❥︙park

The cool breeze in the autumn air nipped at Ten's cheeks as he wandered through the park, his hands buried deep in the pocket of his big coat. Besides the crunch of fallen leaves beneath his boots, there was nothing else to quiet down this night. A delicate breeze wound its way through the trees, fluttering golden leaves like slow confetti, before catching briefly in his dark hair, before drifting away.

Save for the occasional distant murmur of passing voices or the scurrying of small animals, the park was pretty empty. Scattered along the winding path, the lampposts flickered on weakly, casting long, soft shadows, warm in their glow shimmering upon dew-slicked grass.

The quiet wrapped around him like a blanket as Ten slowed his pace, and with a calmness from the storm that so often raged within him, the demands of photo shoots, deadlines, and social obligations forgotten. He liked the solitude of it all, the way the world felt softer under the moonlight, less complicated.

He stopped at a small bench, tucked under a tree whose branches seemed to cling desperately to the last few obstinate leaves. Ten sank onto it, making the wood creak softly under him. Throwing his head back, he watched his breath form soft clouds in the chill of the air and smiled slightly to himself. Autumn was the season he loved-most transient, beautiful, and melancholy in just that right amount.

From his pocket, he drew his phone out, the screen illuminating his pale face in the poor light. He thought about messaging a friend but thought better of it, jamming the phone back into his coat. He allowed himself to sit in the quiet, listening to the rustle of leaves that were stirred by the wind, and watching as a few began their lazy drift to the ground.

He pulled his scarf higher over his nose and leaned back, his body relaxing into the chill. For the first time all day, he let his mind drift without purpose, without pressure. He wouldn't know how long he'd sit there, but for the moment, the park was enough-a quiet escape, a pause in the noise of everything else.

And in the far recesses of his mind, a small hope clung on doggedly to the possibility that maybe, just maybe, someone else would inadvertently stumble into this moment-stranger or friend, someone with whom he could share the stillness, at least for a short while.