Rival Offline (Anya Forger x Damian Desmond)

Chapter Twenty Six: Nervous

For the first time in many years, Damian felt genuinely nervous. He couldn't quite pinpoint what was causing this unease. Maybe it was the way Anya had grinned with excitement when she saw him, her small, delicate hand waving enthusiastically in the air to signal him over. That warmth and sincerity in her greeting—it was disarming, to say the least.

As they approached the theater, he could feel his heart racing, not because of the movie they were about to see, but because of the girl beside him. There was no way he was going to focus on the movie. How could he, when every part of him was hyper-aware of Anya's presence?

Her energy was contagious, and for the first time in a long while, Damian found himself wanting to just be... present, without the weight of his family's expectations hanging over him.

Her outfit was cute, simple but effortlessly charming. It wasn't as expensive or flashy as the designer clothes his mother or the other rich ladies he saw wore, but somehow, that made it even more appealing. Anya had a way of standing out without trying, especially with that bright pink hair.

"Hey, they're making special popcorn buckets for the movie!" Anya said excitedly, pointing toward the food stand.

"Ah, yeah, that's so cool," Damian replied, his eyes briefly glancing toward the snacks, though his mind was elsewhere.

"I'm getting one!" she declared, marching over to the stand with the same boundless energy that always seemed to surround her.

Damian sighed softly, dragging his feet as he followed her. How was he supposed to keep up with her energy for the rest of the day? It wasn't like he didn't enjoy being with her—he just didn't understand how she could move so freely, with no worries or second thoughts. Meanwhile, he felt like every move he made was being scrutinized, whether by his own overthinking or by some invisible standard he always tried to meet.

He was already here, watching this movie with her, wasn't that enough? Did they really need to go all out with the popcorn buckets and snacks too? He couldn't help but stress over the smallest details, while Anya seemed to just... go with the flow, like none of it mattered in the same way it did for him.

As she stood at the counter, her eyes sparkling as she picked out her popcorn bucket, he found himself envious of that carefree attitude. He wished he could stop overthinking every moment and just enjoy the day like she did. But for Damian, it wasn't that simple.

"Hey, you've barely said a word," Anya interrupted his spiraling thoughts, her voice cutting through the tension building in his mind.

"Oh... sorry, I just—" he mumbled nervously, not quite sure how to explain himself. His words felt clumsy, like they didn't belong in his mouth.

Before he could figure out what to say, she grabbed his hand, her small fingers giving his a reassuring squeeze. "It's okay! I know you don't normally leave the dorm," she said with a bright smile, her tone light and understanding.

Yeah... maybe that was it. Maybe it was just the tension from not being surrounded by the usual entourage of bodyguards, the layers of protection that made him feel untouchable. Without them, he was exposed, and every step felt uncertain, like he didn't quite belong in the world outside his carefully constructed bubble.

Still, her hand in his was unexpectedly comforting. He glanced down at their intertwined fingers, feeling a flicker of something warm that hadn't been there before. She was always so casual, so unafraid to touch, to laugh, to live in the moment without overanalyzing everything. It made him feel strangely safe in a way he couldn't put into words.

"Thanks," he said, his voice quieter than usual.

"Now let's go watch this movie" she said letting go of his hand