Summary - Reader has landed a research job at a marine biology lab in Portugal. She is, therefore, staying with her sister and her sister's Portuguese boyfriend for the summer holidays. There she meets Ruben Dias who is on vacation with his friends after the 2024 Euros. However, the two meet under the circumstances in which Ruben believes that Reader is a prostitute.

Enjoy ☀️

It was early in the morning. The beaches in Quarteira lay abandoned, yet infested with tourists and their families. Ruben agreed to meet you there, on the beach. Where his presence wouldn't distract you as much since the sweet scent of him would get lost with the ocean breeze.

"Are you sure about this?" Your sister asked.

"Yes."

"Alright then. Do you need me to come with you or...?"

"No. I'll only be a minute."

"Okay, I'll be right here if you need me."

The plan was simple. Take the money and leave. Nothing complicated about that. Still, your heart deceived you by beating like a drum. You took a deep breath and made your way down the beach. You could see Ruben's figure in the distance, growing taller and taller as you approached him. So did the small figure standing beside him. Simba, held tightly in a leash.

"Hey, Ruben. Thanks for meeting me here." You came forth in a matter of business.

"Y/N? What's going on?" Ruben asked, his voice filled with concern. He was dressed in a t-shirt and shorts, his hair still tousled from bed.

"Please," You raised hand. "Don't make this more awkward than it already is. You know why I'm here. You owe me payment for my services."

Ruben's shoulders withered, his gaze lost for a minute. "Right." He muttered. "I just thought you said that you didn't...."

"I don't." Your breath hitched, hiding the tremble of your vocal cords. "But you thought I did, meaning you owe me."

"Y/N I..."

"Don't Ruben."

He stiffened, stopping himself from reaching out to you.

"Let's just settle the deal and forget that anything ever happened between us."

He nodded, reaching for something in his pocket. "Here, I think that's everything you asked for."

You were quick to snatch the bundle of money from his hand, hiding the trembling of your own. This would have been it, the end of the exchange, the end of you and Ruben had he not been careless with Simba's leash, allowing the dog to jump up your leg, happily wagging its tail wanting to be petted.

"There." You cooed, reaching down to pet the dog. "Such a beautiful boy, aren't you? Such a beautiful, beautiful boy." Unwanted tears ran down your cheeks.

"Y/N?" Ruben's voice was gentle, patient even. "I want you to tell me if you're in any kind of trouble."

"Please, Ruben..." You laughed, a wet laugh.

"Y/N...if there's anything I can do to help then tell me."

"No!" You stood, challenging his height. Ruben's expression softened at the sight of you. The sight of your bloodshot eyes. "Y/N, I'm sorry if what I said the other night —"

You groaned in frustration. "Will you just forget about that, about me? You obviously came to Portugal for a good time and I'm not judging you for that. I on the other hand came here to work, not for some stupid summer fling, okay? Let's just end things here, alright. Let's just forget that the two of us ever met."

The sound of crashing waves surrounded you and somewhere in the distance the first tourists made their way to call dibs on the tanning beds closest to the sea.

Ruben shook his head. "No."

"No?" You frowned.

"No. I don't want to forget about you and you don't want to forget about me."

"Excuse me. What makes you think that you can—" What ever you were going to say went over your head, or better yet, into your mouth. Ruben closed the gap between you, completely invading your space. Even if you wanted to pull back, you couldn't. Ruben's hands on each side of your face brought you forward, drawing you in until all that was left was the taste of his lips. He kissed you mercilessly, with no intent to let you catch your breath. He kissed you to the sound of squeaking seagulls and an overjoyed pup, running circles around your legs.

"Ruben please." Your lips were numb against his. "You have to let me go."

He smiled. "Not until you tell me why you need the money."

"Ruben." You wiggled out of his grip, almost tripping over the leash around your feet.

Ruben caught you with his hands on your waist, his forehead knocking against yours. "Let me help you Y/N. Why won't you let me hel—"

"I'm leaving, that's why."

Ruben pulled back, his eyes batting obliviously.

"My sister and I are going back to Australia."

"When?"

"Once my sister pays her debt to the guy she owes money to."

"Y/N," Ruben rubbed his aching temple. "Doesn't this sound like a matter for the police?"

"The Police?" You laughed. "My sister is a sex worker, not to mention a citizen of another country. Why would the Portuguese police ever favor her when clearly this sort of business has been going on at that Beach Club for years? You even said so yourself."

