The late afternoon sun slanted through the gym's tall windows, spilling gold across the floor where Devon stood, tossing a basketball between his hands. The rhythmic thump echoed around the empty hall steady, controlled, almost meditative. It was the only sound that helped him think these days.
He hadn't planned to call Iver in. He'd just asked him to "drop by for a quick word," like it was about work. But the truth was heavier than that. Ever since stepping back on campus as a lecturer, Devon had carried that uneasy silence between them a silence full of unfinished business.
When the door opened, Devon looked up. Iver walked in with that same calm confidence, dressed in joggers and a hoodie, the picture of casual ease.
"You wanted to see me?" Iver asked, shutting the door behind him.
"Yeah," Devon said, catching the ball and holding it. "Thought we could talk."
Iver raised an eyebrow. "About?"
Devon hesitated for a moment. "About everything."
A quiet pause settled between them. Devon gestured for Iver to take a seat on the benches, but Iver stayed standing, leaning against the wall. Typical him cool, distant, unreadable.
Devon let out a slow breath. "Look, I know things between us have been… off. I never said it before, but I owe you a thank you. For being there for Kylie when I wasn't."
Iver's expression softened, just slightly. "She needed someone, Dev. You were… gone. It wasn't about taking sides."
"I know," Devon said. "Still. You showed up when I didn't. That means something."
The honesty hung in the air. Devon ran a hand over his hair, searching for words. "I just… I don't want there to be bad blood. I've had enough of that."
Iver folded his arms. "Neither do I. But let's not pretend it was simple. You left her hanging, mate. Then you came back acting like the world owed you a reset."
Devon winced. "Fair."
"You're trying now," Iver continued. "I can see that. But trying doesn't erase the past."
Devon nodded slowly. "No. But maybe it's a start."
They both stood in silence again, the kind that didn't sting anymore just existed, heavy but real.
Devon tossed the basketball toward Iver. "Still got your shot?"
Iver caught it, a faint smirk appearing. "Still better than yours."
"Yeah, right," Devon muttered, grinning despite himself.
For a few minutes, the air shifted. They played. The rhythm returned passing, shooting, the sound of sneakers squeaking on the polished floor. A quiet truce in motion.
By the time they sat again, breathing hard, some of the weight between them had eased.
Iver leaned back, eyes on the ceiling. "You know, she's doing better. Kylie. The whole lecturer thing surprised her at first, but she's handling it."
Devon nodded, his throat tightening. "Good. She deserves a bit of peace."
"She does," Iver agreed. "And you? You look like you're still trying to find yours."
Devon gave a small laugh. "Yeah. Maybe teaching's my way of trying."
"Maybe it's your way of staying close," Iver said quietly.
Devon looked at him a long, heavy glance that said more than either of them wanted to admit.
"Maybe," he murmured.
They both stood. Devon extended his hand, and for a second, Iver hesitated then took it. The shake was firm, the kind that said let's not drag this any further.
When Iver left, Devon stayed behind, leaning on the bench and watching the door close. It wasn't closure, not completely. But it was something.
Later that evening, the campus was dipped in that soft, dusky light that made everything feel gentler than it really was. Kylie was heading across the courtyard, her notes tucked under one arm, when she saw them.
Devon and Iver, standing by the outdoor basketball court, laughing. Just the two of them, the sound light and familiar.
It stopped her in her tracks.
For the first time in a long while, she felt that pinch of warmth in her chest not jealousy, not confusion, just relief. Maybe, finally, the two people who had once been at the centre of all her chaos had found a way to exist without breaking apart.
She smiled faintly, stepping back before they could notice her watching.
From where she stood, it looked like things were falling back into place.
What she didn't see what no one did was the flicker in Devon's eyes when Iver turned away, the shadow of thought that hadn't quite settled.
He'd made peace. He'd said the right words. But deep down, something still twisted when he thought of how close Kylie and Iver had become.
The echo of jealousy hadn't gone it had only gone quiet.
And as Kylie walked away, a gentle breeze rippling through the courtyard, Devon's laughter faded into the evening softer now, uncertain, like something fragile trying to survive.
For a brief, golden moment, the world looked whole again. But beneath the calm surface, the cracks still whispered.
They were all trying building bridges over old scars yet even the strongest echoes have a way of finding their way back.
And as night crept over the campus, those echoes lingered, waiting for the next moment to be heard.