She flipped the visor back into place, but her eyes didn’t linger on her reflection. Instead, they darted to the darkened back of the van, where Peanut lay on his stomach, his golden eyes fixed unblinkingly on her. Ash’s lips twitched, almost imperceptibly, as she turned away from the mirror and reached for her makeup bag.

“Where’d you get that adorable little darling anyway?” she asked, her voice casual as she dabbed on a touch of lipstick she didn’t need. "He’s a mixed breed, yeah?"

Nile glanced back at Peanut, who gave a soft, self-satisfied "whuff," his tail twitching once like a punctuation mark.

“Well,” Nile began, leaning an arm on the doorframe, “he was a stray. Dom and I rescued him and some of his friends.”

He left out the part about the jailbreak and the newspaper headline that week: DOGNAPPERS ON THE LOOSE! The memory of the guards’ scowling faces in the accompanying photo flashed through his mind, and he barely stifled a smirk.

"He doesn’t live with you, does he?" Ash asked, her voice measured. She glanced sideways at Nile, her posture casual but her fingers gripping the edge of her seat. "I mean, I haven’t seen him around the house."

Her tone was light, casual, but Nile caught the faint edge of tension in her tone - the way her gaze flicked briefly back toward Peanut, who hadn’t moved an inch, save for the slow, deliberate wag of his tail.

She barely succeeded in masking her nervousness, her fingers fidgeting slightly with the edge of her sweater.

"Um, no. Dom keeps him most of the time.," Nile replied, glancing at her briefly before focusing back on the road. "He lives with her and her dad, Jacque."

Ash hummed in acknowledgment, though her eyes lingered on the dog in the reflection a moment longer. Peanut met her gaze, unflinching. Finally, Ash broke the stare for good, turning back toward the front with a faint smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

Peanut let out a low, almost triumphant-sounding "woof," settling his head on his paws. Nile raised an eyebrow but shook it off, brushing away the faint tension that lingered in the air.

"All right, boy," Nile said, as he tossed back a rope toy he had stored in his van just in case -no need to let the pup chew up the furniture. "Let’s get you home before Dom finds out you’ve been playing hooky."

"Jacque?" Ash eventually echoed, raising an eyebrow as she shifted her attention fully to Nile. "Jacque DuMonte? Doesn’t he work at the college?" Nile noticed an inquisitive edge to her voice he couldn’t quite place, so he shrugged it off as nerves.

"Yeah," Nile said with a small nod. He leaned back slightly, trying to ease the weight of the conversation. "He teaches Nautical Sciences, Folklore, and Mythology. Kind of a weird combo if you ask me, but he’s one of the best. You should see his library -it’s amazing. His students all call him Dr. D."

Ash smiled faintly, her curiosity piqued. "Wow, that’s so interesting." She hesitated for a moment, then added, "And what about her mother? Dom’s, I mean? You didn’t mention her. Are her parents split?"

Nile’s hands tightened on the steering wheel, the muscles in his jaw flexing as he weighed his answer. He didn’t respond immediately, letting the hum of the van’s engine fill the silence as he gathered his thoughts.

"No," he said finally, his voice quieter. "I don’t know if I should be telling you this or not, because honestly, Dom would kill me if she knew I was talking about her to you. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but she doesn’t really like you."

Nile risked a glance at Ash. Her nervous laugh was soft, but it didn’t hide the hurt flickering in her eyes.

"Yeah, I’ve noticed," she admitted, her voice cracking just slightly. "I don’t understand, though. I mean, I want to be her friend. I really do. It’s just that she won’t even let me try. What am I doing wrong?"

Her voice wavered as her eyes began to glisten, tears welling up despite her attempt to blink them away. Her nose wrinkled slightly, a telltale sign that she was struggling to hold herself together.

Nile sighed, pulling a tissue from the cupholder and handing it to her. He reached over briefly to pat her leg, his touch reassuring.

"No, it’s not you," he said firmly. "You haven’t done anything wrong. It’s me that she’s really mad at."

