Christopher stopped in his tracks when Calixto grabbed his arm, his heart skipping a beat at the unexpected outburst. Calix’s frantic, unfiltered words poured out in a rush, leaving Chris with a strange, uncomfortable feeling that he couldn’t quite place. He listened, his expression carefully neutral, though his chest felt heavy with the weight of Calixto’s apology.
When Calix finally finished, Chris tilted his head, a wide, sunny grin spreading across his face. “Wow, Cal,” he said, his voice light and teasing. “Didn’t know you had such a flair for the dramatic! You should consider theater—you’d be great at it.”
He pulled his arm free with an easy laugh, stepping back and spinning his water bottle in his hands like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. “I mean, come on, you’re acting like you kicked a puppy or something. It’s not a big deal! Really, I’ve heard way worse. Your little rant was, like, a solid five out of ten on the mean scale. Maybe a six, but only because of the whole ‘kids with no manners’ bit. That was a nice touch.”
Chris winked, his grin widening as if he were trying to outshine the awkward tension between them. “And, if anything, I’m flattered! Clearly, I left enough of an impression on you that you had to go off about me. That’s gotta count for something, right?”
He turned away slightly, his fingers still fiddling with the water bottle cap as he spoke, his voice breezy and carefree. “But seriously, don’t sweat it. I get it. Sometimes you’ve just gotta vent, and I just happened to be the lucky target. No hard feelings. I promise.” His laugh was light, almost too light, and he tilted his head back to take a quick sip of water, hiding the way his throat tightened as he swallowed.
Chris glanced back at Calixto, his smile never faltering, even as his hands gripped the bottle a little too tightly. “Besides, you’re right. I could probably use some work on the whole ‘listening to directions’ thing. I mean, you've only been here a day, and I’ve already managed to tick you off. That’s gotta be some kind of record, right?”
He chuckled, his tone playful, but his chest ached with the effort it took to keep up the act. “Anyway, I think I’ll survive. If anything, this is just motivation to step up my game. Next time you see me pulling weeds, you’ll be amazed. Just you wait.”
Chris gave Calix a playful nudge on the shoulder before starting to walk away. “So, don’t worry about me, okay? I’ll be back to annoying you in no time. You’ll miss this version of me before you know it.” His laugh rang out again, cheerful and warm, but it carried a faint tremor that gave away more than he intended.
As he walked away, his bright, joking demeanor wavered for just a second, his shoulders stiffening as if the weight of Calix’s words had finally settled on them. He bit his lip, forcing the grin to stay fixed on his face even as his chest burned with an pain he couldn’t shake.
In the quiet moments that followed, as the laughter faded, Chris’s thoughts churned beneath the surface, raw and unspoken. But he didn’t let any of it show. Instead, he kept moving, his steps light and casual, as if nothing had happened at all.
Winter 
Night 
Clear Moon: 
