CHAPTER THREE

It was already a shitty week. Riven had an exam coming, rent due, and now—his notebook was gone. The one with all his notes, scrawled answers, little messy diagrams that somehow made math make sense. He tore up his apartment looking for it.

The next day, he dragged himself to class early, still bitter and exhausted. On his desk sat his notebook. Neat. Untouched. With a sticky note: “maybe stop dropping your shit at sketchy bus stops. - a ‘random’ stranger” 

Riven whipped his head toward the window. Across the courtyard, sitting alone on a bench, was kael — pretending very hard to scroll through his phone. Riven squinted. Kael didn’t look up. Just…Sat there, like he hadn’t just pulled a batman. Riven’s mouth twitched. “you absolute weirdo.” But the notebook stayed clutched to his chest.

[ after the exam – empty courtyard, restless heart]

The bell rang.

Pens dropped. Papers shuffled. A few students groaned, others stretched, some celebrated like they just finished a marathon. Riven? He shoved his things into his bag like his life depended on it and bolted out the classroom door.

His eyes scanned the quad.left, right, under the trees, by the vending machines — nothing. No kael leaning against a post, no smug expression, no black hoodie with hands shoved into his pockets like he owned the world.

Riven exhaled. Annoyed. Not…Disappointed. Just… Mildly irritated. That was all. He checked his phone. No new messages. Not that they texted. Not that he wanted to. Obviously. He paced a little, pretending to adjust his bag, glancing down every corner of the courtyard like someone waiting for a late ride. Still nothing.

“…Whatever,” Riven muttered to himself. “i’ll just say thanks later. If i see him.” He sat on the edge of a low planter box, watching the last few stragglers wander off to their next class or wherever their non-chaotic lives took them. The sticky note from his returned notebook was still folded inside his pocket. He ran a thumb over the corner of it.

A “random stranger.” Yeah, right. “…Stupid kael,” He whispered under his breath. “being nice like an asshole.” A breeze passed. Quiet. Soft. And riven stayed there for just a moment longer than he needed to — like maybe kael would show up late.

He didn’t. But riven stood up anyway and walked away, pretending it didn’t matter. He could thank him next time. Maybe.

[riven’s attempt at being nice(but fails casually)]

Riven was not good at this. Returning favors. Being grateful. Not being a brat.

But ever since the notebook thing, his chest had been buzzing with unresolved awkwardness. So when he spotted kael two days later, standing by a motorbike and chain-smoking like a moody vampire, riven gathered all his courage and—threw a bottle of soda at him.

Kael caught it midair, raised an eyebrow. “trying to kill me?”  “it’s just soda. Chill.” Kael examined it. “warm.” “it’s not warm. It’s…Room temp.” Riven scratched the back of his neck. “look, i know you returned my notebook or whatever. So this is a… Non-weird thank-you. Casual. Totally cool. No feelings involved. You’re welcome.”

Kael gave him a look like he was trying not to laugh. “you suck at gratitude.”

“i know!”

Kael opened the soda, took one sip, and handed it back. Riven blinked. “what?”

“i don’t drink soda. Too much sugar. You want it?”

“i bought it for you!” Kael smirked. “and now it’s yours. See how that works?” Riven stared, cheeks red. “i hate you.” Kael turned away. “no, you don’t.”

“shut up.”

[feverish pride & forced softness]

Two weeks later, riven tried to act normal at school — but the pale skin, glassy eyes, and low-key body trembling gave him away fast. He was sick. Of course, he refused to admit it.

“i’m fine,” He snapped at the professor when asked. “just allergic to exams.” But by the end of the day, he was half-delirious, sitting on the steps again, face buried in his knees.

He didn’t even hear kael’s footsteps this time. “get up.” Riven squinted. “wha—no. Go away.”

Kael crouched down, reached out, touched riven’s forehead with the back of his hand. “shit. You’re burning.”

“wow, what gave it away? My steaming aura of doom?” Kael rolled his eyes. “get up. I’m taking you home.”

Riven still crouching, hugging his knees “no. You’ll laugh at my messy room.”

“i’ve seen worse.”

He looked at kael, looking pretty innocent and pitiful “you’ll steal my last cup noodle.” Kael caught off-guard but the casuallyy cleared his throat  “i-i already bought you a dozen more.”

Riven blinked slowly. “…You did?” Kael stood up. “yeah. Because you suck at taking care of yourself and i hate watching people self-destruct when they’re already hanging by a thread.” Riven was too out of it to come up with a snappy comeback.

So kael lifted him — arm over his shoulder, one hand around his waist. “don’t touch my ass,” Riven mumbled. Kael scoffed. “you wish.”

Later that night – kael’s apartment

Kael decided to just take riven to his apartment. Riven lay curled up on kael’s couch, a blanket thrown over him, cool compress on his forehead.

He stirred once. “kael?”

“hmm?”

“…Did you seriously buy noodles for me?”

Kael, from the kitchen, replied, “no. They’re for jace. You’re just borrowing them.” Riven smiled faintly. 

Kael returned a minute later and sat on the floor beside him, leaning against the couch. Not looking at him. Riven blinked drowsily. “you’re not as mean as you act.” Kael’s voice was quiet. “and you’re not as tough as you pretend.” 

They didn’t say anything after that. But Riven didn’t feel cold anymore.