Riven trudged back to his room, shoulders hunched, eyes fixed on the ground. The day had been a mess from start to finish—one of those days where everything seemed to conspire against him. He was supposed to hang out with Anya after class, their usual escape from the chaos of camp. But no. Suddenly, out of nowhere, she started acting weird, saying she had "things to do" and that she wouldn't be hanging out with him for a while.
What was that about anyway?
And then, he was late to one of his classes—probably the worst part of his day—he'd walked in just in time to get chewed out by the instructor and also asked to leave. Riven's face flushed with embarrassment, and he'd just wanted to disappear into a hole as other kids laughed at him.
It's been weeks already, why couldn't he get a hang of this schedule already?
As he reached his door, he let out a heavy sigh, shoulders sagging. He didn't even feel like eating—his stomach knotted tight—so he skipped dinner, managing just enough to keep himself from starving. All he wanted was for the day to end already, to crawl into his bed and forget the chaos.
Riven stepped into the sanctuary of his room, a familiar voice broke through his thoughts.
"You don't look so hot. What happened?" Vaelorian's voice, smooth and teasing, floated in from the doorway, causing Riven to startle slightly.
Huh. Was he already here? Riven blinked, surprised, because he'd been so lost in his own storm of frustration that he hadn't even noticed the older boy's presence.
"Oh, hey, your Highness," Riven greeted dryly, giving a tired little wave before he made a beeline to the bathroom.
He didn't have the energy to entertain or argue right now. All he wanted was a quick shower, some silence, and sleep—just a few hours away from everything that had gone wrong today. Their little feud could wait till tomorrow.
The warm spray of the shower was like a reset button, washing away the grime and the gloom. Riven closed his eyes, making sure not to get his hair wet as the water drown out the noise inside his head. When he finished, he dried up and slipped into his white silk pajamas, feeling the soft fabric settle around him like a comforting blanket.
One of the few good things the other Riven did was really his choice of luxurious clothings.
Riven bed called to him as he finished dressing like a soft, inviting place where he could finally relax—and he was just about to dive under the covers when he heard Vaelorian's voice again.
"Are you just going to pretend I'm not here?" The older boy's tone was playful.
Riven scoffed, turning away. "Shouldn't you be happy that I'm not even talking to you?" he shot back, voice edged with sarcasm. He didn't want to deal with this right now.
But Vaelorian chuckled softly, unfazed. "Ah, but how can I be happy when you don't talk to me? I've gotten so used to having you around already, so it can't be helped. It's just… part of my day now." His tone was light, but there was something warm behind the words—like he genuinely missed their banter.
Riven scoffed, sinking onto his bed. "Good for you, but I'm not in the mood for this right now. Go away." His voice was sarcastic, but beneath it, a flicker of vulnerability flickered. He didn't want to deal with anyone tonight—least of all Vaelorian, who always had a way of poking at his patience.
Vaelorian's smile widened, amused. "You're not in the mood for this? You don't want to talk to me? Oh, no! Whatever shall I do?" he exclaimed dramatically, voice laced with mock horror. Riven shot him a glare.
"Leave me alone, Your Highness," he whined, burying his face in his pillow, wishing the room would swallow him whole.
But Vaelorian couldn't help but smile even more at that. Riven sounded so childlike when he whined—so adorable and Vaelorian found himself smiling more.
"I'll go away if you ask nicely," the older boy said, his smile suspicious.
Riven's face twisted as he sat up. "Leave me alone, please!" he snapped, voice strained. "There! Now will you go away?" he added in annoyance.
"No!" Vaelorian said simply.
Riven groaned, flopping onto his back and burying his face into his pillow in surrender. "Okay, I give up," he muttered. "You win. Just… leave me alone." Riven muttered into the fabric.
Vaelorian laughed, the sound was soft, "Okay, I'll go…but on one condition," he added, almost gentle.
Riven hesitated, his mind racing. He should ignore him. He should just tell him to leave him alone without any conditions. But…part of him wondered—what his condition will be.
"What's the condition?" Riven asked cautiously, voice muffled by the pillow.
"I'll leave you alone if you tell me what's got you in a low mood," Vaelorian said gently, his tone unexpectedly sincere.
Riven's eyes widened. Why did that sound more genuine than he expected? Why did Vaelorian sound…concerned?
"Why would I tell you that?" Riven shot back, wary.
"Because I'll leave you alone if you do," Vaelorian replied smoothly, "Isn't that what you want?"
Riven hesitated again. He knew he shouldn't, but the weight of the day pressed down on him like a heavy stone. Maybe, just maybe, he'd feel a little lighter if he shared a fragment of what was bothering him.
After a long pause, he finally whispered, "I got kicked out of one of my classes today."
Vaelorian's voice was gentle. "Which class?"
Riven blinked, surprised by the genuine concern in the question. "Why do you want to know which one? I thought you said you'd leave me alone if I told you," he snapped, defensive.
"Just tell me," Vaelorian said softly, no longer teasing. His eyes held a flicker of real worry.
Riven hesitated again—then answered, "Philosophy and ethics."
Vaelorian nodded slowly, a faint look of understanding crossing his face. "I'm sorry that happened to you." he said quietly. And Riven's eyes widened—why did that sound like he actually cared?
Meanwhile, Vaelorian was already making a mental note to talk to Riven's teacher about cutting the younger boy some slack.
"We need to work on getting you places on time," the older boy said suddenly, breaking the moment.
Riven rolled his eyes. Typical Vaelorian. Always trying to boss him around, making everything about him.
"I don't need your help, your Highness. I'm doing just fine."
Vaelorian's earlier smirk returned. "If that were true, you wouldn't have gotten kicked out, now would you?"
"I'm going to bed. I don't even know why I wasted my time talking to you," Riven muttered, voice tired and bitter.
"Come on, don't you feel better after talking to me?" Vaelorian asked, voice teasing again.
Riven's lips twitched—he'd never admit it, but yes, he did feel a little lighter. Still, he wasn't about to give Vaelorian that satisfaction.
"Whatever! I still don't like you," he snapped, turning away.
Vaelorian chuckled before replying. "I know, I don't like you too!"
"And I'm still going to get back at you," Riven added, eyes narrowing.
Vaelorian's smile deepened, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I'm so looking forward to it," he said smoothly. And as Riven finally turned away, pulling the blanket over his head. Vaelorian too turned away, then softly, almost to himself, he added, "Good night, love." before silence settled over the room, the quiet warmth of sleep beckoning him into its embrace.