Chris giving flirty eyes at Kiara above.

limerence

(n.) the state of being infatuated with another person

Today was July 3rd which meant, while incredibly inconvenient when in America, it was Kiara's 28th birthday. The sun set as she stepped out of her car, frowning as to why Vijay simply texted her to dress nicely and meet him at a random location in the corner of town. The minute she walked into the restaurant, rainbow streamers exploded from all around her as he held out a chocolate cake to celebrate. Chris, Nicole, Emilia and Kabir sang an off-key version of 'Happy Birthday' while she blew out the candles on her cake. In keeping with the age old tradition, Vijay swiped some icing off the cake and smeared it gently onto her cheeks.

Looking around the table, Kiara was practically grinning from ear to ear as she spotted various friends from both the Hollywood and Bollywood industry. Most of her friends had also brought their significant others so the restaurant was packed full tonight as their party took up most of the space. Considering her favourite food was lasagne, he had booked out a relatively unknown Italian restaurant for privacy as their famous friends came together to celebrate her birthday.

Tugging her against his body, Chris ignored their audience and pressed a sweet kiss to her lips as he murmured, "Happy birthday, trouble."

Feeling like the luckiest girl in the world, Kiara found herself beaming as the group laughed and played party games. Most of the chosen games were juvenile but were light-hearted and allowed her friends from both aspects of her life to bond.

Spinning the bottle, Ranbir let out a shout of excitement when it landed on Vijay, "Oh I'm going to have so much fun with this!"

He smirked, "I wouldn't be too sure about that."

"Okay have you ever been in love?"

Thinking for a few seconds, he clenched his jaw before answering truthfully, "Yes."

The room fell silent while he awkwardly tried to move on and spun the bottle as it landed on Scarlett, "Huh. You ready for me?"

She laughed, "Fire away."

"What is your most embarrassing memory?"

Covering her face in shame, she groaned, "It has got to be when I peed my pants during my best friend's sleepover in high school."

Emilia gasped, "Oh my god, I see you in a whole new light now!"

"Fuck off."

Shaking her head, Scarlett spun the bottle as it landed on Chris, "Hah! Finally!"

He snorted, "Alright, alright just ask the question already."

"Hmm, what are you most looking forward to?"

Shooting a mischievous glance at Kiara, he responded, "Trouble."

The group oohed as he ignored them and spun the bottle, only for it to land on her, "Well, well, well. I'm not sure if this is fate or just pure dumb luck."

She winked, "You better believe it, baby."

"Who in the world inspires you the most?"

Looking him straight in the eye, she said, "Vijay Kapoor."

Shocked, Vijay turned to look at her with tear-filled eyes as he reached over to squeeze her hand in thanks while Milo protested, "Oh for fuck's sake, you're not really suggestin–"

"Finish that sentence. I dare you," she lowered her voice.

The rest of the night went by without any interruptions as Milo immediately backed off and a few guests grew increasingly tipsy with the bottomless drinks. Taking turns to hand Kiara their birthday gifts, she unwrapped them one-by-one and by the end of the night Chris and Vijay stacked the gifts into three piles as they each helped carry a pile into her car. Making quick work of collecting their belongings, she said goodbye to the guests as Chris stayed behind with her. Flopping into one of the chairs, she took a breath as he slid into the seat beside her and interlaced their fingers.

Bringing their hands up to his mouth, he kissed her hand before tugging a small velvet box out of his pocket, "Open my gift now."

Her heart stopped as she stared worryingly at the box, "You shouldn't have gotten me anything!"

"Why is everyone else allowed to get you things but I'm not?"

"They shouldn't have either but I can't do anything about that now."

He laughed before nudging her, "Stop stalling and open it already."

The velvet box opened to reveal a beautiful white gold bracelet with a tiny white daisy pendant. Kiara gasped and gently removed the bracelet from its box to inspect it closer before carefully clasping it around her wrist. Unable to contain her joy, she lunged across and pulled Chris into a hug as he bundled her into his body. Connecting with her lips in a passionate kiss, his hands roamed down her body and rested on her hips as he rubbed small circles on her exposed skin.

Giving him one last peck on the lips, she pushed away and smiled as happy tears streamed down her cheeks, "I love you."

Concerned at the tears, he softly wiped them away, "I love you."

Sobering up, she tentatively started, "I have to tell you something."

He frowned, "Uh oh."

"It's nothing bad, bub. Just promise you won't react badly?"

"Why would I react badly?"

"Just promise me."

"Fine."

She stuck out her pinkie finger, "Pinkie promise me."

Shaking his head and laughing, he linked their pinkies, "Promise."

Diving into her explanation regarding her new film co-star, Kiara tried to delicately break the news of Leon and their history as she watched Chris' face transform from pure delight to utter shock and then nothing. He tried his best not to react impulsively, remaining completely blank as he processed his emotions and slowly moved to drive them home. She was beginning to regret taking Jimmy up on his offer to drive her car back home after Chris convinced her to stay over for the night. Safe to say, the remainder of their journey home was tense as he maintained the uncomfortable silence. Her only consolation was that he continued to hold her hand as if refusing to let something as insignificant as Leon ruin their mood tonight.

