He loved me first

“Soft Steps & Unspoken Things”

Late night, soft lights, a quiet breeze

Zara: (nervously tucking a strand of hair) "Aarav… you didn’t have to say all that… I don’t know if I’m ready to feel again."

Aarav: (softly, stepping closer) "You don’t have to be ready tonight, Zaara. I just needed you to know. I’m not asking for anything... not yet."

Zara: (looking down) "I’m scared. What if I break again?"

Aarav: (gently lifting her chin) "Then I’ll sit beside you and help you pick up every piece. Even if it takes forever. I’m not going anywhere."

Zara’s POV

He doesn’t get it. I don’t need sweet promises—I need peace. I’ve barely stitched myself back together, and now he’s talking about forever? I can’t let this turn into more. I just want him to stay… as a friend. That’s all my heart can handle right now.

Aarav’s POV

She’s scared, but she’s still here. Still talking. Still looking at me like I’m the calm in her chaos. Maybe that’s all I need tonight—just her not walking away.

The night is quiet, their footsteps echo as they walk side by side. Aarav’s hands are tucked in his hoodie, stealing soft glances at Zara every few steps.

Aarav: (lightly teasing) “Still not gonna tell me your favorite color?”

Zara: (barely looking at him) “It’s black.”

Aarav: (raising an eyebrow) “Black? That’s... intense.”

Zara: (calmly) “It’s honest.”

Aarav: (smiling a little) “Yeah… kinda like you. Looks cold, feels safe.”

Zara: (quietly) “It hides everything.”

Aarav: (his voice gentle) “You don’t have to hide from me.”

Zara: (stopping in her tracks, then softly) “Don’t make promises you don’t understand, Aarav.”

Aarav: (earnest, stepping closer) “I don’t promise easy things, Zara. But I’ll walk with you—even through the dark.”

Zara: (breaking eye contact, half-smiling) “You’re too poetic for your own good.”

Zara: (hugging her arms close, glancing at the ground) “It’s strange… how quiet the world feels at night.”

Aarav: (glancing at her) “Sometimes silence says everything.”

Zara: (half-smiles) “Like what?”

Aarav: (softly) “Like... stay.”

Zara: (goes quiet for a moment, heart skipping, then forcing a small laugh) “You always say weird things at the weirdest times.”

Aarav: (shrugging, gentle smile) “Maybe I just say the right things when no one else does.”

They keep walking. The silence is warm, but there’s a wall. One she built. One he’s willing to climb, slowly.

Zara’s POV

Why does he always speak like that? So gentle. So steady. Like he sees right through the chaos in me and still doesn’t flinch. It scares me—the way he looks at me like I’m worth saving. Like I haven’t ruined everything I’ve ever touched. He doesn’t get it. People like me… we don’t survive soft love. We’re used to bleeding for it.

But still… his words stay. Echoing long after they’ve been said.

Aarav’s POV

She pulls away even when she’s standing right next to me. Every word she says is wrapped in fear, but I can still hear her heart trying to trust again. I don’t blame her. Hell, if I were her, I’d run from me too.

But I’m not giving up. Not on her. Not when I’ve finally found something that feels like home in the way she walks, talks, and hides her pain behind small smiles.

One step at a time, Zara. I’ll be right here.

As they reach the corner of her street, the soft glow of the streetlight wraps around them like a secret.

Zara: (slowing her steps) “This is me…”

Aarav: (voice low) “already?”

Zara: (hesitating, then softly) yeah, “Thanks… for walking with me.”

Aarav: (half-smiling) “Always.”

Zara: (starting to turn, then pausing without looking at him) “Goodnight, Aarav.”

Aarav: (his voice almost a whisper) “Goodnight, Zara.”

She walks away, each step slower than the last. Aarav stands there, hands still in his hoodie, watching until her silhouette disappears into the quiet.

Zara’s POV

I didn’t look back. Not because I didn’t want to… but because if I did, I’d stay. And I can’t afford that kind of breaking again. Not now. Not with him.

“Sometimes, the people who make you feel safest… are the ones you’re most afraid to let in.”