SWEET: Playful Heart

Your POV:

You still could not believe that they are now staying in your house.

And, well, according to Paris, they are courting you.

Except for Rin who said so himself that he just wants a vacation.

Daisuke has been very helpful with the house chores.

Like how he surprised everyone with a first-class dinner you were all gulping down with ale.

"Daisuke, this is by far the best dinner I ever had!" you exclaimed with a satisfied smile on your face.

"The pleasure is mine, mademoiselle," he bowed his head and winked.

"Hey, it was Rin and I who caught that giant shrimp in the first place! We deserve some pat in the head, too," Paris said with a childlike expression on his face.

"Oh, of course, haha. Thank you, Paris and Rin for catching that giant shrimp."

"Can I have a thank you kiss, then?" Paris pouted his lips and tried to kiss you.

"Baam..." His head was smacked by Rin.

"Hey, what was that for?" Paris said, rubbing his head.

"Stupid. She is not yours," Rin said coldly, with no visible emotions written on his face.

"And whose is she?" Paris shifted to a serious tone. Like he is ready for a fight.

"Hey, no need to fight. I thank all of you, okay?" you said as you reached for each of their cheeks and gave them a thank you kiss.

Rin was frozen and he was left holding his cheek.

'Wow, so that is how you prevent a fight between friends!' you silently thought.

"I think I should go to sleep now, it's getting late," you said, yawning comfortably in your housemates' presence.

"Can I perhaps accompany you to bed?" Paris said with a smile.

"Paris, you stay with the boys, okay? Go to your room," you scolded him like a child. And he seemed to silently like that.

He marched off to their room. "Fine, I'll stay in my room. Don't you dare call out to me in the middle of the night, for cuddles,"

he turned and gave you a flying kiss.

You laughed. Rin followed silently behind him.

You were left with Daisuke.

You were both looking at the stars which shone brightly above the balcony.

"You know, I never considered Paris to be fun. But he looks so happy here. Rin, too," he said, opening up his observations about the two.

"And you, Daisuke? Are you happy here?" you chose to ask, knowing he will give you an honest reply.

"More than happy. It feels like, I can be defenseless here. Just really be myself, without the need of any pretense. I feel almost like my soul is at peace, if souls do exist," he said, smiling to himself at the thought.

"I'm glad that you are happy here too," you smiled at him, but the smile immediately disappeared when he gently cupped your face.

His face comes closer to yours, and instinct dictates that you close your eyes. So you did.

"Can I kiss you, mademoiselle?" he whispered in your ears, his hot breath sending shivers down your spine. You wondered if he really thought that there was any other option except for you to say yes.

You nodded your head.

He swiftly breached the gap as he reached for you, and your lips finally met.

He was gentle. His lips barely grazing yours. For a while he just lingered on your lips, playfully biting and licking at the corners. As if letting you change your mind at any moment.

When he was sure you have consented, he tangled his fingers in your hair as he bent down to deepen the kiss.

You gripped his arms to ground yourself. Seeing the fear in your eyes from losing balance, he tilted your chin and placed your hands around his neck.

He slowly ravished you, taking his time, savoring the kiss. He was slowly pulling your consciousness in a pit of wanton desire. Until all that matters are the stars above your head, and the man kissing you senseless.

Even as he slowly opened your mouth with his tongue, you can sense how much self-control he has. His kisses are sensual, hot, and wanting, but there is a gentleness to his taking. A certain control that drives you wild with desire.

His touch was featherlike but firm as he slowly caressed your cheeks and his tongue slowly slid down your neck.

Your eyes widened as his tongue slid further down to the base of your neck.

Your eyelids fluttered open when he suddenly ended the sweet sensation of his kiss.

"Sadly, if I continue... I might not be able to stop," he said as he let go of you.

You did not dare to argue when you felt his growing passion making itself felt.

You were blushing from head to toe when Daisuke kissed your forehead and whispered good night.

•••••••••••••••

Paris Le’blanc's POV:

I clenched my fist when I saw him kiss her.

Was I losing to them?

How can she kiss Rin and Daisuke and all the while ignore me?

It doesn't seem fair, to always be the one she views as just her friend.

Was I nothing more to her than that?

I have always gambled my life away.

Fighting opponents whose ability is far stronger than mine. Not knowing if I will live another day to tell the tale about that fight.

But this is different.

This is a losing gamble.

I know I will be hurt again.

There is a certainty to that.

This game will cost me more than any physical pain bearable.

More than just some broken bones.

I need to think. I need to breathe.

I jumped out of the window and ran.

•••••••••••••

Your POV:

5 a.m.

You still can't sleep.

You decided to take a stroll.

You have a lot on your mind now.

When you first arrived in this world, you were very sure that you wanted Rin.

You even dreamt of him years prior to entering his world.

You knew for certain that falling in love with him is a destiny that has to be fulfilled.

But he was so cold.

Your heart is frustrated with his lack of affection.

Then he kissed you.

You began to hope again that he perhaps feels the same way about you.

But until now, he can't even say he would like to court you.

Daisuke on the other hand offers certainty.

The most stable of the three.

