"You have too many girl friends," Haley muttered quietly while holding his arm, smiling. Her eyes were on the girl group. "I don't see any boys anywhere."
Jack looked at her with a chuckle. "You're smiling way too much right now."
"Am I?" Haley asked innocently, though the grin spreading across her face completely ruined the act.
Jack looked toward the lounge area again as he waved at them. "Most of the guys are probably sleeping after partying all night."
"Mm-hmm," Haley hummed dramatically like she totally believed him. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends officially?" she asked sweetly, though Jack could hear the tiny territorial edge underneath it immediately.
Jack sighed quietly like a man walking directly into danger, then guided Haley closer with a hand resting lightly against her back. Haley stayed tucked against his side the entire time, smiling sweetly enough that anyone who didn't know her would miss the possessiveness underneath it.
Dakota grinned the second she noticed it.
"Oh, this is going to be fun," she said under her breath to Elle.
Jack stopped near the lounge chairs and pointed casually. "Alright. You already know Dakota." He looked toward the blonde sitting beside her. "This is Elle, her sister."
Elle smiled immediately and waved. "Hi. I've heard a lot about you."
'Aww! She's a muffin~ So pretty.' Haley shook her hand politely. "Hopefully good things."
Elle looked toward Jack with a teasing smile. "Mostly. He talks about you a lot whenever we meet on the set."
Haley's expression softened instantly at that before she looked sideways at Jack. "Aw. Look at you being emotionally available."
Jack groaned quietly. "Please don't start."
Dakota laughed as she pulled her sunglasses down slightly. "Too late. We're definitely starting."
Jack ignored her and looked toward the third girl. "And you also know Willa."
Willa smiled warmly and stood up to hug Haley. "You look really pretty."
"Thanks," Haley replied while hugging her back. "You too. Also, congrats on Narnia. You were amazing."
Willa blinked once, genuinely caught off guard by the compliment. "Oh. Thanks."
Dakota looked between them dramatically. "Wow. Everybody's being emotionally mature. Boring."
Haley looked at her sweetly. "Sorry. Were you hoping for a fight?"
"A little bit," Dakota admitted without shame.
Jack rubbed his forehead. "Please don't give her ideas."
Before Dakota could answer, Phil suddenly appeared beside them, wearing sunglasses indoors like he was entering a movie scene.
"Well, hello there," he said smoothly while holding out his hand. "Phil Dunphy. Haley's dad."
Dakota shook his hand first, grinning immediately. "Dakota."
Phil nodded. "Yep, knew that one. My wife made me watch Man on Fire three separate times."
Dakota laughed. "Honestly? Fair."
Then Phil shook Elle's hand. "And you must be Elle."
Elle smiled. "That obvious?"
"I'm a realtor," Phil replied confidently. "I read people."
Claire finally walked over behind him, carrying her bag. "No, he guesses loudly and hopes for the best. And you two look almost like twins."
Phil ignored her completely and turned toward Willa next. "And Willa. Loved you in Narnia, by the way."
"Thanks," Willa replied with a small smile.
Phil nodded seriously. "You made me care deeply about wardrobe-related politics."
Willa stared at him for half a second before laughing. "That might be the weirdest compliment I've ever gotten."
"It's in my top ten," Phil admitted proudly.
Luke wandered over at that moment, carrying two tiny pastries and a bottle of orange juice that he got from the lobby vending machine.
"Oh good," he said while looking at the group. "Dad's networking again."
"I'm connecting with people," Phil corrected him.
"You asked the hotel manager if the tiny soaps were refillable," Claire replied.
"That was important information."
Haley was already laughing quietly against Jack's shoulder while Jack looked dangerously close to losing it himself.
Dakota pointed at Phil. "Okay, I like him."
Phil immediately placed a hand over his heart. "Thank you. Finally, someone sees the vision."
Luke looked toward Dakota. "Careful. He gets more powerful when encouraged."
Phil pointed at him. "That's exactly why you're not getting my emergency airport snacks later."
