#❛ ❪ interaction ⠀/⠀ cristiano romani.

[ofdisregard]

closed starter. | @svftlove

Cristiano stood outside her door, the cold bite of the late-night air clinging to him despite the warmth of his coat. He could feel the weight of his own stupidity pressing down on his shoulders, but here he was anyway, staring at the door he swore he wouldn’t knock on. His fingers grazed the edge of his phone in his pocket, a tempting escape he couldn’t quite bring himself to take. But even he wasn’t drunk—or foolish—enough to believe that was what he truly wanted.

With a sharp inhale, he raised his hand and knocked, the sound louder in the stillness of the night than he expected. Seconds dragged on, each one amplifying the voice in his head reminding him how bad of an idea this was.

When the door finally cracked open, he exhaled sharply, running a hand through his tousled hair. “I couldn’t sleep," he said, the words tumbling out the second his gaze met hers.

Dark eyes flickered over her face, lingering a moment too long, as if committing it to memory. It felt familiar and foreign all at once, and he hated the way it twisted something deep in his chest. “I figured you’d be up,” he added, his voice quieter now, a faint edge of defensiveness creeping in. “You usually are.”

He shifted his weight, suddenly too aware of how ridiculous he must sound. “Besides,” he continued, the words rushed and uneven, “I think you still have some of my shirts and stuff. Thought I could grab them while I’m here.”

It was a weak excuse, and he knew it. But admitting the real reason—the way the silence of his penthouse made him feel like a stranger in his own skin—wasn’t something he was ready to do. Not tonight.

[zcddies]

reserves tag drop !

[zcddies]

               Features fell at the response of the woman. Cristiano hadn't seen his habit of finding company with another woman to be a problem. They weren't actually married because they loved each other — it was simply to ruin any plans of her father's. ❝If that was such a problem for you, why didn't you say something before?❞ The male questioned with a sharp snap to his tone. ❝You can't get wasted and pissed off at me for doing something you never said anything against in the first place.❞

"because i just don't," melody was getting more and more frustrated with their conversation with each passing second, most likely the result of all the alcohol she had ingested and was now running steadily through her veins. "why would you care anyway? you're never home, you're always with that stupid girl of yours."

[loveshard]

🎲 Your turn!

RANDOMIZED MUSE PAIRING PROMPT

Willow Iverson (alisha boe, ashley moore or laura kariuki) - Han Ji-seok (lee do-hyun) *potential collaborators or wanderers who keep bumping into each other while investigating the supernatural*

Harper Wang (ross butler or sean teale) - Astrid Thorsdóttir (katheryn winnick) *potential to interact within an apocalypse or supernatural verse*

Xavier York (taylor zakhar perez) - Iris Marlowe (margaret qualley) *iris could be studying into the york family secrets and gets close to xavier in the process in crime verse*

Devon Mitchell (thomas weatherall) - Valeria Álvarez (eva de dominici)

Samantha De Laurentis (savannah lee smith) - Mae Whitaker (josefine frida pettersen)

Kieran Matthews (nick robinson, felix mallard or paul mescal) - Sigrid Eiríksdóttir (davika hoorne)

Gabriel Mikaelson (regé-jean page or jesse williams) - Adelaine Romani (sydney sweeney) *could run into each other through adelaine taking a course taught by gabriel*

Xavier York (taylor zakhar perez) - Eirik Ulriksson (alexander ludwig)

Blake Ford (aron piper) - Devin Bahar (bella hadid) *potential collaborators or workers through black wearing devin's designs or working model shoots in modern or interact as vampires in supernatural verse*

Brett Bennett (charles melton) - Logan Hayes (aaron taylor-johnson)

Holden Parrish (theo james or oliver jackson-cohen) - Edward Sinclair (jonathan bailey) *interacting as vampires in the supernatural verse*

Estefanía 'Stefi' Guerrero (zion moreno) - Selin Aksoy (dilan çiçek deniz) *fellow gentle cat lovers unite!*

Ayla Deluca (alyah chanelle scott) - Riley Voss (gideon adlon)

Gabriel Mikaelson (regé-jean page or jesse williams) - Cristiano Romani (jack gilinsky)

Winter He (chase sui wonders or havana rose liu) - Sienna Moretti (mikey madison)

Chance Balvin (danny ramirez) - Eleanor Whitmore (anne hathaway)

Estefanía 'Stefi' Guerrero (zion moreno) - Dominic Reyes (jon bernthal)

Harlow Santana (manu rios or lorenzo zurzolo) - Selene Thorne (phoebe tonkin)

Brett Bennett (charles melton) - Isabella Ainsworth (hannah dodd)

[trcshy]

closed starter for @tvnkerbell​​ | 3/3

              ❝Nah, Mel, really, why's it look like that?❞ The male questioned as a finger pointed towards her hair, swirling in a circle as if that described precisely what he saw. ❝Looks like a whole bird made a nest on the top of your head or somethin'. I thought you knew how to use a hairbrush? Did you forget overnight or somethin'? That's just really sad, you know.❞ Teasing and poking fun at the other had become nothing less than a daily task, something he felt he had to do or the day was simply not complete. ❝This is a really depressing sight, Mel-Bell.❞

[ofdisregard]

yet another tag drop section 4 me!

