43 | was it cute?

WAS IT CUTE?

🪩

The sound of the movie played softly in the background — something old and familiar, the kind of rom-com Diana always put on when she needed to unwind. The flicker of the screen bathed the room in gold and blue light, catching the soft curls that had escaped her bun and the faint reflection of the city skyline in her window.

Malachi was beside her on the couch, one arm draped casually across the back cushion, the other lazily tracing patterns against her leg. A half-empty bowl of popcorn sat between them, and Diana was tucked against his side, her knees bent, her head resting against his chest. From the outside, they looked like two people perfectly content — and in a way, they were.

But Diana's mind wasn't quiet.

Her phone sat face up on the table in front of them, its screen lighting up every few seconds with new notifications. Each buzz felt like a tap on her shoulder, reminding her of the thing she'd been trying not to think about.

The TikTok.

The one she'd impulsively posted that afternoon — a short, clean clip from the pro dance she'd done earlier that week. In the video, she spun effortlessly across the floor, her movements sharp and confident, the lighting hitting her just right. She'd captioned it with the words:"Just a cute little blonde girl."

It was petty, maybe. But after everything Grayson had said, she couldn't help herself.

At the time, posting it had felt good — cathartic. Grayson had made her sound like an afterthought, like a punchline, and she was tired of staying quiet. Tired of pretending she wasn't hurt. So she'd channeled that sting into something clever, hit post, and felt a surge of satisfaction seeing the likes and comments roll in.

But now... that satisfaction had soured into doubt.

Was she making things worse?

Feeding the fire?

Turning something ugly into something bigger?

The thoughts gnawed at her, making her chest feel tight.

She lifted her head slightly, intending to sneak a glance at Malachi — to maybe distract herself with how calm he looked — and froze when she found his eyes already on her.

He wasn't watching the movie either. His lips curved into that small, knowing smile. "What's wrong?"

Her heart skipped. "What makes you think something's wrong?"

"Because," he said, drawing out the word, "you haven't said a single thing about Freddie Prinze Jr. yet."

That got a laugh out of her — soft, but real. The tension in her chest loosened just a little. "Okay, that's fair," she said, smiling faintly. "He is pretty fine."

"See? There she is."

He grinned and tightened his arm around her shoulders, tugging her closer. She melted into the warmth of him, closing her eyes for a second. His heartbeat was steady beneath her ear.

But then the thoughts crept back in. The blinking light on her phone. The flood of notifications she hadn't checked. The creeping guilt that maybe she'd just made everything worse.

"Hey," Malachi said quietly after a moment, noticing her shoulders tense again. "Talk to me. What's going on in that pretty head of yours?"

She looked up at him, lips parting, unsure where to start.

"I just..." she began, then stopped. Her voice faltered. "Do you think I made a mistake posting that video?"

He didn't answer right away. He just looked at her — really looked at her — the way he always did when he wanted her to know she could be honest.

"No," he said finally, voice calm but firm. "I don't."

Her eyes flickered to his. "Even if it was kind of petty?"

He smiled a little, the corner of his mouth lifting. "Diana, he's the one who went on a podcast and called you 'a cute little blonde girl.'" His tone shifted, that edge of protective heat sneaking in. "You didn't start this. You just stood up for yourself. There's nothing wrong with that."

Diana frowned slightly. "But now people want to know what happened. It's all over my comments. Everyone's making theories. Maybe I should just post something — explain it, you know?"

Malachi's expression gentled, though a muscle ticked in his jaw at the mention of the comments. He took a moment to think before answering. "You can, if you want to. But you don't have to if you don't want to. It's your story, Diana. No one gets to demand it from you."

Her throat tightened. There was something about the way he said her name — soft, steady — that made her feel seen in a way she hadn't in a long time.

"Thank you," she murmured.

He smiled, that warm, genuine one that always reached his eyes, and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. The gesture was simple, but it made her whole body relax. She let her eyes flutter shut, sinking deeper into his side as the weight of the last few days started to melt away.

They sat there like that for a while, the movie flickering in front of them, both quiet but comfortable.

Diana's focus finally drifted back to the screen just in time to catch the prom scene — the slow dance, the big reveal, the song swelling in the background.

She could feel Malachi's breathing beneath her ear, slow and even. His hand rested on her leg, fingertips tracing faint shapes through the fabric of her joggers. It was small, absentminded, but her skin still tingled where he touched her.

She wasn't sure how long they'd been sitting like that before he suddenly squeezed her thigh gently — not enough to startle her, just enough to make her look up.

Her eyes met his, and she tilted her head slightly. "What?"

He smirked a little. "Nothing. Just making sure you're still here with me."

"I am," she said softly, her voice barely above the hum of the TV.

