It wasn't planned.
Again.
Velithra had a bad day.
Not dramatic. Not catastrophic. Just one of those days where everything felt heavier than it should. A low test score. A misunderstanding with a friend. Too much noise in her head.
By the time she met Kai after school, she was quieter than usual.
He noticed immediately.
"You okay?" he asked gently.
She nodded.
He didn't believe her.
They walked without much talking, and when they reached the quiet bench near the field, she finally exhaled.
"I hate when small things pile up," she admitted. "It makes me feel like I'm failing at everything."
Kai turned toward her fully. "You're not."
"I know logically," she said. "It just doesn't feel that way."
There was no quick fix for that.
So he didn't offer one.
Instead, he reached for her hands and held them between his.
"You don't have to be perfect with me," he said.
Her throat tightened.
"I'm not going anywhere because of one bad day. Or ten."
Velithra blinked, trying to keep her composure.
"You make it sound so simple," she whispered.
"It is simple," he said quietly. "I care about you. On your good days. On your quiet ones. On the ones where you don't feel like yourself."
Her breath caught.
There it was again.
Almost.
But this time, it didn't hover.
Kai's grip on her hands tightened slightly—not nervous, just steady.
"I love you," he said.
No rush.
No grand gesture.
Just truth.
The world didn't explode.
The sky didn't shift.
But Velithra felt something settle into place inside her chest.
"You don't have to say it back," he added quickly, softer now.
She shook her head.
"I love you too."
The words didn't feel scary.
They felt earned.
Kai let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, a small laugh escaping him in relief.
"Okay," he murmured.
"Okay," she echoed.
They leaned into each other, foreheads touching like always—but this time, there was something deeper anchoring them.
Not infatuation.
Not pressure.
Choice.
And when they pulled apart, nothing felt overwhelming.
Just steady.
Just certain.
Just theirs.