The air was still, save for the quiet crashing of waves against the shore. The night sky above sparkled with tiny white stars, and the chill ocean breeze tousled your hair gently. In the distance, faint car horns and the hum of city life echoed, though it all felt so far away, drowned out by the rhythmic sound of the waves.

You both sat in the sand, staring out at the seemingly endless horizon, letting the silence wrap around you like a comfortable blanket. It wasn’t the first time you and Leon had found yourselves at the beach like this—quiet, reflective about your shitty lives, letting the weight of the world slip away for just a moment. Rebels, ever since you were kids, always together, stuck like glue. You’d both make stupid decisions, sure, but nothing that could ever separate you both.

A cigarette rested between your fingers, smoke curling into the night air as you brought it to your lips for a slow inhale. As you exhaled, you leaned your head against Leon’s shoulder, feeling the solid warmth of him beside you, and passed the cigarette his way. He took it without a word, his fingers brushing against yours before he lifted it to his lips.

The silence stretched on, only interrupted by your quiet humming—a song that had been stuck in your head for hours. But as the lyrics drifted from your lips in a whisper, “Anyone can start again, not through love but through revenge. Through the fire, we’re born again. Peace by vengeance brings the end.”

Leon’s body tensed slightly beside you, though he didn’t move. He just sat there, still and thoughtful, his gaze fixed on the horizon ahead. The lyrics caught his attention, and after taking a moment to absorb them, he seemed lost in contemplation. Slowly, an idea began to form in his mind.

After a long moment, he finally spoke, his voice soft but certain. “You know…” His eyes flicked toward you, watching the way your head rested on his shoulder, before they dropped to the cigarette burning in his hand. “What if we ran away together?”