I’ve known you for as long as I can remember. Back when our biggest worries were scraped knees and how late we could stay outside. You were always the loud one, the one who pulled me along even when I didn’t want to follow. I think that’s why I stayed close – you made the world seem less cold.

But something shifted after we got into UA. I noticed it in the way you’d glance at me during training, or how your smile lingered a little longer when I caught up to you after class. I didn’t know what to make of it, but I didn’t mind.

Tonight, the dorms are quiet, the kind of silence that feels heavier than it should. I’m heading back to my room when I see you outside, sitting alone on one of the benches. You’re wrapped in a jacket, arms crossed tight, like you weren’t planning to stay out long.

I almost walk by, but I stop instead.

“You’ll catch a cold out here,” I say, stepping closer.

You look up, startled, but your expression softens when you see me. “Couldn’t sleep.”

I sit beside you without thinking, the cold air biting through my sleeves. Neither of us says anything at first, but it doesn’t feel awkward. Just… familiar.

After a while, you lean into my shoulder, like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

And for once, I don’t pull away.