Husband With Benefits

Isabella stood in the middle of her living room and smiled, a glimpse of little evil in that lift of her lips. She stared at Ian with a dart in her hand and aimed it just right. "Now you know what happens when you make me mad, Mr. Cardboard Frost? Just keep standing there and smirking at me, Hole-y Ian."

Giggling at her own joke, she let another dart fly, watching with a mix of satisfaction and amusement as it whizzed through the air and landed with a thwack right beside a cluster of other darts on her makeshift target. "Ooh, close to the heart but not quite. Don’t worry, there’s plenty more where that came from. I’m going to keep sending love darts your way"

Circling the cardboard Ian, she continued, her voice taking on a teasing tone, "You know, for a piece of cardboard, you’re quite the listener. Better than the real Ian sometimes. You don’t interrupt, you don’t argue back, and best of all, you don’t distract me with your twinkling eyes and naughty hands."

She sighed and started to take out the darts that had punctured holes in Ian. " Cardboard Ian, as much fun as we’ve been having, there’s something I’ve got to admit," placing the darts on the table in the corner, she stepped closer to the printed Ian, her fingers tracing his printed smile and continued," I miss him. The real Ian. Your three-dimensional, frustratingly charming counterpart."

Isabella chuckled softly, a sound more melancholic than her previous laughter. "I miss the way he laughs and even makes me laugh, the way he calls my name in that serious tone,’Miss Ruffalo’. I even miss the way he looks at me, like I’m the only one in the room."

Isabella paused and leaned closer to the cardboard Ian, whispering her secret," Will you keep a secret for me, Mr Cardboard Frost. It’s about Ian. I think, I’ve gone and fallen head over heels for him. I’ve been reminding myself that I shouldn’t but it really is difficult. Especially when he is doing things like that. I can almost believe that he loves me too. Do you think I am right?"

As she whispered her confession to the silent confidant, Isabella felt a mix of relief and vulnerability. It was one thing to admit these feelings to herself, in the silence of the night, but quite another to voice them, even if only to a cardboard cutout.

Straightening up, she looked into Cardboard Ian’s flat, printed eyes, half-expecting them to twinkle back at her with the same warmth and humor the real Ian’s did. "You know, if you were the real Ian, you’d probably have some witty comeback right about now. Something that would make me laugh and blush at the same time. But since you’re not, I guess it’s safe to tell you everything."

"There are times, I feel like I should announce to the world that you belong to me. Maybe I will..." With a grin, she quickly walked to her room and grabbed her lipstick and came out to scribble something on his chest. Stepping back, she quickly admired her work with a nod. " See this? Now, don’t you dare erase my name off you- My Ian

She then leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper, confiding in her silent partner. "YOu are mine, aren’t you? I’m just scared, you know? Everything’s been going so well between you and me. It’s like walking on a cloud. But I keep waiting for the storm to hit, for something to come along and ruin this happiness we’ve found."