#white lily..lily..the lily...the bug ever...white bug...lily bug...white lily bug...

Raincoat.

That’s what is next on this long ass packing list you’re reading from your phone, only about halfway through it at this point. It’s giving Boy Scout levels of preparedness at this point.

Looking at the clothes on your bed, you’re convinced you could survive a hurricane, blizzard, and a day in a desert with this arsenal.

Except your only destination is a summer camping trip in the mountains outside Breckinridge. 

Considering your weather app clearly shows seasonal temperatures, not too hot and not too cold for where you are going, it all seems a bit unnecessary. 

Long underwear and thermal gear in one pile, gloves, a beanie, dry fit shorts and t-shirts in another, a fleece jacket, a parka, and now a raincoat. 

Then all kinds of socks-wool, moisture wicking, normal tall whites, and your coveted fuzzies for sleeping. 

You also can’t forget your collection of stolen clothes from your boyfriend-his hoodie, flannels, and t-shirts round out everything so far. 

You kick the duffel bag out of the way as you walk across your room to your closet, pulling out your raincoat and slinging it onto the bed. 

All of this for a fucking camping trip. 

Camp isn’t a word in your vocabulary unless it’s describing the funky aesthetic or the jam band Caamp that frequently comes to Denver for concert season. In fact, the most outdoorsy you tend to get is drinking wine on a blanket in a park with your friends or walking on a path by the river to get from lower downtown to the highlands neighborhood where you live on a night of bar hopping. 

You’re a city girl through and through. It’s in your DNA at this point, primal instincts all but driving you away from anything that could be even slightly perceived as an outdoor adventure. 

Yeah you’d moved to Denver after college, but unlike so many others you met, you weren’t chasing that fresh snow for skiing or the earthy pine smell for a day in the woods “finding yourself.” You swear to god if you hear one more person say “powder day” or “pow pow” to describe fresh snow at a resort you’re gonna lose it. 

Drowning a sea of “The Mountains are Calling, I Must Go” bumper stickers on Subarus, you almost feel unique with your Toyota Camry when driving down the interstate, holding out for as long as you can before you give it up for something with more traction.

The outdoor lovers seem to have their own vernacular, using words in the strangest ways that you’ve had to try and decipher since you moved here. 

Suddenly, the buzzer for your apartment sounds, breaking you from your grumpy moment. 

Sighing, you move towards the front door to respond.

“Who is it?” 

You know who it is, the man responsible for dragging you into this.

“It’s me,” his deep voice sounds, making small butterflies flare up in your chest. 

“Kay, it’s open,” you respond, unlocking your apartment door for when he gets up to your floor.

You go back to your room and proceed to dump all your makeup on the bed. His packing list specifically said no scented items, but you were bringing it anyway. Does makeup even have a scent? You don’t think so.

“Hellooooo,” you hear from your living room as heavy footsteps stomp down the hall.

Okay, you’re happy to see your boyfriend, but that doesn't mean you’re thrilled to be going camping and you’re going to let him know at every possible opportunity.

You no sooner start sorting your makeup when strong arms cage you against his hard torso, feeling his pecs press against your back. 

“Sukuna!” you squeal, playfully trying to squirm away as he plants a kiss on your cheek. 

“Hmm?” he hums, moving to pepper wet kisses down your neck.

“I’m trying to pack, your list is ridiculous.”

He plants one last kiss on you before spinning you around. He’s in what looks like one of his fly fishing shirts and hiking shorts, a backwards hat flattened over his pink locks, honestly looking incredibly cute. 

Hey you never said men in outdoorsy gear weren’t a problem, just the outdoors themselves. 

“It’s best to be prepared for any situation babe, I told you this,” he says smoothly, poking through your bag. 

“The weather app says it’s supposed to be plenty warm though,” you pout, crossing your arms.

“It’s the mountains brat, weather changes rapidly,” he quips. “I’ve spent more than enough time out there, I think I’d know unlike you. So you will pack everything because I don’t wanna hear your whining when you get all chilly and I’ll certainly refuse when you start begging me for a jacket.”

You scoff, annoyed that he’s right, like you’d have any ounce of authority on the subject. Moving around him, you start sorting through your makeup again.

“You don’t need all that, it’s just one more thing we’ll need to lock up.”

“Sukuna, let me have at least some of my creature comforts for the love of god,” you snap at him.

He emits a light chuckle, clearly amused.

“Fine, but don’t come crying to me when a bear rips open your side of the tent. I’ll let you handle it.”

Your stomach turns, the idea of a bear being anywhere near you is terrifying enough to make you reconsider. 

“Bears can smell food and food like scents up to twenty miles away,” Sukuna adds, making you groan in annoyance.

“Thank you ranger rick, we get it,” you roll your eyes, gathering up your makeup in defeat while Sukuna plops down on your bed, eying you as you move across the room. 

A glance in his direction has you catching his gaze lingering on you.

“What?” you ask him, cocking your head. 

He gives you his signature grin, blushing a little.

“Just really pretty. I’m excited to spend time with you,” he stares at the floor in front of him before giving you a sheepish smile. 

Your heart melts, it had been awhile since taking any kind of trip together. You’ve been together a little over three months and with both of your busy work schedules, sometimes it was hard to go do activities together. 

“Me too, just wish it wasn’t camping,” you chuckle, moving towards him and planting your hands on his broad shoulders. Sukuna looks up at you through lidded eyes as you give him a small kiss, noses brushing slightly. 

“But I’ll give it a try. For you.” 

You feel his lips curl up into a grin, strong hands gripping your waist as he pulls you closer.

“That’s all I’m asking, just try it once and if you don’t like it, I’ll stop pestering you to come with me,” he murmurs, breath hot on your skin as he trails featherlight kisses down your jaw, making you forget for a moment why he was actually here. 

“Maybe we can just stay here, order shitty takeout, watch movies, enjoy the air conditioning and this plushy bed,” you offer in your most charming tone, those thoughts sounding way more appealing than suffering and sweating through the night in the nylon jail that was his tent. 

“C’mon, Kuna,” you start to climb on him, attempting to push him onto his back as you nuzzle into his neck. He’s a man, surely he could be tempted into staying here.

Suddenly his red eyes snap open, matching the hue spreading across his cheeks. He grabs your wrists and stops you from pushing.

“Woman, are you trying to seduce me into not leaving?” he chuckles, mouth twitching with amusement. 

Fuck. Guilty.

“Maybe, is it working?” you grin at him. 

“Lil bit, not gonna lie,” his grip on your wrists turn into him tracing soothing circles on your skin, pulling one up to plant a soft kiss. “Buuuuuut, I’m not falling for it.

His eyes glance down at your nails, freshly done in your favorite colors.

“These are cute, they new?” 

“Yeah, got them done last night. I hope I don’t ruin them!”

He smirks, leaving another featherlight kiss just below your palm.

“I’ll be doing all the hard work, so they should be safe. Now let’s do one last check that you got everything and then we’re hitting the road,” his deep voice commands, standing up and adjusting his shorts. 

“Ugh, fine,” you huff, walking away to check your duffel bag which looks like it’s about to burst. 

Sukuna joins you, starting to dig through the contents. 

“Okay, you don’t need three pairs of earrings first of all. And a curling iron? Absolutely not,” he starts tossing them back onto the bed. 

“How am I gonna do my hair?” you argue, trying to reach for it while he just boxes you out. 

“Uh, you don’t? Babe, there’s no electricity,” he laughs, making the frustration simmer in your veins even more. 

You wouldn’t necessarily call yourself high maintenance, but you still cared about your appearance and wanted to look good. Just like some people felt confident in their outerwear, a face full of perfect makeup and a trendy outfit gave you a boost. 

Plus, there weren’t many times Sukuna hasn't seen you well put together. Sure you’ve both woken up in the other’s bed, but you could at least race to freshen up the next morning because of modern conveniences like plumbing and electricity. 

As if sensing your strife, you feel Sukuna’s strong arms wrap around you, pulling your back against his chest. 

“It’ll be okay. I’ll take good care of you, I had your comfort in mind with everything I packed. Not gonna subject you to the bare bones setup I usually go out with,” his normally gravelly voice is gentle. 

You let out a long sigh, trying your best to calm down but it’s just not happening. 

“Let’s just get going,” you mumble, brushing his hands away as you move to zip up your bag. The sooner you leave the sooner you can get this over with.

Sukuna hums nonchalantly, throwing it over his shoulder effortlessly, leading the way out the front door. He waits for you to lock up, still sporting his annoying little smirk when you turn towards him.

“Knock it off!” you snap at him.

“Dunno what you’re talking about sweetheart. Can I not admire my girlfriend who looks so cute when she’s grumpy?” he teases, making you grit your teeth in response. 

“Just shut up and go downstairs,” you growl, gesturing towards the stairwell. 

“Yes ma’am,” he answers in a smug tone. As you follow him down, you can’t help but admire the tattoos on his neck peeking out from his shirt, making you think about the ones snaking down his sculpted back.

You still remember the first time you saw them. Even though you had no interest in snow sports, your friend group’s idea of renting a cabin at Aspen’s ski resort appealed to your desire for good Instagram content and cute ski town outfit inspo. 

Little did you know that this included a guy you’d never met before and when you and your girls all decided to go out and flirt in the hot tub, you were damn near speechless when a shredded man with ink winding all over his chest and abs appeared in your line of sight. 

You’d whispered to your friend, trying to get intel on the guy. The devilish grin and the way he did a quick double take when he caught your eye almost made you stop breathing. 

“That’s Gojo’s friend, Ryomen Sukuna. Good luck though, the man will kick you out once he’s done with you so he can wake up at the butt crack of dawn to go chase trout ” your friend snickered, telling you about how he was your typical Colorado outdoor buff. Because of course he was, you’re convinced his type is a regional variant of the male species. 

Well at least he was nice to look at. 

“Ahem,” Sukuna clears his throat, lurching you back to reality. 

“Sorry, did you say something?” you try to cover up your momentary lapse of attention as a result of you daydreaming about your boyfriend’s abs for the thousandth time. 

“I said I’m gonna go get my truck, it’s around the corner,” he says, striding away before you can answer. 

The summer sun is bearing down, so you move to the shade of some street trees to give you reprieve. Multiple people with their dogs pass by while you watch someone attempt to parallel park across the street. 

Soon your view is blocked by a pickup truck whose diesel motor overtakes all the sounds of the bustling neighborhood. 

