It was a bright and sunny Saturday in Paris, and Kent felt a little funny inside.
He stood outside Gaesha's bakery, his hands deep in his pockets, his heart thumping faster than usual.
All week, he'd been thinking about her—her loud laugh, the little notes she wrote, and the way her face looked with flour on it.
He didn't really understand why, but he wanted to see her again. Not just by bumping into her. He wanted to see her on purpose this time.
Kent took a deep breath and pushed the bakery door open. The bell above the door jingled softly.
Gaesha was behind the counter, carefully stacking cupcakes in a neat row. She looked up, saw him, and her face lit up with a big grin.
"Kent!" she said, her voice full of excitement. "Hi there! You're back again!"
"Yes," Kent said, stepping inside. His voice sounded stiff, like he was trying too hard to stay calm. "Hi, Gaesha."
"What's going on?" Gaesha asked, wiping her hands on her apron. "Do you want a cupcake? I made new ones today—they're lemon, and they're really yummy."
"No, thank you," Kent said. He cleared his throat, feeling his cheeks get warm. "I came here to… to ask you something."
Gaesha tilted her head to the side, her eyes curious. "Oh? What do you want to ask me, Kent?"
"Well, do you…" Kent started, but then he stopped, looking unsure. "Are you free today? I mean, do you have time later?"
"Free?" Gaesha repeated, her smile growing even bigger. "Yeah, I'm free! I close the bakery at three o'clock. Why are you asking?"
"I was thinking…" Kent said, his words slow and careful. "Maybe we could… go somewhere. You and me. Together."
Gaesha's eyes got wide, and her mouth dropped open a little. "Wait a second," she said, her voice full of surprise. "Are you asking me out, Kent Sivan?"
"Yes," Kent said, staring down at the floor. His face felt hot now. "If you want to. If you don't, it's okay. You can forget I said anything."
"Kent Sivan!" Gaesha said, clapping her hands together loudly. "A date? With me? Are you serious?"
"If you say yes," Kent replied, still looking at the floor. "But if you don't want to, it's fine. I'll go."
"Yes!" Gaesha shouted, her voice so loud it made Kent jump a little. "Yes, yes, yes! I'd love to go! Where are we going? What time should I be there?"
"At four," Kent said, finally looking up at her. "By the Eiffel Tower. I thought we could have a picnic."
"A picnic?" Gaesha said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "That's so cute, Kent! You're full of surprises, aren't you, Grumpy?"
"I'm not grumpy," Kent said, frowning a little. "I'll bring the food for us."
"Oh, I'll bring dessert!" Gaesha said, bouncing on her toes. "This is going to be so much fun. I can't wait! I'll see you at four, okay?"
"Okay," Kent said. He turned to leave, his face still warm from blushing. "Bye, Gaesha."
"Bye, Kent!" Gaesha called after him, waving with both hands.
As the door closed behind him, she started dancing around the counter, her apron flapping.
"A date!" she said to herself, giggling. "With Kent Sivan! Oh my gosh, this is amazing!"
Four o'clock came quickly. Gaesha arrived at the Eiffel Tower, holding a basket in her arms.
She wore a bright yellow dress, her hair loose and flowing, and a huge smile on her face.
Kent was already there, sitting on a blanket he'd spread out on the grass. He had a bag of sandwiches and a bottle of water next to him.
When he saw her coming, he stood up.
"Hi, Gaesha," he said, his voice quiet. "You're here."
"Of course I'm here!" Gaesha said, laughing as she walked over. "I wouldn't miss this for anything. Look at this spot you picked—it's perfect, Kent!"
The Eiffel Tower stood tall above them, shining in the sunlight. The grass around them was full of people—tourists taking pictures, kids running around, and dogs chasing each other.
But Kent had found a quiet corner, away from all the noise. "Sit down," he said, pointing at the blanket.
Gaesha plopped down on the blanket, setting her basket next to her. "I brought cookies," she said, opening the basket to show him. "And brownies, too. I think you'll like them a lot."
"I don't really—" Kent started to say.
"Eat sweets, I know," Gaesha said, cutting him off with a grin. "You always say that, Kent. But you have to try these. I made them just for you. Please?"
"Maybe," Kent said, his voice softer now. He sat down too, pulling out the sandwiches from his bag. "Do you want ham or cheese?"
"Cheese, please!" Gaesha said, clapping her hands again. "Thank you, Kent. This is so nice of you."
"It's just food," Kent said, handing her a sandwich. "It's not a big deal."
"No, it's not just food," Gaesha said, shaking her head. "It's you asking me to come here. That's a big deal to me, Kent."
Kent looked away, his ears turning pink. "It's not a big deal," he said quietly. "I just… I wanted to spend time with you."
"Well, I'm really happy," Gaesha said, her voice warm. She took a bite of her sandwich and smiled. "Mmm! This is so good. You're really good at this, Kent."
"It's only a sandwich," Kent said, shrugging. "It's not hard to make."
"Still," Gaesha said, looking at him with a big smile. "You're sweet, Kent. You try to hide it, but I can see it."
"I don't hide anything," Kent said, frowning again. "I'm just… quiet. That's how I am."
"You're quiet and sweet," Gaesha said, her voice playful. "Like a secret candy that nobody knows about."
Kent snorted, almost laughing. "You're so weird, Gaesha," he said, shaking his head.
"And you like that I'm weird," Gaesha said, grinning at him. "What else is in your bag? Do you have more surprises for me?"
