The intense heat that had flared between them gradually subsided, leaving behind a gentle warmth. Not gone, just softened into a quiet intimacy that settled over this small vinyl shop. Jean sat curled on the sofa, her legs tucked beneath her, limbs heavy with a strange contentment. The collar of her shirt had slipped off one shoulder, revealing the smooth line of skin down to her collarbone, but she made no move to adjust it.

Levi lounged at the opposite end of the sofa, his back propped against the armrest, one leg stretched out, the other bent casually at the knee. Quietly watching her as the weight of the hour, the significance of what had just transpired, began to settle between them.

"You still not feeling up for a proper chat?" he asked, his voice low and soothing, breaking the comfortable silence.

Jean glanced his way, considering him for a moment.

“Are you open to listening... without giving me the side-eye?”

Levi let out a soft laugh, a sound that was both amused and reassuring, and leaned forward, reaching for a crumpled pair of trousers discarded on the floor. From the pocket, he pulled out a slightly bent cigarette, the paper creased but intact.

"Jean, love," he said, placing it between his lips with a wry smile, "I'm involved with someone I shouldn't be. Trust me, my lips are sealed. I'm hardly one to cast stones."

Jean smirked faintly, her eyes flicking to him with appreciation for his honesty. 

“Fair enough.”

She shifted slightly, tucking herself more comfortably into the corner of the sofa. Her voice softened.

"Right then… There's this lad from another school who's properly keen on me. Not shy about it either. Keeps trying, and it’s… oddly flattering.”

Levi struck the lighter with a soft flick. The flame briefly lit up his face. Messy blonde hair, a silver earring catching the light, eyes that were sharper than they let on.

“I don’t see the harm in a bit of admiration,” he said, inhaling.

“Go on.”

Jean glanced at him, her expression slightly uncertain now, as if she was unsure whether she was overcomplicating a simple situation.

"Well, it's been causing a bit of aggro between me and the other captain at my school—Julian. Renee reckons he's got a bit of a thing for me. Now it's all awkward, and I don't know how to act normal in front of the team. Everyone's watching, assuming stuff about me and Julian."

Levi took another drag, exhaling slowly, the smoke curling upward like a thought taking its shape.

“Is Julian’s disdain for this lad obvious?”

Jean nodded, her brows knitting together in a slight frown.

"Yes! He's made a few cutting remarks."

“Then my sister’s right,” he said plainly. “Julian fancies you.”

Jean blinked, her expression shifting but not quite shock, but a kind of internal reckoning. She dropped her gaze.

“Is that... bad?”

Levi’s eyes softened. He tilted his head slightly, reading her like an open book.

“Only if it complicates things for you. Is that what’s making this messy? You care about him?”

"I do," she admitted, her voice quiet and sincere. "He's a great captain. And… he's been a good mate. I look up to him."

Levi nodded slowly.

“Then carry on as you always have. If you’re interested in this other bloke, go at your own pace. Julian’s feelings—if they’re real—will either pass or settle. And if they don’t... Well, that’s for him to sort, not you.”

There was something in the way he said it. 

No judgement, no pressure. Just clarity.

“That’s... a thoughtful way to put it. Perhaps you’re right.”

Her gaze drifted to the cigarette in his hand, then back to his face. A spark of mischief danced in her eyes, silent and unmistakable.

She tilted her head slightly, the gesture so subtle. That it didn’t need words.

Levi arched a brow, half amused.

“Seriously?”

Jean grinned, a little wicked, a little bold.

He smirked in return, reached for his jacket hanging over the back of a chair, and fished out another cigarette. He offered it to her without a word. Then he leaned in, their knees brushing, the air between them humming again.

Quieter now, but charged all the same.

He leaned closer as he struck the lighter again, the soft click and flare of flame the only sound between them. The flame cast a golden halo across their faces as she leaned in, accepting the light.

They sat in silence, smoking in tandem, the haze curling between them like a thread of truce or maybe a secret they both silently agreed not to define.

There was no need to speak. Not yet. 

The moment said plenty.

And for now, that was all either of them needed.