Never in your wildest dreams did you see yourself dating a truck guy. Growing up, you’d always made fun of them. The bigger the truck, the smaller the dick, weak minded men overcompensating by plunging themselves into debt and vying for who could cause the most damage to the local air quality. 

Except Sukuna ended up shattering all your preconceptions when you first saw the heat he was packing between his legs.

Sure, alcohol may have been involved and you two had an ongoing feud ever since that trip where you crossed paths up in Aspen, him calling you a useless transplant and you calling him a braindead tree hugger. 

You should’ve known you already lost when the only reaction out of him was a hum of amusement as you tormented him in a bar one night about how tiny he must’ve been given his lifted truck. His crimson eyes had just watched your attempts to egg him on, a daring challenge hidden in his gaze and a smug look on his face.

Yeah, you looked like a damn fool later that night once he pinned you under him, reducing you to a whiny mess, taunting and fucking you to within an inch of your life. In group settings he always seemed to be more quiet and reserved with an air of confidence that surrounded him…well you finally learned why.

Even though you didn’t die that night, you experienced what could only be described as an epiphany as to what really could lurk beneath the facade of a man like him. 

He shut your smart mouth up that day because whenever you attempted to give him shit, he’d just stare at you, the glint in those crimson eyes indicating that you were full of shit and he had no problem railing you into submission again to remind you of how wrong you were. 

Quite frankly, deep in your subconscious, you probably wanted it. Going out of your way to sass and harass him was almost routine and if you had to guess, he sought out your sharp mouth for the same reason because it gave him an excuse to get you naked. 

But as time went on, the great sex led to morning snuggles which morphed into breakfast dates and infectious laughter. Before you knew it, you were captivated by the pictures and accounts of him climbing the surrounding mountains, stories of his most memorable fish catches, and videos of harrowing mountain bike rides that terrified you so much yet you weren’t even the one experiencing it!

His drive to be the best and constant commitment to improving his skills in all kinds of adventure activities was admirable. Plus, behind it all, he was a gentleman at heart and by the time you realized you were in too deep, it was already too late. 

“Alright, get in,” Sukuna holds the door open expectantly, meanwhile you have zoned out again.

“Aye! Brat!”

“Ah! I’m sorry!” you scurry towards the curb and climb in, ignoring Sukuna’s curious stare. 

“Are you good?” he asks as he gets in next to you, starting to drive down the street. 

“Yeah…why?” you ask, bouncing your foot nervously.

“Just seem out of it, staring off into space.”

“Oh…well, just thinking about us,” you say quietly, watching the dense city pass you by as Sukuna winds through the grid like streets. 

“Good things?” he hums.

“Ha, more like I wanna throttle you for making me do this.“

“What kind of man would I be if I didn’t force you out of your comfort zone,” he rests a large hand on your shaking thigh, stilling it. 

“A man who plays it safe and placates his girlfriend,” you huff in his direction.

Sukuna chuckles, squeezing your plush skin. Now stopped at a red light, his crimson gaze burns into you, making you look his way.

“And am I really the ‘play it safe’ type?”

“Fuck no. And I knew this going in after you showed me that video of you crashing your mountain bike,” you recall him showing you the pictures of his arms all scraped up and bleeding. 

The truck starts moving again as Sukuna turns onto the highway, now driving towards the mountains. 

“I think you like it.” 

“Hmph,” you scoff, picking at your newly manicured nails and settling in for the drive that lays before you.

About two hours later, the pavement has disappeared and is now replaced by a mix of haphazardly placed gravel and packed dirt. 

It feels like you’re driving over endless speed bumps with potholes interspersed. Where it seemed smooth was actually a washboarded mess that you swear made your bones shake.

The death grip you have on the door could crush glass, new nails digging into the rubbery plastic while the other is braced on your thigh. You press your feet into the floor as you prepare for another violent jostle of the truck given the watermelon sized rock jutting out of the ground that Sukuna seems to have no qualms about going over.

Speaking of, the man looks like he’s having the time of his life navigating the wretched “road”, eyes darting between what’s up ahead and you experiencing your existential crisis.

“Can you like, stop?” you force out, starting to feel sick like you’re in a damn boat rolling with the swells of the ocean…except there’s no water in sight. 

“Stop? Stop what?” Sukuna smirks, glancing over at you.

“The car idiot! I feel like shit,” you gasp out, fear bubbling up in your chest. Everything just feels overwhelming and overstimulating. 

“Okay, just around this curve is a nice view we can stop at,” Sukuna answers. 

It feels like an eternity but he eventually does stop. You’re so eager to touch solid ground that the scenic backdrop behind you goes unnoticed, leaping down from your seat onto shaky legs. 

The truck shuts off while you lean against it, trying to catch your breath. 

Sukuna appears by your side, a low laugh emanating from his chest that’s level with your face.

“What the fuck are you giggling about?” you bark, not looking at him, knowing damn well what it is.

“You,” he says simply because there’s never any finesse with his word choices. 

“Dick.”

“What? You’re fine, there’s literally nothing wrong with you!”

You just grit your teeth with frustration, walking away from him, blindly charging forward as the gravel crunches beneath your feet until you find yourself at the edge of a steep drop off down the hillside.

Looking up, the setting around you starts to come into focus. You’d been so focused on not losing your shit in the truck that you hadn’t noticed the landscape has changed dramatically. 

Crisp blue sky expands out in all directions, pierced by the distant greys and whites of snowcapped peaks. The stark edge of the tree line is evident where mottled browns and green end as the rugged mountain granite starts to take over. 

A light breeze caresses your skin, bringing with it the earthy scent of pine from the evergreens surrounding the clearing. What looks like the waves of the ocean is actually the tall grasses of a meadow billowing directly below where you’re standing. 

It’s…peaceful, noticing your riled up nervous system starting to relax as you let yourself take in the scene. 

A twig snaps next to you, signaling Sukuna once again returning to your side. He’s quiet, just observing the view before you both. The occasional bird chirps from some distant treetop, but other than that, it’s calm. No cars honking, no people talking, no hum of air conditioning, no dogs barking. It’s creepy in a way, not recalling a time in recent history where you could hear a pin drop. 

“Beautiful huh?” Sukuna’s deep voice breaks through the silence. 

“Yeah, it is,” you mumble, a little awestruck at it all. While you were fighting for your life in that metal tube just moments ago, this serenity was just outside. 

“What’s wrong?” he asks bluntly, hand brushing the small of your back. 

The fists you realize were clenched at your sides release just a tad. 

“Scared. I was scared, the road is just so rough and I swear you were trying to be reckless and kill us!” 

He laughs loudly at your strife, making you even more irritated at him.

“What do you think I’m gonna do? Drive us off a clif? Slice you to smithereens? I do this all the time, in fact, since I’ve been old enough to drive. You could not be in safer hands,” his smug voice goes on and on.

“Okay, I understand that. But I have not,” you reiterate, standing your ground.

Sukuna’s response is to grab your hand, tugging you back toward the truck. His strength made it impossible to resist, so you just quickened your strides to keep up with him.

“Get in, I’m gonna show you what I’m doing. Maybe then it won’t be as scary.”

You want to argue back, but instead you just get in, refusing his help as you clamber into the lifted vehicle, slamming the door behind you.

Sukuna joins you moments later, getting in and starting the engine.

“Stop pouting and pay attention,” he drawls, making you just barely flick your eyes over to what he’s doing. 

“See that rock right there in the middle of the road? It’s sticking up high enough that it might scrape the undercarriage if I try to straddle the wheels on either side and drive over. But, if I aim so that one wheel goes over it, even though it's bumpy for a moment, the undercarriage remains safe,” he explains, doing what he says as the truck shakes from the impact. 

It annoys you that it makes a lot of sense, but you do feel a little reassured knowing he’s not just causing chaos for the sake of it.

“So you’re doing it on purpose, but it’s for a reason,” you utter, uncrossing your arms and settling in. 

“Exactly. No, I’m not purposefully trying to make you uncomfortable, but I would like to not fuck up my truck and make sure I can drive you out of here at the end of the trip,” he chuckles, “wouldn’t want to have to leave you up here.”

“Why do we need to even go so far down these forest roads when campgrounds exist,” you whine, now paying more attention to his strategic maneuvers as he navigates the rough road.

“Because babe, the point is to get away from everyone else. Why would I wanna be all up close to other people? I can do that in the city, if I’m coming out here, I wanna get some peace and quiet. The place we’re going I’ve gone to since I was a kid, since before all you out of towners started flocking here in droves and making everything crowded. Plus, the rougher the road, the less likely others are gonna try and come up here.”

This isn’t the first time Sukuna, someone born and raised in the area, has commented on the influx of people moving from other states, you included. It was one of the themes for your recurring spats prior to getting together. Now, it’s more so said in jest with you teasing him relentlessly for falling for one of these horrible ‘transplants.’

“Are you not bringing a dreaded transplant up here right now?” you giggle, egging him on. 

“Tch, doesn’t count. You’re with me,” he grumbles, taking a sharp turn more carefully than before. 

Aw, how sweet, he’s learning. 

“Besides,” he continues, “if this goes on for the long haul, it would be our family’s secret spot, which would include you.”

You can’t help but observe how your stomach flutters at his words, hinting at a future for the both of you. Even though it's relatively early, you do see him as the type of man who would provide a good life for you. Even though he’s gruff and unserious at times, it’s readily apparent that he has you in mind with every decision he makes, and you may or may not have fallen to sleep thinking about a little Sukuna tearing through your apartment, a perfect combination of you both.

You’ve dated enough undesirable losers to recognize a good one when you see it and while Sukuna was more obsessed with his hobbies than finding a partner beyond a fling here and there, it was a no brainer that you were worth him settling down for.

You should really try to have a better attitude about this trip, be less combative and more easy going. It was okay to be nervous and scared, but being passive aggressive (or just straight up aggressive) wasn’t the kind thing to do when Sukuna had done so much work to prepare for this.

“Aw Kuna, getting fluffy on me?” you reach out to entwine your fingers in his while he keeps one hand on the wheel.

You can see the blush spreading down his neck and across his cheeks, clearly embarrassed of what he’d said, like he’s let some big secret accidentally slip out and taint his tough exterior.

“Shush,” he murmurs, squeezing your hand tightly. Your skin warms, his rough palm against yours enough of an answer for you. 

