About a week later during s a typical Sunday afternoon at the Banks' house, the kids were gathered around the kitchen table, diving into snacks. Will sat back in his chair, surprisingly quiet. No cookie stacks in front of him, no magazine in his hand—just an unusually pensive look on his face.

His eyes kept drifting across the room, locking on Hilary and Marcus, who were over by the kitchen counter. They were talking—and laughing. Hilary's hands moved dramatically as she told some story, and Marcus leaned against the counter, completely engaged, nodding and throwing in little comments that had her laughing even harder.

Will tilted his head, a slow grin spreading across his face. "Mm-hmm… I see what's going on here," he muttered under his breath.

Carlton, who was meticulously stacking his cookies into a perfectly symmetrical tower, glanced up. "What's going on? You finally realizing you're too loud for quiet rooms?"

Will ignored the jab, leaning back in his chair as his grin widened. "Man, I can't believe y'all haven't noticed this. I mean, I get that you're focused on your little cookie pyramid over there, but come on. Look at them." He gestured toward Hilary and Marcus.

Carlton blinked, confused. "Hilary and Marcus? What about them?"

Will rolled his eyes, gesturing emphatically now. "Hilary and Marcus have been vibing, Carlton! Look at the way they've been hanging out lately—talking, laughing, having inside jokes. They're practically inseparable now. Man, Hilary used to act like Marcus was radioactive, and now she's over here looking like she's auditioning for a rom-com."

Carlton frowned, looking over at them. "Okay… yeah, they have been talking a lot more. But that doesn't mean anything, Will."

Ashley, who had been reading her magazine, glanced up, intrigued. "Wait, are we talking about Hilary and Marcus? Because now that you mention it… they have been spending a lot of time together. I saw them in the backyard yesterday, sitting on the lounge chairs, just... chatting. No distractions. It was weird."

Will snapped his fingers, pointing at her. "See? Thank you, Ashley! Someone's paying attention. They're getting close—like, really close. And you were just sitting here, blind as a bat."

Carlton frowned "Excuse me, I'm not blind. I just didn't think it was worth analyzing every interaction."

Will leaned forward, his grin practically stretching off his face. "That's where you're wrong, Carlton. This isn't just an interaction—this is chemistry. This is sparks flying. This is destiny in the making."

Carlton groaned. "Oh no. Here we go."

Will ignored him, his voice rising with excitement. "And you know what destiny needs sometimes? A little push. A nudge in the right direction. That's where I come in."

Ashley raised an eyebrow. "Oh boy. Here comes the part where you turn into a disaster with legs."

Will grinned wider. "Y'all can clown me all you want, but I've got a sixth sense for this kind of thing. Hilary and Marcus are on the verge of something beautiful, and all they need is a little help getting there. That's my gift to the universe."

Carlton stared at him, deadpan. "Your 'gift to the universe'? Will, the last time you tried to 'help the universe,' you locked Geoffrey in the pantry because you thought he needed a time-out."

Ashley snorted. "And don't forget the time you accidentally set up a random pizza delivery guy with one of Mom's yoga friends."

Will waved them off. "Okay, first of all, that pizza guy had game. And second, this is different. This is Hilary and Marcus we're talking about. They're basically already a thing—they just don't know it yet. All I gotta do is connect the dots."

Ashley folded her arms, smirking. "And how exactly do you plan to 'connect the dots'?"

Will leaned back, looking smug. "Oh, I've got plans. Subtle moves. It's all about timing, Ashley. Timing and finesse."

Carlton gave him a flat look. "Will, you don't even know what finesse is."

Will grinned. "Man, you just wait. I'm gonna make this happen, and when it works, you'll be calling me Will-Cupid Smith."

Just then, Hilary and Marcus finished their conversation and started walking toward the table, still laughing at some joke. Will straightened up in his chair, his eyes gleaming with opportunity.

"Yo, Hil!" Will called out, his voice a little too loud. "I was just telling Carlton and Ashley how cool it is that you and Marcus have been hanging out more lately. Like, you two are really getting along better these days, huh?"

