“i’m glad you didn’t,” cier states, honestly. “i know you said i wasn’t, but i still felt like i was losing you.” he thinks back to how he’d felt that morning, feelings and fears all pent up. yet for the first time in a long time, feeling free because he knew. it would’ve been hard holding onto those feelings for longer if lani rescheduled. “i was up before six, so i did try to spare you a little,” he adds in, lightly amused “and i did make good on my promise to let you nap later,” he points out, as if this helped make up for it. even though he’d stayed up to start making her flashcards, quiet and not wanting to wake her, the anxiety and pain of the previous weeks had lifted away watching her face soft with sleep, knowing they were finally okay. he lifts his brows in playful challenge, even though they both know his heart’s grown so full lately it’d be more accurate to say it might explode out of his chest any second. “hmm, sounds like you’re falling asleep before you realize and your dreams are conjuring up all kinds of fabrications about me,” he teases. but as her gaze meets his, his soft smile widens too, accepting that he’s full of it and that she’s won. he’s weaker than he ever was for her. he nods at the mention of her ex, trying to keep the expression from his face. he likes to think he can avoid being that jealous of a person, but he feels a pang in his gut every time he thinks of lani being heartbroken by him in the end. “hmm.. might be the same fans who keep telling me you belong with them, not me,” he says, lightly amused. “what did the letters say? the ones from the fans, i mean,” he perks a brow, curious. an amused sigh leaves his lips and he shakes his head lightly, “that’s way too much faith you have in me. that mine would be the best. i’ve never been that romantic,” he feels the need to clarify. “but i guess if i did write you one…” the emphasis on the ‘did’ was teasing “you’d know it’d be sincere. i really can’t stand anything fake just for the sake of saying it.” that would at least be something in his favor, he thinks. cieran usually didn’t muse on ideas of long-term when he was dating. it just wasn’t the first thing that came to his mind. that is, until lani. “you will be. at least if it’s me who has a say,” he says, calmly and surely reassuring her. he looks down at her intently at her admission, gaze burning and one corner of his lips pulling upwards. “good. i’ve started wanting you with me everywhere.” when he’d flown to australia ahead of her, he’d felt all too aware of the days until her flight got in too. “okay, fine,” he chuckles, accepting the words she spoke with starry eyes fixed on him. “they can stay jealous for good. i’m not going anywhere.”
“are you sure they were my fans? i thought i was never going to get you back,” he teases. although the truth was she’d been a part of his life for so long that a lot of his fans had become her fans and vice versa. like that day at the zoo, every time he watched her with fans, so genuinely and sweetly lighting all of them up, he felt there wasn’t a way he could ever stop being in love with her. he chuckles as she teasingly calls him out, sure even she doesn’t know how true the words are. “okay, guilty. i am. and i do love it,” he glances over and holding her gaze for a moment. he smiles softly as she refers to him by the nickname he only ever let her call him outside of his mom, mari and kai. “forever,” he says, “only for you.” even though she’s wearing a smile, tone teasing, part of him still knots up inside when he thinks about how much he wishes he could take back the span of time between lani’s confession and his own, letting her cry or wonder where she stood with him. meeting her humor slightly, he says, “we’re more similar lately than i thought. i guess it could be kind of a brooks brothers thing.” then, turning more pensive, “i just… want him to be happy? and not telling you how i really felt and leaving you feeling the way i did… i think it’s my biggest regret. i was scared of losing our friendship, but i ended up doing so much wrong. i know things are different with kai and thena. but…” eventually he shrugs, trailing off, simply worried his brother might make some of the same mistakes. his brows come together in thought, “i couldn’t remember if you had. it’ll be your first time?” he likes the idea of her first time in paris with him. “ooh. it’s hot when you talk tennis to me,” he pops his brows over at her and jokes. although, honestly, his chest does swell with a little pride every time she catches onto the rules and scoring. “oh? when’s fashion week? the tournament’s in may. and of course,” he grins at how much it seems she’s looking forward to it, “especially if it’s your first time in paris. i’ve actually never seen it at night. and we can spend a day seeing the louvre…“ as she giggles across from him, he teases along, wiggling his brows, “have you met me? i’m nothing but taboo.” although the bad boy reputation he’d had with the media was fast dissipating. it takes him more than a moment to pull his eyes away from the adorable knot in her brow as her deep brown eyes trail over the menu. he can’t help it, like there’s always something invisible pulling his gaze to her. he quickly settles on something, more interested in the company and whether this whole valentines date was making her happy. the taste of the food would probably be more lost on him than it should. they’re able to order after the champagne is brought out. holding her gaze as the glasses met with a satisfying ‘clink’, it’s then followed with another raise of his eyebrows and a playful smirk as he takes a sip. “hmm, that was a little cheesy,” he teases. “are we that couple now?” but the smile is comfortable and settled on his lips, because surprisingly, he couldn’t care less if they were that couple, the one with heart eyes that made everyone want to look away. it was everybody else’s problem. he let himself feel the light buzz of the first glass of champagne, before he’d sober up to drive again. “you know, i might keep slipping you champagne like it’s contraband, as long as i don’t have to end up carrying you to your door again,” he teases, smile rising on his feature, soft and sweet, moments before plates were placed in front of them.
