[color=gray][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/ITDPxwi.png[/img]
[sub]A [@LovelyComplex] & [@Venus] Collaboration
Featuring [color=19C8AC]Niles Sinclair[/color] & [color=C81935]Caitlin Cleary[/color][/sub]
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[indent][indent]Niles Sinclair and Caitlin Cleary had kissed and made up the night prior. After the tense encounter with her ex-whatever-he-was, they had left the restaurant and gone straight to the hotel he had reserved for them. While the car ride was silent and the initial moment of entering their room was awkward, they did end up deciding to bury things for the night so they could enjoy each other’s presence. He could finally make her his… And he did. 

In the moment, it felt right. But afterwards, when she fell asleep and he was up laying on his side staring out the balcony glass doors, he couldn’t stop seeing Mikhail’s face. Even when Niles was dating Natalia this piece of shit was putting moves on his girl. All this planning and for what? He thought Caitlin liked him, loved him even. He thought she wanted to be with him. He thought they shared a bond because they both lost someone dear to them. 

The legacy to the Sinclair name laid there, letting his anger boil as he had the night prior play over and over and over again in his head. Was she actually his? Or did she choose to toy with him because she needed to feel loved? She loved the idea of being loved? Her arms held onto him as she snuggled close to him-- he the little spoon, her the big-- and he found himself in a place he thought he had left behind. A place of self loathing. A place where he felt undeserving of her love because he knew she could do so much better. 

Was it really that hard to change who you are? 

Niles wasn’t good or bad, but he certainly wasn't happy. He put all his heart into Caitlin because it was someone, something, to aim for. Goals. He needed to have goals to avoid the dark thoughts he battled in high school. The reason why he had this burn scar on his shoulder, the reason why he went to medical school, he was trying to [i]move forward[/i]. Not let his mother’s ghost determine how he lived his life. Coming back home was not like returning to Neverland. Edenridge wasn’t a place for kids. No, Edenridge ripped your innocence away and forced you to grow up. Be stable or die trying. 

In the morning, as she continued to soundlessly sleep, Niles set the dining table with room service breakfast. He had put on gray sweatpants and no shirt. With the smell of coffee in the air, he glanced over to Cece wondering if she was going to wake up. He didn’t get any sleep. No. He was stuck on the thought that she wasn’t his and that she was toying with him, clearly not coming clean with how she feels with her ex or the dead person she constantly talks about. He was angry because she made him realize he didn’t make any progress. He was still the same asshole he’s always been. 

Going to the balcony, he leaned on the door to stare out at the early morning of Boston. Time went on and he continued to wait for her to stir, not touching a single bacon, a single pancake, a single anything until she woke up. He was waiting.

After the mortifying situation of the night before, the couple had opted to put the discontent aside to privately celebrate the start of their relationship. The ‘celebrations’ in question, along with the emotional exhaustion of the encounter with Mika, had drained all of Caitlin’s energies. She’d been out like a light after some cuddles, not budging awake until she felt the absence of the warm figure she’d been so comfortably snuggling against. The tempting smell of coffee and food making her empty stomach rumble had helped persuade her, too.

When she opened her eyes, she was met with the sight of Niles leaning against the balcony’s glass door. She took a moment to admire his handsome figure illuminated by the rays of sunshine of the Boston morning: his messy brown curls, gray sweatpants and shirtless upper body… And with the ocean view outside, it was truly a wonderful sight to wake up to.

[color=C81935]“Good morning, handsome,”[/color] Caitlin mumbled with a sleepy smile, slender arms over her head as she took a moment to stretch her stiff muscles. Unbeknownst to the tumultuous mood her shirtless boyfriend was in, the redhead was in good spirits. [color=C81935]“Something smells amazing in here,”[/color] Cece noted, sitting up from her position on the bed looking around the room for the source of the delicious scent. When her eyes fell on the breakfast selection laid out on the suite’s table, her blue eyes lit up with gratitude at the sweet gesture. [color=C81935]“You got us breakfast?”[/color] she asked Niles, with a smile as bright as the day outside.

[color=19C8AC]“What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t get you something to eat, especially after last night?”[/color] While his tone was spirited he hid his emotions behind a strained smile. The kind of smile Natalia could catch immediately as fake. He walked away from the balcony and pulled out a chair for her, [color=19C8AC]“M’lady,”[/color] he jested. 

Giggling, the beaming Caitlin got up from the bed, slipped on the fluffy white robe courtesy of the hotel, and occupied the chair Niles had so courteously pulled out for her to sit in. [color=C81935]“Thank you so much; this looks so yummy!”[/color] she said gratefully, looking around at the dishes in front of her and bracing herself for the feast to come.

