#𝒕𝒉𝒓 ٠ gemma with dakota fuimaono.

[eternclsunshine]

@heirloomeds ! just cause <3

After spending what feels like eternity ( in actuality - a few weeks ) on a social media blackout and hiding away as much as possible, it's time for Gemma to return to reality. At least as much as she can, now that her life's been turned upside down once her and Dakota's relationship went public. While attention is very much appreciated in Gemma's world it's awful when she's on the receiving end of threatening and insulting messages from delusional groupies. But now she's done. She won't give them the reaction they want. All she wants to do is claim this relationship unapologetically.

"I think we should do something major tonight. Maybe go out-" The moment she begins her train of thought, she pauses to look up at Dakota with pleading eyes. Her silent way of begging him for something she wants. "Being a bummer isn't my thing and I have this outfit that's d.ying to be seen in public. I... I think I'm good now. I'll be fine." Gemma smiles earnestly.

[eternclsunshine]

There were always those fleeting moments of weakness; she thinks very fondly of Dakota and sometimes does desire that extra attention from him – and being someone who grew up quite spoiled, Gemma had the tendency to act out whenever she didn’t get what she wanted. Was it childish? Probably, but she had no interest in changing that any time soon. As he explains himself, she understands of course, and it slowly leads to her irritation subsiding... at least until he correctly accuses her of being jealous. It's surprising and leaves her flustered for a second, almost struggling to put an excuse together. "Yeah, right - 'cause I'm the type to get jealous," Her defensiveness is quick to kick in, because as much as she protests, her words are merely a half-truth. Dakota hit the nail on the head when he accuses Gemma of wanting attention, but she's too stubborn to give him the satisfaction of being right. And she definitely doesn't want to let him know that she does miss his presence from time to time. The thought of begging for attention gives her the ick. "It's really not that deep. I just thought you were being rude and ignoring me - so obviously I got upset." she crosses her arms, as if it would act as a defensive barrier, because once again, she's bluffing. "Whatever, the details don't really matter. You're here and I'm here... I think we could make a better use of our time." she lifts her brows suggestively - it's half genuine and half wanting to change the subject.

Confusion was etched on his features as she continued on, each word making less sense than the last in his mind. Rumors of her reputation as a girlfriend were similar to his own as a boyfriend. Charming and magnetic, but entirely unserious and wildly unpredictable. So the fact that she took offense to whatever it was he did wrong felt jarring. "Whoa, where's all this coming from?" He'd never seen this side to her personality, but felt both surprised and flattered that he brought it out of her. The urge to roll his eyes was suppressed as he didn't want to piss her off even more and actually lose her as a friend. Or romantic partner. Whoever she wanted to be in his life. "Again, not trying to be an asshole, but do you have any idea what my life is like? I'm up by 5, training all day, games two to three days a week, the playoffs, fuckin' everything else on top of that. And I know I chose this, so spare me the lecture. But I'm sorry that I don't remember to hit you up my summer break. The two months out of the year where I feel like a human being." The extended vacation never felt long enough. He stopped talking to catch his breath as realization kicked in. "Oh, I know what this is. You're starting arguments with me 'cause you miss me. 'Cause you're jealous. You're mad that I'm not giving you enough special attention."

[eternclsunshine]

@heirloomeds liked for a one-liner! — ( insp. )

"I know it's been too long, I've been on the road too much. Had to get back to you, can't even play it cool." A pause "Thinkin' of them nights I would've rather been with you."

[eternclsunshine]

closed for @heirloomeds | ( 1 / 2 )

When it comes to Dakota, Gemma's emotions have the tendency to sway between genuinely unbothered and the jealous urge to silently claim him for herself. The feeling is rare, but it doesn't make it any less annoying; She would rather be immerged in the moment and enjoying the party with the rest of her friends, rather than stuck in her own head, close to fuming over the sight of another woman heavily flirting with Dakota. But she was never one to step back and stand idly, and had already began to make her way towards the man. "Dakota! There you are-" With a bright smile on her face, Gemma imposed herself into the conversation. She brought herself closer to him by wrapping her arms tightly around his bicep. "I think he found what- well, who, he's looking for." She gave the other woman a dismissive glare, though made sure to keep her voice and smile perky and unbothered. "Thanks, bye!" Gemma sent her off with a dainty wave of her hands. "Is she part of the wait staff or just frumpy on purpose? Whatever. She seemed super desperate."