❛     ❪     analysis ⠀/⠀ cristiano romani.

❛     ❪     starter ⠀/⠀ cristiano romani.

❛     ❪     interaction ⠀/⠀ cristiano romani.

❛     ❪     innerworkings ⠀/⠀ cristiano romani.

❛     ❪     embodiment ⠀/⠀ cristiano romani.

❛     ❪     analysis ⠀/⠀ mieka shaw.

❛     ❪     starter ⠀/⠀ mieka shaw.

❛     ❪     interaction ⠀/⠀ mieka shaw.

❛     ❪     innerworkings ⠀/⠀ mieka shaw.

❛     ❪     embodiment ⠀/⠀ mieka shaw.

[trcshy]

reserved tag drop!

[ofdisregard]

Cristiano’s grip on the shirts tightened again, the fabric bunching between his fingers as her words struck him one after the other. He stared at her, his jaw clenching, his chest tightening beneath the weight of her accusations—not because they were unfair, but because they were painfully true.

❝I’m not gonna standhere and defend that,❞ he said finally, his voice low, almost biting. ❝You’re right. I did what I did. But you keep throwing this at me like I was supposed to know how you felt. Like I was supposed to read your fucking mind while we were both pretending none of it mattered.❞ His tone sharpened as he continued, though it wasn’t angry—just frustrated, the tension cutting through every word. ❝Of course it fucking meant something, Mel.❞

His dark eyes stayed locked on her even as she looked away, the weight of her avoidance only fueling him further. ❝You think I wouldn’t have cared?❞ he asked, taking a step closer, the air between them crackling with the force of his words. ❝You think I wouldn’t have done something different if I’d known? That I’d just keep screwing around like nothing was happening?❞ His voice lowered slightly, carrying an edge that couldn’t be ignored. ❝You didn’t give me a chance to care, Mel. You never gave me a shot to figure out what any of this was—what we were. You made an assumption and ran with it without giving me a choice.❞

He paused, exhaling sharply, his shoulders rising and falling as he tried to steady himself. His voice softened slightly, though the edge beneath it still simmered. ❝You’re right about one thing, though. This wasn’t supposed to mean anything. It wasn’t supposed to be real.❞ A short, humorless laugh escaped him as he shook his head. ❝But guess what? It is real. And I’m standing here trying to figure out how the hell I’m supposed to just walk away from that.❞

" that's because it was all you did while we were together, " or pretending to be. but then again, could she really blame him for that ? it's like he said, they were only pretending, he had no reason to play the part when it was just an arrangement, a means to an end. pearly whites bite the inside of her cheek in a futile attempt to keep tears from welling up in her gaze. regrets telling him about her feelings, hates how vulnerable she feels around him.

"would that have changed anything ? if i had told you before ? " shaking her head, she lets out a faint, forced laugh that holds no real humor. nothing about this was funny, not even a little bit. if anything, she can't remember ever being this hurt. it wasn't the kind of pain that came with sharp words or angry fights, it was the quiet, aching kind that settled deep in her chest and refused to leave. " you would still be too busy in someone else's bed to care, cris. and i didn't say it was your fault either, i just told you that this was on me, i was the one stupid enough to believe that this could ever mean more than what it was. that we could ever mean something." her voice cracked on the last word and her gaze shifts away from him. " i know. i know it wasn't your idea, but i couldn't just keep doing it, do you even realize how hard it has been for me when you come home smelling like some other girl's perfume ? "

[ofdisregard]

Cristiano stood frozen, her words hitting him harder than he expected, though his face betrayed nothing beyond the faintest twitch of his jaw. The tension in his grip on the shirts eased slightly as he processed what she’d just said, her admission swirling in his mind like a slow-burning storm.

"You’re in love with me," he repeated, his tone flat, almost disbelieving. His gaze lingered on her, unreadable, as if trying to determine whether she meant it—or if it was some kind of cruel joke. But the tremor in her voice, the way she looked away, told him everything he needed to know.

He let out a short, humorless laugh, shaking his head slightly as if trying to clear the weight of her confession. "And you think that’s all I do? Just walk away? Like this—like us—hasn’t meant anything to me?"

His voice wasn’t raised, but it carried a sharpness, cutting through the heavy air between them. "You’ve got me all figured out, huh?" Another laugh slipped past his lips, quieter this time, though it lacked any real amusement. "Hooking up and living my life—what was I supposed to do? We were supposed to hate each other. It wasn’t supposed to be anything real. But it was. At some point, it became this... thing that I still can’t really explain."

