Fish zoomed past the glass, a trail of bubbles spiraling behind them. I stayed transfixed, watching a yellow tang pause, stare at me, then flinch before it darted into the abyss of the tank.

A slow smile curled onto my face. I pressed a finger to the glass. My reflection shimmered back—wild curls braided loosely, tanned skin, and dark emerald eyes staring straight at me.

But beyond my ragged reflection, my lips parted. My eyes were playing tricks on me. Through gallons of water, a boy stood on the other side of the glass. He wasn’t watching the fish anymore. He was watching me.

Heat flared in my cheeks, and I turned away fast. But his gaze held steady, burning through the glass like sunlight—and I’d never wanted to be sunburned more in my life. Which was ridiculous, considering I’d never met him before. Slowly, cautiously, I glanced back.

He was still looking at me.

Even through the warped reflection, he looked… charming. The quiet kind. The one who’d bring you flowers, make you blush, and still be steady enough to love you every night after.

_Gosh, why was I even thinking about that?_

He knocked on the glass—once, twice, double tap.

The boy smiled and waved. His glasses perched on top of messy hair that tumbled over his brows, eyes shadowed but warm. I lifted my hand, waving back. He chuckled—and I flushed hard.

_Good grief, Coraline, get a hold of yourself._

A glass wall stood between us, yet it felt like no wall existed at all.

Taking a breath, I looked up to what he’d been laughing at and nearly burst out laughing myself. A fish hovered over my head, aggressively pestering a snail. My jaw dropped, and I glanced back at the boy—but he was gone.

My brows pulled together, disappointment prickling sharp. To be fair, I’d come to the aquarium on a whim, hoping for some stress relief. After a few hours of sleep, maybe I was hallucinating. But the humiliation? That was real enough.

Gripping my purse, I pulled it open, digging for my phone to snap a picture to my sister. Something like _“hey, I’m not dead, thanks for not checking.”_

Before I even had my phone out, a hand tapped my shoulder—and my whole body froze.

_Oh my Good Lord._ The aquarium glass had not done justice to how un-warped this man was. Through the tank, he’d looked charming. Now? He was devastating. A whole different level of handsome. And I’d been staring for way too long.

“Oh, um…” I exhaled, trying hard not to sound awkward. “Hi.”

I lifted my hand in a small wave. His gaze dropped shyly, and I noticed his eyes properly for the first time—a stormy grey I wanted to get stuck in.

“Hi,” he smiled softly, fixing his glasses as his cheeks pinkened a little. His arms flexed under his sweater, his throat worked—and God, how did that make me queasy?

“I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said, gaze flicking back to the fish still attacking the snail.

“You didn’t,” I shook my head with a laugh.

“Good—I just thought I’d warn you about your new bodyguard.” His hand raked through his hair, messing it up even more.

“Bodyguard?” I blinked, glancing around instinctively. The only bodyguard I had was my pepper spray.

He tilted his chin toward the tank, lips twitching. “The fish. The one after the snail. Fierce little thing.” His voice laced with soft awe—clear, transfixed.

A laugh escaped before I could stop it, light and… maybe starstruck. “Oh. Right.” I scratched the back of my head, heart sprinting. “I guess I’ve got good protection, then.”

His smile widened. “Can’t be off guard in an aquarium. Rogue snails everywhere.”

I bit my cheek, snorting under my breath, pulse tapping fast. “Thanks for the warning.”

I turned away, sliding my phone back into my bag—but his hand caught my wrist, warm and steady. Right. Like snapping in the final puzzle piece. I shouldn’t have felt at ease with a stranger, but somehow… I did. Safe. Familiar. Like a worn-in sweater. And by the look on his face, he felt it too. His gaze dropped shyly before he spoke.

“I’m Ruel Haynes.”

A soft smile tugged at my lips. “Cora—_Coraline_—Gavins.” I brushed hair behind my ear, gaze dropping to his hand on my wrist. When he let go, I nearly deflated.

“Nice to meet you, Coraline.”

I wanted to stiffen. Scream. Spin in circles. Because he said my name like a poem, like it had been crafted by poets just for him to say. I swallowed, louder than intended. “You too.”

For a second, neither of us moved. A school of silver fish darted behind the glass, slipping behind fake coral like they had somewhere to be. I almost envied them. Almost.

Ruel rubbed the back of his neck, sweater rising just enough to reveal tanned skin and hard muscle. I swallowed again.

“So… do you usually make friends with fish on weekday afternoons? Or is that just a me thing?”

My lips twitched. “Only on Thursdays,” I shot back, knowing full well I never came to the aquarium.

“Lucky me.” His grin went boyish and genuine, and I felt that stupid flush creep up my cheeks again.

