just a quick ting

that's like a violation, that's very muggy. that's like a statement saying you're a prick. i'm not going to let someone take me for a prick, no way.

[heatwayve]

𝐍𝐀𝐎𝐌𝐈 𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐎𝐒  ( day 1 — )

INTRO | CONFESSIONALS | MUSINGS | VISAGE | PLAYLIST | PINTEREST

𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐎'𝐒𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐍 ( day 28 — )

INTRO | CONFESSIONALS | MUSINGS | VISAGE | PLAYLIST | PINTEREST

[heatwayve]

charlene.

“You know, I did ask production if they would have a 50 Shades of Grey red room ready for my arrival but they never got back to me. Must have not been able to make renovations in time.” She’s clearly joking, evident by the teasing gleam in her eye and the playful grin on her lips. Honestly, a part of her wouldn’t mind a room fill of kinky things to pass the time. This isn’t about that though. “The scenario is you and I going on our first date. Like, if we were out in the real world. Where I would come pick you up. Get a little flustered about taking you out. Take one look at you and tell you that you’re looking extra pretty today. Cheesy. Silly. Casual. Just two girls, trying to get to know each other without any sort of weird strings or expectations.” Like how it would be if they weren’t in a reality ty show. “Think you’re up for it?” She asks, smile equal parts playful and shy as she offers a hand for Naomi to take. 

– “YEAH, YOU USUALLY HAVE TO GIVE THEM, LIKE, three to five business days for something of that scale. maybe they’ll have it for you next week ? ” she offers, grinning back at her. “ though i do think they just call that the hideaway. haven’t been lucky enough to go in there, but word from romi is that they’ve got a pole. ” and a hot tub. and sometime alone with actual privacy. if naomi gets kicked out of the villa before getting a night in there, she will be so salty about it. naomi’s nose scrunches lightly at charlene’s proposal, though partially to stop an endeared smile from working its way across her lips. clearly, charlene took her words to heart last night – about not getting an actual date in here. she’s trying not to look overly excited about it, but her eyes are shining when they flicker back up to met charlene’s gaze. “ yes,” naomi agrees, taking charlene’s hand. she ducks her head closer, squeezing charlene’s hand lightly,  “ is this the part where i tell you that you look extra pretty today ? ” 

[heatwayve]

stella.

“It does give you a totally different perspective looking at things, right?” Stella admits she’s not one to give people shots on the outside, but she already knows she has to give people a shot in here if she wants to develop or secure anything. Her brows furrow and she nods. She’s already gotten the impression that Naomi’s a very straight forward person from watching the show. It’s admirable. “Yeah, in the bathroom. I didn’t want to jump to conclusions. I know things are sometimes edited to look a certain way, so correct me if I’m wrong,” she says. She laughs lightly at what she thinks of Jude. “He told me your chat didn’t go too well.”

– “I DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH THEY SHOWED YOU, BUT . . .” naomi shrugs her shoulders, “ basically, frankie made a pass at me, i told her why it wouldn’t be a good idea. ” the gist of it, anyway. “ i’ve been debating whether to tell callie. you know, since frankie already told her that she wanted to be open to seeing other people, i’m not sure if it would just add insult to injury by saying i was one of those people ? like, would i be telling callie to help her, or just selfishly to get it off my chest ? ” naomi’s lower lip juts out slightly, a gentle pout over the conundrum. she rolls her eyes at stella’s suggestion. it’s more fun talking about things that have happened today, nothing that stella’s watched an edited version of. “ god, ” naomi rolls her eyes, “ he told me i had too much, like, emotional baggage. even if you think that about someone, you’ve got to be a real dick to say it out loud, like telling someone they’re damaged. and that’s especially if that judgement comes from what you saw of them on television. ” naomi can’t help but feel like it’s a little misogynistic, too, like if a guy’s juggling feelings for multiple people, he’s not ran through, he’s a stud. she wonders if the bombshells are telling the boys in the other villa that they’ve got too much emotional baggage. probably not. 

[heatwayve]

charlene.

“ oh my gosh right? something about a hottie with an accent.” it definitely added to callie, seb, and dante’s already attractive charm. “you’re a dancer? no way! what kind of dancing? let me guess… ballet. ” it certainly explains the graceful way naomi carried herself. like every move she makes, the way she speaks, they all seem to only add to her allure. even the way naomi’s nose scrunch emphasizes the freckles on her face is so freaking cute that charlene can’t help but marvel at them even when her expression relaxes. “your freckles are so pretty.” leave it to charlene to say exactly what she’s thinking. then naomi gives her first impressions and she can’t help but laugh in response. “totally! it’s gonna be a blast. promise no crazy ex boyfriends in the mix this time. i think everyone is trying to keep it chill for the first day but hey, you just let me know when you’re ready for me to lay it on thick.” she makes a snap and point motion, smile light and teasing. “with you, i’ve officially met everyone now! they’re all super nice. you’re all way hotter in person than on tv but i’m sure you guys get that all the time. it’s nice that everyone is still trying to be chill even after getting blindsided with casa. some of you are a little poutier than others.” she doesn’t mean it in a bad way. it’s actually kind of endearing. naomi’s joke brings about another laugh from charlene and she can’t help but nod in agreement. “totally! almost like saying my days are numbered or something. she’s practically threatening me to have a good time. or else. ” that last bit is emphasized by a playful attempt to look menacing before she takes a swig of her drink. unfortunately, she doesn’t know about the seven years of bad luck superstition so when naomi keeps her gaze on charlene, she is only able to last a few seconds before a wave of shyness overtakes her and she looks away. rip to the both of them.

– “I KNOW, ESPECIALLY THE ROMANCE LANGUAGES, I THINK,” she commends. “ considering seb can’t shut up about how mine makes me sound like a cow. ” naomi’s had people call it cute before, but it’s certainly not rooted in the sensuality of the romance languages in the way that spanish and italian are. “ yeah, i’m classically trained, so that’s where i started, but i’ve done jazz, tap, contemporary, ” she lists off, “ you probably kill it on the dance floor, though. ” she just gets that vibe from charlene, maybe it’s the energy – and she has a good laugh. naomi has this theory about people who have nice laughs having good rhythm. she might take this thought back when she sees charlene going at the robot later. eyes widen at the compliment, “ stop, ” she laughs, although it’s one of her favorite compliments to get, one of her favorite features, “ you’re so pretty. i’m, like, crazy about your eyes. ” can’t help but hold eye contact when she says this, teeth grazing her lower lip. charlene’s the type of gorgeous that naomi would see across the room on a night out and get totally obsessed with for the rest of the night, definitely trying to give the eyes across a crowded dance floor. of course, the villa is different, there’s this focus on getting to know people with your words rather than touching and teeth and tongues. naomi kind of misses the days where she had the freedom to make her own first impression on someone. “ it’s hard, i think . . . casa came at a bad time for all of us, but it’s not personal. good time for you, honestly, because i think a lot of people were feeling uncertain in their couples, willing to give a bombshell a chance,” naomi points out with a grin. charlene tears her eyes away before naomi can finish her sip and she sets down her glass with a laugh. she steps closer to duck into charlene’s field of vision, a teasing grin on her lips, “ that’s seven years of bad sex, they say. ”  

[heatwayve]

frankie.