He nodded, but his gaze lingered, tracing the lines of her face like he was memorizing her.

For a moment, neither of them said anything. The movie's dialogue faded into background noise.

Finally, he broke the silence, his tone lower now. "You know, I've been thinking about something."

Her brows lifted. "That sounds dangerous."

He laughed under his breath. "Maybe. But... it's about us."

The word us sent a quiet flutter through her chest.

"Okay," she said, watching him carefully. "What about us?"

He hesitated for a moment, his thumb brushing over her leg again in slow, nervous circles. "You know I care about you," he started, his voice soft but sure, "and I know we've been spending basically all our free time together..."

She smiled, teasing. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Oh, it's not," he said quickly, returning her smile. "Not even close. That's kind of the point."

Diana's smile faltered slightly, curiosity replacing humor. "What do you mean?"

Malachi took a small breath, his hand tightening ever so slightly where it rested on her thigh. "I mean... I like this. I like us. And I don't want it to be this unspoken, in-between thing. I want it to be real."

Her pulse quickened, her breath catching. "It is real," she said quietly.

He nodded. "Yeah, but I want to call you my girlfriend, Di. Not just the girl I'm falling asleep on the couch with, or the one I text all night, or the one I can't stop thinking about when I'm supposed to be working. I want you to know that you're mine. And I want to be yours."

For a second, Diana couldn't speak. The sincerity in his voice — the calm, grounded way he said it — left her breathless.

Her heart felt like it was trying to climb up her throat.

"Malachi..." she started, then smiled faintly. "You already kind of are."

"Yeah?" he asked, that teasing glint back in his eyes, though softer now.

"Yeah," she whispered. "But I'd still like to hear you ask."

He let out a quiet laugh, one hand coming up to cup her cheek, thumb brushing lightly across her skin. "Alright," he said. "Diana..."

Her name came out low, tender.

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

Her lips curved into the kind of smile she couldn't hold back even if she wanted to. Before she could even blink, she leaned up and kissed him — slow at first, like they were sealing something sacred. His hand slid to the back of her neck, pulling her closer, deepening it just slightly until her stomach flipped.

When they finally pulled back, both of them were smiling, breathless in the quiet.

"So that's a yes?" he asked softly, still close enough that she could feel his breath.

She laughed, nodding. "That's definitely a yes."

He grinned and kissed her again — quicker this time, but no less warm.

Then she curled back into his lap, fitting perfectly against him like they'd done it a hundred times before. His arms wrapped around her waist, holding her steady, his chin coming to rest on top of her head.

The TV flickered softly, forgotten once again. The candle had burned low, the city hum outside their window muted and far away.

And finally, Diana's thoughts weren't spinning or heavy.

All she could think about was this — the steady rhythm of Malachi's heartbeat beneath her ear, the weight of his arms around her, the way her chest felt impossibly light.

He was hers now.

And she was his.

Nothing complicated.

Nothing forced.

Just real.

Diana sat at her vanity, brushing through her hair in slow, thoughtful strokes. Her reflection was soft and tired, makeup half-smudged and eyes still bright from the night's laughter. Her phone was propped against a little candle jar, FaceTime already ringing.

When Aspen's face finally appeared on screen, Diana smiled instantly.

"Hey, you!" she said, setting her brush down and leaning closer.

"Hey!" Aspen grinned, settling back on her bed with a bag of chips. "Oh my god, I was literally about to text you. I saw that video. Girl, you did not hold back."

Diana let out a guilty laugh, covering her face. "Yeah, I might've... lost a little chill."

"A little?" Aspen said dramatically. "That was a full-on power move! The caption alone — 'just a cute little blonde girl'? You're savage."

Diana couldn't help but laugh harder. "He deserved it," she said, half hiding her smile behind her hand. "But now I'm like, ugh, did I just start more drama?"

"Who cares?" Aspen said through a mouthful of chips. "You were classy, it wasn't even mean. Just a subtle clapback. You looked amazing, by the way. That spin in the middle? Flawless."

Diana laughed again, shaking her head. "You're literally my hype woman."

"I am your hype woman," Aspen said proudly. "Always have been. Always will be."

They fell into easy conversation — talking about random things, like new choreography ideas, Aspens classes, and a ridiculous TikTok trend Aspen had been trying to convince her to do. Diana relaxed into it, wiping away her mascara with a cotton pad and letting her hair fall over her shoulders.

Then, she heard soft footsteps behind her — the sound of someone familiar moving in her apartment. She didn't even have to turn to know it was him.

Malachi appeared in the reflection of her mirror, holding a steaming cup of tea in one hand and wearing the faintest of smiles. His curls were slightly messy, his hoodie hanging loose on his frame.

