Tyler's face turns pale. Clenching his jaw in grimace, the both of you exchange hesitant glances, recognizing the uncharted territory this dare was stepping into. It wasn't that the idea hadn't crossed your minds before but—

"Nah blondie, we can't do that," Tyler rejects, shaking his head, a visible sense of discomfort on his face.

"Come on! There has to be some attraction going on between the two of you!" Wyatt insists. Eve shoots him a serious look, attempting to stop him. But Liam slightly shakes his head in a reply, signaling her to trust him—then he shifts the attention to you, making the whole room await your response.

Scanning the entire room in horror, you rack your brain, trying to figure out which approach you should take to answer him. Hesitating, you offer a slow-motion side shrug as you finally open your mouth, "I mean.. there is a good specimen among the rest of the species, right?" Feeling Cavill's eyes boring to you, you resist the urge to stare back, keeping your gaze to nervous Eve. You pause, and with a furrowed forehead, you continue, "Well, he is one of them, I guess, but—"

"SEE?! ATTRACTION! Bingo! Now kiss!" Liam enthusiastically exclaims. Not needing any cue, the room suddenly chants, "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" However, a stern low voice cuts through the cheers like a sharp blade—

"Drop it dude, she's like my sister."

Pursing your lips in agreement, you share a knowing look with Tyler as he nods at you firmly, encouraging you to support him. You tilt your head to the side, assuring, "Yeah guys, don't mess with our dynamic like that.."

Unfortunately, despite your protest, the group continued their chant. You could sense Tyler's growing irritation as he removes his hat in a brisk. But then—he stands up, making the group hush in anticipation. Not for you though, well–

Guys.. try be in my shoes..

Your eyes pan right and left in confusion, but when it stops in the middle.. you notice that his eyes are now focused on you. And you see him subtly tilting his head while blinking slowly, signaling you to just give in. Because when it comes to a bunch of delinquents—

'Just—come here, we've sold our souls to the Devils, pal'

And so you obey.

Your eyes locked, the room around you fading into a blur, an electric current charging the air between you. With hesitant steps, you close the distance. Every heartbeat resonates in the silence, echoing the anticipation that grew with each passing moment.

You grow nearer..

and nearer..

Now as you're face to face.

His gaze intensifies as his eyes flicker between your eyes and your lips. The room seems to shrink, time slowing down, and every movement becoming deliberate. Finally, ending the torture you're having by placing a hand on your cheek.. Tyler gives you a tender smile..

and leans in.

W—what should I do—should I look away—no. Man up, Em. You gotta put on a show, right?

...

fuck but I can't—

Your eyes keep switching between gazing at him in dowry eyes—and to look anywhere but his eyes. And there it is.. the sunburnt smell you're beginning to grow familiar with. Your heart beats faster.. and faster as you see him slightly tilt his head. However, just as your lips were about to meet.. Tyler's thumb gently found its place between them. Until he finally closes his eyes and closes the gap..

Pretending to kiss you.

The room erupted into cheers and applause. Liam and Eve share an elated look as they roar and jump in joy. Nevertheless, not far from you, Dom notices how Tyler puts the thumb between your lips and stifles a chuckle.

Still, feeling the warmth of his thumb against your lips.. how close his lips from yours.. makes your heart race even faster. Somehow, you slowly close your eyes. Not knowing whether it's because of the tiredness caused by your never-ending thumping heart.. or because.. unexpectedly..

You just love the way he smells so much.

Eventually, you feel him gently remove his thumb from your lips.. and you slowly open your eyes.. to see him still inches from your face, staring at you with an expression so foreign yet so familiar. Those eyes.. those brown eyes you'll never get bored of.

Unconsciously, your hand grazes his left cheek with your fingers. You see his eyes widen at your touch—enough as an alarm as your eyes now widen too. Swiftly transforming it into a gentle pinch, you look away and go back to your seat. Not wanting to look back, not wanting to see his face behind you.

