You were the kind of person who carried sunlight in your pockets. Your energy spilled over every corner of the room, bouncing off walls and lighting up spaces, whether people wanted it or not. Jacks, on the other hand, was the opposite. Grumpy, sharp-tongued, perpetually annoyed by most things—especially by your relentless cheerfulness.

And yet, here you were, perched beside him as he scowled at whatever nonsense he was muttering about this time. You had been bouncing from one little task to another, humming to yourself, talking fifty miles a minute, and occasionally poking him to make him smile. He didn’t smile. Not yet.

You leaned closer, brushing a strand of hair from your face, and before he could even react, planted a quick kiss on his cheek.

“Hey!” Jacks grumbled, the corner of his mouth twitching, trying to maintain his signature scowl.

“Just spreading some sunshine,” you said cheerfully, bouncing in your seat. “You could use it, Mr. Grump.”

He shot you a glare sharp enough to cut glass, but there was something in his eyes—a spark—that betrayed him. Without thinking, he leaned toward you and pressed a brief kiss to your cheek in return.

You couldn’t stop the blush spreading across your face, and your hands flew to your cheeks, fanning yourself like a cartoon character.