Cristiano took a step closer, his dark eyes narrowing slightly, the tension radiating off him. "I didn’t know you felt that way, Mel. And maybe that’s on me for not seeing it, for not... being whatever the hell you think I should’ve been. But don’t stand there and tell me I’ve been walking away from something I didn’t even know existed."

He paused, his jaw tightening as he glanced away briefly before looking back at her, his gaze steady and unflinching. "If this is really what you want—if walking away is what you need—then fine. Say the word, and I’m gone. But don’t act like this is on me. You could’ve said something sooner. At any point, you could’ve—" His voice softened slightly, but the frustration still lingered beneath the surface. "—could’ve told me it was real."

His head shook as he exhaled, the sound low and weighted. A single hand gripped the shirts while the other raked through his dark hair, his fingers tugging slightly at the ends. "It wasn’t my idea to end things, Mel. I thought you still hated me."

" i remember that, and i also remember thanking you for it. " she had never expected him to help her, not when the two barely could stand each other back then. but he'd proven her wrong, and worse, she had fallen for the person she came to know. she'd fallen in ways she never thought she could, in ways that made her feel both vulnerable and exposed.

his question lingers in the air between them, and she isn't sure what to tell him. she wanted to scream, to tell him everything that had been building inside her, but the words tangled in her throat. it wasn’t his fault, at least not entirely. " you didn't do anything," she murmured, her voice trembling slightly. " it's just .. me. i can't do this anymore. i thought i could, but i can't. it was never supposed to be real, and somewhere along the way, it became too real for me and i - " her voice faltered and honeyed hues fluttered shut.

" i'm in love with you, and i didn't mean to be, " she shakes her head, her gaze shifting away from him " not when it never mattered to you, when you just kept living your life, hooking up with other women. i wish i could shut it all off, walk away like you always do. "

[ofdisregard]

Cristiano’s grip on the shirts tightened as her words lingered, a flicker of irritation crossing his face. His jaw clenched, and his dark eyes narrowed slightly, the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at his lips—not one of humor, but the kind that masked frustration.

“Right,” he said, the word sharp and curt. “If I remember right, this was my idea." He shrugged, his tone carrying that casual indifference he wore so well, though there was a distinct edge beneath it. “To help you out. So you could get your pretty little trust fund and not have to rely on your father. A favor.”

He paused, letting the words hang in the air, his gaze steady and unreadable. “But now you want out. Fine. Makes sense.” His tone was cool, measured, as if he were simply agreeing to terms of another deal. “But I guess you're right, it isn't like we signed up for this because we thought it’d be forever.”

He stepped back slightly, adjusting the shirts in his hands as though they were the only thing anchoring him to the room. “You want me gone? I’ll go,” he added, his voice steady. “But I think I should get some form of explanation here. You didn't just wake up and decide to cut everything off. What'd I do?”

His gaze lingered on her for a moment longer, unreadable, before he finally glanced toward the door. But still, he didn’t move, the tension in the room crackling like a live wire. He hated that he wanted to know. Wanted to know what the last straw was - as if knowing could change anything.

" anytime. " although part of her, the part that is sick and tired of this game they've been playing, hopes there isn't a next time. there couldn't be if she wanted to move on, to stop letting him have this kind of power over her. but that’s not something she can say out loud, not yet. not when the memories of them still press so heavily against her chest.

she's waiting for him to head for the door, to finally take the hint and leave, but he doesn't. instead, there's a tension in the air, a silence that stretches too long, making her feel like she's holding her breath, waiting for something, anything, to change. but then the familiar sound of his voice cuts through the silence, catching her off guard. " was i serious about wanting to end our fake marriage ? " the brunette repeats, delicate eyebrows furrowing together. " the one you didn't want to be in the first place? "

there's another pause, and she forces herself to nod. " yeah, i was. still am. " it was force the best, she had to remind herself. " it’s hard, harder than she expected, but it’s what she needs to do. she has to let go. she needs to. her heart feels like it's ripping in two, torn between the pull of everything they’ve shared and the realization that she can’t keep doing this to herself.  

[ofdisregard]

Cristiano stood stiffly in the middle of the room, his hands still buried in his coat pockets as his gaze followed her retreating figure. Her words lingered in the air, a quiet reprimand wrapped in exhaustion, and for once, he didn’t have a quick retort. Showing up unannounced at this hour wasn’t exactly reasonable, but reason had nothing to do with why he was here. It never did when it came to her.

When she returned, the sight of his shirts in her hands—small, folded, and almost fragile—felt like both an insult and a gift. His jaw flexed as he reached out, his fingertips brushing hers for the briefest moment.

