Tethered

“Painting?”

Mele nodded at Fali’s raised eyebrow.
“Yeah. Painting.”

It was late in the morning. Breakfast had been devoured, and now they were in that quiet lull before lunch. Mele rolled her wheelchair over to the table where Fali sat with his laptop, fingers tapping rapidly across the keys. She raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment, watching him try to disguise the suspiciously quick keystrokes as mere data entry. He smiled nervously.

“What do you mean?”

She sighed.
“I mean, you’ve been looking for a hobby. Have you tried painting? Have you even considered it?”

He shook his head.
“No… it didn’t seem like something I’d enjoy.”

“You don’t know until you’ve tried,” she replied with a teasing smile.

He returned it faintly.
“I suppose you’re right. But it’s expensive to start…”

She huffed.
“All hobbies are expensive to start. Well, most of them. But that doesn’t matter. I’ll pay for it.”

His eyes widened.
“You? But it’s-”

She placed a finger on his lips, silencing him with a smile.
“It’s a birthday present. Okay?”

“Birthday?” he echoed - then it hit him. His birthday was this week. He’d completely forgotten. A flicker of panic crossed his mind before he remembered hers was still two months away.

“Yes, silly,” she giggled. “Your birthday. It’s this week, right?”

He nodded sheepishly, and she grinned.
“Well then, I’ll get you everything you need, if you take me to pick it out.”

“Alright,” he said with a small laugh. “Only if you’re sure, though. I don’t even know if I’ll like it.”

“A woman’s intuition is never wrong,” she replied warmly. “Trust me on this one.”

He nodded, smiling wider now.
“I guess I’ll just have to find a way to top it when your birthday comes around.”

She rolled a little closer and hugged his arm, pressing it gently against her chest. His face turned pink, but she only smiled.
“Just being with you is enough for me.”

He chuckled, recovering his voice.
“That’s not fair. I could say the same.”

“Yeah, but this is different.”

“Guess I’ll have to keep it a surprise, then.”

“In that case,” she said, still smiling, “I’ll look forward to it.”

They stayed like that for a moment - her holding his arm, both smiling softly at one another - until she tilted her head.

“You’re cute.”

He grinned.
“So are you.”

She frowned playfully.
“Nuh uh.”

“Yuh uh.”

A beat passed before they both burst into laughter. The sound filled the little house, chasing away every lingering shadow from the days before. It warmed them, quieted their doubts, and kept them close - just as they needed most.

“A restaurant?”
Fali nodded as he drove, but Mele’s doubtful tone made him glance sideways.

“What for?”

He smiled, a little sheepishly.
“For the spaghetti thing.”

Her face lit up with realization.
“Oh.”

The afternoon light slanted across the countryside, soft and golden. The clouds had begun to take on the faint blush of evening, and the scattered trees cast long, elegant shadows over the road. The boot behind them was crammed with art supplies - brushes, paints, canvas rolls - most of which Fali had only half understood while buying. Mele, of course, had taken charge of everything, just as she’d said she would.

He glanced at her again, eyebrow raised.
“Oh?”

She fidgeted, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
“Mmm… I kinda wanted that to be a private thing…”

The realization hit him like a spark. If he hadn’t been driving, he might’ve smacked his forehead.
“Ah, right. I should’ve thought of that, honestly.”

She smiled awkwardly but gently.
“That’s okay. You’ve already made a booking, haven’t you?”

He winced.
“Yeah. It’s alright, I’ll cancel-”

“No, don’t cancel it,” she said quickly, her tone soft but certain. “It’s alright. It’ll be fun.”

He looked at her, surprised by her sincerity.
“Are you sure?”

She nodded, smiling faintly.
“Mhm.”

His heart skipped a beat. The light caught in her eyes for a moment - gold and warm as the sunset outside - and he found himself hoping, praying, that everything would go smoothly.

The restaurant wasn’t busy - small villages rarely filled their dining rooms the way cities did. A few tables were occupied, but the patrons seemed wrapped up in their own quiet conversations. No one paid much attention as the pair - still fresh in the headlines not long ago - slipped inside and made their way to a small table tucked into a corner, half hidden from view.

Fali pulled a chair aside with a soft scrape of metal, clearing space so Mele could wheel herself in. The sound barely drew a glance. Soon, they were seated face to face, the hum of gentle conversation filling the background.

