The space between them felt fragile.
Like if either of them breathed wrong, it would shatter.
"I don't want this to be something we laugh about later," he repeated softly.
Her heart was racing so loudly she was sure he could hear it.
"Then what do you want it to be?" she asked again, quieter this time.
He hesitated.
Not because he didn't know.
But because saying it meant there was no taking it back.
"I like you," he said finally.
The words landed gently.
Not dramatic.
Not rushed.
Just honest.
Her breath caught.
"I've liked you for a while," he continued, voice steadier now. "Before the fall. Before any of that."
Her fingers trembled slightly at her sides.
"You're always…" He paused, searching for the right words. "You're always so focused. And you tuck your hair behind your ear when you're nervous. And you pretend not to notice things, but you notice everything."
Her eyes widened slightly.
He gave a small, embarrassed smile. "I notice you."
The room felt warmer.
"I didn't say anything because…" He let out a soft laugh. "I'm not exactly great at this."
She almost smiled.
"I thought you were out of my league," he admitted.
She blinked rapidly. "What?"
"You're smart. And you actually talk to people without sounding like you're being forced at gunpoint."
She stared at him. "You think I'm out of your league?"
"Yes."
Her mouth fell open slightly.
"That's ridiculous," she whispered.
"So is thinking I am," he replied quietly.
They both paused.
The realization that they had both been equally insecure made something soften between them.
He rubbed the back of his neck, nerves creeping in again.
"I was scared," he admitted. "Scared you'd think I was assuming too much. Scared I'd make things awkward. Scared you'd avoid me."
She winced slightly at that.
"I already overthink everything," he added. "If you had said no, I wouldn't have handled it well."
Her chest tightened.
"When we fell…" he continued, voice lowering, "I didn't move because I didn't want to."
Her breath hitched.
"I didn't pull away because I didn't want to."
The honesty in his tone made her throat feel tight.
"And when you ran," he said, swallowing, "I thought I ruined it."
Silence.
Heavy and full.
"I didn't regret it," he said again, softer. "I just didn't know if you did."
Her eyes burned slightly.
"I like you," he said finally, clearly this time. "Not because of the fall. Not because of some dramatic moment. I just… do. I like being around you. I like talking to you. I like the way you laugh when you forget to hold it in."
She couldn't breathe properly.
"I don't want to leave this room pretending I don't," he finished.
The silence afterward wasn't awkward.
It was waiting.
He looked at her carefully.
"I need you to be honest with me," he said quietly. "Even if it's not what I want to hear."
Her heart squeezed painfully at that.
Because she knew what he was afraid of.
She knew because she'd been afraid of the same thing.
"You really thought I regretted it?" she asked softly.
He nodded once.
"I thought you were embarrassed."
She shook her head slowly.
"I ran because I panicked," she admitted. "Everyone was coming. And my brain just—shut down."
He watched her carefully.
"I've liked you too," she said before she could lose the courage.
The words left her in a rush.
Silence.
His eyes widened slightly.
"What?"
She swallowed.
"I've liked you for a while."
He stared at her like he wasn't sure he heard correctly.
"You're tall and quiet and you look intimidating, but you help people when no one's looking," she said, voice steadier now. "And you always slow down when you pass by me in the hallway."
His ears turned red.
"I notice you too," she added softly.
Something in his expression changed.
Hope.
Disbelief.
Relief.
"I thought you'd never look at me like that," she confessed. "I thought I was just… background."
"You're not," he said immediately.
"I thought you were just being nice when you caught me," she continued. "I didn't think it meant anything."
"It meant everything," he admitted.
Her heart stuttered again.
She stepped a little closer.
"I didn't pull away either," she said quietly.
The air shifted.
The memory passed between them again—warmer now, less chaotic.
"And I haven't stopped thinking about it," she finished.
He let out a breath he'd been holding for what felt like days.
"So…" he said softly, almost laughing at the absurdity of it all. "We've both just been suffering for no reason."
She smiled.
"Pretty much."
A small silence followed.
Not tense.
Not fragile.
Just full of realization.
He looked at her carefully.
"So what does that mean?"
She tilted her head slightly.
"What do you want it to mean?"
He hesitated.
Then decided he was done hesitating.
"I want you," he said quietly. "Not in a dramatic way. Not in a rush. Just… I want this. With you."
Her chest felt light.
Like something heavy had been lifted.
"I want that too," she admitted.
His lips parted slightly.
"You do?"
"Yes."
The word was simple.
But it changed everything.
A slow smile spread across his face.
The kind that reached his eyes.
And she realized—
She had never seen him smile like that before.
"Does that mean…" he started carefully, "we're…?"
She laughed softly.
"Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?"
He rubbed the back of his neck again, but he didn't look away this time.
"Yeah. I am."
Her heart felt like it might burst.
"Yes," she said.
The answer came without hesitation.
His shoulders relaxed instantly.
Like he'd been carrying something heavy for months.
"Yeah?" he repeated softly.
"Yeah."
The word hung between them like a promise.
They both laughed quietly.
Not because it was funny.
But because it was surreal.
Three hours earlier, they were pretending nothing happened.
Now—
Everything had changed.
"I can't believe our friends locked us in a storage closet," she said, shaking her head.
He huffed softly. "I might thank them later."
She smiled.
"Maybe."
A quiet pause settled.
They were closer now.
Not touching.
Just closer.
The air felt different.
Lighter.
Warmer.
He hesitated again.
But this time it wasn't fear.
It was consideration.
"Can I ask you something?" he said softly.
She nodded.
"Can I kiss you?"
Her breath caught.
Not from shock.
Not from panic.
From the gentleness in the question.
He wasn't assuming.
He wasn't rushing.
He was asking.
"Yes," she whispered.
The word felt steady.
Certain.
He stepped closer slowly.
Giving her time.
Giving her space to change her mind.
She didn't.
Her hands rested lightly against his chest.
His hands hovered for a second—
Then settled gently at her waist.
Careful.
Not pulling.
Just there.
He leaned in slowly.
No slipping.
No falling.
No chaos.
Just choice.
Their lips met softly.
Not rushed.
Not accidental.
Intentional.
Warm.
The world didn't spin.
It didn't explode.
It just… settled.
Like something finally clicked into place.
She felt him smile slightly against her lips.
She smiled too.
When they pulled back, their foreheads rested lightly together.
Both breathing softly.
Both smiling.
"That was better than falling," he murmured.
She laughed quietly.
"Much better."
They stayed like that for a moment.
Just existing in the quiet.
Three hours of almost.
Finally turning into something real.
Outside the storeroom—
Very faintly—
Someone coughed dramatically.
They both froze.
Then looked at each other.
Then laughed.
"I think we're free," she whispered.
"Yeah," he said softly.
But neither of them moved toward the door just yet.
Because for the first time—
They weren't almost anymore.