Thalia hums the tune of a distantly familiar song, her fingers grappling with the TV remote in search of a good show to binge.

Finn sits beside her, legs propped up on the coffee table. "Come on, let's just watch the office."

"Again?"

"I miss Dwight."

With a sigh, Thalia places the remote down on the coffee table and turns toward Finn. She leans in closer, their shoulders touching.

"I'm starting to think you like dwight more than me." She narrows her eyes in an accusing manner.

"I don't like anyone more than you."

A snicker emerges from the brunettes before she plants a fleeting kiss on his lips.

Before Thalia can fathom, Finn pulls her back in and connects their lips in a deeper kiss. Her heart skips a beat at the abrupt gesture, but even so, she melts into it.

Within a few moments, his hands find their way to her waist, pulling her onto his lap.

She smiles amidst the kiss, granting him the boldness to nibble on her lip, slipping his tongue between hers when she gasps.

This feels unfamiliar. It's unlike their previous make-out sessions, carrying a subtle hint of salaciousness. The realisation sends Thalias heart on a marathon.

His curious hands slide up her shirt, sending a shiver down her spine as his cold fingertips meet the warmth of her waist.

Her anxiety is palpable once Finns hand makes its way to her chest, feeling her racing heart.

He breaks the kiss, their faces still dangerously close. "Are you... Is this okay?"

Thalia nods eagerly, her response swift. "Yeah... I'm fine. This is fine."

"Are you sure?" Finn whispers against her lips, prompting her to nod once again.

Accepting her affirmation, he draws her back into a kiss, their tongues intertwining in a sway of carnality.

Finns lips trail along her jawline and trace a path down to her neck and collarbones, occasionally leaving behind faint marks that might require some makeup to conceal.

He relishes in the hushed sounds escaping Thalias lips; It's even more gratifying when he knows he's the cause.

Abruptly, the piercing ding of the doorbell shatters the moment, jolting them back into reality.

Finn sighs, letting his head fall back in resignation while a frowning Thalia reluctantly leaves his lap.

She settles back into her previous position, smoothing out her tousled hair.

The pair gazes at one another- faces flushed, hair disheveled, lips swollen and crimson.

Clearing their throats, they avert their eyes, each attempting to regain their composure in the wake of the interruption.

Finn rises to his feet, leaving Thalia to gather her thoughts as he heads to answer the door.

As the door swings ajar, Thalias curiosity compels her to steal a glance over her shoulder, inspecting the unexpected visitor stood in the threshold.

Her gaze falls upon a tall, slender figure with glasses and a wild mane of ginger curls, his presence instantly recognisable despite their lack of prior acquaintance.

The figure wordlessly strides into the living room, Finn trailing in his wake.

Thalia exhales, mentally preparing herself for the awkward yet inevitable introduction.

"Hey, man, sorry to barge in like this, but I-" he freezes mid sentence as he detects the girl sat cross-legged on the couch.

Unaware of how to act, Thalia gingerly extends her hand in a wave. "Hi, Malcolm."

Malcolm greets her with a sheepish smile. "Hey." He glances back and forth between the couple, a cumbersome strain on the air.

"I definitely interrupted something."

"Kind of." Finn sighs, scratching the back of his head.

The unruly haired boy pauses for a brief second prior to clearing his throat. "I was just here to remind you of our recording session, since I figured you'd forget... which clearly, you did."

Malcolm points at Thalia with his eyes, prompting a subtle glare from her.

"Damn, I totally spaced on that." Finn sighs, glancing toward Thalia. "Sorry, Lia."

Thalia offers a reassuring smile, waving off his apology. "No worries. Go do your thing."

"You can come with, if you'd like." Malcolm suggests, the weight abruptly being lifted off of the ambience.

Thalias eyebrows rise up in surprise. Her gaze briefly meets Finns, seeking consent from his eyes before acquiescing.

"Why not?"

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

Thalia taps her feet to the music, tucked away in a secluded corner of the room, her eyes never straying from Finn.

While it's intriguing to witness how it unfolds behind the scenes, she's growing weary of being a silent observer.

The studio exudes a charm that doesn't slip past Thalias attention. It's a gorgeous yet cramped expanse. The eerie path and unfamiliar narrow alleyways that led her here proved to be a small price to pay.

Prior to entering the studio, Thalias gaze landed on a figure leaned against the wall in the waiting area.

Finn and Malcolm acknowledged her with nods, prompting Thalia to wonder if she's the proprietor of this studio. She did exert an aura of someone who runs a recording studio.

"Hey guys, I'm gonna go outside for a bit." She signals toward the door, receiving a swift nod from Malcolm.

"Everything okay?" Finn inquires.

"Yeah, I'm just a little tired and the music is pretty loud."

He emits a hum, roaming over to plant a quick kiss on her lips while Malcolm gags.

"Get a room."

Thalia throws a glare at him before exiting the studio.

Wandering into the reception area, Thalia instantly spots the girl from earlier, seated in one of the chairs, absorbed in her phone.