Ruben didn't have a comeback. Involving the police was simply a bad idea. "I just don't want you to get hurt." He mumbled, with a look that made it hard for you to turn your back on him. However, you had to.

"I can take care of myself. Goodbye Ruben."

It was with a heavy heart that you made your way back up the beach, your footsteps dragging in the sand. Maki stood waiting by her car, her hair blowing in the wind.

"How did it go, did you get the money?"

"Yeah, I got it."

"Really?" She chuckled. "Men, how stupid they are." The two of you hopped back into the car. "Where to next, the beach club?"

"Yes and then straight to the airport. We're buying a one way ticket back to Sydney."

"I dunno Y/N, with all this money that your boyfriend just gave us we could just—"

"He's not my boyfriend."

"I bet he wants to be."

"No, Maki." You shifted in your seat, revealing your glossy eyes. "Ruben was never my boyfriend. He never even liked me as a person and I blame you for making me believe that he did."

"Come on Y/N, that's not—"

"We're done Maki, you hear me? Once we get back to Australia, you and I are done, got it?"

Neither of you thought It would come to this. As sisters you had accepted your differences, like fire and ice. However, despite belonging together the two elements ultimately canceled each other out.

*************************************

"I'll go tell Diogo. Wait for me here."

You made it to Albufeira. Where Maki would hand Ruben's money over to Diogo, who could pay off her debt to The Captain. It was the consequences of her own actions, meaning you felt no sympathy for your sister who was also leaving someone she cared about behind.

"Y/N?"

You stood waiting by the docks, refusing to go near the beach club, when suddenly you felt a tap on your shoulder.

"Gavin?"

He was surprised to see you, shifting his head to see if you were by yourself. "What are you doing here?" He asked with a half hearted smile.

"I'm waiting for my sister, we're running errands." You lied. "What are you doing here?"

He looked nothing like the lab rat you had gotten to know. The students at the marine station, including yourself, were used to Gavin strutting around in board shorts and flip flops. Now he appeared before you dressed in gray khakis and a white linen shirt with the top buttons undone. He looked elegant and stylish, a side of him unfamiliar to you.

"Is...is everything alright?" You asked, seeing Gavin a bit low in the way he regarded you..

"With me?" He chuckled. "I'm the one who fucked up considering you didn't come into the lab this morning."

"I..." You admit that it was a bad way to announce your resignation. However after everything that was going on in your life, including Gavin's kiss. You didn't really give second thoughts on how your studies might be affected by your swift departure from the country.

"Y/N, trust me," Gvin said, stepping up to you. "If I can take back what I did—"

"It's okay." You nodded. "I was vulnerable and needed a shoulder to cry on. I can see how that might have given you the wrong impression."

"I feel like I've taken advantage of you."

"You haven't. Trust me. My sister's boyfriend on the other hand ...."

"Diogo?"

"Yes, that's his name. He...wait. How did you—"

"Capitão."

A large shadow was casted behind you. You turned around and found yourself face to face with Diogo, frowning at the sight of..."You?" He grunted. "What are you doing here?"

"I...I'm...where is Maki?"

His nostrils flared with your question, a clear tension between you. "She's safe." He said. "You should go to her."

"I was just about to—" You turned around, wanting to say goodbye to Gavin. A proper goodbye, since it might be the last time you saw him. You gasped however, as Gavin with narrowed eyes held up a gun, pointing it straight to your face. "Do as I say and this doesn't have to get ugly."

"Ugly? Gavin what the hell are you—"

"Do as I say Y/N!"

"Capitão," Diogo stepped forward, shielding you by putting his body between you and the gun. "As meninas não têm nada a ver com o razzia ao seu iate. Podia ter sido qualquer um." (The girls had nothing to do with the razzia of your yacht. It could have been anyone.)

"Como você?" (Like you?)

You screamed.

The gun shot rang in your ear as if lighting had struck. Gavin had fired his gun at Diogo, who went down like a tree before your feet.

"Now..." A shiver traveled down your spine, the tip of the gun poking you in the back. "Get on the boat." Gavin said, shuffling you ahead of him, towards a large fleet, one you recognized.

"You?" You stammered. "You're him, you're The Captain?"

You imagined Gavin's smirk behind your back, a smirk like the one he had displayed in his car, moments before his attempt to kiss you.

"I like the way you said that." He snarled. "How about you step onto my boat and I'll show you exactly what type of Captain I am."

Part 9 is out on my patreon for free! (Link below)

https://www.patreon.com/melanieph321