Morning sunlight spilled through the thin curtains of Lila's living room, soft and golden. Jade blinked awake, momentarily disoriented until the gentle rise and fall beneath her cheek reminded her—she had fallen asleep on Lila.
Her head was resting on Lila's chest, their bodies tangled together on the couch, still wrapped in blankets from the stormy night before. For a second, Jade considered sitting up, moving away, pretending like nothing had happened. But then she heard Lila's steady heartbeat beneath her ear and thought… maybe she didn't want to move.
"Good morning," Lila's sleepy voice broke the silence. Her arms shifted, pulling Jade closer instead of letting go.
Jade tilted her head up. "Morning. Sorry, I must've knocked out on you."
"Mm," Lila hummed, her eyes still half-closed, her smile lazy. "Best sleep I've had in ages. You're like… the perfect pillow."
Jade snorted. "That's not exactly flattering."
"Oh, it is," Lila teased, tightening her hold. "Soft, warm, and I don't ever want to let go."
Heat rose to Jade's cheeks. She tried to hide it by burying her face back into Lila's shirt, but that only made Lila laugh softly, her chest vibrating beneath Jade's cheek.
"You're blushing," Lila said, smug.
"I'm not," Jade mumbled, her voice muffled.
"You so are." Lila tilted Jade's chin up with a finger, their eyes meeting. "Adorable."
Jade swatted her hand away, though her lips curved into a smile she couldn't fight. "You're insufferable."
"And yet, here you are," Lila countered, brushing a strand of hair from Jade's face. The simple gesture sent Jade's pulse racing, and for a moment, everything stilled—their breathing, the world outside, even the sun seemed to pause.
Jade's gaze flickered down to Lila's lips, then darted back up quickly. Had Lila noticed?
Yes. She definitely had.
"You were looking," Lila whispered, voice laced with amusement.
"I was not," Jade shot back too quickly, her cheeks on fire.
"You were," Lila teased, her grin wicked. She leaned closer, so close Jade could feel her breath against her skin. "Do you want to?"
Jade froze, her thoughts scrambling. Want what? She knew what, but hearing it whispered like that made her entire body light up.
"I—" Jade started, then stopped, unable to form words.
Lila's smile softened. "Relax, Jade. I'm not rushing you." She leaned back slightly, giving space. "But you're not the only one feeling this, okay?"
The sincerity in her voice settled something inside Jade. She wasn't imagining it. She wasn't crazy. The tension, the teasing, the spark—it was real.
To cover her nerves, Jade grabbed a throw pillow and hugged it to her chest. "You're way too confident for your own good."
"Confident?" Lila arched an eyebrow. "Or observant?"
Jade rolled her eyes, though she couldn't suppress her grin. "Both."
They shifted into lighter conversation as the morning stretched on, making breakfast together in the kitchen. Lila teased Jade's clumsy pancake flips, and Jade retaliated by smearing a streak of batter on Lila's cheek. Lila gasped dramatically, chasing Jade around the counter until they both doubled over laughing, breathless.
When they finally sat down to eat, their knees brushed under the table, neither of them moving away. The little touches—casual, unspoken—kept sending sparks through Jade's body.
After breakfast, they returned to the couch, this time deliberately close. Jade curled her legs beneath her, leaning against Lila with practiced ease, as though they'd done this a hundred times before.
"You're getting comfortable," Lila teased, draping an arm over Jade's shoulders.
"Maybe I am," Jade replied, surprising herself with the boldness. She tilted her face up just enough to catch Lila's reaction.
Lila's grin turned slow, approving. "Careful. Keep talking like that and I might think you actually like me."
"Maybe I do," Jade whispered, her heart racing at her own daring.
Silence fell, heavy but charged. Lila's hand slid down from Jade's shoulder to her hand, their fingers brushing before intertwining. Jade's breath caught at the simple, intimate gesture.
"You know," Lila said softly, her voice lower now, "you don't have to hide it. Not from me."
Jade squeezed her hand, unsure of what to say. Her chest ached with wanting—wanting to say it, wanting to close the gap, wanting to stop pretending she didn't feel this way.
But instead, she laughed nervously. "You're way too good at making me nervous."
"That's because I like watching you blush," Lila teased, leaning in close enough that her lips nearly grazed Jade's cheek.
Jade's heart pounded. For one dizzying second, she thought Lila might kiss her. But at the very last moment, Lila brushed her lips against Jade's temple instead, lingering there before pulling back with a satisfied smile.
"Almost," Lila whispered.
Jade groaned, covering her face with her free hand. "You're evil."
"Maybe," Lila said, squeezing her hand. "But you like it."
Jade peeked at her through her fingers, laughing despite herself. "Unfortunately, yes."
And there it was again—that dangerous, thrilling almost.
Not yet. But soon.
—