"You brought emergency snacks to a luxury resort?" Elle asked.
Claire answered for him instantly. "Three bags."
"Four," Phil corrected quietly.
Alex finally walked over too, still holding her book under one arm. She glanced at the group once before looking at Haley. She leaned in and whispered, "You got a really tough competition here. Good luck."
Haley whispered back, "Atleast I have a boyfriend."
That was enough to make Alex shut up.
Dakota watched the whole thing with amusement. "Your family's kinda chaotic."
Haley grabbed her bag and smiled proudly. "You should see us during Halloween."
Phil straightened immediately. "Oh, we thrive during Halloween."
Claire looked at the girls with a proud expression. "That is unfortunately true."
Jack stood there looking around at everyone talking over each other already, and somehow the whole thing felt natural. Loud, messy, slightly embarrassing, but comfortable.
Then Dakota looked back at Haley with a grin. "So… are we allowed to ask relationship questions yet?"
Jack pointed at her immediately. "No."
Haley smiled. "Maybe."
"You are not helping me."
"I'm helping the girls," Haley corrected.
Willa laughed softly while leaning back into her chair. "Yeah, you're definitely outnumbered here."
"Badly," Jack admitted.
They talked for a moment before the Dunphy family and Jack took the elevator.
...
The elevator doors finally opened to a long hallway lined with warm lights and polished floors.
The butler stepped out first and smiled politely. "Your suites are this way."
Phil immediately whispered to Claire, "He called them suites. Multiple suites. I think I'm becoming rich by association."
"You're becoming annoying by association," Claire replied while following the butler down the hallway.
The staff member stopped near a large double-door suite first and handed Phil and Claire their keycards. "This is your room, Mr. and Mrs. Dunphy." Then he left.
Phil took the cards carefully like he had just been handed government secrets. "Wow," he breathed out.
Claire opened the door first.
Both of them stopped immediately.
The suite was huge. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the ocean directly, sunlight pouring across the polished floors and cream-colored furniture. There was a private sitting area near the balcony, a massive bed in the center of the room, and fresh flowers already arranged on the table beside a chilled bottle of wine.
Phil slowly stepped inside. "Okay… this is nicer than our honeymoon room."
Claire looked around, genuinely impressed. She walked toward the balcony doors while smiling faintly. "This is beautiful."
Phil followed her and wrapped an arm loosely around her waist once they stepped outside. The ocean stretched endlessly ahead of them while warm wind moved through the palm trees below.
"I think I'd love to spend some time with my sexy wife in this sexy suite," He whispered.
Claire leaned lightly against him. "I was thinking more of a sexy jacuzzi time. Just promise me one thing."
"What?"
"No magic tricks near wildlife this time."
Phil looked personally attacked. "That happened one time."
"The seagulls still remember you."
Phil sighed dramatically while looking out toward the ocean. "Nature can be cruel."
Claire then pulled back and looked into his eyes with that look she gives during their intimate moment. "Now, enough about magic. Meet me in the bathroom in ten minutes with a bottle of wine and... I want my man naked."
...
Further down the hallway, the butler handed Alex her keycard next.
"This suite is yours, Miss Dunphy."
Alex nodded politely. "Thank you."
She opened the door and paused briefly while taking in the room. It was modern, clean, quiet, and significantly larger than she expected. A desk sat near the windows overlooking the water, which immediately caught her attention more than the decorative furniture did.
Luke leaned into the doorway behind her. "Wow. You already found the homework corner."
"It's called a workspace," Alex replied while setting her bag down.
Luke walked further inside her room and immediately jumped onto the couch. "This place is insane."
Alex glanced toward him. "Why are you in my room already?"
"I'm scouting," Luke said confidently. "I need to know whose minifridge to raid later."
Alex narrowed her eyes slightly. "Touch anything in here and I'll tell Mom you broke that new coffee mug."
Luke sat up immediately. "You can't prove that."
Alex simply stared at him.