“i’m glad i didn’t either, although, i would like to believe that if i did we would still end up at this point.” she states, rising a brow at him, wondering if he would go through with the whole confession if she didn’t show up. her eyes softens at the thought of him fearing that he would lose her for good, resulting in her scrunching up her nose. “you should know that no matter what would of happened, i would always have a soft spot for you... like you have no idea how happy i was when you actually showed up to my friendsgiving.” those weeks that passed without the two of them talking were the hardest two weeks of her life, she felt miserable making her realize that she wasn’t truly completely herself if she lost him completely. “up before six to try and form your feelings into words?” she teases him, giggling ever so slightly as she remembers how nervous he seemed waiting for her to answer while her brain processed his words. “that is true and you helped me study.” when she took her nap, she was surprised when she woke up and saw that he remain true to his words and made her flashcards, it warmed her heart up knowing that he cared that much about her and that warm feeling settled in her stomach that he was her person. it was the little things he did for her that mattered the most. the expression upon his face causes her to giggle as she rises a brow at him herself, as she shrugs and sighs contently, “mm, maybe so.. definitely could be a mirage or maybe i’m just hearing my own heartbeat and growth that it has for you every moment i spend with you.” there it was, her cheesy side reflecting once again, but she couldn’t help it. kalani hadn’t realized it before, but the more time she reflects on their past and their present, the more she realized that she might of been in love with him all along. a gasp falls from her lips as she looks over towards him, “please, i get dms from girls all the time telling me that they belong with you,” she giggles, scrunching up her nose as she nibbles on her bottom lip. “mm, this one that i got asked for my hand in marriage. he even brought a ring pop to the meet and greet,” she laughs at the memories as she shakes her head. “others were pretty tamed, told me that i have a pure heart and that they’re madly in love with me.” she playfully flips her hair before smiling, her ex’s letter being long forgotten about. tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, a soft smile appears across her lips as she lets out a content sigh, “i don’t know... i just feel like yours will definitely top everyone else’s and i know that everything you write in it will come from your heart,” it was no surprise that she already knew the genuine thoughts and feelings he’ll fabricate into writing her a love letter and that thought alone was enough to satisfy her. “wait, does that mean that you’re not writing me love letters?” a slight pout curving at the corners of her lips, as she pretends to be hurt about it. lips curls once again, this time upwards into a warm grin, “then we should have no problems because i won’t argue with being your valentine each year.” the reassurance was nice, something that she didn’t know that she needed, but it seems that she’s more fragile and worried that cieran might want to be with someone better than her. “and i’d definitely follow you blindly everywhere you go,” with how much time they spend together, it was beginning to get harder and harder being apart from him. “great, now i get to compliment you about how lovely of a boyfriend you are without any arguments or disagreement.” she beams happily, “ooh, that’s hot. you letter me show you off.”
“they’re both of our fans, but i think they prefer you over me. i just happen to interact with them more,” she teases, although she knew that they were in each other’s lives for so long to the point where everyone knew who the other was. that their lives weren’t complete without the other. it thrown her into a surprise when he admits it, the teasing smile drops and her eyes softens as her heart beats a bit faster. she was sure that he had no idea how his words affects her so easily. “i love you so much, i hope you know that.” the words slipping out with ease and comfort. “i like that you two shut down anyone else who calls you that besides your family, makes me feel extra special.” and it only reflected how she had already been part of the family in a way and how his family had always loved and supported her. inhaling slightly, she understood where he was coming from, a soft smile pulls at the corner of her lips seeing the growth of their brother hood. “i know that you care deeply for kai and want him to be happy.. trust me, i want that for him more than anything especially after all that he’s been through. and i know that you didn’t purposely try to hurt me on purpose when you were spiraling after my confession, i mean... now that i think about it, it does make sense as to why you reacted the way you did. i got to sit and think about my feelings for a long time before confessing it to you, you didn’t really get that in that spare moment i let everything out.” she explains, reflecting that what happened in the past was meant to happen for a reason. “and i have a very good feeling that kai and thena are different... i mean for one they didn’t stop talking to each other after thena told him everything.” she pointed out, pressed her lips together as her eyes fell upon her boyfriend, reaching over to take hold of his hand. shaking her head, she smiles, “i was supposed to go see you that one time, but i couldn’t make it because of work and i never had any meet and greets in paris yet, so it’ll be my first time.” she confirms, already getting bubbly and excited about sharing it with him. “so it turns you on when i tell you to get home runs for me?” she teases him back, smile growing even more at their inside joke. “it’s in may as well! i believe it’s a week after i graduate,” kalani adds. “ooh, it’s definitely on our to do list in paris then!” she exclaims, grinning happily. “you’re right, you’ve always been so taboo,” she teases shaking her head as another round of giggles fell from her lips. finally settling on what she wanted, she looks back up at cier only to see his eyes were already on her, resulting in a bright smile sent his direction. as their glasses clinked in perfect harmony, she scrunches up her nose, “i like being cheesy and i like showing my affection for you.” she admits, loving that she could show him off and kiss him at any moment. that he was hers and she was so madly in love. bringing the glass towards her lips, she takes a sip as the warmness runs through her body. a gasp escapes as she looks up at him, “you love carrying my drunk self to the door. i get all touchy and lovey.” she teases wiggling her brows, “and then i confess all my love for you. i think that’s a perfect way to end the night.”