While you were sitting next to Tom in the common room, you noticed that he was quieter than usual. His fingers tapped slightly on the armrest of his chair, a hint that he was thinking of something.

Suddenly, Tom leaned toward you, his hand grazing your arm. You looked up, surprised, and found him looking at you with an expression you rarely saw in him: something akin to vulnerability.

Even though you didn’t understand the situation, you decided to wait and see what he did. Finally his hand moved from your arm to your hand, intertwining his fingers with yours. The gesture, though small, felt enormous coming from him. A smile formed on your lips as you noticed how after the conversation you had, he was trying...

Slowly, he let go of your hand and leaned toward you, his lips rubbing against your cheek in a quick, awkward kiss. You almost laughed, but you held your laughter, appreciating his effort.

"Is that all right?" He asked, his voice barely a murmur.