ARIA & DAMIAN

It was a sunny Sunday morning when Aria Heeler, a girl of twenty-two years, decided to take a stroll around the neighborhood. With her light brown hair framing her face and a fringe that danced gently in the breeze, she held a cute beagle dog between her arms as she approached the neighbor's house, a place that had always piqued her curiosity.
Heart racing, she knocked on the door, ready to ask about the lost dog. She was ready to see the next old man with dirty shirt opening the door, instead, she was surprised. The door creaked open, revealing a stunningly handsome boy, muscular and charming, adorned with tattoos that hinted at adventures untold. His dark, sleepy eyes met Aria's doe-like brown one's, creating a moment of silent magic between them. Or at least it was what it seemed only for Aria, who was a book romance fan. In fact, the man in front of her looked clearly frustrated by someone waking him up on a Sunday morning.

"Ugh... what do you want?" He said in a gruff and sleepy voice before he noticed the small dog in her arms. "And... Is that my dog?"

A shy and forced smile formed on her lips as she raised the small animal in the air.
"Yes, I have your dog" She chuckled, noticing his annoyed and grumpy expression.
The man raised his eyebrows, still a bit groggy from having just woken up, then leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms.
"And what exactly do you want at..." He glanced at the watch on his wrist. "8:00 AM on a SUNDAY?"
She rolled her eyes playfully, still holding the tiny dog in her arms.
"Well, excuse me for thinking you'd want your dog back" She smiled, clearly finding his grumpiness amusing.
He snickered and ran a hand through his disheveled hair.
He couldn't help but find her feisty attitude a bit endearing.
"Oh, I absolutely do want my dog back. But the whole waking me up at this ungodly hour part could have waited a few more hours"
She smirked, clearly enjoying teasing him.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was interfering with your beauty sleep" She chuckled, scratching the dog's head gently.

The man rolled his eyes. This girl was really something else.
"Yeah, well, sleep is very important, you know. You should try it sometime"
He leaned against the doorframe, looking her up and down. Despite his grumpy demeanor, he had to admit she looked cute with the dog in her arms.

The brown haired girl raised an eyebrow, not backing down from his teasing.
"Oh, trust me, I know how important sleep is. I just choose not to waste my Sundays in bed"
She shifted her weight, clearly enjoying their banter. The dog in her arms seemed content, blissfully unaware of the playful tension between them.
He let out a scoff, leaning a little closer to her.
"You call it wasting time, I call it recharging. Besides, nothing beats a lazy Sunday morning in bed"
He couldn't help but keep stealing glances at her as she held the dog, even though he wouldn't admit it, she looked absolutely adorable.

She rolled her eyes again, clearly amused by his stubbornness.
"Recharging, huh? More like hibernating. Lazy boy"
She chuckled, adjusting the dog in her arms again and gently scratching the dog behind its ears, her fingers moving with practiced ease, clearly indicating she was comfortable with animals. She couldn't help but notice how he was sneaking glances at her, but decided not to comment on it just yet. Instead, she looked back at him.
"So, you want your dog back?"
He let out a scoff, but secretly found her little digs at him amusing.
"Hey, don't diss the hibernation. It's a sacred tradition" He paused for a second, watching her tenderly interact with his dog again. "Of course I want my dog back, what kind of question is that?"
She laughed at his response, clearly finding his defense of hibernation endearing in a weird way.
"Sacred tradition or not, it's still sleep. And you're missing out on a beautiful Sunday morning"

She slowly outstretched her arms, holding the dog out to him.
"Here you go, grumpy. Your little furry companion is all yours. Just promise to give it more attentions and be a better owner"
He huffed, secretly enjoying the way she teased him.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'll make note to take the dog on a walk after I finish my hibernation"
He cautiously took the dog from her arms, their fingers brushing for a brief moment. His heart did a tiny somersault at the contact, but he quickly tried to hide it.
"And for the record, l'm not grumpy 24/7. You just happen to catch me on one of my not-so-charming days"
She chuckled, clearly finding his attempt at being defensive amusing.
"Oh, I'm sure you're a ray of sunshine on your good days" She joked, watching him hold the dog with care, her eyes noticing how he seemed to soften when holding the pet. He was tall with a muscular frame, dark brown messy hair and hazel eyes.

"Just make sure you don't treat it like a couch decoration, alright?" She smirked, teasing him again before turning to leave.
He couldn't help but chuckle. Damn, she had a sharp tongue. He hated to admit it, but he kinda liked it.
"Oh, shut up. I love my dog, okay? And I don't use it as a couch decoration. I may be lazy, but I'm not heartless"
He shifted his weight, not quite ready for her to leave just yet. Who was she? He never saw her before and was curious to know more.
"Hey, wait a second"

Aria stopped, raising an eyebrow at him when he called out for her. She turned around, facing him again. After all, she was enjoying the banter between them. She tilted her head, not expecting him to stop her from leaving, and it seemed he had something else on his mind.

