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THEA'S POV:

Silk.

I was in a silken web. Gossamer threads weaving under and over my legs. Face pressed against the soft, lush fibres. I didn't remember my bed being so soft. If it were possible, I'd turn into a dewdrop to catch the morning sun, linger in this beautiful, delicate web and slip down the length of each silver cord. That would be far better than having to wake from my slumber.

Reluctantly, my eyes fluttered open.

Golden light licked over my eyelids and I squinted at the dark yet voluminous room around me. The walls were black aside for the windows panning the entire wall ahead and to the right of me, stretching from the dark wooden floors to the lofty ceiling. Black bed sheets tangled around my legs along with black satin pillows and sheer curtains draped on either side of the windows.

My impressions of the colour black couldn't have been more wrong for I had always thought it would make a room look small, but this room was endless. In the black of spacetime, light appeared to feel at home.

But as I took in the lush bedroom, a dark realisation crawled up the back of my neck.

This wasn't my room.

Frantically, I scrambled backwards until my back hit the backboard of the bed. I drew my knees to my chest. My eyes darted around and I inhaled sharply. Where was I? What had happened last night? I scavenged my brain for answers but my memories were a furor that couldn't be tamed. Raising two balled up hands to my mouth, I shrunk into the backboard and waited.

The room was quiet save for the ticking of a dark clock on the wall. As I listened to its breaths, its whirring of life, my thoughts slowly rearranged themself.

Pierce. That was what had happened.

In the soupy collection of my memories, a shadow loomed over me, eclipsing the kitchen lights and the water spilled over the kitchen counter. I screwed my eyes shut and exhaled a soft, shaky breath. He was gone now. He wasn't here.

I was... with Synn.

My eyes snapped open.

I was with Synn. This was Synn's home. This was Synn's bed.

And last night, we'd...

Warmth trickled over my cheeks and I buried my face in my hands.

Last night... he'd held me. We'd hugged. Touched. Brushed skin. Suddenly, I could remember every moment of the night before, from the warmth of his breath to his strong, tattooed arms that wound around my waist like a belt of satin, soft yet melding around every curve of my hips. I could remember his cologne, his heart steadily thundering against my ear, the sweet, husky words that drizzled from his voice like burnt honey.

"Thea," I hissed to myself. "What did you do? What did you do?"

A strange, high-pitched squeal escaped me and I lowered my hands. What if he didn't remember? What if he conveniently forgot? That sounded possible to me.

Cautiously, I lowered my legs over the side of the bed. The room was empty, no sign of Synn. Part of me was grateful. My toes touched the cold wooden floors and goosebumps rippled across my calves.

Stepping up and away from the bed, I was enraptured by the room. It was nothing like I'd seen before: a black cave with glittering stalactites, gold ornaments that glowed in the sunlight. The wide, towering windows beckoned me forward and I edged towards them.

Through the glass, buildings burgeoned like stems and flowers, their platinum petals flickering in the sun, and I couldn't help but stare in strange awe of the outside world. We were no longer in my little town but a huge city. As I leaned forward, people moved as ants deep below and cars slowly inched like molluscs, drivers encapsulated in their metal shells. The city buzzed. Vehicles thrummed and rang. Voices fluttered into an indecipherable song that circuited past the window. I could almost feel it in my stomach.

Although I had visited cities before, I had never had the luxury of travelling so high up. Was this a flat? A hotel? A penthouse?

I stepped away from the glass. With wide, curious eyes, I explored the bedroom, head tilted up towards the black, spiring ceiling and hands listlessly drifting across glass surfaces.

Another room soon came into view - a bathroom. Streaks of gold wandered across black marble like veins beneath translucent skin, leading to a white bathtub and sink. A large, circular mirror was positioned on the wall, rimmed with another gilded band. Beside the bathtub was a shower so large, it looked like two people could fit inside (although I didn't know why two people would want to shower at the same time).

An unopened toothbrush lay beside the sink and I smiled. Tentatively, still wondering if I was allowed to enter the place, I used the bathroom and brushed my teeth. I found my bag beside the bed and decided to change back into the dress I was wearing yesterday, although slightly crumpled. Steady embarrassment swept over me once I realised that Synn must have seen me in those not-so-appropriate clothes last night. I didn't even want to think about what he thought of me.

He probably didn't like my body. Neither did I.

Once I knew I couldn't waste time for any longer, I vacated the bathroom. Instead of Synn's heady scent, I was met with a new smell - something sweet and floury, if flour even had a smell. My stomach made a small sound of interest and I covered it with one hand, deciding to follow the scent.

