It was supposed to be a celebration.
Finals were over. The city was alive with neon and noise. Elia had dragged Kael to the rooftop of her apartment building, a place she called her "quiet sky." She brought snacks, a blanket, and her sketchpad. He brought his speaker and that playlist—the one she secretly called Moonboy's Heart.
They sat side by side, legs stretched out, heads tilted toward the stars. But the stars didn't show up that night. Only clouds. And then, rain.
Not a storm. Just a soft drizzle. The kind that makes everything feel like a memory.
Kael didn't move. He let the rain soak his hoodie, his hair, his silence.
Elia laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "We're gonna catch a cold."
He looked at her then. Really looked. Like he was memorizing her face.
"I don't mind," he said. "I just… don't want this to end."
She froze. Because she knew what he meant. Not the night. Not the rain.
Them.
She wanted to say something. Anything. But the words got stuck between her ribs.
So she leaned her head on his shoulder. And he let her.
They stayed like that until the rain turned cold. Until the playlist ended. Until the silence felt heavier than the sky.
And when he walked her home, he didn't hold her hand.
He just said, "Goodnight, Star Girl."
And she whispered, "Goodbye, Moonboy."
Even though she didn't mean to..