Sukuna turns off onto an even narrower road, flanked on either side by thick groves of aspens and pines. The sun shines through in the distance, indicating a clearing up ahead that comes to fruition after a few more minutes winding through the woods. 

What greets you is nothing short of breathtaking. A large clearing surrounded by rugged mountains rising up like amphitheater walls on all sides. A small stream also cuts through the open area, making the whole scene look like a postcard. Sukuna parks off the road in an area that looks to be packed down next to the stream and sheltered by mature evergreens. It has it all: views, solitude, a babbling brook, and an open area to set everything up.

“We’re here brat,” Sukuna beams, clearly eager to get out and enjoy the ambiance. He drops the tailgate and begins unloading large containers presumably full of camping supplies, those muscular arms of his working extra hard which have captured your attention.

“Now what?” you approach him, arms crossed, eyes darting around the clearing as you begin to feel more and more exposed, getting in your own head as you start to picture who, or better yet, what else is out here with you that you can’t see. 

“I’m gonna set you up a nice spot to get cozy, then, I’m gonna get our tent all set up,” Sukuna answers, running his fingers through his hair after setting down yet another container. He digs through one of them, pulling out a small bag and moving towards some trees adjacent to where you both stand.

You then realize he’s hanging up a hammock, strung up perfectly between the thick trunks in record time, impressing you with his speed of setup. He also sets up two camp chairs, shoving your water bottle into one of the mesh cup holders.

“You’re gonna do everything yourself? Do we have separate tents? I don’t wanna sleep alone!” you start rambling, starting to get nervous all over again.

“Yes I can set up everything, I go camping and backpacking by myself often, it’ll be fine. And yes, I'll set your sleeping bag up on the ground and I’ll be sleeping in the tent, you can keep watch first,” he answers, turning away from you to fiddle with another container. 

Your mouth drops in shock, sleeping outside in the dark by yourself?? Is he insane?

“What the fuck Sukuna! I-I-I need to sit outside alone in the night?” your voice cracks, panic beginning to set in and tears forming at the corners of your eyes.

“Well yeah, you didn’t know it’s normal to take turns guarding the camp at night?”

Then you notice his shoulders shaking, his hand cupped over his mouth. 

He’s being a little shit, a fucking liar.

“No baby, I’m kidding, you’re sleeping in the tent with me,” he snickers, pissing you off again. Looking around, you find a stick about the size of your hand and sling it at his back, making a direct hit.

“Ow!” he whips around, still grinning but confused until he sees the stick at his feet. “Did you just fucking throw that at me?!”

“Yeah I did, punishment for your mean joke you asshole!”

He just gives you the biggest smile, mouth curling up at the edges and dimples popping up as a result, a hint of pride in his gaze.

“I’m impressed, you actually touched a piece of wood,” he laughs, rubbing at his back where it collided. “Nice aim too.”

His response baffles you, expecting him to be pissed, but then you can’t help but be proud of yourself and your successful aim. You end up taking a seat in one of the chairs and just observe Sukuna milling about, setting up a folding table, throwing a small camping stove on it as well as  large jugs of water.

Your man looks like a pro at this as he throws what you assume is the tent bag down a little ways over from the car, nestled up against some of the pines. You no longer lean back and start thumbing through your book when you hear Sukuna curse loudly.

“Shit!”

You look up to see him messing with some metal rods, pulling and bending them in multiple ways before tossing them on the ground and shaking his head. Curious, you peer over your book as he walks back over to where you sit, hand raking through those messy pink locks.

“Everything good?” you probe.

“Uhh, yeah, I’m fine. Just gotta fix something real quick,” he responds gruffly, grabbing a small tool kit from one of the containers and storming back over to his pile he left behind. After watching for a few more moments, you lose interest, going back to your book. 

Every now and then you glance over to your boyfriend, clearly becoming increasingly frustrated with whatever it is he’s doing. You can’t help but giggle slightly, maybe it's payback for forcing you to go on this excursion with him, the universe’s way of saying to leave the city girl in her natural habitat. Plus, men getting mad at inanimate objects will never not be amusing.

Suddenly you feel a tickling sensation on your bare legs, like a piece of hair rubbing on your skin. Except when you look down it’s bugs, ants! Tons of them, crawling up your legs and all over your shoes.

“AHH!” you shriek, leaping up and flinging your book away as you freak out, scared to brush them off but panicking at the thought of leaving them where they are. Jumping around, shaking your legs, you screech some more, tears pooling at your eyes. 

Bugs are one of your biggest fears and to have this many on your without even knowing makes you want to burn your legs off! Sukuna leaps up, running over to you just as you’ve succeeded in brushing them all off.

“What’s wrong?” his voice is loud, looking around everywhere for the source of your strife.

“Ants! All over me!” you cry, practically leaping into his arms thinking this will save you from their assault. Sukuna stumbles, not prepared for you launching yourself at him. He quickly steadies himself, cradling you in his arms while you lock your hands around his neck, shaking violently.

Sukuna holds you tightly while crouching down where the chair was before it flipped backwards from the force of your spastic escape. 

“Oh yeah, ant hill,” he mutters, shifting you into one arm while picking up the chair in the other, transporting both over to where he is working. 

“Can I put you down now?” he asks, chuckling lightly after setting the chair down first. 

“Are there gonna be more bugs?” you blurt out, still trembling in his arms, feeling his large hand come up to rub your back in a soothing fashion. 

“Probably, we’re outside in the wilderness,” he says with a hint of sarcasm and a cheeky grin. “Put some bug spray on, I’ll go grab it.” He starts to put you down but you cling to him instead.

“Ugh, sweetheart I can’t move my arms that well,” he sighs, shifting you up and throwing you over his shoulder instead, making you squeak in surprise.

He pulls a can of spray out, patting you on the backs of the thighs before lowering you gently to the ground. You anxiously look down, staring at the tufts of grass and dirt around you, trying to scan for other hidden creepy crawlies. 

“Hold your arms out,” Sukuna instructs, moving them on his own and stepping back. You do as he says, feeling the cold liquid hit your bare skin, the sterile smell wafting up into your face. He also hits your shoes and clothes, ensuring nothing should find its way onto your body.

Sukuna gives you a quick kiss on the cheek before turning back to the tent while you plop back down into the chair he brought over. Leaning forward, you realize it's the tent poles that are giving him issues.

“What’s wrong with them?”

“Mmm, just seems like the tension wire got hung up, think I got it now though,” he says, checking them one last time before he starts assembling the tent. It's a bright yellow and teal color combo, a stark contrast to the yellowish brown grasses scattered about. Sukuna makes quick work of everything, having the tent up in just a few minutes.

He walks back to the truck to grab another container, giving you a chance to assuage your curiosity by getting up and inspecting the tent. Touching the material, it just seems so flimsy, like a nylon jacket, offering hardly any protection from anything outside. How will this keep you warm at night and protected from any creatures trying to get in?

“Are we sleeping in a sleeping bag?” you ask Sukuna as he drops another container at your feet.

“Nah, got a better setup since you were coming,” he wipes the sweat collecting on his forehead.

“Can I help you at all?” you ask, noticing he looks a little stressed.

“No, it’s easier if you just stay over there,” he points at the chair you got up from.

You can’t help but feel you are being a burden as he tries to wave you off. Retreating back to the camp chair, you sit quietly, picking at your nails while bouncing your knee absentmindedly. Fluffy clouds come and go in the bright blue sky, providing hints of shade in the summer heat. The stream provides constant background noise as it flows by, busying your thoughts.

“Wanna come see?” he calls to you, snapping you from your daze. 

You join him at the tent, noticing it’s unzipped and you can now see inside. A plush air mattress covers the floor, complete with flannel bedsheets and multiple cozy looking blankets. Full sized pillows complete the ensemble and to you it looks very comfortable. In fact, it seems leagues better than what you imagined this would be.

“Aw, that actually looks really nice!” you exclaim, not dreading bedtime as much anymore.

“Good, wanna try it out?” Sukuna asks, starting to take his shoes off. You do the same and climb into the tent, rolling onto the mattress, leaving space for Sukuna to join you. It’s actually very comfortable, even though it’s not as thick as a normal one, it’s still plenty soft and supportive, barely dipping under even Sukuna’s large frame.

“Does it meet your standards princess,” Sukuna rolls onto his side, hair tousled, studying you intently.

You wiggle your way up against his chest, his arm reaching out to hold you close.

“Mhmm, exceeds my expectations!” you burrow your face into his chest and neck, inhaling his familiar earthy, cinnamon scent mixed with musk. 

“Good, now I need to go get some wood. I shouldn’t be long, mainly just kindling to get our fire started since I brought our own big logs with me.” he nuzzles his face into your hair.

The thought of staying here alone scares you but wandering around in the woods terrifies you even more.

“Sure, I’ll just rest here if that’s okay.”

In this one millimeter thick shelter.

“Sounds good, I’m just gonna go right out there,” he gestures in the direction of the adjacent forest. Leaving behind a firm kiss on your forehead, he moves away and zips the tent back up.

“If you want to get out, just make sure you rezip it back up so bugs and shit stay out,” he demonstrates a few times.

“I understand how zippers work Sukuna,” you huff, earning you a side-eyed look from your boyfriend before he disappears.

Rolling onto your back, you stare at the ceiling of your new home for the next two nights, well maybe only one if you call it quits. This bed arrangement is quite comfortable, you have to give it to him. Obviously smaller than back home, but at least it doesn’t feel like you are sleeping on rocks. Looking around, you realize both of your duffel bags of clothes are in here as well as a little string of lights threaded around the edge of the “ceiling” as well as a small battery operated light hanging from a hook hanging from the center of the ceiling. 

Closing your eyes, you become more aware of how quiet everything is around you. The sounds of birds singing seems louder than you’ve ever heard, crisp and sharp in your ears with varying degrees of pitches. You wonder how many kinds there are contributing to the symphony. 

You pull out your phone, planning to scroll, but you quickly realize there is no service up here, not even a measly 3G network. Sighing, you just drop the phone on Sukuna’s side, staring back up at the ceiling again.

Eventually the chorus of birds quiet down until all you can hear is the wind blowing across the clearing. Your heartbeat starts to pick up, the prick of chills washing over your skin as the silence becomes more and more unnerving.

The rustle of leaves makes you jump, gasping in surprise. Then your mind starts to dive down all kinds of rabbit holes as to what could be causing it. 