           she likes the way he says her name, which is a small stupid thing, but it has her smiling all the same. there’s a lilt in his accent that she’s never heard her name said with before, and now it’s in his mouth, pressed between his teeth and tongue. “ miles, ” she drawls back, in the gap between words, clamping a hand onto his shoulder, like this is the moment in the film where they start spitting the harsh truths. he’s just not that into you. i want a divorce. there’s a chinese family in our bathroom. she likes the way he says a lot of things, actually. “ if it’s in my sleep it’s worse, ”  she clarifies, and then before things can take a dark turn, “ i wanna be awake for it. ”  this hypothetical thing that’s worse than pins that he’s going to stick in her… for fuck sake. what’s she even playing at ? this morning, she was still in her special occasion lingerie, callie’s sleeping form pressed against her chest ; now, she’s letting some irish fella she’s never met attempt to graft her, even encouraging it a little, if her crude humour’s anything to go by. and he’s so fucking funny. why did they have to send a funny guy in ?  the game miles is playing is a dangerous one — get a girl laughing, and pretty soon after you can get a girl moaning — she just hopes she’s strong enough to prove the trope wrong.  “ i’ll make sure i wear a longer petticoat tomorrow. cover up from ankle to neck, just for you. ”  she could count the number of skirts and dresses she has on one hand, and she doubts any of them fall lower than her thigh. if a relative gets married or pops their clogs, frankie’s fucked it—her formal attire is high school prom suit or nothing.  “ temptress ? ” she repeats, a flash of something dark and intrigued in her eyes. for half a second her body tightens like a fist, and she swallows, her wide eyes darting between his.  “ only a temptress if i’m tempting you. ”  he won’t answer that if he knows what’s good for him. 

          “ hey, i’m messing, ”  she clarifies, when he gets a touch defensive, mouth twitching as she tries to bat back her grin with a stick.  “ i’ll chat to you. i’ll do the whole twenty questions thing. i’ll start right now, what’s your favourite, uh… type of pasta ? ”  it’s the first thing she can think of, and it has her snorting at the banality of it all. maybe she’ll blame it on the fact that she’s ( supposedly ) half-italian. what do you do would probably have been a better thing to ask, and she retrospectively adds it on.  “ what do you do ? not just as a job, but like, for fun. wait, do you have a job ? some people don’t ! ”   she’s pretty sure naomi doesn’t. frankie almost attempts to guess what it is, but feels that could get insulting if she starts throwing around suggestions like tree surgeon and loft insulation fitter when he could be a fucking software engineer.  “ i’m getting a postman vibe. ” impulse beats though, yet again, her words as unconsidered as the haphazard way she plaits her hair.  “ i’d trust you with my mail. ”  he’s got a trustworthy face. a cheeky face, but a face that wouldn’t fuck you over, either.  “  um… wow ?  you ever heard of friendship tattoos ? ”  frankie asks, when he accuses her of moving too fast, too soon, which — considering the quick turnaround of her relationship with callie — is probably an accurate assumption.  “ oh wait. do you have friends ?  shit, is this a touchy subject for you ? ”  she’s trying to get to the villa to actually take a look around, but she keeps getting side-tracked by miles and their stupid banter, and then the momentary panic that swells in her chest when he tells her she’s been cancelled before it dawns on her that oh wait, he’s fucking with her again. walking backwards, miles presumably thinks it makes him look cool, but all it really means is that when she catches him up and closes the distance, one shove of her hands could have him stumbling to the ground. that’s in theory. in practise, there’s no venom or malice or anger when her hands shove against his chest, try as she might to make it seem that way, it’s just amusement.  “ you little shit ! ”  the vexed expression she’s fashioned her face into barely makes it past conception, cracking as soon as it’s formed, her face peeling open in a laugh. “ you’re such a fuckin’… ”  shoving him again, she fails to finish her sentence, taking off at a sprint towards the villa instead.

– MILES CAN NEVER QUITE TELL WHEN FRANKIE’S FLIRTING BACK, or if she’s flirting back, walking such a thin line between playful, friendly teasing and actual innuendo. but there are moments where the conversation dips between them unmistakably, and there’s a look they exchange like they’re sharing a secret. like frankie believes this is something they shouldn’t be doing, maybe because she’s got some kind of loyalty somewhere else, but there’s something about the surreptitious glances she gives him every once in a while that are so undeniably sexy that he can’t find it in him to mind. ( he’d be her secret, if that’s what she wanted. just for fun. ) “ alright, if that’s what you want, ” he offers, “ for the record, i wouldn’t want you to miss it either. ” the smile on his features grows slightly cheeky, can’t help himself. though personally, if you asked miles, he doesn’t see the problem in it – they’re all single people, and it’s not exactly like he’s sticking it on her . . . yet. either way, he sees no reason to get anxious about it or even to feel guilty, but there is a question on the tip of his tongue, desperately wants to ask her how serious frankie and callie actually left it. did frankie promise to be loyal ? is that why she’s so jumpy ? still, asking is like opening shrodinger’s box, and if the cat’s actually dead on arrival, miles would rather not know, exist in this fun back-and-forth that they have with the excitement of potential still on the horizon. if he’s going to be rejected, maybe it’s a stupid move, but he really doesn’t want to know right now, not in their first conversation. “ smart move, how’s an impressionable guy supposed to control himself when he can see your shoulders ? it’s practically blasphemy, ” he adds, doing a hail mary for good measure. “ well, ” he laughs at this, shaking his head, “ you’re doing something to me. ”

eyebrow arches, giving her a look when she asks his favorite pasta of all things. doesn’t it all taste the same ? “ stoppp, ” he draws out the refusal, “ you don’t have to prove anything to me. unless you’re trying to make me dinner, and in that case, it’s those bow ties. goofy as hell. ” when she asks him what he does, it’s the first time that it occurs to him that they haven’t hit that portion of the small talk, still messing around too much to ask about the normal stuff. he’s surprised that she’s the first one to broach it, actually, he thought it’d be him. granted, she’s half-joking. “ my job is to have fun ? i play football for a club in althone, it’s kind of . . . the best thing the world, yeah, ” wide grin on his features as he gets to bring it up, “ love it. but i do other shit, too, i swear. consumes most of my life when it’s the season, though. ” glances back over at her, “ what about you ? i know you do the deck hand thing, but what do you do for fun ? got any weird hobbies ? if you collect razor blades or something scary, tell me now. ” he remembers a period of time where his family stayed in the home of a recently-dead great aunt while they helped clean it out, and she collected both dolls and fancy razor blades. he slept in james’ bed with him all week long, scared to be alone. “ friendship tattoos ? you just learned what i do for a living and you already want friendship tattoos ? see, you move fast, ” he points out, eyes glimmering with playful amusement, mostly teasing her. it’s a good thing that miles is pretty practiced at running backwards for drills, his balance holding when she shoves her weight against him. a little jog, shuffling on his feet to correct his stance. he’s about to say something sarcastic back about all her mixed signals when she starts running, taking off toward the villa in a sprint and he spins on his heel to chase after her. “ fucking hell, so much for exploring, ” an exasperated sigh mid-jog as he paces himself to catch up with her. it’s impulsive, quick, as he tries to belt his hands around her waist and take her down with him in a tackle toward the ground, horsing around like he would with hallie or any of the guys back home. “ i’m a what ? say it. ”

[heatwayve]

jude.

