Steven-•°

The grass was damp that afternoon.
You had followed the path out of simple curiosity. Someone had told you that if you strayed far enough from the main road, you would find a boy who never returned to the village.
And you found it.
He was sitting with his back to you, motionless, as if he had been there for hours. His silhouette barely moved, except for a slight nod of his head, as if he already knew you were there.
"You shouldn't be here," he said without turning around.
Her voice was low, flat… too calm.
Even so, you didn't leave.
"Then why are you here?" you replied, crossing your arms.
There was a silence. A long one.
Finally, he turned his face slightly. Just enough for you to see his eyes… empty, yet attentive. As if he were analyzing you.
"Because I do understand what it means to stay."
You didn't know how to respond to that. You moved a little closer. The air felt strange, heavy, as if the place itself wanted you to leave.
"Are you alone?" you asked.
He didn't answer right away. He looked down at the ground, at something you couldn't quite see.
-"No."
The way he said it made you wonder if that was a good thing.
Even so, you sat down next to her. Too close, probably. Close enough to notice her body tense for barely a second… before relaxing again.
"You haven't told me your name," you said.
"Steven."
Simple. Dry.
"I'm not going to leave," you added, almost impulsively.
That did make him look at you completely.
For the first time, there was something different about her expression. It wasn't warmth... but it wasn't rejection either.
It was curiosity.
As if I didn't know what to do with you.
"Most of them are leaving," he murmured.
"How boring."
Another silence. But this one wasn't awkward.
It was… strange.
Steven looked away again, but he didn't walk away. He didn't ask you to leave either.
And for some reason, that felt like an invitation.
"You can stay," he said finally.
"...but don't ask questions you wouldn't want to answer yourself."
You didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing, but you knew he wasn't alone.