Tied with scissors - Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – Mall

It was Saturday, and the mall was packed — full of families, kids running around, and store windows glowing on every side. Samanta and Fabrício walked side by side, holding hands.
He wore his new haircut, down and neatly styled, swaying lightly with each step. The layered t-shirts, short shorts, long socks, and sneakers made him feel exposed, but next to her, even that felt kind of comfortable.

They were walking calmly when a mom passed by holding her young daughter’s hand. The little girl, curious and unfiltered, stopped and pointed at them, her eyes wide:

— Mommy, look at that cute lady! — she said excitedly, tugging her mother’s hand.

Samanta nudged Fabrício with a teasing smile.

— Hey, darling… I think she’s talking about you.

Slightly annoyed and clearly uncomfortable, he replied:

— Stop teasing me, Samanta. Of course she’s not talking about me.

Samanta chuckled and turned to the girl.

— Were you talking to me, sweetie? — she asked, winking.

But the girl frowned, shook her head, and pointed directly at Fabrício.

— No! I mean her! The girl that looks like a princess!

Fabrício froze. His eyes went wide and his face turned completely red.
— I-I… — he stammered, not knowing where to hide.

Samanta tried to hold back her laughter, but failed. Her voice came out shaky from trying so hard not to laugh.
— Come on, prin… pfff… princess, aren’t you going to thank the little girl?

— T-thank you… little girl — Fabrício muttered, his voice so soft it was barely audible.

The mother gave a slightly embarrassed smile and gently pulled her daughter away.
— Let’s go, sweetheart. The ladies must be busy. We shouldn’t bother them.

As they walked off, Fabrício stood frozen, pale and mumbling in disbelief:
— Princess… lady… princess…

Samanta couldn’t hold it anymore. She leaned against his arm, laughing so hard she could barely breathe. Once she caught her breath, she rested her cheek on his shoulder and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, still smiling.
— I swear, babe… you being flustered is the cutest thing ever. It’s irresistible.

He turned his face to the side, pouting and blushing.

Little by little, things calmed down again as they kept walking. Samanta stopped in front of a ice cream shop, with cute desserts painted on the walls.
— How about some ice cream, Fabi? — she asked, nudging his arm.

He nodded, still a little embarrassed from the earlier scene. They sat at a corner table and browsed the menu together, pointing out flavors and toppings.
When the waitress came — a cheerful young woman with a bright smile — she looked at them and said:

— Good afternoon, ladies! What can I get you today?

Fabrício lowered his head, blushing. Before he could say anything, Samanta laughed and said:

— I’ll have a large vanilla sundae with strawberry syrup, please.

— Got it. And for the other lady?

Fabrício hesitated, unsure if it would be more embarrassing to just go along with it or to correct her and say he was a boy.

Before he could decide, Samanta gently stepped in:

— He’ll have a chocolate sundae with chocolate Sauce.

And just so you know — she added with a soft smile — he’s actually my boyfriend. Even if he doesn’t exactly look like it.

The waitress let out an awkward laugh, clearly flustered.

— Oh wow, I’m so sorry! I totally got it wrong!

She glanced at Fabrício with an apologetic smile.

— But… I mean… your hair is really cute…

Um… I’ll add extra chocolate sauce for you, okay?

Fabrício turned red all the way to his ears but sighed:
— I-it’s fine… th-thank you.

As the waitress walked off, Fabrício huffed, pouting:
— Hmph. That’s the second time someone’s mistaken me today, Samanta!

Samanta smiled and gently ruffled his hair:
— Not my fault you’re that adorable.

He sighed and hid behind the menu like it was a shield.
— I just hope no one else gets confused today… — he muttered, still blushing.

After finishing their ice cream, Samanta suggested a movie. They picked a cheesy romance flick she’d been wanting to see.

Inside the dark theater, they sat close together, the big tub of popcorn resting on Samanta’s lap. Fabrício kept his eyes on the screen, though he could barely follow the plot. Every time Samanta slipped her fingers through his hair — slow, gentle, almost absentminded — he shrank a little in his seat and took a quick sip of his soda, like it might cool the heat creeping up his face.

He liked her touch. More than he’d ever admit. But part of him still squirmed inside, unsure how to feel about melting under her affection — about being the one blushing and flinching like… well, like the girl in a romance movie.

Samanta didn’t say anything, just smiled softly in the dark whenever he glanced her way. And even though he was all curled up and flustered, he never once pulled away.

By the end of the movie, he walked out looking dazed, his cheeks still pink. Samanta laughed, messed up his hair again, and teased:
— I bet that was the best movie you’ve ever seen.

— I bet anyone watching us thought I was your girlfriend… — he muttered, looking away.

Later that afternoon, Samanta pulled Fabrício by the hand and stopped in front of an accessory store.
This time, she didn’t let him in.

— Wait here, babe. This is a little secret… and your one-month anniversary present.

His eyes widened:
— A present? For me?

— Yup. But you’ll only get to see it at home — she said, winking.

He waited outside, heart racing. A few minutes later, Samanta came out holding a small gift bag behind her back.

— Hey! Let me see! — he asked, curious.

— Nope, nope, nope! — she laughed. — It’s a surprise! You’ll have to wait.

He sighed, arms crossed, but smiled anyway. They walked back home together, and even though Fabrício was still flustered and curled in on himself, he couldn’t wipe the small smile off his face.

Once they got to the apartment, Samanta finally held out the little bag.
— Happy one-month, Fabi.

Fabrício carefully opened it. Inside was a cute hair clip, with a delicate, cute ribbon.

— Samy… it’s really, really cute.

— Too cute! I’m not going to have to wear this in public, am I? — he asked, embarrassed.

She kissed his forehead and replied softly:
— I picked it with all my love, babe. You’re not going to say no to me, are you?

His face turned bright red, and he murmured:
— I… I’ll try.

Samanta took the clip and gently pinned it in his hair, adjusting it carefully.
— Look in the mirror… it suits you so well.

He blushed even more the moment his eyes met his reflection in the mirror

— T-thank you, honey.

And that night, he wore the clip all the way until bedtime — and Samanta fell asleep with a smile on her face, happy they had spent such a fun day together, and even happier for making her Fabi look cuter than ever.

>>>>> Hey everyone! As you probably noticed, there was no new chapter last week.

To be honest, I wasn’t happy with how this one was turning out, and I couldn’t quite figure out what was wrong. On top of that, I didn’t have much time to work on it.

But after thinking it through I finally figured it out — and now I’m really happy with how it turned out!

I ended up changing some of the descriptions that felt a bit flat, and reworked some of the dialogue that sounded too robotic and awkward.

I Hope you enjoy this version! ^^ <<<<<