Fic Challenge - 098; Soothing [22/100]

Title: Soothing
Characters: SJ member, OC
Rating: G
Wordcount: 989
Summary: A late night walk brings on an unexpected encounter.
A/N: Written partly on my trip, partly during my stay over at my cousin's place. This is the effect of thinking about late night walks in the beginning and soothing, silent companionship at the end.

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He liked walking around at night, when things were dark and there was some kind of anonymity to him. People didn’t tend to look for a celebrity on the streets at 3 in the morning and the ones that did see him kept quiet about it most of the time. He liked that feeling, the calmth, the few stars allowed to be visible with all the street lights on. He loved walking around at night, allowing his mind to wander off to places that had no reality to them.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered to nothing in particular, feeling slightly baffled at the surge of feelings that came with those words. He hardly ever used them. At least not in that order, spoken by him to someone else. He wasn’t one to apologise, more of the forget-about-it-by-the-next-day type. Especially with his closest friends. To outsiders he could apologise more easily, but that never meant as much.

“Not really sure who you’re talking to, but let’s say that you’re forgiven,” a voice suddenly spoke up next to him. He looked up in surprise not having noticed someone coming up to him. A girl was smiling back at him, eyes scanning his face. There was none of the usual adoration or jealousy in her expression, something that felt as a breath of fresh air to him. He sent a careful smile her way.

“Intruding on random strangers’ monologues, are we?” He asked then, turning to look at the peaceful park again. The chuckle she let out at those words was audible enough to notice, however, so he didn’t really have to look at her. He could see from his peripheral view how she calmly fell into step next to him, looking at the park as well.

“You looked like you needed some reassurance. If you mind I can go again, though?” She turned to look at him at that and he hurried to shake his head without looking too desperate for a companion.

“This is a free country last time I checked.” He smiled slightly, turning to her a little more in acknowledgement.

“That it is. Which also gives you the right to want to be left alone.”

“The fact that I am alone doesn’t necessarily mean that I want to be, just that there’s no one available or willing to accompany me. Until you changed that of course.” He smiled softly, slipping his hands into his pockets and relaxing his shoulders a little. The girl smiled as well, nodding slightly as if she agreed with what he had said.

“Want to sit down?” He asked then, motioning at a small park bench on his right. He didn’t wait for an answer as he already walked up to it, however, and even though she seemed slightly hesitant at first, she did follow along, sitting down next to him.

“So what were you apologising for?” She inquired after a moment of silence. “Because you seemed pretty serious about it.” Her eyes wandered towards him and he turned to look at her as well. They exchanged looks, then a smile, until he finally shrugged. There was a certain comfort in her expression that he found very calming. The way she seemed to know without knowing made her a nice change to all those boundless questions.

“Nothing,” he then said, but she waited until he adjusted those words. “I don’t really know.” Another smile was shared that seemed to miraculously appear on his face before they both looked away again.

“For everything you might have done wrong so far,” she suggested and he nodded as well.

“Yes, probably for that.”

Silence fell upon them again and he could almost swear that she was waiting to see whether he wanted to talk or not. For the first time in a long time, however, he didn’t feel the urge to talk and entertain. In fact, it felt more as if he was pushed more in the direction of silence. A silence in which he could think over things but didn’t have to feel alone. It was soothing.

What followed seemed like an eternity of thinking, mere seconds of sitting, but in reality was several hours passing before he realised he should be going home. He looked up to see her dozing off next to him, but she lifted her head immediately the moment he moved. Her expression was rather dazed still when she smiled at him out of a reflex.

“Time to go?” She asked sleepily, and he nodded, although more for her sake. She looked like she needed all the rest she could get. Much like him really. They got up together, inclining their heads as greeting. He wished her a good night, then turned in the direction he had to go. She walked the same way.

“My place is that way,” she replied when she saw his questioning look and his face cleared up in understanding.

“Mine too. I guess we’ll walk together a little longer then.” He set off, walking with his hands in his pockets still. The silence from earlier was there again and he relished in it, letting his thoughts drift off. They didn’t have to walk long before she suddenly stopped, however, and he realised that they had reached her place - or the point where there ways would part.

“I guess this is good night for real then.” he stated, smiling. “I wish you a pleasant night, miss...” For a moment he hesitated, trying to remember her name, until he realised she had never given it. “Oh.. We didn’t even introduce ourselves. My name is...” But he never got time to finish that sentence as she interrupted him.

“I know.” she spoke, looking at him with that reassuring smile. “I’m a fan. Take care of yourself.” And he was left with the warm feeling of a pleasant surprise as she walked away from him, parting ways again without any obligations.