The bonfire blazed in the center of the university courtyard, crackling high and wild, surrounded by string lights that zigzagged across the trees like stardust. A DJ booth blasted party anthems, and the scent of barbecue and cheap beer drifted through the cool night air. Laughter echoed off the buildings.
Engineering and Architecture had won.
The Law department took their loss gracefully—mostly—and now students from all colleges had come together for the massive post-sports-meet bash.
Riz was holding a red solo cup and dancing terribly in front of the fire while a circle of people cheered him on. His hair was still damp from a quick shower, his cheeks pink from the heat and tequila. His varsity jersey had been replaced with a tight black t-shirt, sleeves rolled up to his biceps. It was criminal.
Cleo leaned against a picnic table nearby, sipping soda and trying not to watch Riz. Unsuccessfully.
"Stop ogling him like that," Bea said, plopping down beside him with a paper plate full of grilled corn and nachos. "You're going to set him on fire. With your eyes."
"I'm not ogling," Cleo muttered.
Bea snorted. "Sure. And I'm not wearing sequins right now." (She was. Very sparkly ones.)
Riz spun on the grass and pointed at Cleo across the crowd. "Reyes! Get your ass over here before I die from being this hot alone!"
A ripple of laughter followed. Someone from the Architecture department screamed, "Just marry him already!"
"Working on it!" Riz shouted back without missing a beat.
Cleo flushed to the tips of his ears.
"Oh, honey," Bea whispered with a dramatic gasp. "You are the main character."
Suddenly, a deep voice interrupted them. "Mind if I borrow your drama queen for a minute?"
They both turned—and there stood Andre, the Law department's impossibly handsome captain, arms crossed and smirking like a villain in a K-drama. Tall. Sharp. Button-down slightly undone. The kind of guy who could flirt by breathing.
Bea choked on her nacho. "Oh my God. What do you want?"
"To congratulate you," Andre said smoothly. "You were terrifying today. Very... passionate."
Cleo raised an eyebrow.
Bea blinked. "Are you flirting with me?"
Andre just held out a hand. "Come dance with me, Esmeralda."
Bea squealed like she'd won the lottery and dramatically tossed her plate into Cleo's lap. "I'M GOING TO DANCE WITH MY ENEMY, IF I DON'T COME BACK, BURY ME IN SEQUINS!"
Cleo watched in disbelief as she actually took his hand.
"They're gonna get married, aren't they?" Riz asked suddenly, appearing beside him, slightly breathless and completely amused.
"God, I hope not," Cleo said, then added, "...Okay maybe a little."
They both laughed.
Riz nudged him with his shoulder. "People keep teasing us."
"Yeah, I noticed," Cleo said, side-eyeing the giggling cluster from both departments watching them not-so-subtly.
A cheer went up across the crowd as someone shouted for a speech. Riz straightened up and, with dramatic flair, climbed onto one of the low benches.
"Alright, listen up!" he yelled, holding up his drink. "This year, the impossible happened. Engineering and Architecture teamed up!"
The crowd whooped.
"We were supposed to be rivals. But instead, we formed the most chaotic, over-caffeinated, brilliant alliance this school has ever seen."
Louder cheers.
"And to all the other departments who doubted us..." Riz paused, shot Cleo a quick, devilish glance, and shouted, "WE'RE UNSTOPPABLE, BABY!"
The courtyard exploded in noise—laughter, chanting, a few "RIZ FOR PRESIDENT!" declarations.
Cleo just shook his head, grinning despite himself.
The bonfire was just embers now, glowing low like the heartbeat of the night. Most of the crowd had drifted away—some to their dorms, others to grab late-night fries or crash in clusters on blankets. Laughter was distant now, a softer echo in the dark.
Cleo sat on the edge of the low stone wall that bordered the courtyard, arms resting on his knees, face lit by the flicker of dying flames.
He didn't even hear Riz approach. Not until the familiar presence settled beside him, close—too close, just right.
Neither of them spoke for a moment.
Riz reached down and plucked a pebble from the ground, tossing it lazily toward the firepit. "That party was insane."
Cleo nodded. "You were insane."
Riz chuckled. "Guilty. Worth it, though."
Silence stretched, but it wasn't awkward. It was comfortable, like the hush that settles when words aren't enough—or aren't needed.
Cleo finally broke it. "You meant what you said? About Engineering and Architecture being unstoppable?"
Riz turned to him, one corner of his mouth lifting. "Of course. But I wasn't just talking about the departments."
Cleo's breath caught.
"I meant us," Riz said quietly.
The wind moved gently through the trees, rustling the leaves like whispered secrets.
Cleo looked at him, eyes searching. "You're not scared? Of people knowing?"
Riz leaned in slightly, elbows resting on his knees, voice soft but sure. "I used to be. I used to think... if people knew, everything would change. The teasing, the rumors, the looks."
Cleo nodded slowly. He understood that fear too well.
"But tonight?" Riz continued. "It didn't feel like the end of something. It felt like the beginning. Like we've been hiding in the margins of our own story."
Cleo blinked, startled by the truth of it.
Then Riz reached out, just brushing their pinkies together. Not grabbing. Not forcing. Just a quiet, tentative touch.
Cleo turned his hand, lacing their fingers gently.
And just like that, the world shrank to this moment.
The stars above were breathtaking, scattered like spilled sugar across the velvet sky. The last trace of smoke curled upward, fragrant and warm.
Riz rested his head lightly against Cleo's shoulder. "I like this version of us," he murmured.
Cleo tilted his head, resting it against Riz's. "Me too."
They stayed like that—hands entwined, shoulders touching, wrapped in quiet and night and something almost sacred. No grand confessions, no declarations. Just presence. Just them.
For now, that was enough.
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End of Chapter Ten.