We were currently eating burgers at a small restaurant on the edge of town. Astrid was attacking her burger like it had personally insulted her entire family, while I was delicately cutting mine up with a knife and fork.

  After all, we’ve come a long way from using clubs as weapons and living in caves.

  Astrid quirked an eyebrow at me, her neon pink octopus stuffed toy sitting on the table next to her, as if it, too, was casting judgmental looks my way.

  “You enjoying our date so far?” I asked, a teasing smile pying on my lips.

  “Eh… it’s not the worst date I’ve ever been on,” she lied, though her blushing cheeks and the constant smile on her face completely betrayed her words.

  “So, you do consider this a date then?” I grinned.

  Astrid rolled her eyes, cutely munching on her chips.

  “I did confess to you first, dumbass. Don’t act like you don’t already know how I feel. I’m literally just waiting for your green light so that we’re officially dating,” she said.

  I paused mid-cut, my knife hovering over my burger as Astrid’s words sunk in.

  She said it so casually, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Like I wasn’t still trying to wrap my head around how the hell we even got here in the first pce.

  She was waiting for me.

  Like it was my choice.

  Like I had any real say in it, because let’s be honest—she had completely taken over my life at this point.

  And I liked it.

  More than I wanted to admit.

  More than I was ready to admit.

  I exhaled slowly, setting my knife and fork down before leaning back in my seat.

  “…Okay,” I said simply.

  Astrid blinked. “Okay?”

  I nodded, tilting my head. “Okay.”

  Her eyebrows scrunched together. “Okay, what?”

  I smirked slightly. “Okay, let’s be official.”

  She froze.

  Like, completely.

  Her burger was halfway to her mouth, her fingers still curled around the bun, her entire body locked in pce like she had just malfunctioned.

  I raised an eyebrow. “Astrid?”

  Nothing.

  Still frozen.

  I bit back a ugh. “Astrid, breathe.”

  She blinked rapidly, setting her burger down slowly, like she needed a second to process reality.

  Then—

  “What?” she demanded, staring at me like I had just said the dumbest thing imaginable.

  I smirked, resting my chin on my hand. “You heard me.”

  She gawked at me. “Are you serious?”

  I shrugged. “I mean, you did confess first. Seems rude to leave you hanging.”

  Astrid immediately leaned across the table, gripping my wrist. “Henry.”

  I blinked. “Yes?”

  Her grip tightened. “You—you—just said we’re official.”

  I nodded. “Yes.”

  Her eyes narrowed, her face very close to mine now. “This isn’t a prank, right? Like, you’re not about to say ‘just kidding’ and go back to being a dumbass?”

  I scoffed. “Astrid, I literally kissed you first earlier. What more do you want?”

  Astrid gasped dramatically, falling back into her seat like she had just been personally attacked.

  “Oh my God,” she muttered, staring at the ceiling. “I have a boyfriend.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You did see this coming, right?”

  “No, you don’t understand,” she continued, still staring at the ceiling like she was having an existential crisis. “I spent weeks—weeks—trying to get you to admit you liked me, and now, suddenly, you’re just like, ‘oh yeah, sure, let’s date’ like it’s nothing?”

  I smirked. “Would you prefer if I made a dramatic speech?”

  She whipped her head back down to look at me. “Yes!”

  I sighed, shaking my head. “Astrid.”

  “What?” she huffed.

  I leaned forward, resting my arms on the table as I looked at her. Really looked at her.

  At the way her lips were parted slightly, her cheeks still faintly flushed. At the way her fingers fidgeted near her fries, like she was still processing everything.

  I exhaled.

  “I like you,” I said simply. “I have for a while.”

  Astrid blinked.

  I shrugged, gncing at my untouched burger. “I just needed to catch up to you.”

  Silence.

  For a long moment, Astrid just stared at me, eyes wide, lips parted like she didn’t know what to say.

  I smirked. “Wow. Did I actually break you?”

  She immediately snapped out of it, her whole body jerking forward as she smmed her hands onto the table.

  “Oh my God, I have a boyfriend.”

  I groaned, dragging a hand down my face. “Astrid—”

  She cackled, grabbing the pink octopus from the table and shaking it like she needed to ground herself. “Henry, I actually won. I won!”

  I sighed. “You make it sound like you defeated me.”

  She grinned, eyes practically glowing now. “Oh, I did.”

  I rolled my eyes, picking up a fry. “Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night.”

  Astrid exhaled dramatically, setting the octopus back down before grabbing my wrist again.

  “Henry.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”

  She smirked.

  Then, without warning, she yanked me forward and kissed me—quick, but firm, like she needed to prove something.

  When she pulled away, her lips curled at the edges, her grip still tight around my wrist.

  “You so love me,” she teased.

  I huffed a quiet ugh. “Yeah,” I murmured. “I think I do.”

  Astrid’s smirk faltered—just for a second.

  Just long enough for me to see it.

  The way her fingers twitched, the way her breath caught just slightly.

  The way her expression softened in a way I don’t think I’d ever seen before.

  “…Well, damn,” she muttered, sitting back.

  I smirked. “Got nothing to say now?”

  She pointed a fry at me. “Shut up, boyfriend.”

  I chuckled, taking a bite of my own fry.

  Boyfriend.

  Yeah.

  I could get used to that.

  ***

  As we walked home, Astrid was completely on cloud nine, practically attached to my arm like I’d suddenly grown another appendage.

