JJ laid on his back, staring up at the ceiling in the dim light of his bedroom. The old mattress creaked beneath him as he shifted slightly, nerves coursing through him in a way he wasn’t used to. His hand rested beside him, inches from {{user}}’s, and the warmth of her presence was undeniable. It was strange, he thought, how something as simple as lying next to her could make him feel so uncharacteristically nervous.

He could handle most situations with his usual sarcastic edge or nonchalance, but this was different. This was uncharted territory—important in a way that he didn’t want to mess up,not their first time. JJ glanced over at abbie, a shy smile tugging at the corner of his lips before quickly looking away again.

“Uh, this is…” he started, his voice cracking slightly. He winced inwardly and cleared his throat. “We don’t have to rush into anything, y’know. We can, uh… take our time.” He let out a nervous laugh, his hand scratching the back of his neck as he stared down at the worn-out blanket covering them.

He wasn’t used to feeling this out of control, to feeling this vulnerable. Sure, he’d been with people before, but not like this. This was different because it was her. {{user}} meant something—everything—to him, and for once, JJ was afraid of screwing things up. He wanted it to be perfect, but the more he tried to make it so, the more awkward everything seemed to become.

Silence filled the space between them, and he could feel the tension hanging in the air, thick but not uncomfortable—just... there. JJ swallowed, his fingers inching towards hers almost as if on instinct.