Soft Talk

It was late in the afternoon, the golden light of the setting sun bleeding in through Luna’s living room window. The sky outside shifted into hues of burnt orange and pale lavender, the kind of colors that felt like an exhale after a long day. Her laptop sat warm against her legs as she lounged on the couch, fingers still resting on the keys.

She hadn’t meant to talk this long.

What started as a simple response that morning had turned into a quiet, steady rhythm of messages—short, thoughtful, teasing, and somehow... comforting. The kind of comfort that sneaks up on you when you weren’t even looking for it.

Cj_Offline: What’s something you’d tell your younger self right now?

Luna smiled at the screen, the question catching her off guard.

Luna: Mmm. Maybe... “Stop overthinking everything. The people who matter won’t leave. And the ones who leave? Let them.”

A few moments passed. Then his reply came through.

Cj_Offline: Damn. You hit hard with that one.

Guess I’d say… “You don’t have to have it all figured out. Just keep waking up.”

Her hands paused on the keyboard. She didn’t know why that made her eyes sting a little. Maybe because it sounded like something she needed to hear too.

Luna: You're kinda good at this, huh?

Cj_Offline: What? Being a sad boy on the internet?

She laughed out loud, a real one this time.

Luna: I was gonna say “making strangers feel safe.” But sure, that too.

Outside, the sun dipped lower, casting shadows across the room. She tucked her feet under her, hugging a throw pillow to her chest, the screen glowing softly in front of her. This was strange, wasn’t it? She didn’t even know this guy. Not really. And yet… she did.

They talked about music next. Favorite songs, weird guilty pleasure playlists, how he loved acoustic versions of tracks because they “felt more real.” Luna confessed she used to write lyrics in her journal, ones that would never see the light of day.

Cj_Offline: Now you have to send me one.

It’s in the friendship contract. Page two, section heartbreak.

Luna: There’s a contract now??

Cj_Offline: What, you thought you were getting all this charm for free?

She rolled her eyes and grinned, typing out a few lines she remembered from a melody she never finished. He didn’t tease. He just responded with:

Cj_Offline: That’s beautiful. You’ve got something in you, Luna. Hold onto it.

The sun had almost vanished now, the horizon bleeding into deep indigo. The first stars started to show.

Her heart felt strangely full. Not in a loud, dramatic way—but like how your chest feels after a really long hug.

She typed slower now, words feeling heavier, sweeter.

Luna: Thanks for today.

This was... nice. Really nice.

Cj_Offline: