Jordan sat nearby looking like he was seconds away from regretting knowing either of them.
Fred noticed you first. âWell?â he asked immediately. âDid Diggory bore you to death?â
George looked up from where heâd been absentmindedly spinning a quill between his fingers.
You dropped onto the armchair across from them with a dramatic sigh.
âHe organizes his notes by color.â
Fred made a horrified face.
George snorted softly.
âAnd he says things like âfocusâ with a straight face.â
âThat poor man,â Fred muttered. âHe has no idea what heâs dealing with.â
You grinned slightly, but George noticed something before Fred did. The way your mouth twitched when you talked about Cedric.
The fact that you were still talking about him.
âYouâre smiling,â George said suddenly.
You blinked. âNo Iâm not.â
âYou are,â he replied calmly.
Fred pointed immediately. âOh, she is.â
âI am not.â
âYou fancy the prefect,â Fred gasped dramatically.
You threw a cushion at him.
He caught it easily.
âShut up.â
George was still watching you though.
Quieter than Fred now.
More observant.
âWhatâs he actually like?â George asked.
You opened your mouth automatically with another insult ready but paused.
Cedricâs quiet laugh flashed unexpectedly through your head.
The way heâd looked at you across the table and said: Youâre not bad at this.
Your stomach did something strange.
ââŚAnnoying,â you answered finally.
Fred grinned. âThere she is.â
But George noticed the hesitation.
And for the first time something small and unfamiliar twisted unpleasantly in his chest.
Over the next two weeks, something deeply irritating started happening. You stopped trying to skip the study sessions.
At first, Fred thought it was a joke. Then he thought maybe McGonagall had threatened you with public humiliation.
George just watched.
And noticed things.
Small things.
The way you fixed your hair before going to the library now. The fact that you actually brought the right books. The way you came back complaining about Cedric while smiling at absolutely nothing.
It was suspicious.
Very suspicious.
âYouâre spending an unnatural amount of time with Diggory,â Fred announced one evening from upside down on the common room sofa.
You looked up from your parchment. âYou spend an unnatural amount of time upside down.â
âThatâs different.â
âItâs really not.â
George sat nearby pretending to read while listening to every word.
Fred pointed at you accusingly. âYou laughed at something he said earlier.â
âIt wasnât that funny.â
âBut you laughed.â
You rolled your eyes dramatically. âMerlin, are you jealous?â
Fred looked scandalized. âOf Cedric Diggory? Absolutely not. He irons his shirts.â
âHe probably irons his socks too,â Lee added.
George stayed quiet.
Because unlike Fred, George wasnât joking anymore, and that was becoming a problem.
The next study session was somehow worse.
âYouâre distracted again,â Cedric said calmly from across the table.
âIâm literally reading.â
âYouâve been staring at the same sentence for three minutes.â
You narrowed your eyes. âThat sounds made up.â
Cedric leaned forward slightly, resting one arm on the table. âYou know, youâre very different when your friends arenât around.â
You blinked. ââŚExcuse me?â
âYou act louder around the twins.â
âThatâs because theyâre loud.â
Cedricâs mouth twitched. His attention entirely on you in a way that made your stomach feel strange lately.
You looked down quickly.
âI still think youâre annoying.â
âI think,â Cedric said calmly, âyou just like arguing with me.â
You opened your mouth immediately then stopped.
Cedric noticed the silence instantly.
And smiled.
George was already in the common room when you came in.
Alone.
That was the first thing that felt wrong.
Fred was usually there too. Half causing trouble, half laughing too loudly at something that wasnât funny. But tonight it was just George, sitting on the sofa near the fire with a book open on his knee.
He looked up the moment you stepped in.
âYouâre late,â he said.
It sounded like a joke.
It wasnât.
âI had study sessions.â
âI noticed.â
That made you pause.
âDiggory again?â he said lightly, closing the book with one hand.
You sighed and dropped into the sofa across from him.
âIâve got something for you.â
You squinted. âThat sounds suspiciously like trouble.â
âItâs not. Itâs Transfiguration.â
You stared at it.
âWhat is this?â
âNotes.â
That made you laugh once. âYou donât have notes.â
George raised an eyebrow. âI do now.â
You opened the first page and stopped laughing immediately, because it wasnât just notes.
It was structured. Diagrams. Color-coded arrows. Tiny corrections in the margins. Underlined key spells. Even little sarcastic comments scribbled next to difficult sections like:
âthis part is evil, good luckâ
and
âMcGonagall will absolutely ask this just to ruin your dayâ
You looked up slowly.
ââŚYou did this?â
George shrugged. âDonât sound so shocked.â
âThis isââ You flipped another page. âThis is actually good.â
âI know.â
You narrowed your eyes. âSince when are you secretly good at Transfiguration?â
âSince you started spending all your time in the library,â he said lightly.
The room shifted.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
Just⌠quieter.
You looked at him properly now.
âGeorgeâŚâ
He cut you off immediately, too fast. âItâs nothing. Just figured you needed help if youâre trying to avoid repeating a year.â
You frowned. âThatâs not why Iâmââ
âYouâre always with him lately.â
Cedric.
