My Life in Hollywood C50 Moving In (Patreon)

Marcus brought them inside with a smile, though underneath he was on edge. Not because of Arya—because of Diana.

'I thought the whole kissing thing was over. Why the hell is she here?' He shot a sideways glance at the older sister. 'Is she about to grill me?'

While he spiraled, Diana's eyes were already working through the house. The walls, furniture, layout. She had to admit—it wasn't bad. Clean place, decent neighborhood, good lighting. No wonder Arya had her eye on it.

But that thought triggered another one, and Diana's stomach dropped.

Her little sister. Same roof. The guy who'd kissed her like that at Junior Prom.

The more she thought about it, the more her brain filled in details she really didn't want to picture.

"So," Marcus said once he'd gotten them settled in the living room, dropping onto the couch across from them with an easy grin. "To what do I owe the honor? Two beauties gracing my humble place?"

Arya's face went pink. She looked down immediately, fidgeting with her sleeve—flustered but trying to hide it.

Diana just rolled her eyes.

Then her attention snagged on Marcus. The robe hung open just enough to show his chest—defined pecs, the cut of his abs, smooth skin still slightly damp from the shower.

The fabric sat low on his hips, and when he shifted on the couch, it rode up his thigh, exposing toned muscle. He had the kind of body that looked carved, not built—lean and athletic in a way that made her forget he was just seventeen. Heat crawled up Diana's neck and settled in her cheeks before she could stop it.

"Can you put some actual clothes on?" Diana snapped. "Why are you just sitting there in a robe?"

Marcus blinked. "I just got out of the shower. This is what I wear around the house."

"With other people here?"

Marcus laughed. "I live alone. So yeah, I'm pretty comfortable like this."

"Well, we're here now. A little consideration."

"Uh—yeah. You're right." Marcus stood. "My bad. I'll go change real quick." He headed down the hallway.

Arya watched him go—the way he moved, unhurried, relaxed—before turning back to her sister. "Big sis, don't be so rough on him. This is his house. He didn't even know we were coming."

Diana scoffed. "Please. He knew exactly what he was doing sitting there like that."

Arya didn't push it. Diana wasn't budging.

Diana studied her little sister for a moment, then let out a breath. "Look. I get it. I really do. That kid's not like the other boys your age—not even close. He's sharp, he's got drive, he actually has something going for him." She tilted her head. "But that's exactly why you can't just throw yourself at him. If you make it too easy, he won't value it. You hear me?"

She'd said this before. But it needed repeating.

"I understand," Arya murmured.

They sat in silence. The kind that settles when there's nothing left to say but the air still feels heavy.

Then Diana glanced at her sister—really looked at her. She remembered being younger. High school crushes. University flings. Guys who made her heart skip for a while before everything faded. But none of it had been like this. Not the way Arya's whole demeanor shifted whenever Marcus was in the room.

"Hey," Diana said, quieter. Almost curious. "What you feel for him—is it actually genuine?"

Arya paused, turning it over. It wasn't a simple question.

"It's hard to explain," she said after a moment. "But when I'm around him... I feel relaxed. Safe."

"Safe?" Diana repeated, genuinely interested now.

Before Arya could say more, footsteps came back down the hallway.

Marcus walked back in wearing a white t-shirt and casual pants. Simple, except the shirt was fitted—clinging to his chest and shoulders, outlining every muscle. His arms filled out the sleeves, biceps pressing against the fabric when he moved.

The pants sat low on his hips, and the whole outfit made him look less like a teenager and more like a man who knew exactly what he was doing.

Arya's eyes traced the line of his shoulders, down his chest, lingering on the way the shirt hugged his torso. She caught herself staring and jerked her gaze away, cheeks burning.

Diana swallowed hard. 'Robe definitely would've been safer.' But she'd asked for this, so she kept her damn mouth shut.

"Alright, I'm decent now." Marcus dropped back onto the couch, then pushed himself up again. "Oh—let me grab you guys some coffee—"

"That won't be necessary." Diana's voice cut clean through, sharp and businesslike. "I didn't come here to socialize."

Marcus stopped. Read the room. Sat back down slowly.

"Okay." He folded his hands. "So what's this about? Something work-related?"

"No." Diana shook her head. Then she looked at Arya and gestured toward her. "My little sister has decided she wants to move out soon. Become independent. The family's happy about it. But then I found out she wants to move in here. Into this place. Where you live."

