The Question

They walked without talking for a bit. The path stayed quiet. Just their shoes on the concrete and the wind in the trees. Alex kept his eyes on the ground. His chest felt tight the whole time. He had been thinking about this since the hallway. Since she touched his arm like she didn’t want to let go. Since this morning when she had been naked against him and said those words.

He couldn’t keep wondering. He had to know.

He stopped. Mia stopped too and turned to face him. Her hand was still close to his side.

“What are we?” he said. The words came out flat and too loud. His face went hot right away. “I mean… after last night. And waking up like that. Are we together? Or is this just… I don’t know. What is this?”

Mia looked at him. Her eyes went soft. She didn’t laugh or look away. She stepped in closer until there was almost no space between them.

“I want to be with you,” she said. Her voice was quiet but clear. “Like really together. Boyfriend and girlfriend. If that’s what you want too.”

She reached out and took his hand. Her fingers slid between his and held on tight. Warm. Steady. She didn’t let go.

Alex stared at their hands. Then at her face. She was smiling a little. Shy but sure. Like she had been waiting for him to ask.

“I want that,” he said. His voice cracked a bit. “I’ve wanted that for months.”

She squeezed his hand. “Good. Because I have too. I was just scared to say it first.”

They stood there on the path holding hands. Alex felt the relief hit him like a wave. But right behind it came the old doubt. What if she changed her mind tomorrow? What if being official made everything weird again? What if the “I love you” had just been the heat of the moment after all that waiting?

Mia didn’t let go of his hand. She moved even closer. Her body brushed against his arm. He could feel her warmth through his shirt.

“I like all of it with you,” she said. “Not just the sex. The quiet stuff too. Waking up with you. Studying with you. Walking like this.”

His face burned at the word sex. But it also sent heat straight down his body. He remembered the way she had moved under him last night. The way she had sounded when she came. He shifted his weight and hoped she didn’t notice how hard it made him. He felt guilty for thinking about it right now when she was being so sweet. But he couldn’t stop.

She looked up at him. Her thumb rubbed slow circles on the back of his hand.

“Want to go back to my place?” she asked. “We don’t have to do anything. Just hang out. Watch something. Or not watch anything.”

He nodded fast. “Yeah. I want to.”

They started walking again. This time she kept his hand in hers. It felt different now. Real. Her fingers stayed laced with his the whole way to the bus stop. Every few steps her shoulder bumped his. She didn’t pull away.

Alex’s head was loud. They were together. Official. She wanted him the same way he wanted her. But his brain still picked at it. What if he messed it up? What if he got too needy or said the wrong thing? He had waited so long for this. Now that it was here it felt too big to hold.

At the bus stop she stood close. Her hip rested against his side while they waited. She didn’t talk much. Just smiled at him every time he looked down. Small smiles that made his chest hurt in a good way.

The bus came. They got on and sat in the back like they had this morning. Her knee pressed against his again. This time she didn’t move it. Her hand stayed in his on the seat between them.

Alex looked out the window but all he could think about was her. Her hand in his. The way she had said she wanted to be with him. The memory of her body tangled with his in bed this morning kept coming back. It made him ache. He wanted to be alone with her again. Wanted to hear her say his name like that. But he also just wanted to hold her. To make sure this was really happening.

Mia leaned her head against his shoulder for a second. Soft. Like it was the most natural thing.

“I’m glad you asked,” she whispered.

He swallowed. His throat felt thick. “Me too.”

The bus kept moving. Alex held her hand tighter. He still didn’t know what came next. But for the first time in a long time he let himself hope it was something good. Something that lasted.

Even if his head wouldn’t fully shut up.