u/Terraswallows

(Figured I might as well do a followup ;3)

I keep my hand beneath your chin, guiding your gaze back to mine with a playful little smile.

“Mm-hmm. There you are. Such a needy little thing, aren't you?”

My fingers slip gently through your hair as I give it an affectionate ruffle, before patting the top of your head.

“Good girl. You know what happens when you ask for affection?”

I lean closer, my voice becoming softer and more teasing.

“You get absolutely spoiled.”

I pull you into my arms again, letting you settle comfortably against me while I shower you with soft kisses and gentle nuzzles. One hand continues stroking your hair while the other gives your cheek a playful little squish.

“That's it. No need to be shy. You can relax.”

I pause, giving you a knowing grin.

“Now... where did my sweet little puppy go? Hmm?”

I give your head another affectionate pat.

“Come here, sweetheart. Stay close, behave yourself, and I'll keep giving you all the cuddles you can handle.”

I gently clasp your chin, tilting your face toward mine with a soft, confident smile.

“Who needs to be loved and spoiled with affection, hmm? You do, don’t you?”

I brush my thumb across your cheek, holding your gaze for a moment before pulling you into a warm, lingering embrace, showering you with gentle kisses and affectionate nuzzles.

“There we go, sweetheart."

proceeds to... (You can figure out the rest)

Imagine… being a trans bottom while a confident, dominant woman or enby decides to flirt with you, it's genuinely my favourite form of psychological warfare. I want that “come here, pretty girl” energy, the kind that makes people instantly fold, blush, and forget every coherent thought they’ve ever had.

Come here, puppies.

Yes, you.

Sit.

Good girls.

Now, have you been looking after yourselves? Have you had some water today? Eaten something? Gotten some rest?

Good.

Now come here for your reward.

Pat pat pat.

Who's a good puppy?

That's right, you are.

You all deserve head pats, belly rubs, praise, and to be reminded just how precious you are. If I could, I'd happily fuss over every single one of you until your tails were wagging so hard you couldn't stop smiling.

There'd be tummy rubs.

There'd be ear scritches.

There'd be plenty of, "*Good girl.*"

And absolutely no arguing about whether you deserve affection.

Because you do.

Now go take care of yourselves, make Terra proud, and remember to be kind to yourselves.

Good puppies deserve kindness too.

I was talking to a friend recently about how I just don't really connect with the current generation. It feels like my generation was built a little differently, and because I don't look my age, I often get mistaken for someone much younger. It sometimes makes me feel like an outsider—people my age don't always realize I'm one of them because I look so young.

She looked at me, completely confused, and said, "But... you are part of our generation. What are you talking about?"

I laughed and told her I was actually a lot older than I look.

She paused for a moment before asking, "Wait... what year were you born?"

"1996," I replied.

There was a brief silence while she processed that information. Then her eyes went wide.

"Wait... you're 30?!"

I couldn't help but giggle as I nodded.

She just stared at me for another second before blurting out, "I genuinely thought you were, like, 22. Maybe early twenties at most!"

I just smiled and shrugged, explaining that's exactly what I meant when I said people always assume I'm part of the younger generation.

She sighed dramatically, looked me dead in the eyes, and said, "How the fuck do you look that age?"

I shrugged again.

She threw her hands up and muttered, "Fuck you and your genetics."

We both burst out laughing. She let out one final, exaggerated sigh before saying it wasn't fair that I was older than her, yet somehow she looked older than I did.

I won't lie, that was probably the nicest compliment I've received all day, and it left me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

I was talking to a friend recently about how I just don't really connect with the current generation. It feels like my generation was built a little differently, and because I don't look my age, I often get mistaken for someone much younger. It sometimes makes me feel like an outsider—people my age don't always realize I'm one of them because I look so young.

She looked at me, completely confused, and said, "But... you are part of our generation. What are you talking about?"

I laughed and told her I was actually a lot older than I look.

