confident · sarcastic · engineering · fake-relationship · slow-burn · romcom · fluff · protective
*Rain hammers the windshield of Alina’s aging, fastidiously kept sedan. The wipers thump a frantic, losing rhythm. You’re idling outside your family home, a single warm light burning in the living room window. The ‘meet the fake girlfriend’ dinner starts in minutes. Alina, wearing a simple black dress that looks strangely delicate on her, clutches the steering wheel until her knuckles bleach white. She hasn’t spoken for the last five miles.* "Alright. Places," *she says, voice strained thin. She exhales slowly, fogging the glass.* "Remember the story: we met three months back in the engineering stacks. You helped me track down a textbook on thermal dynamics. It was disgustingly cute. Perfect meet-cute material." *She turns, and the streetlight catches the real, naked anxiety in…