Knowing Chris needed to be left alone with his thoughts, Kiara kissed his cheek before rummaging through his closet for the sweater she left behind last time and walked away to change into more comfortable clothes. Snuggling under the covers, she waited as he took his time to freshen up. As if sensing her sadness and anxiety, Dodger leaped up onto the bed and fit himself under her arm as he nudged her hand with his nose. His playful disposition somehow always brightened her mood as she pressed a light kiss to his snout before rubbing behind his ears.

Chris walked out of the toilet a few minutes later in nothing but his boxers but walked right past the bed and into the living room as he settled into the couch. Staring at the door he left out of just a second ago, Kiara sat there in bewilderment as Dodger continued gently licking her as if to try comfort her. Snapping out of her shocked state, she slowly exited the bed and tiptoed down the stairs to find where Chris disappeared to. The sight of him suffering as he tried to fit his six-foot body onto a significantly smaller couch pulled at her heartstrings not because he was in pain but more so because she had forced him to go to such great extents for some clarity of mind.

Perching at the top of the couch, she cautiously approached, "Why don't you go sleep upstairs, bub? I'll be much more comfortable on the couch."

Begrudgingly opening one eye, he groaned, "Kiara, I know you're only trying to help but please just leave me alone tonight. For once just please listen to me."

Flashbacks of Leon berating her unwillingly played across her mind as Kiara flinched and stood, leaving the room as fast as possible. In her haste, she accidentally walked straight into the wrong room but nearly broke down crying so quickly locked the door before she became an emotional wreck. Almost immediately, Chris regretted the way he spoke to her and sat up to search for her. Finding the guest bathroom door locked, he waited outside patiently for a few minutes.

The minute he heard her sniffling through the door, his concern was instantly peaked as he knocked on the door gently, "You okay?"

A few seconds passed before she answered, "Yeah," she gathered her wits and took a breath; "I'm sorry, did you need the toilet?"

"No, no, don't worry. Will you let me in? I just want to make sure you're okay."

"I'm okay."

"Why'd you lock yourself in the toilet then?"

"No reason!"

"Kiara."

"Chris."

"Kiara!"

Letting out a frustrated huff, she blurted out, "I walked into the wrong room but I didn't want to intrude your space again, okay?"

Trying to hide his laugh, he asked, "So you were just going to stay locked up in there?"

"I was waiting until you left!"

"Well you can come out now."

She mumbled, "Okay but I'm still upset."

This time he didn't hold back, chortling out loud, "That's fine by me, trouble."

Opening the door, Kiara rushed past Chris with her eyes trained solely on the ground before her. He couldn't stay mad at the girl even if he tried as he smiled and followed behind into their room. By the time he quietly slid under the covers, she was already nestled into his bed as he wordlessly wrapped his arm around her waist and spooned her. Dodger being the affection-greedy pup he was, jumped into bed and plopped himself directly in the middle as he burrowed himself in the tiny space between their bodies and shoved them apart. Laughing at his actions, she reached out over his fluffy coat to link hands with Chris. Playing with her fingers, he listened to the sound of her breathing even out as he tried to forget his worries.

She leaned forwards to kiss the tip of his nose, "I understand that when you're upset, you prefer to isolate yourself so you don't lash out at others."

He stroked her cheek, "Yeah."

"I apologise for not speaking to you sooner but we really do need to communicate better."

Exhaling deeply, he brushed stray strands of hair off her face, "I know we do and I'm sorry for shutting you out."

"What is it that upset you the most?"

"It's not the fact that you're working with an ex-boyfriend. It's really not. More that it took you this long to tell me, knowing that I wouldn't have reacted as badly if you told me earlier."

"I was just worried the whole situation would be blown out of proportion."

"You should know me by now though. I'm not the type of person who takes everything seriously."

"I know you're not. That's what I love about you."

"But when it takes you this long to let me know, it creates doubts in my head about whether or not there are still feelings there."

"I won't lie to you, I do still care for the boy. Our relationship was long and intense so those feelings won't just disappear," he froze at that, unsure of where she was heading as she continued; "That isn't to say anything will ever happen because the way we separated, it would be damn near impossible to rekindle anything. Hell, we're barely even friends."

"I'm fucking sweating up a storm here, please get to the point."

She laughed, "All you need to know is that I love you, I'm in love with you and I've never felt this way about anyone else. No one but you."

Plastering a cheesy smile across his face, Chris brought his face to Kiara's and kissed her. She didn't know how long they spent simply gazing into each other's eyes and stroking one another's skin. Although the way he handled her confession was poor, she couldn't fault him for taking himself out of the situation. Whether she told him or not, he somehow understood that her previous relationships were extremely volatile and realised those experiences left lingering fears so tried to prevent the never ending cycle of toxicity that came with arguments. In the time she spent with him, she was grateful for his emotional intuition. He constantly surprised her with how attuned he was to her disposition. While she didn't want to push him for answers, his silence only further fanned the flames of her anxiety until she eventually drifted into a light sleep.

