“I told you – I don’t do things I don’t want to do. I want to be with you, Hannah.” More than she should, really. More than is good for her. More than is wise or safe for her heart.

It’s okay, she tells herself. It’s become her mantra. Caroline has always played things perhaps a little too safe when it comes to her heart and this… thing with Hannah may not be safe, but she still feels she has it under control. Mostly.

She’s an adult woman who has had feelings that are unreciprocated in the past. Perhaps it’s always been different than this exact situation, but it’s okay.

Hannah joins her with a grin, walking close enough that their shoulders bump.

“Where are we going?”

She doesn’t want to spoil it, but now that it’s happening, she’s feeling a little self-conscious. “Um. I figured we could do a little city-sighting. Sighting architecture in particular. Since you…”

She trails off, entirely doubting her idea. It seemed good in theory, but Caroline doesn’t know anything about architecture, so the places she chose could be a waste of time. And more than that – Hannah has told her on several occasions about how much she’d wanted to get her degree and how she regrets the fact that it had never happened. That it’s one of her biggest regrets in her life.

And now Caroline’s about to rub her face in it?

“We don’t have to,” she says, walking slower. “You’ve… definitely already seen it all –”

But Hannah just stares at her, the mix of excitement and astonishment, pushing away her doubts and making her feel some of the giddiness, too. Just seeing it mirrored on Hannah’s face was enough to feel it bubbling in her own stomach.

“I have seen it all.” Hannah links their arms together, quickly pulling her to the closest subway stop. “Let’s go.”

They first find themselves looking up at the Boston Public Library – scratch that. Caroline is mostly staring at Hannah, who is staring at the building with a tilt to her head, that look on her face that says she has a thousand thoughts going through her mind, and the most devastatingly beautiful smile on her lips.

She looks at the library just in time to avoid being caught staring.

“I’ve always loved it here. I mean, the brutalist design of the Johnson Building coupled with the Beaux Arts design of the McKim building?” Hannah sighs. “I mean. So much of Boston is brutalist, but there’s some point of beauty in it that is easily overlooked. The Beaux Arts subset is… admittedly preferable, though.”

Caroline squints. “I see… the library.”

She feels Hannah squeeze her arm in rebuke, the look of offense on her face, her mouth falling open with it, making Caroline laugh. “I’m sorry!”