As she took account of all the food he bought for her, Niles leaned forward, pushing her hair back and kissing her neck. He didn’t remove his lips until he left a mark. Once he could visibly see a hickey, he pulled away and went to the other side of the table. After he sat down, he scanned her up and down, methodically, before asking, [color=19C8AC]“You sleep well?”[/color]

When Caitlin felt Niles push her hair back and press his lips to her neck, she smiled and closed her eyes in anticipation of the goosebumps that followed. This time, however, the marking felt [i]different[/i]. Where Mika’s hickies always came from a place of playfulness and passion, this one had a rougher, slightly dominant edge to it: like it was a branding rather than a love bite. But instead of going down a rabbit hole of seeing things that weren’t there, worrying over nothing and potentially sabotaging her new relationship, Cece opened her eyes, pushed the thoughts out of her head and refocused on the conversation at hand.

[color=C81935]“I sure did,”[/color] she answered sweetly, taking the first bite off of her delectable plate. [color=C81935]“Best sleep I’ve had in some time, if I’m honest. This hotel bed is super comfortable-- and the company helped too,”[/color] Caitlin said playfully, shooting Niles a small wink. [color=C81935]What about you? I noticed you weren’t in bed when I woke up. Is everything okay? Did you not sleep well?”[/color]

[color=19C8AC]“No, I didn’t actually.”[/color] Instead of eating, Niles simply leaned back in his chair and watched her like a hawk watching its prey. [color=19C8AC]“Don’t get me wrong, I don’t usually sleep well, but last night especially, I couldn’t. Do you know why?”[/color] His piercing gaze carefully and deeply looked into her eyes, making sure they didn’t look away from him. It was curious, really. Yes, fucking her senseless helped tire her out, but he had a feeling that she wasn’t as innocent as she acted. Perhaps, Natalia was right along. Caitlin Cleary wasn’t a girl to be trusted. [color=19C8AC]“Did you have any dreams?”[/color] 

[color=C81935]“No…”[/color] the redhead answered slowly, confusion settling on her freckled face. She could feel a change in her boyfriend’s demeanor, and the new energy in the room unsettled her slightly. She tried to think back to the events of the night before after leaving the restaurant and up until this point, but found no evidence of any wrongdoings on her part. Whatever it was, it was clearly making Niles feel some sort of way, and she wanted to fix it immediately. [color=C81935]“Did I do something? Because if I did, and it upset you or anything, I really am sorry, and I’d like to know what I can do about it.”[/color]

Grabbing a glass of OJ, Niles took a nice, slow sip. He was in no rush to explain himself. Not to her. Once he was drinking enough to hydrate himself, he countered, [color=19C8AC]“So you admit it, you think you did something wrong?”[/color] Reaching his hand out, bringing it close to her, but not going for her, Niles grabbed an apple that was by her side. Tossing it up in the air, letting it fall back in his hand, he asked, [color=19C8AC]“If you need me to tell you, then you find no fault in your actions.”[/color] He ripped a piece of apple off and chewed it thoroughly. 

[color=C81935]“That’s not what I--”[/color] the young woman’s brows furrowed together as she felt silent, her stomach now twisting itself into a knot of anxiety that she was sure showed. She was quiet for a few moments once again, thinking hard about every past event, yet continued to come up empty-handed. [color=C81935]“I swear I’m not trying to be difficult, but I [i]really[/i] don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t know what it was that I did wrong, but it’s clearly upsetting you, so I’m apologizing to try and make things better.”[/color]

[color=19C8AC]“I’ll only ask you this once and if I don’t find an answer that I agree with, I won’t take it lightly.”[/color] Niles threatened. This naive act that Cece was playing… It was getting old fast. Did she actually understand him like she said she did all these months or was she just toying with him? Playing a game because Mika pushed her away and she needed someone to cling to? 

He took another bite out of his apple. He chewed and he chewed, taking his time to build anticipation. Purposely, Niles wanted her to be anxious and nervous. He wanted her to know that she was [i]wrong[/i]. Not even Natalia would do that shit to him. She would’ve cussed Mika out for interrupting her moment with him. [color=19C8AC]“What is your relationship with Mika?”[/color] He curtly said. 

If Niles’ threat had made Cece feel as if she’d wanted to throw up on the spot, the mention of Mika and the inquiry about their relationship filled her with both a sense of dread and a moment of clarity. So [i]that’s[/i] what this was all about. Never mind that she had almost become a statue from sheer shock when she’d heard the man’s voice, or that anxiety had held her hostage during the length of the tense encounter, or even that she’d called her ex out on his hypocrisy in front of everyone staring, standing up for her current relationship and asking him to please leave them alone in the process. No: it was all about that split-second in which her mouth curled upward in the shadow of a smile (not even a full-fledged smile) in response to Mika’s antiques. 

