「𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏 𝑺𝒖𝒏」

「 𝟏 」

"Did you say something?" Shooting your head towards him, you gave him a nervous smile.

"Not really, no. But now that you're asking, I do have something to say..to ask, actually." He said calmly.

"Ask away."

Taking a deep breath, your friend shook his head. "Y/N, what's wrong?" With a more serious tone. He squeezed your hand a bit at the last sentence. You could tell that Jiangxi was seriously concerned about you.

Well, you definitely didn't expect that.

"What's wrong?" you repeated, your voice filled with hesitation.

"I don't know, you tell me. Something is obviously troubling you...Is it about your possible encounter with Barbatos?  Are you that scared you'd cross paths again?" He replied.

You shook your head as a no, a faint chuckle escaping your lips. "Please, stop it. I could never be nervous around him...he's one of my most trusted friends, you know that. If someone should be scared it'd be you~"

Right, but that still didn't explain your strange behavior.

This was a serious matter but you didn't really know where to start. "Hmmm...I do feel like I'm missing something." That sarcastic tone of yours was always so easy to read.

"You're such a pain, you know?" He deadpanned, letting go of your hand. He took out your pack of coffin nails almost too quickly and opened it for you in the process. "There you go."

"What would I do without you~" You wink at him.

You mouthed a quick thank you before fishing out that so long awaited cigarette of yours. "Anything else I can do for you, my lady?" The god teased you with an ironic tone.

A genuine grin appeared on your lips. You held a finger to your face, pondering.

"Actually, there is something you could do for me. Why don't you be a doll and light me this cig for me, yeah? I'll tell you what I've been thinking about this in a second.."

You stood up from your chair to stretch which gave Jiangxi the time to light your cigarette. A mini pyro flame gushed at the top of his finger as he brought the gasper closer to it. Once the dart was lit, he took a rapid drag before handing it to you. You plopped back onto your chair. After crossing your legs, you let out a yawn. "Much better."

There was a sudden change of atmosphere, silence had followed and the only thing audible was the sound of your smoking smoldering the cigarette, exhaling ever so elegantly.

Watching you smoke was always quite the pleasant sight. It felt like an intimate performance of sorts. Some might not like the scent and/or taste of tobacco but no one could deny that this unhealthy activity of yours did suit you perfectly.

You weren't smiling anymore but rather wearing that signature smirk of yours making it impossible to read through you.

Jiangxi was waiting patiently for you to share with him whatever it was that had you acting this weird lately. It took a few more moments and out if nowhere you started with a question.

"You've never been one to gaze at the stars, have you?" Your question took him a bit of guard. He thought that you had been around each other long enough, so where did that come from?