You’re alone, your ripped boyfriend nowhere around. 

A bear? Mountain lion? You’ve heard stories of both, convinced that they were definitely stories of them mauling unsuspecting girls alone in the woods. The rustling gets louder and you could swear it sounds like it's coming closer.

Or, what about another person? Some deranged mountain man looking for young women to steal and drag back unconscious to some secluded cabin to do unspeakable things. 

Now you’re on the verge of tears, mind running through all these dangerous scenarios. A final loud crash of something in branches is the last straw. You open the tent, throw your shoes on, and run towards the forested area where Sukuna said he would be.

“Sukunaaaa!” you call out, jogging through the forest floor, trying to catch sight of the pink haired man somewhere among the greens and browns. The dry leaves beneath your feet crunch with each footstep, startling you constantly.

This just isn’t your scene, you’re like a fish out of water as you blindly wander around, always keeping the clearing in your sights because there’s no fucking way you were getting lost out here. Suddenly you feel your face entangled by something sticky.

Spider web!!

You scream, clawing at your skin imagining thousands of spiders now crawling all over you and inside your shirt. Ripping your shirt off seems to be the next best move to make sure nothing got down there, but in all the chaos you slip on a stick, falling straight on your ass shocking you more than anything else. The white web material is now stuck all over your hands and fingers, making you shriek again, rubbing them on your shorts, the ground, anything you can find!

Loud footsteps sound from behind you. This is it, whatever scary creature is trying to hunt you down is finally going to succeed. 

“What the hell are you doing?” Sukuna’s voice calls your name, a mix of confusion and amusement lacing his words.

He appears before you, bundles of twigs and branches in his arms as he peers down at you curiously. The tattoos on his jaw twitch as he tries to fight back a smile.

All you can respond with are tears running down your cheeks as you break into a sob, all the fear finally released now that you feel safe in his presence again.

“Baby…” he bites his lip as he watches you lose it. Placing his piles of sticks down, he crouches to your side, resting a hand on your shoulder.

“Did something happen?” he’s looking around now, trying to find the source of your breakdown.

“I-ugh, sorry,” you sniffle, trying to wipe your nose. “I just heard sounds outside the tent, so I came to find you, then just walked through like three spiderwebs-”

You start choking on your words as you cry into his shirt.

“Hmm, I see that,” he hums, starting to pick stray web pieces and leaves that ended up caught on your clothes in the shuffle. 

“I know you just wanna laugh at me and tell me how pathetic I’m being, I feel like I’m ruining the trip, I-”

His hand covers your mouth, making your breath hitch in surprise.

“Hush! I said no such thing. Okay yeah it’s a little humorous, but you aren’t ruining anything,” Sukuna says softly, sitting down in front of you. “If anything, I’d say I’m proud of you for doing something so foreign to you and so outside of your comfort zone. Are some of your reactions funny? I mean yeah, but you’re cute and that’s why I like you.”

Your heart swells with his encouragement, feeling like less of a failure and a burden.

“Really?” you sniffle again, peering up into his crimson gaze, eyes that you realized you could drown in a thousand times, perfectly content with never finding solid ground again as long as he was there.

Sukuna wraps an arm around your shoulders, pulling you tighter against him. 

“Yes brat. The only thing that’s annoyed me so far was myself breaking a tent pole, you had nothing to do with that.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier though if I was more of an outdoorsy nature girl? You could have more fun that way, wouldn’t need to be showing me the ropes for everything,” you mutter, noticing your legs are just coated in dirt now.

He chuckles lightly. “When have you ever known me to take the easy way out? I love a challenge, live for the thrill of taking a risk and watching it be so worth it when it’s all said and done.”

He holds your shoulders up so he’s looking into your eyes. “I knew you weren’t going to be a natural at this. I’m enjoying showing you something I enjoy, love the idea of teaching you about it all and watching you learn. I’m right where I need to be, don’t sit here and try to tell me what’s best for me either. I’m an arrogant bastard and I already know, and that’s you.”

His response makes you want to cry all over again, but in happiness not fear or embarrassment. It’s why you like him too, for similar reasons. He’s an enigma, a person whose world you aren’t familiar with in the slightest, but who is nonetheless intriguing and the more layers you peel back, the perceived preconceptions become more and more palatable, even sweet enough to stick around for seconds.

“I like watching you too, it’s impressive how you just know how to do everything,” you say with a hint of shyness.

“Good, now just let me take care of you. I promise I will get you out of here in one piece, some of the stories I could tell you of the situations I’ve been thrown into…this is nothing,” he starts to stand up, pulling you up with him. 

“Wait, what kinds of things are you talking about?” you ask, curious as to what he means.

“Let’s save them for campfire stories, it’ll be dark in a little bit and I wanna get this fire made and make us some dinner,” he says, picking up his wood bundles, handing a few to you to hold.

He leads the way back out to the campsite, dumping the sticks down near a patch of scorched earth. The bushes begin shaking again, the scuttle of leaves from earlier is back again. You instinctively wince, staring at the spot until two squirrels tumble out, making you exhale with relief.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the reason my girlfriend busted her ass out in the woods,” Sukuna gestures at the small rodents chasing each other through the meadow.

“I hate you,” you chuckle, shaking your head.

Sukuna comes back over with a small axe and shovel and starts to dig a hole out, lining the edge with stones from around the clearing.

“Lessens the risk of a rogue flame getting out and catching something on fire. Plus, sitting down in this depression, I could cover it with dirt or something if it got out of hand,” he explains while snapping the branches and twigs he collected, building everything up into a pyramidal shape similar to a small pyre you’d see in a movie.

The sun has disappeared behind the tall peaks, casting long shadows across the clearing. Even though there’s still likely a couple hours of daylight, you can feel the air cooling off rapidly, making you eager for the heat of the flames. You head back over to the tent to grab a jacket, freezing in your tracks when you realize you never closed it when you ran off earlier. 

It was Sukuna’s one request of you!

Sure enough, there are bugs all over the walls of the tent now. You have to go tell on yourself…

“Sukuna?” you call to him when he comes back from the car with some matches and a lighter.

“Hmm?” he sets his things down and comes over to you.

“Heh, you left the tent open didn’t you?” he chuckles, making you giggle as well. “It’s fine, I’ll handle it. But I guess you want something out of here huh?”

You nod, feeling a little embarrassed. Sukuna hands you your duffle bag from inside, letting you fish out one of his big, flannel sweaters that you’ve stolen at some point during the time you’ve been together.

“I should complain about you swiping my shit, but you look good in my clothes, so I’m gonna keep my mouth shut,” he says with a twitch of his lips, eyes roving over how the sweater hits the top of your thighs, sleeves chunky and oversized, cuffed at your wrists.

Sukuna retreats back to the fire pit, kneeling down to adjust everything one more time before striking a match and dropping it onto the pile of kindling.

“Were you a boy scout?” you walk up behind him, pulling one of the camp chairs over.

“For a little while,” he answers, moving around his wood arrangement to better catch the small flames crackling up from the kindling. The fire continues to grow and grow, reaching a point that seems to meet Sukuna’s standards. The warmth is a godsend on your bare legs in the cool dusk air. 

“Move over here,” he shakes the chair, making you get up. “The wind is gonna blow the smoke on you if you stay right there.”

You let him guide you to a different spot around the fire, sitting back down when he seems satisfied. The smokey scent wafts up combining with the smell of cedar wood from the burning logs. Sounds of nighttime creatures faintly start to sound, growing steadily louder as the sun goes down. The harmony of crickets, frogs, and all other small creatures combined with the lapping of the stream creates a comforting white noise, interrupted only by the occasional crackle and pop of the fire. 

Huddling deeper into Sukuna’s sweater, you inhale his familiar scent from the fabric, a comforting feeling washing over you. Speaking of, you turn around and see him playing camp chef behind you at the set of folding tables from earlier. He’s still in his short sleeved fishing shirt and shorts, but then again you can rarely pinpoint times you’ve seen him in thick cold weather clothes. Even the times your friend group hung out in the winter ,you caught sight of him maybe twice with a heavy coat on.

Whenever you spend the night together, you sometimes end up needing to push him away in the night, especially at his place that doesn’t have good air conditioning to keep yourself from burning up. He’s a damn furnace, perfect for a night like tonight in the mountains, but not so much back in the city. 

Glancing up, you catch a glimpse of yellows and pinks streaking across the sky, all leading to an orangish-red glow blooming out from behind the mountains. You can’t recall ever seeing such a spectacular sunset!

“Sukuna! Look!” you call to him, pointing at the explosion of color. 

You grab your phone, snapping a picture that comes out more beautiful than you expected. Turning towards chef Kuna, you take another picture without him knowing, his silhouette perfectly set in front of the twilight heavy sky, spikey pink hair dark against the pinkish hues in the sky.

“Dinner time brat,” Sukuna looks in your direction just as you are fumbling to put your phone away. “Were you just taking a picture of me?”

“Ummm maybe,” you feel your cheeks heat up, averting your gaze. “It looked cool with the sunset and all.”

He smirks at your response, but doesn’t say more, opting to hand you a plate of food instead. Corn, beans, and a perfectly grilled hot dog are ready for you to devour, realizing now how hungry you were. Sukuna grabs a similar plate, moving towards the fire where you were sitting.

Everything is delicious, very fitting for a camping dinner. You and Sukuna joke back and forth while sitting around the fire with Sukuna absolutely demolishing four hot dogs compared to your one. The man can eat!

He can also cook, one of the more surprising things you learned about him when you started hanging out, sometimes opting to cook you a dinner rather than taking you both out. It was more intimate and relaxed, which sometimes was better than fighting the traffic to some hip, overpriced restaurant. 

After he puts everything away, he comes back with an outdoor type blanket and lays it down next to the fire, tossing marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate bars down in the grass. 

“Dessert time, plus I wanna sit closer to you than we could in those damn chairs,” he sprawls out on one side. He grabs two of the branches from earlier and pulls out his pocket knife, starting to sharpen the tips.

“What’re you doing?” you ask, lowering yourself down next to him, the heat of the fire still warming your body. 

“Making something to roast the marshmallows with. Then, s’mores.”

S’mores! You’ve tried one before, but they always seem like they are the quintessential outdoor snack that’s in movies and books.

“I’ve never made one before. A s’more I mean,” you mumble, making Sukuna jerk his head to look at you in surprise.

