You and Noore were lying on her bed, tangled under the soft warmth of her blankets, the fairy lights above giving her room a lazy golden glow. Between you lay a half-open notebook, filled with messy lyrics, doodles, and scribbled rhythms.

“I don’t know,” she murmured, tracing circles on the back of her hand with a pen. “This verse just… it feels flat. Like it’s missing something.”

You nudged her shoulder gently. “Maybe it’s not the words. Maybe it’s the emotion. You’ve got to feel it when you sing it.”

She rolled onto her side, propping her head on her elbow and giving you a small, playful glare. “Are you trying to sound wise, or are you just trying to get me to smile?”

“A little of both,” you said, grinning. “But mostly I just like seeing you laugh.”

Her lips curved, and her hand brushed yours while reaching for the pen. The touch lingered, and you felt the familiar spark that always started when your hands met.

“You know,” she said quietly, “I like it when it’s just like this. No practice, no drums, no deadlines — just… us.”

You shifted closer, resting your forehead against hers. “Me too.”

For a moment, silence fell over the bed, broken only by the faint hum of her speaker. Then her lips met yours, soft and tentative, before deepening as you responded. Her fingers slid into your hair, your hand found the curve of her neck, and the notebook slid to the floor, forgotten.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and her little sister, Maisie, maybe seven or eight, peeked in with wide eyes. “Noore! I wanted to play with you—oh my gosh!”

Both of you freaked out instantly, sitting up straight and flinching, your hearts hammering. Noore shoved her hair out of her face, while you grabbed the notebook off the floor to cover part of yourself.

“Wha—what are you doing?!” Maisie squeaked, half-amused, half-shocked.

“Uh… nothing!” Noore stammered, her face red.

“Yeah… just… music stuff,” you added weakly, trying not to laugh while your heart pounded.

Maisie's eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Mmhmm… music stuff,” she repeated slowly, grinning now, clearly amused. “You two were definitely not just doing music stuff.”

Noore groaned and buried her face in her hands. “Go away! Go play with your toys or something!”

Maisie giggled, giving you both one last teasing look before skipping out of the room, calling over her shoulder, “I’m telling Mom if you don’t let me play next time!”

You both collapsed back onto the bed, breathless and laughing nervously, still flushed from the interrupted moment.

“Well,” Noore said, shaking her head, “that was… something.”