        “ yeah. i actually don’t have any of my own thoughts at all, honestly, ”  jude says, and he finds himself laughing because it’s almost exactly the same thing he’d accused jenny of earlier. how the turn tables indeed.  “ when i wanna form an opinion on something i just go on twitter, type it in the search bar and memorise a load of top tweets on it so i never have to have to engage my shrivelled up brain. ”  he’ll deflect with sarcasm to hide the fact that she’s right. he does think he knows her, because of a few hour-long episodes he’d only half been watching and a couple of messages on a group chat.  “ think what you want. it’s not that. ”  though if she keeps eyeing him like that, he might change his mind. he’s only human.  “ i just want to know what situation i’m walking in on. things change every day. ”  he doesn’t need to be told that twice. true to his promise, he doesn’t hold back, swills another shot of vodka into both of their bloody mary’s, stirring it in with a celery stick.  “ so fuckin’ demanding. ”  despite his words, the tone is the same as if he were giving her a compliment.  ask her something about herself.   from the way she says it, it’s clear naomi wants to be asked, and before that thought can finish he’s probing,  “ what were you like in school ? ”  because he’s sure as shit if they had somehow been in the same one, they wouldn’t be having this conversation — or any conversations — girls like naomi wouldn’t touch jude dempsey with the end of a ten foot pole. sure, maybe she’d want to, would toy with the idea of stringing him along, having her bit of rough, but there’s all the pressure and the social karma that comes with a girl like her and a guy like him that makes it fundamentally impractical on both accounts. 

        she’d probably be top set, jude would be bottom, she’d be on the honour roll and jude would forever be sulking on the naughty chair outside the principal’s office. their worlds don’t fit. so while it’s fun to talk to a girl who, under normal circumstance, probably wouldn’t give him the time of day, he’s not under any false assumptions that this could go anywhere.  “ were you mean ?  or were you quiet ?  did you have a favourite teacher ? ”   now that she’s given him the go ahead, it kinda feels like he can’t stop. he’ll ask until she’s sorry she ever opened her full-lipped mouth. then again, naomi santos is probably her favourite topic. maybe he’ll be the one who’s sorry he opened his mouth.  still, the mouth continues,  “ what was the one subject you went to where it just clicked with you, and even though it’s kinda lame to get excited about school, it made your day a little better when you knew you had it ? ”  pausing, he slugs back a measure of his mojito, eyes flicking over to her every now and then as he slices up a lemon to garnish bloody mary’s. whenever he looks at her, she seems to be staring at his hands.  “ are we getting fucked, then ? ” jude asks, dropping a lemon in the top of her bloody mary, and sliding it into her free hand. now that he isn’t chopping, he’s got nothing to do with his fingers except drum them against his glass.  “ i don’t know why dante, ” he answers, only half-honestly.  “ feels like you could wrap him around your finger pretty easily if that’s what you want. that he’d treat you right. not give you any backchat. ”  and it would also get him away from romi. he’d seen dante looking at her earlier before he’d pulled her for a chat, and already that feels like it could be a problem.  “ unless you like backchat. ”  his eyes meet hers with challenge, silently asking do you ?  “ like, what do you want out of this ? ” jude continues, aloud.   “ someone who says yes to you ? or someone who keeps you on your toes ? ”   he knows which one he’d be.

– NAOMI ROLLS HER EYES. “ fuck off, ” there's a scoff that borders on laughter, “ sarcastic piece of shit. ” no qualms about insulting him or being a bit crass, really, since he's already dished it out to her, naomi’s certain that jude is the sort of person that can take it. in a way, it's kind of nice : no pressure to be charming around him, no games because they've already established this particular one. to just be absolutely fucking antagonistic – naomi’s got her own ‘baggage’ and jude’s got romi and jenny to graft. still, she’d like to prove him a little wrong about her when it comes to all of his preconceptions. she narrows her eyes this time, peering up at him, “ i was right, though, wasn't i ? ” she doesn't expect him to admit it, just wants him to feel the little smug lift of her lips in his chest, like he knows deep down that she's got him. naomi knows damn well that she probably couldn't flip a switch, turn up the charm a few notches and he'd probably change his tune. still, she kind of likes this version of him better. “ are you complaining ? ” naomi asks, an arch of her brow. as if he'll tell her that he doesn't like her bossy. there's a blink in surprise when he asks her a genuine question, then a sort of amusement on her features, well aware that he's only asked her to prove a point, because she's told him that he's only made assumptions without asking her a damn thing, gave him advice to ask romi more questions when he hits her up. god, you really have to teach men everything. it's exhausting. “ oh, wow, ” his question makes her laugh, eyes bright. it's a good one. “ i was a fucking nightmare in school. i hated it. easily bored, always trouble. testing the limits of what i could get away with . . . ” a mischievous smirk as she meets jude's eyes. but that's the thing about being a girl with her upbringing, the small rebellions, thinly veiled cries for attention that she's hardly outgrown. a family name that had her testing the limits of what she could get away with. she had fun, though, didn't she ?

“ sometimes mean. never quiet, ” she clarifies. “ and i loved mrs. godwin. she hated me. biology. ” naomi has a feeling he's just laying it on thick to be sarcastic now. she wonders a bit what jude was like back then, since they’re on the subject, and while he's picturing them on different ends of the classroom, naomi figures they probably would've been in different schools. her in her prep school plaid skirts, hair tied back, jude from the public school with dirt staining the collar of his shirt, rushing past her on his way to catch the train while she waits for her car. probably pulls her hair, messes it up. but they don't share classrooms, don't share lives. but love island continues to introduce her to people she might have never crossed paths with otherwise. “ i liked english. drama. but i don't know. i was always so not interested in school, hated sitting still like that. learning for tests and stuff. was never really my thing. tried to go to university. hated that, too. ” her gaze flickers back up to meet his. “ what about you and school ? love it or hate it ? were you good or bad ? ” kind of likes the idea of jude as a closet nerd. naomi can't help the teasing lilt to her tone, just barely resists the urge to playfully tug at the collar of his shirt now, reaching for her drink instead. “ yeah, we're getting fucked, ” she can tell, too, there's more vodka in this. it's good. “ he's gorgeous, ” naomi hums her approval, “ you planning on setting us up ? ” she can't help but find this amusing, unable to take it seriously. “ something in the middle, i think. i like a bit of excitement, and i think . . . i need someone who can handle me a bit, give it back sometimes. but also, totally obsessed with me. if their way of keeping me on my toes is hitting up other girls or not calling me back, then i'm not about that. i'm a bit of work and i know it, ” she's matter-of-fact about this, tilts her head, “ but worth it. ”

[heatwayve]

stella.

Outside the villa, Stella’s a much pickier person, with a clear type. In here, as a casa amor bombshell, she doesn’t have the luxury or the time to be her usual picky self if she wanted to secure a ticket and stay here. Granted, she’s not attracted to all these islanders the same way and she has an idea as to who she won’t be pursuing, but she’s not planning on putting all her eggs in one basket. “For sure, and it happens with the people you least expect.” After all, looking at Naomi’s two boyfriends, they couldn’t be any more different. “I don’t want to close off myself and end up with regrets, you know?” There’s a pause when Naomi offers her opinion, nodding. “Yeah, I didn’t get the impression that Frankie’s all in… But I couldn’t tell if that’s just how the editing is.” Her hitting on Naomi in the bathroom is definitely not an editing issue. She laughs at what she says about Seb. “I guess we’ll have to wait and see, huh?” She nods. “Yeah, Jude’s pretty into her so far.” She’s interested in Romi, but she’s not putting much hope into grafting her. “Thanks! I over packed for this.”

– “YEAH, IT’S INTERESTING, I MEAN...” naomi tilts her head, trying to think of the words, “ it’s like we spend so much time in here together, you might’ve brushed someone off at the bar or the club, but in here you’re kind of forced to get to know everyone. ” whether they like it or not, true colors do tend to come out after a period of time. she feels like she knows some people in here as well as she knows friends that she’s had for years. the experience is so revealing. “ are you talking about the other night ? ” naomi asks straight-up, an arch of her brow. she’s not sure how much the bombshells saw or if they aired what happened between her and frankie in the bathroom. maybe stella will talk about it with her if they did, but naomi doesn’t want to say too much and assume. “ yeah, he said the same to me. jenny, too, though. sounds like a recipe for trouble, ” okay, yes, she’s gossiping. but she can’t help herself. 

[heatwayve]

dylan.

