The rooftop was cold that night. The wind carried the scent of rain, the kind that hinted at a storm waiting just beyond the horizon. Ezra stood by the railing, hands shoved deep into his pockets, staring at the empty space where the city met the sky.
Footsteps echoed behind him.
Noah appeared first, hood pulled low, eyes shadowed. He didn't say anything—just stopped a few feet away, as if unsure whether to come closer.
Then the door creaked again, and Lucien stepped out, followed by Adrian. The air seemed to shrink as all four of them stood there, the silence pressing down like weight.
Ezra broke it first. "Thanks for coming."
Lucien gave a short laugh. "Didn't think we had a choice."
Noah's voice was low, tight. "So what is this? Intervention? Damage control?"
"It's us," Ezra said firmly. "Finally talking. No more running."
Lucien leaned against the railing. "Alright. Let's talk, then. Rumors are out. Everyone's got their theories. So what? We act like nothing's true until we graduate?"
Adrian's voice was soft, but it cut through. "That's not living, Lucien. That's hiding."
Noah's gaze snapped to him. "You think it's that easy? To just—" He stopped, the words catching. "You don't know what it's like."
Adrian met his eyes steadily. "You're right. I don't know your story. But I know what it's like to lose yourself just to make everyone else comfortable."
Lucien's smirk was gone now. He looked at Adrian for a long moment before turning to Noah. "You're not the only one who's scared."
Noah's shoulders tensed. His eyes flicked to Ezra, and for a second, something unguarded passed between them—fear, yes, but also longing.
Ezra stepped forward. "I'm tired of acting like what happened between us was a mistake. It wasn't. I don't care what they say. I care about you."
The words hung there, trembling in the cold air.
Noah swallowed hard, his voice barely a whisper. "And what if they ruin you because of me?"
"Then let them try," Ezra said. "But I'm not walking away."
Adrian's hand brushed Lucien's, so subtle Ezra almost missed it. Lucien didn't move away.
For the first time, they all stood there—not as two pairs hiding in separate corners of the world, but as four people bound by secrets too big to keep forever.
Above them, the sky was heavy with clouds, the first drops of rain falling.
And somehow, standing there together, it didn't feel quite as cold.
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