Heartbeats and Algorithms

Chapter 7: A Spark in the Air

Xavier

I couldn't shake the thought of Jasmine ever since I'd left her apartment. Something about her had a way of slipping into my mind and staying there, like a song I couldn't stop humming. It wasn't just her stubborn refusal to rest, or the way she brushed off her own needs as if they didn't matter—it was the spark in her eyes, the way her laughter had always made me want to smile, even when I was frustrated with her.

There was something about the way we fit together. A rhythm that felt natural, like I didn't have to think about it too much. And it scared me a little. As a surgeon, I was used to controlling things. I could handle life or death situations, intense pressure—but this? Whatever was growing between us felt uncharted. Unplanned.

That afternoon, after finishing my rounds at the hospital, I found myself driving in the direction of her apartment. I had no reason to go, really. She'd already texted me that she was feeling better and resting, but something drew me there anyway. The sun was setting, casting warm hues over the city, and the cool autumn breeze whistled through my open window. I told myself I just wanted to check on her, nothing more.

But as I pulled up outside her building, I knew that wasn't entirely true. Something had shifted between us, something I couldn't ignore any longer. I could feel it in the air—thick and electric, like the moments before a storm. And I had no idea where it was going to lead.

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Jasmine

I hadn't expected Xavier to come by again, not after this morning. But when I heard the knock on my door, I knew it was him before I even opened it.

I don't know why I could sense it. Maybe because I'd been thinking about him all day, replaying the way he'd taken care of me without a second thought. Maybe because I'd caught myself smiling at his texts, the way he made checking in on me seem casual, when I knew it wasn't. Something about him always seemed to linger in my thoughts.

I opened the door to find him standing there, looking as composed as ever, but his eyes—they held something else tonight. Something unspoken. He was holding a bag, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

"I brought you more tea," he said, lifting the bag like it was the most natural thing in the world to show up with tea at my doorstep.

I stepped aside, letting him in, my heart doing that annoying little flutter it had started doing whenever he was around. "You really don't have to keep spoiling me with tea, you know."

He raised an eyebrow, his smile widening. "Spoiling? You sound like it's a bad thing."

I closed the door and walked toward the kitchen, trying to hide the way my face warmed at his comment. "I'm not used to it, that's all."

He set the tea down on the counter and leaned against the wall, watching me carefully. "Maybe it's time you get used to it."

His voice was soft, but there was an edge to it that made my stomach flip. I paused, turning to meet his gaze. There it was again—that spark. It felt like the air between us was charged with something neither of us had acknowledged yet, but it was there. Tangible.

"What are you doing, Xavier?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

He pushed off the wall, taking a step closer. "What do you mean?"

I let out a small laugh, nervous, unsure of what I was even asking. "This. You. Showing up with tea. Checking in on me all the time."

He stopped a few feet away, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off him, but far enough that I could still pretend this was normal. Casual.

"I care about you, Jasmine," he said simply, his voice low. "I thought that was obvious."

And just like that, the unspoken was out in the open, hanging in the air between us.

I swallowed hard, my heart racing. "You don't have to take care of me like this, Xavier. I'm not... I'm not someone who needs saving."

His eyes softened, and he took another step toward me, his hand brushing against mine for just a second, but it was enough to send sparks up my arm.

"I'm not trying to save you," he said, his voice quieter now. "I just want to be here."

I looked up at him, my breath catching. He wasn't saying it outright, but I could feel the weight behind his words. He wasn't just here because I needed help or because he was worried about my health. He was here because he wanted to be. And the way he looked at me—it made me feel like maybe I wanted him here too.

For a moment, the world around us seemed to slow, and all I could hear was the soft hum of the city outside and the rapid beating of my own heart.

I opened my mouth to say something, but before I could, he closed the distance between us, his hand gently cupping my cheek. The warmth of his touch sent a shiver down my spine, and I felt myself leaning into him without even realizing it.

"Jasmine," he whispered, his breath warm against my skin. "I don't know where this is going. But I know I can't stop thinking about you."

My heart pounded in my chest as I looked up into his eyes, seeing the same uncertainty and desire reflected back at me. There was no more pretending. No more hiding behind excuses. The air between us crackled with the unspoken truth we had been dancing around for days—maybe longer.

"I can't stop thinking about you either," I admitted, my voice barely audible.

His thumb brushed over my cheek, and for a moment, we just stood there, the weight of everything we hadn't said hanging between us. The pull between us was undeniable, and as his face inched closer to mine, I felt the last of my resolve slip away.

And then, finally, his lips met mine.

It was soft at first—tentative, as if we were both testing the waters. But then something shifted, and the kiss deepened, the spark between us igniting into a flame. His hands slid to my waist, pulling me closer, and I melted into him, my arms wrapping around his neck.

In that moment, everything else faded away. There was no more uncertainty, no more overthinking. There was just us, tangled together in a kiss that felt like it had been waiting to happen for far too long.

When we finally pulled away, breathless and a little dazed, I couldn't help but smile. The air between us felt lighter now, but still charged with that same electricity. Something had changed, and there was no going back.

"I guess the tea wasn't the only reason you came over," I teased, my voice still a little shaky from the kiss.

Xavier chuckled, his forehead resting against mine. "No, Jasmine. It wasn't."

And as I stood there in his arms, I couldn't help but feel like maybe this was exactly where I was meant to be.