Between Us, Always

Nano's POV

I pulled back, my heart pounding in my chest, and stared at Per, unable to form any words. My mind was spinning, trying to make sense of what just happened. I hadn't planned it—hadn't thought it through. It was impulsive, desperate almost, a reaction to everything that had been building between us.

Per looked just as stunned, his gaze searching mine, and for a second, everything felt heavy. Too heavy. The room was silent except for our breathing, both of us trying to process what we'd just done.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. What was I supposed to say? What did any of this mean now?

"I... I didn't mean..." I started, but my voice faltered. "I shouldn't have... I—"

Per let out a soft sigh, his expression shifting from confusion to something softer, understanding almost. "Nano," he said quietly, cutting off my rambling. "It's okay. Really." His words were gentle, but there was a hint of uncertainty behind them too, just like I felt.

He reached out and placed a hand on my arm, as if trying to ground both of us in the moment. "I'm not mad. I'm just... surprised," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's... it's complicated. But we're both feeling things we didn't expect."

I nodded, still feeling that knot in my chest, unsure how to process everything. The kiss, the silence that followed—it all left a strange tension in the air. We weren't angry with each other, but we weren't exactly comfortable either. The usual ease between us was gone, replaced by an unspoken weight that neither of us knew how to lift.

"I... I'm sorry, Per. I didn't mean to make things more complicated," I said, my voice shaky. I could feel the guilt in my chest, the worry about where this would leave us

Per's POV

I lay down on my bed, the quiet of the room almost suffocating. My head was spinning, my thoughts racing back to what had just happened. The conversation with Nano, the way we'd talked, the kiss—it all kept replaying in my mind, over and over again, like I couldn't escape it.

I tried to push it aside, grabbing my phone from the nightstand to distract myself. Scrolling through Instagram, I clicked on a few random posts, but my mind wouldn't focus. My eyes kept drifting back to that moment, that kiss.

I shouldn't have liked it. I knew I shouldn't. But there it was, a small voice in my head telling me how much I did like it. How it had felt—soft, unexpected, but strangely comforting. I couldn't shake the feeling of his lips against mine, the way he had pulled me closer. The way he had kissed me like he needed something, and for a split second, I had felt like maybe I could be what he needed.

I frowned at the thought. Was that really what had happened? Or had I just imagined it?

I exhaled sharply, trying to dismiss the idea, but it was no use. My heart wouldn't let me forget it. I closed the app, tossing my phone to the side. But even with my eyes closed, the images of Nano's face, the kiss, and the emotions that had come with it wouldn't leave me.

I couldn't stop thinking about him. About the way his hand had felt on my arm, the way his breath had hitched as I pulled away. It wasn't just a simple kiss—it was more than that. It was a connection, something I hadn't expected, and now that it had happened, I didn't know what to do with it.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to push the thoughts out of my head. But every time I did, I found myself right back in that moment, caught between confusion and something else. Something... more.

I groaned quietly, rolling over onto my side and pulling the blankets tighter around me, hoping sleep would come and take away all these thoughts. But deep down, I knew it wouldn't. Not until I figured this out. Not until I could face what I was really feeling.