The barn settled into a thick silence when I climbed out from under the car. She was still sitting on the hood, swinging her legs. “Hey,” she said, pretending to look at her boots. “Mmm.” “Earlier… last night… when you mentioned that I’m a virgin.”

I leaned against the car, looking at her sideways.

“What about that?” “Nothing.”

Silence.

“Babe…”

She sighed.

“I’m scared.”

My expression changed. No teasing. No half-smile. Just focus.

“What are you scared of?” “That it’ll hurt,” she blurted out, like it was a forbidden word. “That it’ll be weird. That I’ll mess it up. That you… I don’t know… that you expect me to know things I don’t know.”

I moved a little closer

“Look at me.”

She held my gaze.

“I don’t expect anything,” I said calmly. “We’re not competing. There’s no test. And if anything ever happens, it’ll be because you want it.” “Yeah, but…” “But nothing.”

I rested my hands on either side of her hips.

“That’s why we go slow.”

She swallowed.

“Slow how?”

I smiled, softer this time.

“One day you get used to me touching you. Another day you get used to me getting closer. And when something doesn’t feel right, you stop. Easy.” “It’s not that easy.” “With me, it is.”

I stayed quiet. The air smelled of hay and gasoline.

“And what if I don’t know what to do?” she asked, quieter. “You don’t have to know anything.” “And you?” “I do,” I said with a half-smile. “And I’m in no rush.”

She looked at me.

“Really?” “Absolutely.”

Her fingers played with the edge of my shirt.

“Show me.”

I chuckled softly.

“Here?” “Why not?”

I glanced around. The car half-disassembled. The radio. The toolbox.

“I’m not giving a hands-on lesson in a barn with grease in my eyelashes.” “Coward.” “It’s not cowardice. Just minimal respect for the setting.”

She rolled her eyes. But my heart was pounding. She climbed down from the hood and came closer.

“I don’t want a lesson,” she murmured. “I just… want to know how it feels.”

I watched her for a few seconds. Waiting. Giving her space. It made the fear a little smaller. She took my hand. Slowly. I let her guide it. No words were needed. I understood. My expression shifted. More serious. More focused. “Princess…” I warned softly. “I trust you,” she said

That was enough. My hand moved carefully. Like I was mapping something delicate. No rush. No pressure. Just enough to help her understand. The world grew quieter. The barn disappeared. It wasn’t abrupt. Nor intense. It was curious. New. A tickle that made her hold her breath. She rolled her eyes, whimpering.

“Like this?”

I asked softly. She nodded. Her hand clutched my shirt.

“Does it hurt?”

She shook her head.

A feeling I couldn’t describe, like her body was waking up to something it had been waiting for. My other hand stayed firm on her waist, holding her. Not intrusive. Not demanding. Just there. I watched her the whole time. Every gesture. Every tiny change in her breathing. That was what surprised me the most. It wasn’t uncontrolled fire. It was patience.