Adrian looked unconvinced. "Let me see." Without waiting for her reply, he gently placed a hand on her arm to stop her from walking further. His touch was firm but not forceful, his gaze focused as he inspected her ankle. The brief moment of physical contact made Mira's pulse pick up, but she quickly brushed the thought aside. She'd never really been one to make a big deal of things, but this was Adrian... and he was being unusually considerate.
Mira gave a small shrug, her hand lightly resting on her sprained ankle. "I'll be fine. I can just go to the campus clinic later. It's not that bad, right?"
Adrian frowned slightly, glancing down at her ankle. "The clinic doesn't open until 10 AM. It'll be too late by then. Sprains need to cool down within the first 30 minutes. If you wait too long, it'll just make it worse."
Before Mira could protest, Adrian stood up. "Stay in the lounge for a bit. I'll go grab the first aid kit."
Mira waited in the lounge, her thoughts still lingering on the morning's events. The air was crisp, filled with the scent of dew-covered grass that had just been cut, and the cool breeze from the window carried the fresh, earthy smell of the autumn morning. The sun had barely risen, casting smoky beams of light through the trees, and the world seemed still, as if the day itself was still waking up.
She rested her hands on her knees, glancing out the window where the last remnants of fog slowly lifted off the ground, revealing the lush, green landscape. It was peaceful, almost soothing, a quiet contrast to the chaos of running from the bees earlier.
Adrian returned with the first aid kit in hand, his movements still calm and precise as he kneeled in front of Mira. She watched, slightly surprised, as he set the kit down beside her, his focus unwavering. Without a word, he gently lifted her injured ankle, inspecting it with careful eyes, and placed the cold pack on her sprained ankle. Mira could feel the cool sensation seep through, soothing the ache almost immediately.
"Okay," he said after a moment, "it's not too bad, but you'll need to take care of it now before it gets worse."
Mira nodded, trying to hide the way her heart raced just a little from his attention, and the fact that she was uncomfortably aware of how close he was. Adrian was always so cool, detached, and she had never really imagined him caring this much about something so trivial as her sprained ankle. Yet here he was, treating it with quiet efficiency.
Adrian worked quickly, securing the bandage around her ankle to hold the cold pack in place. His face remained neutral, but there was a quiet intensity in the way he concentrated on making sure the bandage was snug but not too tight.
"There," he said, finally pulling back and looking up at her. "You'll be fine. Just keep off it for a bit."
Mira blinked, still processing the unexpected kindness. "Thanks," she said softly.
Adrian nodded, standing up and gathering the first aid kit. "No need to thank me. Just don't run into any more bee hives," he added, his tone dry, but there was the faintest trace of amusement in his voice.
Mira couldn't help but laugh a little. "I'll try to avoid them from now on."
For the first time in all the time she'd known him, Adrian's calm, cool demeanor seemed to soften just a bit, as if he had let his guard down, even if only for a moment. And as she watched him stand, ready to leave, she realized that the brief interaction had revealed something new—something more human—about Adrian. Something she hadn't quite expected to see, but somehow, it felt… good.
As Adrian turned to leave, he paused at the door. "Rest up. Let me know if it starts hurting again."
Mira sat there, watching him go, her ankle feeling better and her thoughts a little more stirred than before. It was funny how a small injury and a few bees could change how she saw someone.