  Her breasts were pressing against my arm, and I couldn’t help but feel self-conscious about how soft they were.

  My body was starting to react, and my mind filled with indecent thoughts and images starring Astrid—who was now my girlfriend.

  Huh? How did that happen? One of the most popur girls in school was my girlfriend. And it was her who had been desperate for my answer and approval.

  She had been the one to bravely confess first, the one to make herself vulnerable with me—even though society usually dictates that it’s the man who initiates first.

  Yet, Astrid did that. For me.

  Maybe she was right about me being emotionally unavaible. Maybe I should start working on that.

  I guess I’m just not used to being so… I don’t know… vulnerable or close to another person, both physically and mentally.

  “So, how does this whole ‘boyfriend’ thing work anyway?” I asked innocently, with a hint of sarcasm. “Any rules of engagement I need to know beforehand? Responsibilities? Traditions I need to uphold?”

  “Don’t make it sound like you just passed a job interview and got hired as my employee,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

  She tightened her hold on my arm, pulling herself even closer—almost like she wanted to fuse with it.

  I let out a small chuckle, shaking my head as we continued walking. “I mean, technically, I was hired,” I teased. “You did have expectations, after all.”

  Astrid smirked, tilting her head up at me. “Yeah, but you’re compensated for the position.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And what exactly is my paycheck?”

  She hummed, pretending to think. Then, without warning, she stood on her toes and pressed a soft, lingering kiss against my jaw.

  I froze.

  My brain shut down instantly.

  By the time I processed what had just happened, she had already pulled away, her smirk widening as she very obviously watched me struggle to reboot.

  “There. That’s your payment,” she said smugly. “Now stop asking dumb questions.”

  I cleared my throat, ignoring the way my skin burned where her lips had been. “That seems… biased.”

  “Oh, absolutely,” she said cheerfully, her grip on my arm tightening. “Welcome to dating me.”

  I exhaled sharply, my heart still hammering, but I didn’t push her away.

  Instead, I let her cling to me, her body warm against mine as we walked in sync through the quiet streets.

  It was too quiet, actually.

  Like the kind of quiet where I could hear my own thoughts too loudly, the kind where I was suddenly very aware of how real this all was.

  This wasn’t a game.

  This wasn’t just casual teasing or flirtation anymore.

  This was us.

  An actual retionship.

  And despite the constant sarcastic remarks and shameless flirting, there was something undeniably… serious beneath it all.

  I exhaled, rubbing the back of my neck. “I, uh…”

  Astrid hummed. “What?”

  I hesitated.

  But she was looking at me now, eyes expectant, curious—not teasing for once.

  I swallowed. “I just… I don’t really know how to do this.”

  Astrid blinked. “Do what?”

  I gestured vaguely between us. “This. The whole boyfriend thing.”

  Her lips parted slightly.

  “I mean, I know it’s not, like, complicated or whatever,” I continued, gncing away. “I just… I’ve never done this before. And I don’t really know what I’m supposed to do. Or what you want me to do.”

  I felt her fingers tighten around my sleeve.

  Slowly, I turned back to her.

  Astrid’s expression had shifted—just a little. Her usual smirk had faded into something softer, something more genuine.

  “…Henry.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

  She sighed, shaking her head. “You really are dumb sometimes, huh?”

  I frowned. “Excuse me?”

  Before I could argue, she suddenly stopped walking, tugging me to a halt as well.

  Then—

  She let go of my arm and took my hands instead.

  My breath hitched slightly.

  Astrid, of course, noticed.

  She smirked—just barely—but she didn’t comment on it.

  Instead, she gave my hands a small squeeze.

  “I don’t expect you to be some perfect boyfriend,” she said, her voice quieter now, more serious. “I don’t expect you to magically know how to do all this.”

  I swallowed, my fingers tightening around hers. “Yeah, but—”

  She cut me off. “Henry.”

  I shut up.

  She tilted her head, her gaze holding mine. “I chose you.”

  My chest tightened.

  “I like you,” she continued, her tone softer than I had ever heard it. “I like you for you. Not because I expect you to be some over-the-top romantic guy, or because I want some dumb fairytale. I just… want you.”

  My stomach flipped.

  Astrid exhaled, her thumbs tracing small circles against my knuckles. “So stop overthinking, okay?”

  I let out a slow breath, my mind still trying to process all of that.

  Then, after a long pause, I smirked slightly. “So, no dramatic grand gestures, then?”

  Astrid groaned loudly. “Oh my God, Henry—”

  I ughed, squeezing her hands before she could shove me.

  “No, but seriously,” I murmured. “I get it.”

  She eyed me. “Do you?”

  I nodded, letting my fingers ce through hers fully. “Yeah.”

  Astrid studied me for a second longer, as if making sure I wasn’t just saying that to shut her up.

  Then—finally—she smiled.

  “…Good.”

  I felt something in my chest settle at that.

  We stood there for a moment, the cool night air surrounding us, our hands linked, our bodies close.

  Then, Astrid sighed dramatically and leaned into me again, pressing herself against my arm like before.

  “God, you really are my boyfriend now, huh?” she muttered.

  I chuckled. “Getting second thoughts already?”

  She scoffed. “Please. I’m thrilled.”

  I rolled my eyes, nudging her forward as we started walking again.

  Astrid grinned, her arm wrapped tightly around mine, her fingers still tangled with mine.

  And as we made our way back, I realized—

  Maybe this whole ‘boyfriend’ thing wouldn’t be so bad after all.