Library

This was the 5th time I'd seen her like this, completely stripped of the bright, easygoing armor she wore, and it hit me that this fragile, tired person was just as much a part of her as the one who teased me about my taste in anime.

"You know," I started, the words feeling surprisingly steady and clear in my own head, "If you ever need someone to just listen to all the crap, or just to sit in silence with, I'm here. For real."

'That sounded way less dumb than I thought it would.'

A small, watery smile touched her lips. She wiped at her eye with the back of her hand, a gesture that was becoming achingly familiar.

"Are you sure you're ready for that? I'm a mess."

"I think the official terms and conditions of our friendship state that we're both allowed to be messes. It's in the fine print."

She let out a little laugh, a sound that was half a sob, and the tension that had been holding her so rigidly seemed to finally break.