$
$
#
ARKs POV
#
$
$
The whispers from yesterday didn't end. Of course they wouldn't. I mean why would they. I'm their gossip. Every movement of mine felt watched and I had to live my life. I tried encouraging myself. This will soon fade, and be like nothing happened.
Lunch bell rang like a countdown, but my stomach was twisting for reasons completely unrelated to hunger. I slid into my usual corner table, face down, only to find Jade leaning casually against the cafeteria wall, arms crossed, smirk in place.
"Ark," he called softly, voice carrying just enough for me to feel it straight in my chest.
"You free tonight?"
I froze, fork halfway to my mouth. "Uh… I think so."
He leaned closer, lowering his voice, eyes glinting. "Good. Then it's a date. I will pick you up where you live. Don't say no."
I blinked. A date? My heart did something dumb. Fast. Loud. Almost painful. "O-okay," I managed, feeling my face heat beneath the scarf.
The rest of the day dragged in a haze of nervous energy. I barely noticed the lessons, my thoughts tangled around what "date" might mean.
By the time school ended, I was already fidgeting with my bag. At home, I changed quickly into something casual but comfortable- a baggy shirt, jeans, and white sneakers. My mother smiled and fussed at me for putting too little effort in, but I waved her off.
Outside, a sleek red Mercedes-Benz gleamed in the fading afternoon sun. How many cars does this dude have.
Jade was leaning against it, arms crossed, smirk still in place. "Ready?" he asked.
I nodded, almost too eager to get in the car.
Dinner wasn't extravagant. A small restaurant, just the right amount of cozy, just the right mix of inexpensive and welcoming. I chatted easily with Jade across the table, teasing myself, but Jade just rolled his eyes and occasionally shot a glance my way that made my stomach do flips.
I ate more than I thought I would, laughing at my owns stupidity, and for a moment, the school, the whispers, Melissa- it all felt far away.
I was getting comfortable around him. I was me. After a long time. And he didn't complain or say anything. He just kept on shooting small smirks and chuckles my way whenever I looked at him.
After dinner, we walked down the quiet street, the city peaceful in the evening light. No one crowded the sidewalks; the neon signs reflected softly off wet pavement from an earlier drizzle. My heart was still thrumming from the day, from the tension in Jade's presence.
He stopped suddenly. My pulse spiked. Jade turned to me, a mischievous glint in his eyes, and reached out, fingers brushing mine lightly at first, teasingly, then more deliberately. My chest fluttered. Butterflies, uncontrollable and chaotic, erupted in my stomach.
Then, before I could process, he leaned closer. His lips first touched the space between my eyes, then the top of my scarfed forehead. His lips warm and tender against my scarf. I froze, breath caught. His kisses moved deliberately, tracing across the sides of my scarf, brushing softly over cheeks I'd always hidden. My heart hammered so loudly I thought he might hear it.
"Can I… kiss you?" he asked softly, his voice a mixture of hope and daring.
I blinked. My lips? I hadn't thought- my mind scrambled for words, but none came. I looked down, hands fidgeting with the scarf. His hands hovered near my scarf, teasing, promising.
Then, fate intervened. Jade's phone rang sharply, cutting through the moment. He groaned, answering it quickly. "Yeah?"
I watched as his expression shifted briefly. "Max? Now?" He threw a glance at me, smirk returning. "On my way."
Before I could say anything, he was gone, rushing to his car, leaving the intimate tension suspended in the quiet evening air.
By the time we reached the club, night had fallen fully. The streets were alive with neon, thumping music spilling out into the alleys. My pulse started hammering again, but this time with apprehension rather than anticipation.
Inside, the crowd swallowed us whole. Loud laughter, bodies pressed together, music vibrating through my chest- but my senses were on fire. Every glance felt like it was meant for me, every shoulder that brushed mine made my stomach knot.
Then a group of drunk men pressed a little too close. I froze, panic flaring. Before I could even move, Jade was in front of me. His grip was firm on my arm, his other fist cocked as if ready to strike. "Back off," he said, low and dangerous.