Hilary blinked, caught off guard. "Uh… yeah, I guess. We've been working on some things he needs to fix for me, so…"

Marcus, completely oblivious to the subtext, added. "Yeah, and Hilary's got all these creative ideas she wants to do in the pool house, and I'm just here to support. Teamwork, you know?"

Will's grin widened. "Teamwork, huh? That's what I'm saying—perfect balance. Like peanut butter and jelly!"

Hilary tilted her head, clearly puzzled. "Peanut butter and jelly? What are you even talking about, Will?"

Ashley covered her mouth to hide her laugh, while Carlton let out a low. "This is so painful to watch."

As Hilary and Marcus moved to the counter to grab plates, Will turned back to Carlton and Ashley, his grin widening. "Okay, so what's the plan? Y'all in or what?"

Carlton raised an eyebrow. "Why would I willingly join whatever nonsense you're cooking up?"

Will leaned closer, his voice lowering conspiratorially. "Because, Carlton, imagine the satisfaction of knowing you helped create the Banks family love story of the century. Plus, I know you love strategy. This is basically chess—except instead of pieces, we're working with people."

Carlton hesitated, looking skeptical but intrigued. "Chess, huh? Well… Idohave an undefeated record…"

Ashley smirked. "Fine, I'm in too. But only because this is going to be hilarious. And when it blows up in your face, I want a front-row seat."

Will clapped his hands, grinning triumphantly. "Now that's what I'm talking about! Operation Lovebirds is officially a go!"

As Hilary and Marcus remained blissfully unaware, Will, Carlton, and Ashley huddled together, already scheming.

A few days later, during winter break the afternoon sun was casting a warm glow over the living room where Will, Ashley, and Carlton were sprawled on the couch, locked in a heated debate over what to watch. Will had the remote, as usual, holding it hostage while Carlton threw in indignant protests about the lack of educational programming.

"C'mon, Carlton," Will groaned. "Not everyone wants to watch some PBS documentary about the mating habits of penguins. We're watchingYo! MTV Raps."

Ashley rolled her eyes, snatching a handful of popcorn from the bowl in front of her. "Both of you are wrong. Put on the movie channel… maybe they're playing that new romantic comedy my friends have been telling me about."

Will gave her a look. "Romantic comedy? Girl, you're losing street cred by the second."

Before Ashley could retort, the sound of heavy footsteps coming down the staircase turned all their heads. Marcus appeared, and they immediately noticed the tight frown on his face. He was usually composed, but this morning, he looked decidedly frazzled. He was tugging at the hem of his shirt, a dull brown button-up with an unfortunate plaid pattern that clung awkwardly to his muscular frame.

"Yo, Marcus," Will said, squinting at him. "What in the discount department store nightmare is that?"

Marcus groaned, adjusting his collar. "Don't start, man. I'm having a rough morning."

Will raised an eyebrow. "Okay, spill. Why do you look like you're on your way to sell vacuum cleaners door-to-door?"

Marcus sighed and dropped onto the armrest of the couch. "My only decent white shirt has a huge coffee stain on it. And I've got that mock plea for class today—you know, the one that determines half my grade? I don't have time to fix it, and this was the only shirt I could find."

Carlton smirked. "Marcus, we've got to talk about your wardrobe. That shirt is a crime, and I'm pretty sure Dad could prosecute it."

Will let out a loud laugh. "Man, if that's your lucky shirt, I'd hate to see your unlucky one."

Marcus glared at them, but before he could respond, Hilary strolled into the room. She was dressed impeccably, as usual, her outfit perfectly coordinated down to the last accessory.

She stopped mid-step when her eyes landed on Marcus.

"Oh, no," Hilary said, her tone filled with dismay. "Please tell me you're not planning to leave the house wearing that."

Marcus groaned and threw up his hands. "Thanks for the vote of confidence. It's not like I've got a ton of options right now."

Ashley chimed in, smirking. "You've got options. They're just all bad."