“Whaaaat? I’ll be your first? Taking your s’mores virginity?” he teases, elbowing you in the side.

“I mean this whole trip is a first technically, so yeah, add that to the list of first times,” you roll your eyes, watching him begin to sharpen the second stick like the first.

“So honored you waited for me,” he replies, pretending to clutch at his chest.

“Oh shut up, if anything you coerced me into this,” you slap his thigh making the both of you fall into a fit of laughter.

“Alright, they’re done,” Sukuna grabs both sticks, handing one to you. He opens all the supplies, grabbing a big, fluffy marshmallow from the bag.

“Watch and learn from the master,” he jokes, shoving the treat onto the sharp end. “So if you just want it lightly toasted, hold it further back near the smaller flames. This way it won’t catch on fire,” he demonstrates, avoiding the fire for the most part. “But if you like some char, get that shit up in the fire,” he exclaims, shoving the end into the heart of the flames, the marshmallow igniting in seconds.

Sukuna pulls it back towards him, a gentle flame burning the white substance, spreading around the other sides of the treat. You grimace at the thought of the fire being so close to you, but he soon blows it out, leaving behind a brownish char on the once white marshmallow. 

“Ta-da,” he hums, sandwiching the marshmallow with chocolate and graham crackers until it looks like a little sandwich. “Try it,” he hands it over to you.

It looks so odd and feels even weirder in your hands, everything squishy but held together by the melted sweets. You take a big bite, the crunch of the cracker soon relieved by the soft chocolate and marshmallow interior. 

So sweet. So delicious! Whoever decided to combine these three things was onto something.

“Wow, that's so good!” you exclaim, not even waiting for his response to take another bite.

“Fuck yeah it is. Hold on, got something here,” he leans toward you, swiping the side of your mouth with his thumb. He presents it to you, covered in melted chocolate.

“What are you expecting me to do with that?” you arch a brow at him before sucking it into your mouth, swirling your tongue along the skin of his thumb, tasting both the sweat of the day and the sweet chocolate on the tip. Hollowing your cheeks, you nibble on his knuckle, soothing it immediately with a swipe of your tongue, hearing a light gasp from Sukuna in response.

With a loud pop, you release him from your mouth. Lidded eyes meet yours and his parted lips are frozen in an “O”.

“Shit baby, have some mercy using that mouth of yours,” Sukuna utters, jaw clenched with a faint blush spreading across his cheeks. He leans back on his arms, watching you as you finish up the s’more he made.

“Want me to make you one?” you ask innocently, knowing damn well you just reduced this man to mush right before your eyes.

“Uh, yeah, let’s see whatcha got,” his husky voice answers, handing you one of the sticks. 

You do what he did earlier, letting the flames lick at the marshmallow, eventually igniting. Gingerly you pull the stick back towards you, mesmerized by the small flame, before you lightly blow it out, the scent of char and smoke wafting up. Sandwiching it between the chocolate and crackers, you smash it all together before handing it to Sukuna. 

“Pretty good,” Sukuna says after swallowing his first bite. He quickly finishes the rest, tossing the sticks to the side.

“You all riled up now?” you tease him, noticing that he keeps fidgeting with his shorts and running his fingers through his hair. 

He just stares at you, his red eyes reflecting the dancing flames, skin illuminated by the orangish glow the fire is giving off. His nose and hair are casting shadows across his face, sharp cheekbones even more prominent in the dim light.

“What do you think?” he chuckles before abruptly standing up. “I’m going to get changed, you want some sweats?”

“Yes please,” you nod, realizing the fire wasn’t enough to warm your bare legs anymore. 

Sukuna is back in a flash in his own sweat pants and a hoodie, tossing you a pair of pants. You quickly change into them, feeling all comfortable and cozy in his oversized sweater and your roomy sweats. 

“Come here,” he utters, pulling on you before you can even respond. You settle into his lap, noticing just how worked up he was given the hard bulge under your ass. 

“You’ve been working hard all day, why don’t you just relax a bit,” you whisper against his neck as he pulls you closer. Sukuna’s breath hitches as you start to trail soft kisses along his throat, focusing on the sensitive spot beneath his ear, earning a low groan from the rugged man. 

He doesn’t speak, just tips your chin up so he can capture your lips in a needy kiss. Sukuna nips at your lower lip, causing his tongue to invade your mouth when you gasp in surprise. His arms wrap around your back, holding you steady while he hungrily kisses you, tongue ensnaring yours, trapping you in a desperate rhythm like he can’t live without it.

Your back heats up when he pulls you against him to straddle his hips, now facing away from the fire towards a different kind of heat. The kind that flares up quickly and can only be tamed by you.

Sukuna releases his hold on you, leaning back on his hands and letting you move as you wish. His lidded eyes look almost black from his dilating pupils, a lazy grin tugging at his lips as you force your own tongue into his mouth. The sweet taste of chocolate envelopes your senses when his tongue meets yours. He’s not running, if anything, he seeks yours out as you trace along his gums and teeth, groaning whenever you nip at his lips.

Your fingers thread through his hair, twisting into his pink locks as he hisses at the sharp tug. With more of his neck exposed, you move down to his adam's apple, running your tongue along the prominent bump, causing him to swallow hard. 

“Fuck…” he groans as you start to suck on the sensitive skin just below his jaw, feeling him quiver below you. He hisses through his teeth when you grind yourself against the bulge in his sweats, nipping at his skin when you feel him pressed against your clothed core. You move off of his lap, guiding him to lay down next to the fire. 

You push his hoodie up just enough to see his lower abs, continuing your fiery trail of kisses down to his waistband, licking along the edge of his boxers. His hips jerk as you drag your teeth across his sharp V lines, feeling every ridge and sharp edge of his toned abdomen beneath your touch. 

With your whole side exposed to the fire now, your body heats up even more and soon you are wanting to tear his sweats down and suck him off right out in the open. 

Unsure of how he’ll respond, you coax his hips up as you pull his sweats and boxers down, freeing his thick cock from its confines and exposing his slutty ringed thigh tattoos.

“Sukuna, is this okay? Out in the op-”

“Yes…god just suck my cock baby, or do whatever you are gonna do. I don’t fuckin’ care, just want you,” his raspy voice makes you want it more, so thick with need and desperation. 

Grabbing the base of his shaft, you start to run your tongue along his length, base to tip as you softly talk to him.

“Took such good care of me today Kuna didn’t you?” you say as you swirl your tongue around his sensitive head.

“Ugh, fuck. Ye-yeah, I did,” he forces out when you kiss his tip. Glancing up, the light flickers across his face as the fire continues to burn.

“Deserves to be rewarded, hmm?” you suck just the tip between your lips, a spurt of pre-cum coating your mouth as he groans in response.

“Mhmm,” he can’t even talk as you swirl your tongue along the edge of his defined head, stopping to suckle on the sensitive area just below his slit you know he loves. 

He’s fucking trembling beneath you as if fighting every force threatening to crumble his restraint. Each teasing stroke of your tongue along the ridges of his prominent veins has his breaths becoming more and more ragged. 

Glancing around makes you realize just how alone the two of you are, everything dark except for this one oasis of light from the campfire. Even if someone far away saw the light, they wouldn’t know what you were doing to your boyfriend. The thought of someone watching turns you on though, albeit unlikely. 

You turn your attention back to Sukuna’s cock, now glistening with your saliva and dripping precum, just begging to be lodged in the back of your throat. 

Which you do, making Sukuna gasp in surprise.

“Baby fuuuuuck,” he moans, fingers digging into the blanket and bunching it up near your knees as you slacken your jaw to accommodate his size. 

As an independent woman from the city, you always liked to think there’s an air of class about you, that the thought of getting on your knees for a man out in the woods was out of the question and beneath you.

For him though? 

You’d do anything. Even choke and sputter on your tattooed man’s cock by the light of a fire, the only witnesses being him and the twinkling stars above. A moment only remembered by you and Sukuna because he knows you’d have his balls on a silver platter if he ran his mouth.

And there was no fucking way he would risk losing this. Never before had he felt fucking worshipped by a woman, not until he found you; sharp minded with an even sharper mouth, challenging and surprising him at every turn. 

He fucking folded for you. 

Even now, he could overpower you, fuck your face and bully his cock down your throat, have tears streaming down your face while you take every inch of him.

He didn’t dare disrupt your show though, like you said, he’d done enough today. Sukuna knew you were more than capable of working his cock in the ways he loved, there was no reason to interrupt. It’d be a shame to miss out on seeing the way your lashes fluttered when you made eye contact with him, the way you slowly worked him into your throat, sheer determination in your movements making him know how badly you wanted to please him. 

You feel him become incredibly hard, abs and hips tensing up as he nears his release.

“Fuck, baby, s’close. Jus’ like that,” he groans as you take him even deeper, gagging on his hard length until you feel the first hot rope coat your throat. Each jerk of his hips fills your mouth with his seed as you feel his veins pulse against your tongue, swallowing every drop he gives you.

You’d never waste it. 

His body starts to release all the tension, loosening up beneath you once he has no more left to give. He just lays on his back, eyes glued to the sky like he just caught a glimpse of heaven.

You move to his side, looking down at your boyfriend. The fire has burned most of itself out, now reduced to the remains of the large logs from before and a pile of hot coals. Snuggling against him, you try to consume some of his body heat in the chilly night air. 

Silently you lay together, his arm wrapped around your waist, head resting on his chest. He still hasn’t bothered to pull his pants back up, so fucked out he hasn’t yet descended back to earth. 

You can’t get over how bright the stars are, noticing it for the first time. Even the empty space between the brightest ones give way to faint white spots, suggesting every square inch of the fabric of space might actually be filled with stars, even though they’re too faint to see with the naked eye. 

It’s beautiful, cold, and empty.

But you’re thankful to be here with Sukuna, experiencing it all. 

A fire in the darkness, providing warmth and comfort in this desolate world. Sure the flames may fade over time, but the coals will remain, burning hot for years to come, not extravagant, but still providing that heat you yearn for.

“I love you Sukuna.” 

The words slip from your mouth, vulnerable but true, the only sound to be heard now that even the crickets have died down for the night, the entire clearing now focused on your confession.

He shifts next to you, the first sign of coherence since he finished. Pulling his pants back up, he turns on his side, now facing you.

“Say it again.” he demands with softness in his voice, cupping your cheek.

“I love you,” you whisper with a hard swallow, curious as to how he’ll respond.

