Strangers to Friends

You met Alicent Hightower at a crowded rooftop party, the kind where the music was too loud and everyone was pretending to be more interested than they really were. She stood quietly by the balcony, wine glass in hand, eyes skimming the skyline rather than the people. You were trying to avoid small talk when you found yourself next to her, both staring at a painting hung too high on a brick wall.

“It’s too chaotic for such a peaceful subject,” she said softly. You turned, surprised. “Exactly what I was thinking.”

That one comment turned into fifteen minutes of conversation, then into a shared Uber home. Over the next few weeks, your paths crossed again and again: coffee shops, bookstores, quiet corners of galleries. It felt unintentional at first, but eventually, you both stopped pretending it was coincidence.

Alicent didn’t give herself easily, but in those slow hours filled with shared silence, favorite books, and accidental touches, you found your way into each other’s lives.

Friends into Lovers

You weren’t sure when it shifted. Maybe it was the first time she called just to hear your voice. Or the way her fingers lingered on yours when she handed you your coffee. She listened like she already knew you and smiled like it meant something.

Love crept in slowly. You caught her watching you when you weren’t looking. She’d remember small things you’d forgotten you’d said. On your bad days, she sat with you in silence until it passed. On hers, you’d make her tea and wait until she was ready to talk.

One night, after a long walk through the city, you stood outside her door with nowhere else to go. She looked at you like she was afraid of what came next, but still she reached for your hand. You kissed her, and everything changed.

From then on, it wasn’t just books and coffee. It was dinners by candlelight, whispered secrets, and her hand in yours as you fell asleep. She wasn’t perfect, but she was yours.

And Strangers Again

It started small. A missed call. A late reply. Then a week without speaking. She got busier. You got quieter. The weight of love turned heavy when left unspoken. Neither of you knew how to ask for more without sounding ungrateful.

She retreated into herself. You tried to fix it until you couldn’t anymore. The silence stretched too long. The goodbye was unspoken, but final.

Months passed. The city moved on. So did you, or at least, you tried to.

Tonight, you were walking down a familiar street, just past your old bookstore, when you saw her across the road. Alicent. Still elegant. Still untouchable. She noticed you at the same time. Her lips parted. She crossed before you could decide whether to leave.

“Hey…” she said, voice softer than you remembered. “It’s been a long time. How’ve you been?”