After what seemed like a long pause, the redhead finally spoke up. [color=C81935]“He’s my ex,”[/color] Caitlin admitted, shifting her eyes down to her lap as she always did when she was anxious. She didn’t want to see Niles’ expression. [color=C81935]“He never asked me, and we never put a label on it, but he might as well have been. We were together for two years, but a few days before I left for college, he broke things off with me. That story about the serpent I fell for, the one I told you when we started getting into the topic of our past relationships? It was about Mika.”[/color]

Of course it was about Mika. Of course Mika would fuck both Natalia and Cece. With a strained expression, Niles contemplated his next words and actions. Instead of saying anything, he angrily bolted the apple in his hand forward, mere inches away from Cece’s face. He needed to calm down. This was okay. He should’ve known before he got with her that this was part of the package. [color=19C8AC]“So you’re telling me your [i]ex[/i] ruined our first date?”[/color] His teeth gritted and his fists balled up. He dug his nails into his own skin. [color=19C8AC]“It’s clear he still has feelings for you, Caitlin.”[/color] It didn’t take a rocket scientist to notice that Mika was still into her. Seething at this point, Niles interrogated, [color=19C8AC]“Am I a joke to you?”[/color] 

The apple being flung across the room so closely to her face made Cece instinctively flinch and turn her head away, hoping to avoid getting struck. Her heart was hammering wildly in her chest, no longer in anxiety but in sheer terror at what was happening. In the midst of the tense moment, she was rendered momentarily speechless, unable to answer any of the questions or statements Niles was shooting at her. Overwhelmed with distress, the young woman couldn’t stop herself from closing her eyes and starting to sob silently, her slim, petite body trembling with fright. 

In her nearly twenty years of age, she had never experienced any type of physical violence directed towards her-- not from her parents, her siblings, or even people at school. This intense reaction from Niles at the mention of her ex scared her, filling her with dread and second-guesses about whether jumping headfirst into this relationship had been a good idea. Judging by this interaction, accepting Niles’ proposal to date less than five minutes after their first physical interaction since their school days might have been a mistake.

[i]Christ[/i]. 

Focusing on his breathing, Niles brought himself to a calm to play his part. Standing up, he cautiously made his way to her and kneeled down, without reaching for her, [color=19C8AC]“I’m sorry. I’m innately jealous… It gets really bad. I just-- Your ex and I don’t have a good past, and I don’t want things to repeat, okay? I want to make you happy, okay? But, I need you to be honest with me too. Can you promise me that? From now on, you’ll tell the truth?”[/color]

In all honesty, Cailtin wanted to tell Niles that she didn’t feel as if she’d lied about anything in the first place. How would she lie about something she didn’t even know was still weighing on his mind so heavily? Ultimately, she decided against voicing her opinion, terrified of triggering him into aggression again. Instead, the sniffling Caitlin just nodded, wiping the tears away from her flushed cheeks and still shaking a little. 

Sinclair also felt like he was not in the wrong. It was clear how things ended between his girlfriend and her ex-lover. She left room for Mika to bombard her with attention and she did not set clear boundaries, likely expecting for more. Niles wasn’t going to buy this innocent act. Usually the most innocent ones had the more dangerous motives. [color=19C8AC]“Do you still care about me or did I mess that up?”[/color]

The young woman took a few slow, calming breaths, willing her body back to a state that wasn’t fight or flight. [color=C81935]“Of course I still care about you,”[/color] Cece admitted, placing a gentle hand on top of his as she scanned his demeanor and tested the waters for any additional outbursts. [color=C81935]“But you didn’t have to throw anything at me. That was really freaking scary.”[/color] 

[color=19C8AC]“That was pretty unnecessary, wasn’t it?”[/color] The girl in front of him nodded. Turning his hand around to grab ahold of her’s, Niles brought her dainty, fragile hand to his lips and gave it a kiss. [color=19C8AC]“I’ll work on that, okay?”[/color] Once he pulled his head away, he grasped her hand tightly, [color=19C8AC]“But I also need you to build stronger boundaries. I don’t want to regret the decision I made.”[/color] Niles intensely stared into her eyes, in a commanding way that demanded her to not look away. [color=19C8AC]“I care about you, Caitlin, but if we are going to make this work you need to be more forward with your intentions.”[/color]

The redhead nodded vigorously again. Maybe her boyfriend had a point with what he’d said. She had been so kind and considerate of people’s feelings throughout her life that it was very possible that, in her quest to be the least offensive or hurtful with her actions, she had overlooked how it could come across to others. She didn’t want to be taken advantage of, or leave herself open and vulnerable to further misunderstandings. From this point onward, she would work on that.

[color=C81935]“I care about you too, Niles: I really do,”[/color] she replied, almost as if she was pleading for him to believe she meant every word. [color=C81935]“I really want this to work too. I promise I’ll do anything I can to make this work.”[/color]

[color=19C8AC]“Okay. I’ll take your word,”[/color] Niles acknowledged, truly giving her the benefit of the doubt. [color=19C8AC]“Let’s eat our food then take a shower. We’ve got a long day ahead of us.”[/color] Pulling her in with ease, he gave her a firm kiss, one that was more loveless than not but got his point across. [color=19C8AC]“Remember what you said when I asked you to be mine?”[/color]

[color=C81935]”Yes.”[/color] The young woman nodded again, this time with a small smile. [color=C81935]“I said ‘of course’,”[/color] she recalled, the events from the previous night still fresh in her mind yet somehow feeling miles away.

[color=19C8AC]“Let’s keep it that way.”[/color][/indent][/indent][/color]