The corridors spoke more of marble, threads of gold running deep within the panels. They reminded me of claw marks gouged through the walls. Glistening in the light of day, I wondered what kind of beast this house contained: most certainly a beautiful one.

I reached the opening of the corridor and my breath hitched. My speculations were correct. This really was a penthouse. A black, winding bannister rolled down the staircase, giving glimpse to the floor below. White leather sofas dozed in the living room and a golden chandelier dangled above, precariously teasing and catching the multitudes of sun. A softly-lit wall of water gushed on the side.

Creeping carefully down the steps, I reached the landing. The sound of sizzling drew my attention away from the grandiose room in front of me and I looked across to the kitchen.

There stood Synn. His back was towards me, facing the stove. No longer dressed in sweatpants, a crisp, white shirt licked up his muscular figure and black pants rolled tightly down his thighs. He always appeared to be in business attire but I couldn't deny that it suited him perfectly; a man like him always had work to be doing. The cuffs of his shirt had been rolled up to his elbows, revealing the winding flowers I had spent so long tracing in my home. His biceps bulged as he flipped the crepes in front of him.

His face was stern and void of emotion when he turned to face me.

My heart dropped.

Intensely, he stared and I felt my skin prickle with heat. When he finally looked away, he beckoned me over with two fingers. I flushed even more.

Pausing to scratch my palms, I padded barefoot into the kitchen while sending him fleeting glances. He was acting strange. Not a word left his lips as he poured more batter into the pan and gripped the edge of the black counter. It made me wonder if I'd done something wrong.

Confused, I approached one of the stools at the kitchen island and heaved myself into the seat. Silence simmered in the kitchen along with the pancakes. I swung my legs back and forth, patiently waiting for him to say something, but it was to no avail. I watched him elegantly move across the kitchen, pulling out jars and bread knives, ringed fingers glinting. All the while, his gaze remained focused on the pan in front of him. The vein in his jaw pulsed. Obsidian tendrils fell over his eyes.

"Synn?"

He paused at the counter, hands resting on the countertop.

"Are you mad at me?" I asked softly and furled my hands into fists, waiting for an angry response. I knew I shouldn't have hugged him. I'd crossed a line. Of course he wouldn't be happy with me. He probably felt awkward to be in the same room as-

"What happened last night?"

He placed the final crepe on the plate beside him and turned to me. My hands balled even tighter. I looked away.

"N-Nothing..."

"Thea. You're going to tell me," he said deeply.

"I- well-" My eyes flitted across the dark kitchen and my teeth sunk deep into my lip. "I don't wanna talk about it. It-It doesn't matter anymore."

"It does matter. Of course it fucking matters."

Suddenly, Synn was stepping in front of me and our gazes were meeting. His blue eyes held mine with such intensity, I could feel my soul being sucked out of me.

"Why do you do that? Every time I ask you something, you find a way to avoid the question."

"What are you talking about? I-I don't do that."

"You're doing it now."

I frowned and pulled my bottom lip into my mouth. "I don't do that."

Synn drew nearer, tilting his head. I swallowed.

"I let you get away with that bruise on your wrist. I haven't asked since," he said lowly and my guts winced. "Then you call me at three in the damn morning, fucking crying, and ask me to pick you up. Then you run out of that house, whoever's fucking house you were staying at, and you hug me. You let me hold you for the first time, fucking bawling in my arms, and you say that doesn't matter? You think that doesn't matter to me?"

My lips trembled as I stared up at him. His black locks tumbled messily down his forehead and I lost and gained all feeling at once at the feel of his fingers. Soft yet rough, they tilted my chin upwards. I couldn't breathe.

"You're going to tell me what happened, Thea," he murmured. His eyes momentarily flickered to my lips and I swallowed. "O no te va a gustar lo que pasa."

[Or you're not going to like what happens.]

His cool rings against my skin were all that grounded me as I stared and stared at him, fingers curling so tightly I thought I would implode. "I-I was..."

Slowly, he nodded for me to go on. "Dime."

[Tell me.]

He radiated such a dominance that the words couldn't help but start tumbling out of my lips. "I was having- I was having a sleepover at Ember's house." I swallowed. "I got thirsty during the night so I... I went downstairs to get some water." Subconsciously, I closed my eyes, no longer wanting to see Synn's expression. "I was gonna go up again but... but Pierce was there. He wanted me to get him some water too so I did but I- then he tipped the glass over and my shirt got wet and-and he tried to-to-"

I stopped, face screwing up with emotion as I remembered the way his skin had burned straight through my courage to fight back. I had felt so weak in front of him, so powerless when he was the only one in the room, and so helpless whenever he touched me. He was the polar opposite of Synn who somehow managed to make me feel appreciated, even if I were making a fool out of myself in front of him.

