The bass thumped through the floorboards, vibrating up through Leia's sneakers as she stepped into the crowded house. The living room pulsed with coloured lights, bodies swaying in time with the music. She scanned the room, her heart pounding-not from the music, but from anticipation.
Ashley nudged her, shouting over the music, "This is insane! Let's find the kitchen!"
Leia nodded, but her eyes were drawn to the staircase, where a familiar figure stood. Miles. Their eyes met across the room, and for a moment, the world fell away.
The music faded into the background, the crowd blurred, and all she could see was him. He looked different-older, maybe, or just more distant. But his eyes held the same intensity, the same depth that had always drawn her in.
She raised her hand slightly, a subtle gesture, and turned toward the hallway. She didn't look back, but she felt him follow
Miles leaned against the banister, a red cup in his hand, though he hadn't taken a sip. The party was loud, chaotic, and not his scene. He was about to slip out when he saw her.
Leia. She stepped into the room, her presence commanding his attention. The crowd seemed to part around her, the lights catching in her hair, highlighting the subtle blonde streaks. She looked radiant, confident, and completely out of reach.
Their eyes locked, and time seemed to pause. He forgot about the noise, the people, everything. She gestured subtly and turned away, disappearing down the hallway. Without thinking, he followed.
As he passed through the crowd, Cleo stepped into his path. "Hey, Miles! I was hoping you'd come."
He offered a polite smile, "Hey, Cleo. Maybe we can catch up later?" He didn't wait for a response, weaving through the throng until he reached the hallway.
The hallway was quieter, the music muffled. Leia leaned against the wall, trying to steady her breathing. Footsteps approached, and she looked up to see Miles standing a few feet away.
"Hi," she said softly.
"Hi," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper.
They stood in silence, the weight of unspoken words hanging between them.
"I wasn't sure you'd come," she admitted.
"I wasn't sure either," he said, stepping closer.
She looked up at him, searching his face for answers. "Why did you?"
He hesitated, then said, "Because I couldn't stop thinking about you."
Her heart raced. "Miles, I…"
He reached out, gently taking her hand. "Leia, I'm sorry. For everything."
She squeezed his hand, tears welling in her eyes. "I missed you."
He pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly as the world around them faded away.
Leia didn't want to let go. The hallway felt like the only quiet place left in the world, and Miles's arms felt like the safest. Her cheek pressed against his chest, she could hear the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, strong and real-unlike all the chaos she had waded through these last few weeks.
"I thought you hated me," she whispered, her voice muffled by his hoodie.
Miles exhaled. "No. I was just-hurting. And I didn't know how to say it without messing things up even more."
Leia pulled back slightly, her eyes searching his face. "So you just disappeared?"
"I know," he said. "I didn't handle it right. Everything with my dad, and then you avoiding me, I just… it felt like too much. And then I saw you with your mom and I didn't want to get in the way of that either."
Leia blinked, surprised. "You saw that?"
He nodded. "At the diner. You didn't see me, but… yeah. You looked like you were finally breathing again."
Her throat tightened. "I was. But that didn't mean I stopped thinking about you."
Their hands were still linked, fingers intertwined like they used to do when they were kids pretending to be explorers or secret agents. This time it felt heavier-like they were holding onto each other to survive.
"I missed this," Miles said. "You. Us."
Leia's stomach fluttered, the way it always did when he said things like that, like she meant more to him than just another person in the crowd. And in that moment, she was sure of one thing-she didn't want to go back to the silence between them.
But just as the moment settled, the hallway door creaked open and voices spilled in from the party.
"Miles!" Cleo's voice rang out, light and teasing. "There you are. I was looking for you."
Leia froze, and Miles instinctively stepped a little closer, like he could block the tension with his body.
Cleo appeared in the doorway, red cup in hand, her long braids falling over her shoulders. She looked between them with a raised brow.
"Oh," she said, realizing. "Sorry-I didn't mean to interrupt."
Leia forced a small smile, but her hand slipped from Miles's, suddenly cold.
Miles cleared his throat. "It's fine. We were just… talking."
"Cool," Cleo said, voice light but her eyes scanning Leia. "Well, if you get bored, you know where to find me."
She turned and disappeared back into the crowd. The tension left behind was thick enough to suffocate.
Leia stared at the floor, her voice low. "So that's her?"
Miles looked confused. "Who?"
