The morning sun blazed across the track field, its light bouncing off pale concrete and the sheen of sweat on students' skin. The breeze rustled the tall trees by the fence, scattering a few dried leaves onto the ground. Somewhere, a whistle blew sharp.
Ivan adjusted the hem of his pants as he glanced down at his left knee. The fabric hid the scrape but he could still feel the sting every time his weight shifted. A dull ache, persistent enough to remind him of the fall.
A cluster of classmates lingered nearby, half-tempted to ask if he was okay, half-whispering. But no one approached. They never did. Ivan's silence carried sharp edges, and no one wanted to risk being cut. He exhaled slowly.
How embarrassing. He thought flatly, eyes fixed on the horizon. His expression didn't change, but inside, the sting wasn't just from the wound.
The teacher, approached, voice lowered but visible in tone. Ivan caught the shape of the words easily. "Infirmary?"
"I'm fine." The words came out even, honest. Painful, yes, but not unbearable. He'd survive. After a hesitant pause, the teacher nodded and turned back to bark at the others, letting the matter drop.
Later, in the empty changing room, he tugged his pant leg up. He rolled his pants up just enough to check. The scrape was raw with angry red with streaks of dried blood and tiny bits of grit lodged into the skin. Ugly. He wiped it quickly with tissue, but that only smeared the stain. Satisfied enough that he could still walk, he pulled the fabric back down and left without a sound.
The infirmary door creaked open beneath his hand. He expected the quiet, the sterile smell, the empty bed sheets. Except…when he pushed open the infirmary door, someone was already inside.
Ivan's brows pinched together the moment he spotted the familiar blond figure sitting casually on the edge of a bed. "Where's the nurse?" he asked, voice clipped.
"Absent, I think." Adrian said, rubbing the back of his neck as if he'd just been caught doing something suspicious. Which, knowing him was probably true.
Ivan didn't want to ask why he was here. He didn't care. At least, that's what he told himself.
"Why are you here?" Ivan asked anyway, words flat.
Adrian grinned, quick, unbothered. "Headache." He pressed two fingers to his temple for show, dramatic as always.
Ivan only hummed in acknowledgment and turned to leave. No nurse meant no reason to linger. He'd clean the wound at home later.
But before he could leave, Adrian's voice chased him down. "Wait."
Ivan stopped, faint annoyance flickering across his features. He turned, only to find Adrian blocking the door with his arms stretched wide with broad shoulders, arms crossed and acting sturdier than he actually was and his body planted like a wall.
"What?" Ivan's tone was sharp.
"Why are you here?" Adrian asked, feigning ignorance. His grin was lighter now, masking something else beneath. Too quick and rehearsed.
Ivan narrowed his eyes. "Do I have to tell you?"
"Duh. Of course." Adrian shot back, still in his spot and refusing to budge. "Aren't I your friend?" His last words dipped lower, almost quiet enough to be lost. He wasn't sure if Ivan caught them, but Ivan didn't deny it either. Maybe he hadn't heard it or maybe he just didn't care. Either way, Adrian took the silence as half a victory. His mood lifted, just a fraction.
"Also—" Adrian leaned on the frame, casual but immovable. "I'll keep blocking this path if you keep your mouth shut."
Ivan's jaw tightened. His patience was thinning, but he also couldn't afford to miss another class entirely. A sigh slipped through his teeth. "…Small injury." His voice was low, reluctant. "Now move."
But Adrian didn't. His eyes lit up with something Ivan didn't recognize at first. Concern. Adrian's eyes narrowed. "Where?"
Ivan gave him a look sharp enough to cut, but Adrian pressed on. "Was it from the fall?"
That made Ivan pause. How does he know that? His stomach flipped with suspicion, but before he could protest, Adrian's hand was already circling his wrist, tugging not roughly, but firmly toward a chair.
"Sit."
For reasons Ivan couldn't explain, his body obeyed before his brain caught up. He sank down, eyes flicking up to meet Adrian's expression. He looked focused and serious, so unlike the usual cocky grin.
"Where's the injury?" Adrian asked.
Ivan sighed, long and resigned. "Left knee. But I can handle it myself."
"Yeah, no," Adrian said immediately, snapping the kit open. "I'm not convinced. Don't worry, I've done this a thousand times."
Ivan arched a brow at him, unimpressed. But when Adrian gestured, he rolled up his pants anyway, revealing the scrape in full. The raw flesh, the streaks of dried blood, the angry skin.
Adrian's expression shifted. His usual cocky smirk faltered into something softer, sharper. "Damn," he muttered under his breath, then glanced up. "You know you could've just told the teacher, right? You don't have to keep it to yourself."
Ivan looked away, jaw tight.
But Adrian was already working while dabbing antiseptic with careful hands, movements oddly gentle for someone so loud-mouthed. His touch didn't sting as much as Ivan expected.
"It's normal to get hurt sometimes," Adrian murmured, more to himself than anyone. "But if you let it sit, it'll get infected. And that's worse."
Ivan didn't reply. He watched instead, head tilted slightly. The faintest blush ghosting his neck before he could shove it down.
"There." Adrian leaned back after a while, proud grin spreading across his lips. The scrape was cleaned, neatly patched. "Good as new. Or at least, better."
For a second, their eyes locked. The air stilled between them, just for a moment. Adrian's heart kicked against his ribs, and for once, he didn't have a joke ready to fill the silence.
Ivan stood abruptly, rolling his pant leg down in one smooth motion. "...Thanks." It was barely above a whisper, spoken low enough that maybe Adrian wouldn't hear. He didn't look back as he left the infirmary.
As Ivan walked out, leaving him alone in the infirmary with the half-open medkit, Adrian stared after him, frozen in disbelief. Slowly, a grin spread across his face.
Did he just say 'thanks'? His smile grew wider, almost manic.
Hell yeah! Achievement unlocked. Like a little video game trophy flashing in his head as if Adrian had just earned something rare. One step closer to cracking the loner's cold heart.