The silence stretches. Not empty. Not uncomfortable. Just… charged. My hand is still there. Too close to his. Close enough that I can feel the warmth, not touching, not quite, but there. Waiting.
I should move it. I know I should. This is weird. This is too much. I don't move.
My breath feels uneven, like I forgot how to do it properly. My fingers twitch slightly against the couch cushion, but I don't pull away. Why am I not pulling away? Because I don't want to. The realization hits quietly.
Dangerously. Lucifer's gaze drops again. To my hand. Then back to my face. Slow. Careful. Like he's giving me every chance to stop this.
"…Arlo," he says softly. My name in his voice does something to me. "Yeah?" I manage, even though it comes out quieter than I intended.
A pause. Then. His hand moves. Not fast. Not sudden. Slow enough that I can see it happening. Slow enough that I could pull away. But I don't.
His fingers brush against mine. Light. Barely there. But it's enough. My breath catches instantly. It feels.....different. Not like before. Not accidental. Not fleeting. This is intentional.
His fingers rest against mine, hesitant for just a second, like he's checking, like he's asking without words. Okay? My heart is pounding so hard I'm sure he can hear it.
"…You're not moving away," he murmurs. I swallow. "I—" I don't know what to say. Because I'm not. And I don't want to.
"…I don't want to," I admit. The words come out before I can stop them.Soft. Honest. And terrifying.
Something in his expression shifts. Not surprise. Not amusement. Something deeper. His fingers slide slightly against mine, more certain now. Warmer. Real. Then, slowly.
He turns his hand. Our fingers press together properly this time. Palm to palm. Not fully intertwined. Not yet. But close. So close. My chest tightens.
Because this. This feels like something. Something important. Something I don't understand yet. But I don't want it to stop.
Lucifer exhales quietly, like he's been holding his breath this whole time. "…Neither do I," he says.
And that. That makes my heart flip. Because suddenly, it's not just me. It's both of us. Feeling this. Whatever this is.
My thumb moves slightly. Not on purpose. Just… instinct. It brushes against his hand. And I freeze. Oh my god. Did I just.
I glance up quickly. Lucifer's already looking at me. His eyes darker now. Focused. Aware.
But he doesn't pull away. If anything. His fingers tighten just slightly against mine. Reassuring. Steady. Like he's saying: It's okay.
The tension in my chest shifts. Not gone. But different. Softer. Warmer.
And for the first time since I walked into this apartment, I feel like I'm not about to run.