"What the hell, 'opponent'?" I snapped, glaring at him over the top of my notebook. " Leo—"
"Yeah," he cut in smoothly, not even flinching. "Opponent. As in academic rival." His tone was so casual, but there was that glint in his eyes, the one that always made me feel like he was baiting me into playing his game.
He leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on his knees, smirk tugging at his lips. "Because in this room, out of all these people… you're the only one with the capacity to compete with me."
The nerve of him. The arrogance.
It burned in my chest like a challenge I never asked for.
I straightened my back, refusing to let him see that spark of competitiveness he always managed to light in me. "Well, guess what," I said, my voice sharp but steady, "I don't think of you as my rival."
For a moment, his smirk faded into something unreadable. Then, slowly, it curved back, softer but far more dangerous.
"Mm," he hummed, tilting his head like he was filing that away for later. "We'll see."
And just like that, my blood was boiling again—not because I hated him, but because I hated how much I wanted to prove him wrong.
His smirk faltered for half a second, and that was all the encouragement I needed. I leaned in just a little, just enough to make my next words sting.
"'Cause you're not even in my competition list, Leo. You don't deserve it."
Then I smiled—slow, deliberate, the kind of smile meant to put someone down and make sure they stay down.
For a second, his eyes darkened—not angry, but something deeper, sharper. Then that dangerous little smirk returned, like he'd just found a reason to make me regret saying it.
"Careful, Kael," he murmured, voice low. "You might just make me work harder."
Thea finally slammed her book shut with an exaggerated sigh.
"Are you two planning World War Three or something?" she snapped, looking between us like we were about to start throwing chairs.
Before I could reply, Zim leaned back in her seat, grinning like the little chaos gremlin she is.
"No, girl," she said, her tone dripping with mischief. "They're fighting like a cute couple."
Her words hit the air like a grenade.
My eyes went wide, heat rushing up my neck in pure, offended disbelief. "Shut the fuck, Zim!" I barked, the words coming out louder than I meant.
She didn't even flinch. Didn't even blink.
Still lounging like a queen in her throne, she popped a chip into her mouth and mumbled through a smirk, "See? Cute and in denial."
I wanted to launch my pen at her.
Leo, of course, was just sitting there with that damned smirk—like this was the most entertaining thing he'd seen all week.
Leo finally leaned back in his chair, stretching like he owned the place.
"Don't get so worked up, baby girl," he drawled, his voice low enough that only I could hear. "You're just proving her point."
I turned to glare at him, my pulse already kicking up. "Call me that again and I'll—"
"What?" he cut in smoothly, tilting his head, his smirk widening. "Prove my point too?"
My jaw clenched so tight I thought my teeth might crack. Nova, sensing the incoming explosion, shot me a warning look from across the table—her silent don't murder him in the club room.
Thea, on the other hand, looked way too entertained.
"This is better than reality TV," she muttered, sipping her drink.
Zim snorted. "Better than half the dramas I've watched."
I exhaled sharply, forcing my eyes back to my notes, refusing to give Leo the satisfaction of another reaction.
But even without looking, I could feel his eyes still on me—steady, sharp, and far too amused for my liking.
And damn it… a tiny part of me hated how much it made my heart race.
I gripped my pen tighter, determined to focus on the equations in front of me, but my brain was already betraying me—half the numbers blurred into the memory of Leo's stupid smirk.
Finally, I slammed my notebook shut.
"That's it. I'm taking a break before I commit a felony," I muttered.
Leo leaned forward instantly, elbows on the table. "Oh? And here I thought you liked the challenge of keeping up with me."
I rolled my eyes so hard it almost hurt. "Trust me, keeping up with you is like babysitting a feral cat. No thanks."
Nova let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head. Thea smirked knowingly, and Zim? She was already sprawled across the couch, munching on chips like this was prime-time entertainment.
"Kael," Leo said, voice dipping into that slow, taunting tone that made my skin heat, "you keep talking like that, and one day you might actually convince yourself you don't like me."
I froze for half a second, then shot back without missing a beat, "Good. Then I'm already halfway there."
He grinned, like my words were a personal challenge.
And that was the problem with Leo—he didn't back down. Ever.
Before I could react, he pushed back his chair and stood, walking past me toward the door.
But not without letting his hand brush against my shoulder, lingering just a fraction too long.
"Break's over," he said over his shoulder, voice maddeningly casual. "Let's see if you can actually keep up."
And just like that, he was gone—leaving me staring after him, furious… and maybe a little too curious.
Aven, who had been pretending to focus on his textbook, finally looked up and sighed.
"Seriously," he muttered, rubbing his temple, "if you two keep this up, we're going to have to start charging people to watch."
Zim perked up immediately. "Oh, I'd pay to see that."
"Zim!" Nova hissed, smacking her arm, but I was too busy glaring at notebook.
It was finally time to go home.
I wandered over to the corner of the club room, and there he was—Jace.
Head tilted back, arms loosely crossed, breathing slow and steady. He was asleep.
For a moment, I just… stood there. No wonder he'd been so quiet today. It had been a long time since I'd seen him sleeping like this—peaceful. Almost untouched by the chaos he usually thrived in.
And it hit me…
The last time I'd seen him look like this was before Mom's death.
After that day, Jace had changed. He'd become louder, wilder, always in motion—like if he stopped for even a second, the grief might catch him. Like stillness would hurt more than exhaustion.
Nova's hand landed gently on my shoulder, pulling me from my thoughts. Her voice was soft, almost careful.
"Looks like he's finally at peace, huh?"
I nodded, my throat tight. "Yeah… he is."
Across the room, Zim was being her usual noisy self, trying to reenact some ridiculous moment from earlier. I shot her a sharp look and pressed a finger to my lips.
"Not now," I whispered.
She blinked, then quietly backed off. The others got the hint too, gathering their things.
"You guys go ahead," I said quietly. "I'll wait until he wakes up."
They exchanged a glance but didn't argue, slipping out one by one.
And so I stayed there, in the quiet, watching over him.
Because after everything… I wanted to make sure that when Jace opened his eyes again, the first thing he saw was someone who cared. I know the way he act and do thing like he is a basstered a fucking monster i also don't like but in the end he is my brother . He also have right to be have someone by his side .