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I feel so stupid.

How could I cry? Why did I do that? Okay I know it needed to be done....But ugh!

I'm at a war with myself.

"Arianaaaaa..!" My mom called out in a sing-song voice.

"Yes mom?" I sighed.

"Arianaaa!" My mom called again.

I shook my head and got up from my bed, she can't hear me say yes but she can hear it if I'm on my phone for too long.

"Yes mom?" I went in the kitchen.

"Ah there you are! Come on wash your hands and bring the soda we are baking!" She squealed.

"Mooooom I just want to rest in my bed under my cosy starry blanket..." I whined.

"Uh-uh that won't work on me, you have to move around or you'll turn your brain into a mush." She pushed a bowl with cocoa powder and a whip.

"Fine" I sighed. "But I get to eat the extra cream."

"Sure sure, now move your lazy bum!" She rolled her eyes but still had a smile on her face.

We were so immersed in the process of making the cake with occasional chats of our adventures that we almost didn't notice Mr. Garcia -aka- my dad.

"Hey Chip!" I charged at my dad with a hug but he knew it was coming.

"Papa! How are you?!" I asked licking the cream off my fingers.

"Ahhh hanging around, having fun, I just rang the neighbours doorbell and ran for a quick workout." He winked.

"That is not what we are teaching our child, Papa" Mom rolled her eyes.

"Actually I suggested that because papa was bored doing the usual workout..." I laughed with my dad while mom shook her head.

"So Chip anything interesting?" He smirked knowing I was bursting with the need to reveal all my crazy antics.

"I'm still suspended but I almost died so they reduced the time but I lived with a few strangers who I saw kill someone that day and I thought they were a well established but non-social mafia and their leader is a cutie, made a few friends, oh mom I think you have some competition in the Kitchen, anyways I got drugged, almost died, Oli probably filled you in on that but-" I was interrupted by a worried father.

"Wait what cutie?" He had his eyebrows scrunched.

"Of course you only hear that p-"

*Ding-dong*

I went to open the door, and stopped right in front of it. Taking a look at the image on the disoriented glasses.

I'd know that hair anywhere.

"Ariana I know you're in there!" Alexander yelled, banging the door.

"Don't keep the guest waiting dear..." My mom called out in a 'its bad manners and I didn't raise you this way' tone.

I take a few quick breaths before my slightly stiff hand opened the door.

A sight for sore eyes or more accurately a sight for the museum!

"Wow" he whispered.

This kind of reaction is what made me miss this douché every time I left him.

He looked like he was holding back from kissing me which I was grateful for... I mean I just told my dad I found a cutie ...and he's right behind me.

Alex realised this too and put his hands forward, "Good evening Sir, I'm Alexander Dimitriou..." he paused looking at me for the rest of the introduction.

Well what do you want me to say? Meet your daughter's fúck buddy? Or the guy who has her heart? My mind ran back to wonder if the shít proposal was for real.

"The guy... I met during my stay in the mansion." I decided on leaving it there.

"Oh come in then! You must be tired from all the traveling! Thankyou so much for taking care of my daughter! She's quite a handful I know!" Mom jumped in.

"Yeah she is" Alex smirked.

Pervert.

"Oh my! She didn't give you a lot of trouble, did she? I know she means well but sometimes things get out of hand... I'm sure she'll make it up to you. Ariana you need to learn how to control yourself dear!" She shook her head and dragged him inside.

"It was okay, quite entertaining might I add, wouldn't miss it for the world." He answered, adding a wink.

"Oh isn't he a gem!" Mom looked a me with a beaming smile. "Ariana has always been interested in the Performing Arts but alas! None of the careers appealed to her neverending curiosity." I know where I get the rambling from.

"You know what let me give Alex a tour of the house!" I dragged him upstairs before my mom could pull out the -my daughter is crazy but I still love her- cards.

"Oof straight to business then?" He smirked looking at the bed in my old room.

"Stop it! What's going on? The last time I saw you I thought you'd subscribe to Alcohol Anonymous. And now you're all smirk-y and at my parents-freakin-house!"

"We were talking and suddenly you pulled out the breakup card-"

"We were never dating!"

"-and I felt like I was loosing you again and again and again so I got angry. I'm so sorry about that by the way..." He put his hands on my cheek.

"Aria the remote isn't working again!" My dad yelled.

"Oh my god my dad is here!" Panic mode on.

"Yes I know I saw him downstairs, hey don't interrupt my monologue!" Alex smiled.

"But I haven't told him about you yet!" I half yelled.

"You haven't?" His face fell.

"I mean I was going to! I said you are a cutie but then he got really worried-"

"Cutie? You couldn't have told Smart, handsome and funny?" He panicked too.

"I was going to but you came banging on the door so it was actually you who began with interrupting monologues!" I paced the room with a whisper scream voice.

"Wha-"

"Nevermind that we should go now before papa brings out the big guns!" I dragged him back down.

"That's figurative speech right?" Alex asked with wide eyes.