By the time you're back in your seat, you stare blankly at the floor. Across from you, Cavill's head drops, only to make an upward glance at you—however, the moment he realizes you've caught him looking, he awkwardly shifts his gaze elsewhere.

The room erupts into an even louder cheer by the time you both return to your seats, like you just went home from a war. Well, you were, though. Mere seconds pass.. but the scenes keep flooding your mind like a tsunami. Letting out a sigh, you automatically bite your lip, unaware of Dominic beside you. Leaning back with his hands supporting his body, he unconsciously tilt his head, studying your reaction.

You then notice a red cup hanging beside you.

Dom. Offering you his drink.

"If you.. want–Wait–"

However, dismissing Dom's unspoken warning, you finish it down to the last drop.

As the night unfolds, the dance floor transforms into your personal stage. Alongside Eve, you dance carelessly, seemed to be in your own world. The pulsating beat of the music heightened the experience, and in the midst of the euphoria, you couldn't help but shout, "Yeaahh! Let's tear this place dowwwnn!"

"Yeaaah—well, figuratively, of course—EVERYONE. FIGURATIVELY. YOU HEAR ME?!"

Liam yells, correcting himself after almost endorsing your intoxicated rebellion. Not minding him, you continue to move, fully immersing yourself to the slow RnB music playing in the background. As you kick your sandals to the sands, your moves start to get seductive, inviting.

At the barstool, Tyler arrives beside Dom, who has been observing from afar. Leaning on the bar, Hunt takes in the view with a smirk, something smoldering in his eyes. Except for Cavill, who shifts uncomfortably. He ceases smoking from his pod and switches to a rigid posture as he watches you beginning to lose your mind.

"What the hell did she drink?" Tyler asks as he slightly turns his head to Dom, hoping he'd join his brainstorming session, his concern evident as he furrowed his eyebrows.

Taking a sip from another cup, Dom responds blankly, "A liter of Fanta," then he inhales from his burning cigarette before continuing, "and a little bit of mine."

"What?!"

Tyler exclaims, his worry escalating. He swiftly turns his head to your direction, only to find you already dancing with a couple of guys. The three of you sway to the music a little bit too much, not to Cavill's liking. Your arm is placed on one's shoulder, and he watches with fire ablaze in his eyes as the other guy slips a hand on your waist. And that was it.

Tyler hits the back of Dom's head and briskly strode to the dance floor. As if just woken up from his—fantasy—Dom jolts and finally pays attention to Tyler, "I was about to warn her—" and Dom's voice trails behind the loud music.

Tyler finally arrives beside you, his eyes narrowing at the two guys. "Alright fellas, party's over. She's going home." The protective big brother mode is fully activated, intending to rescue you from the chaotic dance floor. Initially, the two guys exchange uneasy glances but hesitate to let go. But Tyler's stern expression didn't waver, and the intensity in his eyes made it clear that challenging him was not a wise decision.

He casually puts down his cap.. lifts his chin to ground his jaw.. and slightly tilt his head with a raised eyebrow, asserting his dominance. By the time they realize who he is—the two guys immediately observe your face intently, and in haste, they remove their hands off you—realizing who you actually are.

Noticing that nobody's hands on you, you become aware of your surroundings.. and spot Cavill. Hands on the front holding his baseball cap, eyes glued to the strangers. Feet spread slightly apart, placed firmly on the ground, standing like a sentinel. You roll your eyes to the sight and keep dancing, "No—I'm not going home? We were just getting started, right boys?"

Sighing, he dismisses your unwillingness. "Come on, guys. Move." Tyler orders, his voice low and assertive. The combination of his tone and dangerous presence left the two guys with no choice but to reluctantly step away—allowing Tyler to reach out and sweep you to his back, guiding you away from the dance floor! You struggle in his grip with nowhere to escape—and all you can see is his butt, so you hit it repeatedly, causing him to audibly suck air through his teeth in annoyance.

"Let me go, asshole! Let me go!"