He didn’t know what he hated more—the sight of another man leaving her home, or the fact that he hated it at all. The thought burned, twisting something deep in his chest he couldn’t seem to smother.

“Thanks,” he muttered, his voice low. He glanced down at the shirts, then back at her. The distance between them felt heavier than the silence. In a way, he missed the arguments. At least they were talking then.

There was a pause, thick and heavy, but before he could stop himself, the words slipped out. “Were you serious? About separating? You want a divorce and everything?”

The question hung in the air like a live wire. For the first time since walking in, his voice carried something raw, something unguarded. His grip tightened around the shirts as his gaze locked with hers, bracing for the answer he didn’t want to hear.

the last thing she wants is another one of their arguments. it's late, and she's tired. tired of tired of the constant push and pull, the way their conversations always seemed to end terribly. jaw tightens for a brief moment before she lets out a soft sigh, long legs stepping further into the apartment. "you didn't," she is quick to tell him, " but next time i'd appreciate if you called first, most people do before they show up at someone's place at two in the morning to get their shirts back. "

doesn't waste another second before disappearing towards the bedroom, gathering his shirts. she takes a deep breath as slender legs walk back into the living room, the shirts in her hands like a small, unnecessary peace offering. " here, " she mutters, handing him the shirts without meeting his gaze. she had no one but herself to blame for this, she reminds herself. she shouldn't have gotten attached to him, not when she knew how he was, how he’d always been. " anything else you need ? "

[ofdisregard]

Cristiano's jaw tightened the moment he heard the footsteps, his gaze snapping past Melody to the figure emerging from deeper within the apartment. His chest constricted, though his face remained frustratingly neutral, save for the subtle clench of his jaw. Dark eyes tracked the man’s movements, noting the casual way he slung his jacket over his shoulder, the way he spoke to her with an ease that Cristiano hadn’t felt in what seemed like forever.

Josh. Of course, it had to be someone with a name as irritatingly plain as Josh.

Cristiano’s lips pressed into a thin line, his hands shoving deeper into his coat pockets as he leaned against the doorframe. “Yeah, you should,” he muttered under his breath, voice low enough that it could almost be mistaken as him speaking to himself.

The tension in his shoulders only eased a fraction when the guy disappeared down the hallway, leaving the space feeling heavier than it should. Cristiano’s attention snapped back to Melody, his gaze narrowing as she spoke, the polite veneer of her voice grating against the storm in his head.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt—Josh,” he said, dragging the name just enough to betray the irritation simmering beneath his otherwise even tone. His gaze flicked briefly around the room, but it wasn’t curiosity—it was avoidance, a poor attempt to keep his emotions in check. “Just grab the shirts, and I’ll be out of your way.”

But even as the words left his mouth, his feet remained firmly planted, his posture stiff. It was almost defiant, as if daring her to explain herself—or maybe to stop him from leaving at all.

melody stood in the doorway, her brow furrowing as she processed his words, the familiar mix of frustration and something else bubbling beneath the surface. she hadn’t expected him to show up, especially not after the way they’d left things. for a moment, all she could do was stare at him, honeyed hues searching for any hint of remorse in his familiar gaze. but all she saw was that same uncertainty, the same wall he’d always kept up between them. crossing her arms over her chest, she leans against the doorframe. " and what does that have anything to do with me ? she questions, her voice quieter than she intended. " i can get your shirts right now. "

before either of them could speak again, the sound of footsteps echoed from deeper inside the apartment, and the wooden surface opened wider. another male figure emerged, jacket slung over his shoulder. josh paused as he noticed cristiano standing in the doorway, gaze flickering between him and melody for a second. " i should probably get going, i'll catch you later, mel. " the brunette nodded, giving him an apologetic smile before turning her attention back to cristiano. "come in, let me get your shirts for you."

[zcddies]

               Cristiano was genuinely taken aback by her words. They lived together, and were in an unusual situationship — why wouldn't she want to go home? It had brows hugging against his features as he attempted to piece the puzzle together. ❝What, why?❞ He decided to simply question it, questioning why she would want to be anywhere else. ❝What's goin' on with you, Mel?❞

"because i don't want to go home with you," melody repeats, annoyance clear in her tone. the more time she spent around him, the more attached to him she seemed to get. "just go, cris. i'm fine, i'll be fine."

[zcddies]

               Hues rolled immediately at the words of the other. ❝What's the point in having someone else drive you when we're going to the same place?❞

taking a few steps back, the brunette shakes her head. " isaac's already taking me home, so there's no need to worry, i'll be in good hands."

[zcddies]

               A scoff was immediately offered as he attempted to reach for her arm. ❝You're clearly drunk, Mel. C'mon, let me get you home before you do something stupid.❞

"let me go! i'm not drunk and i'm not going anywhere with you." / @zcddies 4/ ? ♥