He gives you a sincere smile.

“I love you too,” he voice is scratchy, slowly closing his eyes before opening them again.

You can’t suppress the giggle that bubbles up from your chest, feeling all giddy knowing he feels the same way. 

Sukuna’s tattooed jaw moves as he smiles with genuine affection. He moves to plant a loving kiss on your lips, then your cheek, and finally your forehead.

“Tired?” he asks, stroking your cheek with the backs of his fingers.

“Mhmm,” you yawn, not having a clue what time it is, but just knowing you want to snuggle up under the blankets until sleep finally claims you both. It’s odd like that out here, driven by feeling alone, not bound by any schedule or numbers on a screen.

He carries you to the tent, laying you down on the mattress before tucking you in with all the blankets he packed.

“I’ll be back, just gotta put the fire out and pack the food away,” he says to you, a longing look in his eyes like he can’t bear to leave you alone now. 

“Hurry back,” your groggy voice is heavy with sleep. 

You’re not sure how much time passes, but the unzipping of the tent alerts you of his presence. The mattress dips under his weight as he reaches up to tinker with the small lights illuminating the space. 

“I’ll leave them on, but just dim them,” his deep voice assures you, glad to not be plunged into darkness.

He pulls you close, the bare skin of his chest brushing against your cheek as he settles behind you. Sukuna tucks a stray hair behind your ear, kissing your cheek one more time. 

“Love you,” he whispers, nuzzling his face into your hair.

“Love you too,” you murmur, teetering on the precipice of sleep. You close your eyes smiling, not realizing that Sukuna has the exact same one plastered on his face as you both fall asleep. 

You’ll both forever treasure this little summer vacation, which in the beginning seemed like a huge mistake, but in reality, ended up being one of the best times of your life.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this little story! Thank you again to @lily-bisque for hosting this adorable event!

Masterlist

White Lily

🪷Now White Lily herself understood staying up late for passion projects

🪷The problem is that you stay up all night and have no energy when you need to wake up

🪷There have been multiple times where she has to search the whole kingdom to try and find you because you fall asleep in such obscure spots

🪷One day she confronted you about it and suggested that she help you sleep

🪷 Ever since then you've been able to sleep a bit earlier

🪷 the problem’s not completely fixed but it'll have to work

🪷For now, we'll stick with baby steps

Golden Cheese

💰She had seen you fall asleep midday so many times that she's genuinely not surprised anymore

💰In fact, other cookies had started betting on what time her radiance would find you every afternoon

💰Sadly she's also a bit guilty of placing a bet here and there on it

💰”Okay people, do we have a 5 gold bet, FIVE GOLD TO THE GENTLEMAN OVER THERE, can I get 15, 15 anyone? AND SOLD TO MOZZARELLA COOKIE!”

💰And the crowd goes wild

💰But after a bit, even with all the money she's making from it, she tells you that you might wanna start sleeping a little bit earlier

💰 Preferably in a bed so that she can take the gold, but nonetheless, she's happy to help you take on that task

Hollyberry

🍓Oh boy is she concerned.. .

🍓Poor Hollyberry is stressing trying to figure out what it is that is keeping you asleep midday so often.

🍓She's checked in for sicknesses like flu’s and stomach bugs and diseases of all kinds

🍓That was until she found you in your room one night working hard in your sketchbook

🍓”Dearest? What are you doing?” she had lightly chuckled, eyes tired

🍓You looked over, blush running to your face. “I-I’m drawing” you smiled sheepishly

🍓”Alright, just please go to bed at a reasonable time tonight”

🍓At that was all she said before going back to bed. At least now she knew the issue, but that's a future Hollyberry thought

When you got invited by Charles for two weeks in Greece, he weirdly failed to mention that Oscar, their girlfriends and Carlos would be there as well.

You dropped your bags near the sofa in the living room of the villa they had rented out with a sigh. You were sweaty, and tired from the journey. The ceilings were high, the stone white, a strange mixture of modernity and classic architecture.

You slouched on the sofa with a contended sigh and enjoyed the coolness. Alas it was short-lived because you heard a familiar Spanish accent getting closer, muttering something about the cool swimming pool. You sat straight up on the couch, mouth agape, raising your arms in disbelief.

You turned to shoot daggers at Charles who stood a few feet away, conveniently staring at is phone with exaggerated focus.

“Seriously?” you muttered under your breath, standing up to grab your bags and move upstairs. You purposefully ignored Carlos, who had just entered the room, his attire consisting of shorts and an unclad torso.

“What, you got something to say, tontita?”

That goddamn smirk already irked you. Your eyes settled on him, briefly flickering all over him. He would deny it but his pulse very briefly halted under your scrutiny. Charles swiftly walked out of the room, sensing the tension building.

Bastard.

“Don't start with the pet names” you rolled your eyes and made your way to the stairs.

“Wait, no, let's talk.”

You turned to look back at him. For the first time since you two ever talked, he sounded serious. Much too serious for your liking. You dropped the bags to your feet again. You watched him remove his sunglasses and slide them on top of his hair with practiced ease. He stepped a little closer, still at arms length but your breath hitched from the proximity. His own faltered slightly when you looked up at him. It was hard to ignore his broad shoulders and the way his tan skin glistened even in the indoors.

“Why do you hate me?” the curiosity in his voice and his big brown eyes made the question sound so innocent.

You froze. You hadn't expected him to ask you that. Like, ever. You thought there was a quiet understanding between the two of you, one that said don't piss me off and I won't bite. You shifted your balance from one foot to the other.

“I-” you cleared your voice. “I don't… hate you.” you rolled your eyes again, the choice of word evidently bugging you.

“So, what is it?” he said calmly, his eyes still searching your face for something, anything that would give it away. His brows knitted in an adorably confused way.

“You-” you sighed, getting agitated. Not even one hour here and he already got on your nerves. “I don't know, Sainz, I just… have a hard time with your vibe. You-”

“My vibe?” he cut you off, scoffing.

“Yeah, you know-”

“No, I don't, actually.” he cut you off once more, leaning in slightly, his head down to really look at you, fully invested in this.

“I mean this! We just… don't get along. I just… don't think our personalities really match. Don't take it personally” you shrugged, trying not to read too much into his frown.

“You're making it awfully hard to not take it personally, chiquita”.

For a second, a pang of guilt surged through you.

Then you see it. The way his lips twitched a little. The way he concealed a smirk that threatened to split his face any second now. You sighed, shoulders dropping, realizing he isn't hurt at all.

He is enjoying this!

“Yeah, ok, let's just forget about it”.

You grabbed your bags and made your way up the stairs. He stayed in place, full-on grinning, and you felt acutely aware of his eyes on your back. Heat crawled up your cheeks as you tried your best not to think about the way he had been looking at you. His brown eyes flickering over your face and body like you were a curiosity he enjoyed poking.

And maybe, just maybe, the proximity had sent a jolt still coursing through your body.

Maybe.

The sun is beginning to set when you're getting ready with the girls for the night.

“So, plan is restaurant then clubbing” explains Lily as she looks at the dress you decided to wear, a simple strapless long black dress. “Yeah, that's perfect” she nods, an approving twinkle in her eye.

You dab a tiny bit of more blush on your cheeks and with one last glance in the mirror, head out of the villa with the girls.

When you step outside to meet the other three boys, you dismiss the flip in your stomach at the sight of Carlos in a white shirt, sleeves rolled up and basic dark blue jeans. He, on the other hand, pretends he hasn't briefly stopped talking to Charles when his eyes land on you.

Who would've thought you could look this good?

At the restaurant, you sit between Alexandra and Lily, Carlos facing you next to Charles and the others. You focus on your conversations with the girls but his presence is overwhelming, impossible not to notice. You do your best to avoid looking at him but you catch him looking at you more than once.

You hate the way your stomach churns in response, and when the food arrives, you can hardly take a few bites. Carlos, who has been observing you for the last ten minutes, notices your unease. He leans in his seat, propping his arms on the table. The others are talking to one another (and over one another) but you catch his voice in the hubbub.

“You ok?”

You glance up at him.

“Yeah” your voice is a little breathless.

He observes you for a second before leaning in a little bit more. You lean in as well, pure instinct, and wait for him to speak.

“Is it about this morning? ‘Cus really I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable-“

“No, no” you clear your voice, heat creeping up your cheeks.

His expression shifts, like for the first time since you’d met, he sees something else. You feel naked under his eyes and you hate it, and hate him.

“Your hands are fidgeting again” his eyes briefly flicker to your hands before locking back into your eyes. “You always do that when you’re nervous”.

When did he notice that? Your breath catches, lips parting in surprise. It wasn’t like the two of you had spent a lot of time together, let alone enough time to notice each others’ habits.

He was about to speak again but Lily nudged you to get your attention and ask you something. Carlos immediately leaned back on his chair, chuckling at something Charles said. But the surrounding noise drowned around you, your eyes stuck on your friend but your mind narrowing on Carlos’ presence in front of you.

Afterwards, you all went to a nearby club. You went to the bar with Alexandra and Carlos to get everyone a drink. When you ordered yours, Carlos sent you a look.

You turned to him, while you waited for the drinks.

His face. That knowing look. That dangerous flicker in his eyes. There it was again, the hatred you felt for him. That superior look, the one that said I’m better than you, you couldn’t afford me. The stress you’d felt following your earlier encounter melted away, the familiar anger coursing through you again.

This feels better. This feels safe.

“What?” you rolled your eyes, bracing yourself for whatever joke was on the tip of his tongue.

“You shouldn’t drink too much. You haven’t eaten enough”.

That's it. No sarcasm, no chuckle, no infuriating pet name.

He chuckles at your deer-caught-in-the-headlights look. This is your second one tonight.

You all made your way back to the group with the drinks. You managed to loosen up and dance with the girls, laughing at the jokes the boys were cracking. But even with the lights, the darkness, the rhythm of the bass reverbating through your body, Carlos was always somewhere in the back of your mind. Seldom in your vicinity yet overly present.

But you didn’t really talk for the rest of the night. You mostly danced and talked with the girls, never glancing his way. You didn’t see the way he tensed up whenever another man hovered too closely to you. You didn’t notice how his eyes would search the crowd whenever he thought he’d lost you. And you certainly didn’t see his eyes trailing behind you when you made your way to the toilets, and how his shoulders would relax the minute he’d see you coming back safely.