"But why?" Ash asked, her frustration mingling with her sadness. She sniffed, dabbing at her eyes with the tissue. "I mean, you two seemed like such good friends. And it’s not like you two were dating or anything-"

Her words trailed off, her tone probing. She glanced at him sideways, her blue eyes searching his face for any reaction. Peanut, lying in the back, seemed to mirror her scrutiny, his amber gaze fixed on Nile as though he, too, were waiting for an answer.

Nile shifted uncomfortably under their dual stares, the weight of their attention making his palms sweat. "No, of course not," he said quickly, his voice tinged with defensiveness. "We’re just friends. I mean, we -well, we might have maybe- I mean, I don’t know. Nothing ever happened. And then you showed up and, well…"

He trailed off, the words hanging in the air like an unfinished melody.

Ash’s gaze dropped, and she folded her hands in her lap, her fingers twisting together. Her voice, when she spoke, was quiet but steady. "I see. Well, no wonder she hates me. I’d hate me too if I were her."

She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "If us being together is causing any problems between you two, I’d totally understand if you didn’t want to see me anymore."

Her voice caught slightly on the last word, and she bit her lip, forcing a small, wavering smile. She stared straight ahead, avoiding his eyes, the brave facade she tried to project cracking at the edges.

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As the van rolled to a stop on the side of the road, Nile reached over and gently turned her face toward him. His fingers brushed against her cheek, tucking a loose strand of honey-blond hair behind her ear. She froze, her breath hitching at the sudden intimacy of the gesture.

"Ash," Nile said softly, his voice a low, steady murmur that seemed to fill the small space between them. He leaned in, close enough that she could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin. A shiver ran down her spine, her pulse quickening in response.

"She and I are just friends," he continued, his gaze locked on hers. "We’ve always been just friends. And we always will be just friends. She’s like a kid sister to me."

Ash’s eyes glistened, silent tears spilling down her cheeks as she held his gaze. Peanut remained perfectly still in the back, his watchful eyes never leaving the two humans in the front seat.

"You, on the other hand," Nile said, his voice soft but firm, "you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I feel more alive with you than I’ve felt in a long time. I’d let hell freeze over before I let you out of my life."

The weight of his words hung in the air, charged with raw sincerity. Ash’s lips parted slightly, but she couldn’t speak, the lump in her throat making any response impossible.

And then, with a tenderness that made her heart ache, Nile closed the distance between them and kissed her.

It was a kiss that wasn’t hurried or hesitant, but deliberate and full of unspoken promises. Ash’s eyes fluttered shut, and for a moment, the world around them seemed to fade away, leaving only the warmth of his touch and the quiet hum of the engine.

Her lips were soft and warm, a delicate blend of sweetness and a hint of something electric that sent a shiver down his spine. Ash responded almost immediately, her hands rising to rest on his shoulders before sliding around his neck. She leaned into him, her breath catching as their connection deepened, the world outside the van falling away.

She shifted closer, the fabric of her skirt brushing against him as she settled more comfortably. Her heart pounded against his chest, matching the erratic rhythm of his own as their kiss lingered, unhurried yet full of an unspoken urgency.

Nile’s hands rested lightly on her waist, his touch steady but reverent, as though he were afraid to disturb the delicate moment. The warmth of her skin beneath his fingers grounded him, anchoring him in the present.

Breaking from the kiss, she tilted her head, and he let his lips graze the soft curve of her jaw. Her breath hitched, and she leaned into him, her fingers tightening slightly in his hair. The simplicity of the moment -her closeness, the quiet hum of the van, the soft rustle of fabric- felt more powerful than anything he’d experienced in years.

Ash leaned back slightly, her gaze meeting his. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips slightly parted as she searched his face. A soft smile tugged at her lips, and he couldn’t help but return it.

"You, Ash," Nile murmured, his voice steady, as he repeated his earlier sentiment "are the best thing that’s ever happened to me."

Her eyes glistened, and though she didn’t speak, the warmth in her expression told him everything he needed to know.

They sat in quiet stillness for a moment longer, the air between them charged with a sense of newfound closeness. Ash eventually shifted back into her seat, smoothing her skirt and brushing a stray lock of hair from her face.

Nile let out a soft exhale, his gaze drifting to the windshield. Outside, traffic buzzed by, oblivious to the profound shift that had just occurred within the confines of the van.