She paused for a moment before asking, "Wait... what year were you born?"

"1996," I replied.

There was a brief silence while she processed that information. Then her eyes went wide.

"Wait... you're 30?!"

I couldn't help but giggle as I nodded.

She just stared at me for another second before blurting out, "I genuinely thought you were, like, 22. Maybe early twenties at most!"

I just smiled and shrugged, explaining that's exactly what I meant when I said people always assume I'm part of the younger generation.

She sighed dramatically, looked me dead in the eyes, and said, "How the fuck do you look that age?"

I shrugged again.

She threw her hands up and muttered, "Fuck you and your genetics."

We both burst out laughing. She let out one final, exaggerated sigh before saying it wasn't fair that I was older than her, yet somehow she looked older than I did.

I won't lie, that was probably the nicest compliment I've received all day, and it left me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

The first time Riley met June, she laughed so hard she snorted coffee through her nose.

It was an undignified beginning for what would become the happiest relationship either of them had ever known.

"Oh gods," June wheezed between giggles, handing over a handful of napkins. "Please tell me you're keeping that in."

"I'm pretending it never happened."

"I watched it happen."

"You're a terrible witness."

"And yet, somehow, you're asking me out."

Riley blinked.

"...I wasn't."

June smiled.

"Pity."

She paused just long enough to let Riley panic.

"...I was."

______________________________

Six months later, they were sprawled across Riley's apartment floor, assembling miniature figures neither of them had gotten around to painting.

June held up a tiny dragon.

"Why do you own so many of these?"

"They're cool."

"You have... seventy-three."

"They're different."

"They're all dragons."

"They have personalities."

June laughed.

"My ex used to say exactly that."

Riley looked up from her paintbrush.

"...Your ex sounded like a nerd."

"The biggest."

"I would've bullied them."

"Oh, absolutely."

Neither of them noticed Riley subconsciously arranging the paint pots in perfect colour order.

Or that June absentmindedly lined up all the brushes by size.

Their third wheel, Avery, noticed.

Avery noticed everything.

She'd known both of them years ago, before either had transitioned, before either had changed names, wardrobes, voices, or learned how to smile without forcing it.

She also knew that the dragon currently sitting in June's hand had originally belonged to...

No...

She wasn't thinking about that.

She valued her sanity.

"You two are disgustingly cute," Avery muttered.

June grinned.

"We know."

"I was talking about the miniatures."

______________________________

One rainy Friday, armed with takeaway noodles and two glasses of cheap wine, the conversation drifted somewhere neither of them had expected.

"My ex was kind of awful," June admitted.

Riley groaned dramatically.

"Oh thank goodness. Mine too."

June sat up.

"Really?"

"Oh, really."

It became a competition.

"My ex left mugs everywhere."

Riley pointed dramatically.

"Mine too!"

"They'd start seventeen hobbies and finish three."

Riley gasped.

"Mine bought a bread maker."

June stared.

"...Mine bought a cheese-making kit."

There was a brief awkward silence.

"Maybe we dated siblings."

"Maybe."

For a few seconds, neither of them spoke

Across the room, Avery made a noise that sounded suspiciously like someone choking on a spring roll.

Neither looked over.

"They'd hum while fixing things," June continued thoughtfully. "The same four notes, every single time."

Without even realizing she was doing it, Riley softly began humming the little tune that always seemed to escape whenever she was relaxed around June. It was quiet, almost absent-minded, the kind of melody that simply happened rather than something she chose to sing.

June's eyes lit up.

"Like that."

Riley blinked. "Like what?"

"That little tune you always hum." June smiled warmly. "It's almost exactly like my ex's... except yours is cuter."

Riley felt warmth creep into her cheeks.

"I... I only really hum when I'm comfortable."

June tilted her head, unable to suppress the grin spreading across her face.

"I guess that explains why you're always humming around me."

"I do not."

"You absolutely do."

"I don't."

