It was easy, talking to her.

He enjoyed the comfortable friendship while working up the courage to ask her out. When he decided it was time, her reaction was eerily similar to the time she found out about his collection.

"Uh," color crept to her neck. "I kinda thought we are, already? I mean, er, dating?"

He froze. "You like me? I mean, not as just-friends?"

"I don't text just-friends in the midnight about nothing."

He was still a bit behind the train of thoughts. "Wait, we're dating?"

"...There might be slight lapses of understanding in my part."

Was that...was she blushing?

They stood there awkwardly until they broke into laughter, hard. Tears pooled in their eyes.

"Gosh, we're such dorks. So, to prevent me being in a relationship before I even know it, can we, er, make this clear and maybe sound, y'know, somewhat official?"

"...Do I need to recite a vow?"

"No, we can save it for later. I'll just keep it simple now since we keep fumbling with anything more complicated. So, uh, I like you. Can I be your boyfriend?"

"I like you too. Let me be your girlfriend?"

They spent the rest of the day awash in sappy love songs and the occasional swish of pen on paper because he insisted on her finishing the report before he went home.