Early the next morning before sunrise, Kiara felt the bed dip as Chris rose from the bed and listened as his footsteps tracked out of the room. He was sat back in his chair reading over his script at the dining table as she padded out to the living room, dressed in only a navy oversized 'University of Oxford' sweater. Dodger lifted his head in curiosity but reverted back to snuggling into the dog bed upon realising nothing interesting was occurring.

She leaned against the wall and quirked a brow at Chris, "You're up early, bub."

Chris looked up from the script, his hair sticking out in different directions as if he had been running his hands through it repetitively. He looked tired and likely spent the entire night tossing and turning in worry.

He smiled softly, "So are you."

Kiara softened as she realised her admission last night may have been the cause of his restlessness, "Well, I have to be. You don't."

He dropped his script back onto the dining table, giving her his full attention, "I was already awake. Thinking."

Trying to contain her emotions, Kiara sniffled and looked away in an attempt to avoid eye-contact as her bottom lip wobbled. Chris looked pensive, scratching the scruff of his beard and also refusing to make eye-contact.

She cautiously enquired, "About last night? Look I–"

He instantly stopped that trail of thought, needing her to understand that he trusted her and praying that this wouldn't create another rift between them, "It's okay. I'm alright."

On the surface Chris appeared as if he came to terms with Kiara's situation but she knew that underneath all his bravado, he worried they may not survive this storm. Finally turning to look back at him, she saw the war of emotions and turmoil in his eyes.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise, "You're alright with me working on this movie with Leon?"

He sighed, "Why wouldn't I be?"

She twisted the bottom of her sweater, fidgeting as she anxiously attempted to address the elephant in the room, "Because you weren't alright last night."

"Which was before this morning when I realised that it's strictly professional."

He looked directly into her eyes, willing her to forgive his moment of insecurity, and gestured between them, "This isn't."

She released a relieved breath as he continued, "That's history but I have baggage too and that's okay."

She smiled softly, grateful that he had such depth of emotional maturity and respect, "So long as we don't carry it into the present."

He moved his legs off the chair, using his feet to nudge it away, and held out a mug of fresh green tea for her, "In that case, let's set some in-home ground rules."

Touched that Chris had taken the effort to start stocking up on her favourite brand of tea, Kiara sat down opposite him and crossed her legs as she accepted the mug with a large grin split across her face.

He started, "Obviously the first–"

"Uh, respecting each other's privacy."

"Exactly."

She took a sip of tea as he gestured to the coffee table, "The left-hand side of the desk belongs to the United States of Evans."

Cupping the mug between her hands, she savoured the warmth and examined the table bemusedly, "You're not a country."

He grabbed the mug out of her hands and placed it onto the table before glancing down at his crotch, "But I've got a flag."

She snorted out a laugh and played along, "Touché."

Shooting out of her chair, Kiara ran to the bedroom to grab her phone as an idea popped in her head and Chris' eyes followed the movement in confusion. She typed furiously on her phone while returning to her seat as he moved to try peek at the screen but she quickly brought her foot to the centre of his chest and pushed him back down into his seat. Placing her foot on his seat in between his legs, she seductively let her sweater ride up her bare thighs. He shifted awkwardly, trying his hardest to ignore the heat emanating from her, and focused on the issue at hand.

Without telling Chris, Kiara posted a photo of the two of them from her birthday party last night on Instagram with a simple heart as the caption. The photo taken by Vijay was of him with his arms wrapped around her waist as he pressed a kiss to her cheek while she curled into his body and beamed at the camera, hopefully making it abundantly clear to everyone that they were dating.

Putting her phone face down onto the table, she lowered her voice to a seductive purr, "Let's agree that any perusal of my phone is considered an intrusion of my borders."

He gave up on restraining himself, moving his hand up her calf to grab her hand and pull her towards him, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I thought you liked it when I intruded on your borders."

She rested her hands on his broad shoulders as he gently coaxed her to stand over him, placing her legs on either side of his body, "Hmm, well, those are a different kind of border."

Chris brought his hands up to Kiara's waist and stared adoringly up at her as the sunlight leaked through the windows, creating an angelic glow around her. She slowly lowered herself down onto his lap, teasing him and testing his willpower.

She peered at him, biting her lip, "An intrusion may be allowed."

He let out a soft groan, "Allowed?"

"Encouraged."

Meeting Chris halfway in a passionate kiss, Kiara gripped his shoulders as she fuelled the intense heat between them. The feel of his toned frame pressed against her was intoxicating.

They pulled away and taunted each other breathlessly, "Insisted."

"Demanded."

She pressed another soft kiss to his lips as he tightened his hold around her, "Let's go make you late for work."

Kiara released a soft moan in agreement as Chris stood and carried her with him, moving towards their bedroom.

The big thirty!!!! It's finally here!! Please don't forget to comment and voteeee!