"Just water," Kent said, holding up the bottle. "That's all I brought."
"That's so boring," Gaesha teased, sticking out her tongue. "Next time, you should bring juice. Something fun!"
"Next time?" Kent said, raising an eyebrow. "You're already talking about a next time?"
"Yes!" Gaesha said, nodding quickly. "This is so much fun, Kent. We should do it again. Don't you think so?"
"Maybe," Kent said, his voice quiet again. He took a bite of his sandwich, watching her carefully.
Gaesha was loud, messy, and so bright—everything he wasn't. But somehow, he didn't mind at all.
Gaesha reached into her basket and pulled out a cookie. "Here," she said, holding it out to him. "Try this one. Please, Kent? Just a little bite?"
Kent sighed, but he didn't say no. "Fine," he said, taking the cookie from her. He bit off a small corner and chewed slowly. "It's… good."
"Ha!" Gaesha said, clapping her hands. "I knew it! I told you you'd like it. I'm winning you over, Kent Sivan."
"No, you're not," Kent said, but his lips twitched like he was trying not to smile.
They ate their food and talked—well, mostly Gaesha talked. She told Kent all about her week, her bakery, and a funny story about a kid who smeared frosting all over her shop window.
Kent listened quietly, nodding every now and then. "What about you?" Gaesha asked, looking at him. "What's new with you, Kent?"
"Just work," Kent said, his voice flat. "The chateau's roof is leaking again."
"Oh, that's no fun," Gaesha said, frowning. "You need to fix it fast, don't you?"
"I'm trying," Kent said. "It's an old building. It takes time."
"Old stuff is cool," Gaesha said, smiling again. "Kind of like you, Kent."
"I'm not old," Kent said, his frown coming back.
"You're older than me," Gaesha said, giggling. "You're wise and serious. I like that about you."
"I'm not wise," Kent said, shaking his head. "I'm just… careful. I like to think things through."
"You're too careful sometimes," Gaesha said, her voice gentle. "You should live a little, Kent. Like this—look up there!" She pointed at the sky. "Birds!"
Kent looked up where she was pointing. A group of pigeons was circling above them, gray and fat, making little noises. "They're loud," he said, his voice flat.
"They're cute," Gaesha said, laughing. She broke off a piece of her sandwich and tossed it onto the grass. "Here, birdies! Come get some food!"
"No, Gaesha," Kent said quickly. "Don't do that—"
But it was too late. The pigeons swooped down, first a dozen, then even more. They flapped their wings and squawked, pecking at the bread on the grass.
Gaesha laughed loudly. "Look at them!" she said. "They're so hungry!"
"Gaesha, stop it!" Kent said, his voice louder now. "You're making a mess!"
"They're fine!" Gaesha said, still laughing.
But then one pigeon landed right on their blanket and grabbed a cookie from her basket.
"Hey!" she shouted, waving her hands. "That's mine, you silly bird!"
More pigeons came, diving at the food with their wings flapping everywhere. Gaesha waved her arms around.
"Shoo! Shoo, go away!" she yelled. A pigeon flapped right into Kent, dropping feathers all over his shirt.
"Great," Kent said, brushing the feathers off. "This is all your fault, Gaesha."
"It's funny!" Gaesha said, giggling so hard her eyes watered. She swatted at another bird, and it flew up, dropping more feathers in her hair. "Oh no! My hair!"
The picnic turned into total chaos. The pigeons grabbed sandwiches, cookies, and even the water bottle, knocking it over.
Kent stood up, trying to scare them away. "Go!" he shouted, waving his arms. One pigeon pecked at his shoe, and he groaned. "This is ridiculous."
Gaesha fell back on the blanket, laughing so hard she could barely breathe. "Kent, your face!" she said, pointing at him. "You look so mad right now!"
"I'm not mad," Kent said, but his voice sounded annoyed. "I'm just… covered in birds."
"Look at me!" Gaesha said, sitting up. Feathers were stuck to her dress, her hair, and even her arms. "I look like a chicken!"
Kent looked at her, and then—against all odds—he laughed. It was a short, rough laugh, but it was real. "You're a mess, Gaesha," he said, shaking his head.
"You're a mess too!" Gaesha said, pointing at him. Kent had feathers on his coat, in his hair, and even on his cheek. "We're twins now!"
The pigeons finally flew away, taking half their food with them. Gaesha and Kent sat back down on the blanket, both out of breath.
"That," Gaesha said, still giggling, "was so wild.
"It's your fault," Kent said, picking a feather off his sleeve. "You started it."
"It was worth it," Gaesha said, smiling at him. "You laughed, Kent. I heard you. That's twice now."
"I didn't laugh," Kent said, but his voice wasn't very convincing.
"Yes, you did," Gaesha said, nodding. "I'm good for you, Kent Sivan. I make you smile."
"Maybe," Kent said, his face softer now. He brushed more feathers off his shirt, looking at her. "This was… different."
"Is that a good different?" Gaesha asked, tilting her head.
"Yes," Kent said, his voice quiet. "It's a good different."
Gaesha smiled, pulling a feather out of her hair. "This is the best date ever," she said, her voice full of joy.
"It's not a date," Kent said, frowning again. "It's a disaster."
"It's the same thing," Gaesha said, laughing. "With you, Kent, it's perfect."
Kent didn't argue this time. He just sat there, feathers still on him, feeling lighter than he had in years.