she was so relieved that her relationship with monroe hadn’t changed at its core. they were still the same people they had been as best friends, playful and careless around each other in the easiest way possible. she had been terrified things would change between them, and she was glad they hadn’t — if anything, everything had only gotten better. “happy ending? i can work with that,” she smiled, “and i’ll try to push you into giving me a massage later.” she winked at him playfully. as she pulled away and grabbed her burger, she knew she was the one distracting him, but she wasn’t about to admit guilt. after swallowing her bite, she pointed at him accusingly. “you’re not innocent after admitting you watched a whole show because the main characters kept pinning each other against walls,” she teased, eyebrows raised. “the consequences are going to be serious.” she tried to keep a straight face, but the smile tugging at her lips ruined it immediately. “and i don’t push you,” she corrected softly, her brown eyes locked on his, “i shove you with love.” she noticed how he focused on his burger for a second, trying not to look at her too much, and it gave her a moment to really look at him instead. he was the most perfect man she had ever met, inside and out. she genuinely didn’t think she could ever love anyone more than him. so when he looked back at her and admitted he fell harder every time he saw her, her heart skipped painfully in the best way. she had found the right person. “you’re such a simp,” she said softly, warmth all over her face, “but i get it. it happens to me too.” she sighed quietly, glancing away before meeting his eyes again. “you’re my happy ending too, you know that?” she murmured. she took another bite of her burger before smiling again. “if we finish these, we can totally have a dramatic makeout session against the car,” she mused. “city lights behind us, full lonely night vibes from la la land.” she laughed softly, shaking her head at herself.
He leaned back slightly in his seat, burger halfway lifted, eyes fixed on her in that quiet, affectionate way he always seemed to fall into without meaning to. The teasing didn’t even land as an attack to him, it just felt like her, like home. When she accused him of the show, his grin widened. “Oh no,” he murmured, soft and mock-dramatic. “Not consequences from you. Anything but that.” His smile softened when she corrected herself, shove you with love, and there was something unmistakably fond in the way he looked at her then, like he’d been collecting moments like that for years without ever admitting it. “Good,” Monroe said gently, almost under his breath. “Because I prefer it that way.” He glanced down at his burger for half a second, like he needed something to do with his hands before he looked at her again properly. When he did, it was quieter, less teasing, more honest. At her simp comment, he didn’t even deny it. Just smiled, slow and a little helpless. “Guilty,” Monroe admitted softly. “But I think I’ve been worse since you agreed to date me. Bit inconsiderate of you, really.” The warmth on her face made his expression soften even more, like he couldn’t help reacting to her reactions. Then she said it, you’re my happy ending too, and for a moment he just looked at her. Not teasing, not joking. Just completely still, like that sentence had landed somewhere important and stayed there. Monroe exhaled quietly, smile turning smaller, more real. “Yeah?” he said softly. “Good. Because I was kind of hoping I wasn’t just some douchebag side character in your life's plot." At the idea of the dramatic car makeout, his brows lifted. “Against the car?” he repeated, leaning back again like he was considering the logistics. “We’re really going full cinematic today, aren’t we?” He glanced at her burger, then back at her, eyes bright. “Though I feel like you’re forgetting an important detail,” Monroe added, tilting his head. “The makeout is gonna taste like burger grease and chilli sauce.” His smile widened, softer but unmistakably teasing now. “I’m gonna make your lips tingle,” he said, like it was a completely reasonable promise, eyes bright with affection. “And when I drop you home,” he added, voice dropping just a fraction, still warm but steadier now, “and your lips are still tingling from chilli sauce and bad decisions,” A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “You’re gonna think of me all night long."











