35. moment

The apartment was quiet, the soft hum of the city outside the only noise filling the space. Red and Blue were curled up on the couch, fast asleep, their tiny bodies rising and falling in unison. The night had stretched long, filled with laughter and stolen touches, and now, as we stood in the dim light of our shared home, the air between us felt impossibly charged.

Hamzah stood across from me, his gaze steady, unreadable in the low glow of the lamp. I could still feel the ghost of his touch from earlier-his hand brushing mine at dinner, the way his fingers had lingered just a second too long when he passed me my drink. There had been something different in the way he looked at me tonight, something heavier.

I swallowed, suddenly hyperaware of how close we were.

"You've been quiet," he murmured, stepping closer.

I tilted my head, searching his face. "So have you."

A slow smirk tugged at his lips, but there was something softer beneath it. "Maybe I'm just enjoying the moment."

I let out a shaky breath, my heart pounding in my chest. "This moment?"

Hamzah's fingers brushed against my wrist, barely there, but it sent shivers up my spine. "Yeah," he said, voice low. "This one."

There was no hesitation when he closed the space between us, his hands sliding to my waist, pulling me against him. My breath hitched, but I didn't pull away. Instead, I let myself sink into him, my fingers gripping the fabric of his shirt as his lips met mine.

The kiss started slow-soft, searching-but it didn't take long for the restraint to slip away. His hands roamed, fingers tracing patterns along my back as I pressed closer, tilting my head to deepen the kiss.

It was different this time.

There was no hesitation, no second-guessing. It was as if we had both finally let go of whatever had been holding us back, and now, there was nothing left to do but give in.

Hamzah's hands found the hem of my sweater, fingers grazing my skin as he pulled it up and over my head. The air felt cool against my flushed skin, but the second his lips found my collarbone, warmth flooded through me again.

"Are you sure?" he murmured against my skin, his voice laced with restraint.

I nodded, threading my fingers through his hair. "Yeah," I whispered. "I'm sure."

His lips crashed against mine again, and as we stumbled toward his bedroom, laughter mixing with breathless kisses, I knew-there was no going back from this.

And I didn't want to.