It started small. A few glances here, a whispered joke there. By the time the week was out, everyone on campus had an opinion Kylie and Iver.
No one said it straight to their faces, of course. But the looks spoke loud enough. The library whispers. The giggles when they walked past the courtyard. Someone even posted a blurry photo on the student group chat: "New campus couple?" with a heart emoji.
Kylie had seen it that morning before class. She'd stared at the screen for a good minute before sighing, muting the chat, and shoving her phone into her bag.
When she arrived at the sports block, Iver was already there hoodie up, bag slung over one shoulder, leaning against the railing like he hadn't a care in the world.
"You seen the post?" she asked quietly as she joined him.
He smirked. "Yeah. Bare people chatting breeze, init."
She rolled her eyes. "You're not bothered?"
"Nah." He shrugged. "People talk 'cause they're bored. Next week, someone else'll do somethin' mad, and they'll move on."
Kylie smiled, a little. "You sound pretty sure of that."
He looked at her really looked and said, softer now, "I'm not worried 'cause I know what this is. We know, yeah?"
She felt a warmth spread through her chest. "Yeah," she said. "We know."
Still, the whispers didn't stop.
By Wednesday, even their study group had caught on. During a late evening revision session, Malik gave Iver one of those sly grins that said more than words.
"So, you and Kylie, yeah?" he teased.
Iver glanced up from his notes. "What about me and Kylie?"
Malik chuckled. "Bruv, come off it. You two been inseparable these days."
Kylie tried to stay focused on her notebook, but her cheeks were already turning pink. "We're just studying, Malik. That's all."
"Right, right." Malik raised a brow. "And that's why man's been carrying your books for you like a proper gent, yeah?"
"Oi, leave it out," Iver said, laughing but not denying it. "Man's just got manners."
Kylie couldn't help smiling, though she quickly hid it behind her pen.
The truth was, Iver had been carrying her books. He'd been walking her to class too, waiting outside lectures, saving her a seat in the cafeteria. None of it was planned it just happened naturally, like they'd fallen into the same rhythm without even realising it.
And somewhere in that rhythm, she'd found peace. After everything with Devon, peace felt foreign. It felt fragile. But Iver made it simple again.
That Friday, they sat outside the café as the sun dipped low behind the arts building. The air smelt faintly of coffee and wet grass.
Kylie sipped her drink, eyes half-closed. "Feels nice, doesn't it?"
"What does?" Iver asked, leaning back in his chair.
"This." She gestured around. "Quiet. Normal."
He nodded. "Yeah. Been a while since life wasn't chaos."
She smiled, remembering the fire, the protests, the heartbreak. "Feels like ages ago."
"Feels like a different lifetime, fam."
She laughed softly. "Don't call me 'fam.' That's so weird."
"Alright, alright. What should I call you then?"
"Just Kylie's fine."
He grinned. "Kylie's fine, huh? Sounds proper formal."
"Oh, shut up," she said, nudging him with her elbow.
They both laughed that easy kind of laugh that needed no effort.
Then she noticed a few students across the courtyard staring again, whispering, nudging each other.
Her smile faltered. "Guess the rumours haven't died down."
Iver followed her gaze, then looked back at her. "Let 'em look, yeah? We're not doin' nothin' wrong."
"I know," she said quietly. "I just… I don't want people thinking I've moved on too fast."
He tilted his head. "You mean from Devon."
She hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah."
Iver was silent for a moment, watching her carefully. "You're allowed to move on, Kyles. No one owns your story, you get me?"
Something in the way he said it made her throat tighten. "Yeah," she whispered. "I get you."
That night, as she was packing up her books in the library, Raya walked in.
It had been months since Kylie had seen her properly not since the chaos of the end-of-term assembly.
Raya's eyes found her instantly. "Hey," she said, tone neutral.
"Hey."
An awkward silence settled between them.
"You and Iver seem… close," Raya said finally, crossing her arms.
Kylie looked at her, unsure how to respond. "We've been studying together. He's been helping me with some of the P.E coursework."
Raya gave a small nod. "Right. Just coursework."
Kylie frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing." Raya gave a half-smile. "Just funny, innit? How circles spin back around. You, me, him, Devon… guess we're all still caught up somehow."
Kylie exhaled sharply. "I don't want to be caught up, Raya. I just want to breathe."
Raya stared at her for a moment, then her expression softened. "Then breathe, girl. Don't let people's chat stop you. If it's real with Iver, don't pretend it's not."
Kylie blinked, surprised. "You're… okay with it?"
Raya shrugged. "It's not about me, is it? I had my chance twice, actually. Maybe you two'll get it right."
There was something almost wistful in her tone, but Kylie couldn't tell if it was blessing or warning.
"Thanks," Kylie said quietly.
Raya smiled faintly and turned to leave. "Just make sure he treats you proper, yeah? Or I'll come back and sort him out myself."
Kylie laughed softly. "Deal."
The weekend brought more whispers, but Kylie had stopped caring.
She and Iver started spending more time together early morning runs, group projects, coffee breaks that stretched into hours.
One afternoon, they found themselves walking through the empty gym. The sound of their footsteps echoed against the floor.
Iver tossed a ball toward the hoop, missing completely.
"Wow," