The next few days passed in a blur of awkward glances and stolen moments between Tessia and Lucas. Despite their usual banter, there was an underlying tension—one that Tessia was struggling to understand, let alone acknowledge.
She found herself thinking about him more than usual, and it was driving her crazy. Lucas, with his infuriating charm and easygoing smile, had somehow wormed his way into her thoughts, and she hated it. Or… maybe she didn’t hate it as much as she wanted to.
Finally, one Friday afternoon, Tessia made an impulsive decision.
As class ended and everyone started packing their things, Tessia glanced at Lucas, who was lazily stretching at his desk. Something about the way he looked so relaxed, so confident, made her want to rattle him a bit. 
"Hey, Lucas," she called, standing up and slinging her bag over her shoulder.
He raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised that she had initiated the conversation. "What’s up?"
"Are you free right now?" Tessia asked, trying to sound casual, though her heart was racing.
Lucas leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Depends. Why do you ask?"
Tessia rolled her eyes, trying to hide her nerves behind her usual attitude. "I was thinking… maybe we could grab something to eat. Talk. You know, like normal people do."
Lucas blinked, momentarily caught off guard by her invitation. "Wait, are you asking me out?"
Tessia felt her cheeks burn as she scowled at him. "It’s not like that! I’m just asking if you’re free. Don’t get any weird ideas."
Lucas smirked, clearly enjoying the flustered look on her face. "Sure, sure. Alright, lead the way. I’m starving anyway."
---
They ended up at a nearby café, a cozy little place with a warm atmosphere and the smell of freshly brewed coffee in the air. Tessia chose a table near the window, and they both sat down, the soft murmur of other customers providing a comfortable background noise.
As they looked through the menu, Lucas glanced at Tessia from across the table. "So, this is nice. Didn’t expect you to invite me out."
Tessia didn’t look up from her menu, trying to focus on anything but him. "I just thought we could hang out outside of class for once. Besides, you owe me. I did help you with your studies."
Lucas chuckled. "True. I guess I should be thanking you properly then."
After they ordered, the conversation started off light, mostly about school and how stressful their current projects were. But as the food arrived, they began to relax a bit more, and the playful teasing that defined their relationship resurfaced.
Tessia took a bite of her food, laughing at one of Lucas’s stories about how he once fell asleep during class and was caught by the professor snoring. "You’re such an idiot, Lucas."
Lucas grinned, clearly not offended in the slightest. "Hey, it’s not my fault the lecture was boring! Plus, it wasn’t my loudest snore. I’ve had worse."
Tessia raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching into a smile. "Worse than that? I doubt it."
"Oh, you’d be surprised," Lucas said with a wink, making her roll her eyes in response.
As the conversation continued, Tessia found herself actually enjoying the moment. It was easy to forget about everything else when Lucas was around, distracting her with his humor and easy charm.
At one point, Tessia absentmindedly picked up a piece of food with her fork and, without thinking, leaned over the table to offer it to Lucas. "Here, try this. It’s really good."
Lucas blinked, staring at the fork in front of his face. "Uh… are you feeding me?"
Tessia froze, realizing what she had just done. Her face turned bright red as she quickly pulled the fork back. "Oh my god, I—I didn’t mean to! I wasn’t thinking!"
Lucas, clearly flustered but amused, burst into laughter. "No, no, it’s fine. I just didn’t expect you to—" He stopped mid-sentence, still laughing, but his cheeks were tinged with pink. "Wow, Tessia. First, you invite me out to eat, and now you’re feeding me? What’s next, holding hands?"
"Shut up!" Tessia hissed, mortified. "It was an accident!"
Lucas was still grinning, though there was a slight nervousness in his eyes. "Well, if you’re offering…"
Tessia groaned, but then a mischievous glint appeared in her eyes. "You know what? Fine. Here." She leaned forward again, holding the fork up to him with a smug expression. "Take a bite."
Lucas blinked, clearly not expecting her to actually follow through. "Wait, really?"
"Do it before I change my mind," Tessia said, her voice daring but her heart pounding in her chest.
For a moment, they locked eyes, the playful tension between them thickening. Then, slowly, Lucas leaned forward and took the bite, his gaze never leaving hers. As soon as he did, Tessia felt her breath catch. It was such a small thing, and yet, it felt… intimate. 
Lucas chewed the food, his expression thoughtful before he swallowed and grinned. "Wow, that’s actually really good. You’ve got great taste."
Tessia quickly sat back, trying to regain her composure. "Of course, I do. You should know that by now."
Lucas laughed again, though this time, it was softer, almost shy. "Well, uh… thanks for the food. And… for feeding me, I guess?"
Tessia, still embarrassed, looked out the window, trying to play it cool. "Don’t mention it."
For a while, they ate in comfortable silence, though there was an undeniable tension in the air. Both of them seemed more aware of each other than before—every glance, every smile held a new weight that neither of them could fully explain.
---
After they finished their meals, Lucas leaned back in his chair, stretching and letting out a satisfied sigh. "Man, that hit the spot. I didn’t realize I was that hungry."
Tessia smiled, though she couldn’t help but feel a little self-conscious after the whole feeding incident. "Yeah, I’m glad you liked it."
Lucas looked at her, his expression softening. "You know, I had a good time today. I’m glad we did this."
Tessia’s heart skipped a beat at the sincerity in his voice. "Me too," she admitted, though her voice was quieter than usual. "It’s… nice. Hanging out like this."
Lucas’s grin returned, though it was a bit more hesitant now. "Does that mean we can do this again sometime?"
Tessia pretended to think about it, tapping her chin playfully. "Hmm, I don’t know. I’ll have to see if you’ve earned it."
Lucas laughed, leaning forward on the table. "Come on, you know I’ve earned it. I ate the food you *fed* me, after all."
Tessia groaned, hiding her face in her hands. "Will you stop bringing that up?!"
Lucas smirked, clearly enjoying how flustered she was. "Nope. I’m never letting you live that down."
Despite herself, Tessia couldn’t help but laugh. "You’re impossible, Lucas."
"And yet, here you are, still hanging out with me," Lucas shot back with a wink.
Tessia shook her head, but she couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across her face. As much as Lucas drove her crazy, there was no denying that he also made her feel… alive. Every moment with him was unpredictable, exciting, and sometimes even a little bit sweet.
As they stood up to leave, Lucas suddenly paused, looking at her with an unusually serious expression. "Hey, Tessia?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks," he said softly. "For today. I know I joke around a lot, but… this meant a lot to me."
Tessia felt her cheeks warm as she looked away, trying to hide how much his words affected her. "Don’t make it weird, Lucas."
Lucas chuckled, though his eyes were still soft. "Right. No weirdness. Got it."
They walked out of the café together, the sun setting in the distance and casting a warm glow over the street. As they made their way back toward the campus, Tessia found herself stealing glances at Lucas, her mind still reeling from everything that had happened today.
She wasn’t sure where things were going between them, but for the first time in a long time, Tessia felt like maybe… just maybe… she was ready to find out.
As Tessia and Lucas walked side by side, the air around them grew quieter, the hustle of the street fading into the background. Their footsteps echoed softly on the pavement, each step heavy with the tension of unspoken thoughts. Tessia kept sneaking glances at Lucas, still trying to process everything that had happened at the café. 
Why had she fed him? And why had it felt so… intimate?
They walked in silence for a while, the awkwardness from earlier slowly creeping back in. Tessia didn’t know why, but she felt oddly exposed, as if Lucas had seen something in her that she didn’t want him to. Maybe it was because of that stupid, unintentional gesture—the way she had fed him without thinking. She mentally kicked herself again for being so careless.
“Hey,” Lucas broke the silence, his voice soft and casual, yet laced with curiosity. “You’ve been awfully quiet since we left. What’s on your mind?”
Tessia felt her heart skip a beat at his sudden question. She quickly composed herself, giving him a sideways glance. “What makes you think something’s on my mind? I’m just enjoying the walk.”
Lucas chuckled, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “Right. I’ve known you long enough to know that *quiet* isn’t exactly your thing.”
Tessia crossed her arms over her chest, trying to deflect his teasing. “You’re imagining things, Lucas. Not everything I do has some hidden meaning.”
“I didn’t say it did,” Lucas said with a playful smirk, nudging her lightly with his elbow. “But it’s written all over your face. You’re overthinking something, aren’t you?”
Tessia bit her lip, resisting the urge to snap at him. He was right, of course, but she wasn’t about to admit it. “Maybe I just don’t feel like talking to you. Ever thought of that?”
Lucas pretended to be wounded, clutching his chest dramatically. “Ouch! You really know how to hurt a guy, Tessia.”
Tessia rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop the smile tugging at her lips. “I’ll survive. You’re not *that* fragile.”
Lucas let out a hearty laugh, the sound of it warm and infectious. “True, true. But in all seriousness…” He turned to face her as they walked. “What’s really going on with you? You’ve been acting weird since the café.”
Tessia felt her cheeks heat up again, and she quickly looked away, her heart pounding in her chest. He was being too direct, too perceptive, and it was making her nervous. She didn’t want to talk about her feelings—not with him, not now, not ever.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said quickly, avoiding his gaze.
Lucas, however, was not convinced. “Oh, come on. You’ve been blushing on and off all afternoon. Is it because of what happened at the café?” He paused, then leaned in slightly, his voice lowering to a teasing whisper. “Or is it because you fed me?”
Tessia’s eyes widened as she turned to him, her face bright red. “Will you stop bringing that up?! I told you, it was an accident!”
