The room had grown quieter, the late afternoon slowly melting into the first hints of evening. A gentle dimness settled into Ethan's apartment, giving the space an intimate softness that wrapped around them like a hush.
Amelia was still in his arms—calm, settled, and unexpectedly at ease. Her cheek rested close to the hollow of his shoulder, and Ethan's hands held her with the same gentle certainty he'd shown from the moment she stepped inside.
She shifted lightly, her fingertips tracing the hem of his sleeve.
Ethan's breath hitched softly—not in surprise, but in awareness.
"You're thinking again," he murmured.
Amelia nodded.
"Yes."
"About what?"
She hesitated, then whispered,
"About how natural this feels."
Ethan's eyes softened instantly.
"Good."
She lifted her head slightly, enough to see him.
"Is it good for you too?"
Ethan didn't even pause.
"It's better than good."
Her pulse fluttered gently.
He adjusted his arm so she could lean more comfortably against him, moving with slow care that made her feel seen in every gesture.
"Amelia," he said softly, "you don't have to hold anything back right now. Whatever you feel… let it come."
She brushed her thumb along the edge of his jaw—a slow, careful touch.
Ethan stilled under her fingers, his breath deepening.
"I feel… drawn to you," she whispered.
"In a way that's soft but also… strong."
Ethan swallowed lightly.
"I'm drawn to you too."
"And it scares me a little," she admitted.
Ethan leaned his forehead gently against hers.
"Being scared doesn't mean it's wrong."
"I know," she breathed.
"I just… don't want to misread what this is."
He cupped her cheek with a tenderness that made her eyes flutter.
"You're not misreading anything," he said.
"This… what we're building… it's real."
Her breath trembled softly.
"You really want it to be?"
"I do," he murmured.
"With you. Only you."
Amelia's chest warmed deeply.
She lowered her gaze, her thumb brushing over the spot below his collarbone.
"And what if I want more closeness… but slowly?"
Ethan's voice dipped lower, gentler.
"Then slow is what we'll do."
"Really?" she asked softly.
Ethan's thumb brushed the curve of her jaw.
"I don't need fast. I need honest. And you're giving me that."
She leaned closer, resting her forehead against his shoulder this time, breathing him in.
"Ethan…" she whispered.
"Mm?"
"What does this feel like for you?"
He let out a breath that sounded like something unguarded.
"Like peace," he said quietly.
"Like something I don't want to end."
His hand slid lightly down her arm.
"Like something I could grow with."
Amelia's eyes softened.
"That's… bigger than what I expected."
"It doesn't have to overwhelm you," he murmured.
"We take it step by step."
She lifted her head again, meeting his gaze.
Her eyes were soft but steady.
"Can you tell me something honestly?" she asked.
"Always."
"When you look at me like this… what do you see?"
Ethan took a slow breath—deep, careful, sincere.
"I see someone brave," he said.
"Someone tender. Someone who's trying, even when she's scared."
His fingers brushed a curl from her cheek.
"And I see someone I'm starting to care about deeply."
Her chest tightened with warmth.
"And that doesn't scare you?" she whispered.
"No," Ethan said softly.
"It makes me want to show up for you even more."
Amelia felt her throat tighten—not painfully, but emotionally.
She leaned in again, her head resting over his heart.
Ethan's arms enveloped her—not pulling, not holding tightly—just protecting her with quiet certainty.
"You make it easy," she murmured.
"Make what easy?"
"Letting someone closer."
Ethan's breath softened.
"That means more than you know."
Another quiet moment stretched between them, warm and safe.
Then Amelia whispered,
"Can we stay like this a little longer?"
Ethan's chin brushed the top of her hair.
"As long as you want," he said.
"I'm not rushing a single second of this."
She closed her eyes, sinking fully into the safety of his presence.
And in that moment, Amelia knew—
this was no longer a fragile beginning.
This was the steady unfolding of something real.
Something she was finally ready to let in.