We walked in comfortable silence, wandering aimlessly with no real destination in mind. The city was buzzing around us—cars rolling past, people chattering, the faint scent of street food drifting in the air. Astrid held onto my arm, our fingers intertwined, her grip light but steady.

  I gnced down at our hands and felt something stir in my chest—something new. A warmth, an awareness.

  It was a strange feeling.

  I wondered if it was new for her too.

  Probably not.

  She had dated before. Maybe this—holding hands, casual touches, comfortable silence—was something she had already done a hundred times.

  Maybe this feeling I was experiencing for the first time… was old for her.

  My stomach twisted slightly.

  I bit my lip, trying to shake the thought, but it was already digging in like a splinter.

  What if this was temporary?

  What if I was just another guy in Astrid’s history?

  My grip on her hand unconsciously tightened.

  Astrid immediately noticed.

  She stopped walking, tugging me to a halt.

  Her blue eyes met my dark brown ones, searching. “What’s wrong?”

  I blinked. I could lie. Say it was nothing. But that wasn’t me.

  And Astrid didn’t deserve that.

  I exhaled, looking away. “Just… got to thinking.”

  Astrid tilted her head, frowning slightly. “Thinking about what?”

  I hesitated.

  If I said it out loud, it would feel real.

  “What?” she pressed, her voice quieter now. Concern edged into her expression. “Are you having second thoughts? About me? About us?”

  There was a flicker of something in her eyes—something uncertain.

  I shook my head quickly. “No, no… it’s nothing. Just me being stupid.”

  I forced a smile. “Never mind.”

  She didn’t buy it.

  “Henry.”

  I swallowed.

  “Tell me.” Her fingers squeezed mine gently, grounding me. “What is it?”

  I let out a slow breath.

  “I just… I mean…” I struggled for the words, my voice quieter now. “You’re my first girlfriend.”

  Astrid hummed in acknowledgment. “Hmm… yeah. Your first and st, because you won’t ever be rid of me.”

  Her tone was teasing, but her grip on my hand didn’t loosen.

  I let out a small huff, rolling my eyes. “That’s not what I meant.”

  “Then what?”

  I hesitated, then finally admitted, “I just got a little insecure all of a sudden… like, maybe what I’m feeling right now—you’ve felt this a lot of times before—”

  Astrid’s expression shifted.

  And then, without hesitation—without even blinking—she cut me off.

  “You’re wrong.”

  Astrid stepped closer, her fingers tightening around mine.

  “You’re so wrong,” she repeated, her voice firm, leaving no room for argument.

  I swallowed, feeling strangely exposed under her gaze. “I just meant—”

  “I know what you meant,” she interrupted, her eyes locked onto mine. “And you’re still wrong.”

  Her grip didn’t loosen. If anything, she held onto me even tighter, like she was afraid I’d slip away if she let go.

  I exhaled slowly, my chest tightening. “Astrid…”

  She shook her head, cutting me off again.

  “Yeah, I’ve dated before,” she admitted. “I’ve held hands with other people, kissed other people. I’ve done the whole ‘retionship’ thing before.”

  The words should have stung.

  But then she stepped closer, closing the st bit of space between us, and suddenly, nothing else mattered except the way she was looking at me.

  “But,” she continued, softer now, “none of it ever felt like this.”

  I felt my breath catch.

  She tilted her head, scanning my face like she was trying to memorize every part of it.

  “I’ve never been in a retionship that made me feel this much before,” she murmured. “I’ve never wanted something this much before.”

  I stared at her.

  She was serious.

  There was no teasing, no sarcasm, no pyful smirk.

  Just honesty.

  A lump formed in my throat.

  I tried to speak, but nothing came out.

  Astrid sighed, her expression softening.

  “Henry,” she murmured, squeezing my hand again. “You’re not just some guy to me. You’re the guy.”

  My heartbeat stuttered.

  Astrid let out a quiet breath, like she was steadying herself, before continuing.

  “I know you overthink things,” she said. “I know you’re probably convincing yourself that you’re just another name on some imaginary list in my past.”

  She shook her head.

  “But you need to understand something.”

