The ambiguous intensity from looking someone in the eye (n)

“Have you seen that couple TikTok trend from a while ago?” Noor asks Cameron from the couch.

Cameron rounds the side by her feet with a plate of skewered fruit. He sets it down on the coffee table next to the bowl of mostly burned melted chocolate. Noor moves her feet as Cameron begins to sit. He picks up a skewer and pulls a strawberry off.

“You’re going to have to be more specific,” he says while tossing the strawberry into his mouth.

Noor sits up with her legs crossed beneath her. She leans forward with her elbows propped on her knees.

“I’m talking about that one where couples try to not kiss.”

Cameron dips a grape into the chocolate. “That doesn’t seem like fun.”

“But it is!” Noor whines, dragging out each vowel.

He tilts his head towards her, resting it on the back of the couch. Noor copies and locks their eyes.

“Tell me exactly how it’s supposed to be fun.”

Noor stays silent for a moment. She watches as Cameron’s eyes dart from her eyes, to her lips, to her nose, to her hair, back to her eyes, back to her lips, down to her hands, and back up to her eyes. A smile spreads across her lips. She leans into Cameron’s ear.

“That’s why it’s fun.”

Noor rests back, her smile still wide. Cameron eats the last strawberry from his skewer and sets it down on the plate. He rests his head back, meeting Noor’s eyes.

“So, do you want to try this challenge?”

Noor feels her cheeks grow bright pink. She clears her throat and grabs a skewer for herself. Her chest rises and falls once before she leans back and brings her eyes to Cameron’s.

“Only if you’re okay with losing.”

Cameron laughs. His eyes pinch closed and his nose scrunches up, like it always does. This is one of the first things Noor found attractive in Cameron. She wants to kiss the crinkles on his nose, but when his laughing subsides and he meets her gaze with an odd intensity, she knows she can’t give in. She won’t give in. Not until he does.

“I won’t be losing, so bring it on.”

Noor and Cameron stare at each other for a long while. They take turns, eyes darting to other features besides their eyes before coming back. They say no words, and they make no moves. They only stare.

They have gazed into each other before, a lot more at the beginning of their relationship when both of them were too scared to make the first move. This feels different than that though. Instead of fear seeming to hold them back, it’s a test of each other’s patience.

Noor knows nothing is going to happen if she doesn’t try to make Cameron flustered first. She decides on something small. She twists the skewer around in her fingers. She glances down at Cameron’s lips and back up to his eyes. Her eyes hold onto Cameron’s as she pulls a grape off the skewer with her teeth. She lets her lips curl into a slight smile before closing her mouth around the grape. She smiles again at the sound of Cameron swallowing.

Cameron leans in close to Noor, the distance between their noses splitting atoms. He keeps his eyes locked with Noors as he grabs the collar of Noor’s flannel. He rubs the cotton fabric between his fingers and makes sure to breath out slowly through his mouth. His hot breath lingues on Noor’s blushing face.

Noor adjusts the way she’s sitting to mirror Cameron’s leaning. She bites her lips, holding down a smile. She takes a deep breath and hums a high pitched sigh.

Cameron blinks quickly three times and scratches the back of his neck. Noor reaches behind his head to take his hand in hers. She rubs circles along the back of his hand with her thumb.

Cameron gently pulls his hand out of Noor’s. She begins to say something when he brushes his fingers against the side of her face. Noor does her best to keep her swallow quiet. Cameron smiles, having definitely heard. He lets his fingertips dance across her warm skin as he reaches for her glasses. His eyes bounce between hers before landing an unwavering stare.

He gently pulls her glasses off her face, folds them, and places them next to the abandoned fruit skewers. His head tilts as he leans in just a little more. There is space between their lips, but Noor can feel his curl into a toothy smile.

Their bottom lips bump together as Noor bites hers. An airy laugh escapes Cameron’s throat.

“Does that count as a kiss?”

“No,” Noor whispers to hide the voice crack that would have accompanied anything louder.

“Okay,” Cameron whispers back. “Good thing I’m patient.”

Noor shakes her head and crashes her lips into his. Cameron runs his hands through her hair and pulls her close. When they part, they press their foreheads together. Noor rests her hands on either side of Cameron’s face and rubs her thumbs against his cheeks. She can feel Cameron’s smile.

“I think I won,” he says, his voice hoarse.

“Shut up,” Noor says, pulling his lips back to hers.