She wasn’t sure what she had expected when Sage first came to her after his injury. Certainly not this. She’d offered her help, her care, sure, but the distance between them had always been... well, there. Even in the small, everyday things. Sage wasn’t someone who let others in easily, especially not someone like her, who didn’t quite fit the mold of the people he usually kept close.

But as the days passed and his ribs had healed, so had the little barriers that kept him at arm’s length, and Jora found herself settling into a new rhythm with him. One where the quiet moments weren’t uncomfortable, where the teasing wasn’t just for show, and where being together didn’t always have to mean talking. She liked it. A lot more than she cared to admit.

His voice broke through her thoughts, the dry edge of it pulling a small, genuine laugh from her lips.

"Please," she said, grinning as she set the last of the dishes aside. She reached for the cupboard, pretending to rummage a little louder than necessary. "You think I’d waste precious time looking for snacks?" Her tone was light, but her eyes stayed on him, the warmth between them radiating even in the smallest of gestures. She pulled out a bag of chips, shaking it gently as if presenting it like a prize. "If you wanted snacks, you should’ve just asked. But I suppose I could forgive you, since you’re almost useful again."

She slid the bag toward him, a playful glint in her eyes.

It was small, but it was enough. And something about it — something about him, and the way they were moving through these days together — made her realize just how comfortable she’d gotten with the silence, with him.

Jora leaned back against the counter, her arms folded loosely, her gaze not quite meeting his but lingering in his direction. Her voice softened, just a little. "You know," she began, as if testing the waters, "it’s good to see you standing. I wasn’t sure you were gonna make it through without throwing a fit about being stuck inside all day." She smiled faintly, the look in her eyes warmer than her words. "I’m glad you didn’t... though, you were a pretty miserable patient. Just sayin’."

She hesitated for a moment, chewing on the inside of her cheek before she added, almost quietly, "Glad you’re in one piece, Sage. Really."

It was a little more than she'd intended to say, but it was true. And sometimes, those words were harder to say than any joke or sarcastic comment.