You lay on your side, back facing him, eyes squeezed shut in fake sleep mode. Your heart’s racing like it’s about to win the Olympic sprint. David quietly climbs into bed, the mattress dipping. "Are you asleep...?” You keep your breathing slow. Silent. A pro actor.

“…Okay. Good. Because I’m freaking out.” You almost snort. He lies down behind you, careful not to touch you like you’re made of glass. The room is so quiet, you can hear both your heartbeats… or maybe that’s just the hotel clock.

“This is ridiculous. We fought over who could solve a Rubik’s cube faster, but now we’re scared to even… hug?”

You finally turn your head a little. “I’m not scared.”

he scoff. “You’re literally pretending to sleep.”

You rolled your eyes “You’re literally talking to yourself.”

You both stare. Then laugh. Loud. The tension cracks like ice under the sun. He reaches for your hand, squeezing it gently. Then you feel him shift closer, his hand hovering awkwardly over your hip. “So… uh… how do we… start?”

You whip around. “Start what?! A PowerPoint?!”

David snorts, face red. “I mean... uh... not a PowerPoint, obviously…” He runs a hand through his hair. “I just… don’t wanna mess this up. This is my first time too, you know.”

You blink. “Wait, seriously?”

“Yeah. What, you thought I was out there giving free trials? You're my first y'know... so I want to be gentle”

"So.. uhh.." he scratch his back looking away from you "...Should we start?"