"He tried to touch you?"

I opened my eyes. Tears urged to well in my eyes but I held them back, instead focusing on the darkness consuming Synn's beautiful face. I nodded.

His hand dropped from my face. As soon as it was gone, a yearning replaced the warmth inside me and I wished for him to touch me again, but he'd already moved away. His forget-me-not eyes blazed, burned, turned into soot. Despite the words ringing in his eyes, there was only silence: a cold and deadly silence that left goosebumps scattered over my skin. The pink lips that would normally smile at me turned into a knife and a trickle of dread ran down my back.

Quietly, Synn slid one of the plates from the counter and made his way around the island to stand behind me. The heat of his body radiated through me. Although we weren't touching, it was as if I could feel every chiselled ravine of his body, every edge of his abdomen, every plane of muscle against mine. Slipping open one of the jars, one of his powerful arms reached for a knife and he began to spread hazelnut chocolate on the crepe in front of me.

When he spoke again, his voice was an enigma. It made my legs squeeze together.

"I'll deal with him," he said lowly, one arm on either side of me.

I tilted my head upwards to catch a glimpse of his face. "How are you gonna do that?"

His eyes looked darker than usual when they met mine and I nervously swallowed. The chain that dangled from his throat was close to brushing my nose. Setting the knife aside, he raised a hand to the front of my neck and clasped it softly. His calloused fingers fanned over my skin, perfectly moulding around my throat, and he lowered it so that I was looking back down. I froze at the contact.

"Don't ask questions, little baby," he replied, the ghost of his dominant hand still lingering around my neck.

I blinked at what had just happened. Every time he touched me, my heart wouldn't enter my throat but it would reach my mouth, my nose, my eyes. If he looked carefully enough, he'd be able to see it clear as day.

"Why-Why not?" I asked again and cleared my throat. I didn't look up this time in fear of him seeing the blush rampaging across my cheeks.

"Because I said."

"But I still have a right to know... and I'm curious too."

"You're curious about a lot of things, no?"

"That's true! I am a very curious person, just like you." Synn silently began placing sliced strawberries onto the crepe and cutting it into small bite-sized pieces. "Actually, I have a lot of questions for you. Like what is this place? Don't you work at a cafe? If my thoughts are correct, most people who work in cafes don't live in places like these, right?"

He said nothing, merely glancing down at me. A flicker of amusement crossed his eyes and I pouted.

"Aren't you gonna answer?"

"I'd rather let you talk."

"But that's not very nice," I huffed. "You're just gonna ignore me?"

"I'm not ignoring you, baby. I'm listening to you."

"But you're not gonna tell me what you're gonna say to Pierce?"

Again, he remained quiet and I tilted my chin up. I glared at him upside down, slightly annoyed at how handsome he looked even from this angle.

"Why won't you tell me?" I said and scrunched my brows. "You're avoiding the question just like I did!"

"I am not." Synn's tattooed hands brandished the knife lightly as he spread chocolate on each piece of crepe, unfazed. "Tus inocentes oídos no podrán manejar los detalles."

[Your innocent ears will not be able to handle the details.]

I stared up at him expectantly, hopefully. "Are you gonna translate?"

"No."

A small growl of disapproval left my throat and I dropped my head to scowl at the plate. "That's just mean. You're mean, Synn."

My eyes widened when he suddenly leaned down behind me. His tattooed arms rested against the kitchen island, trapping me against the surface, and it took everything inside me not to let my breath hitch at the veins rippling through his forearms. Necklace dangling, the man lowered his head to my shoulder. My eyes hesitantly infused with his dark ones. His face was so close to mine, I thought I would faint.

"Does a mean man pick you up in the night and drive you home in his lap?" he rumbled. "Or make you breakfast in the morning and let you sleep in his bed?"

We stared at one another as heat doused my cheeks. All confidence I once held disintegrated. The reality of his words dawned upon me and the distance between our faces became all the more apparent. My eyes flickered to his lips. I had never seen such pretty lips before. His tongue darted out to wet them and his tongue piercing came into view, drenching the room in more heat. He was so pretty. He was so pretty.

The corner of his mouth tilted as we stared at each other.

"That's what I thought."

I blinked.

With purposeful slowness, he moved away.

