༄ MIDNIGHT wasn't far away from them anymore, and both Thomas and Harriet were already tipsy. 

Sam sat on the couch, Gally and Alby beside her while Minho was attempting to make some fancy cocktails with Frypan.

"I thought this trip would free me from watching others share a new year's kiss." Teresa sighed. "Now I have to watch two couples."

Right. Of course. A new year's kiss.

Gally shrugged. "Better than watching your parents, I guess."

Teresa let go of another breath, but her face lit up when Minho and Fry finally showed up with some drinks. They mentioned they weren't perfect yet, and that they would practice more after this round... which probably meant some drunk people.

Sam had to get used to the strong taste. Her eyebrows raised as she expected the neon yellow color, the slice of orange on the top, and the blue straw. "It's... rather giving summer vibes."

Minho plopped down on the couch with a groan. "You're free to make 'em, if you're better at it."

Better than listening to conversations about kisses, and the one she'd probably have to share with Minho later, so, she got up, walked into the kitchen, and stared at all the colorful bottles.

Edible glitters? In gold and silver? Oh, and lemon. She could work with that.

"So..." Randomly, Brenda and Harriet stood in the kitchen too. They leaned against the wall, their giggles showing off the amount of alcohol they already drank.

Sam gave them a questioning glare. "Yes?"

They giggled again. "What's it like with Minho?"

"Sorry?" Sam poured two drinks together.

"You seem to forget you're dating like the most popular guy in school."

Well, the vacation indeed made her forget about the attention Minho got. The plenty of girls swarming around him (and their friends), the looks and greets when she walked past others with him, the questions shot at her for dating Minho.

"It's... as a normal relationship should be," she eventually replied. "Why are you guys acting like he is some goddess?"

"You don't think he is?" The two girls gave another sign of their drunkenness. "I mean, we're not the only ones squealing over your boyfriend. Before you guys started dating, by the way! Right now, you have him. But there's still others who'd like him just as much." 

Sam sighed. "Y'all are weird when you're drunk."

"Drunk means sober words." They shrugged, snickering again. "Just saying, you're lucky."

Lucky this, lucky that... she was lucky she didn't have to get a forced wedding, maybe.

"I'm well aware," she said. "Also, people, like you guys, should calm their asses down. It can't be that weird I'm dating Minho, come on."

"Yes it is!"

"And why, exactly?"

"First of all, Sonya told us that Newt told her that he knows Minho never had a girlfriend before. And Newt has known Minho since he was three."

Oh. Minho's first girlfriend was a fake one. Yay!

"Then why does he have a suit for women with his motor? He told me specifically I wasn't the first girl he met."

Harriet and Brenda bursted out laughing so hard Sam cringed. "For you, Dummy! He got it for you!"

She choked on nothing, and her eyes widened. "I don't think that's true. Why else would he say he had girls before, while I'm his girlfriend?"

"To act cool or something, I don't know." Brenda giggled. "Don't you think that's awesome?"

"Uh— maybe." She swallowed, shaking the edible glitters into the mixture of drinks she had made.

"To act cool?" Harriet scoffed. "Brenda, no girlfriend doesn't mean he never kissed anyone."

Brenda pulled a face. "Who could he have kissed before then?"

"Anyone. Does it matter? No." Sam lay her hands on the counter. "Moving on—"

"I don't think many girls have kissed him. Minho's not like that."

"Can we stop talking about Minho drunkly?"

They didn't seem to hear her. "Sam, you gotta understand this. You're so lucky."

"Yeah, I caught that by now. Thank you, drunk Brenda and drunk Harriet."

"No but, seriously! Minho hasn't had a girlfriend before because he's rude! Well, not necessarily rude, though. He's distant. Cuts people off and shit like that."

She hummed, slightly annoyed. "I don't think I've noticed that before. Your point?"

Well, he'd been pretty cold toward Gally.

"You're the only girl he's ever been seriously interested in, and soft with, and kind too! I don't know what Minho that is when he talks to you, but it's not sassy Minho."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Alright. That's enough. I don't really care. By the way—"

"Oh, hi Minho."

