Touched By Fire

you, just... whispers. It spilled through these tall windows-arched lik

? Wow. This is no

. Loud colors, music maybe, something wild. B

tly. Like it remembe

e really-really-big. Walls leaned on by half-finished canvases. Paintings that stared at yo

thing that reminded her of stone or maybe skin after rain. It

h

. walked in from some shadowy corner

essy, in that good way. Faded shirt

m last night. That kind of

Same voice. Deep. Warm. A bit to

it. "It's... amazing, Le

times too alive. This place is every

storm of blue and purple and slashes of

don't know what it is. Bu

her. Close, but

orm happens. When everything's still wild. Unname

ded. Th

ame to life. I wasn't trying t

gain. Like last night never e

d to create. Leo told her how he paints in layers-not just color, but th

sculpting. How she fights the clay before it fina

e said, watching her, voice lower now. "Yo

" she replied, without thinking.

That's poetic. Probably mor

Not awkward. More

ked it up. He added a stroke to a canvas nearby-quick, b

hed. Did

glint in his e

me what's haunt

corner, pulled the cover from a half-formed p

last week. Still

s something sacred. His g

an-it's not. But it feels like it is.

of what emotions are, aren't the

d at the piece again. Hand h

," he said finally. "You're s

le

ood s

ned back to

er than you

That hit so

dn't

aybe just... letting it speak. The sculpture. Not in a mystical wa

t like it wasn't meant

to impress. You're

th

it dif

t because... yeah. That was it. She just never had the

barrassed a bit, which was weird, because she usually w

at the sculpture. "Maybe you don'

nplanned. "You sound

led. "

rd kind. The kind that feels... earn

plan to. Just... sat. On this old

n a warm way. Like a blanke

he table. Casual. Calm. But eye

thought just popped in, "if art's not just so

ed. Okay,

g. "What do

ping it. Maybe it's shaping us

fast. Not sure.

lly makes s

f laugh you only let out when

irst time in

n't fee

just like that, mid-con

d stuff. The messy middle. The sweat and self-doubt

of stunned. That wasn't

nvit

casual. Like it wasn't gonna fl

here. Sometimes. Use this

le

rt-stoppi

nd he was offering a piece o

. Nothing came o

ike that.

sm

. confused. "Good," he said. "We'll clear that corner. It

't move

e didn't want

ing that feels... like step

rs-felt like it already knew

nsane. But

xactly, but they didn't feel solid either. Like

sideways at him. "I'm kinda... over

augh at her

Like, yeah.

. "This isn't just a stu

ot directly. That wo

-barely abov

ve been... invite

bli

h. That's

... warm silence. Soft. Breat

the next part. It jus

s. Just a few things. Didn

ed-tilte

ng chaos, too. This

l kind of laugh that pushes o

ith a lot

d, still smiling. "

e near the middle. Not too cl

rsation anymore. More like.

her about

d him ab

st piece they ever made t

y never sho

under the bed. In a box

d to sit in silence and just listen to her scul

only one. And how he never really forgave

middle of

thing she was

g light,

inked.

ust looked at her like

that

eliev

Not yet. But the

tly. Like a thi

was enoug

anything. No

er di

. Breathing. Letting it

it wasn't

Like a door cracked open and suddenly

loud, just...

e said finally. No

eyes soft. "

at was

r

awkward kind. The kind that's warm.

e wine-stained glasses. A sculptu

culpture - and half-laug

n eyebrow. "

she said, then grinned. "Or... s

t her in that Leo way - like s

, but toward the floor. Finger

id, voice low. "You don't know they ma

that. Not touchin

everything around them - the air,

morning?

. quieter. Like the studio i

ffee. He was alread

him, their hands brushed, and

know

ten with invisible ink - soft, charged, wai

by side. Not ever

s she wa

s he was

ead between

en it t

about the kiss ag

t was

e pulled a c

eft the stud

he played loud

the absurdity of it all. Of trying to create bea

ook at her like she was the

d leave early - heart t

t was

er thi

Expanding

- artists to the

don't need

t need t

ts, she s

o. Just... fo

d be across the room, brush in hand, music low - somethin

ng was being

e skylights - she was finishing a wire frame,

idn't speak. Just

alw

look

" she

his head.

w. You look like a poem so

ut then she st

en say to some

nds on her jeans and whis

d. "You'r

aid things like that. Bold. Simple.

nerve

ay. In a da

et what life felt like befor

between them be

el it. That wou

de it small

leave sketches on

cu

had

the shape of it, mid-g

r mentio

pt every s

d

colors he hadn't

ird, luminous green he

s on thre

noti

se she

ere was a weigh

ither of them

if naming i

nste

nced ar

Side g

plaster off

a second too long on

ng with her headphones in. Did

ood there.

iced, she jumped - p

eo. You s

t he didn't look sor

ng okay?"

esit

nod

was heavy - the kind tha

idn't

er. Close enough for

at was

and lingered on hers. Like maybe he was saying something wit

at for ten whole minutes,

ot smiling. J

of

it wasn't just

just the art mayb

en. One of those things

sic you didn't realize wa

silence betwe

't the awkw

as f

in a g

ds neither of them

g-hands deep in clay, elbows a

g. Just...

as seeing more than

than she

aught herself... wa

avel-so

A murmur

er more than

s the rain, like a soundtrack

a. And music. And.

to

where, like he'd b

Whatever you're buildin

pa

t mea

sel just fr

came out softe

se it'

peak. Just

t... near enough

his?" she asked-more to

ha

urselves

ok a

bout to answe

he s

attere

up, wiping her arms,

d her and said,

that open. It's... it'

him, but her t

e managed

n bed, she co

lt wrong. Her

ink about was the sp

d her corner of the st

e l

tra s

aped to the edg

ing on the

smile. No

uched the

inside h

king on the

t shaking. J

t cold. Just-

g not...

it the stone

pa

at th

oday. He said that. Not

was already

om felt...

thing soft. Piano, lo

nd of

ated on h

f

rned i

too. Sat in the shadow

h

do

cam

a

eirdl

t caught u

. Thin. "I

wasn

arther th

rking. No

orked

nd

in? Scr

hap

ng wa

methin

distance

th

gib

want to b

ant to s

u

o something

ed up.

Not at all. Just...

hat w

dn't a

ething

ed a

you don't notice u

hatt

xt few

king. Le

tr

umb st

ork. His brushstr

smi

ft

t him. Not t

she asked abo

ust

working

ven look

h

t h

say anythin

ayed the same

the

av

d like it was echoing

il

ept c

e was sti

she

e

was just

e was part o

pulling them in oppos

may

t was pe

do you a

ey, are we... are

ding like yo

idn't

just sc

stone would

t sleep t

a little. Bu

thi

t soft. Just... distracted. Like she w

she ne

t was the

told herself t

He gets like tha

een it

st

lt like he was pulling aw

dio early. Earlier

like a p

just de

der than usual. She wa

cracked a litt

dn't f

came

hel

t a

.. si

occupying the sam

ch

e finally as

adn't noticed her the

est ti

k

o work