"You've been humming for the last thirty seconds."

Riley opened her mouth to argue, only to realize she was, in fact, still quietly humming.

"...Oh."

June laughed, the kind that crinkled the corners of her eyes.

"It's adorable."

"Y-you're adorable..." Riley muttered before she could stop herself.

The words hung in the air.

June's face immediately flushed a brilliant shade of crimson.

"...You think I'm adorable?"

Riley buried her face in her hands.

"I walked right into that one."

A bashful silence settled between them before Riley peeked through her fingers.

"I mean it, though. I think your smile's adorable... and I think it's sweet that you noticed."

June smiled so brightly it made Riley's heart skip.

"...I don't even realize I'm humming," Riley admitted. "It's just... a reflex, I guess. When I feel safe. Or when I'm around someone I..." She fidgeted with the sleeve of her hoodie. "...someone I really like."

For a heartbeat, neither of them spoke.

June slowly lowered her own face into her hands, trying and failing to hide just how red she'd become.

Across the room, Avery looked up from her book, took one long sip of her drink, and sighed with theatrical exhaustion.

"You two," she said, shaking her head, "are unbelievably gay."

Neither Riley nor June denied it. They were both far too busy smiling at each other.

Avery wanted to say something.

She really, really did.

Every fiber of her being screamed to blurt out, "Girls, your exes are literally sitting across from each other."

But every time she opened her mouth...

"...She used to organize paint bottles by colour," June said fondly.

Riley snorted. "Mine did that too. Gods, nerds are all the same."

Avery closed her mouth.

Not yet.

A few minutes later...

"Did your ex also make tea and then forget where they put it?"

"Constantly."

Avery inhaled.

"Actually, I—"

"Mine always left little dragons on random shelves."

"Mine too!"

Avery exhaled.

"...Never mind."

At this point, she wasn't sure if she was preserving a beautiful romance...

...or witnessing the universe commit the funniest practical joke it had ever conceived.

She settled for taking another sip of her drink.

"I'm either the world's greatest friend," she muttered under her breath, "or I'm enabling the most elaborate slow-motion train wreck in history."

______________________________

The revenge notebook started as a joke.

Operation Mild Inconvenience.

Rule One: Nothing illegal.

Rule Two: Nothing genuinely hurtful.

Rule Three: Maximum confusion.

"I think," Riley announced, "we replace every family photo with pictures of ducks."

June nodded solemnly.

"Excellent."

"You?"

"Hide tiny Bluetooth speakers around their house."

"What do they play?"

"Random goat noises."

Riley wiped tears from her eyes from laughing.

"You absolute menace."

"I know."

"Marry me."

June froze.

"...What?"

"What?"

"You just—"

"I..."

Riley turned bright red.

"I meant..."

June smiled softly.

"I know what you meant."

Avery watched them with the haunted, almost melancholic expression of someone watching two people unknowingly assemble a jigsaw puzzle upside down.

She knew the picture on the box.

They didn't.

They simply kept fitting the pieces together, smiling every time another one clicked into place, never realizing they were slowly rebuilding something they had once broken.

June said something that made Riley perk up instantly.

Avery smiled despite herself.

You two still know exactly how to make each other light up, she thought.

You just don't know why anymore.

June broke the comfortable silence, and Riley immediately looked up.

"...You know," June said softly, "I've always wondered what happened to my ex."

Riley was quiet for a moment before offering a small, thoughtful smile.

"...I hope they're doing better."

June blinked, caught off guard.

"...Really?"

Riley nodded.

"I was angry for a long time."

She glanced down for a moment before looking back at the woman beside her.

"But... people can change."

June's smile was bittersweet.

"...I hope mine did too."

Avery quietly excused herself and slipped away to the bathroom.

She wasn't laughing anymore.

She was crying.

Because she knew something they didn't.

The people they were talking about...

Had.

They just hadn't realized it yet.

