Aarvin walked toward the old court the next day, hands tucked inside his hoodie, heart beating faster than it needed to.
He didn't know what he expected from this meeting.
He didn't even know why she wanted him there.
But he was going.
Because it was her.
Because it was Nairi.
The court was empty… except for one girl sitting on the dusty bench, swinging her legs lightly.
The fading sunlight wrapped her silhouette in a soft outline, almost too peaceful for a place like Oakridge.
She looked up before Aarvin could hide behind his usual nervousness.
"There you are," she said, smiling like she had been waiting longer than she would ever admit.
Something in Aarvin's chest loosened — as if the air around him finally made sense.
"You came," she added, voice softer this time.
Aarvin nodded.
"Yeah… I said I would."
Nairi laughed lightly and hopped off the bench, brushing dust off her hands.
"So… you like coming here, right?" she asked, trying to sound casual but failing slightly.
Aarvin shrugged.
"It's quiet."
"Then we're the same," she said instantly.
"I hate crowded places. Too noisy. Too dramatic."
Aarvin risked a small smile.
"You're not dramatic."
"Oh, trust me," she grinned, eyebrows raising.
"With the wrong people, I can be."
He blinked, confused.
"With the right people, I'm quiet," she added, giving him a glance that lasted a second too long to ignore.
Something warm hit him again — gentle but sharp enough to make his heart skip.
She was talking about him.
They walked slowly along the cracked court. Leaves rustled around them, the breeze gentle and unbothered by Oakridge's usual chaos.
Nairi kicked a pebble forward and said:
"You play that game seriously, huh?"
"It helps me think," Aarvin replied.
She tilted her head.
"Or helps you avoid thinking?"
Aarvin looked down at the ground.
She wasn't wrong — and she knew it.
Nairi went back to the bench and tapped the seat beside her.
Aarvin hesitated… just a second… then sat.
The bench creaked under their weight. A soft silence settled between them — not awkward, just unfamiliar.
"You know," she said after a moment, "you're easier to talk to than I expected."
Aarvin blinked slowly.
"Me?"
"Yes, you."
She nudged him lightly with her shoulder.
"You listen. That's rare."
He didn't know what to do with those words.
People usually described him as:
scary
weak
quiet
weird
dangerous
But the way she looked at him…
He wasn't Hale.
He wasn't a warning.
He wasn't someone to avoid.
He was just… him.
Someone she wanted to talk to.
Nairi pulled her knees up slightly and hugged them loosely, looking at the open court ahead.
"You ever notice how places feel different depending on who you're with?" she asked.
Aarvin shook his head.
"I never really had… people."
Nairi's expression softened instantly.
"Well…" she said gently, "…you do now."
His breath stilled.
He didn't know how to respond.
He didn't know how to accept something so simple, yet so impossible.
For the first time in Oakridge…
something didn't feel heavy.
Something didn't feel wrong.
He wasn't ready for this feeling — not at all.
But for the first time in a long time…
he didn't want it to stop.
Not now.
Not with her.