  Her other hand lifted, fingers brushing against my cheek, gently.

  “You’re the first person I’ve ever looked at and thought… this is it.”

  I inhaled sharply.

  Astrid never hesitated. She never second-guessed herself.

  But right now—right now, her voice was softer, her thumb trembling slightly against my skin, her eyes wide and unguarded in a way I had never seen before.

  She wasn’t just saying this.

  She meant it.

  I swallowed thickly.

  I had no idea what to do with this feeling, this overwhelming warmth crawling under my skin like something permanent, something I couldn’t run from even if I wanted to.

  Astrid smiled—small, real.

  “I chose you, Henry,” she whispered. “Not because I was lonely. Not because I was bored. But because you make me feel things no one else ever has.”

  I clenched my jaw, feeling way too much all at once.

  I was terrible at emotions. I didn’t know how to respond to this, didn’t know how to handle the weight of what she was telling me.

  But I knew one thing.

  I wanted to believe her.

  Astrid let out a quiet ugh, dropping her forehead against mine. “God, I hate that you made me say all that,” she muttered, still slightly breathless.

  I exhaled shakily, my fingers curling around hers.

  “I’m gd you did,” I murmured back.

  She stilled.

  Then—

  She beamed.

  “Oh my God, Henry,” she gasped dramatically. “Are you finally catching feelings?”

  I groaned, dragging a hand down my face. “Astrid, I swear to God—”

  She ughed loudly, her arms wrapping around my neck as she hugged me tightly.

  And despite my overwhelming need to be annoyed at her teasing—

  I hugged her back.

  She was soft, warm, and intoxicatingly beautiful.

  We stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms, simply enjoying each other’s warmth, ignoring the throng of people passing by. Somewhere in the distance, I vaguely registered the shuffle of footsteps, the murmur of voices, but none of it mattered.

  All I could focus on was her.

  My heart pounded, a steady, happy rhythm that echoed through my entire body. I felt weightless, like I might float away from the sheer intensity of emotions washing over me—the emotions she was making me feel.

  Just like that, all my insecurities, all my doubts, were swept away.

  Then, something cold touched my skin.

  I frowned slightly, gncing up.

  Dark clouds had rolled in, unnoticed until now. The first raindrops fell lightly, barely more than a mist, but they quickly gathered strength, dotting the pavement in uneven patches.

  “Astrid…” I murmured.

  “Hmm?” she hummed zily, her breath warm against my colrbone. She snuggled closer, her arms tightening around me like she had no intention of moving.

  A small, helpless smile tugged at my lips.

  I wasn’t sure if it was possible for a single person to make you feel like home, but Astrid did.

  The rain picked up, the droplets growing fatter and colder as they spttered against my skin.

  I sighed. “Astrid, we should move. We’re gonna get soaked.”

  She hummed noncommittally against my chest, making zero effort to budge.

  I exhaled, tilting my head to look down at her. “Astrid.”

  “No,” she mumbled.

  I blinked. “No?”

  She clung to me tighter, burying her face against my shoulder. “I like it here.”

  I let out a breathy chuckle. “We’re literally standing in the middle of the street, in the rain.”

  “Mhm.”

  I scoffed lightly. “You are aware that normal people would seek shelter, right?”

  “Good thing I’m not normal,” she muttered, her voice muffled against me.

  I sighed, my lips twitching. “You’re ridiculous.”

  She finally lifted her head, her blue eyes locking onto mine, soft and dreamy, her damp shes sticking together in tiny clumps.

  “But you like that about me,” she said, her voice teasing, but her expression was something else entirely.

  Something vulnerable.

  Something honest.

  I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry despite the rain dripping from my hair.

  “Yeah,” I admitted quietly. “I do.”

  Her lips parted slightly, her gaze flickering down to my mouth.

  A single raindrop slid down the curve of her cheek, clinging to the corner of her lips like it didn’t want to let go.

  Neither did I.

  I lifted a hand, brushing the damp strands of hair away from her forehead. She tilted her head into my touch, sighing contentedly, her fingers still tangled in the fabric of my shirt.

  “Henry,” she murmured.