Diana turned toward him, her smile gentle. "Thanks."

Her eyes softened as he leaned down and kissed the top of her head, a quiet, natural gesture.

But before she could say anything else, a loud gasp filled the room.

"WHAT?!"

Diana blinked, startled, and both she and Malachi turned toward the phone screen where Aspen was frozen mid-gasp, eyes wide as saucers.

"Uh..." Diana said slowly, already starting to laugh.

Aspen pointed at the screen. "I'm sorry — but what the hell was that?!"

Diana's laughter broke through as she tried to hide her face in her hands. Malachi looked adorably guilty, scratching the back of his neck before resting his hand on her shoulder.

Diana turned back toward the camera, biting back a grin. "Aspen, meet my boyfriend."

Aspen's jaw dropped. "SHUT UP!"

Malachi chuckled behind her, wrapping his arms loosely around her shoulders as if to confirm it. "Hey, Aspen," he said, resting his chin on Diana's shoulder.

"Boyfriend? BOYFRIEND?!" Aspen practically shrieked. "Since when?!"

"Since tonight," Diana said, laughing again. "Literally like, an hour ago."

Aspen was flailing now, throwing her hands in the air. "Oh my god! I knew it! The videos, the flowers, him staying over, I was like, there's no way they're just friends anymore."

Diana rolled her eyes affectionately. "You've been saying that since day one."

"Because I was right!" Aspen said proudly. "I can't believe you didn't tell me sooner!"

"I just did!" Diana shot back, still laughing. "Like it just happened!"

Malachi couldn't stop smiling as he leaned against the side of her vanity, watching the two best friends bicker. "I feel like I'm watching a tennis match," he said under his breath, just loud enough for Aspen to hear.

Aspen narrowed her eyes immediately. "Oh, don't get cute, Barton. You better treat her right or you're gonna have to deal with me."

Malachi raised his hands in mock surrender, a teasing smile curving his lips. "Noted. Crystal clear."

Diana groaned softly. "Aspen, stop threatening him."

Aspen shrugged. "Just setting the ground rules."

"She's scary," Malachi whispered jokingly, which only made Diana laugh harder.

"She should be," Aspen replied with a grin. "Somebody's gotta keep you in line."

Diana shook her head, her cheeks warm from laughing so much. Malachi leaned closer, resting his chin again on her shoulder and whispering, "Your friends are protective."

"They love me," Diana said softly, smiling at his reflection.

"I can tell," he murmured, pressing a light kiss to her cheek before straightening up.

For the next half hour, the three of them talked like old friends. Aspen kept firing off questions — "Who asked who?" "Was it cute?" "Did you kiss?" — and every time Diana answered, her blush deepened.

Malachi eventually pulled up a chair beside her, joining in on the conversation, occasionally making little comments that had Aspen howling with laughter.

At one point, Aspen leaned forward and said, "You know, this feels like when your favorite TV ship finally goes canon. I've been waiting for this."

Diana groaned again. "You're so dramatic."

Malachi chuckled quietly. "No, she's right. It's been a slow burn."

Aspen laughed so hard she nearly dropped her phone. "See? He gets it!"

Diana shook her head but couldn't wipe the smile off her face. She glanced at Malachi, and he met her gaze — his eyes soft, the kind of look that made her forget about everything else in the world.

Aspen caught the moment and smirked knowingly. "Okay, I'm gonna go before you two start making heart eyes at each other again."

Diana laughed. "We're not—"

"You are," Aspen interrupted. "Trust me. My screen just turned into a rom-com."

Malachi chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "Goodnight, Aspen."

"Goodnight, lovebirds," Aspen teased before hanging up.

The room fell quiet after the call ended, the only sound the faint hum of the TV from the other room. Diana turned back to her vanity, dabbing away the last bit of mascara under her eyes, her reflection glowing softly in the warm light.

Malachi was still beside her, elbows on his knees, watching her with that same quiet affection that made her chest ache in the best way.

"What?" she asked, smiling a little.

"Nothing," he said. "You're just... really beautiful."

Her cheeks flushed instantly. "You're ridiculous."

He shrugged. "Maybe. But it's true."

She rolled her eyes, but the smile that followed was small and genuine.

Malachi stood then, stepping behind her again and gently resting his hands on her shoulders. "You good?" he murmured.

"Yeah," she said softly, meeting his gaze in the mirror. "Better than good."

He leaned down, kissed the side of her head again and whispered, "Good."

🪩

diana's got a boyfriend 😁

i love them so muchlike i literally don't know what im gonna do when this book is done🥺

also, who's watching dwts tonight???i am so nervous, i genuinely don't know who's going home bc some of these celeb fanbases are bigger than i thought 😊