By the time Ava settled into her seat for the first lecture of the day, she already knew focusing would be impossible.
Her notebook lay open in front of her, pen resting between her fingers, but the words on the board blurred into meaninglessness. Every few seconds, her mind drifted back to the night before, back to the quiet moment when the world felt smaller and safer all at once.
The kiss hadn't been wild or reckless.
That was the part that stayed with her.
It had been gentle. Intentional. Almost careful.
Ava pressed her lips together unconsciously, as if her body remembered before her mind did. She shook her head slightly, forcing herself back into the present.
Get it together, she told herself.
Gabrielle noticed immediately.
"You're smiling again," Gabrielle whispered, leaning over her desk. "At this point, I might start charging you for emotional disturbance."
Ava let out a quiet laugh. "I'm not even trying to."
"That's the problem," Gabrielle replied. "You look… different."
Different.
Ava thought about that word as the lecture dragged on. She didn't feel dizzy or overwhelmed like she had in past crushes. This wasn't the kind of excitement that made her forget who she was.
If anything, she felt grounded.
After class, Ava packed her things slowly, still lost in thought, until Gabrielle nudged her shoulder.
"Come back to earth," she said. "Someone's waiting for you."
Ava looked up and there he was.
Alex stood near the corridor, leaning casually against the wall, hands tucked into the pockets of his jeans. He was talking to one of his friends, laughing softly, but the moment his eyes found Ava, his attention shifted completely.
The smile he gave her wasn't loud.
It wasn't showy.
It was just… hers.
He excused himself from his friend and walked toward her, unhurried, confident in a way that felt natural.
"Hey," he said.
"Hey," Ava replied, her voice softer than she intended.
For a second, they just stood there, both aware that something had changed between them. Not awkward just careful. Like they were learning a new version of each other.
"I was hoping I'd see you," Alex said. "How was your morning?"
Ava shrugged lightly. "I think I attended a lecture. I'm not entirely sure."
He chuckled. "Fair enough."
They started walking down the hallway together, their steps automatically matching. Gabrielle trailed behind them for a moment, then suddenly stopped.
"I'll give you two space," she announced loudly. "Don't miss me too much."
Ava rolled her eyes, but Alex smiled, amused.
Outside, the campus buzzed with life students talking, laughing, rushing to classes. But somehow, everything felt quieter around them.
"I wanted to ask," Alex said after a moment, "would you like to grab lunch later? Just something simple."
Ava glanced at him. "Just us?"
"Yeah," he said easily. "Just us."
She nodded. "I'd like that."
Lunch wasn't anything special. They sat beneath a tree near the cafeteria, sharing fries and talking about things that didn't feel forced. Alex told her about growing up with siblings, about the pressure to always be the best. Ava talked about her goals, her desire to build something of her own.
He listened without interrupting.
That surprised her.
"You're really focused," Alex said thoughtfully. "You know what you want out of life."
Ava hesitated. "Sometimes I worry that wanting too much scares people."
He shook his head. "It shouldn't. Ambition is attractive."
She looked at him then, genuinely surprised.
Most people had told her to slow down. To relax. To stop thinking so far ahead.
Alex didn't.
When it was time to head back to class, they walked side by side, their arms brushing occasionally. The third time it happened, neither of them moved away.
Ava felt a quiet warmth spread through her chest.
She didn't know where this was heading yet. She didn't need to.
For now, it was enough to walk beside someone who didn't rush her, didn't pressure her, and didn't try to define her too quickly.
And as they parted ways, Ava realized something that made her pause.
Last night hadn't changed everything.
It had simply revealed something that had been there all along.