The morning sun barely filtered through the tall windows of the campus library as Liora stepped inside, her steps quieter than usual. She still felt it—the heat of Kael's lips at the base of her neck, the way Riven's fingers had brushed her wrist before they left the apartment together, almost silently. Her body hummed with the memory of them, her face warm despite the cool breeze outside.
She saw them before they saw her.
Kael was leaning back in his chair, effortlessly confident, tapping his pen against his notebook. Riven, as always, was a little more focused, a little more intense—scrolling through notes on his tablet with that familiar furrow in his brow.
They looked up the moment she entered, and something passed between them—a glance. Kael's lips curved into a small, private smile. Riven tilted his head slightly, just enough to let her know: we see you.
Liora swallowed back a flustered smile and sat down beside them. The warmth of Riven's knee brushing hers under the table sent a flutter through her chest, but she kept her expression neutral.
Or tried to.
Across the table, a group of girls watched. Whispers stirred like wind between trees.
"She's with them again?" one murmured.
"They've never invited anyone else," another said, eyes narrowed.
"They don't even talk to anyone else like that," the third whispered, her voice sharp.
But Liora didn't hear them—at least, not completely. Her world had shrunk to this table, these notes, this shared breath of energy between three people tethered to something deeper than the assignment.
Kael leaned over, brushing his hand across her page.
"You missed this formula," he said softly, pen sliding to help.
His fingers lingered, just a beat too long.
Riven handed her a highlighter, fingers grazing hers, eyes never leaving hers.
Liora cleared her throat, cheeks pink, heart racing. "Thanks. Just… sleep-deprived, I guess."
"You should rest more," Riven said.
"Or we should stop keeping you up," Kael added with a sly smirk, low enough that only she could hear it.
She bit her lip, trying to focus on her notes. Behave, she told herself. You're on campus.
But her thighs still tingled with the memory of earlier.
Their group worked well—frustratingly well, according to everyone else. They bounced ideas, built on each other's thoughts. Liora contributed eagerly, and both boys listened to her like she was the only voice in the room that mattered.
One of the girls across the room scoffed when Kael reached up to brush a loose strand of hair from Liora's cheek.
"Unbelievable," someone muttered behind her.
But they didn't care.
When class ended, the trio lingered.
"Lunch?" Riven asked, glancing between Kael and Liora.
"Canteen or something quieter?" Kael added.
"Quieter," Liora said softly, packing her books.
And with that, they walked out—together—leaving behind a table of half-finished work, jealous glances, and whispers that didn't touch the fire quietly blooming between them.
They didn't go to the canteen.
Instead, Kael led them to a quiet rooftop corner above the science block—a place only the three of them knew. The soft hum of the city below, the breeze tugging at Liora's skirt, the warmth of the noon sun—it all wrapped around them like a secret.
Riven laid out the small lunch Kael had packed: sandwiches, fruit, a thermos of coffee. Simple, but shared in the kind of silence that spoke more than words.
Liora sat cross-legged between them. She tried not to lean into their bodies, tried to stay composed—but the warmth of Riven's thigh against hers, the way Kael's arm rested casually behind her shoulders…
It was impossible not to feel surrounded.
"You've barely eaten," Riven murmured, holding a grape to her lips.
"I'm not hungry," she whispered.
Kael chuckled. "Then we'll feed you."
He picked up a strawberry, brushing it across her lower lip before popping it in her mouth. Liora's eyes fluttered shut as the sweet juice burst on her tongue—her body reacting not to the fruit, but the heat in their gazes.
"You're blushing again," Kael teased, fingers trailing lightly across her jaw. "So cute when you try to act unaffected."
"Keep it up and I'll throw you off this roof," she muttered, but the softness in her voice betrayed her.
They laughed. The tension was light, playful.
Until Riven leaned closer.
"She's still thinking about this morning," he said quietly, voice warm against her ear. "Aren't you?"
Her breath caught.
Kael's eyes darkened. "Can you blame her?"
They didn't touch her—not like before. Not yet.
But their words, their glances, their nearness—it was a different kind of intimacy. Like being slowly unwrapped without a single finger lifted.
And Liora? She sat there, caught between them, wanting nothing more than to stay in that space—loved, teased, and seen.
---
Liora's fingers moved without thought—just a light brush against Kael's thigh as she reached for a napkin. But the heat that flared in his gaze told her he'd felt more than just contact.
"Careful," he murmured, his voice dropping lower. "You're playing with fire."
She tilted her head, an innocent smile curving her lips. "Am I?"
Riven smirked as he leaned closer, his eyes flicking down to where her hand lingered. "I'd say the fire's already lit."
Liora's hand shifted slightly, brushing a little lower along the fabric of Kael's pants. She could feel it—tension beneath the surface. Energy that hadn't left them since that morning.
Kael exhaled slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. "Still hungry," he whispered.
"For food?" she teased.
"For you," he answered simply.
Before her breath could catch, Riven leaned in behind her, resting his chin on her shoulder. "You two are dangerous when you start like this," he said with a low laugh, his hand sliding across her back, not quite touching—just enough to make her skin tingle.
"I should go back to class," she said, her voice barely convincing.
"Then why aren't you moving?" Kael's hand came to rest on her knee, warm and grounding.
Because she didn't want to. Not when she was nestled between their warmth, wrapped in words that felt like touches, hearts that beat in sync with hers.
"You both make it hard to think."
"Good," Riven whispered. "We've been thinking about you all day."
She closed her eyes for just a moment, letting herself feel the pulse of everything between them. It was more than chemistry. It was connection. Trust. A growing fire that flickered in looks and laughter and the smallest of touches.
She didn't have to say it aloud. They already knew.
---