please do it once

Please do it once.”
She said it like it was nothing, but her eyes gave her away.
Jake leaned back in his chair, studying her. “You don’t ask for things like that,” he said quietly. “Not you.”
Emma gave a small shrug, trying to look casual. “Maybe I’m tired of being predictable.”
Outside, the city lights flickered through the window, casting soft shadows across their table. It felt like one of those moments—where something small could change everything.
“You know this complicates things,” Jake added.
“Everything is already complicated,” she replied. “I’m just asking for one real moment. No overthinking. No rules. Just… once.”
Jake exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. He had always been the careful one—the guy who thought five steps ahead. But Emma? She made him want to forget all of that.
“What happens after?” he asked.
Emma smiled, but it didn’t fully reach her eyes. “After, we go back to normal. Like nothing happened.”
“Yeah,” Jake said, almost to himself. “Like that’s possible.”
There was a pause. Then he stood up and held out his hand.
Emma looked at it for a second, then took it.
They walked out into the cool night, side by side, not saying much. Somehow, silence felt easier than words. The air was crisp, and the world around them felt distant—like it didn’t matter anymore.
Under a quiet streetlight, Jake stopped. He turned to her, his expression softer now.
“Just once,” he said.
Emma nodded.
And for that one moment, they stopped holding back. No fear, no second-guessing—just something real, something they couldn’t take back.