______________________________

Three weeks later, Riley proposed properly to June.

June didn't even let her finish the question before saying yes.

______________________________

A week before the wedding, Riley was searching the attic for spare fairy lights when she stumbled across an old storage box tucked into the back corner.

Inside were faded photographs.

A concert ticket.

A tiny dragon miniature with chipped green paint.

"...Huh."

June wandered in a moment later, muttering to herself about ribbon colours before wrapping her arms around Riley's waist from behind.

"What'd you find?"

"I... don't actually know."

Together they sifted through the box.

At the bottom lay an old photograph.

June picked it up first.

A younger version of herself smiled back from the picture.

Standing beside her...

...was someone with an unmistakably familiar grin.

Riley froze.

June looked at Riley.

Then back at the photograph.

Then back to Riley again.

Silence.

"...No."

Riley swallowed.

"...No."

June looked closer.

The eyes.

The smile.

The way she leaned ever so slightly to one side.

"Oh my gods..."

Riley reached into another envelope.

Another photograph.

The same concert.

The same day.

The same two people.

Only now...

They knew exactly who they were looking at.

Neither of them spoke.

Neither of them moved.

Finally, June laughed.

Not because it was funny.

Because it was so utterly, impossibly absurd.

Riley started laughing too.

"Oh my gods..." she managed between breaths. "We've spent almost a year planning revenge against ourselves."

"And we almost replaced our own family photos with ducks."

"You wanted Bluetooth goat noises."

"They deserved Bluetooth goat noises."

"...We deserved Bluetooth goat noises."

The laughter slowly faded.

June looked down at the photograph again.

"I was awful to you."

Riley nodded.

"...Yeah."

"You were awful to me."

"...Yeah."

Another silence.

Not an angry one.

Just an honest one.

June reached out and took Riley's hand.

"But..."

She looked at the engagement ring.

"...I'd never do those things now."

Riley squeezed her fingers.

"I know."

"I don't even recognize that person anymore."

"I don't either."

Riley gently touched the old photograph with her thumb.

"I spent so long hating my ex..."

She looked up, meeting June's eyes.

"...that I never imagined she'd become the woman I wanted to marry."

Tears welled in June's eyes.

"I kept hoping my ex had changed."

She smiled through them.

"I didn't realize I'd already fallen in love with the proof."

Riley leaned forward until their foreheads touched.

"I don't love who you were."

"I love who you fought to become."

June smiled.

"And I'd choose this version of you..."

She kissed Riley softly.

"...every single time."

Outside the attic door, Avery had arrived to help decorate.

She heard the laughter.

She heard the crying.

She heard the kiss.

She smiled to herself.

Finally.

They'd turned the puzzle over.

And somehow...

It had always been the right picture.

Honestly, I'm taking that as a huge win. It feels amazing to know I'm getting to the point where people see me the way I want to be seen. It also gives me a proper reason to finally commit to voice training, because if I can get my voice to match the rest of me.

Unfortunately, it seems that Ice Cream Girl and I simply weren't meant to be. Once again, I find myself standing where I've stood so many times before, just a friend, and nothing more.

She went through an incredibly difficult period of dysphoria, depression, and emotional exhaustion. I wanted so desperately to be there for her, to carry even a fraction of that weight if I could, but what she truly needed was space. So our conversations became an endless back and forth of reaching out, pulling away, silence, and waiting. It wasn't anyone's fault; we were simply trying to navigate two very different emotional needs.

Eventually she came back, but something had changed. The warmth that had once existed between us wasn't quite the same anymore.

She told me she felt guilty for disappearing and for making me worry. She said she no longer felt ready for anything beyond friendship, and that the romantic feelings she'd once had had quietly faded somewhere along the way. Hearing those words hurt, not because I blamed her, but because I knew she was being honest.

