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It was Saturday afternoon when I sent the message. I had been thinking about it all week, unsure of how to approach it. But I was finally ready.

Junno: Hey, JM. How about dinner tonight? We can cook together, if you’re up for it.

The response came almost immediately.

JM: I’d love that. What are we making?

I smiled to myself, a surge of excitement rushing through me. It had been a while since I had cooked something from scratch, and the idea of cooking with JM made it even more exciting.

Junno: How about a little Pinikpikan?

JM: I’m counting on you, Junno! See you tonight.

As the day went on, I found myself cleaning up my small apartment, preparing for his arrival.

It wasn’t anything extravagant—just a cozy dinner for two, but it felt special.

I set the table by the window, lit a couple of candles, and played some soft music in the background.

The evening already felt different.

When the doorbell rang, my heart skipped a beat. I opened the door, and there he was—JM, standing there with a small bag of ingredients in his hand. He smiled, his eyes lighting up as he took in the setup.

"This looks nice," he said, stepping inside. "You really know how to make things feel... special."

I blushed, trying to ignore the way my stomach fluttered at his compliment. "Well, I’m glad you like it. Ready to cook?"

He grinned, a playful glint in his eyes. "Absolutely. Let’s see if I can keep up."

We moved to the kitchen, both of us excited but slightly nervous. Cooking together felt like a small but meaningful step for us, and I could tell that JM was just as eager as I was.

We laughed and talked as we worked, prepping the chicken and chopping the vegetables.

As we shared small moments, the conversation turned more casual, less guarded.

JM helped me stir the pot while I was adding spices, and every so often, he would reach over to adjust the heat or give me a quick glance, as if testing the waters between us.

Dinner was ready before we knew it—pinikpikan, perfectly cooked. We sat down at the table, enjoying the food we had made together, but there was an undeniable tension in the air. With every glance we exchanged, every laugh, it became harder to ignore the pull between us.

As we finished up, JM stood and moved toward the sink without a word. I watched him for a moment, his focus on the dishes, the way his hands moved with ease. It was simple—just a normal part of life—but everything felt magnified in this quiet moment.

I joined him at the sink, standing beside him as we washed the plates.

The closeness between us was electric, and I could feel my heart racing.

It was like the room was getting smaller, the air thicker.

We were standing side by side, neither of us speaking, but the silence felt charged, alive with unspoken words.

I turned to him, my breath catching in my throat. "You know, I didn’t expect this to be... this easy," I said, my voice barely a whisper.

JM paused, his hand frozen in the soapy water. He slowly turned to face me, his eyes darkened with something I couldn’t quite place. "Yeah," he murmured, his voice low and almost breathless. "I didn’t expect it either."

There was a moment of silence as we both stood there, the only sound the faint hum of the refrigerator and the water running in the sink. Then, almost instinctively, I reached out, gently touching his arm.

"Junno," he whispered, and I could feel the weight of his gaze on me.

Before I knew it, he was stepping closer, his hand moving to rest on my waist. My heart pounded in my chest, and I felt the space between us shrink. It was like everything else in the world faded away, and all I could focus on was him—his touch, the heat of his body against mine.

I didn't know who moved first, but in the next instant, his lips were on mine.

The kiss was soft at first, tentative, as if we were both testing the waters.

But soon, it deepened, a rush of passion building between us.

His hand slid to the back of my neck, pulling me closer, while my hands found their way to his shirt, gripping him tightly.

It was like an explosion of everything we had been holding back—the chemistry, the attraction, the emotions that had been simmering under the surface for so long.

I was lost in the kiss, in the way his lips moved against mine, in the way his touch made everything else in the world disappear.

I could feel the warmth of his body, the urgency in his movements.

There was no going back now, no pretending that this was just something casual.

We had crossed a line, and neither of us could ignore it.

When we finally pulled away, we both stood there for a moment, breathless, eyes locked. My heart was still racing, and I could feel the warmth of his lips lingering on mine.

"Wow," JM whispered, his voice hoarse.

"Yeah," I replied, still in a daze. "Wow."

He smiled, his fingers brushing against my cheek in a gentle caress. "I’ve wanted to do that for a long time," he admitted softly, his eyes searching mine.

I swallowed, my thoughts a whirlwind of emotions. "Me too," I confessed. "But I didn’t want to rush things."

"We don’t have to rush," he murmured, his voice full of reassurance. "We can take this slow. But I can’t hide how I feel anymore, Junno. I want you. I want this."

I nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. "I want it too," I said quietly, my voice barely above a whisper. "I want us."

We stood there for a moment, just looking at each other, letting the words settle between us. There was still a lot to figure out, still a lot of challenges ahead, but for the first time in weeks, I felt certain of one thing: whatever came next, we were ready to face it together.

As the evening wore on, we sat back down on the couch, side by side, talking and laughing as if nothing had changed. But in that quiet moment, I knew that everything had. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.