A perfect gentleman.

It is too soon for him to kiss you. But he did.

And it was good. So good that you almost pleaded with him to never stop.

Still, you dated just once. If that can even be considered a date.

You don't have a history.

You don't know him well enough.

Even when you were writing the story, very little information was revealed about him. His history was a complete blank when he suddenly appeared in the story.

Then there is Paris.

He has always been there for you.

He saves your heart from breaking every time Rin acts like he doesn't care.

His heart breaks when he sees you with other guys.

You have a history.

You understand him. His frustrations. His actions.

You know when his smile is just for show, and you know when he is being genuine.

And yet, you know, he is the most dangerous of them all. Falling in love with him is out of the question.

You don't know what to do anymore.

The story has rewritten itself. You don't know how to get out of the fairytale.

Here you are, the author, caught in this tangle of love web inside a cyber story you knew you just created.

You sighed as you looked at the waves. In all reality, these are all just webnovel characters, ones you have created in your mind.

And yet no matter how hard you convince yourself that they aren't real, interacting with them felt true.

You closed your eyes and let out a frustrated sigh, soon you know you will inevitably fall for one of them. As to which one, you simply don't know.

Just then, you noticed a body covered in sand.

"Paris, is that you?"

"Yes," he said as he rose from the sand.

"Why were you sleeping outside?"

"The question should be, why weren't you inside the house?" he sat up and looked at you.

Tears started falling from your eyes as you likewise sat in the sand.

"You shouldn't have to court me. I'm so confused," you said as tears fell down your chubby cheeks.

"Silly girl, don't cry for us," he said tenderly, a side of Paris only you can see.

"We don't deserve your tears," Paris said as he wiped your tears away.

"I don't want to break anyone's heart," you said, confiding in him as the only friend you have inside this world.

"Is it my heart that you're going to break again?" He asked as a burst of bitter laughter was forced out of his lungs, and left on his face was a look so forlorn, far from the face of the man who always smiles easily.

"I don't know. What should I do, Paris?" You asked frustratedly, wanting so bad to know the answers to the silliest of your questions.

"Break two hearts and save one," he said so casually, removing the palm of your hands from your cheeks, and replacing them with his lips

"Do you know I never kissed someone on the cheeks before?" He asked almost inaudibly, like he did not expect you to hear the words at all, like he did not intend for you to understand what he just said.

"I always just foolishly kiss the lips, but never someone's cheeks. I guess it is because you are so different from anyone else," he laughed silly. On his face was the kind of smile a boy of tender age would have, when interacting with his first crush.

"What makes me so different?" you asked, wanting to know if it was all because they are your creation.

"I can't say for the other two. But for me, I want to treasure you," he paused, like he was searching for the right words to tell you how he feels.

"You want to treasure me?" You looked at him closely, surely this can't be Paris. Paris was characterized in the book to be a selfless, cruel bastard, not this man confiding to you the secrets of his heart.

"Yes, to treasure you, to take care of you, to never make you cry," he said as his hands gently caressed your hair.

"I don't even understand myself anymore. When I look at you, I feel like I just want to protect you," he said wholeheartedly, his golden eyes reminding you of the most beautiful of stars.

"I can't bear seeing you hurt. I can't bear seeing you sad. It makes me angry to see you sad. It makes me mad as hell to see you cry, enough to make me want to murder anyone and everyone else, all except for you. And all because of you... That is how precious you are to me," Paris said, as he forced a bitter laughter to escape his red inviting lips that make your skin crawl with need.

You looked into his eyes and saw that the emotions are a reflection of yours. Lost and uncertain.

Afraid of feelings that you both can't explain. Feelings that are as unwelcomed as they were unexpected.

"Why?" you asked him.

"I don't know. But maybe it was your eyes," his fingers softly caressed your cheeks, leaving warmth to the flesh wherever his skin touches yours.

"You have eyes that see through me. Through my history. Through my facade. The silly jokes and empty threats. Through everything that I want the world to see," he added as he let his eyes linger on your lips.

"It's as if you know me. In a way that I don't even know myself," Paris sighed frustratedly.

"But you haven't kissed me yet. I guess you like those other two more than you like me," he chuckled, to him he was nothing but a silly joke, the way his feelings for you are.

"That's not the case, Paris," you chose to be honest to him as you gently touched the bubblegum-colored hair you love so much.

"Then what is?" he asked desperately, waiting for an answer. Any explanation will do.

"I'm afraid of you. I'm afraid to find out about that kiss," you confessed.

"I can just forcefully kiss you. But that's not my style. I can also ask for permission, but you know I am hardly a gentleman myself," he laughed, and yet you know for certain it was not out of joy, it was nothing but a ruse.

"I guess you just have to tell me when you are ready to find out," Paris stood up and offered you a hand.

But you don't want to go home yet.

You want to stay right here.

Right here where it was just the two of you, the coarse sand underneath your feet, being teased by the waves licking up to your heels.

Right by his side.

"Can we just stay and watch the sunrise?"

you asked him, hoping to stop the clock from running its course.

"You don't even have to ask," he sat beside you as you rested your head on his shoulder.