Pav

The brush crunched underfoot as we made our way through the dense forest. Glancing back, I watched her nimble form picking a weary path through the undergrowth.

From the moment our roads had crossed, there was an electricity between us, and not entirely of my doing. Her sharp wit and sharper tongue kept me constantly on my toes. Yet for all her biting words, there was a vulnerability about her I found myself curiously drawn to protecting.

Even now, exhaustion weighed her steps, though she'd never admit to weakness. With a sigh, I slowed to match her pace. "We'll make camp soon. Lean on me if you tire."

"I don't need your pity," she snapped, though her pride could not hide the relief in her eyes as she reluctantly accepted my arm. Her touch sent sparks through my skin, unwelcome and undeniable.

This dance we did was maddening - one moment a clash of wills, the next a fragile truce I longed to see blossom into more. But those walls were high, and scaling them would take patience. For now, it was enough just to feel her warmth against my side, and hope in time she might learn to trust this heart, however bruised, that wanted only to care for her.