Flashback - 2 years ago, a month before Mia's graduation from University
They stumbled through the dimly lit campus, giggling like school kids, their laughter echoing in the empty halls. The cool night air sobered Mia a little, but the adrenaline from the urgency of her situation kept her buzzed. Andrew, with his easy confidence, led the way to the newsroom.
"How did you even get a key?" Mia asked between breaths as they jogged up the steps.
"Perks of being the editor-in-chief," Andrew replied, winking.
They reached the newsroom, and Andrew fished out his key, unlocking the door with a flourish. The room was dark and quiet, a stark contrast to its usual bustling state. Mia hurried to her desk and booted up her computer, the glow from the screen illuminating her face as she quickly logged in and started the submission process.
Andrew stood behind her, watching as she worked. "You know, you look kind of badass right now," he said, leaning against the desk.
"Yeah, right," Mia muttered, her fingers flying over the keyboard. "Thanks for helping me, though. I really appreciate it."
When the article was finally uploaded, Mia let out a huge sigh of relief, sinking back into her chair. "Done," she said, smiling up at Andrew.
"See? Told you we'd make it," he said, his hands in his pockets as he rocked back on his heels.
There was a moment of silence, the kind that stretched and hung in the air, filled with unspoken thoughts. Andrew finally broke it, his voice softer. "You know, Mia, I never understood why we didn't spend more time together."
Mia scoffed, laughing this off, thinking it was Andrew's usual faux charm.
"No, I'm serious!" He said in defense, "I find you incredibly funny, entertaining, and kind, you're easier to talk to than most people, with a lot more substance. We even share the same circle of friends, so why did we never hang out before? Just us?" He said with so much sincerity.
Mia blinked, caught off guard. "I guess… I guess it's cause I always felt like we were competing," she admitted. "I mean, we were always pitted against each other, in the paper, in classes... it felt like a rivalry. Being around you always made me feel… less."
Mia couldn't look up at him upon admitting this, saying her insecurity out loud made her cheeks heat up, it must be the alcohol making her this honest.
Andrew was quiet, he didn't say anything. Instead he lifted Mia's chin up with his forefinger, making her look up at him.
His eyebrows were knit together, when he spoke "I feel terrible that I ever made you feel that way." Andrew said, almost breathless, shocking Mia with the amount of sincerity in his voice. "I never saw it that way. I always knew you were a million times better than me as a writer."
She rolled her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips. "You're full of shit."
He laughed, leaning closer. "I'm not saying I'm a bad writer. I'm pretty damn good. But I know talent when I see it, and Mia, you have so much of it. More than me, and that's hard for me to admit."
She stared at him, stunned by his honesty. "Thank you," she said softly.
They lapsed into silence again, the weight of his words settling over them. Andrew straightened, a playful glint in his eye. "Remember the time we were working late and the janitor thought we were breaking in?"
Mia laughed, the memory surfacing. "Oh God, yes! He almost called campus security on us."
"We had to convince him we were actually students," Andrew added, chuckling. "Good times."
As they reminisced, the tension between them eased, replaced by a growing warmth. Andrew reached out, brushing a strand of hair from Mia's face. The touch was brief but electric, sending shivers down her spine.
Before she could think, she found herself leaning into him, their faces inches apart. The air was thick with unspoken emotions, and then, as if drawn by an invisible force, their lips met.
The kiss was calm at first, almost gentle, Mia's hands tangled in Andrew's hair as he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss, turning it into hot and urgent, a release of all the pent-up tension and unspoken feelings.
As their kiss deepens, Andrew pushes her back to the wall of one side of the newsroom. His hands start to move around her back, pulling her closer to him until she's flush against him.
"Why didn't we do this sooner?" Andrew says between kisses, breathless.
Mia smiled, her heart pounding in her chest. "Better late than never," she replied, pulling him back in for another kiss, he kisses her on the lips, then finds his way down to her throat as she releases a sound she didn't even know she was capable of.
He looks back up at her, and for the first time, Mia didn't want to wipe that dimpled smirk off his face. In fact she wanted to melt into it.
Andrew continues, and finds his way back to her lips, his hands travelling from her back to her sides, finding their way down to the bottom of her dress. As she pulls him closer to her, she feels him, all of him. She feels heat by her inner thighs, and the world outside the newsroom faded away, leaving just the two of them, lost in each other.
They finally broke apart, breathless and flushed. Andrew's forehead rested against hers, his voice a whisper. "Tell me to stop, Mia." His hands still by the hem of her dress.
Mia couldn't speak, she was so lost in him that she felt like she forgot how to even formulate words.
They suddenly heard footsteps approaching the newsroom, they looked at each other, both their eyes wide, "Duck!" Andrew said.
They both ducked down under the closest desk to them, unable to contain their smiles.
They heard the door open, "Anybody here?" The voice of the janitor echoed over the room.
"Shhh" Mia put a finger over Andrew's mouth, which turned up into a smile. To feel Andrew Weston's smile on her finger, and to watch it form because of her was something Mia never expected she would experience, nor did she ever expect herself enjoying it this much.
She moved over closer to him, as he patted his lap which she happily crawled into, as he put his arms around her.
This is nice, Mia thought to herself. She let herself sink into him, dropping all of the walls she had built over the past years.
The janitor, satisfied that the room was empty, left and locked the door. They stayed in the same position for a while, wrapped up in each other, the newsroom their private sanctuary. Eventually, they pulled away, the reality of their situation sinking in to Mia.
"We should probably head back," Mia said reluctantly.
Andrew nodded, but there was a lingering softness in his eyes. "Yeah, let's go."
They walked back to the apartment building in a comfortable silence, the night's events leaving them both contemplative. When they reached Mia's door, Andrew hesitated, as if wanting to say something more.
"Goodnight, Mia," he finally said, his voice gentle.
"Goodnight, Andrew," she replied, her heart full of emotions she couldn't quite name.
As she closed the door behind her, Mia couldn't help but smile. The night had taken unexpected turns, but for the first time in a long while, she felt hopeful about what the future might bring.
She walked towards her window, and looked out, touching a finger to her lips as if she was trying to confirm that they were still there.
Just then she felt her phone vibrate, she just realized she had kept it on silent this whole time, ignoring it in the midst of her eventful evening. When she opened it she was stunned to see more than 20 missed calls from a hospital.