She also admitted something that had been weighing on her heart. The affection she'd shown me, the kisses, the closeness, the quiet moments that felt so full of possibility, had unintentionally given me the impression that we were moving towards something more. We'd never actually been together, and she confessed she'd been too nervous to explain how conflicted she felt. She didn't know how to say no without hurting me, and by waiting so long, she felt she'd only made things worse.

We talked for what felt like hours that night.

There wasn't anger. There wasn't resentment. Just two girls leaning against a familiar wall with the quiet sadness of realizing that love isn't always enough to make two hearts arrive at the same place. The conversation carried a strange melancholy, because every memory we shared was still precious to me. Every hope, every dream, every little fantasy of what we could have been still lingered somewhere inside my heart. But I never wanted her to feel trapped by those feelings, or obligated to return them simply because I still carried them.

She admitted that my openness and affection were things she wasn't used to receiving, and in a way, that made her sad too. Not because she disliked it, but because she couldn't naturally express herself in the same way. It wasn't rejection born from cruelty, it was simply who she was, and where her heart currently stood.

By the end of the night, there were tears, difficult truths, and quiet acceptance.

I told her I respected her decision. It hurt, more than I'd like to admit, but some things in life simply aren't ours to hold onto. Sometimes the heart reaches for something beautiful, only to discover it was never truly meant to stay.

So we found ourselves leaning against one another, not as lovers, but as friends again.

The boundaries between us are different now. There are lines I wish I didn't have to see, moments I'll instinctively want to recreate, but I won't. Not because I've stopped caring, but because I care enough to respect them. She needs someone she can lean on, someone she can trust without expectation, and if friendship is all I can be, then friendship is what I'll choose to be.

Before we said goodnight, she told me something I'll probably carry with me for a long time. She said she enjoys having me around, that I bring light into her life when things feel dark. But right now, she isn't in the right place for anything more than friendship.

Maybe, one day, those feelings could change.

Maybe they won't.

For now, though, I'll let go of the future I imagined, hold onto the friendship we still have, and quietly cherish the memories of the brief moment when two trans girls believed they might have fallen in love. Some stories don't end with forever. Some simply become beautiful memories that teach us how deeply we're capable of caring.

I had an encounter with a random customer while I was on a call using my fem voice. I'm still incredibly nervous about using it in public, but they came in asking for some assistance. At that point I was still completely in fem voice mode and never slipped out of it.

The whole interaction, they only referred to me using female terms, and I responded without even thinking. It wasn't until after they'd left that it suddenly clicked... I'd stayed in my fem voice the entire time, and I actually passed.

Waaaa... 🥹

I guess this means I really need to start voice training again and work up the courage to use it more often. I'm still so nervous about it, but apparently putting in just that little bit of extra effort with my voice is enough for people to naturally see me as a woman.

Honestly... that's given me a huge confidence boost.

Find yourself a partner who leaves you looking like you got mauled by a rabid dog every time the two of you get a little too passionate. 😌

"Fear of the bottom leads to denial. Denial leads to insecurity. Insecurity leads to bad topping. Embrace the bottom within."

— Terra Swallows

She couldn't talk much because her throat was sore, but she still came to spend time with me. So instead we communicated in the universal language of useless trans lesbians: lingering looks, nervous smiles, physical affection, and being completely incapable of saying what we actually meant.

I gave her little neck kisses and playful shoulder nibbles, and in return she softly bit my arm, which somehow felt both incredibly cute and incredibly gay at the same time.

The poor girl kept apologizing all evening. She apologized for being late. She apologized for not feeling well. She apologized for being tired from work. She apologized for not being as physically affectionate as she wanted because she didn't want to get me sick. She apologized for having intrusive thoughts she was desperately trying not to act on.

And despite all her apologies, all I could think was how happy I was that she came. Sore throat, exhaustion, flustered apologies and all. Because at the end of the day, I got to spend time with a girl I adore, and every moment with her feels special.