Awesome.

Sam turned around, her eyes immediately meeting a familiar pair of dark ones. She groaned, afraid he had heard the whole conversation. If so... she was embarrassed for life.

"Ladies." He nodded at the drunk girls, then peeked at the drinks Sam was making. "Looks good."

"Thanks," she muttered. "Just need to get some straws. Will be back."

"I came to say it's midnight in five minutes."

"I'll be back!" She rushed to a smaller room, where they kept all their groceries and other crap. It was stacked with so much stuff, bags, and laundry, that she spent a while searching for the straws.

"I'm sincerely offended you don't think I look like a goddess."

She nearly dropped the bag at his voice behind her.

And ah, he had heard everything.

"Reminder, the kitchen is like... fifteen feet away from the living room."

"Could've said that a bit earlier." She turned around to look at him, attempting to fix her glittery dress from how long she had sat down.

For Christmas, she wore ugly sweaters, for New Year's Eve, she wore a nice dresses. Now, a black one with silver glitters. A v-cut, long sleeves.

"Well." He crossed his arms. Once again, his biceps turned even more visible, and the veins evolved. Sam's eyes trailed from that to his covered wrists.

"I like your bracelets," she commented, before even letting him finish his sentence. They were silver. Some thick, some thin. Quite a lot on each arm.

He looked down at them. Shrugged. "Wanted to look neat and not wear a sweater," he mumbled. "It doesn't cover well but—"

"Don't say that." She moved closer. "It's amazing you're wearing a shirt like this in the first place, Minho. Really."

His gaze softened. "Thank you, Sammy."

She smiled. "You're welcome. I'm proud already, and again, glad you let me help."

"Thank—"

He got cut off by a loud bang, which caused Sam to flinch and drop the package of straws out of her hands as she yelped.

His eyes widened, yet he chuckled. Taking her arm, he walked them in front of the small window. "Don't worry. It's just fireworks."

She gaped at them. So many colors and sparks and lots of bangs. Her eyes twinkled at them, some kind of warmth spreading through her body at the sight.

She was so busy admiring it, that she only noticed Minho had been staring at her when he squeezed her arm, which he appeared to still be holding.

Not done with watching, she only gave him a small glance. Yet, she didn't have the chance to continue. He had turned her chin back.

"What are you doing?" The whisper was so quiet that she barely heard it himself. As Minho towered over her, his eyes wandered all over her face.

Her heart skipped a beat. The blush on her cheeks started to spread heat everywhere, just after she promised not to get weak legs by him again.

His eyes lingered around her lips. "Happy New Year, Sammy," he whispered, then leaned in.

Frozen, Sam felt his lips touch hers softly. So softly, that it made her wonder if he only did this for the fake dating, or if there might've been just a little genuine—

His breaths. Against her skin. Hot and heavy, just from that one gentle touch. "Fuck it— Sam, can I kiss you?"

She nodded, disbelief making her want to find out if he was being honest. Their lips connected again, this time harder. With more force, and more physical touch; her hands cupped his face, one of his held the side of her neck, and the other one clasped around her waist.

The butterflies were bad. He kissed and she kissed back just as firmly, slowly wrapping both her arms around his neck to close any space between them. His body— his heat, something about him—maybe his smell—made her do that, and maybe even kiss him more passionate than in the club, and certainly with more emotions.

Maybe it did always go like it went in the books. Maybe, fake dating just wasn't possible without actually falling in love.

She wished they didn't apart, but they did. His breaths tickled the skin above her lips as her tongue pierced the inside of her cheek, an unwanted whimper leaving her mouth, for some reason.

She breathed, "Was that fake?"

Blinking, he made a movement with his head that looked like shaking it and nodding at once. His eyes glitched everywhere on her. "I'm not sure."

Her mouth opened, and—

"Hurry up with that champagne, goddamnit!" Thomas, Alby, and Teresa came stumbling into the room. "We're waiting for you two! Oh, happy new year, by the way. Doesn't matter— drinks!"