THE BEACH DATE
The sun had set a while ago, and the sky was slowly swallowed by the dark, but in the midst of that quiet night, someone had decided it was the perfect time for a date.
"Where are we going?" Barbie asked for the umpteenth time that night.
"You agreed to this date, Barbie, so let me take you where I want—peacefully," Blaze groaned.
"Normally, people take their dates to fancy restaurants... during the day," she quipped.
"Am I not normal?"
"Definitely not," Barbie yelled back, still complaining, completely unaware of the wide smile tugging at Blaze's lips.
∞∞∞∞∞
"Are we having the date here?" Barbie asked, her gaze fixed on the slow, graceful waves of the sea.
Blaze didn't respond. Instead, he gently pulled her by the wrist, guiding her toward the eastern side of the quiet, almost deserted beach.
"Woah," Barbie gasped, eyes widening at the sight in front of her.
Spread across the soft sand was a wide pink-and-white picnic blanket. Each corner was anchored by a glowing red lantern. A mouthwatering spread of food and fresh fruits lay in the center, accompanied by a chilled bottle of white non-alcoholic wine. It was cozy. Sweet. A little romantic.
"You're definitely not normal, Blazon... but this is insanely cool," Barbie beamed, sitting down quickly and popping a berry into her mouth.
Blaze felt a swell of pride in his chest. Internally, he thanked Venom for her advice. Sitting opposite Barbie, he knew—he was going to make this night count.
---
ZWATER'S RESORT
"Would you stop staring?" Alice whined.
"What? No, I can't. You look too damn beautiful now that you're mine," Raymond replied, both of them lying on the bed, tangled in each other's scent.
Alice sat up abruptly. "Are you saying I wasn't beautiful before?"
"You were always beautiful. But now... now that you're in my arms, you look so ethereal, it drives me crazy. I want to do so many things to you."
"Things like what?" she asked, her face slowly turning red.
"I want to kiss you... taste you... give you so much pleasure. I want to—"
"Yahhh!!" Alice screamed, pushing him off the bed. "You're such a pervert!" she yelled, a blushing mess.
"Only for you, Vanilla," Raymond grinned.
A little while later, they were on the balcony, enjoying the night view. Alice suddenly gasped, eyes glued to her phone.
"What's wrong?" Raymond asked.
"You remember that girl Sky almost killed... Donny?"
"Hmm?"
"She's dead. And honestly, I'm not even surprised."
"Is that... good?" Raymond asked, unsure.
"Of course, it's good. She was a total bitch," Alice said with a sassy smirk.
"...Right. Let's go take a bath," Raymond said after a pause.
"What?"
"A bath. Me. You. Bathroom. Water. Naked bodies."
"No way I'm bathing with you! You perv!" Alice screamed, darting away as Raymond chased her with a devilish grin.
---
WS VILLA
Warren pulled up to the driveway and stepped out of his car, holding a handful of gift bags. The house was unusually quiet. He knew the old nanny had resigned and the new maid hadn't arrived yet.
Skylar was upset. But Warren still hoped she'd greet him with one of those tight, fluffy bear hugs and beg him for the explanation he was prepared to give—after all, today was the day he promised to teach her what a d*ck was.
Sighing, he made his way to her room and gently knocked.
"Amore," he called softly. No response. But he could hear soft thuds inside. A sign she was definitely there.
He noticed the morning gifts were no longer outside the door. Progress, right? At least that's what he told himself. He placed the new gifts by her door and went to his room across the hall.
Meanwhile, the moment Skylar heard his car pull up, she began bouncing on the bed. She wanted to run into his arms and remind him of his promise—but that would ruin her surprise.
When she heard his door shut, she rushed to gather all the gifts—flavored chocolates, a big bear named Brownie, a sorry note, and a red rose—and tucked them neatly into her drawer. Her cheeks were red as she dashed downstairs to finish her plan.
She scattered rose petals across the dining table, placed neutral-toned 3D lights on each side, and added an ice bucket with two flavored wine bottles. Warren's favorite dishes were laid out with love—spicy pasta, grilled chicken, strawberry pancakes, gingerbread, omelettes, Korean-style long rice, and Skylar's famous strawberry jelly for dessert.
With everything set, she dimmed the lights for that soft, romantic glow.
It was time.
"Warren?" she called softly, watching him jolt slightly as he buttoned up his shirt.
His face lit up at the sight of her. Even in simple white shorts and a shirt, she was breathtaking.
"Mio Amore—"
"Dinner's ready. Come quickly," Skylar cut him off, already walking away. And of course, the hopelessly whipped Warren followed.
He wanted to speak when he saw the decor, but she beat him to it.
"Sit," she said quietly, her mind racing with how to say sorry. She hadn't apologized in years.
She sat down, but Warren didn't. He moved closer, pulling her chair to face him and squatting before her.
"I have nothing to do with Linda, Doll. She means nothing to me," he said gently.
Skylar stayed silent.
"Please forgive me, My Amore... I can't live without you," he begged.
"I'm not upset with you, Warren."
"Really?"
"Hmm," she nodded, standing up and moving to another seat to taste the meal.
Warren remembered his mother's advice: Find out why your wife is getting jealous.
"If you're not upset, then why act like it? If Linda got close to me, why does it bother you? Why act like a wife who—"
"I am your fcking wife!" Skylar snapped, slamming her hands on the table. "And I don't care how long this lasts—you are not allowed to let any woman near you. I don't act like I care... I do care! I fuking care and I—"
"Why would you care? I can—"
"Because I fuking love you*, moron!" she shouted.
"W-what?"
"That's right! I know you'd never feel the same, but my dumb heart still fell for you!" Her voice cracked as tears spilled down her cheeks. "I look stupid..."
She turned to walk away, wiping her tears, but was yanked into a firm chest.
"What are you—" Her words were silenced as Warren captured her lips with his own.