"Yeah." Marcus nodded. "I'm the one who invited her, actually. What's the issue?"

"The issue?" Diana's brow twitched. "Oh, there's definitely an issue. You see, I can't help but think you've got ulterior motives behind this little invitation. And I know you're not stupid enough to pretend otherwise. You're a lot of things, but clueless isn't one of them."

Marcus shifted. He could see it clearly—Diana didn't trust him. Not even a little. And honestly, he couldn't blame her. She was being a big sister. That was her job.

But he still had to defend himself.

"Look, I invited her because it makes practical sense. We split the rent, share the chores—"

Diana laughed. A real laugh—not mean, just completely unconvinced. "And you expect me to believe that?"

"Big sis..." Arya buried her face in her hands, ears burning. She wanted the ground to swallow her whole.

Diana held up a hand without even looking at her. "Stay out of this, Arya." She turned back to Marcus. "Here's how this is going to work. If you can promise me—seriously promise me—that you won't touch my sister while she's living under this roof, I'll allow it."

Marcus opened his mouth—

Then Diana reached into her bag.

She pulled out a neat folder and set it on the table with a quiet thud, sliding it across toward him. Marcus looked down. Pages of documents, cleanly typed. Clauses. Conditions. A signature line at the bottom with a small arrow pointing exactly where he needed to sign.

Marcus picked it up and flipped through the first page. He looked up at Diana.

She sat there, arms crossed, expression completely deadpan. Like this was the most normal thing in the world.

Arya had her face fully buried in her hands now, ears practically glowing.

"That's a bit much, don't you think?" Marcus said. A promise? Sure, he could do that. But actual paperwork with signature lines was pushing it.

"Well, as a sister, I just want to protect—"

"Enough."

Diana stopped. Both she and Marcus looked at Arya, who was already standing, hands tight at her sides. Even Arya herself looked caught off guard—she'd never raised her voice at her big sister before. Not once.

But she kept going.

"Big sis, I understand your concern. I do. But I'm an adult. Can you let me decide what's right for myself? I promise you—I wouldn't do something I'd regret."

Diana stared at her little sister for a long moment. Something about it hurt—quiet, deep in her chest. This was the first time she'd ever seen Arya like this. Firm. Standing her ground.

She trusted her. She always had. But trusting Arya and trusting what came next were two different things. Because Diana knew how much Arya liked Marcus. And now she wanted to live under the same roof as him. That alone was enough to keep any big sister up at night.

Marcus could feel the tension between them. He stood and faced Diana, expression serious. "Counselor—"

"Can you stop calling me that outside of work?" Diana let out a breath, and even managed a dry laugh. "And seriously—boss? Just call me by my first name already."

Marcus scratched the back of his neck. "Diana. I get why you're this way about your sister. I really do. But trust me—I wouldn't do anything to her. You have my word."

And he meant it. The truth was, Marcus had no problem with other women. If Lana wanted something, he wouldn't exactly say no. But Arya was different. She was young—pure in ways that actually mattered. And even though Marcus was only seventeen in this body, his soul was older. Old enough to understand the weight of something like that.

A kiss? Maybe. If it happened naturally, he wouldn't fight it. But beyond that—no. Not unless the feeling between them was real and deep, and not unless she was old enough and actually wanted it herself. Until then, that line wasn't something he was crossing. Not with her.

Diana held his gaze for a few seconds. Then she exhaled slowly and shook her head. There was something genuine in his eyes—the kind of thing that was hard to fake.

Arya, sitting back down quietly, had her own reaction to all of this. A small flicker of disappointment crossed her face—barely noticeable, but it was there.

Diana sighed. "Young people nowadays. I really can't keep up with you guys."

She looked between the two of them, then uncrossed her arms. "Fine. I trust you, Marcus. I'll let my sister live here."

The disappointment on Arya's face vanished like it had never been there. Her eyes lit up, and for a second she looked like a completely different person. Her parents had already given the okay weeks ago—Diana was the only one who hadn't agreed. And now, finally, here she was.

"But," Diana added, pointing at Arya with a sharp look. "If I ever find out you did something behind my back, I'm dragging you home. And I mean it."

"Thank you, Big sis!" Arya jumped up and threw her arms around Diana, squeezing tight.

Diana stumbled back a step, genuinely caught off guard. Then her expression softened, and she smiled—small, warm, just for a moment. She patted Arya's back. "Jeez. Why are you in such a rush to grow up? Wanting to be independent this early..."

