Trinkets

twenty-one

˗ˏˋ sparkling eyes and dwindling fears 'ˎ˗

➷

The day has barely started and Mahika feels tired already.

The backs of her eyelids feel like someone has set them on fire as she searches through the body of students in the hallway for one person in particular, her already tired limbs growing more weary the further she navigates her way through the sea of people.

She hadn't even taken the time to properly dress herself for college today—which is a first for her—but she doesn't regret it one bit. The plain cotton shirt and a pair of washed-out jeans that she had thrown on in a hurry feel light and airy on her skin; a little bit of mercy on her body from the drastic rise in temperature this morning.

Since everything is ticking her off today anyway, she didn't need to add itchy, uncomfortable clothes to the mix.

And there's only one thing that had gotten her out of bed today anyway.

Meeting Dhruv.

She's missed him terribly; all the way from his witty jokes to his silly remarks. It's been too long since she's seen her best friend in person, and she craves his presence like dried soil craves the first drizzle of rain. She longs for the ease that comes with his presence. The comfort of his warmth. The more she thinks about him, the more restless, the more impatient she grows. Because she knows that the second he's beside her, the ache in her chest and the discomfort rising in her belly would both dissolve into nothing.

So when she sees a mop of dark, curly hair just outside the cafeteria that she's all too familiar with, she wastes no time before she's hurrying over in the person's direction.

Dhruv turns around just in time to have her barreling straight into his arms, letting out a low, surprised oof at the force with which Mahika tackles him into a hug. It's not long before he's letting out a chuckle, though, still sounding a little winded, and Mahika doesn't even care that there are probably a hundred stares fixated on them right now.

It doesn't bother her. Not anymore.

Because if the world around them wants to believe that physical affection is synonymous to romantic love, that's not her problem.

"I missed you," she breathes against his shoulder, and allows herself to feel smaller than she is when he wraps her in an embrace and pats her back.

"I missed you, too," he replies, just as softly, and then holds her at arm's length to look at her face. "Everything okay?"

She nods quickly. "It is now."

He smiles at her, warm as ever, and holds his hand out for her to hold. "Let's go meet everyone else before classes start?"

Nodding again, she clutches at his arm like it's the root to her stability. She's never appreciated his thoughtful nature more than she does right now, because Dhruv never asks questions unless he's absolutely sure that she wants him to. He gives her everything she would need, without hesitance and interrogations.