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When they arrived at Harper's apartment, both of them headed towards the stairs, right past the elevator. They were taking their time, prolonging the end of the date.
Harper handed Spencer her new museum tote bag, fumbling for her keys and giving him a smile. "Would you like to come in? I forgot I still have some of your notes from the Replicator case. Thought you might want them back."
Spencer, reluctant to leave, smiles and nods, accepting her invitation. They step inside, and the atmosphere of her apartment feels warmer and quieter, especially after the excitement of the museum. As he waits, he notices her notes on the coffee table and picks one up, hesitating. "I don't really care about these notes. I just didn't want tonight to end."
Harper, pausing mid-step, doesn't quite know how to respond. "Yeah," she says softly, and there's an almost invisible shift as they both sense the unspoken words hovering between them.
Then she smiles, pushing her lips to the side awkwardly and blushing. Spencer does the same, sucking in his bottom lip and looking to the left.
"Want some tea?" she asks, and he nods.
Neither of them moves.
He takes a step forward, closing the space between them until there's barely a whisper of air left. He studies her, his hand lifting, hesitant, before brushing a stray piece of hair from her cheek. His fingertips are gentle, almost reverent, and Harper finds herself leaning into his touch, her own hand moving to rest against his chest, feeling the steady, anxious beat of his heart.
"Harper..." he breathes as if he's trying to find the words, but she can only smile, the softest, most uncertain smile, her hand instinctively reaching for his. They stay like that, fingers intertwined, until she can no longer ignore the pull between them.
