The Revel Heart || Ni-ki

13

The air was cool, a light breeze brushing through the leaves as the sun began to set, casting a golden hue over the city. It was a rare moment of peace between them no tension, no unspoken words hanging in the air. Just the two of them, walking side by side.

Celine had been avoiding talking about them about whatever this was that had started between them. She wasn’t sure why, but it felt like they both needed time. Time to just be. To let things unfold without overthinking every single step. Ni-ki hadn’t brought up the kiss from the other night, either. The silence between them wasn’t awkward it was comfortable, like a shared understanding that they didn’t need to rush anything.

They were in no hurry, and for once, that felt right.

“So,” Celine said, breaking the silence as they strolled down a quiet street, “I guess we’ve been avoiding this conversation for a while now.”

Ni-ki turned to her with a small, curious smile. “What conversation?”

Celine shot him a look. “You know, the one where we talk about us.”

His brow furrowed in mild surprise, and for a brief second, he felt that familiar wave of hesitation. Talking about feelings wasn’t something he did easily. But seeing the way she was looking at him, the way her lips curved into a soft smile, made the idea of it not feel so daunting.

“We’ve talked about a lot of things,” he said, his tone teasing, “But I guess we haven’t really talked about what this is.”

Celine paused, glancing down at the ground as her hand slid into her pocket. “Yeah, I guess we haven’t. But we’re here now, so… Why not?”

Ni-ki stopped walking and turned to face her. There was a certain warmth in his eyes that hadn’t been there before, like something inside him had softened in her presence. “So, what do you want to talk about?” he asked.

She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, as if she were gathering the right words. “I don’t know. I just—” She looked up at him, her expression serious but gentle. “I’ve been thinking about how things have changed between us.”

He stepped closer, the distance between them shrinking until they were standing nearly shoulder to shoulder. “Yeah? How?”

Celine swallowed, feeling a little nervous. But the truth was, she wanted to be honest with him. She wanted him to know how she was feeling, even if she wasn’t fully sure herself.

“I mean, I don’t know when it happened,” she started, her voice low and steady, “But I’ve started to really like being with you. More than I thought I would.”

Ni-ki’s breath caught in his throat. He hadn’t expected her to say it so directly. For a moment, all he could do was stare at her, his thoughts swirling.

“Yeah?” he finally managed, his voice a bit softer than usual. His heart was pounding in his chest.

“Yeah,” she said, nodding, her gaze holding his. “And I don’t know if it’s just me… but I think you feel the same way.”

He stared at her for a second, then glanced away, as if to gather his thoughts. He wanted to say something—something honest, something real—but the words didn’t come easily. He had always been good at keeping his emotions in check, at building walls. But now that they were starting to break down, he wasn’t quite sure how to let her in completely.