Marcus shot her a glare, but Hilary waved her hand dismissively. "Enough. Everybody, calm down. Marcus, take a deep breath. We're going to fix this."

"We are?" Marcus said, raising an eyebrow.

Hilary nodded with authority, already slipping into problem-solving mode. "Ashley, go upstairs and grab one of Daddy's ties. Will, get one of your white school shirts. It'll be a little snug, but it'll do."

Will stood, groaning dramatically. "Man, why do I gotta help? This is prime TV time."

Hilary gave him a pointed look. "Because if you don't, I'll tell dad you ate his sandwich yesterday and blamed it on Geoffrey."

Will's eyes widened. "Oh, so that's how it's gonna be? Fine, I'll get the shirt."

Ashley and Will darted off in opposite directions while Carlton stayed seated, watching the scene with a smug grin.

Marcus leaned back against the armrest. "This is a disaster. I'm gonna be late."

Hilary stepped closer, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Relax. You're not leaving this house looking like a thrift store mannequin. We've got a reputation to maintain here. I've got this under control."

Marcus met her gaze, and for a moment, the usual tension between them hung thick in the air. He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by the sound of Will's voice as he came back downstairs.

"Found it!" Will called, holding up a crisp white shirt. "It's fresh out of the laundry. Smells like roses… and a little desperation."

Ashley came down right behind him, a sleek navy tie in hand. "Here's the tie. Daddy's got way too many of these."

Hilary grabbed both items and turned to Marcus. "Okay, take off that awful shirt."

Marcus blinked. "What? Right here?"

"Yes, right here. We don't have time for modesty," she ordered.

Behind her, Will, Ashley, and Carlton exchanged grins, their amusement barely contained. Marcus hesitated but eventually pulled the ugly shirt over his head, exposing his toned physique. Ashley stifled a laugh, and Will nudged Carlton with his elbow.

"Oh my —" Hilary thought, a little flustered by the unexpected view.

"Man's been hitting the gym," Will whispered, snickering.

Marcus shot them a look. "I can hear you."

Hilary, oblivious to their antics, handed him the white shirt. "Here, put this on."

Marcus slipped into the shirt, the snug fit emphasizing his broad shoulders. Hilary stepped closer, draping the tie around his neck. As her hands worked to tie it, the room seemed to grow quieter. Marcus's breath hitched slightly as Hilary's fingers brushed against his collar. She was close enough that he caught the faint scent of her perfume.

"There," Hilary said softly, tightening the knot. "You look much better."

"Thanks," Marcus said, his voice lower than usual. Their eyes met for a brief second before he quickly glanced away.

Will, Ashley, and Carlton were all watching with barely concealed smirks. Ashley mimed snapping a photo, and Will pretended to wipe away a tear.

"This is beautiful," Will said dramatically.

Hilary turned to glare at them.

Marcus cleared his throat, grabbing his bag. "Alright, I've gotta go. Thanks, everyone. Seriously."

As he headed for the door, he gave Hilary one last glance. "And, uh… thanks, Hilary. For everything."

Hilary's lips curved into a small smile. "Good luck. You'll do great."

With that, Marcus rushed out, the door closing behind him. Hilary watched for a moment before turning back to the others.

"What?" she said, noticing their grins.

"Nothing," Ashley said innocently, though her smirk betrayed her. "Just that you… care a lot about Marcus."

Hilary scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. He needed help, and I'm not letting anyone I know go out badly dressed. That's all."

Will leaned back, crossing his arms. "Mmm-hmm. Sure. But you don't tie a tie like that for just anyone, Hilary."

Hilary rolled her eyes "You're all insufferable." She turned on her heel and marched out, leaving the trio chuckling behind her.

"I'm telling you," Will said. "There's something going on there."

Carlton shook his head. "Let's just hope Marcus survives the bar exam before Hilary gives him a heart attack."

Will grinned. "Let's plan something for Friday night and make that spark between them a thing. Uncle Phil and Aunt Viv will be out of town..."

"I'm all in !" Ashley exclaimed quickly followed by Carlton.