“Oh, I do. I need that.” He chuckles lightly and tips it at him in a silent cheers before he takes another sip. He doesn’t care that it’s not great right now. “Yeah, and you can thank me when you make the drinks for whoever you want to graft.” He gives him a dimpled grin. “I’ve never met a professional football player, did I just meet someone famous?” he jokes, chuckling lightly. “That’s cool though. I like that. I pretty much have the same type as you do. I want my partner in crime, so I’ll want someone who’s willing to be as adventurous as I am and always done for a good time, you know?” He’s not a picky person as far as types go, as evident from his dating history on the show. He’s always been the type of guy who liked to try things out and go places, and he likes the idea of doing that with a significant other. “Why, thank you. I’m sure you won’t have any problem catching attentions around here.” It goes without saying Miles’s an attractive guy and he’s noticed that, of course. He’s fit, and from a first impression, fun and easy going. It’s a bit hard to get a fair judgement of the bombshells when most of them just want to make a good impression, but he reckons things will become a little clearer with the next day or two. “Yeah, there’s no harm, absolutely.” You never know. He’s not looking to get his head turned, but he won’t lie and say what Layla said has the gears in his head moving. He’s always been a firm believer in everything happens for a reason, but still, in between what Layla said and being here for the next few days without being able to confront Naomi, he feels a bit stuck. But he’s being honest with Miles, he won’t be shutting any of the bombshells down, that’s for sure.

– “OH, SHIT, ACE WINGMAN OVER HERE,” MILES GRINS. he lets it fade a bit, lips falling into a slight smirk when he asks, “ but what does it say if i’ve already tried making you a drink ? ” miles holds dylan’s gaze for a beat longer than he really intends – it’s not like he came out here to graft, but dylan’s so fucking charismatic, he can’t help himself, it’s like an impulse when he catches that dimpled grin. “ wow, proud to be your first, ” miles laughs, “ marcus had heard of us, so i guess you could say i’m kind of a big deal, yeah. my club’s second level but it’s dope being in althone ‘cause it’s the oldest club, the fans are super into it. you watch much football ? ” he asks. miles can vibe with everything dylan is saying – his type is similar, based nothing on looks and more on energy, and he’s an active guy as well, wants to experience life with the person that he loves. “ yeah, partner in crime. that’s the perfect way to put it, ” he agrees, “ for me, it’s all about fun. someone to laugh with and share experiences with, always down for something new. but someone pretty independent, too, i’m traveling with the team a lot. but it’d be nice to have that kind of bond with someone where i’m like . . . excited to come home to ‘em, you know ? ” his smile is soft, but his eyes are bright, excited. “ you think so ? ” he echoes, an arch of his brow. just trying to suss out if dylan is being nice or if there’s any vibe. miles watches the look on dylan’s face get farther away and he’s grateful he didn’t push the naomi thing further, clearly there’s a lot going on in the guy’s head. he wonders if he and josh have spoken by now. but miles also isn’t here to get caught up in gossip that’s not his, which is precisely why he didn’t bring it up. “ have you met all the girls yet ? ” 

[heatwayve]

jenny.

“you already knew that, you just said it,” she nearly hisses with an impatient roll of her eyes. “i just don’t know how romi would’ve known unless frankie was out here telling everyone.” it’s not a secret the two don’t get along, but she didn’t peg frankie for a gossip. unless she’d told her other half and callie spread the word, but that didn’t seem right either—callie had every opportunity to bring it up during their argument and kept her mouth shut. she runs a hand through her hair once, then again, shifting her part back and forth. “josh was upset over me so he was kissing… romi.” where did that even come from? “and that was last night? because i literally couldn’t find him anywhere after the fight. literally didn’t see him until we were going to bed so… kind of interesting that he was off making out with romi.” kind of annoying, actually. max stuff aside, she was genuinely worried about him and he was nowhere to be found. and that’s not even touching on the naomi of it all. it’s easier to hyperfixate on the smaller things, get bogged down by the details than try to tackle the big picture. the long and short of it are the same—josh had been stringing her along this entire time and everyone had warned her and she’d let them. really, she has no one to blame but herself, though that won’t stop her from trying. 

her eyes lift to naomi’s, a raging ocean blazing through an otherwise flat expression. “is it not fucking enough to be saying all this to me? you have to get a humble brag in there? ‘i’m still his first choice,’” the voice she assigns her imitation is less than flattering. “like, what, are you getting off on this? finally getting your revenge?” it’s misdirected anger. she knows it is, but can’t seem to stop the flow of words. “you’ve all been sitting around thinking about how stupid and pathetic i look, well take a look at yourself. josh wanted to play the field and he ‘hurt you’ so bad, and you were gonna go crawling right back to him? like…” her head shakes like she can’t quite understand any of this. can no one else see the hypocrisy? “and you know what? i bet you wouldn’t have gotten any of the flack for it either. when i do shit like that everyone’s up in arms. ‘i have no self respect,’ ‘i need to stand up.’ but no, naomi can do no wrong. josh is all about naomi.” max had warned her from day one, those same exact words. her point was supposed to be that naomi lost her leg up somewhere along the way. she’s as spellbound by josh as jenny is. was. no one worries about naomi with josh because she’s always been in control but… is she really? jenny’s getting lost, her argument becoming clunky with her muddled up emotions, back on the defensive and grasping at straws. “everyone gives you a pass with him because you were always gonna be together in the end if you had to manufacture it just to win or not. i was exactly what your relationship needed for the ratings, but… not really. because take him back now and you look fucking stupid too. it’s over. i may have lost but you lost too.”

– NAOMI SHAKES HER HEAD, though it’s gentle at jenny’s impatience. “ i wasn’t certain. romi only said that josh thought that you’d hooked up with him, i don’t know. what does frankie have to do with that ? ” the entire situation of what happened when is pretty confusing. like, had it happened when they said goodbye ? a few people saw jenny and max go up to the terrace in the chaos. there wasn’t a huge window between that and the fight where, in most of that time following, josh had been sitting with producers. so, where was the in-between ? she’s probably thinking too hard about this. unless jenny and max had already been a thing ? that was even juicier. and looked even worse on josh’s intentions with naomi, like it wasn’t an impulse decision but something premeditated. the thought hurts so deep in her chest that if naomi were a weaker person, she could cry out. “ but yeah, um, that was last night after the fight. if you really want to narrow down the timeline and get all technical about it, you should probably ask her, because i didn’t really ask her a lot of clarifying questions, i’m not a fucking journalist. ” more focused on getting romi out of her line of vision before she started crying over the betrayal, inexplicably hurt not just by the realization that she was another option for josh, but by the fact that romi was willing to risk their friendship over something that ‘meant nothing’ – especially after naomi had proved that she wouldn’t do the same. maybe she wouldn’t hate having a do-over on the headbutting incident, out of spite. jenny doesn’t care about that, though, too preoccupied to think about naomi losing a friend in the process. naomi can’t tell how jenny feels at all, really, the only thing she’s getting is anger, which seems inexplicably directed at her. that and complete misunderstanding. but that’s better than nothing.

“ oh, come off it, i’m not bragging, ” she says. naomi’s realized that jenny’s knee-jerk instinct is to paint her as a villain before she’ll look at any man without rose-colored glasses on. “ i don’t even know if he said was true, but you asked what we talked about, so i told you. i’m sorry if it’s a bit harsh, but i honestly don’t know how else to get through to you ! ” it is like fighting a losing battle, trying to speak to jenny, who would rather drag naomi down as a loser before ever admit they could be on the same side about something, or at least relate about it. “ i don’t know how many times i have to tell you, but i’m not your enemy. revenge on you ? i don’t give a shit. you think i’m so empty-headed that i’d go for josh just to get back at you ? please. what have you ever done to me ? graft when it was your job as a bombshell ? hook up with the guy i dumped ? i don’t give a shit, ” naomi doesn’t know how else to say that jenny is not her problem, that it was always josh that she was honed in on, inexplicably obsessed with. in a way, she wants to tell jenny that she hasn’t done anything wrong. sure, she’s been on the receiving end of a lot of judgement, and naomi hates how jenny’s allowed josh to leverage and use her, but she doesn’t hate her. “ don’t you get it ? he’s hurt me, too. you think i’m telling you all of this because i’m sitting around conspiring against you ? i’m telling you this because yeah, i…i still have feelings for him, and i was a total fucking idiot about it the past few days because of this stupid blind spot i have when it comes to him. i thought maybe you were the only person in the world who might understand that. ” naomi swallows thickly, feeling the way her throat burns. alarm bells in her head tell her that now is the time to plan her exit, that she’s in too deep and that she’s already said way too much. mostly, she’s scared and spiraling, wishing that she could yell at josh today, her favorite catharsis, but instead she’s blurting everything she’s feeling to jenny instead. “ no one’s ever given me a pass, jenny, ” naomi snorts, almost incredulously. “ do you know what it was like when i was with him ? you weren’t here, but…even marcus basically told me to dump him, bombshells were coming in and implying i was making a mistake. it was a lot of pressure, knowing i wanted it but everyone else was apparently seeing something that i was blind to. i felt like things were so good, but i was already scared, and then you came in and proved everyone right . . . i still don’t know if i can get over how that felt. i already lost. ” naomi presses her lips together to keep them from trembling, a distant look in her eye. “ i just want you to know that i didn’t say any of this to hurt you. i just . . . didn’t want to be alone, i guess. ”

[heatwayve]

josh.

JOSH RUBS HIS FOREHEAD LIGHTLY, a small sting from the bruises on his face that he chooses to ignore.   “ yeah, i don’t know. looking back on it now… shit in the villa moves so fast. between dejan and seb lately, maddox hasn’t been the worst. wasn’t thrilled when romi slept with him of all people, though. where’s the loyalty ? ”   the small smirk on his lips lets miles know he’s mostly kidding.   “ but i’m pretty sure he’s obsessed with me. have you ever skated ? ”   josh asks, not really sure if it’s that much of a thing in ireland. when he thinks of the country, josh mostly thinks of the color green, with trees and grass everywhere.   “ yeah, yeah, ”   he chuckles.   “ i’m sure i looked like a psycho for the hole in the wall, but you have three people laying into you that nobody takes you seriously and see how you like it. this, ”   he motions to his face,   “ is just because of dejan. ”   josh assumes miles knows about that, but mentioning dejan’s name should be enough to understand how he got into a fight. nobody liked that guy.   “ it was a lot worse yesterday. i’ve dealt with worse back on the ice, really. he wouldn’t have got me at all if he wasn’t a boxer. ”

– “RIGHT. HE IS FIT, THOUGH,” MILES POINTS OUT WITH HUMOR. “ couldn’t really blame her for going for it in the moment, right ? – don’t hit me, ” he adds quickly, because apparently josh can throw a punch, and miles did see what happened to that wall. “ i’ve not actually, but can’t be that hard, right ? like putting on a pair of rollerblades or whatever, ” according to wikipedia, there is not a single ice rink in the entire republic of ireland. the more you know ! so, apparently josh is correct. there’s a first time for everything, i guess. “ nah, you didn’t look that bad. you were fighting with your girl, too, it happens, ” not that miles has ever punched a wall, but he’s an athlete who spends his days in locker rooms full of testosterone. nothing about any of josh’s behavior on the show would make miles bat an eyelid. “ the producers mentioned that to us, said there was a pretty big fight last night between you two, maybe so that we didn’t all immediately start harping on the state of your face. but we don’t know any of the details. can kind of figure out the bulk of it, though, all the bullshit considered. ” safe to say that dejan was not a fan favorite, itv was receiving a bunch of complaints. “ ooh, tough guy, ” miles grins at josh’s puffed-chest bravado about it. “ how’s he look ? gnarly ? ”  

[heatwayve]

dante.

“ I’LL PAY ATTENTION TOO, ”   he promises her, with a grin. dante’s paying attention to naomi more than he had planned on it, an islander who hadn’t been on his grafting list beginning to put herself on there. how can he not ?   dante loves to flirt. love island is still more than he’s ever seen in his lifetime, but when she explains it like that, he mostly understands.   “ have you been to mallorca before ? ”   naomi seems like the type that’s been to most places. as if traveling is in her blood, when really it’s just money. the idea that she has the same goal as him, to travel more after love island, is so crazy. it feels like there should be a lot less they have in common. eyes glance back down at her mouth briefly, only when she draws attention with her tongue, as well as a look on her face that seems like the wheels are turning in her head. dante smirks back at her, though he doesn’t entirely get it.   “ i’m not keeping it a secret, ”   he laughs. he doesn’t mean to, anyway.   “ i just have not talked to anyone yet. i don’t want to say one thing and then it not be accurate later. ”   maybe dante’s starting to feel like he’s grafting here too, so talking about other people he’s interested in doesn’t really like a fun way to do it. also i’ve lost track of the timeline, and have no idea if this is before or after romi. for argument’s sake i’m gonna say before.   “ you just want me to name you, is that right ? ”   he teases, dipping his body deeper into the water for a few seconds, getting himself more wet before popping back up. as soon as the conversation turns to horses, dante can see the excitement in her eyes instantly. it’s actually pretty cute, smile widening, despite not knowing a single thing about horse breeds. unfortunately the names of her horses also go right over his head.   “ rocco is… brown, ”   he says, after a furrow of his brows.   “ he’s from italy, i believe. an italian stallion, ”   dante jokes, with another grin. he wonders if naomi has heard that nickname of his yet.   “ we have two red blends. our area is mostly known for its reds, ”   he explains,   “ but we now have a white as well, a sauvignon blanc. if you like cabernet savignon, you will probably like our reds. you must come some time and try it. maybe after the show, when you travel. ”

– NAOMI SHAKES HER HEAD. she’s probably traveled more than someone else her age, just due to wealth, connections, and her occupation, but mallorca isn’t a place she’s explored outside of the villa. “ no. i’ve been to barcelona before, but i’ve never been out here prior to this. i’d really like to experience it differently than on love island sometime, i keep hoping they’re going to send me on a date out into town or something, like . . . whose dick do i have to suck, right ? ” she asks, joking. after all this casa amor stuff shakes out, naomi’s hoping that she’ll get to go on another date, an actual one – rather than a lunch with josh’s latest fling or whatever. can’t wait to share a cheeseboard with whatever bombshell’s grafting him right now. the moment she and dante share is brief, but it’s enough to get her thinking. out of all the bombshells today, he’s probably left the best impression on her so far – it’s just nice to get some attention that doesn’t have any kind of pressure or obligation attached to it, just easy conversation and light flirting, his interest clear. “ not necessarily, ” she laughs at his accusation, shaking her head, “ but if you’re going to use my advice to make a move on someone else, i should get to at least ask about it. ” he’s got a similar sentiment to charlene again, though, which naomi does like to some degree, presents himself as less strategic, just casually getting to know everyone first – if he’s telling the truth. and, well, if dante’s playing dumb he is really, really good at it. naomi’s eyes widen a bit, expression incredulous as her lips twitch, trying to hold back a peal of laughter as she forces them together in a thin line. something probably gives a little. “ right. well, i’m sure he’s gorgeous, ” she placates him with a tilt of her head. “ though i thought that’s what you were supposed to be ? ” the production-induced moniker for dante, which she finds more amusing than actually sexy. “ i do like them, ” she affirms, “ that would be lovely. you’d have to show me around the whole place, though, of course, i wouldn’t go all the way out there to settle for anything less than the grand tour. ”

[heatwayve]

phoebe.

