It almost worked

Chapter 6- Realization

୨⎯ Chapter 6- Realization ⎯୧

The day started like any other, with Dal barging into my personal space the moment I woke up. The smell of coffee hit me before I even opened my eyes,

and the sound of him rummaging through the kitchen was all too familiar. I groaned, burying my face in the pillow, praying for just a few more minutes of sleep.

"Come on, Sleeping Beauty," Dal's voice rang out, full of that teasing, unrelenting energy I had grown used to. "The world's not gonna wait for you to finish napping."

I could feel him move closer, the bed dipping under his weight as he sat next to me. His voice was dangerously close to my ear now. "Coffee's ready," he added, completely ignoring my need for rest. "You can't survive the day without it."

Reluctantly, I peeled my eyes open, squinting against the sunlight that filtered through the window. Dal was sitting on the edge of the bed, a smirk tugging at his lips.

He was wearing a simple white t-shirt today, paired with a worn-in pair of jeans that somehow made him look effortlessly sexy. His hair was damp from a shower, a few curls bouncing playfully at the ends.

I had to admit, I'd never seen him look so... normal. Usually, it was his dirty shirt and jeans, with his signature cocky grin plastered on his face. But today, something about the way the shirt hugged his chest made him look almost... human.

"Morning," I muttered, trying not to focus on how good he looked this early.

Dal raised an eyebrow, taking a casual sip from his own coffee mug. "Mornin'. Took you long enough to get up."

I groaned, pulling the blanket around me tighter. "What's the plan today, then? Another wild adventure I'm somehow roped into?"

Dal smirked, clearly enjoying my reluctance. "We're going to the bar tonight. You don't get to back out of this one."

I shot him a pointed look. "I don't remember signing up for this."

Dal stood and walked toward the window, pulling back the blinds and letting the sunlight flood the room. "You don't have to sign up. You're coming with me whether you want to or not."

Of course, I couldn't resist him. As much as I tried to pretend otherwise, I couldn't deny the pull he had over me.

The way his confidence filled up every space he walked into, how impossible it was to ignore the fact that he was always there, always present. And despite all that, I liked having him around.

"Fine," I sighed, throwing the blanket off and reluctantly getting out of bed. "I'll go. But only because I know you'll drag me there kicking and screaming."

Dal grinned like he'd won a small victory and tossed me a coat. "That's the spirit. Get dressed, we're leaving soon."

I quickly pulled myself together and met Dal at the door. I couldn't help but notice how he kept looking at me, his gaze lingering a little too long for it to be casual. It was like he was sizing me up, analyzing me with that typical smug expression he wore whenever he was about to flirt.

We walked through the streets of the city, heading toward the bar where Dal's night always seemed to begin and end. As usual, the energy of the city surrounded us—honking cars, people walking by, the random shout of a passerby.