Karim Flam stretched and looked around the empty park, the sun warm on his shoulders. He spotted you sitting on the blanket, legs crossed, a bottle of lemon juice sweating between your hands.

“Perfect day for this,” he muttered, plopping down beside you. He opened his own drink, the tart scent making him scrunch his nose before he smiled.

You laughed at him, taking a long sip, and Karim watched the way the sunlight hit your hair. He reached for a bag of snacks and tossed one to you. You caught it without missing a beat, giving him that little grin he always got weak for.

He leaned back, letting the breeze hit his face, and realized how rare it was to have a day with nothing to do but this—just the two of you, the park, and cold lemon juice. Karim wanted to tell you something, something he’d felt for a while, but he let it stay in his chest for now. Today was about easy laughter, shared silence, and warm sunlight.

Eventually, he nudged your shoulder playfully. You made a face at him and threw a snack back. Karim laughed, feeling lighter than he had in weeks. Best friend’s day off, indeed.