The rain had been falling since morning, soft but steady, washing the campus in silver. Students hurried under umbrellas, shoes splashing through the muddy water. The world smelled of wet earth and coffee from the campus cafe.
Kael sat by the wide library window, watching the rain while pretending to read his textbook. His notes were spread open, but his pen hadn't moved in ten minutes. Across from him, Riven was quietly scribbling, focused, his dark hair falling into his eyes.
Kael found himself watching the way Riven's hand moved across the page. His handwriting was sharp, precise. Everything about Riven seemed controlled, yet there was an ease in the way he leaned back sometimes, tapping the pen against his lips, lost in thought.
"Kael," Riven's voice cut in, low and steady. "You've been staring at the same page forever. Either the textbook is fascinating, or you're daydreaming."
Kael flushed, quickly flipping the page. "I was just… thinking."
"About what?" Riven asked, eyes narrowing slightly but not irritating.
Kael hesitated. "Nothing important. Just… the rain."
Riven's gaze lingered on him a moment longer, then he nodded and went back to writing. Kael let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
Later, Jordan arrived, dropping his bag onto the table with a thud. His hoodie was soaked at the shoulders.
"You two look like you're about to drown in boredom," Jordan said, pulling up a chair. "Why study when the world outside looks like a tragic indie movie?"
Kael smiled faintly. "Because we have exams?"
Jordan groaned and reached for Kael's chips without asking. "Exams are temporary. Grades are temporary. But rain like this? That's eternal. We should be out there running like idiots, not sitting here."
Riven didn't look up from his notes. "You'll catch a cold."
Jordan shot him a look. "You sound like a sixty-year-old uncle."
Riven ignored him, and Kael laughed softly. Somehow, the three of them had slipped into a rhythm—Jordan's chaos, Riven's calm, and Kael somewhere in between.
That evening, the rain hadn't stopped. Kael left the library late, books pressed against his chest, and groaned when he saw the downpour. He hadn't brought an umbrella.
"Idiot."
Kael turned, startled. Riven was standing a few feet away, holding a black umbrella. He tilted it slightly, covering both of them. "You'll get sick walking in this."
Kael blinked. "You waited for me?"
Riven shrugged as if it was nothing. "You forget things. Someone has to keep you alive."
Something warm spread in Kael's chest. They walked side by side, the rain drumming against the umbrella. The path was quiet except for the sound of water and their footsteps.
Kael stole a glance at Riven. The faint glow of the streetlamp lit up his face, softening his usually sharp features. There was something steady, protective, in the way Riven held the umbrella more toward Kael than himself, letting his own shoulder get wet.
"You always do that," Kael said quietly.
"Do what?"
"Put others first."
Riven glanced at him, unreadable. "Maybe I just don't like watching people suffer when I can stop it."
Kael wanted to say more, but the words tangled in his throat. Instead, he walked closer, close enough that their sleeves brushed. Neither of them moved away.
That night, they joined the spring youth festival in the town. Music drifted through the air, laughter echoing from every direction. Kael wandered through stalls with Jordan until they lost each other in the crowd.
"Kael."
He turned and saw Riven standing near the edge of the ground, away from the noise. His hands were in his pockets, his gaze softer than usual.
"Come with me," Riven said.
Kael followed. They walked past the crowd until they reached the quieter garden behind the stalls. The rain had stopped, but the grass still sparkled with droplets under the lights.
"Why here?" Kael asked.
"It's quieter," Riven said.
They sat on a bench, the distant music faint. For a while, neither spoke. Then Riven leaned back, looking at the sky.
"I don't usually do this," he said.
"Do what?" Kael asked.
"Spend time like this. With people. With… you." His voice was quiet, almost hesitant.
Kael's chest tightened. "Do you regret it?"
Riven turned his head, meeting Kael's eyes. "No."
The word was simple, but it carried weight. Kael felt heat rush to his face. He looked down, fidgeting with his hands.
"You're… different," Riven said after a pause. "Being around you doesn't feel heavy."
Kael swallowed, heart racing. "You're different too. You act cold, but… you're not. Not really."
For the first time, Kael saw something vulnerable in Riven's gaze, like a door half-opened. It made his chest ache in ways he didn't fully understand.
Neither of them noticed how close they had leaned until their shoulders brushed again, lingering this time.
The music from the festival carried faintly in the air, but in that quiet corner, it felt like the world had shrunk to just the two of them.
Later, when Kael walked back to the dorms, Jordan caught up with him, grinning. "Where did you disappear to? Don't tell me you ditched the festival for some secret date."
Kael flushed, tripping over his words. "It wasn't a date!"
Jordan laughed, throwing an arm around him. "Relax, I'm joking. But hey, whatever's happening between you and Riven… don't overthink it. Just let it happen."
Kael stayed quiet, but inside, his heart was still racing with the memory of Riven's voice, soft and certain: No.