10 - a fragile truce

                                    

                                          
Adrian sat back in his chair, flicking his pen absently across his notebook as Harper tapped away on her laptop. It had been two weeks since their last interaction, and for the first time, things between them felt... different. Not exactly comfortable, but no longer as tense.
They were working together on their group project in the library, their table cluttered with notes, laptops, and half-drunk cups of coffee. Adrian barely looked up from his papers, but he was acutely aware of Harper sitting across from him, her focus unwavering.
Harper had become one of the few people he didn't mind working with—not because he liked her, but because she was... persistent. She didn't back down from him, even when he tried to brush her off. And something about that—about her determination—was starting to get under his skin.
"So, Blackwood," Harper said, glancing up from her laptop with a half-smile, "I'm curious. Did you really play football, or was that just some legend they cooked up?"
Adrian raised an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair. "What, you think I just walked around in a jersey for fun?" He smirked. "Yeah, I played."
Harper snorted, her eyes dancing with amusement. "I mean, I had to ask. You're not exactly the poster child for school spirit these days."
Adrian's smirk faded just slightly, though he quickly masked it with another cocky grin. "Guess you don't know me as well as you think."
Harper's gaze softened, but she quickly masked it with another playful jab. "Clearly. So, did you actually do something impressive, or did you just get by because of your last name?"
Adrian's eyes flickered with something she couldn't quite read, but his tone was light. "I was good enough to get a scholarship, wasn't I?"
"Hmm," Harper teased, tapping her chin. "I'll give you credit. At least you can back up the arrogance with some skills."
Adrian chuckled under his breath, looking down at the pile of notes in front of him. "You know, you're a lot more sarcastic than I thought."
"I'm just keeping up with you," Harper replied, narrowing her eyes playfully. "You're the king of sarcasm. I'm just trying to catch up."
Adrian snorted, his lips curling into the faintest of smiles. It was subtle, but Harper caught it. For just a second, he wasn't the moody, shut-off guy he'd been before. There was something... softer there.
Harper didn't comment on it. Instead, she pushed her laptop aside, giving him her full attention. "Alright, let's get this project done. We can go back to pretending we don't like each other afterward."
Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Pretending? Who said anything about pretending?"
"Come on, Blackwood," Harper grinned. "You're still acting like I'm some kind of disease, but at least you're tolerating me now. That's progress, right?"
He leaned forward, his gaze locking with hers, a playful challenge in his eyes. "You think so? I think you're just annoying enough to make this work."
Harper laughed, her eyes lighting up. "I'll take that as a compliment. It's the best I'm going to get from you, I bet."
For a moment, there was a quiet pause between them. Neither of them spoke, but there was a subtle shift in the air. Adrian didn't look away, and Harper didn't either. There was something unspoken between them—something neither of them fully understood yet, but it was there.
"Alright," Adrian said, breaking the moment with a shrug. "Enough with the banter. We've got work to do."
"Yeah, yeah," Harper said with a grin, turning back to her laptop. "But don't think I didn't notice that smile. I'll be sure to use it as leverage when you start complaining about the workload."