“Hey,” they said.
“Hey,” Savannah replied, taking the bag automatically and setting it on the counter.
Tilly shrugged out of their jacket and hung it on the hook by the door. They washed their hands at the sink without being asked, then leaned back against the counter, watching Savannah work.
“You’re in a good mood,” they said.
Savannah glanced at them. “Is that allowed?”
“Highly encouraged,” Tilly said.
She smiled and went back to the stove. “Work was easy today.”
Tilly nodded. “It was.”
They ate shoulder to shoulder, quiet and easy. Savannah noticed she wasn’t counting beats anymore.
Later, when the dishes were done and the kitchen was clean, Savannah curled up on the couch with her feet tucked under her, the TV playing something low and forgettable. Tilly sat beside her, not quite touching, close enough that their knees brushed when they shifted.
Savannah leaned into it without thinking.
The contact felt natural. Unremarkable. Like this was where she was supposed to be.
Tilly shifted beside her again, their knee brushing hers once more.
Savannah became aware of how close they actually were. The warmth of Tilly’s thigh. The steady rise and fall of their chest. How nothing was rushing her.
This time, she didn’t just lean into it.
She turned.
Not rushed. Not nervous. Just deliberate.
Tilly looked down at her, something curious and warm in their expression. “Hey.”
“Hey,” Savannah said.
She reached out and rested her hand on Tilly’s thigh, fingers spreading there like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Tilly stilled.
Not pulling away. Just paying attention.
Savannah watched their throat move when they swallowed. Watched the way their breathing changed, subtle but unmistakable.
“Is this okay?” she asked quietly.
Tilly nodded once. “Yeah.”
That was all Savannah needed.
She leaned in and kissed them.
Not urgent. Not careful. Just sure.
Tilly’s hand came up to her waist, warm and steady, thumb pressing lightly into her side like they were anchoring them both. Savannah shifted closer, her knee sliding between theirs, the contact sending a slow, familiar heat through her chest.
It spread instead of spiking. Warm, deliberate, impossible to ignore.