As soon as he'd withdrawn his arms and body from behind me, lightheadedness ensnared my mind. What had just happened? I sucked in a much needed breath and made an attempt to calm my spiking heart, but I could still feel his warmth surrounding me as he stepped aside and took a seat on the stool beside me. Red attempted to emerge from the brown sands of my cheeks and when I hesitantly looked up at him, he nodded for me to eat.

How could he pretend like we hadn't- how could he just sit there, with those beautiful, anchored oceans, and stare like nothing had happened?

My flush darkened when I realised I had been looking at him for too long and I picked up my fork. I gathered a bite of crepe on the prongs and wrapped my lips around them, my eyes widening at the delicate flavours assembling in harmony.

"¿Bien?" he said deeply and I vigorously nodded my head, taking another bite of the pieces he had cut for me.

[Good?]

But even as I ate, my stomach was still churning from our intimate moment together.

I cleared the plate slowly, savouring the sharp acidity from the strawberries and the richness from the chocolate while my thoughts ran rampant. Synn did the same, all the while eyes cruising over my face and figure, but I forced myself to stay focused on my plate. I feared that if I looked up at him, I would melt all over again at the memory of his soft, buttery lips only inches from mine.

The more and more I thought about it, the more I built myself into a frenzy. I knew for a fact that friends didn't stand so close to each other, nor look at each other's mouths; maybe if there was something on my lips or his, but staring so intently for such a long period of time... that sounded like something girlfriends and boyfriends did. Did that mean he liked me? Did that mean he saw me as something more than a friend, as a girlfriend?

But what if I was overthinking it? What if he just... liked staring at his friends' lips?

"I can practically see the cogs turning in your head," I heard from beside me and jumped, dropping my fork with a clatter. Synn's brows furrowed, eyes searching for mine. "Is something wrong? Did I scare you?"

"No," I said all too quickly. "No, no, you didn't."

"You haven't rated your fear."

"I don't wanna rate my fear, I just-" I clamped down on my lower lip, heart still pounding erratically. "I was just... can-can I tell you something?"

His voice was deep and reverberated through my bones. "Anything."

I wanted to be brave.

I wanted to tell him I liked him.

I really wanted to.

I knew I wasn't planning to but seeing him, feeling him last night - it had all compounded the confidence I didn't know I needed. This sensation inside my chest was eating me from the inside out. I knew I wanted to stay his friend but how my heart wanted to speak, how I wanted to breathe beside him. Whether we stayed friends or not, I needed to puncture my lungs and release whatever was suffocating me.

I met his deep blue eyes and cautiously opened my mouth, having no control over the words that tumbled from my lips next.

*****

Read 5+ chapters ahead and Mismated is now available on Patreon: patreon.com/Fudgecakexox

Hey fudglings!

I'M SO SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE I just finished my exams and THANK THE LORD THEY'RE DONE I had so many breakdowns bruh I'm just lucky I'm alive

ANYWAYYYY WHAT DID YOU GUYS THINKKK bruh I have mixed opinions on this chapter but that's too bad ._. first of all, why is Synn always so fine. I feel like the image I have of him in my head is absolutely illegal no one should be allowed to be that sexy and caring at the same time AND AHHH THE CLIFFHANGER I'M SO PROUD OF MY BABY THEA FOR BUILDING THE COURAGE- what do you think will happen in the next chapter? 

Guys. I just watched the new Spider Man. Twice. You guys need to go watch it r i g h t now because WTF THAT WAS THE BEST SPIDERMAN MOVIE I'VE EVER SEEN I'M SO SOFT FOR MILES AND MIGUEL?? WOOOOHHHH bro that man's build is the sexiest thing I've ever seen I'm ngl it reminds me of the version of Synn in my mind WHO TF IS BUILT LIKE THAT AND HIS VOICE?? THE SPANISH?? OMG. Also the weather in the UK is finally looking lovely ,_, like bro I just love summer so much it makes my heart feel so light and happy and I just wanna run around in fields and get ice cream

Potato question of the day: who is your favourite superhero?

I really struggle with this question. The thing is I absolutely love Iron Man and Black Panther and I would have always said either of those two BUT after watching this Spider Man movie I feel like it's him ,_, the thing I love about Spider Man is that he's a concept that exists in all realities. ANYONE can be Spider Man. They can be traumatised or innocent and fun and witty or they can be angry and violent- doesn't matter, they're ALL Spider Man. WE COULD BE SPIDER MAN. HE'S A BEAUTIFUL CONCEPT THAT GIVES PEOPLE HOPE bro I'm so emotional I'm gon cry

Anyway, thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. If you did, please do vote, comment and follow if you'd like!

Love, Fudge x