The cool night air immediately enveloped them as the stepped out of the party venue.
Aurora took a deep breath, feeling the tension around her shoulders gradually ease.
She had been quite hesitant to leave with a complete stranger she knew nothing of, well except his name.
But there was something about him. Something she couldn't quite place her hands on yet that simply drew her in.
As they walked side by side, the city lights twinkling around them, Aurora felt a sense of security. One she hadn't experienced in a long time.
They strolled in comfortable silence, the sound of bustling city behind them
Halfway through, with a low, soothing voice, he asked "so, what do you do, Rora"
Staring down at her he asked, "I can call you Rora right? I mean, no pressure if you not okay with it"
" We're making nicknames already?" She laughed.
"Wait, you don't like it?"
" No actually, Rora does sound nice so you sure can call me Rora"
" I mean it's not as bad as some others some tried to give me, so..."
" Wait give me a top one people usually give you"
"Aura."
" Aura?" He laughed.
"Yeah, 'Aura!', her voice cracking as they both burst into a laugh.
" I mean actually come to think of it, Aura doesn't seem so bad," he said, as if to console her.
"Mm, you sure about that?" She raised a skeptical eyebrow, a smile playing on her lips.
Tilting his head, another laugh escaped his lips.
The easy chemistry between them triggered yet another round of shared giggles.
"Anyways," Aurora continued, "I'm an architect. What about you?"
"Ice skater," Felix replied. His eyes crinkled warmly in the dim light of the streetlamps.
"Goodness gracious, that sounds amazing!" Her face instantly lit up with genuine excitement.
"No but like seriously an ice skater? Woah"
"Yeah well, it definitely has its moments," Felix chuckled, his gaze drifting up toward the night sky.
But then, his smile faltered. The light in his eyes dimmed, and he looked down at the pavement, as if to keep his emotions in check.
In a matter of seconds, his bright smile was back, masking the slip perfectly as he looked back at her.
"Yeah. So, dear Miss Architect, tell me more about you."
Aurora caught the brief flash of sadness, but she chose to say nothing. Instead, she let the heavy moment pass, falling right back into their endless chatter.
...
As they turned a corner, Aurora stumbled, her heel catching on a loose paving stone. And she lost her balance.
But right before she could hit the ground, Felix caught her hand, his grip firm. Then she swayed with the passing air into his arms.
Wrapped in his embrace, she could feel the heat radiating from his body and her cheeks immediately turned red.
Realizing just how intimate the position they were in was, she pulled away, clearing her throat.
"Urh, sorry," she muttered.
Looking at her flustered face, he let out a laugh, his heart also racing.
"Hey you, who do you think you're laughing at," she jokingly said, glaring at him.
"Lord save me," he said with arms stretched upward to the sky "she's about to kill me with her eyes!" he pretended to be in despair.
And they once again broke into another fit of laughter.
With that, they continued their walk.
...