Rain
I don't know why I thought today would be different.
She's been talking for twenty-seven minutes straight. Not that I'm counting.
Sky's sitting on the living room floor in my hoodie, cross-legged, hair fanned out like some wild painting. Her hands move as fast as her mouth, and every time she gets excited, she punches the air like she's winning a fight with invisible enemies.
"—and then we dim the lights right before the bridge, okay? And then bam, cue the confetti, and Day slams the drums and you're doing that thing with the mic stand where you lean back like you're about to end someone's soul—"
"I like you," I say.
Her mouth doesn't even pause. "—and the fans will go nuts, Rain, nuts, I swear! We could go viral just from the entrance!"
I breathe in deep. Try again.
"I said I like you."
She stops.
Finally.
Turns to me with those big dumb eyes that make my heart combust. "You like my idea?!"
I blink. "What?"
"My crowd-walk idea!" she beams, cheeks glowing. "Oh my god, wait, you actually like it?!"
I want to lie down in traffic.
"Yeah," I mutter. "Your idea."
Before I can regret all my life choices, she lunges forward and hugs me — a Sky Ren signature: full-body, no warning, no hesitation. Her face is buried in my chest, humming some stupid melody I can't focus on because my heart is punching me in the throat.
I could've said something better. Louder. Clearer.
But I didn't.
Because loving Sky Ren is like trying to hold sunlight in your fist — it's beautiful, and it burns, and it never stays.
I close my eyes and pretend her hugging me means she already knows.
---
Day
Night's sitting on the edge of the balcony like it's a stage she owns. The city's below her, glowing. Her legs swing over the ledge, and every five seconds I fight the urge to pull her down to safety.
"You're gonna fall," I say, leaning in the doorway.
She doesn't look at me. "I've done riskier things."
"You fall here, it's not fog machines and fans catching you. It's concrete."
She shrugs. "Maybe it'd knock some sense into me."
I laugh, but it's not really funny. I walk out, stop beside her. She's still staring out like the city owes her something.
She speaks first. "Sky's in love, you know."
"Yeah."
"She's just waiting for Rain to catch up."
"Yeah."
There's a long beat. The kind that tastes like something's about to change.
"What about us?" she says quietly.
I freeze.
"What are we, Day?"
I step forward, heart in my mouth. "We're fire."
She turns finally, eyes narrowing. "That's vague as hell."
I breathe. "We're always burning. Loud. Dangerous. Unspoken. But it's there. You feel it. I know you do."
She doesn't flirt. Doesn't tease.
She just nods. "I'm tired of burning alone."
I take her hand.
No cameras.
No chaos.
Just us.
And she lets me.
Maybe that's all I've ever wanted.
---
Back inside, Sky's got Rain pinned under her arm in some weird fake wrestling hold and is monologuing about glitter.
Rain looks like he wants to die.
I catch his eye across the room.
He almost confessed.
I almost kissed her.
Maybe we're all just almosts, crashing through the same storm.
But damn if it doesn't feel real tonight.