In the back, Peanut lay silently, his amber eyes flicking between them. His tail thumped softly against the floor, as though offering his silent approval.

“Wow,” Ash said softly.

She glanced over at Nile, her expression a blend of emotions that were hard to pin down. It was the kind of look someone wore when their mind raced with a million thoughts, yet not one of them seemed solid enough to grasp. Her fingers fidgeted in her lap, her posture unusually stiff.

“Whoa,” Nile echoed, breaking the silence with a small, breathy laugh. He dragged a hand across his brow, brushing damp strands of hair away from his eyes.

“Woof!” Peanut barked enthusiastically from the back.

The dog’s gaze darted between the two of them, his tail wagging so furiously it thumped against the side of the van in a steady rhythm. His tongue lolled out of his mouth, and he wore a comically large doggy grin that seemed far too knowing for comfort.

Ash shot him a look, raising one eyebrow.

“Oh, you be quiet, you,” she said, though her words were softened by a laugh and a smile.

“Okay, umm... That was intense,” Nile said after a moment, his voice uneven. He stared out the windshield, still processing, as if the act of looking at something far away might help him find his bearings.

Ash sat very straight, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, her gaze cast downward in an almost demure way. For a moment, she seemed to be gathering herself, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

“Yeah, I’m sorry about... jumping you like that,” she said, her words tumbling out in a rush. “That was very unseemly. You must think I’m some sort of... I don’t know, a total slut or something. But I swear, that’s never happened before. I’ve never felt that way with anyone else. Ever.”

Her voice wavered slightly, and she bit her lip, glancing at him briefly before looking away again.

Nile turned to her, his eyes softening. He reached over and took her hands in his, his thumb brushing gentle circles over the back of her hand. The gesture was grounding, steadying both of them.

“Hey, that’s not what I meant when I said it was intense,” he said, his voice low and sincere. “I meant it in the best way. That was... incredible. I think you’re incredible.” He hesitated for a moment, his grin turning sheepish. “This was the first time we’ve done, well, anything close to... that. I mean, yeah, we’ve kissed and all, but this? This was on another level. I guess I just wasn’t ready to process it yet. In a good way,” he added quickly.

Ash looked at him, the tension in her shoulders easing as a smile broke across her face. It started small but grew into something warm and genuine, lighting up her expression.

“Well, if you thought that was good, just wait until the main event,” she teased, her voice dipping slightly, a playful glint in her eyes.

Nile felt his pulse quicken. He swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry.

“You mean... there’s more?” he asked, his voice cracking slightly.

Ash laughed at his expression, her wicked smile turning into a full-on grin. “Oh, Nile,” she said, shaking her head.

Nile, desperate to cover his nervousness, fell back on his tried-and-true defense mechanism: bad jokes.

“Hey, if we can have this much fun with our clothes on, imagine the possibilities-” he started, only to fake-cough into his fist mid-sentence.

Ash swatted at him, her eyes dancing with amusement. “You pig!”

Before Nile could respond, a loud thumping sound interrupted them. Both of them turned toward the back of the van, where Peanut was gleefully wagging his tail so hard it slammed against the walls like a furry battering ram. His tongue hung out of his mouth, and his doggy grin seemed even bigger now, as if he’d been let in on some grand secret.

“So, you’ve decided you like her now, eh, boy?” Nile said, raising an eyebrow. “All it took was some clothes-on PG-13 romance and you were good to go? Is that it?”

Peanut barked in response, his tail thudding in agreement.

“Well, you little peeping Tom,” Nile said, shaking his head. “Maybe I should call you Tom from now on, huh?”

At that, Peanut stopped wagging his tail and let out an indignant huff, his eyes narrowing slightly in what could only be described as disdain.

“Fine, I guess I won’t name you after a cartoon cat,” Nile added with a chuckle.

He sat up straighter, his hand reaching for the gear shift. “Now, where were we? Oh yeah. Driving Peanut home before Dom catches him out.”

The van hummed to life again as Nile put it in gear, the moment of playful levity leaving a faint smile on both their faces as they rolled back onto the road.