I was standing by the window, watching the snow fall gently outside when I heard the door to my room creak open. I didn’t even have to turn around to know who it was. Austin, my best friend since forever. He always managed to show up when I least expected it but somehow always at the right time.

"Hey," he greeted, his voice warm, and I could tell by the way he said it that something was different.

"Hey," I replied, trying to keep my tone casual, even though my heart was already racing. Valentine’s Day had arrived, and I wasn’t sure why, but this year felt... different.

He leaned against the doorframe, hands shoved into the pockets of his hoodie, his usual easygoing grin replaced with something softer. My breath hitched in my chest.

"You know," he started, voice a little hesitant now, "I’ve been thinking... maybe we could do something different this year. Since, you know, it’s Valentine's Day and all."

I turned to face him, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Austin looked down at his shoes for a moment, then back up at me, his brown eyes meeting mine with an intensity I’d never quite seen before. "I was thinking... maybe we could, you know, go out. Just the two of us. As... more than friends."