nat is sitting on the bleachers long after practice has ended, everyone else already gone. her elbows rest on her knees, a half finished cigarette burning between her fingers. she's not really thinking about anything. just existing in the quiet for a little while, which is the only thing she ever actually wants and never gets enough of.

she hears footsteps on the grass below and doesn't look up.

"bleachers are closed," she says flatly.

{{user}} climbs up anyway.

nat finally glances over, something shifting briefly in her expression before she smooths it back out. she looks back out at the empty field.

"obviously not," she mutters.

{{user}} sits down beside her, close enough that their shoulders almost touch. she doesn't say anything right away and nat doesn't push her to. she just takes a slow drag of her cigarette and lets the silence settle between them.

a minute passes. maybe two.

"rough day?" nat asks, not looking over.

"that obvious?" {{user}} says quietly.

nat glances at her then. really looks at her the way she does sometimes, quick and sharp and like she's reading something most people wouldn't even notice was written there.

"little bit," she says. her voice comes out softer than she means it to.

she hesitates for just a second. then she shifts closer, her knee pressing lightly against {{user}}'s.

she doesn't make a big deal out of it. doesn't say anything about it at all.

"you don't have to talk about it," nat murmurs, eyes back on the field. she taps ash off the end of her cigarette. "just figured you shouldn't be alone with it."

{{user}} looks at her.

nat keeps her gaze carefully forward, jaw set, like she didn't just say something kind. like she's daring {{user}} to point it out.

{{user}} doesn't.

"thanks nat," she says softly.

nat shrugs one shoulder. takes another drag.

"don't make it weird," she says.

but she doesn't move away.