The house had gone quiet.
Lily's parents were already in bed, her older brother asleep behind a door cracked just enough to let in hallway light. The only sounds downstairs were the faint hum of the refrigerator and the soft clink of dishes as Lily and Aaron washed the dishes side by side.
The kitchen was dim—just one warm light above the sink. Aaron stood with sleeves rolled up again, his hands submerged in soapy water while Lily dried beside him.
"I still can't believe you stayed behind to do dishes," Lily said, nudging his elbow.
Aaron glanced at her. "Rich kid doesn't mean spoiled. Besides, this is kind of nice."
She smiled. "Yeah. It is."
A comfortable quiet fell between them as she dried a plate and handed him the next. His fingers brushed hers—just barely. But they both paused.
She looked up at him, and in that half-second, something in his eyes changed.
"I liked seeing you with your family," he said softly.
Lily tilted her head. "Why?"
"You were different And… the way you laughed with your mom, the way your dad looks at you like his only princess."
She flushed. "You're just saying that."
"I'm not." He held her gaze. "I like seeing everything of you."
She didn't know what to say to that. So she looked down and rinsed another glass instead.
Once the last dish was set to dry, Lily stretched with a yawn. "I'm heading up. You good with the couch?"
Aaron smiled crookedly. "Sure. Unless you're offering the bed."
She shot him a look. "In your dreams."
He laughed, drying his hands on the towel. But when she turned toward the stairs, he followed.
At the top, just outside her bedroom, she opened the door halfway. "Good night, Aaron."
But before she could step through—
He grabbed her waist, spun her gently, and pushed her against the door.
His lips crashed onto hers in a sudden, breathless kiss—desperate, heated, and entirely unlike the careful pace they'd taken until now. She gasped, and he caught the sound with his mouth.
Her hands found his shirt, pulling him closer, grounding herself as the door thudded shut behind her. For a moment, they were just need and skin—her fingers in his hair, his body flush against hers, the air between them gone.
When they finally pulled apart, breathless, his forehead rested against hers.
"I've been wanting to do that all day," he murmured.
Her heart was beating loudly in her chest. "Took you long enough."
He chuckled."You're so cute, Lily."
"Good," she whispered. "I want to be."
And this time, she kissed him.
Their kisses slowed, breath mingling in the soft, dim light of Lily's bedroom. Aaron hovered above her, heart racing, hands trembling just slightly against the mattress. But then… something flickered in Lily's eyes—not fear, not doubt—just a pause. A quiet hesitation. The kind that wasn't loud enough to speak, but clear enough to feel.
Aaron noticed it instantly.
He broke the kiss gently, lips brushing her forehead as he steadied his breath. "Hey…"
Lily looked up at him, chest rising and falling.
He smiled softly. "You're not ready?"
There was a beat of silence. Then, Lily shook her head—barely.
And instead of pulling away, Aaron leaned in again—but this time, to press the softest kiss to her temple. "That's okay," he whispered. "I still want to be here."
With care, he gently lifted her into his arms.
Lily blinked, surprised. "Aaron…?"
He didn't answer right away—just carried her across the few steps to the bed and slowly lowered her onto the blankets, like she was made of something fragile and precious.
He toed off his shoes, then laid beside her, pulling the covers over them both. She turned toward him automatically, curling into his warmth. One of his arms slipped under her neck; the other rested lightly on her waist.
For a while, neither of them said anything. Just listened to each other's breathing.
Then Aaron broke the silence.
"You know what I was thinking about earlier?"
"What?"
"I feel so happy today." He smiled faintly. "I mean your family is so loving so happy that I didn't find it awkward at all."
Lily buried her face in his chest, cheeks warm. " Thats good I hope it continues to be like that."
"Yes it will be like that always after all you're my lovely girl friend"
"Saying things that make me fall for you more."
His hand tightened slightly at her waist. "I can make you fell for me even harder in the future."
She looked up at him. "Ah really?" She was a bit confused because the way he said it....it was like he was already planning to get married to her.
He kissed her once softy on the forehead this time and then they just lay there,arms around each other and falling into sleep.