Shorts Series: Bearded Standoff - Aria Universe
Jess had been surprisingly okay when Kai decided to change his hair. It was longer now, darker, a departure from the perfectly groomed, princely style he used to maintain in high school and, well, as a prince. She got it. Leaving his old life behind—a loveless marriage, a suffocating job that came with its own cage, and years of forced smiles—meant a fresh start… not to mention the fact that he was a still often noticed by the public recognizing him from the scandal of the century. After all; that’s how Listeria press made it seem… until Jess had taken the princess down a few months prior. So it was really scandal after scandal as the original heir of the throne once again took charge.
Back to Kai now; honestly, she kind of loved the look. The tousled hair suited him, made him feel more real and less like the polished person she used to know. She appreciated… real…, you know. Especially after the entirety of their relationship was very unreal. Fine, FINE, not the entirety but that didn’t make it hurt any less. Cue Jess not telling Kai about Aria until 3. But WHATEVER what happened happened and now they’re here: happy, in love, with Aria and their little baby Toby…
OKAY BACK TO THE POINT. He looked good…
But THEN he brought up a beard.
It was supposed to be a joke, a passing comment he made while they were brushing their teeth one night after the kids had fallen asleep. He had paused mid-shave, staring at himself in the mirror, razor in hand. Jess watched his expression in the reflection, the way his eyes narrowed like he was seriously considering something. That was her first mistake—letting him think too much.
"Don’t even think about it,” she warned, pointing her toothbrush at him.
Kai turned, still grinning, as he lazily leaned against the counter. “Think about what?” His tone was dripping with innocence, which, by now, she knew meant trouble.
“The beard,” she said firmly, eyeing the half-shaven stubble on his jaw. “It’s not happening, Kai. You’re not a beard guy. You can’t pull it off.”
She could tell the second she said it that she’d messed up. OHHH SHE HAD MESSED UP SO BAD. His grin widened—just a little—but enough to tell her he’d taken that as a challenge. “Oh, really?” he said, his voice tinged with that insufferable smugness she both loved and hated.
Jess rolled her eyes, tossing her toothbrush into the sink. “Yes, really. Stick to the hair, lumberjack. You’ve already maxed out your hipster points.”
But of course, he didn’t listen. Because Kai never listened when it came to proving her wrong.
Fcking beard.
Two weeks later, Jess walked into the kitchen and came face-to-face with it. The betrayal. The audacity. The beard.
Her footsteps froze mid-stride as her eyes zeroed in on him. Her husband—her annoyingly gorgeous husband—was leaning against the counter like he had no idea he’d just committed a crime against humanity. The beard wasn’t just scruffy stubble. Oh no, it was fully grown. Thick, dark, and perfectly trimmed, like he was auditioning for the cover of Lumberjack Monthly.
She wasn’t stupid. She had noticed him growing it out. But then he went to go visit his sister for a week with their kids and Jess had to work so… here she was… seeing him for the first time in a week… and THIS is what she see’s? How the hell did it grow that fast? Urgh.
“What the bloody hell is on your face?” she demanded, setting her coffee mug on the counter with more force than necessary.
Kai turned his head slowly, as if he wasn’t entirely sure she was talking to him. Then he smirked—smirked, the bastard—and said, “You mean this? It’s a beard. You know, like the one you said I couldn’t pull off?”
Jess’s jaw dropped. “You’re joking.”
“Why would I joke about something this …good-looking?” He rubbed a hand along his jaw, tilting his head like he was modeling for her.
“You’ve lost your bloody mind,” Jess muttered, crossing her arms. She could feel her temper bubbling up “Kai, my love, this is not a good look for you.”
“That’s not what the lady at the bakery said this morning,” he shot back, his grin widening. “She said it makes me look sexy. Masculine.”
“Masculine?” Jess repeated, her voice rising an octave. “You look like you’re one flannel shirt away from chopping wood in the backyard. And we don’t even have a backyard! So clearly, not the good kind of masculine, baby.”
Kai chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. “Admit it, Jess. I pull it off.”
“Oh, I’ll admit it when you shave it off,” she snapped back. HE BETTER GET RID OF THAT… THAT THING. SHE WASN’T KIDDING.
“Not until you admit I look good,” he countered, folding his arms like he’d just thrown down the gauntlet.
Jess narrowed her eyes, the coffee now forgotten. This wasn’t just a beard anymore. This was war.
Four days. Four long days of the beard. Jess tried to ignore it, tried to pretend she wasn’t bothered every time it scratched her cheek or tickled her neck when he kissed her. But by the fourth night, she’d had enough. Could anyone blame her 
? SHE WASN’T A BEARD GIRL. She did not MARRY this man with a beard. The audacity. Where are the divorce papers? Okay not really but it was annoying her.