”Oh.” Phoebe’s mouth forms into a perfect circular shape for a moment. “That makes me feel better, I thought your friends were out there making fun of you or something.” Not that that was something she would be able to help him with but maybe if she keeps flooding him with compliments it will help a little. It’s not hard to do so because he seems rather likable and looks are clearly not a problem. “That can’t be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to you!” Blonde waves sway from side to side as she shakes her head. “I find that very hard to believe, Miles, you better not be lying to me.” There’s no way that anyone hasn’t said way nicer things to him. Pointed out the way his eyes crinkle at the corners when he laughs or his how his cheeks natural get rosy when he is being complimented. If they have just met and she’s already picked up on all of these things, it’s farfetched that no one who is actually close to him hasn’t picked up on more quirks about him. “I’d let you kiss me.” Her eyes widen slightly after she realizes what she has just said. “Well, I know that you don’t actually want to kiss me. I’m not the reason you’re here but if we weren’t…I mean, if you weren’t…in a hypothetical situation I’d allow it. I wouldn’t mind it.” The words are just flowing out now and a part of her knows that she should stop but it’s sort of hard to do so once she’s gotten started. “I’ll let you know about the breakfast, though.” She does love to cook breakfast herself so she wishes that she had gotten to make him the offer first. There are still people she’s yet to meet and perhaps she’ll be offering to make them breakfast. Still, they appreciate the offer, especially coming from Miles. “I don’t think it’s too fancy, it’s just a frozen drink and I’d prefer the real fruit instead of a juice or something.” Phoebe wrinkles her nose to let him know that that is something she simply won’t allow. She takes the carton of strawberries from him and washes them, moving on to find the blender. “Strawberries are my favorite. So are raspberries. Definitely not aubergine.” Her eyes meet his in the hopes that this is yet another joke the two of them are sharing. “What’s your favorite?” 

– “NAH, IT’S ALL JUST MESSING. HOW WE SHOW OUR LOVE AND ALL,” he grins, though he’s not sure she entirely gets it, but it’s probably just one of those things. with his friends on the team, they could be in a screaming argument one moment and laughing over a pint the next, like siblings more than friends when you’re spending so much time together and always running plays as a team. “ i’m not lying ! i wouldn’t do that to you. granted, my memory’s shit, but it’s definitely the nicest thing someone’s said to me within the first hour of meeting me, at least. that i’d bet on. ” he’s really only thinking about what she’s said to him anyway, hard for him to focus on much else when she’s smiling over at him like that, eyes on his. maybe that’s why he shouldn’t be surprised when she says what she does, quickly trying to gloss over it, but his gaze has already intentional dipped to her lips. he’d be crazy not to look there, not to think about it, since she’s practically given him an open invitation. they’re at a fairly safe distance, but he’s already calculated it in his mind, how many steps it would take to be back beside her, tilt her chin upward and bring his lips down to meet hers. if they weren’t in this precise situation, it’s exactly what he would do. “ well, in a hypothetical situation, ” he says. “ i’d do it. even if ‘i’d allow it’ isn’t exactly the most romantic . . . maybe save that one for me, try something else when you’re laying it on the guys, ” he offers, tone teasing as miles grins at her, hopefully indicating that he’s joking around. granted, if he doesn’t, he might actually kiss her, and he’s pretty sure that would get both of them into a fair amount of trouble. he knows she has things she wants to pursue in here, wouldn’t want to send the wrong message for a bit of fun. “ cool, keep me posted, ” he adds, already reaching through his mind to try and pull out a change of subject. it’s way easier to talk about favorite foods and home bartending, though not exactly a turn-off either. he’s about to point out that real fruit is more expensive, but he doesn’t want to sound like a dick so he just nods. “ so, it’s a good thing i agreed to go with strawberries then, ” he nods. “ mostly a banana guy, though – fuck you, don’t say it – i just mean they can go on anything. quick snack, put ‘em in a smoothie, on top of a fruit bowl. most portable, probably, except for maybe apples. ” miles glances over at what she’s doing, “ you need help with that ? chopping or something ? ” 

[heatwayve]

marcus.

“ i am. ” marcus lets out a hearty laugh. maybe sugar will be their always. “ okay, good. can’t wait. i’ll get the fancy cutlery out and everything for ya.  ”  he jokes, but if this is actually happening he will go out and get fancy cutlery. “ aw, mate… i’d love that, yeah. you’ll just hear me screaming from the stands, waving my arms about like a lunatic… hope you don’t get embarrassed easy. ” marcus nudges the other gently, eyes glimmering in excitement for what may never even happen. he thinks miles is cute though. it’s hard to see himself falling for anyone when he’s still got romi in the back of his mind, but he does like the guy. at the very least, he hopes he stays around for a while for marcus to get to know him better. “ nah, i don’t at all. ” he laughs, shaking his head. “ but the goalie’s like… the superhero, you know ? you save a belter and you’re a legend… let one in and it’s the defenders’ fault. ” he grins impishly, taking a second before he shakes his head once more. “ i’m just shit, like… i get so distracted all the time, i’d probably do an own goal as the goalie. ” he wishes he was joking, too. he’d be much better as a forward or something where he’s constantly on the go. “ oh, yeah, i think if i have kids i want, like… twenty. cheaper by the dozen it. start a band, maybe a cult. ” he nods, these are all realistic goals to have when it comes to starting a family. “ oh, yeah. well, no. not a deck hand at all, really. i begged my dad to let me perform for like the evening entertainment and one day he let me and… i mean, old couples and drunk singles actually make a really good crowd. ” he nods, knowing he’s got it better than most and he didn’t really have to do much to get it. “ see you say that… but, like, unless someone jumps overboard, they’re kinda stuck there so… you can’t really, like, murder and run, you know ? though i guess you could skip out if you got to a port or something… ” he’s thought about this obviously. “ but, you could also… like, throw someone over and kill ‘em that way. that’d probably be easy. “ a pause. “ though, i swear in all the years i’ve been out cruisin’, i have never seen a bruisin’. ” he laughs, trying to lighten the mood or not give miles some weird cruise phobia if he hasn’t already. “ after all this, you should join me. promise there’ll be no murderers. not that we’ll know of anyways. ” he grins, probably not making the other feel better but he’s being serious with his invite. “ oh, yeah, defo. like… i’d rather regret something than not know, you know ? ” he’s glad miles gets it and seems to be on the same page. he holds the other’s gaze as he talks about hitting it off, a smile fixed to his lips. “ well, the getting laid thing shouldn’t be too difficult… ” his smile creeps into a grin, soft shrug of his shoulders. “ i mean, you’re hot, funny… easy to chat to. what’s not to like ? ”

