#CAIUS ✧ { ¢σηνєяѕαтισηѕ }

[sugcrkisses]

𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓉𝓊𝓈: open, f, 25+ y/o 𝓂𝓊𝓈𝑒: caius harwood, 36-41 y/o, canonically he's head of a crime syndicate, but for this plot it's an AU where he's a wealthy businessman 𝓅𝓁𝑜𝓉: my grandmother is loaded and owns a very successful company (a family legacy), but before she leaves it to me she wants me to marry, so now she is setting me up on blind dates which i hate (nor i have time for), and this is where you come in - i will pay you handsomely if you come live with me, pretend to be my secret fiancée and marry me in a month (we'll divorce as soon as i get the company)

ㅤㅤㅤWas this plan of his crazy? Yes. Was he drunk when he came up with this plan? No, but he was very desperate. He didn't have time for dating, but his grandmother had a different opinion. It took him to go on one blind date to devise this plan. Caius didn't think his grandmother was going to go through with her words, but she was dead serious. Therefore, in a matter of days, he found a girl, who'd play the part of his loving fiancée he had been keeping secret due to his family being well known and who he would later marry to get out of this crazy idea his grandmother had come up with.

ㅤㅤㅤThey barely knew each other, she was basically a stranger to him, but he knew she was down on her luck and desperate to get money. It was a business deal, really. She'd pretend to help him out and he would pay her handsomely. But something was missing. She was a great actress and his grandmother quite liked her, but she might see through their act eventually if they weren't convincing enough. Caius didn't like to mix business with his private life, but he had no other choice. They must get to know each other on a deeper level. That's why he suggested a question game - each of them could ask the other three questions in the morning and three in the evening. Nothing is off-limits and has to be answered truthfully.

ㅤㅤㅤToday his grandmother came for dinner, and they had a lovely time. As soon as she left Caius started to pick up the plates and carry them to the kitchen. A little bit of wine was still left at the bottom of a bottle. "You want some? We should finish this," he said picking it up. "Also, have you thought about your questions for this evening?"

[sugcrkisses]

ㅤㅤㅤSeeing her again wasn't easy. It brought back not just the beautiful memories they shared, but also the heartache he felt for years after he broke up with her. His name on her lips sounded like home. It was something he had been dreaming of hearing again, and there it was. He wished it was under different circumstances - not her finding out his secret after all these years. Or at least part of it. Fuck. This was not good. He wanted to confess and tell her everything, but it was not safe. The less she knew the better.

ㅤㅤㅤ"I..." he hesitated a little with a small sigh. "I may have had something to do with that, yes," Caius confessed. She would find it out sooner or later (if she hadn't already). "I am sorry you had to experience that, I truly am." It was clear in his eyes he meant what he said. He had never wanted to put her in harm's way and still didn't want to even though they hadn't spoken for many years. He still loved her, if he was being honest.

He had been the one to walk out on her. That was something that Willa had to keep reminding herself, that it didn't matter what the man had been to her in the past he didn't want her. Not that there was a problem with that, people were allowed to choose whatever they wanted for their lives. It had just hurt that so many people had told her getting involved with an older man was a bad idea. Almost as bad of an idea as getting involved with her best friend's brother. But Willa had to put her game face on now, there was so much more than her heart at stake.

It was hard to keep a blank face as she saw the man for the first time in years. He was her first love and she hadn't experienced a feeling that strong since. "Caius." His name felt strange in her mouth, she hadn't said it in years. Raising an eyebrow she leaned against the table. "Yeah let's try cutting the crap. National Bank, yesterday morning, about 10am... sound familiar at all? Because it's a morning I'm personally never going to forget."

[sugcrkisses]

ㅤㅤㅤHe poured half of the leftover wine into her glass, the rest into his, and put the empty bottle aside. Somehow pretending to be engaged came easy to him, and it was all thanks to her. She was very likable and utterly gorgeous. Or perhaps the likable aspect was also just an act... He didn't quite know. Not yet at least.

ㅤㅤㅤ"Alright," Caius nodded and took a sip from his glass, carefully listening to her. "Are these two questions or one, but with a bonus question?" he asked curiously, a soft laugh escaping his lips. "Well, the official answer would be playing tag with cars on city streets when I was in my second year of university," he answered and leaned back in his chair. "It was the most stupid thing I've done too, if I must say. A guardian angel or something must have watched over us and nobody got hurt that night." How he didn't get into trouble for it he didn't know. They got lucky it was in the dead of night and nobody saw them. Now he knew how damn dangerous it was, but at that time he didn't know better and didn't really care either. "The truthful answer though... It's this," he pointed between the two of them. "I've never even thought about doing something like this. But would I do it again... it remains to be seen. But I must say with you by my side I'm thinking I would." He hadn't been this open in a long time, revealing his thoughts and feelings. It was a long-forgotten feeling. "How about you, has this decision to help me out been working out for you so far?"