The next few days went by in a breeze. You had mostly been spending time at the villa’s swimming pool with the girls, taking Instagram-worthy pictures of your outfits, the three of you and the sights.

Today, though, you were all out and about around Athens. Ice cream in hand, you window shopped with the girls while the boys walked a little ahead of you three.

When you all stopped in front of a store, your voice rose to call the boys. They all stopped and followed suit, grateful for the breeze of air conditioners inside.

You went your separate ways, to check some dresses. A particularly pretty one with gorgeous patterns and of a soft pastel blue caught your eye. You stopped, and took it off the shelf. You observed, silent and focusing. You imagined yourself wearing it, too lazy to actually try it on in a cabin, when you felt a presence.

Your head snapped up. Carlos was standing to your right, eyes pinned on you.

“Jesus” you sighed, bringing a hand to your chest. “You startled me”

“I tend to do that”, he shrugged with a pleased look before taking a few steps closer.

“It's pretty, you should take it” he added.

“I don't know, my suitcase is already full…” you trailed off, eyes glued to the dress.

He shrugged. You put it back in the shelf and walked back to the group. You felt Carlos' steps behind you but neither of you spoke.

You had joined the group, and were out of the shop when Charles stopped mid step.

“Where is Carlos?” he asks, peering around.

The brunette appears like he has been summoned, stepping out of the shop in pure Carlos fashion: sunglasses on, sleeves rolled up, a shopping bag hanging loosely from his hand. You hadn't seen him disappear in the shop.

It was so hot outside you all decided to head back to the villa and take a dive in the pool. You played games, snacking on chips and salads while some of you tried to cook tonight's dinner. Eventually, you decided to step out of the pool to go take a shower and change for tonight.

Once you got to the second floor, you caught Carlos sneaking out of the girls room. Your room. He froze for a second before recovering, his shit-eating grin splitting his face again.

“All good?” he asked casually like you hadn't just caught him sneaking out of your room.

You narrowed your eyes suspiciously. “Yeah…” it sounded more like a question. But he went downstairs without adding anything else and you hurried inside the room, freezing by the entrance.

You took a long, scrutinizing glance. Nothing had moved, nothing had changed. Your suitcase was as it had been, the room as messy as when you had left earlier. You fully stepped inside and that's when you saw it. On your bed, the shopping bag you'd seen Carlos with.

You opened it.

It was the blue dress you'd liked. In your size, too.

Your pulse quickened as you swallowed on air. Why would he buy it for you? You went to the window and saw him in the swimming pool, laughing and talking like he hadn't just shaken your world. Like he hadn't been messing with your head since the beginning of this retreat. Like he wasn't the guy you hated with all your guts.

You tore yourself away from the window, panic rising a little in you and took your shower. By the end of it, you chose to ignore this, whatever this was. Maybe he was just trying to be friendly. Maybe, you'd been too honest on the first day and genuinely hurt him. Or, maybe, you were right and he was just mean, and fucking with you.

But when you put it on, you couldn't deny he had been right. It really is a pretty dress. And it really does suit you.

You went downstairs just in time for dinner. Charles and Carlos were sprawled on the couch while Alexandra, Lily and Oscar set the table.

Carlos' head snapped up on pure instinct, like he could feel your presence. His fingers, which had been aggressively tapping on his screen, froze mid movement as his eyes went wide. But it was so brief you'd almost missed it. Almost.

A pleased smirk tugged at his lips as he stared back at his screen and resumed typing, like he hadn't just seen a vision. Like it didn't mean anything. Like offering you an expensive dress wasn't as fucked up as your brain seemed to make it out to be.

You joined and helped the others to set the table by the pool. When you called the others, Carlos sat beside you, like he had a right to, his dark hair popping out like a vision against the white of the stone walls.

In less than 10 seconds, the table was filled with chatter and laughs, the clinking of glasses and forks. It felt nice, homely… familiar.

But when Carlos leaned closer, your body tensed up.

His lips hovered near your ear when he said, voice low, “you look really good”. A shiver went down your spine. You turned to look at him.

What a fucking mistake.

His eyes, darker than usual, locked into yours with determination and something softer. He wasn't smiling, wasn't pulling your leg, wasn't pranking you. He was genuine.

Somehow, it made matters worse.

Warmth fluttered low in your stomach as you swallowed, steadying your breath.

“I told you I don't have enough room in my suitcase…” you managed to say back, trying to sound casual.

He shrugged. “I'll put it in mine, it's fine”.

No it's not fine, you wanted to scream. You have no right to turn my world upside down like that, no right to call me out on my hatred for you only to turn it into something else, not right to be this kind.

“Carlos…” you only managed to say.

He tilted his head, his pulse quickening at the sound of his name coming from your lips. But the others burst out laughing and both of you turned away from one another to talk with the others.

“Ok, ok, now. Open question” Alex warned. Whatever game they had been playing for the last few minutes, you now had to join in on it. “Is it better to be in a relationship or to be single?”.

“Aww, come on, so unfair!” pouted Charles.

“What in the rubbing salt in the wound is that?” scoffed Oscar, disbelieving.

And while they complained about the question, you all reluctantly began searching for an answer.

“No, but it's actually really unfair because the only two persons that are single are, like, me and y/n” said Carlos next to you.

Your heart skipped a beat at the sound of your name coming from his lips.

“I'll say single though” you shrugged, playing it cool.

His head snapped to you as the other friends leaned in in their chair, curious.

“Come on, chiquita, you're lying” said Sainz, disbelieving. “Everyone enjoys being in a relationship. Nobody likes feeling alone and unloved” he shook his head.

“First of all, just because you're single doesn't mean you're unloved. Second of all, dating in this era of men who act like princesses, no thank you and-”

“No, no, no” he immediately cut you off, propping his elbow on the back of his chair to turn more directly to you. Here we go again… “Men don't behave like princesses. Immature boys do”.

“Whatever, same old same old. Nobody's willing to sacrifice their ego nowadays. No 'man' …” you spat the word, “actually treats their partner like their most precious gift. Romance, and I mean true romance, absolute yearning-poetry-level romance, is dead” you shrugged, taking a sip of your drink, proud of your tirade.

The others chuckled, enjoying the sparring match.

“Who hurt you, cariño?”.

Your head snapped to Carlos. You ignored the heat overcoming you at the nickname. His voice had dropped lower, his expression unreadable. No smile, no joking edge in his voice.

So you did what you did best whenever Carlos caught you off guard, which he was beginning to do more and more often lately. You quipped back.

“Not everyone is a famous F1 driver with looks everybody fawn over” you narrowed your eyes, something like jealousy flickering in them. “You don’t know what it’s like for random women who don’t happen to be a model or famous whatsoever to find someone who truly loves them. Of course you have everyone fawning over you! You’re worldwide famous. And I know it’s a foreign concept for you, Sainz, but not all of us are.”

He leaned back in his chair, nodding once very slowly and while he remained silent, his eyes kept scanning you, like he was reassessing the data he had filed about you and started seeing you in a different light. Silence befell the table. You knew something had shifted because of you.

So you gracefully leaned over the table to look more directly into your friends’ eyes, and added with a playful smirk:

“But I will concede that being with someone is great for the sex” you winked.

The group erupted in laughter and cheers.

“That’s our girl!” laughed Lily as you high fived Alexandra over the glasses and bottles as best you could.

Carlos couldn’t conceal his smirk but he knew you had meant what you said earlier. He understood you better, now. Like it partly explained why you had so much disdain for him for all these years.

The banter and conversation kept flowing until very late in the night. When you stood up to bid everybody goodnight, you did your best not to read too much into the way Carlos’ eyes bore into yours. Like he was searching for something deeper now that you had opened up a little bit. Like he could almost read into your soul, if you so much as opened the door a little more.

A few idle and tranquil days passed by during which nothing much happened yet something shifted between Carlos and you. You didn’t avoid one another anymore, didn’t keep the conversations short and polite, the looks scarce and brief. You acknowledged one another. You talked. You also began cracking jokes together, much to everybody else’s surprise.

You're stepping out of the sea when a young man around your age approaches you. Your friends are either sitting or sprawled on beach chairs, reading or scrolling, a few feet away. You'd just got out of a short swim, Carlos' eyes no longer on his book but taken by your graceful movements, the sway of your hips, the way your bikini hugs your figure in just the right way. That's when he sees it.

He sees him.

He immediately sits up right in his chair. Alexandra, startled, follows his gaze.

“Wow, someone's getting hit on!” she says appreciatively.

“Is he bothering her?” Carlos immediately quips back, brows furrowing.

Alex looks confused. “She's laughing, I don't think she is, Carlos”.

But his gaze never leaves your figure. You're talking eagerly to one another and he starts thinking about whether or not he should step in when the guy brings his phone out.

His stomach drops. You look like you're giving your phone number or one of your socials to him. By now, Lily, Oscar and Charles have caught onto his fixed gaze and are all watching the scene unfold. Except they're looking smug and curious while Carlos looks… angry?

The guy leaves and you start walking back towards the group, a giddy smile on your face. You never wear a smile like that around Carlos.

He feels resentful. He thought you had warmed up to him by now.

He pretends to be reading his book when you drop in the chair next to Alex.

“Sooo…” she smiles, eyes pinned on you. "What happened there?”

Carlos can't help but glance sideways. You look happy and somehow it bothers him.

“Well, this guy just asked for my socials” you shrug, aiming for dismissive but landing somewhere smug.

“And?” Alex presses on, smile growing.

“I gave him my insta, he's kinda cute”

Alex shrieks excitedly while you bite down your own smile.

“You don't know the guy, he could be a serial killer for all you know”.

You stare at Carlos, two seats away from you, your smile dropping. He feels a pang of guilt at the sight but the image of you and the guy just stings harder.

“Talk about a spoilsport!” sighs Lily.

“He seems nice…” you try to argue. "And he's a spaniard too, talk about a coincidence!” you joke, trying to cool the tension.

Carlos tsks. He tsks and shakes his head. Like he has any say in what you can or cannot do. You frown and open your mouth to fight back but a notification pops on your phone. The guy is requesting a follow on insta.

Carlos watches your frown melt away to be replaced by that fucking giddy smile. He doesn't say anything and pretends to be reading his book but he keeps on re-reading the same paragraph over and over again until he snaps it shut and goes to take a dive.

No one mentions the guy until the next night. You're getting ready to leave, taking your keys, your wallet, your phone and giving the girls the details when Carlos catches on the ruckus.