The man stumbled back. Jade's arm stayed around me, scanning the room like a predator. "Stay right here," he murmured.
My heart was caught somewhere between terror and… something I didn't want to name.
Then, possessive, low and magnetic, he whispered:
"Ark. You're mine. Don't let anyone forget it."
My breath hitched. I didn't know how to respond, didn't know what to feel. I only clutched the scarf tighter, letting him take control, letting him claim me.
By the time we were halfway down the quiet street outside the club, Jade finally relaxed slightly, smirk softening. "Excitement can be… fun," he murmured.
I didn't answer. Words weren't enough. I only allowed myself to feel it- the safety, the warmth, the danger, the thrill- all of it intertwined with him.
Because for the first time, someone had said it aloud: I belonged to him
The streets were quieter now, neon signs fading behind us as Jade drove. Max was slumped in the backseat, clearly drunk, muttering incoherently and occasionally laughing at nothing. I couldn't help but glance at him and then at Jade, who kept his eyes on the road but didn't let go of my gaze from the corner of his eye.
"Are you okay?" Jade asked, voice calm but edged with something possessive.
I nodded quickly, hands gripping the edge of the seat. "Y-yeah, fine."
The silence stretched, heavy with unspoken words and the lingering heat of the club. My pulse hadn't slowed, not even a little. Every time Jade's shoulder brushed mine, every subtle movement he made, sent sparks of awareness through me.
And then, without warning, his hand shifted, brushing against my thigh. I flinched sharply, heart hammering. My mind froze as his fingers lingered just a moment too long.
I jerked away instinctively, cheeks burning. "J-Jade…" I stammered, embarrassed, my scarf suddenly feeling like it couldn't shield me enough.
He didn't comment immediately, only glanced at me through the rearview mirror, smirk tugging at his lips. "Relax," he said softly. "I'm not trying to scare you."
But I couldn't help the flutter in my chest, the rush of heat creeping up my neck. Is this… is this how people who are dating behave? I asked myself, cheeks flushed, fingers twisting in my lap.
The car fell silent again, Max muttering something incomprehensible in the backseat, leaving just the two of us in the front. The tension stretched deliciously between us, a dangerous mix of anticipation and nerves.
Before heading home, Jade pulled into a gas station, the bright lights casting long shadows over the car. He came back with a small bag of snacks- chips, a soda, and even a chocolate bar. He handed them to me with that teasing glint in his eyes.
"For you," he said. "Because you survived the night with me."
I laughed softly, fingers brushing his as I took the bag, hearts still racing from the club, the car, the brush of his hand. Somehow, even this simple gesture felt intimate.
Finally, we arrived at my house. The quiet street felt almost unreal after the chaos of the club and the car. Jade parked smoothly, turning toward me with that familiar, dangerous smirk.
"Ain't you going to kiss me?" he asked, tapping his fingers gently on his cheek, eyes teasing.
I froze, shy, flustered, and yet somehow, despite my nerves, I leaned in. My lips brushed his briefly through the scarf.
He grinned, quick and sly, and suddenly his hands were on my neck- not rough, but playful, possessive. He pressed his lips firmly against mine through the fabric of my scarf, tilting my head slightly, and my eyes widened. My chest was hammering, fingers gripping the seatbelt, heart caught in a whirlwind of panic and desire.
When he finally pulled away, he gave a low chuckle, letting his hands fall to his sides. He waved at me casually, almost nonchalantly, like it had been nothing- but the heat in the pit of my stomach told me it had been everything.
"See you," he said, sliding out of the car and closing the door with a soft click.
I sat there, scarf slightly askew, heart still racing, staring at the taillights fading down the street. My pulse had not slowed, and a small, wild part of me was already counting the hours until the next time I'd see him.
The night, chaotic and full of danger, had left its mark-;not just on the city, but on me. I was his. And for the first time, I felt the full weight and thrill of that claim, wrapped in adrenaline, kisses, and the promise of more.