Diana herself hadn't moved out until college.

Marcus watched the two of them from across the room, smiling quietly. He was happy for them—genuinely happy. And that was exactly why he couldn't let himself ruin this. He didn't want to be the reason the bond between these two sisters cracked.

"Anyway." Diana pulled back from the hug and turned to Marcus again, holding up a finger. Completely serious. "If my sister is moving in here, you better stop making a habit of walking around in just a robe after your showers. Because at that point, you're basically just trying to seduce her."

Marcus sighed. Diana sure had a lot of conditions.

"Big sis, come on." Arya shook her head. "Roommates see each other in casual clothes all the time. That's just normal."

Diana looked at her. "You really think that's normal?"

Arya didn't have a good answer for that.

And so, that was how Marcus survived his first round of negotiations with Diana over Arya moving in.

---…⁠ᘛ⁠⁐̤⁠ᕐ⁠ᐷ---

Three days later, Arya moved in.

Marcus spent the morning helping her carry boxes and bags into her room, setting things down and arranging them one by one. Diana was there too—hauling furniture, organizing shelves, keeping everything in order like she was running the whole operation.

But in between trips, Diana made damn sure Marcus felt her eyes on him. Every time he looked up, she was already staring—eyebrows raised, lips pressed together, a look that said I see you without her having to say a word. She held it just long enough to make the point land before going back to work like nothing happened.

Marcus pretended not to notice. Mostly.

By afternoon, everything was done. Marcus stood in the doorway of Arya's room and looked around.

It was nice. Really nice. The bed sat against the wall beneath the window, made up with soft lavender sheets and a few throw pillows that looked almost too comfortable to actually sleep on.

A bookshelf lined the opposite wall—stuffed with novels, a few manga volumes, and photo frames Arya was still arranging. Her computer desk sat neatly in the corner, monitor dark but already hooked up.

A full-length mirror leaned near the closet door, and little details were scattered around—a small potted plant on the nightstand, an unlit candle on the desk, a couple of posters already pinned to the wall. One was a movie poster. The other was some band Marcus didn't recognize.

And the scent. Even though Arya had barely spent any real time in the room yet, it already smelled like her—something light, soft, clean. Like she'd already marked the space as hers just by existing in it.

"Nice room," Marcus said. He meant it.

"Thanks." Arya smiled, glancing around with quiet satisfaction.

Then her eyes caught the full-length mirror. Her own reflection stared back—hair messy, face flushed, forehead damp with sweat from hauling boxes all morning. She wiped her face with the back of her hand. Of course she looked like a mess. They both did.

Her gaze drifted to Marcus's reflection. He was just as sweaty—shirt soaked through and clinging to every muscle, outlining his chest and the ridges of his abs. His arms glistened slightly, biceps flexing as he pushed damp hair off his forehead. The wet fabric left nothing to the imagination, showing off the V-line that disappeared beneath his waistband.

Arya's eyes traced down his body—shoulders, chest, stomach—before she realized what she was doing and snapped her gaze away, face burning.

Marcus noticed. He let out a short laugh. "Hah, I'm probably stinking up the place. I'm gonna go shower." He nodded toward the hallway. "Oh—there's two bathrooms here, by the way. You can use the other one if you want."

"Mm!" Arya nodded.

He turned to leave, but Arya spoke up before he could disappear. "Marcus—before I forget. Thank you. For helping me move in. And for being my roommate."

Marcus paused and glanced back at her, smiling. "Don't thank me. You're splitting the rent and doing half the chores around here."

Arya nodded. "That's fine. With what we earned from Paranormal Activity, I can handle it. Plus you gave me shares in Netflicks, so it's not exactly like money's tight."

Just then, Diana poked her head into the room from the hallway. She'd been lingering just outside, and from where she stood she'd caught the whole exchange. A smirk tugged at her lips as she looked between the two of them.

"Sounds like you two are getting along pretty well in here," she said casually. "Don't forget—there's a promise."

"Big sis!" Arya's face went completely red.

Marcus just laughed and slipped past Diana into the hallway before things could get any more awkward. "I'm taking a shower. You two have fun."

He closed the bathroom door behind him, still chuckling.

And underneath it all, he was actually glad. After the kiss at Junior Prom, things between him and Arya had gotten weird—shy, stilted, like neither of them quite knew how to act around each other anymore.

But today, just working side by side, talking normally—it felt like things were settling back into place.

That was a good sign.