Every time I asked what those thoughts were, she'd get all flustered and insist it was "dangerous" to elaborate because she was already struggling to keep her thoughts under control. Which, coming from a beautiful trans girl who had already admitted she was very much attracted to me, did absolutely nothing to calm my imagination.

I ended up admitting that I wasn't exactly having an easy time either. My emotions were running wild, my period had me feeling extra needy and affectionate, and trying to keep my own thoughts and feelings under control wasn't exactly a simple task.

And thus my now cute trans girl admirer admitted she was feeling very, very flustered around me, and honestly? I wasn't doing much better. Between my emotions being all over the place and her looking absolutely adorable, it felt like both of us were trying our best to behave while our brains had completely different plans.

At one point she shyly slid her legs under the table between mine and nervously asked if I could wrap my legs around hers, before immediately trying to play it off as "stretching" As if that made it any less adorable.

Honestly, the whole evening felt like two hopeless trans lesbians sitting across from each other, desperately trying to be respectful and sensible while simultaneously wanting to be much closer than either of them was brave enough to admit out loud.

So I had the day off and naturally spent it with the cutest ice-cream-loving trans girl to ever exist.

​

We met up at our local game store, as usual though sadly we never actually got ice cream because her throat was sore and she didn't want to make it worse. She was also feeling a little dysphoric because her voice wasn't sounding the way she wanted it to.

​

I reassured her that she still sounded lovely to me and that she shouldn't force herself. She agreed not to push herself, and so we settled in for an afternoon of Magic The Gathering.

​

A little while later, one of my lesbian friends and her partner arrived because they wanted to meet the mysterious ice cream girl I'd been talking about.

​

Within minutes they were calling her adorable.

​

Then they started calling us adorable.

​

Then they started giving me that look.

​

You know the look.

​

The "girl, we can all see you're down horrendously for this woman" look.

​

Apparently we're not nearly as subtle as we think we are.

​

To be fair, every time she's nearby I somehow end up gravitating toward her like a lovestruck puppy girl.

​

Eventually I had to go to bathroom, and she proceeded to join me mentioning how she needed a small moment of time away from the store as she was feeling a little overwhelmed and figured a walk do her some good. Along the way she kept joking about wanting kisses while simultaneously not wanting to spread whatever had caused her sore throat.

​

Naturally, because neither of us are capable of behaving normally around each other, I joked that I supposed I'd have to handle all the kissing then.

​

The absolute cheeky grin she gave me as she immediately pulled down her turtleneck slightly, exposed her neck, and informed me that I'd have free reign.

​

Girls.

​

The way I almost short-circuited.

​

Do you know how unfair it is when a pretty trans girl knowingly flusters you and then looks pleased with herself afterward?

​

I am only one lesbian.

​

Needless to say, some kissing happened.

​

But honestly?

​

What broke me wasn't the kissing.

​

It was a hug.

​

At some point she leaned into me, nuzzled softly against me, and just melted into my arms.

​

And the second she did, every ounce of missing her that I'd been carrying around came crashing down all at once.

​

I genuinely cried a little.

​

Not because I was sad.

​

Because I was finally holding her again.

​

We hadn't really seen each other properly in what felt like forever. We'd been surviving on messages and "I miss you" texts and desperately trying to squeeze affection through our phone screens using emojis.

​

And suddenly she was there.

​

Warm.

​

Nestled against me.

​

Letting herself relax in my arms.

​

Girls, I cannot adequately explain the emotional devastation of having the girl you've been missing cuddle into you like that's where she belongs.

​

For a moment the whole world just disappeared.

​

No customers.

​

No games.

​

No noise.

​

Just me and a very cute trans girl existing in the same little pocket of reality.

​

I swear my heart forgot how to function.

​

The rest of the evening only got worse for my poor lesbian soul.

​

Every time she laughed, my brain stopped working.

​

Every time she got flustered, I wanted to kiss her.

​

Every time she smiled at me, I felt like I was being tormented by some ancient sapphic deity.