"Cleo," she said. "The girl you helped up. The one everyone says has a thing for you."
"Oh. Yeah. But Leia, I swear-there's nothing between us. I didn't even know she liked me until someone else said it."
Leia bit her lip, unsure of what to believe. She hated how quickly the doubt crept in, but it wasn't about Cleo, not really-it was about everything else that had already cracked between them.
"I just… I don't want to get hurt again," she admitted.
"You won't," Miles said quickly. "Not by me. Not if I can help it."
She looked up, and this time when their eyes met, it felt like home again.
The next few minutes were a blur. They didn't go back to the party right away. Instead, they snuck into the backyard, where the night air was cool and laced with the distant scent of smoke and cologne. Music pulsed from inside, but it was far enough that they could finally talk without shouting.
Miles sat on the grass beside Leia, his arms resting on his knees.
"You really changed your hair," he said, smiling sideways at her. "Looks good."
Leia chuckled. "My mom took me. Said I needed something new. I didn't think you'd notice."
"Leia, I notice everything about you."
She looked away, biting back a smile. "You used to."
"I still do."
They sat there for a long while, leaning closer with every passing minute. Sometimes words weren't needed-just the shared silence, the closeness, the feeling that despite everything, they always found their way back to each other.
But as the wind picked up and someone shouted drunkenly from the porch, Leia sighed.
"We should go back inside before Ashley thinks I got kidnapped."
Miles stood and offered her his hand. She took it.
This time, neither of them let go.
As they stepped back into the house, the energy hit them like a wave-music thumping through the walls, people weaving in and out of rooms, and the bass vibrating through the floors. Leia instinctively tightened her grip on Miles's hand. She wasn't sure what had shifted, but something about the way he looked at her now-like he saw her again-was undoing every guard she had carefully built up.
The hallway lights were dim and tinted red, casting everything in a hazy, surreal glow. They moved together through the crowd, brushing past half-drunk classmates and groups taking selfies. When they reached the centre of the living room, the DJ switched songs-something slower, sultrier-and people instinctively gravitated to the makeshift dance floor.
Leia paused, tugging on Miles's sleeve. "Wanna dance?"
He looked surprised, but nodded. "Only if you promise not to laugh at how bad I am."
"No promises," she said, grinning.
He rested his hands on her waist, and she slid hers around his neck. The space between them disappeared like it had never existed. Everything about it felt warm and familiar, but charged now-like years of friendship had been dipped in something deeper, something new.
They moved slowly to the beat, swaying in rhythm as if the world had shrunk down to just them again.
"You know," Miles said, leaning in close enough that his breath brushed her ear, "I used to imagine what this would feel like."
Leia looked up at him, her heart skipping. "What did it feel like in your head?"
"Like this," he murmured. "But better. Because now it's real."
The words hit her right in the chest. She didn't pull away-didn't want to. Instead, she rested her forehead gently against his.
"I hated not talking to you," she whispered.
"Me too," he said. "Every day felt… off. Like I was missing my person."
Leia felt the lump in her throat form again, but it wasn't from sadness this time. It was something softer. Warmer. The kind of ache that came when something broken was being put back together.
The music faded into another track, and neither of them moved away. Not when people bumped into them. Not when someone nearby spilled a drink and cursed. They just stayed right there-wrapped up in each other like the rest of the world didn't matter.
Eventually, Leia pulled back just enough to look at him, her fingers still resting lightly against the back of his neck.
"So what now?" she asked quietly.
Miles's gaze dropped to her lips for the briefest second, then back up to her eyes. "Now… I do something I've been wanting to do for way too long."
And before she could say anything else, he leaned down and kissed her.
It wasn't rushed. It wasn't hesitant either. It was soft-like a promise. Like an apology. Like every word they hadn't been able to say was being spoken in that one moment.
Leia's eyes fluttered shut as her heart hammered in her chest, and for the first time in a long time, it didn't feel broken. It felt full.
When they finally pulled apart, her cheeks were flushed and she could barely catch her breath.
Miles grinned. "I should've done that a long time ago."
Leia laughed, light and breathless. "Yeah, you should've."
And just like that, the tension between them-weeks of confusion, miscommunication, hurt-melted into something new. Something open.
"Do you wanna go somewhere quieter?" he asked.
Leia nodded. "Only if you promise not to disappear again."
He squeezed her hand. "I'm not going anywhere."