"What? Have something else to complain about my excellent time-management skills?"
He rolled his eyes at her snarkiness, but couldn't help but smirk. She was infuriatingly charming in her own way. A smirk was forming on his lips.
"Ha-ha, very funny. For your information, I don't have any complaints about your time-management skills. Well, maybe a few, smartass. I was just wondering..."
He trailed off, suddenly seeming a little flustered, like he wasn't sure if he should mention it or not.
But curiosity got the better of him.
He paused for a moment, realizing he wanted her to stay for a bit longer without knowing why. She noticed the brief moment of hesitation, the sudden flustered look on his face, and it piqued her curiosity. She could tell that he was debating on saying something, and it intrigued her. With a playful smile on her lips, she leaned against the doorframe, signalling that she wasn't going anywhere just yet.
"What is it? Use your words like a big boy."
She teased him, finding his apparent uncertainty endearing in a weird sort of way.
He huffed, his cheeks slightly tinting with embarrassment at her teasing.
He wasn't used to feeling caught off guard like this, especially by a girl who seemed to read him like an open book. He cleared his throat, running a hand through his messy hair and felt his cheeks heat up at her playfull tone.
Damn, she was really enjoying teasing him to no end, wasn't she?

He cleared his throat, trying to shake off the unexpected flutter in his chest. He leaned against the doorframe too, mirroring her stance.
"Shut up. I know how to use my words, smartass"
He paused for a moment, debating on what to say or if he even should say it. But the allure of keeping her there, even just for a bit longer, was too strong.
She couldn't help but smirk as she watched him struggle with his words, the slight flush on his cheeks not going unnoticed. She could see the wheels turning in his head, trying to figure out what to say and had a feeling she knew what he was thinking, but she had no intention of making it easy on him. She enjoyed the sight of him being flustered by her presence.

"Oh, really? Is that so? Prove it then"
She challenged, her eyes glinting with amusement. She shifted her weight, leaning a little closer towards him, her gaze never leaving his face. He swallowed hard as she leaned closer, her gaze locking onto his, and could smell the faint scent of her perfume, a subtle hint of vanilla and something faintly floral filling his nostrils. It was intoxicating, and it didn't help that she was standing so close to him. He tried to maintain his usual nonchalant demeanor, but it was becoming increasingly difficult with her standing so close, taunting him with her smirk and challenge.
He let out a scoff and rolled his eyes, pretending to be unimpressed by her dare.
"You are one bossy little thing, aren't you?"
She chuckled at his response, enjoying how flustered he seemed to get.
She found it adorable how he was trying to maintain his typical grumpy demeanor, it was clear that he was struggling to keep up his tough front.
Aria simply took another step closer, now standing just inches away from him.
"Oh, you have no idea"
She couldn't resist teasing him further, a playful glint in her eyes as she looked up at him.
"Now are you going to answer my question or are you just going to keep making excuses and dodging?"
He huffed and rolled his eyes, his resolve starting to crumble. His heart was racing in his chest as she continued to tease him. His usual sarcastic quips seemed to evaporate, and he found himself uncharacteristically speechless. He could feel her breath gently brushing against his skin, making his skin tingle. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so flustered, and it was maddening and thrilling at the same time.
"Fine, fine. I'll answer, just stop being so damn infuriating"
She smiled, victorious for having broken through his tough exterior. She loved seeing this rare glimpse into his vulnerable side, it made her feel like she had some sort of power over him. She chuckled at his response and feigned innocence, tilting her head slightly.
"Oh, me? Infuriating? I have no idea what you're talking about"
She said with mock surprise and took another small step forward.
"Come on, spit it out. What is it that you wanted to ask me so badly?"

He swallowed hard, desperately trying to ignore the effect she was having on him. It wasn't fair how she seemed to revel in his flustered state, but he had to admit he enjoyed this little cat-and-mouse game they were playing. Her proximity was maddening, making him feel like his world was spinning slightly off-axis.
He let out a flustered huff and ran a hand through his hair.
"I..."
He trailed off, suddenly finding it difficult to form coherent words. He knew what he wanted to ask... He just didn't know how to say it.

She noticed his hesitation, the way his words seemed to catch in his throat. She could see the conflict on his face as he seemed to struggle to voice his thoughts. She found his flustered state incredibly endearing, and it only made her want to tease him even more.
"Come on, use your words, big boy"
She said, her voice dripping with a mix of mockery and playful encouragement.
"You can do it, I promise I won't laugh too hard at how pathetically flustered you are"
He bristled at her teasing, his pride flaring up at her mockery. He took a step closer, his body practically towering over her. His eyes darted to hers, a steely determination in his gaze.
"You are way too damn cocky for someone so damn tiny. I swear, you're like a goddamn pixie"
He grumbled, trying to regain some semblance of control over the situation. He could feel the heat radiating off her skin, his brain slowly starting to turn into mush.

She stood her ground, refusing to be intimidated by his towering frame.
Instead, her eyes met his with a defiant glare, her chin jutting out in an act of stubbornness.
"Why, thank you. I take that as a compliment" She quipped with a smirk, enjoying his flustered state and his attempts at regaining control.
"And you're still dancing around the question, which is pretty damn irritating for someone who prides themselves on being such a good talker"
He growled in frustration, his patience starting to wear thin. Damn, she was so infuriating and yet it was intoxicating.
"Fine, you won't stop nagging about it until I bloody say it, huh?"

He huffed and took another step closer, closing the remaining distance between them. He could feel her breath mingling with his as their bodies were almost flushed together now. He lowered his gaze, his eyes boring into hers with an intense look.
"Damn it, I wanted to ask you... To stay for a while"