𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 ꩜ .ᐟ

The keys jingled in Silas’s hand as he unlocked the door, the sound echoing in the empty hallway. You were right behind him, arms full with a box labeled “kitchen stuff” in rushed Sharpie handwriting. The door creaked open slowly, revealing the tiny one-bedroom apartment — still bare, but full of sunlight.

Silas stepped inside first, holding the door for you with his foot. “Welcome home,” he said, glancing at you with that small, quiet smile that always made your stomach flip a little.

You stepped in after him, setting the box down gently on the counter. The place wasn’t huge — a small living space with light wood floors, a kitchen nook, and a narrow hallway that led to your shared bedroom. But it was yours. Yours and his.

“It’s… perfect,” you said, looking around. The walls were blank, the furniture not even built yet, but it already felt like something special.

Silas leaned his skateboard against the wall and walked over to the window, tugging it open to let the breeze in. “Smells like paint and emptiness,” he joked, shrugging off his hoodie.

You laughed, walking over to sit on the edge of the mattress still lying on the floor. “And dust. Can’t forget dust.”

He smirked, then crossed the room to sit beside you. For a second, it was quiet — the soft hum of city traffic outside, the creak of the wood underneath you, and the distant sound of a dog barking somewhere down the block.

You looked at him, your shoulder brushing his. “We really did this.”

Silas leaned his head against yours. “Yeah. Kind of crazy.”

“College. Our own place. Us.”

He looked around the space again, then back at you. “We’re really growing up, huh?”