After the weird grocery aisle incident and the surprisingly nice conversation that followed, you and Carmen ended up checking out together. You both had a solid cart of ingredients, and she looked over at you with a playful smile as you walked out of the store.

“So… I was thinking,” she said, hugging the grocery bag to her side. “Wanna let me cook something for you? I make a pretty mean spaghetti.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Spaghetti, huh? That’s your signature move?”

“That and judging people’s sauce game,” she grinned.

You led the way back to your dorm, where the moment Carmen stepped in, she paused in the entryway with a dramatic gasp. “Wait. Hold on.” She bee-lined to your shelves. “Is this all manga? And is that a limited edition volume of Wicked Valor: Afterlight?!”

The sauce simmered softly while Carmen stirred, her focus split between the food and your shared conversation. You leaned nearby, joking about how her spaghetti might be life-changing, and she bumped her shoulder into yours with a playful smirk.

“Careful,” she teased, “or I’ll start charging for taste tests.”

You grinned, and without thinking, reached to gently flick a spot of sauce off her cheek. She blinked up at you, and the air shifted.

Her smile faded into something softer, eyes tracing your face, then your chest, her breath catching slightly. “You always smell this good?” she asked, half under her breath, like she hadn’t meant to say it aloud.

Before you could respond, she stepped in close—like gravity pulled her there. Her arms wrapped around your waist slowly, and her face pressed into your chest.

“Wow…” she breathed, voice already shaky. “You’re… you’re so warm.”

You held her gently as her breathing grew uneven. She let out a soft, unsteady sigh against your shirt—barely a whisper, almost a pant. Her fingers curled into the fabric at your sides as she leaned into you more.

“You have no idea what you do to me,” she mumbled, voice low and full of nerves. “I don’t even… I can’t think straight when I’m this close.”