"And what's the answer?" Pierre asks, fingertips resting on the page, just below the math problem Natasha was working out.
She stares pensively at the problem, then back at her notepad, her pencil moving so quickly that her handwriting was nearly illegible. "Ninety-three?" she answers, biting her lip.
"Correct! You did great, Natasha!"
Natasha lit up at her tutor's praise. In all honesty, she hadn't been having much trouble with her math class in the past month, but spending time with Pierre (and being complimented on her work) made her happy. More than happy, even.
Something about the accidental hand touches and stolen glances made her heart beat in a way that it hadn't since Anatole, and something about the lack of space between them as they shared her bed as a sitting place made her heart stop altogether.
"I believe that concludes our session for the day." Pierre says, his hand moving to close the book at the same time as Natasha's. His much larger hand lands on top of Natasha's, and heaven knows he wants to hold her hand, but he withdraws immediately, face feeling as if it's on fire. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"No, no it's alright. Don't worry about it." Natasha assures him, her voice soft and her smile bright. She turns to close the book and push it towards the foot of the bed, missing the way Pierre visibly relaxes and tries to suppress a giddy smile.
"It's, uh, getting late. I should probably go." Pierre says, standing up and grabbing his bag from one of the bedposts. "I'll see you again next week, Natasha."
"Bye, Pierre." Natasha replies. As he rounds the corner, Natasha catches sight of Pierre's coat, still draped across her chair. She leaps off her bed and grabs it, rushing for the door. "Wait!" she calls, nearly crashing into Pierre as he opens the door. "Don't forget your coat."
Pierre looks shocked at first, then he smiles and gently takes his coat from Natasha's hands.
"Thank you, Nat." Pierre is even more shocked when Natasha leans up to kiss him on the cheek.
"Be safe. It's awfully cold out there." she whispers.
Unsure of how to reply, Pierre simply nods, eliciting a soft laugh from Natasha. It was at that moment that Pierre realized just how much he had fallen for Natasha. As he left, the warmth of her kiss still tingling on his cheek, he hoped that she felt the same.