"Umm..." I averted my eyes and entered the dinning area.

"Ah! Just in time for dinner! Take a seat everyone, steaming cup of soup is ready for service." Mom placed the pot in the centre.

"So Olexandre is it?" Papa sat up.

"Alex is fine, Sir..." Alex replied.

Gotta work had to get on first name basis with my father Alex.

"Why did you decide to allow my daughter in your house?" He asked.

Way to go papa...!

"More like a freakin' mansion, takes up more time to find a loo than making a kill plan." I murmured stabbed a bean in the soup.

"Truth to be told, she impressed me with her smooth talk and knowledge of her skills." Alex looked at me for approval to which I just rolled my eyes.

"He was dumb and infatuated." I tried to sabotage his image.

"I was respectful and non- impulsive." Alex retorted.

"Crazy and weird!" I pointed with my spoon.

"You baked a cake for strangers and climbed out of a running car!" He scrunched his eyebrows.

"Well you are indecisive and obsessed with your own hair!" I leaned it.

"You're prone to accidents and have bad timing!" He slammed his hands on the table slightly.

"You didn't even change your name undercover!" I slouched back on the chair, folding my arms.

"You didn't even know I was undercover!" He smirked.

I gasped. "You- you like someone as stupid as me then!" I was so irritated.

"And you can't stop thinking about me either!" He shrugged his shoulders.

"Okay that's enough!" Mom yelled.

Silence.

"Pizza's ready!" She smiled cheerfully.

And she thinks I'm the one who should take up performing arts.

"Arm- urhm" Papa cleared his throat. "Well atleast I know you are telling the truth..." He laughed a little.

"Papa no! Don't take his side!" I looked a him with wide eyes.

"What can I say, you are hazardous for yourself and get in trouble more than I like to admit." He shrugged.

I looked at mom for help but she was already talking him up on the pizza and how she made it.

Freakin' Prince Charming.

~•~

After the dinner/less terrifying interview of Alex, where I got to know things that we already talked about in the hospital my dad cleared his throat once again.

"Aria go take a walk outside and sort out whatever you need to, be back by 10" He got up and went to help mom with the dishes.

"Urgh" I sluggishly got up.

"And no hanky-panky!" He yelled after a moment.

"I don't know about that! You seem to like him more than I do!" I yelled to irk him.

"Well young lady, no matter how old you have grown, you are still my sperm that won the race!" He smirked.

"Ewwwwww I just ate!" I fake gagged and move to go out the front door and heard the hurried scrape of Alex's chair as he followed me.

"So... That went well." He chuckled.

Oh how I missed this sound.

I decided to stay on the front porch, near the swing where I used to read my books.

"I would have gotten more slices if you weren't here..." I couldn't help but reply sarcastically.

"I can always share." He smiled, as if expecting that.

"I'm sorry..." I sighed, turning to the swing and sitting on it.

"I guess I'm still snappy about things I don't have a right to be mad about." I swayed my legs.

"We've been past this Ariana, we both know what our job requires us to do at times, no matter the price." He took my hand in his.

"So you... forgive me? Just like that?" I looked into his eyes for the truth.

"After you- after I left the hospital, I had some time to think, even had a chat with Oliver and apologized immediately for the... situation I put you in." He took a deep breath.

"I really thought about it, about us and I realized the only thing I hate more than people touching my hair is you not being near me or with me..." My breath hitched.

"I want us to work this out, for real, and if it doesn't then we will go our separate ways like mature adults, leave a friendly email here and there but if it DOES, if it works imagine how much fun we would have with each other! And not to forget the mind-blowing séx that brought us together in the first place!" He kissed my cheek while I sat there dumbfounded.

Was he always the mature one out of the both of us?

Nevermind don't answer that.

"I.... would like that." A blush rose to my cheeks.

And how fitting it was, that my new crush/favourite human pulled out a hair tie from his pocket and bent on his knee, right in front of the swing where I fantasized about finding the one, and whispered,

"Ariana Gracia, would you do me the honours... of being my girlfriend...to try this thing called relationship and make it our own, to be just as crazy as you are and let me be yours?"

Now that's a good freakin' proposal!

"I..."

"Yes or no Ari" He interrupted, so I smacked him on his head.

"I'd like that" I smiled.

Alex lit up like a Christmas tree and wrapped his arms around me, squeezing me into a death grip that felt perfect in this weather.

"You're amazing." He breathed after a long hug, holding my face in his hands.

"I still want the hair tie." I giggled making him kiss my blush.

He took my hand and slid the tie onto my wrist, looking me into the eye with a promise of a happier future.

This time I initiated the process, pulling him by his collar to kiss me already.

"Kiss me Mr. Stranger" I whispered.

"Gladly Ms. Ariana" he cupped my face and placed the most precious kiss on my lips.

We started slow, letting our lips communicate the words we might speak some day, pouring all our affection into it and getting a little freaky too.

Until my mom yelled again, to get in before we got locked out. Making us laugh and snuggle into each other.

This felt perfect.

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