The name wasnât said out loud, but it didnât need to be.
You opened your mouth.
Closed it again.
George leaned slightly closer, tapping one of the pages. âI went through your syllabus. Twice. Some of this stuff is actually useful if you donât want to die in McGonagallâs exam.â
âYou read it twice?â you asked quietly.
He shrugged again, but this time it wasnât convincing.
There were faint ink stains on his fingers.
Like heâd been writing for hours.
Like heâd actually sat there and worked.
For you.
Something in your chest tightened unexpectedly.
âYou didnât have to do all this,â you said.
âI know.â
Silence.
Then softer, almost careless again:
âBut I did it anyway.â
You looked down at the notes again.
Then at him.
Really looked.
The jokes were still there. The grin was still there. But underneath itâsomething quieter. Focused. Slightly tense, like he was waiting for your reaction more than he wanted to admit.
âYou highlighted half of it,â you said.
âYeah.â
âWith different colours.â
âHelps with memory.â
âThat is the most responsible thing Iâve ever heard you say.â
George snorted. âDonât get used to it.â
You smiled.
And that was the problem.
Because George noticed that too.
His eyes softened just slightly.
âYou know,â he said, voice lower now, âyouâre actually listening to me for once.â
âI always listen to you.â
âNo,â he said quietly. âNot like this.â
Something shifted again.
He reached outâslowly this timeâand turned one of your pages so it faced you properly. His fingers brushed the edge of yours.
Didnât move away.
Didnât pretend it was accidental.
Just stayed there.
Close.
âStart here,â he said. âIf you can master that section, McGonagall wonât have anything to complain about.â
You nodded faintly, but you werenât reading anymore.
Not properly.
Because George was too close.
His shoulder leaned in slightly as he pointed something out.
âHere,â he added, tapping a line. âThis is where everyone messes up.â
âI donât think I mess up everything,â you muttered.
A small smile.
âYou do when you panic.â
âI donât panic.â
âYou absolutely panic.â
You turned your head to argueâand found him already looking at you.
Not joking now.
Not teasing.
Just watching.
The air between you changed again.
Slower.
He stopped talking.
You stopped pretending you were reading.
âGeorgeâŚâ you said, quieter this time.
He didnât answer immediately.
His gaze droppedâjust for a secondâto your mouth.
Then back up.
And something in his expression tightened like heâd made a decision he wasnât fully ready for.
âYouâve been gone a lot lately,â he said.
âYou know Iâve been studying.â
âWith him.â
The words werenât sharp.
But they landed like something heavier than anger.
You opened your mouthâ
Nothing came out.
George exhaled slowly, like he was trying to keep himself steady.
Then he leaned back slightly, forcing space between you again, but not enough to erase what just happened.
âI donât like it,â he admitted.
That made you freeze.
Because George didnât say things like that.
Not seriously.
Not like this.
ââŚYou donât like Cedric or?â you asked carefully.
George huffed a short laugh. âNo. I donât like that youâve started looking at everything like itâs somewhere else you need to be.â
Your throat went tight.
Then, almost like he regretted how honest that sounded, he reached for the notes again.
âAnyway,â he added quickly, âI could do this better than him.â
And this time there was no joke at all.
âFor you.â
Your breath caught slightly.
That was the moment the distance between you stopped being safe.
He was close now.
Close enough that if you moved even slightlyâ
Your knees brushed his.
He leaned in just a fraction more.
His gaze flicked to your lips againâthis time slower.
Intentional.
And for a second, it felt like everything had narrowed down to this one moment.
His hand slid to your cheek.
Warm.
Real.
And then he kissed you.
It was George in every possible wayâsoft at first, unsure for half a second like he still couldnât believe you were there⌠and then something in him finally let go.
The kiss deepened.
Slow.
Careful.
Like he was afraid of ruining it if he moved too fast.
Your hand lifted without thinking, grabbing lightly at the front of his shirt, pulling him closer like you finally made a decision youâd been avoiding for too long.
George made a quiet sound against your mouthâsomething between relief and disbeliefâand leaned in.
Like heâd been waiting for this without admitting it even to himself.
The world narrowed.
Fire crackling somewhere behind you.
Paper forgotten.
Everything else gone.
Just him.
Just warmth.
Justâ
The door slammed open.
ââYOU WONâT BELIEVE WHAT LEE JUSTââ
You both moved apart too fast.
Too obvious.
Fred froze in the doorway.
Looked at both of you.
Slow smile forming.
ââŚOh,â he said.
Long pause.
Then brighter:
âOh, this is bad.â
George leaned back in his chair immediately. âWe were studying.â
Fred nodded slowly. âSure.â
You grabbed the first random book on the table. âTransfiguration.â
Fred raised an eyebrow.
Then grinned wider.
âI leave you alone for ONE evening,â he said, delighted, âand you start⌠bonding academically.â
George sighed.
You stared at the ceiling.
Fred walked further in, shaking his head.
âThis is going to be so entertaining.â
And George, under his breath, only for you to hear: