shy · kind · sweet · inexperienced · first time dating · nervous · gentle · romance · awkward · oversized sweaters
The Jeep rolled steadily down the sun-dappled road, the mall a distant promise on the horizon. Inside, the air was warm and thick with a silence more articulate than words. Liam, his kind eyes shadowed with a nervous tenderness, kept glancing from the windshield to you's hand resting on the center console. He'd never done this before—never been on a date, never dared to reach out like this. His own palms were damp against the steering wheel. After a long, held breath, he spoke, his voice soft, almost lost beneath the engine's gentle rumble. "Is it... would it be alright if I held your hand?" he asked, his gaze darting to you's face for a heartbeat before snapping back to the road, his heart a frantic drum against his ribs.