​

I genuinely spent most of the evening looking at her and thinking:

​

"Oh no."

​

"She's so pretty."

​

"I'm in danger."

​

Then, just when I thought my heart couldn't take any more damage, my lesbian friend and her partner informed us that we make a really cute couple.

​

A REALLY CUTE COUPLE.

​

Girls.

​

We're not even officially dating.

​

And yet apparently every lesbian within a five kilometre radius has collectively looked at us and gone:

​

"Yep. Those two are absolutely gone for each other."

​

To make matters even more devastating, she's started wearing the trans pride ring I gave her for Pride.

​

Not only that, but she told me it has a special place in her heart because it came from me.

​

Then she pointed out that we now have matching rings.

​

MATCHING RINGS.

​

Do you understand how dangerous that information is to a lesbian?

​

I nearly folded on the spot.

​

And now, only a few hours after seeing her, I already miss her again.

​

She messaged me afterward saying she misses my arms around her and that her pillow doesn't cuddle nearly as well as I do.

​

Which is objectively the most gay text message I have ever received in my life.

​

So now I'm sitting here smiling like an idiot, staring at my phone, missing a girl who I literally saw a few hours ago, thinking about her smile, thinking about her laugh, thinking about the little trans pride ring on her finger, thinking about how she melted into that hug.

​

And honestly?

​

I fear I may be suffering from a severe case of "The Gay".

​

Because I've never been this hopelessly, ridiculously, beautifully in love with a girl before.

Somehow, my online presence has grown to the point where friends in other countries are having my posts shared in their group chats. Thankfully, it's in a good way, but it's still wild to think about. 😅

She came to the store again, and we spent the evening playing Magic. Well, technically we played Magic. In reality, we spent most of the evening cuddled up together while occasionally remembering there was a game happening.

At one point I jokingly apologized to the rest of the table for us being so ridiculously gay. Their response was, "It's Pride Month. Be yourselves."

This did absolutely nothing to help the situation.

Later, we slipped outside again. It's become our little tradition at this point, our time away from the noise of the store.

We wandered around for a bit before finding our familiar wall to lean against. Arms linked, shoulders touching, we settled into conversation.

Or rather, she settled into conversation.

At some point she started talking about the Digimon card game.

Now, I know enough about Digimon to vaguely follow along, but she was absolutely passionate about it. She went into deck archetypes, mechanics, strategies, card interactions and every detail tumbling out faster than I could possibly keep up with.

The thing is, I wasn't really listening to the details.

I was listening to her.

The excitement in her voice.

The way her eyes lit up.

The way she'd get carried away talking about something she loved.

Every now and then she'd catch herself rambling, blush furiously, look down at her shoes, brush her hair from her face, and apologize.

"I should probably stop talking."

Every single time I'd immediately tell her not to.

Because honestly?

I could have listened to her ramble for hours.

There's something special about finding someone who shares your hobbies, your interests, and your enthusiasm. Someone who understands why cardboard rectangles can consume your thoughts for days on end.

Nobody else I know is this passionate about both Magic and Digimon.

For the first time, it genuinely felt like I'd found someone who understood that side of me.

When I reassured her that I didn't mind her rambling, she took my hand and gently kissed it.

I think my brain stopped functioning for a few seconds after that.

We talked a little more about kissing, and she admitted that while she wanted to kiss me again, she could only really do that in complete privacy.

The way she explained it was adorable.

According to her, it required four walls, one door, and absolutely nobody watching.

I joked that by that logic a bathroom stall should count.

She laughed and immediately said no, that was still far too public.

What she actually meant was something more like a bedroom.

So naturally, I jokingly asked why she didn't just come over to my place sometime if that would make things easier.

To my surprise, she took the suggestion completely seriously.

She said she'd love to.

Not this weekend, unfortunately, but maybe another weekend.

Then she smiled and added that she'd show me something that would really make me smile.

