Between Us, No Labels

Chapter 5: Closer Than We Should Be

“Clyd…” she whispered, leaning just slightly closer, her voice softer now. “Do you ever… think we’re going too fast?”

I looked at her, her eyes searching mine, and for the first time, I didn’t try to hide anything. “Maybe… but I don’t want to slow down,” I admitted. “Not with you. Not ever.”

Her lips curved into a soft, lingering smile. “Bold,” she said. “Dangerous. Pero… I like it. I like you.”

“Good,” I said, my voice low. “Kasi I like you too. More than I should. But I… don’t want to hold back anymore.”

She stopped walking, and I mirrored her, our shoulders brushing. Our hands found each other, fingers interlocking. The subtle contact was electric, intimate, and teasing all at once.

“You’re… impossible,” she whispered, leaning just a fraction closer. “And I… I can’t stop noticing you.”

I smiled softly, letting my thumb brush the back of her hand. “Then maybe… we shouldn’t try.”

Her eyes softened, shimmering in the fading light. “I like that idea,” she admitted, voice low, almost shy. “I like… us. Even if it’s undefined.”

I leaned closer, just enough that our breaths mingled, our shoulders pressed together. “Undefined,” I repeated softly, “but perfect. Kasi… it’s ours.”

She laughed softly, and for a moment, time froze. The teasing, the flirtation, the lingering tension—it all came together in that single, charged moment. I wanted to close the gap completely, to let everything between us finally ignite.

But I held back. Just slightly. Letting it linger, letting the tension build, letting her feel it too.

“Clyd…” she whispered, her lips almost brushing my cheek, her breath warm against my skin. “Promise me… we don’t rush this. Pero… don’t pull away either.”

“I promise,” I whispered back, my chest tightening. “No labels. No promises. Just… us.”

And as we stood there, hand in hand, hearts racing faster than reason allowed, I realized something undeniable:

I didn’t want labels. I didn’t want promises. I just wanted her.

No labels. No promises. Just us.

The evening breeze wrapped around us as we walked through the quiet streets, our fingers still lightly intertwined. Every subtle touch, every brush of her arm against mine, made my chest tighten. It was dangerous, this pull between us, pero I didn’t want to resist it.

“Clyd…” she whispered, her voice low, hesitant, carrying that rare vulnerability I craved. “Do you… ever think about how this might end? About what happens if it gets complicated?”

I stopped for a moment, turning to face her. The soft streetlights painted her face in warm hues. Her eyes searched mine, glimmering with something soft and fragile beneath her usual teasing spark.

“I think about it,” I admitted, voice rough. “Pero… I also think that if we don’t take the risk, I’ll regret it forever. Kasi… every moment with you feels… worth it.”

Her lips curved into a small, lingering smile, almost shy, and she let out a soft laugh. “Bold… and reckless,” she said teasingly. “Pero… I like it. I like you.”

I swallowed hard, leaning just slightly closer. “Then… maybe we should stop pretending this is just a game. Kasi… it’s not. Not for me. Not anymore.”

Her breath hitched softly, and she leaned in just a fraction closer, her shoulder brushing mine. “Clyd… I feel the same,” she admitted. “Even if we don’t have labels, even if we don’t promise anything… I feel it too.”

The pull between us was undeniable. My thumb traced hers lightly, our hands intertwining more firmly. Every heartbeat, every subtle glance, every fleeting touch was a confession we didn’t need words for.

“I want… this,” I whispered, letting my forehead brush hers lightly. “I want us. Even if it’s messy. Even if it’s complicated.”

Her eyes softened, shimmering in the soft glow of the streetlights. “Me too,” she whispered, leaning closer, her lips almost brushing mine. “Kasi… I can’t stop noticing you. I don’t want to.”

My chest tightened, and my pulse raced. Every instinct screamed at me to close the small gap between us, to let the tension finally ignite. But I held back, letting the moment linger, savoring it. Every second of hesitation made it more intense, more dangerous, more irresistible.

She let out a soft sigh, resting her head just slightly against my shoulder. “Promise me…” she whispered, her voice trembling, “we don’t rush it. Pero… don’t pull away either.”

“I promise,” I whispered back, letting my lips brush the top of her head softly. “No labels. No promises. Just… us.”

And in that quiet, charged moment, standing there side by side under the soft glow of the streetlights, I realized something undeniable:

I didn’t want labels. I didn’t want promises. I just wanted her.

No labels. No promises. Just us.

The streets were quiet now, the city lights casting soft glows on the pavement. Lia and I walked slowly, fingers intertwined, hearts racing in sync. Every brush of her hand against mine sent shivers through me, every glance between us felt like a confession neither of us dared to speak out loud.

“Clyd…” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly, “do you ever… think about how this could change everything?”

I stopped, turning to look at her. The amber glow of the streetlights made her eyes glimmer, highlighting that soft vulnerability she only showed me. “I think about it,” I admitted, stepping a little closer. “Pero… I don’t care. Kasi I don’t want to hold back. Not with you. Not ever.”

Her lips curved into a small, almost shy smile, and she leaned just slightly closer, our shoulders brushing fully. “You’re… reckless,” she said, teasing softly, but there was truth in her voice. “And I… I like it. I like you. Kasi you make me feel… things I didn’t expect.”

I swallowed hard, my thumb brushing over hers as our fingers intertwined. “Then… maybe we shouldn’t pretend this is just… nothing,” I whispered, letting my forehead rest lightly against hers. “Kasi for me, it’s everything. You’re everything.”

Her breath hitched softly. “Clyd…” she murmured, leaning closer, lips almost brushing mine. “I… I feel the same. Even if it’s undefined, even if we don’t have labels… I can’t stop noticing you. I don’t want to.”

My chest tightened. Every instinct told me to close the gap, to finally let the tension ignite into something real. But I held back—just slightly—wanting her to savor it, to feel the pull as much as I did.

“You’re… dangerous,” she whispered, voice soft, intimate, and raw.

“And you’re irresistible,” I replied, letting a teasing smirk tug at my lips, even as my heart raced.

She leaned her head slightly against my shoulder, just enough to feel the warmth of my chest, the steady beat of my heart. “Promise me…” she whispered, voice trembling, “we don’t rush it. Pero… don’t pull away either.”

“I promise,” I whispered back, brushing the tip of her hair from her face softly. “No labels. No promises. Just… us.”

For a long moment, we lingered there, hearts racing, breaths mingling, the world around us fading away. Every glance, every brush of fingers, every subtle movement was a silent confession. A confession we didn’t need words for.

And then… almost imperceptibly, she shifted closer, lips hovering near mine, teasing, daring, electric. My pulse spiked. My chest tightened. Every second stretched, every heartbeat amplified, and the tension became almost unbearable.

I could feel it—the edge of something I’d been craving, something dangerous, something beautiful. And I realized, fully, completely:

I didn’t want labels. I didn’t want promises. I just wanted her.

No labels. No promises. Just us.