Different From The Rest

After dinner, you both cleaned up slowly, Billie washing while you dried—every now and then bumping hips or trading quiet smiles. The music was low now, mellow. A sleepy playlist Billie said she put on without thinking.

By the time the kitchen was clean, you both migrated to the couch again, legs stretched out, a blanket tossed over the two of you. The wine glasses were empty on the coffee table, but neither of you moved to refill them.

Billie leaned into you, her head resting lightly against your shoulder, one hand tracing slow patterns on your arm. You let your cheek rest on top of her head, your fingers playing absentmindedly with the ends of her hair.

It was quiet.

Not the kind of quiet that needed to be filled—but the kind that settled in like a sigh. Like comfort.

Her voice broke the silence after a long pause. "This was a good day."

You smiled against her hair. "Yeah. It really was."

Billie shifted just slightly to look up at you, eyes soft. "Thanks for staying."

You reached for her hand under the blanket, threading your fingers through hers. "You keep asking. I might get used to it."

She smirked sleepily. "Good."

Eventually, the hum of the evening caught up to both of you. Billie let out a yawn she tried to hide, and you stood slowly, offering your hand. She took it, and together you moved through the dim hallway toward her room.

You both changed into comfier clothes—Billie tugging a hoodie over her head while you borrowed another one of hers with a laugh and a "you're gonna lose all your clothes to me."

Billie rolled her eyes fondly. "Worth it."

Crawling into bed, you settled under the covers, Billie sliding in next to you. She pulled you close again, the warmth between you making the cool sheets feel like nothing.

As your eyelids grew heavier, you heard her voice one more time—quiet, near a whisper.

"Sleep good."

You didn't say anything back.

You just reached for her hand again, squeezed gently, and drifted off.
The light slipping through the curtains was golden, delicate. Morning had come quietly.

You stirred first, blinking sleep from your eyes as you adjusted to the warm tangle of limbs and blankets. Billie was still asleep beside you, her breathing steady, her face calm in the early light.

You watched her for a moment, smiling softly at how peaceful she looked. Then, carefully, you slipped out of bed, not wanting to wake her just yet.

The house was quiet. Still. You padded barefoot down the hall, curiosity tugging you gently from room to room.

You paused when you found a door that was slightly ajar. Inside, the room was simple but stunning—a music room.

A few guitars rested on stands, vinyls stacked near the wall, and in the corner: a piano. Dark, elegant, inviting.

You stepped inside slowly, fingers brushing the edge of the keys before sitting down. You weren't sure what made you do it—maybe the stillness of the morning, maybe the way the light danced across the polished surface—but you started to play.

Clair de Lune.

Soft. Slow. Gentle enough not to wake the house. The notes floated through the room like a whispered thought, bittersweet and beautiful.

You didn't notice Billie right away.

She was standing in the doorway, quiet as a breath, watching you with something like awe in her expression. Her hair was still messy from sleep, hoodie sleeves hanging over her hands. But she didn't move. Didn't speak.

She just listened.

And when the final notes faded into the morning light, you looked up and saw her there.

A slow smile spread across her face. "You didn't tell me you played."

You blinked, a little flustered, but smiling. "I didn't think I'd get the chance."

Billie stepped into the room, walking toward you slowly. "You made that sound like... something more than music."

You shrugged, shy. "That song just always feels like a feeling I can't name."

She reached for your hand gently, still warm from the keys. "Well... now it sounds like you."

And without another word, she sat beside you on the bench—legs brushing, fingers finding yours—and the silence between you said everything else.