Feral Daydreams 🎀

Pretend to Love (🌸)

"I can't believe we're doing this."

Odessa crossed her arms, leaning against the brick wall of the coffee shop as she stared at Necro. Her boots clicked lightly on the pavement as she shifted her weight, clearly trying to suppress a smile that kept sneaking onto her face. The entire situation felt absurd-completely ridiculous, even-but here they were. Standing in the middle of a busy street, pretending to be in a relationship.

She glanced at him again, and despite herself, the sight of him in that absurdly colorful vest made her bite her lip to hold back a laugh. The patchwork patterns clashed with everything else in sight, yet somehow, it suited him. His curly hair, slightly windblown and the color of vibrant green leaves, swayed as he turned to her with a playful, almost mischievous grin.

"I know, right?" Necro replied, his voice dripping with mock disbelief, a twinkle in his sparkling blue eyes. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his vest, standing tall with that carefree, relaxed posture of his. His eco-friendly, patchwork attire made him look like he had just stepped out of a bohemian dream, and that's what had made her agree to this ridiculous idea in the first place.

The "fake relationship" idea had come out of nowhere, and Odessa wasn't entirely sure how they'd ended up in this position. At first, it had been a joke-a comment made while they sipped coffee in a cozy cafe after an afternoon spent hiking. Her friends were always pressuring her about her nonexistent love life, and she had vented about it. So, naturally, Necro had suggested-half-seriously, half-teasing-that they pretend to be a couple to get everyone off her back.

"Yeah, because this is going to work," she had scoffed, but the idea stuck with both of them. It started as a joke, but then, in true Odessa fashion, she had thrown a challenge at him. And of course, being Necro, he had accepted without hesitation.

They had never been in a serious relationship, but their friendship was a deep one. They both shared a love of adventure and knew how to push each other's boundaries in the best way. So maybe it wasn't all that surprising that they found themselves in this ridiculous mess.

But still... "fake dating?"

"I can't believe we're doing this," she muttered again, her gaze dropping to her boots. They were standing outside the restaurant, where her friends had invited her to dinner. The plan was simple: show up, act like the perfect couple, and get everyone to believe it. No one would ever suspect the truth. Except, of course, for Necro's constant outbursts of laughter and her inability to stop herself from smiling around him. They were both terrible at hiding the fact that they were not actually in love.

"You're only saying that because you're nervous," Necro teased, raising an eyebrow as he bumped her shoulder with his. "But don't worry, I'm a pro at pretending."

"I am not nervous," Odessa shot back, trying and failing to sound confident. "It's just... this whole thing feels so absurd."

"Well, we're not the first ones to fake date for a bit of fun," he said, glancing over at her with a wide grin. "I mean, have you ever watched a rom-com? This is practically a classic setup."

Odessa rolled her eyes. "You're right. It's just that... well, I'm not used to this kind of attention."

"Ah, the famous Odessa doesn't like the spotlight," Necro chuckled, eyes twinkling with mischief. "I guess I'll just have to take care of it for you. Don't worry. We'll be so convincing, they'll think we've been together for years."

She shot him a sideways glance, catching his grin and feeling a strange warmth in her chest. "You're impossible."

"And yet here you are, stuck with me," he replied. "For the next few hours, at least."