the next morning rolled in quietly, the kind of soft-light sunrise that looked almost unreal through sara's curtains. she blinked awake slowly, still wrapped in the stubborn warmth of sleep. her mind took a second to catch up… and then it hit her like a shy explosion.
last night.
leo.
the corridor.
his voice.
his confession-that-wasn't-a-confession.
her almost-answer.
her heartbeat picked up before she even moved.
sara sat up, pushing her hair back, trying to ground herself. she felt lighter and heavier at the same time, like her chest was full of clouds and stones. she kept replaying the moment he'd looked at her with that serious softness—like he wasn't scared of the truth at all.
she wasn't used to feelings being this loud.
after a long shower and a messy attempt at breakfast, she left for school earlier than usual. she thought she'd be the first one there.
she was wrong.
leo was already leaning against the school gate.
he looked up the second she appeared.
his eyes softened. no teasing smirk today. just that grounded, steady look that made her stomach feel like it was flipping its own pages.
"you're early," she said, trying not to sound breathless.
"you too," he said. "wonder why."
she gave him the smallest glare, and he chuckled.
"don't start," she muttered.
"you started it," he said. "by thinking about me all morning."
her face burned. "leo—"
"don't deny it," he said, stepping closer. "i did too."
her breath caught because he said it so casually, like it wasn't something heavy and earth-shifting.
she looked away. "can we just… go inside?"
"lead the way," he said gently.
they walked in together—too close to be "just classmates," not close enough to break the tension humming between them like electricity.
---
the classroom silence
sara slipped into her usual seat, expecting leo to go to his. but he didn't. he walked right past his row and sat beside her, calmly, like this was completely normal.
sara stared at him.
he stared back, unbothered.
"what are you doing?" she whispered.
"sitting," he said.
"in my row?"
"i felt like sitting here today."
"leo."
he leaned a little closer. "unless you want me to move?"
she swallowed. "no. i didn't say that."
his eyes flickered, amused and warm. "good."
mr. fernandez walked in a minute later, raising an eyebrow at the seating change, but didn't say a word. he just smirked like he knew exactly what was going on.
traitor.
throughout the lesson, leo whispered little comments to her—nothing romantic, nothing dramatic, just small things to pull her attention.
he tapped her notebook once. "you're zoning out."
"stop noticing everything," she whispered.
"never happening," he whispered back.
and somehow… that made her smile.
---
lunch — the shift becomes real
after morning classes, sara headed to the courtyard. she grabbed her usual spot under the tree. she expected leo to show up—he always did now.
but this time, he did something different.
he sat closer than yesterday.
so close their knees brushed.
sara stiffened, but he didn't move away. neither did she.
he opened his lunch box, glancing sideways at her. "you're quiet."
"i'm… thinking."
"about me?"
"leo!"
"okay, okay," he said, laughing softly. "i'll behave."
but he didn't move his knee away.
sara took a careful bite of her food. nothing tasted normal. everything tasted like nerves.
finally, he said, "yesterday. when i said i wasn't letting you go… did that bother you?"
she froze.
it didn't bother her.
it terrified her.
it thrilled her.
it made her want to stay.
"it didn't bother me," she said quietly.
"then what?"
she hesitated. "it made things… real."
leo looked at her for a long moment, expression unreadable.
then he whispered, "good."
her pulse jumped.
"why?" she whispered.
he leaned just slightly closer. "because i'm not pretending anymore. and neither are you."
she looked down quickly. she didn't trust her voice.
leo let the silence sit for a moment before speaking again. "sara."
she turned to him slowly.
"whatever this is," he said, "it's moving. we're moving. and i'm not scared of it."
her breath caught.
"are you?" he asked.
she swallowed. "i don't know."
"it's fine if you are," he said softly. "we'll go slow."
the way he said we made her stomach tumble in soft spirals.
---
after-school — walking home again
the school bell rang, and students poured out like a river.
leo walked next to her naturally, like it was their thing now. sara didn't complain.
they walked quietly for a while, the kind of silence that wasn't awkward but charged with everything unspoken.
finally, he said, "can i ask you something?"
"depends."
he smirked. "don't worry. nothing scary."
"okay… ask."
he kicked a small stone along the road, hands in his pockets. "do you regret yesterday? the hallway."
her chest tightened. "no."
"good," he said softly. "because i've been replaying it all night."
sara nearly tripped. "leo—!"
he laughed gently. "i'm serious."
she didn't know what to say. he kept walking, giving her time, not demanding anything.
they reached the place where their paths split—his road to the left, hers to the right.
like always, he stopped first.
"same time tomorrow?" he asked.
"yeah," she whispered.
he nodded… but didn't walk away immediately.
he looked at her like the moment mattered.
and maybe it did.
"goodnight, sara," he murmured.
her heart raced. "goodnight."
he took one step back, then another, eyes still on her, then finally turned and walked home.
sara stood still long after he disappeared.
because today, something shifted.
not loud, not dramatic.
quiet. steady. intentional.
they weren't dancing around the truth anymore.
they were walking into it.
together.