The night air greeted them softly, cool enough to make Amelia pull the coat a little tighter around her shoulders. Ethan noticed immediately and adjusted the lapel gently, making sure it wrapped snugly around her.
"Warm enough?" he asked quietly.
"Yes," she said.
"Thank you."
They started walking side-by-side down the dimly lit street. The nightlife was minimal—just the soft hum of distant conversations, muted car lights passing now and then, and the faint scent of rain still lingering in the air.
Amelia walked close to him—not pressed against him, but comfortably near, their arms brushing just enough to feel the warmth between them.
Ethan didn't rush their pace.
He matched her steps perfectly—slow, calm, steady.
After a while, Amelia asked softly:
"Did you enjoy tonight?"
Ethan didn't hesitate.
"More than you know."
She glanced up at him shyly.
"Why?"
"Because it was with you," he said simply.
Her cheeks warmed, and she looked ahead again, her voice small.
"You make everything sound so easy."
"That's because it feels easy with you," he replied.
Amelia's heart fluttered.
"Ethan… you're saying a lot of things that make me feel—"
He looked down at her gently.
"Too much?"
"No," she whispered.
"Not too much. Just… full."
He smiled softly at that.
"Then I'll keep talking."
She let out a breath of laughter—not loud, not dramatic, but soft and sincere.
They walked another block before Amelia spoke again.
"I haven't done something like this in a while," she admitted.
"What—dinner? Or letting someone walk you home?"
"Both."
Ethan's expression softened with quiet understanding.
"Then I'm honored," he murmured.
"You keep saying things that—"
She paused.
"That what?" he asked.
"That make me feel seen," she whispered.
Ethan slowed his steps until they were almost standing still.
He turned to face her, his expression serious but warm.
"You are seen, Amelia," he said softly.
"And I'm not going to look away."
Her breath trembled at the weight of his words.
He reached for her hand—slowly, giving her every second to pull away.
She didn't.
Their fingers laced together naturally, as if they had been learning each other's rhythm for years.
Amelia looked down at their joined hands, then back up at him.
"Ethan… are you always like this?" she asked.
"Like what?"
"Steady. Gentle. Careful."
"No," he said quietly.
"I'm like this with you."
Her heart tightened in the sweetest way.
They resumed walking, hands intertwined, moving through the quiet night like they were creating their own small world.
After a moment, Amelia spoke again—soft, hesitant.
"Can I ask something?"
Ethan nodded.
"Anything."
"When you look at me," she whispered, "what do you see?"
Ethan's answer came without pause.
"I see someone brave," he said gently.
"I see someone who's learning to open her heart again."
His voice lowered.
"And I see someone I'm falling for, slowly and completely."
Amelia stopped walking.
Her breath caught, her heart thudding in her chest.
Ethan turned to her immediately, concern flickering across his face.
"Too much?" he asked softly.
She shook her head.
"No. It's just…
no one's ever said things like that to me."
Ethan stepped closer—just enough for warmth, never crowding her.
"I mean every word," he whispered.
Amelia took a shaky breath, her voice trembling a little.
"I'm falling too…
and I don't know how to control it."
Ethan reached up very slowly, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"You don't need to control it," he said softly.
"Just feel it. Let it happen at your pace."
Her eyes shimmered with emotion.
"Ethan…"
"Yes?"
"If I keep falling… will you catch me?"
Ethan's voice went low, warm, and steady.
"Every time."
The air between them grew full—
soft, charged, tender.
Without thinking, Amelia leaned in just half an inch.
Not for a kiss, not for anything too rushed—
but simply drawn by the warmth of him.
Ethan stilled, breath catching, eyes softening.
"Come here," he whispered gently.
Amelia stepped forward and rested her forehead lightly against his chest—her favorite place now.
He wrapped his arms around her slowly, tenderly, as if holding something precious.
They stood there in the quiet street—
a soft glow from the streetlamp above them,
their breaths mingling,
their hearts syncing into a slow, steady rhythm.
After a long, peaceful moment, Ethan pressed his cheek against her hair.
"I like this," he murmured.
"What?" she whispered.
"You. Close to me."
He tightened his arms just a little.
"And trusting me with your heart."
Amelia closed her eyes, allowing herself to sink into the moment fully.
"I don't trust easily," she whispered.
"I know," he said.
"That's why it means something."
She exhaled softly.
"Keep staying," she murmured.
"I will," he whispered against her hair.
"As long as you want me."
And under the quiet night sky,
with his arms around her and her heart opening slowly,
Amelia knew she wanted him for a long, long time.