Bracing herself for introduction, Thalia settles into a chair, leaving an empty one between them to avoid appearing intrusive.

This feels extremely unusual for Thalia. She's never felt compelled to engage with strangers, typically avoiding interaction unless approached first. Sometimes, even if approached first.

"Hey." She clears her throat.

The white-haired girl glances up from her phone, and Thalia observes as the bright display fades into darkness.

"Hi."

"I'm uh, I'm Thalia. I came in just a few moments earlier with-"

"Yeah, I know. I saw you." The girl interrupts before extending a hand out. "Cassie."

Thalia gingerly shakes her hand. "Right. So uh, do you run this place?"

Cassie shrugs. "Sort of. I handle the day-to-day operations and bookings, but the studio belongs to my dad."

"That's cool. It seems like a really awesome place."

A slight smile graces Cassies lips. "Yeah, well. It's definitely not my dream job."

"And what is your dream job?"

"Money laundering."

Thalia debates on whether to laugh or not, the confusion etched into her features eliciting a chuckle from Cassie.

"I'm joking."

A nervous chuckle is evoked from Thalia as she runs a hand through her hair. "Sorry. I'm bad at reading people."

Cassie snickers, running her tongue along the inside of her cheek. "You don't have to worry about that. Every aspect of me is evident in how I look."

She inhabits a nature of spirituality and refers to herself as 'zen'. Formerly, the term 'spiritual' rang images of hippies in Thalias mind.

While Cassie may meet those stereotypes, her psyche ignites an interest in Thalia.

Cassie speaks on spirituality and the flaws of the government, keeping Thalias attention for nearly two hours before Finn and Malcolm finally emerge from the studio.

"Let's go, Lia."

"You go on ahead, I'll be right there."

Finn nods, waving his hand toward Cassie with a smile before trailing Malcolm out of the building.

"I hope you don't mind me asking," Cassie begins, "but are you and Finn like... a thing?"

"Yeah, we're dating."

Thalia bites the inside of her cheek to refrain a grin. She adores uttering those words.

"You can do way better."

A chuckle slips past Thalias lips, and Cassie smiles. Swiftly seizing their phones, the two exchange numbers before parting ways.

The couple wanders the cobblestone streets with iced lattes in their grip, sipping through plastic straws.

"So, Cassie is pretty cool." Thalia smiles, glancing at the soul walking beside her.

"Yeah, she is. You guys got along?"

Thalia hums, her gaze fixed on Finn. She observes how the gentle breeze lightly tousles his hair, almost feeling jealous of it.

"I don't know if she already told you this, but we kinda dated for a bit a while ago."

"Oh?" Thalia turns her gaze back to her shoes as they glide through the streets. "No, she didn't tell me."

"Odd."

The two fall under the weight of silence, the solemn expression on Thalias face catching Finns attention when he sneaks a glance toward her.

"Jealous again?"

"I wasn't jealous yesterday, and I'm not jealous now. Fuck you."

"Okay, when and where?"

Thalias cheeks tint with a shade of crimson as she fights back a smile. Finn chuckles, reaching for her hand and intertwining their fingers.

He doesn't break his gaze from her face, urging her to reciprocate.

Thalia locks her gaze with his, finding a gleam within his eyes that tugs at her heartstrings.

For a fleeting moment, his eyes flicker down to her lips before he grins and drags her away, veering off the street and into the nearest secluded alleyway.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

Once they reach the front of the house, Finn faces Thalia. "I have to go somewhere but I'll be back in time to make dinner, so please don't order from that godawful pizza place again."

Thalia hums without voicing a single inquiry and presses a tender kiss to his cheek. She stands there, watching his back until he disappears from view.

With a content smile gracing her lips, she turns and enters the house, carrying the warmth of his presence with her.

Thalia sprawls on the couch, her legs propped up on the top cushions, causing the blood flow to go straight to her head. Yet, it fails to faze her.

She leisurely presses on the most recent contact. Two rings pass before the familiar voice emerges.

"What do you want?"

"I'm bored."

"Go watch a movie, bye."

Thalia groans. "I miss you, I miss Pierre and Adeline. I miss us."

"We miss you too," Juniper sighs, "just come back to Paris already. I'm sure you and Finn have done enough to last you a couple months away."

"I hate distance."

"I know. "

"Can't I just ask him to move to France for me? I mean, if I were him I'd move for me."

"But if you were you, would you move for him?"

"Stop, you're confusing me."

A soft chuckle escapes the other end of the line. As Thalia tries to sit up straight, her head collides with the coffee table, eliciting an "ow!"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." Thalia sighs, rubbing the sore spot on her head. "You know, I met this super cool girl today."

"Switching teams, are we?"

"What? No." Thalia rolls her eyes, forgetting Juniper can't see her. "I just think I could use a friend like her, even if it's for a few days."

Juniper begins to fake cry, evoking a scoff and a slight smile from Thalia. "Oh, what?"

"I can't believe I'm already being replaced."

"I could never replace you."

AUTHORS NOTE
Mild smut warning for next chapter...