The park was quiet that evening, wrapped in the slow gold of a dying sunset. The air smelled faintly of rain that never came, cool and clean. Eliar walked beside her, headphones draped over his ears, the faint rhythm of some half-forgotten indie track humming in his head. The path beneath them was scattered with fallen leaves, crunching softly under their sneakers.

She walked a few steps ahead, hands buried in the pockets of her long trench coat. The fading light caught the pale strands of her platinum curls, making them gleam like spun silver. Her coat shifted slightly with her stride, revealing the neat edge of a white shirt, a striped tie knotted loose at her throat. The floral tattoo on her neck peeked out when the breeze brushed her hair aside—a delicate, rebellious mark that always fascinated him more than he’d admit.

He’d known her his whole life, but tonight something about her felt… different. She wasn’t talking much. Normally, she’d be teasing him, pointing at dogs passing by or asking him what song he was listening to. Now, her gaze kept darting toward the path ahead, her lips parted as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t.

He noticed it hours ago—over coffee, when she’d stared at him for a moment too long; in class, when she’d barely focused on her notes. There was a tension in her movements, a quiet trembling under the surface.

Eli pulled one earcup off his ear, letting the muffled world seep back in. “You okay?” he asked, his voice soft.

She glanced at him quickly, her expression unreadable. “Yeah,” she said after a pause, but it came out too quickly, too forced.

He frowned slightly. “You’ve been weird all day.”

That earned a small laugh from her, light but nervous. “Weird? I don’t know what you mean.”

“Yeah, you do.” He smiled faintly, tugging at the wire of his headphones. “You’ve been staring at me like I said something stupid and you’re deciding whether to forgive me.”

She looked away, tucking a loose curl behind her ear. The blush that crept into her cheeks was faint but real. “Maybe you did.”

He chuckled quietly, shaking his head. The music faded to a gentle hum as he looked down at his phone, scrolling through playlists. He didn’t see the way she turned to look at him just then, didn’t see the way her fingers tightened around the strap of her coat, her breath catching slightly.

The world seemed to narrow—the slow rustle of trees, the whisper of wind against fabric, the pulse of his music fading away.

Then suddenly—warmth.

Her hand reached up, lightly tugging at his sleeve. Before he could look up, before he could ask, her lips were on his.

The shock hit him like a static jolt. The headphones slid from his neck, forgotten. Her kiss wasn’t hesitant or playful—it was full of everything she’d never said, all the words she’d kept locked behind glances and laughter. It was soft but desperate, trembling with emotion, like she was afraid it was the only moment she’d ever have.

Eli froze for half a heartbeat, his brain a mess of confusion and disbelief. Then instinct took over. He kissed her back, his heart pounding so hard it hurt. Her lips were warm, and her hands trembled slightly as they brushed his chest. The world around them blurred—the trees, the fading light, even the music still faintly echoing from his phone.

When their lips finally parted, the silence was deafening.

She stepped back, eyes wide, cheeks flushed deep pink. For a second, she looked like she might say something—but instead, she bit her lip, turned, and started walking quickly down the path.

“Wait—” he began, reaching out, but she didn’t stop. The breeze carried the faint scent of her perfume—something soft and floral—as she hurried away, her curls catching the last streaks of sunset.

He stood there, motionless, watching her figure retreat into the fading light. His heartbeat still hadn’t slowed.

He raised his hand to his mouth, fingers brushing his lips as if to make sure it had really happened. It had. He could still taste her.