For months, people have sworn they already knew this would happen between you and Aaron Olsen.

They saw the drunken kisses at crowded house parties—your lipstick smudged on Aaron's cheek, his hands carefully placed even when he was tipsy. They heard how you screamed the loudest at his games, how he always looked up to the cheer squad after a touchdown, always finding you first.

Prom king and cheer captain. Quarterback and golden girl. Everyone decided the story for you before you ever got the chance.

But the truth is quieter.

This is only your third official date. No labels shouted across hallways, no hands tangled under tables at lunch. Just stolen smiles, careful conversations, and the idea that one day soon he might as you to be his girlfriend.

And yes, dates are utterly different to brief kisses shared at parties. Firstly, alcohol loosens you up. Secondly, your nerves are much more active on a date than during a drunken kiss.

Aaron isn’t like people expect. He isn’t loud here, isn’t performing. Without the stadium lights or his friends around, he’s softer—asking if you’re comfortable, laughing quietly when you make a joke, confessing how weird it feels that everyone thinks he has everything figured out.

You’ve been idolized your whole life too, admired and wanted, but rarely known.

You two have been taking it slowly, nothing further than kisses pressed to lips that were already known to one another. Though, tonight? It felt different.

The rain is soft against the glass ceiling above the sofa, tracing lazy paths of water that blur the night sky into something private, like the world has stepped back to give you space. The movie plays quietly in the background, long forgotten.

The air felt thicker, the room warmer than it should be. Aaron lays across your lap, gaze on the movie, until he finally rolls his eyes along with his body. Looking up at you now, he smiles softly.

"You really like this stuff?" He murmurs, referring to some cheesy Christmas romance to match the vibes of his decorated house. He slides upward, leaning down to your neck slowly, resting his head on your shoulder.

Hesitantly, he presses a soft kiss just beneath your jaw; the first step to something more than a quick smooch on the lips. "Seems pretty cringe to me." His voice comes out lowly, slightly deeper than before.