The street was quiet, bathed in the soft glow of the streetlights. Ice walked beside Bern, her hands slightly clenched in the pockets of her coat. She cast quick glances around, hesitant, but each step brought her a little closer to the feeling that she wasn't alone… and that she could breathe.
"So…" Bern said after a moment, "I guess you didn't expect to see me here, huh?"
Ice gave a small, slightly blushing smile.
"No… not at all. You didn't either, I guess."
"Exactly," he said, laughing softly. "I just… wanted to see how you were after last night. And then I thought… why not take a little walk?"
Ice raised an eyebrow.
"A walk… to judge me?"
"Absolutely not!" Bern replied, raising his hands with a mock-innocent expression. "No, not at all. Just… to get to know you."
Ice blinked, surprised by his honesty. She should have found it a bit strange, but… there was something in his voice that made her feel at ease.
"Get to know me… what does that mean?" she asked, a playful smile on her lips.
Bern shrugged, but his smile remained warm.
"It could mean anything and nothing. Knowing what you like to eat, what movie makes you cry, whether you laugh easily or hide your laughter…"
Ice let out a small laugh, shaking her head.
"Well… you're off to a good start."
They walked side by side, and a comfortable silence settled in. It wasn't heavy, but filled with mutual curiosity. Ice observed Bern: he seemed simple, but there was something in his eyes that betrayed genuine attention.
"Have you lived here long?" he asked, gently breaking the silence.
"Not really… I just moved a few months ago, but I used to live in a neighboring city. And you?"
"Forever," he replied with a smile. "But that doesn't mean I know all the cool spots in town. By the way… do you have any secret spots?"
Ice thought for a moment.
"Secret spots… maybe one or two cafés where no one goes, or little alleys I go to when I want to be alone."
"Sounds perfect," Bern said with a smile. "Solitude… but with style."
Ice laughed genuinely this time.
"With style, huh? You exaggerate a little."
"Never," he said seriously… or almost.
They continued walking, their footsteps echoing on the sidewalk. Ice felt herself relaxing. She discovered that Bern loved the small, simple things: decorated shop windows, rain-dampened leaves, the smell of warm coffee drifting through the air. And he seemed to notice every detail about her: the way she frowned when thinking, the glimmer in her eyes when she smiled, even timidly.
"So… why did you want to talk to me?" she asked after a while.
Bern shrugged, but his smile became a little more serious.
"I don't know… instinct. Maybe because you seemed different from everyone else I meet. And… because I like surprises."
Ice felt her heart warm slightly.
"Different? Really?"
"Really," he replied simply. "And you know what? I like discovering people like that, without knowing everything about them from the start."
Ice shrugged, amused and intrigued.
"Well, you're starting strong. And I… I'm discovering that you're patient. And not too weird. That's a good start."
Bern laughed softly, and they kept walking. The conversation became more fluid, more spontaneous. They talked about music, movies, quirky little habits everyone has, the way they sometimes get lost in their thoughts. Each answer brought a new surprise. Ice discovered a side of Bern she would never have imagined: thoughtful, attentive, but also funny, capable of making her smile without any pressure.
"You know," he said after a while, "I'm glad I found you. Even though I didn't know how…"
Ice looked at him, surprised by his sincerity.
"Me too," she murmured. "And… I don't know why, but I feel… less alone."
Bern smiled softly.
"Then we keep walking. Just like this."
And they walked on, side by side, discovering each other little by little, with no secrets, no complicated past, just two strangers finding each other at the right moment, in the right place. For the first time in a long time, Ice felt she could be herself, fully, with someone who wanted to know her for who she truly was.
They walked slowly, side by side. The city's noise seemed to fade, replaced by the wind's whisper and the soft clatter of Ice's heels on the sidewalk.
After a pause, Ice broke the silence, almost timidly.
"I… I wanted to talk about the other night."
Bern glanced at her, attentive but relaxed.
"Oh… you mean… what happened…?"
Ice nodded, a little embarrassed. Her cheeks tinged pink.
"Yes… I… I mean… I think it was… a mistake."
Bern raised his eyebrows slightly, but his smile remained gentle.
"A mistake? You think so?"
"Yes," she murmured. "It was… I think I was a little… under the influence of… well, it was the day I found out… that my boyfriend had cheated on me. I… kind of used the situation… it was wrong."
Bern stayed silent for a moment, walking calmly. Then he spoke softly:
"Ice… you don't have to feel guilty. It was… us. It wasn't just you. And it doesn't erase what we are now."
Ice looked away, a shy smile on her lips.
"Easy for you to say…"
"Easy?" he murmured, laughing lightly. "Maybe not… but I think it's the truth."
She sighed and nodded, slightly relieved. An invisible tension loosened between them. They walked slowly, speaking more freely now, words coming easier.
"So… what do you do for a living?" Ice asked, curious to steer the conversation toward something simple.
"I'm a firefighter," he replied, shrugging, as if it were obvious.
Ice blinked, surprised.
"A firefighter? I… I didn't expect that. Ah, that's why you said you came to drop off someone injured."
"Exactly. What did you think… a spy? Or a yoga teacher?"
"Uh… neither," she murmured, blushing slightly.
Bern laughed softly.
"No, I'm kidding. But yes, I save lives. A lot of stress, a bit of adrenaline… and sometimes, boredom between calls."
Ice smiled. She felt curiously fascinated by his honesty.
"And you… you save lives too, but… in a different way."
Bern shrugged.
"Yes, I suppose. We're both trying to make the world… a little safer."
Their conversation naturally drifted to their daily routines and experiences. Ice recounted a striking emergency at the hospital, and Bern shared a memory of a fire where he had to improvise to save a child.
At one point, Bern looked at her with a half-smile.
"And you… you never told me why you were so… daring the other night."
Ice felt her heart race, blushing almost violently.
"I… I don't know… it was… impulsive. And… stupid."
"Impulsive and stupid… or spontaneous and interesting?" he asked, teasingly.
She blushed even more, unable to answer, but the smile she gave him betrayed that she enjoyed the teasing.
They walked like that, talking about everything and nothing, discovering each other's personal and professional sides. Gradually, their mutual curiosity transformed into something deeper: a mixture of respect, attraction, and a desire to understand each other.
Bern stopped for a moment, looking at her seriously.
"Ice… I want to know who you really are. Not just what happened one night, not just what we see in emergencies… you."
Ice felt a strange warmth run through her. She took a deep breath.
"Me too… I want to know who you are."
And as they resumed their walk, the world around them seemed to shrink to this very moment: two people, curious, attentive, beginning to truly know each other.