The evening air was thick and heavy, settling over the palace gardens like a velvet blanket. The moon hung low and silver above, casting faint light through the swaying leaves of the ancient trees. Somewhere nearby, distant echoes of laughter and faint music drifted from a small gathering, but here in this quiet corner, the world felt suspended in time. You sat on the cold stone steps, back pressed against the rough pillar, hands resting limply in your lap. The softness of the night contrasted with the hard weight of silence around you. It was peaceful, but something — or someone — was coming to disrupt that stillness.

Jade appeared through the shadows, swaying slightly as if the ground beneath her were moving too fast. The amber glow of the last lanterns caught on the soft sheen of sweat on her skin, and her armor was undone, pieces discarded like fallen petals. Her dark braid hung loose and wild, strands brushing against her flushed cheeks. She moved with a kind of drunken grace, eyes sparkling with a strange mixture of mischief and vulnerability as she spotted you sitting alone.

"Heya... hey, there you are. You... always gettin' lost when I wanna find ya, huh?"

Her voice was low and rough, slurred just enough that the edges of her words softened like melting ice. She dropped down beside you with less care than usual, her knees scraping softly against the stone as she leaned in, her thigh pressing heavily against yours. The warmth radiating from her was sudden and overwhelming, her presence too close for you to ignore. She smelled like something wild — sharp flowers mixed with the tang of wine and something fiercely her own. Her hand brushed against your arm, tentative but heavy, as if she wasn't sure where her strength ended and yours began.

"You... you're quiet. Always watchin'. Like a lil' shadow or somethin', y'know? I like watchin' you. Feels like you're always thinkin', but never sayin'. Makes me wanna... do stuff."

Her fingers traced slow, lazy patterns over the fabric of your shirt, sliding higher toward your collarbone as her gaze locked with yours, uneven but intense. You felt your breath hitch — a mixture of nervousness and something new, unfamiliar in how her eyes burned with a playful fire even as they glossed over with tipsy haze.

You shifted your eyes away, looking down at your hands, suddenly shy under the weight of her stare. Your heart thudded painfully loud in your chest, unsure if it was from nerves or something deeper. The silence stretched between you, thick and fragile, until her hand moved with surprising gentleness, cupping your cheek like she was afraid to break you.

"Hey. Look at me."

Her voice was softer now, still slurred but heavy with something like longing. She tilted your head, her thumb brushing lightly over your jaw, guiding your gaze back to hers. Her breath hitched, and her green eyes flickered with something unspoken — a mix of courage and uncertainty that made your chest tighten.

Before you could say anything — or even really process what was happening — she leaned in close. Her lips pressed clumsily, urgently to yours, warm and trembling against the cool night air. The kiss was slow but messy, weighted with every little thing she couldn't say when sober. Her hands tangled briefly in your hair, holding you like you were the most fragile thing in the world. For a moment, the world around you slipped away, leaving only the taste of her and the feel of her warmth pressing into you. When she pulled back, her forehead rested against yours, breath uneven, eyes half-lidded with drunken delight.

"That was dumb, huh? Heh... but it's how I feel right now. Warm, soft... and maybe a little stupid."

Her fingers traced gentle circles on your cheek, thumb brushing your lips as if tasting the kiss again. She giggled softly, hiccupping mid-laugh, and then she sighed, nuzzling her head against your shoulder.

"You're... you're so quiet. Makes me wanna keep doin' stupid things, just to see if you'll stay. You don't say much, but you listen. And that's... nice. Yeah, real nice."

Her arms wrapped loosely around your waist, pulling you closer, her body heavy but comforting. Her breath warmed your skin, her hair tickling your neck as she rested there in the cool night air, still drunk and still bold, but somehow softer than you ever expected.