Luke sighed and stood up. "Fine. You're scary when you're tired."
As he walked out, Alex finally let herself relax a little. She walked toward the windows slowly and looked out at the ocean below.
Then her eyes drifted toward the massive bed behind her.
A small thought crossed her mind.
'Okay… maybe one relaxing week won't kill me.'
She dropped her tote bag onto the desk and sat down on the edge of the bed carefully before muttering to herself, "She's one lucky girl. Still... I don't get it. What does Jack see in her?"
...
The butler stopped at another suite and handed Luke his keycard.
The second the door opened, Luke walked in like he had just inherited property.
"Oh, this is sick."
His room overlooked the pool area directly. There was a gaming console already connected to the TV, snacks arranged near the mini fridge, and a balcony with lounge chairs facing the ocean.
Luke walked straight toward the mini fridge and opened it immediately.
"Oh my God."
He turned around dramatically toward nobody in particular.
"There are tiny glass bottles of soda in here."
He grabbed one instantly.
Then another.
Then spotted the room service menu sitting near the table.
Luke picked it up slowly while reading.
"They'll bring food here twenty-four hours a day?" he whispered like he had discovered heaven. "This is real heaven. I ain't leaving the room... ever."
...
At the very end of the hallway, Jack stopped outside the largest suite and accepted the keycard from the butler with a quiet thank you. The staff member opened the door for them before stepping away politely, leaving the two of them alone.
Haley walked inside first, her steps slowing almost immediately.
The suite was enormous.
Soft sunlight spilled across the dark wooden floors while sheer curtains drifted gently in the ocean breeze coming through the open balcony doors. Beyond the glass, the water stretched endlessly toward the horizon, bright and calm under the afternoon light.
But Haley barely noticed any of that for more than a second.
Her attention landed directly on the bed.
It was massive.
Her eyes slowly shifted toward Jack.
Jack noticed the look instantly and had to fight back a laugh.
"What?" he asked with complete fake innocence.
Haley crossed her arms, staring at him with growing suspicion. "Jack Preston."
"That is my name, yes."
"This," she said while gesturing toward the room, "is one room."
Jack nodded thoughtfully, like she had just made an important scientific discovery. "Very observant."
Haley tried to stay serious, but the smile already tugging at her lips ruined it completely. "You planned this."
"A little."
"A little," she repeated flatly.
Jack finally walked closer, stopping right in front of her. His hands settled lightly against her waist, his teasing expression softening the moment he looked at her properly.
"You don't mind staying with me for the week, do you?" he asked quietly.
Haley stared at him for less than a second before throwing herself into his arms.
Jack caught her automatically, laughing under his breath when the force nearly pushed him backward. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck as she kissed him hard enough to steal the rest of his balance anyway. It was a small yet emotional kiss.
"I love you," she whispered against his lips.
Jack smiled immediately. One hand slid gently into her hair while the other held her securely against him.
"I love you too."
Haley hugged him tighter for another moment before leaning back just enough to look at him again, her expression softer now.
"You seriously have no idea how much I missed you."
Jack brushed his nose lightly against hers. "Pretty sure I do."
She kissed him again anyway.
This one lasted longer...
...Slower.
They took their time kissing each other without any hurry.
Eventually, Haley rested her forehead against his and let out a quiet laugh.
"Okay," she murmured, still smiling, "if we keep doing this, we're literally never leaving the room."
Jack glanced briefly toward the giant bed before looking back at her. "Honestly, that doesn't sound like a terrible plan."
"You want to do it?" Haley asked as she looked into his eyes. Her question took Jack by surprise.
"It it?" Jack asked, just to confirm.
Haley simply nodded with a smile. "I think we're ready... I'm ready."
Jack picked her up in his arms and carried her like a bride. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he walked to the bed. They both couldn't stop looking at each other. He gently lowered her onto the bed.
...
AN: Sorry for the cliff. I wanted to keep the segs chs separate. It's finally time... And before anyone asks about pregnancy... NOT HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. it's too early.
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