  “Yeah?”

  Her lips curled, and before I could process it, she suddenly leaned up and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to the underside of my jaw.

  I froze.

  My brain short-circuited entirely.

  By the time I rebooted, she was already resting her head back against my chest, her arms still zily wrapped around me.

  “You’re warm,” she mumbled, nuzzling against me like a cat seeking heat.

  I swallowed thickly, ignoring the very obvious fact that my heart was currently trying to break out of my ribcage.

  The rain continued to fall, heavier now, the drops drumming against our skin, soaking through our clothes, making everything feel slow and soft and weightless.

  I sighed, shaking my head. “You really don’t want to move, huh?”

  She grinned against my chest. “Nope.”

  I huffed a quiet ugh, wrapping my arms around her properly.

  “Fine,” I murmured. “We’ll stay.”

  Astrid hummed in satisfaction, her fingers zily tracing the back of my neck.

  The rain fell harder, drenching us completely, but neither of us moved.

  Astrid clung to me, her face still buried against my chest, her breath warm even as the cold water trickled down our skin.

  I exhaled slowly, my arms tightening around her. “Astrid…”

  “Hmm?” she hummed, completely content, like she could stay wrapped around me forever.

  I swallowed, my heart hammering against my ribs.

  I couldn’t think straight.

  Everything—her warmth, the way she held me like I belonged to her, the way the rain blurred the world around us—was making it impossible to focus on anything but her.

  I pulled back slightly, just enough to see her face.

  Astrid blinked up at me, her blue eyes hazy, her lips slightly parted.

  The rain clung to her shes, her cheeks flushed despite the cold. Her damp hair stuck to her forehead, strands curling against her skin in a way that made my chest ache.

  She was beautiful. God, she was beautiful.

  And she was mine.

  I lifted a hand, my fingers brushing over her jaw, tracing the raindrops that dripped down her cheek.

  She didn’t move.

  She just stared at me, like she was waiting.

  Like she knew.

  I swallowed hard. “I—”

  Before I could even finish my sentence, she grabbed my colr and yanked me down, crashing her lips against mine.

  The world tilted.

  I barely had time to react before she was kissing me hungrily, her hands tangling in my wet hair, pulling me closer, deeper, like she was desperate—like she needed this as much as I did.

  I let out a sharp breath against her mouth, my hands sliding down her waist, gripping onto her like I was afraid she’d slip away.

  The rain poured around us, cold and relentless, but she was warm, soft, fierce.

  I kissed her back—slowly at first, trying to pace myself, but then she sighed against my lips, and I was gone.

  I tilted my head, deepening the kiss, my fingers pressing into the curve of her back, feeling the way her body fit against mine.

  Astrid let out a quiet, breathy ugh in between kisses, her lips curling against mine. “See?” she whispered, teasing but trembling. “You’re finally getting the hang of this.”

  I huffed a small ugh, pressing my forehead against hers, my breathing uneven. “Shut up.”

  She grinned, tilting her head up to kiss me again, slower this time, her fingers threading through my hair, nails grazing against my scalp just enough to make me shiver.

  My heart pounded, my entire body reacting to her, to the way she kissed me like she meant it. Like she felt everything I was feeling and wasn’t afraid to show it.

  The rain didn’t matter.

  The cold didn’t matter.

  The world didn’t matter.

  Just her.

  Just us.

  I pulled back slightly, my hands still cradling her face, my thumb brushing over her cheek.

  Astrid blinked up at me, her breath uneven, her lips swollen, her smirk completely gone.

  She just looked at me.

  Vulnerable. Raw. Real.

  Like she knew this wasn’t just some casual thing.

  Like she knew she had just ruined me completely.

  And then, softly, she whispered—

  “You believe me now, don’t you?”

  I stared at her, my throat tight.

  I knew what she was asking.

  Did I still think this was temporary? Did I still think I was just some guy to her?

  I exhaled, brushing my lips against hers in the faintest of kisses.

  “…Yeah,” I murmured. “I believe you.”

  Astrid smiled.

  And then, with a quiet, breathless ugh, she pulled me back in—

  And kissed me senseless all over again.