– “AW, FOR ME?” MILES LAUGHS, A COY SMILE THAT BORDERS MORE ON PLAYFUL than genuinely shy. “ nah, you don’t have to do that. could be happy with anything, i’m low maintenance. ” miles pauses, “ – in a good way, though. ” he’s not sure what the bad way would be construed as, probably as lazy, which he has certainly been known to be. “ dude, ” miles laughs out loud at that, shaking his head, “ i’m looking for a relationship on reality television right now. i do not get embarrassed easily, ” marcus brushes up against him and miles’ grin is lopsided, turning his head to meet marcus’s eyes as he nudges him right back, “ so, cheer for me all you want. pressure’d probably make me play better knowing i’ve got you in the stands, you know ? could be my good luck charm. ” miles doesn’t have any serious expectations when it comes to marcus, or anyone really, but especially after watching such an intense connection form between him and romi. it’s impossible to make a judgment call on whether they were actually suited among the edited glimpses that he saw, but he could tell marcus was at least invested. either way, miles would definitely score marcus the tickets for any game he wanted to go to, but he definitely wouldn’t be opposed to more – marcus is even better-looking in person, and it’s definitely about his energy, lighthearted and fun, conversation flowing. “ nah, there’s so much pressure on the goalie, friend of mine was balding by age twenty-three. couldn’t have that happen to you, not with your curls. be a tragedy, ” miles laments with a dismissive shake of his head. “ twenty kids ? shit, you are planning the whole football team, huh ? ” he cracks up at this, doesn’t even notice the gap between a dozen and twenty. “ i feel that, though, would love to just build my own squad, load ‘em up in the van for a big road trip or whatever. – shit, are we talking about kids already ? ” his smile crinkles the corners of his eyes, “ we gotta slow down, i’m in trouble. ” he knew a little bit about marcus’s cruise ship life, considering everyone on the internet digs into the careers of the contestants, but he’s interested to hear it from marcus’s perspective. “ i dated a girl who used to dance for a cruise ship, she quit ‘cause it basically was her whole life, couldn’t do that forever. you think you got a few more years in you or you want to try something else ? ” he asks. miles smiles fondly at marcus’s invitation, “ you’re inviting me on a free cruise ? a bit suspicious after all this talk of murder, but y’know, i never turn down anything that’s free. or something i’ve never done before. you’re on. ” miles doesn’t think marcus is really being serious in his invite, though, as nice as it sounds. but then again, miles was serious about catching marcus at the football games, so . . . maybe it’s not totally farfetched. “ yeah, that’s pretty much how i feel about all of this. and everything in life, you know ? miss all the shots you don’t take or whatever, ” he replies, catching marcus’s gaze as he matches his smile. he definitely had no expectations coming into this conversation, maybe he was nervous, but miles definitely thinks they vibe. if they were making small talk at a bar in a normal everyday scenario, he’d for sure be calculating how to finesse this into a much longer night. “ so, you’re saying i’ve got a shot, ” it falls somewhere between a statement or a question, a mischievous glint drowning out the usual mirth in his light eyes. “ any more boxes i gotta tick ? ”

[heatwayve]

adela.

“ well, not everyone has taste and sense like you, miles. ” she states quick, not getting into her ‘ a thousand reasons why men ain’t shit ’ list. “ yeah, but he’s not into her. she’ll figure that out eventually, poor gal. ” she does genuinely feel sorry for jenny, but everything comes out eventually and she’s hoping by then jenny will have moved on. “ i hope her head gets turned, anyways. ” she adds, wanting there to be more bombshells from casa left over than the actual ogs. she has to laugh at his conclusion, bringing her shoulders up in a shrug. “ i’ll do everything i can. she won’t come near you. ” adela assures, though she barely knows what the real situation would be like if it did come to that… she’d still stick up for miles for sure, but she’s not getting kicked off the show for anyone. “ this is the thing, i feel like there’s gotta be more to him… maybe something of a dark side ? ” adela laughs, wicked grin remaining on her lips. “ but i’m not like… putting all my eggs in one basket, i’m just going off looks, really. well, that, and he’s a lot different to what i usually go for so it might be good for me to experiment a little.  ”     

– BEFORE TODAY, MILES WOULD’VE SAID… ‘SURELY HE IS?’ you don’t manage to get a girl who looks like jenny and not be beside yourself over it, but after talking to josh, miles doesn’t think he’ll be making that argument. “ yeah, can’t imagine the squad over there isn’t all over her, ” he points out, “ it’s kind of weird to imagine what things’ll be like this time next week. hopefully we’ll both be cuddled up with someone. ” it’s not exactly the scenario miles would imagine for two girls fighting over him, considering it would be over dylan by proxy, but it sounds kind of hot either way. he’ll take it. more so, it’s about the bombshell solidarity they’re starting to build this week, like they’ve all suited up for battle together. “ if he’s got a dark side, i’m intrigued. i think you’ve got your work cut out for you with that. did you watch that bit with him in the hideaway with nana ? ” miles asks. “ if there’s anything sinister about that guy, i can’t see him breaking. ” he tilts his head, “ but i CAN see the appeal in going for someone different than your usual type. if you’re gonna try something new, here’s the place to do it, right ? maybe i should try it on maddox after all. ”  

[heatwayve]

callie.

“ DO ANY OF THEM SEEM INTERESTED IN YOU ?   but that’s fair, he did ask me about romi and jenny when we talked. ”   he certainly wasn’t interested in callie, which she’s not upset about. even if he had been, she probably made a terrible first impression.   “ it’s so much harder than she looks, ”   her cheeks blow out, nodding.   “ i thought it’d be all good vibes and sun. the challenges looked fun, and maybe i’d get to kiss a bunch of hot people. i didn’t expect all this. ”   then again, she hadn’t really stressed about it either. preparing has never really been callie’s style for anything outside of competitions, but now she’s wishing she had at least known better what she was walking into.   “ i know you haven’t had it easy, but even then, you’ve made it look that way, ”   she admits, glancing up at naomi with a small smile.   “ did she take it well ? ”   she can only assume naomi had been the one to tell her, if she does know.   “ i mean, i think dyl will be perfectly nice to the bombshells, and i’m sure at least someone will be interested in him. but if he’s asking you to prove yourself, he’s going to meet you halfway. he’s one of the most loyal people i know. don’t stress about what he’s doing, seriously. ”   cut to all the bombshells telling dylan that naomi is playing him.   “ yeah, i’m glad we came in together. for a minute there, between all the luke and rhys drama, i was afraid that i convinced him to do something that was only going to hurt him, ”   she laughs a little, mostly at how absurdly long ago that feels.   “ i thought he was going to walk for a minute, actually, and part of me hoped he would, because he seemed so sad. but everything happens for a reason, you know ? ”   because then dylan and naomi got together, and here they are now.   “ it’s nice having him as a sounding board, even if he doesn’t always tell me what i want to hear. ”   eyes roll lightly.   “ wouldn’t mind not having to hear him get freaky in the same room as me, yeah. it’s not all roses. ”

– NAOMI SHAKES HER HEAD, A SMILE CURLING HER LIPS. “ nope, ” she’d actually not mind it if it wasn’t for – “ as jude so kindly put it, i’ve got too much baggage. ” naomi rolls her eyes. she wonders if josh has bombshells telling him the same thing, and somehow, she doubts it, anxiety curling in the pit of her stomach. “ yeah, that’s . . . pretty much what i thought. easy vibes, a long holiday, meet someone cute but pretty unserious, ” naomi shakes her head, “ i don’t know. it’s different in person. ” but she’s only saying this because she knows that callie gets her, especially now that she’s started to get more invested in this thing with frankie, able to understand the more intense anxieties that come with all of this. naomi meets callie’s eyes as she speaks, compliment warming her chest. it’s not that naomi needs certain validation, but callie’s admiration means a lot. she likes to think that it’s seemed that way on the surface – especially after the way everything went down with dejan, but even with the way that things went down with josh. not that it was so humiliating, but naomi still feels like it was revealing, every argument with him making her feel like she’s been stripped bare, and not in the fun way. “ yeah, she seemed alright with it. i think she was more relieved that, like, i didn’t encourage it. i mean, marcus was really drunk and it was right after she hooked up with maddox in front of everyone – i don’t think anyone could be really be pissed about that, you know ? ” naomi offers, giving a little more context to when the kiss had happened. callie’s assessment gets the wheels turning in naomi’s mind. she believes callie is right, of course, that she knows her brother and that if he asked naomi to prove herself, then he means it. it makes sense. so, why has heart still been pulled in another direction ? why can’t she just do the right thing ? deep down, she knows, but she can’t say it, can’t stop thinking of the night before, burning imprint of certain hands on her thighs. naomi swallows thickly, nodding her head. “ you’re right, ” soft smile, “ and i get it, i mean . . . i’ve gotten to know him pretty well. not as well as you, but . . . enough to want him to be happy, obviously. i don’t know, i think he’s amazing, ” she says, meaning it. her chest feels tight, anxious. “ it’s gonna be weird without him these next few days, huh ? ” 

[heatwayve]

josh.

