when she got invited out for drinks with reign and his team, she obviously said yes, telling him she’d meet him at the bar after dropping nala and ayiden off at skylar’s place. once she did, she changed into that dress, and she got exactly the reaction she expected. he clearly had a hard time keeping his hands to himself. they kissed right there in front of everyone, and she couldn’t deny how good it felt, how wanted it made her feel. "they’re not subtle, like at all," she said with a small laugh, "but i don’t care, i only have eyes for you," she promised, leaning in to press another quick kiss to his lips. "it’s a shame he had to interrupt us right when things were getting interesting," she teased with a chuckle, "but you should be proud of that title, no one’s taking it away from you," she added with a playful wink. "i may have started it, but i love it," she smiled. "you look really good tonight," she whispered softly against his ear. she laughed at his reaction. "you’re not saying anything, but your eyes and your hands are doing all the talking," she teased. when she turned slightly so he could see the dress from another angle, she smiled. "thanks," she said, her cheeks lightly flushed. he wrapped an arm around her and guided them to the bar, and as he called the bartender, she couldn’t help but watch him, taking in the way he leaned there, effortlessly attractive. she noticed the way he kept glancing at her too. "i’ll have a martini," she said, nodding, "do you want one too?" she asked, looking at him softly, still a little in awe of how lucky she felt to have him.
Reign kept her close as they moved toward the bar, his arm still comfortably around her like it belonged there. He didn’t rush, didn’t need to, just guided them through the noise with that easy, grounded confidence he always had around her. “Isaiah saw a little too much,” he said, amused, glancing down at her with that easy grin still sitting on his face. He paused, eyes flicking over her like the memory was already playing back in his head. The smile on his mouth widened just a little. “And for the record,” Reign added, quieter, voice dipped with playful confidence, “that didn’t stop anything. He left, and we kept on going." His gaze held hers for a beat, then he gave a short laugh under his breath, like it was all still mildly entertaining to him. “If anything, he just delayed it until we were in a safe enough environment to continue." When she leaned in and whispered that he looked good, his gaze softened just a fraction, but his smirk stayed. He turned his head slightly toward her, voice lower now so it felt like it was just for her. “Careful,” he murmured. “You keep talking like that and I’m not gonna behave." He glanced over at the bartender, then back at her as she ordered, listening properly even while still half-focused on her. The way she looked at him didn’t go unnoticed, it never did. It made something in his expression ease, warm in a way he didn’t bother hiding. “Martini for you,” he repeated, nodding once before leaning an elbow on the bar beside her. “I’ll take the same.” His eyes stayed on her for a second longer than necessary, like he was still taking her in properly even after the initial reaction had settled. The music shifted again, his body moving almost unconsciously with the beat. He gave a quiet, amused exhale through his nose. He lifted a hand, brushing it slowly through her long hair, fingers lingering for a second as if he was just appreciating the moment rather than thinking too hard about it. His eyes stayed on her face the entire time, steady and warm in that confident, grounded way he had. “Nalani was talking to me the other night when I was tucking her in.” He gave a small, fond exhale through his nose, like the memory alone made him smile. “She was telling me how much you mean to her.” A faint, warm smile tugged at his mouth then, softer than the teasing look he usually wore. “Kept going on about you."