It's Always Been You

Nighttime Reverie

I stepped out onto the balcony, the crisp night air immediately enveloping me as I cradled a steaming mug of hot cocoa between my chilled hands. Leaning against the wrought iron railing, I let out a deep sigh, watching as my breath puffed out in a frosty cloud before dissipating.

A moment later, the sliding glass door opened behind me with a soft whoosh. I glanced over my shoulder to see Wes emerging from the warmth of the house, pulling his jacket tighter around himself as he shut the door.

"You're going to freeze out here without this," he said by way of greeting, already shrugging out of his thick coat. Before I could protest, he draped it over my shoulders, the heavy fabric still retaining his body heat.

"Thanks," I murmured, unable to stop the slight shiver that ran through me as the cold air pricked at my exposed skin. I pulled the jacket tighter, inhaling the comforting, familiar scent that clung to the material.

Wes stepped up beside me, our shoulders brushing as he leaned his forearms on the railing. "I'd say we did pretty well for night one, all things considered," he remarked, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye with a proud grin.

I nodded, exhaling a misty plume as I stared unseeingly out over the darkened backyard. "We did. You did-really amazing, Wes." I shook my head slowly, still stunned by how deftly he had handled the entire evening.

He shrugged nonchalantly, though I could see his cheeks pinking from the praise. "Maybe I should have pursued a drama major instead of business."

I rolled my eyes playfully, laughing at his self-deprecating joke as I turned to face him properly. "Speaking of your performance tonight, you really went all out with the details. I was impressed."

Narrowing my eyes, I studied the handsome lines of his face bathed in the soft glow emanating from the house.

"You remembered all the things I said about my med school goals and plans. I only briefly mentioned all of that ages ago, in passing."

Wes shrugged again, his lips curving into a soft smile that made my heart stutter unexpectedly. "What can I say, Fi? I'm just a really good listener."

I gave him a flat look, not buying that excuse for a second. We both knew there was more to it than simple attentiveness.

He laughed lightly, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay. You got me-I've just been on enough first dates to know which details are important enough to file away for later."

I arched one eyebrow incredulously. "So you're telling me that when I talk, you treat me the same as every other girl you've gone out with? Carefully choosing which parts to actually listen to and remember, and which to just tune out?"

Wes's mouth dropped open in an exaggerated gasp of offence. "No, of course not! I would never-" He broke off, running a hand through his tousled hair as he seemed to reconsider his words.

I quirked an eyebrow quizzically.

"What I'm trying to say is, I'm a good listener in general. But I'm an exceptional one when it comes to someone I actually care about hearing from." His gaze held mine intensely, leaving no room for doubt about his sincerity. "Like you, Fia. I care about what you have to say, so I pay attention."

I felt my cheeks warming despite the chill in the air, and quickly looked away before he could see the flush spreading across my face. Rolling my eyes, I tried to play it off with a grin. "Good save there, smooth talker."

An easy silence fell between us for a long moment as I stared down into my rapidly cooling mug, my mind spinning with thoughts about the evening's events. Finally, I glanced up at Wes through my lashes.