Rolling his eyes, he stops in his tracks, and with a swift move, he throws you onto the sand. Sand splutters everywhere the moment you hit the ground. The surrounding crowd bursts into laughter, the two of you stealing the spotlight once again.

"OW! What the fuck Tyler Cavill you jerk?!"

You angrily hit the air repeatedly. But in an instant, you start feeling comfortable enough to just lie there.. and square off to sleep. The sudden shift makes everyone around you burst into laughter even more.

Cavill scans the surroundings with squinted eyes. Burdening the shame you caused, he rolls his head and groans lazily. "You never get tired of embarrassing me, do you?" he complains, shaking his head at the unpredictable chaos that always seems to follow you.

Still managing to let out a silent mumble, you attempt to interrupt him, "No youuu—" but fail miserably as you begin to close your eyes, the booze seeping in deeper to your core.

He squats beside you and gently seats you on the sand. Combing the sands off your hair, he puts his cap on you as he nods to Eve, who responds with a knowing nod. In a minute, she jogs over and hands your bag to him. "Thanks Evie," he says appreciatively.

Flashing an Eve smile, she closes her eyes and grins as she teases, "Don't throw her in the streets, yeah?"

As he adjusts your position, leaning you against him with your bag on his left shoulder, he confides, "Say ciao to Wyatt, and give Hunt a finger for me." Eve laughs and nods before walking back to the commotion behind her.

The bonfire's chaos gracefully transforms into a serene atmosphere as he guides you towards the exit. Tyler struggles to hold your bag while supporting your body, and you sway left and right, lightly hitting his shoulder. Beneath the haze, you wonder aloud, "How come you're not drunk at all, Tyty?" squinting your eyes, you lift your chin to observe him intently, then point a finger at his face, "or is it—you're drunk in love huhhh?" you tease, grinning like a dumbo.

He suppress a cackle, choosing to ignore you as he leads you to the basement. Unfortunately, he just realizes that instead of borrowing his dad's car, he went here with his bike. "Geez, Winny, if I knew you'd be this drunk I'd brought The Fender." Considering that his Ducati would be safe and sound in Wyatt's garage, he gives in and sighs, "I guess it's another piggyback ride tonight."

Spinning his cap that's on your head backward, suddenly, you follow suit and twirl cutely until you're facing him again. His hands hang in the air in surprise—but then he places them on your waist gently. Pressing your palms on his chest, you lift your chin.. and lean in, offering a sweet smile with dozed-off eyes. He glances downward at you for a moment.. and holds a tender smile before he turns you to face forward again. In a familiar manner, he lifts you onto his back, giving you a piggyback ride.

As you both make your way down the sidewalk, the city lights paint a soft glow on the pavement. The streets are quiet as you lean your head on Tyler's shoulder. Giggling, you find everything amusing, and Tyler chuckles in response, "You're lucky you have a strong bestfriend, Em. Damn you're heavy,"

Despite the dizziness threatening to engulf you, you manage to pout as you mumble, "Who says I'm lucky? Who says.. you're strong? Who.. I'm.. heavy—" and you falter, making him cackle. By the time he's in front of your house, that's when the dilemma strikes. The hardest decision to make..

Contemplating on which house he should drop you off.

Dropping you on the sidewalk, you shift and take a nap while he thinks hard, 'If I bring her to my house.. I gotta be careful not to wake mom and dad—' running a hand through his hair he continues his monologue, 'if we go to her house.. There ain't no way I'm getting through the front door—Mr. Winters—shit I don't even want to imagine,'

Imagining your dad seeing his daughter drunk in his care—he's already making scenes in which way your dad will kill him. 'The first one is still the better option, though,' he thought to himself.

Then, turning back to you, he notices how you're already comfortable on the ground, just how you were back in the sands. He can't help but let out the millionth chuckle of the night, before eventually giving his final piggy back ride, gently whispering,

"Oookay, alllright. It's time to get you home Winny."

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Cecylia Costania @rcpcs.writes

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The song that matches this Chapter's vibe:

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