Tackled by You

Chapter 32 – Closer Than Before

The rain came softly that afternoon, tapping at the windows like a lullaby.

Andrea lay on the couch, curled under a blanket with Mochi snoozing at her feet, while Sheik made hot chocolate in the kitchen—his version slightly more chaotic, with marshmallows spilling over the edge and cinnamon scattered like confetti.

When he brought her mug, she smiled sleepily. "You trying to win barista of the year?"

"Only if it comes with a kiss from the judge," he said, grinning.

Andrea rolled her eyes and leaned in anyway, their lips brushing in a quiet, familiar way. There was no rush. They'd grown used to each other's rhythms—Sheik's easy charm, Andrea's gentle quietness. Even their silences had started to feel full.

That night, with the storm humming outside and Mochi tucked safely into his little dog bed, they shared something more again.

It wasn't about the physicality. It was about the look in Andrea's eyes when she reached for him, about the way Sheik paused just to ask, "Are you sure?" and the way she nodded, not because she was caught in a moment—but because she trusted him.

Because this time, it wasn't about firsts. It was about knowing each other better now—knowing how to listen, how to be gentle, how to laugh through awkwardness and hold on through hesitation.

They moved slowly, like a favorite song played quietly in the background, letting each beat speak for itself. This wasn't the movie version of romance. It was soft. A little clumsy. Full of whispered "I love you"s and hands finding hands beneath the blankets.

After, they didn't say much. Andrea rested her head against Sheik's chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his breathing.

"I feel… safe," she murmured.

Sheik wrapped his arms around her tighter. "Me too."

They fell asleep like that, limbs tangled, a storm outside and warmth between them.

It wasn't about having all the answers. It was about showing up. Choosing each other again and again, even when things were uncertain.

And in that dim room with thunder fading in the distance, Sheik and Andrea knew that what they had wasn't just young love anymore.

It was something deeper.

Something lasting.