A lot can change in a few months. If you'd told me at the start of the school year that I'd be dating Dev, I probably would've laughed in your face. Not because I didn't like himâGod, I liked him more than I should've back thenâbut because I never thought it could actually happen.
But now, here we were: together. And it felt so natural, like we'd just been waiting for the right moment to catch up to what was already there between us.
That's not to say everything was perfect. There were still moments of awkwardness, of figuring out how to balance the whole best friends who are now dating thing. But honestly? I wouldn't trade it for anything.
---
It was a Saturday afternoon, and Dev was coming over to help me bake cupcakes for a fundraiser. The guidance counselor, Ms. Richard, had somehow roped me into organizing desserts for a charity event. I hate how she managed me to agree to doing this. When I mentioned it to Dev, he'd volunteered to help me.
"I'm not great in the kitchen as my mother," he'd admitted with a sheepish grin. "But I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Plus, any excuse to hang out with you sounds good to me."
I had rolled my eyes at his playful tone, but my stomach had fluttered all the same.
Now, I was in the kitchen, pulling out ingredients while waiting for him to show up. Flour, sugar, eggs, butterâeverything was laid out neatly on the counter. I glanced at the clock, biting my lip. Dev wasn't late, but I couldn't stop myself from glancing at the front door every few minutes.
When the doorbell finally rang, I rushed to open it, trying to play it cool even though my heart was racing.
"Hey," Dev said with that signature lopsided grin of his. He was holding a grocery bag. "I brought sprinkles. Figured we could make these cupcakes fancy."
"Sprinkles?" I teased, stepping aside to let him in. "What are we, five?"
"Hey, sprinkles are timeless," he shot back, setting the bag on the counter. "Besides, I thought they'd match your personality: bright, colorful, and a little extra."
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help the smile tugging at my lips. "Okay, fine. Sprinkles it is."
---
We got to work, measuring out ingredients and mixing everything together. It started off simple enough, but of course, nothing ever stayed simple when Dev was involved.
"Bri, are you sure this is right?" he asked, holding up a measuring cup filled with flour.
"Yes, Dev," I said patiently. "Just pour it in."
He tipped the cup into the mixing bowl, but a little too quickly. A cloud of flour puffed up, and before I could stop myself, I sneezed.
"Bless you," Dev said, laughing as he tried to swipe at the flour now dusting his shirt.
"Thanks," I muttered, glaring at him. "You did that on purpose."
"I swear I didn't!" he said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. But the mischievous glint in his eyes gave him away.
I grabbed a handful of flour and tossed it at him, laughing as it landed squarely on his shoulder.
"Bri!" he exclaimed, looking genuinely shocked for about half a second before grabbing a handful of flour himself.
Before I knew it, we were in a full-blown flour fight, laughing and dodging around the kitchen like little kids. By the time we finally called a truce, we were both covered in flour, and the kitchen was a disaster.
"We're never going to finish these cupcakes at this rate," I said, trying to catch my breath.
Dev shrugged, a sheepish smile on his face. "Worth it."
---
Once we managed to clean up (both ourselves and the kitchen), we finally got back to baking. This time, we managed to stay focusedâmostly.
"Here, taste this," I said, holding out a spoonful of frosting for him to try.
He leaned forward, his lips brushing the spoon as he took a taste. "Hmm," he said thoughtfully. "Not bad, but I think it needs more... something."
"Something?" I echoed, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, like... vanilla, maybe? Or love." He wiggled his eyebrows, and I couldn't help but laugh.
"You're impossible," I said, shaking my head.
"And yet, you still like me," he shot back with a grin.
"Unfortunately..."
"Hey!"
---
By the time we were done, the cupcakes were cooling on the counter, and we were sitting on the floor, leaning against the cabinets with cups of lemonade in hand.
"Do you think these will sell?" Dev asked, nodding toward the cupcakes.
"I hope so," I said. "But even if they don't, at least we had fun making them."
He smiled, his gaze softening. "Yeah. I'm glad I got to do this with you."
There was a moment of silence, and I could feel my cheeks heating under his gaze.
"What?" I asked, fidgeting with my glass.
"Nothing," he said, his voice quiet. "I'm just... happy. Being here with you, like this. It feels right."
I looked up at him, my heart skipping a beat at the sincerity in his eyes. "It does," I said softly.
He reached out, his fingers brushing mine. "I know we've only been together for a little while, but I feel like... like this is something real. Something worth holding onto."
I swallowed hard, the weight of his words settling in my chest. "Me too," I whispered. "You're not just my boyfriend, Dev. You're my best friend. And I don't want to lose that."
"You won't," he said firmly, his hand closing around mine. "I promise."
For a moment, we just sat there, holding hands and soaking in the quiet comfort of each other's presence.
---
I plopped onto the couch, exhausted but grinning, as Dev walked in with two glasses of lemonade. He handed me one, then flopped down beside me, his long legs stretching out and nearly knocking over the coffee table.
"So," he began, taking a sip of his drink, "do you think we'll win 'Most Creative Cupcakes' tomorrow at the fundraiser?"
I laughed, shaking my head. "Dev, there's not even a category for that."
"There should be," he said with mock seriousness. "We'd win by a landslide. Who else is putting sprinkles and marshmallow fluff on top of cupcakes?"
"Literally no one," I said dryly.
"Exactly!" he declared triumphantly, and I couldn't help but laugh again.
The room fell quiet after that, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. It was the kind of quiet that felt warm and familiar, like the pause between the verses of your favorite song.
I glanced over at him, my chest tightening as I took in the way his face softened in the dim light of the living room. His hair was a mess, and there was still a streak of flour smudged across his cheek, but he looked so contentâso completely at easeâthat it made my heart ache in the best way.
"What?" he asked, catching me staring.
"Nothing," I said quickly, turning my gaze back to my glass.
He didn't let it go, though. Setting his drink on the table, he leaned closer, his elbow resting on the back of the couch. "Come on, Bri. You've got that look. What's on your mind?"
I hesitated, my fingers tightening around my glass. "It's just... I don't know. I was thinking about how far we've come."
He tilted his head, a smile playing at his lips. "Yeah?"
"Yeah," I said softly. "I mean, a few months ago, we were just friends, you know? And now... now we're here. Together. It's kind of crazy."
"Crazy in a good way, though," he said, his voice gentle.
"Yeah," I agreed, meeting his gaze. "In a good way."
For a moment, we just looked at each other, the air between us humming with unspoken words.
"You know," he said after a beat, his tone light but his eyes serious, "I never really believed in fate or whatever. But sometimes, I think maybe everything happens for a reason."
I raised an eyebrow. "Since when are you the philosophical type?"
He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't know. Guess you're rubbing off on me."
"I'm not philosophical. Good to know I'm a positive influence," I teased, but my heart was pounding.
"You are," he said, his voice dropping slightly. "More than you know."
I swallowed hard, the intensity of his gaze making it hard to breathe. "Dev..."
"I mean it, Bri," he said, his hand reaching out to brush a strand of hair from my face. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. And I don't just mean that as some cheesy line. I mean it."
My breath hitched, and for a moment, I couldn't find the words.
"Dev," I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper, "you're pretty high up on my list too."
He grinned, his fingers lingering against my cheek. "Pretty high, huh?"
"Don't let it go to your head," I said, rolling my eyes, but the smile on my face gave me away.
"Too late," he said, leaning in closer. "You've officially ruined me."
And just like that, he closed the distance between us, his lips meeting mine in a kiss that was soft and sweet and everything I hadn't known I was waiting for.
THE END.