Apparently it's also a secret.

Apparently it's something only she can show me in private.

When I asked for details, she just blushed and refused to elaborate.

According to her, I'll find out when she's ready.

Until then, I just have to keep guessing.

Needless to say, this did absolutely nothing for either of our ability to remain calm.

The conversation gradually dissolved into quiet affection.

We stood there beneath the cool night air, leaning against one another, whispering little things back and forth. Occasionally we'd sway together, arms wrapped around each other, simply enjoying the moment.

The moon hung overhead while the soft lights along the walls cast everything in a warm glow.

It was peaceful.

It felt comfortable.

Like neither of us really wanted the night to end.

Eventually, though, reality caught up with us and she had to head home.

That didn't stop her from linking arms with me and practically dragging me all the way back to her car.

When we finally reached it, she paused for a moment, leaned over, and kissed me gently on the cheek.

Then she smiled and declared that this would be the final kiss of the evening.

Not because she didn't want more.

Quite the opposite.

She admitted she wished she could do more, but she wanted to savor the feeling she had in her chest right now and carry it with her until we saw each other again on Friday.

Honestly?

I don't think I've stopped smiling since.

Last night we were playing Magic, but they were having a rough time. They'd had a long day, an even longer week, and the store was packed with people playing board games at full volume. The noise was bouncing off every wall, conversations were overlapping, things were clattering everywhere, and it was obvious they were struggling to keep up with everything going on around them.

They weren't upset or angry, just... off.

They mentioned feeling a bit tired and overwhelmed.

The kind of overwhelmed where you're still present physically, but mentally you're a thousand miles away trying to process everything at once.

After a while I quietly grabbed them by the sleeve and led them outside the store.

The moment we stepped through the door, the cold evening air hit us, and it felt like the entire world suddenly got quieter. We wandered for a little while before stopping beside a nearby wall. Without really thinking about it, we slipped into each other's arms and just stood there together.

After a few moments they thanked me.

They admitted they really needed to get away from everything for a bit, but hadn't even realized how overwhelmed they were until we stepped outside. They also said they didn't know how to ask everyone else to be quieter, especially when nobody was really doing anything wrong.

So I just held them.

I told them that if they ever felt overwhelmed like that, I'd always be happy to steal them away for a few minutes and give them a place to breathe.

Eventually they leaned into me and wrapped their arms around me properly. They apologized for seeming distant and for their energy being a little off throughout the evening.

I just laughed and told them it was okay.

They'd had a rough week. They didn't need to apologize for being tired.

That seemed to relax them.

They started talking about some VR projects they'd been working on recently, and then they said something that completely melted my heart.

They told me that my presence helped bring them back to the real world.

That somehow, when they got caught up in their thoughts and everything became too much, being around me helped ground them.

I don't think they realized how hard that hit me.

For a moment they leaned forward as if they were about to kiss me.

Then they suddenly froze.

Their eyes widened slightly as they remembered I'd had laser treatment earlier that day.

They pulled back and, with the cutest blush imaginable, quietly said they'd wait until it was okay because they didn't want to hurt me.

Then they admitted that they *really* wanted to kiss me.

Immediately after saying it, they looked away in embarrassment and buried their face against me with a little nuzzle instead.

Honestly, that may have been even cuter.

So we just stayed there.

Two girls leaning against a wall in the cold evening air, arms wrapped around each other, sharing warmth and enjoying the quiet. We talked a little, laughed a little, but mostly we just us existing in each others presence together.

It felt like hours, even though it probably wasn't.

Eventually the cold started winning, and we reluctantly headed back inside.

Before we rejoined everyone else, they pulled me close again and told me they had a very important question they'd like to ask me.

But they were too nervous.

And apparently asking it would lead to something else as well.

So, blushing furiously, they said they'd ask me when they were feeling a little braver and when there weren't so many people around.

Needless to say, my curiosity has been absolutely destroying me ever since.