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𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 9:- 𝓤𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓡𝓪𝓲𝓷, 𝓤𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻 𝓗𝓲𝓼 𝓢𝓹𝓮𝓵𝓵

"In the stillness of the night, beneath the cover of rain, two souls found shelter not from the storm outside-but from the brewing storm within."

Ivan's POV:
~~~~~~~~~~~

She laughs softly, and damn if that laugh doesn’t do something to me. "You're not boring; you just need the right person to open up," she says, her voice light but confident.

I raise an eyebrow, surprised at how easily she’s able to read me. Well, maybe she’s right. A small smile tugs at my lips, but I don’t let it show fully. Gotta keep some mystery, right?

We fall into silence, staring at each other. The air between us feels heavier, more charged. There’s something there—something unspoken, something I can’t name. But before I can figure it out, she looks away, shattering the moment. "You should sleep," she says quietly, her voice suddenly distant, as she walks to the glass door.

I lay down, but sleep is the last thing on my mind. This girl... she's young, feisty, and there’s something about her that messes with me, getting under my skin. My body tenses. I close my eyes, but staying still like this will only let my thoughts spiral.

My eyes drift to her small figure standing by the glass, staring out at the rain. I can’t stop looking at her. Memorizing her. Nineteen? She’s barely out of her teens, but there’s something about her—something far too mature and bold for someone her age. God, Ivan, what are you thinking? Stop.

After a long pause, I speak up. “Hey?”

“Yes?” Her voice is soft, almost soothing, but she doesn’t turn around.

A wicked thought crosses my mind, and I suppress a grin. I cough. "You know, I just saw a rat scurry by your side."

She jumps up, shrieking, “Uribaba!” and rushes toward me, practically diving onto the bench to sit beside me. I burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the quiet room.

“What was that?” I ask, still chuckling.

“Nothing!” she snaps, flustered. “Where is that creepy animal?”

I can barely contain my amusement. “I was just messing with you,” I admit, trying not to laugh again.

She narrows her eyes at me. “Mr. Foster, you can’t be serious!”

She stays beside me, fuming, and I can’t resist teasing her a little more. "Making yourself comfortable, huh? Can’t help but stay close?"

"Seriously?" she grumbles, annoyed but not moving an inch away from me.

I laugh softly, enjoying the way she’s reacting. "What? Just an observation. You seem to like sitting close to me. Not that I’m complaining. Just noticing a pattern."

She glares at me, still flushed from the scare. "Okay, yes! I'm still afraid of that little creature, alright?" she snaps.

I raise an eyebrow, amused. "You're still afraid of that tiny thing? It’s harmless."

She scoffs, arms crossed. "There's no guarantee!"

I sigh, realizing she’s not going to let this go easily. "Alright, no guarantees. But come on, the odds of that little thing hurting you are ridiculously low."

She huffs. "I don’t mind sitting with the big creature by my side, but not with the small one."

I laugh again, shaking my head. "Big creature, huh? I’ll take that as a compliment. And don’t worry, I’ll protect you from the little one."

“Oh, thank you so much,” she says mockingly.

I smirk, leaning back. "No problem. I guess I can play the part of the big, fearless protector for a while."