Heartbeats and Algorithms

Chapter 8: Falling into Us

Jasmine

I woke up the next morning, the memory of Xavier's kiss still lingering on my lips. It felt surreal, like something out of a dream—one of those moments where time slows down, and the world stops spinning for just a second. But it hadn't been a dream. Xavier had kissed me, and I had kissed him back, the spark between us igniting into something I hadn't fully understood until that very moment.

I pulled the blanket tighter around me, sinking deeper into the couch. Last night had been perfect, in a way I hadn't expected. It wasn't just the kiss or the warmth of his embrace—it was the comfort, the ease, and the quiet understanding we'd fallen into. For the first time in a long time, I felt seen. Really seen.

The knock at my door startled me out of my thoughts, and my heart leapt, hoping it was him. I wasn't sure I was ready to face whatever this was between us, but I couldn't deny that a part of me wanted to open that door and see Xavier standing there, that familiar smirk playing on his lips.

I padded over to the door, still wrapped in my blanket, and pulled it open. There he was, standing with a cup of coffee in each hand, his dark eyes lighting up when they landed on me.

"Morning," he said, his voice soft but full of that same warmth I'd grown so used to.

"Morning," I replied, my lips curving into a smile. I stepped aside to let him in, and as he brushed past me, I couldn't help but notice the little tingle that shot up my arm from just the smallest touch.

Xavier handed me one of the cups, his eyes lingering on me for a moment before he spoke again. "I wasn't sure if you'd already had your coffee. Figured it couldn't hurt."

I took a sip, the warmth of the coffee sinking into me. "You didn't have to, but I'm glad you did." I looked at him over the rim of my cup, feeling the tension from last night slowly building between us again.

He sat down on the couch, patting the spot next to him. I hesitated for a second, knowing that whatever we'd started last night wasn't something I could just brush off. But the pull between us was too strong to ignore, and before I knew it, I was sitting beside him, our knees brushing together.

The silence stretched out, not uncomfortable, but heavy with the weight of all the unspoken words between us. Finally, Xavier broke it, his voice low and careful. "About last night..."

I glanced at him, my heart thudding in my chest. "Yeah?"

He took a deep breath, setting his coffee down on the table. "I've been thinking about it, and I just... I don't want to mess this up. Whatever this is."

I watched him, trying to read the emotions playing across his face. Xavier had always been good at hiding how he felt, but right now, he looked vulnerable in a way I hadn't seen before.

"I don't want to mess it up either," I said softly, setting my own coffee down. "But I don't think we can pretend that kiss didn't happen."

A small smile tugged at his lips. "No, I don't think we can."

He reached out, his hand covering mine, and just like that, the tension between us snapped, replaced by something softer, more intimate. It wasn't just the electricity of attraction anymore. It was something deeper, something that had been growing between us for weeks, maybe even months.

"I've been thinking about you," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "More than I probably should."

The confession hung in the air, and my heart swelled at the vulnerability in his words. I squeezed his hand, my thumb brushing over his knuckles. "Me too."

His eyes met mine, and for a moment, it felt like the world shrank down to just the two of us. The noise, the doubts, the questions—they all faded away. All that was left was this quiet connection, this understanding that we were both falling, and neither of us knew where we were going to land.

"I've always admired how you just... take care of everyone around you," I said, breaking the silence. "You're always so composed, so in control. But you also care. And I guess... I didn't realize how much I cared about you until recently."

Xavier's thumb traced slow circles on the back of my hand, his eyes never leaving mine. "You make it hard not to care about you, Jasmine. Even when you're being stubborn," he added with a teasing grin.

I laughed, leaning into him a little. "I'm not stubborn. I just know what I want."

His grin widened, but there was a softness in his expression now, something tender. "And what do you want?"

The question hung between us, heavy with implications. But I didn't flinch. I knew exactly what I wanted. I'd known for a while, even if I hadn't let myself admit it.

"I want you," I whispered, the words slipping out before I could second-guess them.

Xavier's eyes darkened, and in one smooth motion, he pulled me closer, his arm wrapping around my waist as he tilted my face up to his. His lips brushed mine, softly at first, and then with more urgency as we both gave in to the pull that had been between us for so long.

The kiss was different from last night. It wasn't tentative or uncertain—it was filled with everything we hadn't said, everything we'd been holding back. His hand slid to the small of my back, pulling me tighter against him, and I lost myself in the feel of him, in the warmth of his body and the taste of his lips.

When we finally pulled apart, both of us breathing heavily, Xavier rested his forehead against mine, his hand still holding me close.

"I don't want this to be just some fleeting thing, Jasmine," he murmured, his voice rough with emotion. "I want to be with you. For real."

I looked up at him, my heart swelling at his words. I could feel the sincerity in them, the depth of what he was offering. And I knew, in that moment, that I wanted the same thing.

"I want that too," I whispered, my voice thick with emotion.

We sat there in silence for a moment, wrapped up in each other, both of us knowing that this wasn't just a passing attraction. This was the start of something real, something we both wanted to see through.

Xavier leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead. "Then let's see where this takes us."

I smiled, my heart feeling lighter than it had in a long time. "Let's."

And in that moment, I knew we were both falling—not just into love, but into something deeper, something that would carry us forward, together.