The next day, the campus was buzzing with post-exhibition chatter. Trophies gleamed in the display case, and everyone seemed caught up in their own celebrations. But for Riven and Eli, the noise was just background.
Riven sat on the bleachers near the empty basketball court, his notebook resting on his lap. He wasn't writing—just staring at the blank page.
"You're hiding again," Eli's voice came from behind.
Riven didn't look up. "Not hiding. Just… thinking."
Eli hopped up onto the bleachers, sitting a step lower than Riven so he could look at him directly. "Thinking about what?"
"About whether it's worth it," Riven said quietly.
Eli's brows furrowed. "Worth what?"
Riven's grip tightened on his notebook. "Worth risking everything for something that could end up breaking me."
Silence settled for a moment. Then Eli leaned forward, his gaze unflinching. "Riven… I'm not running anymore."
Riven's head snapped up. "What?"
"I've been scared," Eli admitted. "Not of you—never of you. But of what it means if I let this happen. If I let us happen. Because once I do, I know there's no going back."
Riven's chest tightened. "Then why now?"
Eli took a breath. "Because yesterday, when you walked away, I realized something. Losing the project? I could handle that. Losing you? I couldn't."
The words landed like a spark in the cold. Riven's throat felt dry. "And what if you do? What if you lose me anyway?"
Eli's voice softened, but his eyes stayed fierce. "Then at least I'll know I tried. At least I won't spend the rest of my life wondering what we could've been."
Riven stared at him, searching for hesitation, but found none. Slowly, he closed his notebook and set it aside. "You're serious."
Eli nodded. "More serious than I've ever been."
Riven let out a shaky laugh, half in disbelief, half in relief. "You're an idiot."
"Yeah," Eli said with a small smile. "But I'm your idiot… if you'll let me be."
For the first time in weeks, Riven didn't feel the need to guard himself. He reached out, closing the distance between them, and their fingers intertwined—this time, fully, without hesitation.
No more running.