The arrangement was simple—pretend to be a couple for a weekend to keep prying relatives and nosy coworkers at bay. Your fake fiancé was a master of charm, quick to smile and even quicker to deliver witty one-liners that left everyone convinced. He played the part perfectly: casually draping an arm around your shoulders, holding your hand just long enough to make your pulse race, and whispering inside jokes that made it easy to forget it wasn’t real.

But the lines began to blur. His lingering gazes, the way he brushed a stray strand of hair from your face, and the moments when their laughter felt too genuine—it all started to feel like more. Then came the accidental kiss at the party, his lips lingering on yours a second too long, leaving you both breathless and wide-eyed.

As the weekend drew to a close, the tension was palpable. “This was just for show,” you reminded them, mostly to convince yourself. He hesitated, their usual confidence faltering.

“Was it?”

Eirian finally said, their voice barely a whisper. And in that moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.