He gestured toward the hallway, pointing at a different exhibit. “I know your tang-watching schedule is probably packed, but I was about to head over to the art museum across the street. If you want to come?”

_Calm down, Cor. He is not asking you on a date. He is NOT asking you on a date._

I glanced at the fish, which had now abandoned the snail for a crab, and shook my head, smiling.

“Sure. Why not.”

***

It rained lightly when we stepped outside. My hair protested instantly, frizz curling at the edges. Ruel grabbed my hand, tugging me under a thick awning. He let go quickly, shoving his hands into his pockets, then fumbling them back out to lift my hoodie over my head.

What author wrote this man? Because oh my flippin’ cheeseballs—I needed to calm down.

“Is it okay if we run across the street?”

I smiled at the drizzle. “As long as you’re okay with me slipping and falling in the crosswalk.” I laughed. He did too.

“I’ll be sure to catch you,” he winked.

We speed-walked off the sidewalk, sprinting across traffic, breathless laughs echoing as we made it across. Ruel rushed ahead, holding the museum door open and letting an older couple in before me. His hand touched my back gently—and I swooned instantly, like it belonged there. Familiar but foreign.

Inside, his eyes scanned everything, and I watched him quietly as his gaze lingered over the art, then flicked back to me.

“I always liked how peaceful it is here,” he said softly. “You don’t have to explain why you’re here.” He shook his head quickly. “Sorry. Long day.”

“No—it’s okay.” Why did I feel a small tug in my chest? “Seriously. I feel the same.”

His gaze met mine fully. Softening. Open. For a moment, it felt like he could see my soul—like he already knew me. And that terrified me. His voice was so transparent, so vulnerable, it made me want to open up too. To tell him how tired I was. How exhausted I was pretending I was okay. But I didn’t. I just kept staring. And I think he already knew.

We wandered quietly through the exhibits, pausing at some pieces that looked like trash and others that were beautiful. We stopped in front of a painting of a twisted woman, her form bending in impossible ways—like she, too, was figuring life out.

His hand brushed mine. I pulled back immediately. He was still a stranger. Or… maybe more like an acquaintance now.

“I used to come here with my mom a lot,” Ruel said slowly, eyes on the painting. “As a kid, she’d tell me the quietest paintings are the loudest.”

A sad smile touched his lips. I didn’t ask questions. I knew that void. I felt it too.

“My sister used to drag me here,” I laughed lightly, trying to ease the weight. “She’s too busy now… but she comes when she can.”

“Did she?” His gaze dropped to me.

I nodded, already looking up. “She did.”

***

It was over before it had even begun. Soon, the rain had stopped, humidity thick in the air. My sister had called me three times, probably wondering if I was alive. I was still figuring that out myself.

We stood outside for a moment, quiet but not silent.

“I’m glad I ran into you today, Coraline.” Ruel raked his fingers through his hair again, exhaling. “Seriously.”

“You too… I’ll see you around?” I asked, hopeful.

He nodded solemnly. “You will.”

Then he was gone. A raindrop landed on my nose, and I smiled as I watched him walk away. I didn’t feel so alone anymore. He’d seen me, even without saying it aloud.

**Seven months later**

I sat on a bench. The bench was cold. God, the bench was always cold. I focused on that instead of the schoolwork spread across my lap. Boring, relentless, exhausting—I might cry if I didn’t get something on the page soon.

My sister was off in Seattle, chasing dreams while I was here in New York, trying to pay rent.

A finger tugged gently on my hair. I groaned, smacking my palms against my face. Why is life so _hard_? Why can’t I just sleep, eat, _read_—

“Cora?”

I froze. Sat up slowly. I _knew_ that voice. That face. Grey eyes, brown hair. I hadn’t seen him in months, yet somehow he looked… older? Not in a bad way. Just matured. He wore all black, a coat tugged tight around him. And his expression mirrored mine—shocked.

“Ruel?”

A soft smile spread across his face as he sat beside me, glancing down at my scattered papers.

“I told you you’d see me again.” He gathered the papers into a neat stack, holding them to his chest. “I can help you.”

“Aren’t you busy?”

“Let me help you, Coraline. Like you helped me back then.” He was already standing, waiting on me.

I rose slowly—but surely.

And unlike last time, this didn’t feel like it would end.

It felt like the start of something.

The poet and the muse.

Authors note: This short story is based on the songs ‘Cardigan’ by Taylor swift and ‘Spring into Summer’ by Lizzie McAlpine! I hope you enjoyed this just as much as I enjoyed writing about Cora and Ruel! If you enjoy this LMK and I might consider writing it as a side project!

Lines from songs:

“I’m always forever running back to you.” Spring into Summer

“You drew stars around my scars and now I’m bleedin’” Cardigan