“ MADDOX ? ”   that’s not a name he’s expecting to hear, scoffing at that.   “ oh please. yeah, the guy’s annoying as hell, but i wouldn’t call him my enemy. ”   a few days he would’ve, especially when maddox had really laid into him about not being good enough for naomi, but today it feels like the british guy is really the last of his worries. if the options were casa with maddox or seb, josh is secretly grateful he got the maddox of it all. even if he’s going to end up watching maddox hoe around with all the hot bombshells while josh tries to be good in the corner.   “ mostly watch. i played in middle school, before i focused most of my time on hockey. it’s a cool sport, ”   josh says, though he’d love to see any football player try playing a sport where you have to wear skates.   “ yeah ?   i’ll totally take you up on that, man. ”   josh can’t wait to get out of this show, and be able to travel and enjoy himself as a celebrity, even if it’s just for a few months. the longer he stays in the show, the more excited he is thinking about how much more his life is going to change.

– IT’S FUNNY TO SEE JOSH ACT SO SURPRISED, especially when josh and maddox’s rivalry seems like one of the titular points of the season to an outside viewer. “ huh. the edit makes it look so intense between you two, it’s crazy, ” miles could swear they were about to kiss ! or pull their dicks out that one time. he doesn’t know what ‘middle school’ is and frankly he doesn’t want to look dumb by asking so he just nods, a polite smile. “ yeah, we have fun, ” he agrees, “ ‘ve never played hockey before, though, seems like a real riot. ” miles is not a great ice skater, much better when he’s on solid ground – as josh can probably imagine. “ but at least you’re used to takin’ a few hits, clearly, ” miles points to josh’s face, still baring the evidence of the fight from dejan the night before. the producers had mentioned it to them in brief, maybe to scare them into acting right, but miles doesn’t know much else. he’s sorry he missed it, though. “ does that hurt, by the way ? ” 

[heatwayve]

angel.

it occurs to angel that, despite the funky love island-branded villa and the slow-mo entrance, he hasn’t really felt like he was on a reality show ‘til now, trading sideways smiles and quippy one-liners with naomi. he’s beginning to understand why she’s one of the so-called fan faves, the girl was made for tv. it’s why he’s so keen to press the embarrassing memory anecdote, wants to draw something humanizing out of her. something more than the guy-hitting-on-girl-at-the-club spiel, something to bond over. “duh,” he interjects. the white of his palm is raised like he’s being sworn in. “you got my word, i’ll give you real and stupid back. matter fact, bet you mine’ll be worse than yours.” just guessing. it’s actually genuinely painful to see naomi’s face contort into confused disbelief, has him pinching the bridge of his nose like he actually is a disappointed father. “naomi… please tell me you drive a tesla.” his hand is raised again to stop her. “no, just lie to me. this is – you can’t break my heart this early, just say you drive electric.”

though many topics live on angel’s sheepish-to-talk-about list (work, sex, pythagorean theorem), love surprisingly doesn’t chart too high. the eternal optimism in him is a little shocked by naomi’s doubt, can’t imagine why she’d come on a dating show if she didn’t think it was achievable. oh, yeah – fame, notoriety, money. but just the fact that she’s exploring the concept at all, he’s sure there’s a romantic somewhere in her. “i said high reward, not quick reward,” he reminds her with a wry arch of his brow. “you don’t know one solid couple? well, whatever, you’re not just anyone. and, i dunno, y’know? i think it’s, like, all part of the journey, right? the shitty parts make the sweet sweeter.” it’s a little tongue in cheek, finds it a bit hard to ever talk about this stuff without resorting to cliches. they’re cliches for a reason, after all. a genuinely pleased smile springs on his face when she concedes a bit. “now we’re gettin’ somewhere. can’t go wrong following your heart. trust me, i’ve seen it in the movies.” there’s a stunned, dry laugh at her question, sufficiently caught off guard by the directness even despite the playfulness of her demeanor. “yeah, sure. i mean, i think so. maybe not a great love…,” angel answers honestly. “between you and me, i kinda still am in love. this absolute stunner back home, tiny little thing. dark features like how i like, a fuckin’ weapon… yeah, she’s a ‘56 jaguar xk140. gorgeous ride, rare as hell, even you’d be impressed by it.” ‘cause he figures none of those specs mean anything to her. there’s a big, goofy grin on his face, hopes he had her at least a little bit in the beginning. he quickly seals it with the drink, throws back a good pull. “whoo,” he nods. “got a bite, but i don’t mind it. i’m guessing the liquor’s been flowing good around here?”

– “WHAT ARE WE BETTING?” NAOMI CAN’T HELP BUT ASK. maybe she just wants breakfast out of this, since she’s not planning on sucking any dick for it this week, if she can help it. still, naomi will acquiesce because her read on him isn’t terrible, angel’s not hitting on her or making her feel like she’s got to put on some kind of act for him, nothing to lose by giving away a little something for the sake of trying to get to know someone new. something completely chill about that, about him, so naomi drops a bit of the gameplay, leans back on the countertop and indulges his little ice-breaker question, like they’re the new kids at a college lecture. “ dante made me think of it earlier, actually, ” she remarks, “ his accent is like, a trauma receptor, ‘cause when i was staying in rome when i was sixteen, i met this like . . . gorgeous, vespa-riding dreamboat, straight out of the lizzie mcguire movie. literally, in a way, because he stole my wallet, passport, everything. had to find a hotel, so i could call my father and beg him to come rescue me. he was at some premier in milan and had to send his assistant, it was like, a fucking disaster trying to get back. wanted to die a little. ” naomi sighs. many lessons were learned from this, though there probably is something to be said about adrian santos’ parenting more than anything. good thing they’re probably not going to air this casual conversation on television anyway, nothing particularly juicy compared to the other happenings in the villa – they’re low priority compared to whoever’s getting fingered in the hallway. “ now, you give me real stupid. ” his disappointment makes naomi press her lips together, trying not to smile guiltily in response. “ okay, ” dopey, exaggerated grin as she emphasizes the words for him . . . though there’s a bit of a challenge in her eyes, unable to help it, “ i drive electric. ” 

angel sort of meanders around the point, but naomi gets her read pretty quick : another romantic. or at least pretending to be. but he also doesn’t lay it on to thick, borders on sarcastic, but it’s also sweet. she’s been mulling over the idea of it the past week : love, what it is. what it can do to you. “ well, here’s hoping we find out the sweeter, i guess, ” she suggests with a wry grin, head canting slightly to catch angel’s eyes, somewhat encouraging in their shared tryst. here’s hoping. naomi blinks in surprise when angel admits that he’s in love, stunned look on her features that he’d admit to such a thing when it devolves into a joke, jaw going slack. “ fuck off ! ” she laughs, throwing the nearest thing to her – a hand towel – at him, “ now who’s got jokes ? ” mental picture of that wide, goofy grin he’s flashing her, though, because it’s cute and feels real. sometimes there are a few things like that in her day, cuts through the rest of the bullshit and the anxiety and the trying-so-hard of it all. “ yeah, it’s one of the three things we have to do, i guess, ” she only half-jokes.