“That’s it,” she announced, standing at the foot of their bed with her hands on her hips. “You’re sleeping in the guest room until that… that thing comes off Kai.”
Kai looked up from where he was lounging against the headboard, his arms crossed behind his head. “You’re kidding.”
“Do I look like I’m kidding?” she shot back, her tone sharper than a knife. She was going to win this war, JUST YOU WAIT.
“Jess, it’s just a beard—”
“It’s not just a beard!” she snapped, pointing toward the hallway. “It’s an abomination. A hairy, prickly abomination. You look like bloody big foot. OR THAT FLIPPING MONSTER FROM MONSTER’S INC. So, until it’s gone, so are you.”
Kai sighed, pushing himself off the bed. “This is ridiculous,” he muttered, grabbing his pillow.
“Noooo no no don’t you start, You’re ridiculous,” Jess fired back, climbing into bed and pulling the covers over her head. “Goodnight, Your Highness.”
The next morning, Kai decided to test her resolve. He started small—bumping into her “accidentally” in the kitchen, lingering just a little too close when she was making Aria’s grilled cheese.
“Do you mind?” Jess sighed, flipping the sandwich.
“Just checking your technique,” he said with a grin, leaning over her shoulder.
Jess turned, her eyes narrowing. “I swear to god, Kai, if you make me burn this sandwich, you’re shaving your head.”
How dare he? What? He thought she couldn’t live without him next to her? SHE TOTALLY could. She had resolve. AND her resolve was… well… RESOLVED. You know who didn’t have resolve? Him. Totally. That’s what she’d go with.
That night, it was Jess’s turn to play dirty. After the kids were asleep, she walked into the living room wearing her silk nightgown—the one that clung to her in all the right places—and pretended not to notice the way Kai’s eyes followed her every move. She bent down to grab a book from the coffee table, the hem of the gown riding just high enough to make him shift in his seat.
“Not going to work,” he called after her as she walked back to the bedroom.
“What’s not going to work, darling? I’m just grabbing my research for the night.,” she added, a smirk on her lips as she leaned against the door of their bedroom - one he wasn’t allowed to set foot in.
“Ohhhh come on Jess. We both know you’d rather be wearing pjs then that - especially if you’re sleeping alone. So, again, it’s not going to work.,” he quipped, but Jess could literally see him fidgeting.
“Hmm… are your pants feeling a little tight darling? I don’t know, almost seems like it’s working… but whatever you say,” she fought back, and with that, went into her room and closed the door behind her with the biggeeeeest grin.
By day six, Aria started asking questions. Honestly, Jess knew it was only a matter of time. Aria wasn’t a baby anymore—she was perceptive, curious, and unfortunately, observant. She could sense when something was off. The real mystery, however, was why Aria hadn’t already called her dad out for looking like a complete dork with that beard. Priorities, right?
Jess was feeding Toby when she heard the telltale sound of Aria’s little feet padding into the kitchen. She glanced up, just in time to catch the start of their conversation.
“Daddy, why don’t you sleep in Mama’s room anymore?”
Jess froze, mid-bottle. Oh, this was going to be good. She couldn’t see Aria’s face from where she sat, but she could picture it perfectly—big, innocent eyes blinking up at Kai with all the earnestness of a child who had no idea how much trouble she was about to cause.
Yeah, Kai. Go on. Explain why you’re sleeping in the guest room. Maybe throw in why you won’t shave your damn beard while you’re at it. Jess smirked to herself, waiting to hear how he’d handle it. She heard him stumble for a second, clearly caught off guard, before fumbling out,
“Well… uh… Mommy snores too much.”
Jess’s jaw dropped. EXCUSE YOU? She almost stood up right there to march into the kitchen and set the record straight, but before she could say a word, Aria’s sweet little voice cut through the silence.
“OHHHHHH, so Mama snoring is what makes all those noises at night in your room!”
Jess nearly choked, barely managing to keep from laughing as she set the bottle down. Her shoulders shook as she silently lost it, grateful for once that this was not her mess to clean up. She leaned back in her chair, enjoying the silence from her end of the condo, knowing full well that Kai was the one squirming now.
Good luck explaining that one, Daddy Dearest.
The final straw came at the grocery store. Jess was pushing the cart, distractedly tossing in a pack of snacks for Aria, when she noticed the woman. A tall blonde, dressed to the nines for a casual afternoon errand, who couldn’t seem to take her eyes off Kai.