[eternclsunshine]

"Calm down ?" the phrase is repeated in disbelief, accompanied by a dramatic gasp. In the same motion Gemma's gaze averts from the phone in her hand towards Dakota – a side-eye followed by an eyeroll, clearly conveying her irritation. "Yeah. That's so easy for you to say." her remark is paired with a pointed tone. Though, even through the influx of emotions swirling in her mind, Gemma's thoughts are clear enough to know Dakota isn't to blame for all this. There's no anger or hostility directed towards her boyfriend, nor does she really have a right to be upset with him. All of this is ... frustrating, as best as she could put it. While Gemma was used to holding her own with the judgement and snooty, passive-aggressive interactions that came from growing up in high society, this is an entirely different game. Overwhelming and unpredictable. Between the news articles and bombarding of her social media comments, it all felt dehumanizing and invasive.

Well manicured nails dig into the palms of her own hands, fingers curled together into small fists. Intense wave of emotions within her almost urge Gemma to start crying. But she resists it as much as she can. She doesn't want or need sympathy. It's just too much all at once. The realization kicks in and there's no way to hide from the drama or much she can do about it. Life has to keep going on. A sigh leaves her lips - to ease the tension in her body and to admit defeat. "Fine. I'll do it your way. You obviously know better than I do." if she wanted to handle things her way and go on a tirade, it would only invite more negative attention. But really, this is one of those rare instances where she'd rather fade into the background. So Gemma takes her boyfriend's advice and tosses her phone towards the couch, completely ignoring it falling to the floor. She brings her body closer to Dakota, leaning up to wrap her arms around his neck. "Sorry babe, I'm just tense... and I just want things to go back to normal." she hums softly, fingers gently caressing the nape of his neck. "Do you think we could get away for a few days? Doesn't have to be anything extra. Just the two of us. Somewhere private - away from the world."

closed starter for @eternclsunshine.

"Okay, whoa – take a breather and calm down for a second." Possibly not the best thing to say to his girlfriend in the middle of a heated conversation. But Dakota truly doesn't know how else to go about this. Someone leaked his relationship to Gemma to the press, and her socials have been blowing up for the past 48 hours. And there's been a bizarre WHO IS GEMMA YOON? article that's gotten way too much traction for his liking. Most of the coverage is good, all things considered. Definitely overwhelming for anyone who isn't used to being perceived by millions of strangers. The rest of the it is, for lack of better phrasing, exactly what Dakota expects from his super fans and critics. He doesn't bother responding to any of it because he doesn't want anyone to know how badly this got under his skin.

Of course this sort of stuff comes with the territory with dealing with someone as famous as himself. But that doesn't make the guilt that he feels any easier. And he honestly has an idea of who's behind it all –the singer he dated for a couple months before dumping her to pursue Gemma instead. In his defense, he didn't cheat on her, and made it clear that the relationship was over before obsessing over Gemma. But he admittedly could have definitely handled things much better. "Maybe take a break from your phone for the next couple days? Private your socials? I dunno babe, I'm desensitized to this stuff. All the trauma fried my brain a bit, y'know?"

[eternclsunshine]

Believe it or not, this was one of the few instances when Gemma wasn't trying to go out of her way to stir up the pot and seek out attention from Dakota. Between several different work-related emails, and texts and DMs from various different people – friends, siblings, former flames – she simply wasn't as present as she should be. Practically oblivious to her surroundings, Gemma only looked up when she heard Dakota's voice. "What'd you sa-" She cut herself off once his sentence finished processing in her mind, "Oh – everyone's blowing up my phone. It's been nonstop." Gemma almost had half a mind to roll her eyes, until she stopped to take a beat and thought to herself, is he jealous? Then a smirk crossed her lips, practically giddy with the idea of playing into this more and getting Dakota riled up. "It's mostly work and this new guy I've been seeing, but I can put that aside if it'll make you feel better?" The teasing was subtle, then she followed it by draping her arms around his shoulders and initiating an embrace. "If you missed me just say that."

closed starter for @eternclsunshine

"Earth to Gemma, hello? Who're you texting over there?" Dakota asked, doing his best to keep his jealousy at bay. Feeling incredibly possessive over a woman he hadn't officially claimed as his girlfriend was on brand for him. As much as he teased her for being a hot mess, Gemma had been a pretty consistent person he could depend on, always there when he needed her. Didn't ask for more than he could give, didn't expect his world to revolve around her, had her own independent life that continued whether or not he was involved with it. She seemed content to keep things where they are. So why was he so afraid of losing her? "Not that I need your full attention or anything, it's just – I haven't seen you in a month."

[eternclsunshine]

"I'm not saying we have to go on this whole press tour. That's so extra and unnecessary." She interjects quickly, making sure the intent behind her words isn't missed. "I meant like, I don't wanna hide from it anymore. And I'm definitely not gonna let your groupies think they won and bullied me into hiding.” Gemma knows she’s so much better than that. It’s not a life she’s interested in living, either. Just the thought of being harassed and dragged into obscurity made her cringe. Thankfully, the looming feeling of disgust that came with that notion quickly dissipates the moment she's reined in by Dakota's touch.

