Chapter Text
Tessa sat with her hands interlaced on her lap, humming softly. She snapped out of her daydream when someone grabbed her shoulder. She yelped and jumped off the couch, landing next to another chair. Her hand instinctively gripped the armrest before she looked up at the person who had startled her. To no surprise, it was 𝐊𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐧.
Shock made her hands fly to her chest. "Kieran!.. I thought everyone had gone to bed!" she blurted, quickly avoiding his gaze and brushing her dress as if it were a nervous habit.
"Hello, Tessa," he said confidently, ignoring her fidgeting. "I was going to head to my room, but I saw you down here and decided to say hello." He adjusted the cuffs on his suit with a smooth motion.
"Well, uh… you’ve said hello! Now—um… bye!" she stammered, trying to usher him out of the living room, but he only stepped closer.
"Why so timid? I’m only trying to be nice," he said, frowning slightly as his eyes drifted to the fireplace.
"I’m… I’m just… I… the staff have been giving me looks since I arrived," she mumbled, voice barely above a whisper.
Kieran stepped closer, his presence calm and measured. "Now, now, Tessa," he said softly, a small smile tugging at his lips, "when we were younger, you didn’t care about looks." He reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair from her face.
Tessa’s breath hitched, her chest tightening as Kieran’s fingers lingered on her hair. Before she could step back, he closed the distance just enough to gently guide her toward the corner of the room. The soft glow of the fireplace cast warm shadows across their faces, the quiet ticking of a clock filling the space between them.
"Hey… it’s okay," he murmured, his voice low, soothing. "I've got you."
Her hands trembled slightly in her lap, but she didn’t move away. There was something in his gaze steady, confident, yet gentle that made her feel both exposed and safe at the same time.
He leaned just a fraction closer, enough that she could feel the warmth radiating from him. "Tessa…" His voice was soft, almost a whisper, but it sent a shiver down her spine.
She looked up at him, heart pounding, caught between nervousness and something deepersomething she hadn’t admitted to herself yet.
Slowly, he tilted his head, his eyes never leaving hers. "I’ve wanted to do this for a while," he admitted, his hand still brushing a stray strand of hair from her face.
Before she could respond, he closed the last gap between them and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was gentle, teasing, a careful mix of patience and longing. Tessa froze at first, her hands clutching the arm of the chair, then slowly melted into it, her fingers brushing against him instinctively.
When they finally pulled back, both were breathless, their foreheads nearly touching. Kieran’s lips curved into a small, satisfied smile. "See?" he murmured. "Nothing to be scared of."
Tessa’s cheeks burned, a shy smile tugging at her lips. "I… I guess not," she whispered, her hands still trembling slightly but now with a different warmth.
Kieran chuckled softly, brushing his thumb lightly across her cheek. "Good," he said, voice low, confident. "Because I’m not going anywhere."