“It’s a nice place, don’t you think?”
Mele looked around - the candlelight flickering against the polished wood, the faint scent of herbs in the air - and nodded.
“Yeah. It is.”

A waitress appeared, bright and eager, her smile just a little too rehearsed. The notepad in her hands trembled slightly.
“Hello! Do you already know what you’d like to order, or should I bring you a menu?”

Fali returned her smile, doing his best to sound at ease.
“Hello. Yeah, we already know what we want.”

He hesitated for just a moment before adding,
“We’ll have your… lover’s meal, please.”

The waitress’s grin widened. She scribbled something down, voice light and cheery.
“Great! And anything to drink?”

He turned to Mele for help, but she only shrugged with a helpless little smirk.
“Uh… whatever you recommend,” he said.

She nodded brightly, snapped her pen closed, and somehow managed to smile even wider.
“Perfect! I’ll be right back.”

When she left, the silence that followed was thick enough to laugh at. Mele pressed a hand over her mouth, her shoulders shaking.
“That was so awkward, and I wasn’t even the one talking.”

Fali groaned softly, but his grin betrayed him.
“Yeah, try being in my shoes.”

Her laughter faded into a lingering smile, and then a thought seemed to cross her mind.
“Oh, shouldn’t we be sitting next to each other? We can’t really… reach across the table.”

He nodded immediately.
“True. Hold on.”

He shuffled his chair around the small circular table until he gently bumped one of her wheels. Looking up, he nearly collided with her chin, stopping inches away. They both froze for a heartbeat, caught between surprise and laughter.

He smiled first.
“How’s that?”

Her eyes softened.
“Perfect.”

He grinned, settling in beside her, the faint brush of her sleeve against his arm. Even a small restaurant like this one could take its time, but for once, he didn’t mind the wait.

When the food finally arrived, they were already deep in conversation about the strangest things. It had started with their bucket lists, drifted into a debate about pets, somehow detoured into a discussion about fur and hair, and now they were passionately arguing over the proper amount of shampoo to use.

The waitress looked mildly bewildered as she approached with their dishes, balancing them carefully. The moment they noticed her, their chatter halted mid-sentence. Fali thanked her politely, and she gave a quick, knowing wink before heading off, practically squealing with excitement once she was out of sight.

The meal itself was simple but charming: a single bowl of spaghetti meant to be shared, two plates of steak and salad, and two glasses of red wine glimmering in the low light. The pairing was odd, but apparently the so-called lover’s meal had been refined through years of “romantic research.”

They exchanged a nervous smile before starting on their individual plates. Conversation faded into a comfortable silence, filled only by the soft clinking of cutlery and the faint murmur of other diners. By the time they finished, the untouched bowl of spaghetti sat between them like some sort of silent challenge.

Fali swallowed, stealing a glance at Mele. She looked just as tense. A grin crept across his face. They’d kissed before - more than once - but somehow this felt… different. More exposed. More deliberate.

Still, he took the plunge. Literally.
Fork into noodles. Twist. Lift. Slurp.

That was all it took to break the tension. Mele laughed softly and followed suit, the two of them stealing shy glances as they ate, each secretly hoping they’d catch the same strand. Twice they almost did, only for their forks to lift two separate noodles into the air. Both times they laughed nervously, pulled them apart, and tried again.

And then - it happened.

Their forks twined into the same strand. Or maybe three. It didn’t matter. They both realized it at the same time, their hearts racing as they slowly drew the noodles closer. Inch by inch, their faces followed. Their eyes met.

Closer.

And closer.

Until their lips touched.

Kissing through spaghetti was a strange experience - soft and warm, yet faintly ridiculous. Their lips met, parted, and met again, the faint taste of tomato sauce between them before Fali bit his end and pulled away.

For a heartbeat, they just stared at each other, wide-eyed.

Then they both burst into laughter - quiet, breathless, unstoppable. Mele wiped tears from her eyes with her sleeve, still grinning.
“That was so stupid.”

Fali chuckled, cheeks flushed.
“Yeah… but totally worth it.”

She nodded in agreement, eyes bright with warmth.
“Absolutely. Want to try again?”

He grinned, already reaching for his fork.
“Of course.”

This time, the nerves were gone.