love in the mix - a tayvis au <3

17 - blurred lines

The days following their first tense conversation didn't make things much easier for Liam and Emma. They continued working on their science project together, but the awkwardness between them was palpable. Every time they were in the same room, it felt like walking on eggshells—both too afraid to say the wrong thing, too afraid to be honest about how much they missed each other.

The project, however, demanded their time. They had no choice but to meet almost every night after school. Sometimes at Emma's, sometimes at Liam's house, and tonight, they were at Taylor's.

They sat at the kitchen table, laptops open, books scattered between them as they tried to focus. Every now and then, Liam would glance at Emma, feeling the pull of their old connection, but he'd quickly look away before the moment lingered too long. Emma, for her part, was just as distracted, stealing glances at him, remembering how things used to be between them.

The tension between them was like a third presence in the room—an unspoken reminder of everything left unresolved.

"Do you want to take a break?" Emma asked after a long, silent hour of work. Her voice was soft, almost hesitant, as if she was afraid Liam would say no.

Liam looked up from his screen, meeting her eyes for a moment before shrugging. "Yeah, sure. What do you want to do?"

Emma smiled slightly, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Maybe we could watch a movie?"

"Okay," Liam agreed, his voice still cautious.

They moved to the living room, Emma grabbing the remote and flipping through Netflix. After a few minutes of scrolling, they settled on a romantic comedy—something light, something easy. They sat on opposite ends of the couch, the space between them feeling like a chasm, but as the movie played on, that distance gradually disappeared.

Halfway through the movie, Emma shifted slightly, pulling her legs up on the couch. Liam noticed but didn't say anything. His heart was racing for reasons that had nothing to do with the movie. He could feel the weight of her presence next to him, and it was making it harder to concentrate on anything else.

Emma, too, was feeling the growing tension. The awkwardness was still there, but now, it was mixed with something else—something she had been trying to ignore for weeks. She missed him. She missed his touch, the way he made her feel safe and seen, and it was becoming harder and harder to pretend she didn't.

Before she could stop herself, she scooted a little closer, and Liam didn't move away. Their shoulders brushed, and it was like a spark igniting. Without thinking, Liam turned toward her, his hand reaching out to gently brush a strand of hair behind her ear. Emma froze, her breath catching, and in that moment, it was like everything that had been holding them back fell away.

Liam leaned in, hesitating just for a second, and Emma didn't stop him. Their lips met, tentative at first, then more insistent as the pent-up emotions of the last few weeks poured out of them.

It was like they were back to the way things used to be—before the fight, before the awkwardness. But as soon as it started, the kiss ended, and they pulled back, breathless, staring at each other with wide, confused eyes.

The room was filled with a heavy, awkward silence.

"I—I'm sorry," Liam muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

"No, it's okay," Emma replied quickly, her face flushed. "I just... I don't know what that means."

"Yeah," Liam said, still catching his breath. "Me neither."

They sat in silence for a moment, the movie forgotten, both of them clearly unsure of what to do next. It was obvious that they both missed each other, but the conflict that had driven them apart still lingered, unresolved.