Jess’s gaze flicked between the blonde and her husband, who, as usual, looked… fine she’d give it to him… far too attractive for his own good. He was leaning against the cart, absently scrolling through the grocery list on his phone, completely oblivious to the fact that he was being practically devoured with every glance the woman threw his way.
“Excuse me,” the woman said, stepping closer, her voice dripping with honey as she directed her attention to Kai. “Has anyone ever told you you look like that prince? Mal… something?”
Jess froze. Oh, bloody hell no. He was going to let this get to his ego sooooooo much.
Kai, to her horror, actually smiled at the woman. Not a polite, dismissive smile—a full, confident, borderline smug grin - and SHE KNEW he only did it because she was watching. He didn’t even hesitate, his tone casual as ever when he replied,
“Yeah… I get that sometimes.”
Jess clenched her jaw so hard she thought it might crack. Of course, he didn’t miss a beat. Of course, he handled it like it was the most normal thing in the world. And to be fair, it was. This wasn’t the first time someone had recognized him, even with the hair dye, the grown-out locks, and—ugh—that stupid beard. But what made it worse—what really set her off—was the way the blonde giggled.
Like, giggled. Who fcking giggles in this world? Like… isn’t that just a word people use in fiction novels? Like… the fck?
“Oh, I see it now,” the woman said, batting her lashes at him like they were in some kind of rom-com. “It’s the jawline. And the beard—it’s so… hot and rugged. Honestly, it’s kind of unfair how good you look. Your eyes are just so pretty too. I know this is a long shot, but if you’re free tonig…”
Jess’s grip on the cart tightened as a wave of irritation bubbled in her chest. She was barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes. The only thing rugged about him was the fact that he hadn’t bothered to shave in weeks. And “unfair how good he looks”? Please. If this woman thought she could just waltz up and—
Kai’s smile widened slightly, and Jess decided she’d had enough.
“Hey, baby,” Jess said, her voice deceptively sweet as she turned to him with a grin. He glanced at her, raising an eyebrow, but before he could say anything, Jess continued, holding out Toby with deliberate ease. “Do you mind holding the baby for a second while I go grab some…cereal?”
The blonde’s smile faltered, her giggle dying in her throat as she suddenly seemed to realize exactly who Jess was—and more importantly, what she’d just walked into.
Kai didn’t miss a beat, reaching out to take the baby with one arm while still holding the cart with the other. “Of course, love,” he said smoothly, his voice dripping with amusement.
Fck you Kai. STOP SMILING LIKE THAT.
Jess shot the blonde a… fake… smile before turning and walking down the aisle, leaving the woman to awkwardly excuse herself.
When they got home, Jess didn’t say a word. She set the groceries on the counter, handed the baby off to Kai, and marched straight to the bathroom. Kai watched her go, a knowing smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. He didn’t say anything when she came back a few seconds later, razor in hand, her expression unreadable.
She stopped in front of him, holding the razor out. “You proved your point,” she said, her tone clipped. “Now shave.”
Kai leaned back against the counter, crossing his arms as he studied her. His eyes twinkled with amusement, the smirk now fully formed as he replied,
“Admit I look good first.”
Jess glared at him, the razor still extended between them. “Oh, I’ll admit it,” she said slowly, her voice low and dangerous. “I’ll admit that I’m the one kissing you. I’m the one giving you CHILDREN. So you, Malachi Azure, listen to me.”
Kai chuckled softly, reaching out to take the razor—but before he could, Jess yanked it back.
“No,” she said firmly, stepping closer. “I’ll do it. I don’t trust you to do it right.”
Kai raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “You sure you don’t just want to keep it?”
She glared at him again, her patience running dangerously thin. “Sit,” she ordered, pointing to the stool by the counter.
By the time she was done, Jess had to admit—it felt good to see his face again. The sharp jawline that girl was completing was actually peaking through, the smooth skin she hadn’t been able to kiss in weeks, the smile that now looked significantly less smug without the damn beard framing it.
Kai tilted his head, running a hand over his freshly shaven face as he studied himself in the mirror. “Happy now?”
Jess crossed her arms, pretending to consider it for a moment before finally nodding. “Much better.”
Kai turned to face her, his smirk returning. “You know, you could’ve just admitted I looked good a week ago and saved us all the trouble.”
“You could’ve just listened to me in the first place,” she shot back, though her voice had softened slightly.
Kai stepped closer, his hands settling on her hips as he leaned in. “What can I say? I’m stubborn.”
Jess sighed, rolling her eyes even as she tilted her head up to meet him halfway. “You’re an idiot.”
But when his lips finally met hers, smooth and familiar and right, she decided that maybe—just maybe—she didn’t mind so much.