𝙀𝙧𝙞𝙣 𝙋𝙊𝙑:
After we left the café, the air felt colder, but in that crisp, refreshing kind of way. Arthur had his hands stuffed in his jacket pockets, and every now and then, his arm would brush against mine as we walked. I liked it — the easy silence between us, the way he didn't feel the need to fill every second with conversation.

"Do you, um..." I started, suddenly feeling a little nervous. "Do you wanna come back to mine for a bit?"

Arthur glanced over at me, clearly surprised. "Oh! Yeah, sure — if you're sure?"

"Yeah," I smiled. "I mean... unless you've got somewhere to be?"

He shook his head. "Nope. I'm all yours."

My flat wasn't far, and when we stepped inside, I kicked my shoes off and tossed my bag on the side. Arthur hovered awkwardly near the door, clearly unsure what to do with himself.

"You can sit down, you know," I laughed, shrugging off my coat.

"Oh! Right, yeah," he said quickly, heading to the sofa.

"Want a coffee?" I asked, heading toward the kitchen before I realized what I'd just said. I turned back to him with a grin. "Wait... why did I just ask that? We literally just had one."

Arthur laughed, a warm, genuine sound that instantly put me at ease. "I mean... I wouldn't say no to another one."

I shook my head, still smiling, and flicked the kettle on.

When I came back with two mugs, Arthur had made himself comfortable on the sofa, flicking through TV channels.

"Anything good on?" I asked, handing him his coffee.

"Not really," he said. "We might have to settle for some terrible reality show."

"Oh, perfect," I grinned, dropping down beside him. "I love trash TV."

We ended up watching some chaotic dating show — one of those where no one seems to be there for the right reasons — and the more ridiculous it got, the more we laughed. Somewhere between the terrible pickup lines and over-the-top drama, I realized how easy this all felt.

Arthur wasn't trying too hard. He wasn't acting like someone else or putting on a front — he was just... him. And I liked that.

Eventually, Arthur checked the time and sighed. "I should probably head off."

"Oh," I said, trying not to sound disappointed. "Yeah, of course."

I followed him to the door, hugging my arms across my chest as he slipped on his jacket.

"This was really nice," Arthur said, stuffing his hands back in his pockets.

"Yeah," I agreed. "It was."

For a second, we just stood there, both of us hovering in that awkward moment where you're not sure if you're supposed to say something else or just leave.

"Well..." Arthur started, scratching the back of his neck.

Before I could overthink it, I leaned in and kissed him. It wasn't anything dramatic — just a soft, quick kiss — but it still made my stomach flip.

When I pulled back, Arthur looked a little stunned, but then his face broke into that warm smile of his.

"We should do this again soon," he said, his voice softer than before.

"I'd like that," I said, smiling back.

"Good," Arthur grinned. "I'll message you."

And with that, he headed down the hall, glancing back once to wave before disappearing around the corner.

I shut the door, still smiling to myself. Yeah... I'd definitely like to do this again.