Her body begins to lightly sway side to side, adoring the attention as always. "Would it be greedy of me if I said all of it?" she teases. While Gemma is used to requesting ridiculous demands, this time she could live without the dramatics. All she cares about is Dakota, his presence - living in the moment with him and savoring this time. "Kidding, but I'm thinking we should start with something simple, like just grabbing dinner." a nonchalant shrug comes with her suggestion. "How soon do you wanna go? I think the quickest I can get ready is like an hour."

The pride that Dakota feels about Gemma’s confidence about their relationship is only matched by an intense fear of overexposure. He simply stares at her while drinking in the request. It’s not that he’s ashamed to show her off, nor that he likes being so private about things at all time. More that he’s anxious that their bond will be manipulated and molded into something superficial for public consumption. The last public relationship he had was turned into a brand to be bought and sold. Everything was about contractual obligations and media appearances. The extreme loss of control was traumatic and overwhelming.

So, his mild reaction to her request is wildly out of character for him. A slow exhale as he thinks of a way to communicate his concerns without being patronizing. “Okay ” he begins, tone much gentler than she’s probably accustomed to, “I… don’t want to be spectacle or anything like that. Let’s just go out and be who we are and if people look at us, it’s because we’re meant to be noticed.” A tad authoritative, just like how he’d been during their getaway. Dakota reaches for her hand, plants a soft kiss and pulls her close to his body. “Do you wanna go dancing, or out to eat, or just walk around the city?

[eternclsunshine]

The scoff that left her lips felt almost instinctual. Even though everything he said was objectively true, that didn't stop it from offending Gemma and wounding her pride a bit. And at the same time, everything Dakota said felt very familiar - like a half-baked excuse Gemma herself would use to get out of a situationship. Needless to say, being on the receiving end of things definitely rubbed her the wrong way. "I'm not even mad that you were with someone else, it's just like, the principle of it," the began to backpedal in hopes it would buy her enough time to bullshit her way out of this. "If I'm in your city I thought you'd at least have the courtesy to hit me up or answer my texts." as much as she tried to make herself sound unbothered, she was far from convincing, as her emotions poured through in her words and facial expressions. Gemma made a point to abrasively turn her head away from Dakota upon feeling his fingers graze her face. She wouldn't fall for it. In fact, the action felt belittling, infuriating. "How funny. You say you like me a lot but it actually sounds like you couldn't give a damn about how I feel. Kinda sounds like bullshit-" .

closed starter for @eternclsunshine !

"Well, I'm not really understanding what the issue is here? I'm not your boyfriend and you're not my girlfriend. There's no exclusivity when we're not an item," said Dakota bluntly, looking at Gemma with a confused expression. He honestly didn't expect an argument over this subject because he assumed they were on the same page. But maybe he entirely underestimated her attachment to him and strung her along without intending to? "Look, I don't wanna be an asshole. But you knew exactly what you were signing up for with me. You were well aware of my reputation, and I've never hidden who I am." In an attempt to soften the blow, he lifted her chin with his fingers and looked into her eyes. "And you’ve never hidden who you are. I like you a lot, Gemma, but I can’t have dating drama with someone I��m not even dating.”

[eternclsunshine]

When she's taken into Dakota's embrace, Gemma wraps one arm around his neck while her other hand gently grazes along his broad chest. She gazes up at him with adoration in her eyes, it's much more soft and tender than her usual seductive stare. With a pleased hum, she nuzzles into the warmth of his touch. "Shut up-" Just like that Gemma's smile breaks into a chuckle and she playfully swats at Dakota's chest. "I think what you meant to say is 'thank you for being honest and not giving me a hard time today' -- sounds a lot better, doesn't it?" She has to let out one last tease before she goes back to being somewhat serious. Gemma pulls herself closer to Dakota until her slender figure is pressed up against his tall, muscular body. "It does drive me crazy- not having you all to myself. I'll do anything to have you, anything to show you I'm worth it."

Dakota grabs Gemma's waist to pull her in closer, looking down at her with a mix of desire and intrigue. Knowing that he's on her mind when she's away for weeks, or sometimes months, at a time feels like an accomplishment. The woman's notoriously for coming and going as she pleases, so he never thought that she'd want to stick around for as long as she has. "Oh, yeah?" He responds, voice low and laced with want. Time slows as he cups her face and rubs her chin with his fingertips.. "All that shit talking and it turns out I was right. You're all over me 'cause you wanna be the center of my attention. Drives you crazy when you're not, hmm? Tell me I'm wrong."