Chapter Text
I should not have moved.
I know that now.
She was already on her toes, reaching for the cup like it's normal, like she hasn't spent her whole life adapting to shelves that were never built for her. I see it: the stretch, the barely-there wobble, and my body reacts before my brain clears it.
"Here…"
I lean in.
Too far.
The cup is an easy grab. Embarrassingly easy. I could have handed it to her from a step back, I could have stayed where I was, could have asked.
Instead, I'm right behind her.
Her back against my chest.
Not pressed. Not trapped. Just… there.
Oh god.
My entire system lights up at once. Heat. Awareness. The solid reality of her body right there like my nervous system finally found the thing it's been circling for weeks.
Electric. Sharp. Immediate.
I grab the cup and set it down like this is fine. Like my heart isn't trying to break out of my ribs. Like my hands aren't suddenly very aware of what they could do and absolutely won't.
"There you go."
My voice sounds normal. Which feels like a lie.
She clears her throat before she thanks me. That tiny pause hits harder than it should. I notice it immediately and my brain spirals.
That was too close.
I step back, already beating myself up for it. What was I thinking? I don't crowd her. I don't take space she didn't offer. I don't let wanting bleed into action.
I watch her leave the room fast, too fast, and my stomach drops.
Great. I made it weird.
I replay it instantly. Every inch. Every second. The way she went still. The way she closed her eyes for a beat like she was bracing.
God.
I scrub a hand over my face and stare at the counter, grounding myself with the cold surface under my palms. I tell myself it meant nothing. That she was just surprised. That I read too much into everything these days.
It doesn't help.