Sara kept her head down as she walked across campus, clutching her books tightly. Exams were only a week away, but it wasn't the upcoming papers that made her chest tight.
It was the whispers.
"Look at her… how did she even manage to lure Kairo?"
A boy's voice followed with a smirk, "Maybe she tasted good. That's why Kairo's after her."
A girl scoffed loudly, "Taste my foot. Look at her, creepy, nerdy, totally not his type."
The boy laughed. "Nerds are the secret sweeties. They look innocent, but in private? They're fire."
The girl shot him a glare. "Oh, really? Did you sleep with her?"
He grinned. "Not yet. But she's not that bad, though."
Sara heard every word, each one digging into her like tiny knives. But she didn't stop. Didn't flinch. She simply pressed her lips together, pushed open the library door, and sank into her usual seat. She adjusted her glasses, opened her book, and drowned herself in chapters, ignoring the world that was dissecting her.
By evening, when she finally closed her notes and stepped outside, the cool air greeted her. She was exhausted but relieved, until she heard that voice.
"Hey, darling?"
She froze. Of course.
There he was, Kairo, leaning against the wall like he owned it, that familiar cocky smirk painted on his face.
Sara glared. "What are you doing here?"
He pushed off the wall and trapped her easily, one hand on either side, caging her against the wall. His body heat enveloped her. "I missed my soda glass."
She shoved him lightly. "Don't."
"Can't hear you," he teased, lowering his head closer, his lips brushing her ear.
Sara bit her lip, flustered. "Why the hell did you kiss me in front of the whole college yesterday?"
Kairo's grin widened, shameless. "Because I wanted everyone to know this soda glass stole something from me that no one else ever could."
Her irritation wavered into something warmer. "But people are gossiping about me. I've become the talk of the campus."
He pressed a soft kiss against her lips, careless of the students still walking by.
"Good. Let them talk. They should know you're mine. Because now—" he smirked, eyes burning into hers, "—you're the great Kairo's girlfriend."
Her cheeks burned, but before she could argue, his mouth was on hers again. This time deeper, hungrier. Students passing by gasped as they walked past, whispers spilling around them, but Sara no longer cared. Her hands gripped his shirt, kissing him back like they were the only two people who existed there.
When they finally pulled apart, breathless, Kairo whispered, "I love you."
Sara's heart tumbled. She smiled, lips swollen, voice soft. "I love you too."
"Come," he said suddenly, tugging her hand.
"Where?" she frowned.
"My place."
She laughed in disbelief. "What?"
"My dad's not home. Let's go."
She raised a brow, teasing. "Don't even think of doing something stupid."
His green eyes locked on hers, intense, burning. "What if I want to?"
Sara smirked. "Then I'll kick your ass. We have exams in a week."
Kairo leaned closer, whispering against her ear, "Then maybe I should help you release some stress."
She slapped his arm, making him chuckle. He stole another kiss before dragging her towards the car and opening the door for her.
Kairo's Place
The car rolled through the massive iron gates, and Sara's jaw nearly dropped as the sprawling three-story mansion loomed before her.
"Kairo…" she gasped, "you really are a rich brat."
He smirked, though a trace of bitterness crept into his voice. "Thanks to my father, who earned enough to give me all this."
He led her inside, up to the top floor, and pushed open the doors to his room. Sara stepped in, her eyes wide. "This… this is bigger than my whole apartment."
Kairo flopped onto the king-sized bed with a grin. "And soon, you'll be part of this bedroom too."
She gave him a sharp look. "Oh, really? And how exactly?"
In a heartbeat, he tugged her down onto the bed with him, hovering above her. His gaze was molten. "You know exactly how."
Her pulse raced. For a moment, her walls shot back up. "How many girls have you said the same to?"
Kairo giggled. "Why?"
Sara's eyes narrowed. "You were a fuckboy, maybe you still are. I'm not foolish enough to believe your nonsense."
Kairo went still. Then, slowly, his eyes softened, vulnerable in a way she'd never seen. His voice dropped gently, his hand caressing her cheek. "None. Only you."
Her heart skipped.
"Yes, Sara. I might have had many girls in my life. I might have been a fuckboy. But no girl I touched ever came here. They never had the privilege, never had the chance to enter my bedroom, my home. Only you. You're the only person I've brought here."
Sara's heart raced. "And why?"
Kairo pecked her lips, his breath warm. "Because you entered my heart, but they didn't." He looked into her eyes.
"You've changed me, Sara, in the best way. I was so messed up before you… running from life, trying to fill the emptiness inside me. I never believed I'd have something called love. Ever." His eyes were shimmering with wetness.
"But then you came. You followed me, you chased me, you challenged me. You made me understand what love is, how it feels to have someone by your side."
He smiled softly, "You know what? After you came into my life, I wake up every morning thinking: I do have someone, someone who loves me, who cares for me, who understands my heart without me even saying a word.
"I don't feel empty anymore, Sara. I don't feel alone anymore. I don't feel like running anymore. I don't chase something temporary anymore."
"I feel for you, Sara. I started living for you. I see forever with you, something I never dared to dream of."
A tear slipped from his green eyes.
"I want to be with you. forever. I want that domestic love life with you, Sara. You and me in our own house, maybe with a little version of us running around, you still calling me fuckboy, scolding me for silly things while I'm kissing you to calm you down."
She giggled through her tears. He smiled too, both of them wet-eyed, and she pulled him into a heated kiss. He kissed her back, slow and deep.
When she pulled away, panting, she whispered, "I love you forever, fuckboy."
He giggled and whispered back, "I love you too, forever… my soda glass."
She giggled, but his gaze turned intense. "What?" she asked.
He leaned closer, resting his forehead against hers. "Let me love you, Sara. Now I have poured my heart to you," he said, his voice vulnerable.
Her heart melted. "But we have exams… in a—"
"Please…" His pleading eyes made her knees weak.
She scanned his face, then nodded. "Okay… but you won't disturb me until exams are over."
He smiled softly. "Sure, my baby… I won't bother you."
She bit her lip. "Then… hop on."