His eyes rake over your figure, your heels, your sleek black dress and your makeup. You look beautiful. His voice is hoarse when he speaks up.

“Are you going somewhere?”

It sounds innocent enough. Like a curious friend. Nothing less, nothing more. But something in his eyes screams fear, worry.

“I have a date” you keep it short and focus on the content of your small purse.

His stomach drops. "With that guy?” he raises his voice, disbelieving.

You nod, curt. Not open to discussion.

“Come on, that's too risky! Where're you going? What if something happens? We're in Greece!” he steps closer, and tries to sound not too alarmed.

He fails miserably.

“Don't worry, Carlito, we have the address, they're just going to a restaurant, she's staying in touch and we have her location” reassures Lily.

He scoffs and steps away like he couldn't care less. And you shouldn't either. You should head out, guiltless and excited but now, something in your stomach has flipped. He's fucking with your head and you hate him for it. You sigh as you step out and try to push him out of your thoughts.

It's impossible.

The guy is nice. Funny, charming, in pure Spanish fashion. The two of you talk a very long time, and there is undeniable chemistry. He gets the check, refuses to split, and walks you to the uber. He had offered you a ride but you had kindly refused. He was picture perfect. Sent butterflies in your stomach multiple times. And yet, during this whole time, your mind kept replaying Carlos' earlier words and attitude. And the dress he had offered. And the way he had been looking at you lately. And you feel sick to your stomach. Because you realize you have a crush on him.

You have a crush on the guy you're supposed to hate.

When you step inside the villa, most of the group is hanging outside by the pool. But Carlos is alone in the living room, the TV on, his phone idle in his hands, biting the inside of his cheek. His jaw is clenching and you sense he has spent the entire night sulking in here.

He hardly notices you in his peripheral vision until you're sitting on the far end opposite of the same couch. His head snaps in your direction in surprise, his lips parted, his eyes wide. Like he hadn't expected you to come back. Or maybe just not next to him so soon.

The two of you stare at each other for a few seconds in silence. He sees your fingers fidgeting a little. You follow his eyes, and become acutely aware. He sees you. He's beginning to know you. And it feels scary, because you can't read his motives.

“How was it?” he asks, voice small.

“Great” your smile is small and his heart skips a beat.

Carlos nods slowly, once, staring at his hands in his lap.

Your phone lights up. The guy is asking if you got home safe. You smile and Carlos wants to murder him. You text something back and Carlos knows he's going to say something he might regret. But it's too late to stop.

“Don't see him again.”

You glance back up at him, eyes wide. Your body freezes and your heart does olympic level gymnastics in your chest. The possessiveness in his voice. The dangerous flicker in his brown eyes under his long lashes. The way he's looking at you intently.

You instinctively clench your thighs a little and Carlos sees it. He swallows, mouth dry, his mind wandering dangerous places. Places he had forbidden himself from going to. Places that had begun haunting him these last few days.

But nothing else happens because Alex steps back inside the villa and shrieks when she sees you.

“How was it?” she asks excitedly, running to sit beside you.

The bubble is burst. And you have no idea what happened. But you know one thing for sure. Things can never go back to the way they were.

The next morning, you're the first one to wake up. You quietly get down to the kitchen, put some light music on your phone and start making pancakes. The music is faint, and given how large the house is, your voice naturally starts humming to the songs.

Kali Uchis' telepatia comes on. Ugh, you'd forgotten how much you liked this song.

You start singing along, quietly, voice soft.

Carlos is getting down the stairs when he hears a faint sound, the smell of pancakes filling his nostrils. Then he hears you… speaking Spanish? No, you're singing in Spanish. And your Spanish is actually really good. Not perfect, but good enough to startle him. You never told him you could speak Spanish.

“Quién lo diría Que se podría hacer el amor por telepatía…”.

Heat crawls up his neck. Listening to you singing these lyrics in Spanish… did something to him. His heart flutters when he sees your back against the counter, while you keep an eye on the pan.

He's so screwed.

You startle when you see something shift in your peripheral vision but visibly relax at the sight of the brunette. For a second, he's lost in your eyes, his thoughts completely leave his brain. Poof. Gone.

Then he clears his voice under your raised eyebrows, a small smirk tugging at your lips.

“¿hablas español, chiquita?” he asks, disbelieving.

“Picked it up in high school. Can hardly remember anything.” you shrug, as it dawns on you that he has heard you singing those lyrics. You turn to the pan to hide your panic.

“No, no, no, don’t give me that. That's not the accent of someone who hardly remembers anything” he quips back, amusement adding to whatever had settled tight over his chest.

You flip the pancakes onto the plate and finally turn back to him. You feel calm this morning.

“Fine… Hablo un poquito pero mi español es mierda, la verdad” you chuckle bitterly (I speak a little but my Spanish is shit, truthfully).

His heart does a backflip and he decides he wants to hear you speak this language for the rest of his life. His big brown eyes seem even wider than usual as you fight off the embarrassment from being looked at this long.

The music is still faintly playing from your phone when he steps closer with the determination of someone who has a specific goal in mind. He stops in front of you, chest heaving, his eyes searching your face.

Your pulse skyrockets. He’s close. Very close. And you don’t want to move away.

“You’ve been driving me crazy for a while, ¿lo sabés?”

His voice is low and earnest. Your breath catches.

You absentmindedly play with the ring on your finger, stress bubbling up.

He grabs your hands. Your skin buzzes under the touch as your fingers halt.

“Carlos, don’t play that game with me”.

You look down, unable to meet his gaze. Your sigh is shaky when it comes out and Carlos understands your fear.

“This is not a game, cariño. I’ll prove it to you”.

What he does next makes your knees weak.

He slowly brings your hands up to his lips and kisses your knuckles, his eyes never leaving yours, like he’s sealing a promise. You’ll never forgive him if he breaks your heart.

And once more you do what you do best when you feel like your world is crumbling. Deflect with a joke.

“Sainz, doing all of that just for pancakes is a bit much, don’t you think?”

He freezes for a second before a sly smile spreads across his face. He knows this is your defense mechanism.

“I didn’t know how to tell you” he jokes as well. He goes around the kitchen counter to take a piece of the pancakes you’ve just cooked.

You swat his hand with a mockingly shocked expression but he takes a bite anyway. You drop your fork in the process and when you bend down to take it, you don’t see him putting his hand on the corner of the counter so that you don’t hit your head. You get back up, he removes his hand and doesn’t mention it but something in his eyes is soft.

You frown.

“Quit staring at me with those big brown eyes, I’m not giving you my pancakes” you manage to say even though your heart flutters under his gaze.

He fake pouts. It dawns on you that this is one of your first civil interactions with the man. One of the first where you feel comfortable, and are enjoying yourself.

The others come down eventually and all beg you make them pancakes. You sigh but you gladly proceed anyway.

The last few days pass by and the closer it gets to the end of this vacation, the worse the tight feeling in your chest gets. Partly because the two of you get closer, partly because you worry this is just a summer fling.

Your friends are shocked by the lack of bickering between you two. Especially when he calls you pet names, which keep growing more and more affectionate.

Hermosa, guapa, corazon… And you stay quiet. You don't fight back. Don't roll your eyes. You even smile, a sly, small smile you fail to hide each time.

He starts sitting next to you at restaurants, at the pool, at the beach. Asks you questions about you, your hobbies, the books you're currently reading, your favorite songs, his thigh and shoulders brushing yours like it's the most normal thing in the world. When you go clubbing the last night you're there, he invites you to dance and you let him grab your waist, gently move with you, match your pace.

The alcohol gives him enough courage to slur some words in your ear. His voice, low, earnest, tender sends shivers down your spine. He's under your spell. He loves watching you dance, loves feeling your body against his, loves being allowed to touch you. It sends his mind spiraling, a thrill he only knows when he's in the car going 300 km/ph.

When he brings his hand to the back of your neck in a touch so gentle it makes your knees weak, you kiss him. It's game over, for the both of you. You're surprised by the softness of the kiss, almost reverent. It doesn't take long to deepen, though. It grows needy, sloppy, for the both of you.

Your friends, watching nearby by the bar, all cheer and clap. You break apart, both grinning shyly like idiots.

“I called it!” shouts Charles, clapping his hands.

“So did I” adds Alexandra, as she high-fives Lily.

“We're idiots, hermosa” the spaniard whispers in your ear. “I should've known… the first time I saw you, I wanted you”.

Your breath hitches from the confession and the proximity.

You went to Greece hating him. Came back two weeks later as his girlfriend. Because, ultimately, to be hated is to be seen. And to be seen, is to be loved.

send me requests for more cs55 fics, I think I'm enjoying this!!

started calling you mama as soon as you told him you were pregnant.

he was always that guy at your ultrasound appointments. taking blurry pictures to have 'different angles' and asking the tech "wait, is that her nose? oh my god, look at that. she has your nose." as if it's not just a black and white sonogram.

was obsessed with your bump. spent a lot of nights whispering stories his grandma told him as a kid against your skin. it's a different variation every time but you don't have the heart to point it out.

he loves doing skin-to-skin. lies shirtless on the couch after a long day, hair still damp from his post-practice shower, cradling lily and making you recite every cute thing she did while he was gone. he refuses to miss any of it

takes lily to class with him if he has to. girls on campus swoon at him walking around with her in a chest carrier but he's too busy cooing at her or texting you updates throughout the day to notice.

would keep a baby monitor courtside if he could. settles for typing a rushed "Evrythng ok???" in between sets

he leaves little sticky notes around the apartment that say "eat something!!!" "you're doing great mama" "we got this :)" with doodles of lopsided flowers and hearts that look like they were drawn left-handed.

co-ordinates his outfits with lily whenever he can. whether her headband matches his shirt or he has her in custom-made mini stanford merchandise (courtesy of patrick), there's always something matching.

refers exclusively to himself in third person after she's born. occasionally extends to a playful daddy in the bedroom that neither of you can take seriously and just results in fits of laughter.

definitely cries during her first steps. sniffles out a very tearful "look at you go, little legend!" and then denies it later

literally has a tape recorder that he plays when the both of you are tired to keep lily occupied. mostly consists of voice memos talking to lily about his day while he’s walking to class or waiting for the bus. "hi bug. i miss you. daddy had a pop quiz. it sucked. love you." and lily babbles back as if they're having a conversation.