june  could  never  have  anticipated  this  turn  of  events.  a  series  of  unfortunate  financial  decisions  has  led  her  to  a  situation  where  she  must  pretend  to  be  the  loving  fiancée  of  a  businessman  she  hardly  knows.  however,  her  natural  talent  for  acting  makes  this  role  seem  tailor-made  for  her.  pretending  to  be  in  love  with  a  handsome  man  is  not  the  most  arduous  task  in  the  world,  nor  is  winning  over  the  hearts  of  their  gullible  family  members  with  her  effortless  charms.  june  nods,  quickly  sliding  her  glass  across  the  table.  "yes,  please.  thank  you."  a  rosy  hue  delicately  tinges  her  cheeks,  and  a  pleasant  buzz  envelops  her.  although  she  prefers  to  keep  her  private  life  under  wraps,  she  understands  the  importance  of  making  their  charade  as  convincing  as  possible.  it  would  be  a  waste  of  their  time  and  efforts  if  their  act  were  exposed  for  what  it  truly  is  —  a  collection  of  carefully  curated  lies  for  monetary  gain.  "let's  begin  with  something  light,  shall  we?"  she  suggests,  tilting  her  head  and  resting  her  chin  on  her  palm  as  she  props  her  elbow  on  the  table.  "what's  the  most  reckless  decision  you've  ever  made?"  though  he  doesn't  strike  her  as  an  impulsive  man,  she  senses  that  he,  like  everyone  else,  has  had  his  fair  share  of  youthful  recklessness.  there's  nothing  that  screams  'couple'  quite  like  playfully  teasing  each  other  about  past  mistakes  and  laughing  over  them.  "if  you  could  do  it  all  over  again,  would  you?"

[sugcrkisses]

ㅤㅤㅤScarlett was a true natural with his grandmother, she absolutely loved the young woman. Part of him was feeling bad for deceiving her, but it had to be done. It was for the best. He had his arm around her waist as she waved his grandmother goodbye. As soon as she was out of sight he dropped his arm and went straight to cleaning up. "Are you planning on asking me such deep questions that it would need more wine?" he asked with a slight hint of playfulness in his voice. He put the plates in the sink, turned around, and leaned against a kitchen counter. "Alright, let's do it your way," he nodded and looked down for a moment, trying to think of the first question to ask. "If you knew your parents disapproved of you pursuing art, would you still do it?"

"It was so lovely to spend time with you today," Scarlett said with a sweet smile. She was putting on an act for this old woman but she was also very kind to her so them getting along was more genuine than she intended. She hugged her goodbye and waved from the big front window as she left. As soon as she was gone, the smile lessened slightly as she turned to her fake fiancé, "Sure," she agreed, nodding, "But if we're starting question time, don't you think we'll need a little more?" she asked. She followed him into the kitchen, carrying some plates with her, "I have. But I do believe that it's your turn first today," she pointed out, "I went first this morning."

[sugcrkisses]

ㅤㅤㅤTo say he was surprised to get a call from her would be an understatement. There was a time when she was all he could think about, they were everything to each other. They were madly in love. At least he was. Since Caius was older, they met through his sister Diana, Willa's classmate and friend. He was in his senior year in high school when they met, but at that time nothing happened. Willa was too young for him. Time passed, he left for college and Caius wasn't around that much to see Willa grow into a beautiful young lady. He saw the change when he came home for Christmas. That was the year when Diana had invited Willa to his family's Christmas dinner. Caius was instantly smitten with her. They were happy, she was his first and, honestly, only love, but with Caius inheriting the family business it was better to not have her around, so he broke up with her. A stupid decision really, one he regretted deeply, but it was done and there was no going back. He was sure Willa would never want to see him again, until last night when he got her call.

ㅤㅤㅤCaius couldn't remember the last time he was nervous about something, yet here he was - heart racing and hands cold. He was heading to the meeting spot they had set, and just as he rounded the corner and took a look around he saw her. Her beauty was beyond words, it made his heart skip a beat and Caius was feeling like that young college student that he was when he first saw her at that Christmas dinner. He walked towards her and managed to get out a breathless 'hi' when she took leading the conversation in her hands. Caius opened his mouth to say something, anything really, but words escaped him. She had always been clever. He was sure Diana hadn't told her anything, they always stuck with trade and logistics when someone asked what his family's business was. It was boring enough for people not to ask any more questions. But Willa... She had figured it all out. "That is... a rather outrageous theory you have here," he replied trying to act confused and amused as best as he could. "What makes you think that?" he asked with a soft, yet curious laugh. ( @intoxfolklorex )

Open to muses 28+ (based on the plot in the source link. please don’t like my starters. please read her bio and my rules before replying.)

Willa hadn’t expected this turn of events at all. She had only gone to deposit the previous night’s takings and all hell had broken loose. A robbery– of course this would happen when she just wanted to go home and get some sleep. But they had backed away pretty quickly and Willa was confused. As soon as she had gotten home Willa had convinced her roommate, Molly, to help her with some digging and it hadn’t taken long for them to find the name of the syndicate that had started the robbery– and the leader. And Willa had known them once, known them too well.

That was how she had found her way downtown and waiting for a meeting with someone that she hadn’t seen in almost a decade. As soon as she saw them she took a step forward. “Oh hey. How’s life been? Doing anything interesting? Like maybe running some kind of syndicate that has me on a no hurt list?”