Lucas grinned, clearly enjoying how flustered she was. “You keep saying that, but it didn’t feel like an accident to me. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to—”
“I wasn’t trying to *do* anything!” Tessia snapped, feeling her embarrassment turn into frustration. “Why do you have to make everything so complicated? It was just food!”
Lucas chuckled softly, his tone still playful but with a hint of something more. “It’s not about the food, Tessia. It’s the gesture. You don’t realize how much of yourself you show without even thinking.”
Tessia blinked, her heart skipping a beat at his words. There was something different in his voice—something almost… serious. She stared at him, trying to gauge what he was thinking, but his expression remained calm, his eyes locked on hers.
She felt her breath hitch. “What are you talking about?”
Lucas stopped walking, turning to face her fully. “You’re so guarded all the time, always trying to keep people at arm’s length. But when you do something like that… it’s like you’re letting someone in. Just for a second.”
Tessia felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. He had caught her off guard, exposed a vulnerability she didn’t even realize she had shown.
Lucas’s eyes softened, his teasing tone fading as he spoke more gently. “I guess what I’m trying to say is… it was kind of nice. Seeing that side of you.”
Tessia’s throat tightened, her chest aching with emotions she couldn’t quite put into words. She wanted to brush off his comment, make some sarcastic remark to deflect the sudden intensity between them, but she couldn’t. The sincerity in his voice had cut through her defenses, and for the first time, she didn’t know how to respond.
After what felt like an eternity, she finally managed to speak, though her voice was barely above a whisper. “You… you don’t know anything about me, Lucas.”
Lucas frowned slightly, tilting his head as he looked at her. “Maybe not as much as I’d like to. But I’m trying.”
Tessia clenched her fists at her sides, torn between the desire to push him away and the growing need to let him in. Why did he have to say things like that? Why did he have to look at her like that?
“I don’t need you to *try*,” she muttered, her voice laced with frustration.
Lucas raised an eyebrow, his expression calm but unwavering. “Maybe *you* don’t. But I do.”
Tessia’s heart raced as his words hung in the air between them. She could feel the weight of his gaze, the sincerity in his voice, and it scared her. She wasn’t used to this—this kind of vulnerability, this kind of attention. And the worst part was that a small part of her wanted to let him in, to see what would happen if she just… stopped fighting.
But she couldn’t. She wouldn’t.
“I don’t have time for this,” Tessia said abruptly, turning on her heel and starting to walk away.
“Tessia, wait!” Lucas called after her, his voice tinged with concern.
She didn’t stop. She couldn’t face him right now—not after everything he had said. She needed space, needed to clear her head before she did something stupid.
But before she could get far, she felt a hand gently grab her wrist, stopping her in her tracks.
“Tessia,” Lucas said softly, his voice pleading. “Please… just talk to me.”
Tessia froze, her back to him, her heart pounding in her chest. She could feel the warmth of his hand on her skin, the gentle pressure of his fingers, and it sent a jolt of electricity through her. She hated how much it affected her, how much she wanted to turn around and look at him.
But she couldn’t. She couldn’t let him see how much he had gotten under her skin.
“I don’t know what you want from me,” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.
Lucas let out a soft sigh, releasing her wrist and stepping back. “I don’t want anything from you. I just… I just want to understand you better.”
Tessia swallowed hard, her chest tightening at his words. She felt like she was standing on the edge of a cliff, teetering between two choices—either push him away for good or take a leap of faith.
But the fear of falling was too great.
“I’m not… I’m not someone you can just figure out,” she said quietly, still not turning around. “I’m complicated, Lucas.”
Lucas chuckled softly, though there was no humor in his voice. “Yeah, I figured that out a long time ago.”
Tessia bit her lip, her emotions swirling inside her like a storm. She wanted to tell him to back off, to leave her alone, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, she stood there, feeling more vulnerable than she had in a long time.
Lucas didn’t push her. He didn’t press for answers or try to make her talk. He just stood there, waiting patiently, giving her the space she needed.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Tessia took a deep breath and turned around to face him. Her eyes met his, and for a moment, the world seemed to stand still.
“I’m not good at this,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
Lucas’s expression softened, his eyes filled with understanding. “Neither am I.”
Tessia felt something shift inside her—something she couldn’t quite explain. It wasn’t a grand revelation or a sudden change of heart. It was just… a moment. A moment where she realized that maybe, just maybe, she didn’t have to keep pushing him away.
Maybe she could let him in, just a little.
“Let’s just… take it one step at a time,” she said softly, her heart still racing.
Lucas smiled gently, his gaze never leaving hers. “One step at a time. I can do that.”
They stood there for a moment longer, the tension between them easing slightly but still present, like a simmering fire that had yet to fully burn out. Tessia didn’t know where things were going from here, but for the first time, she wasn’t as scared Maybe, just maybe, she could let herself be a little vulnerable.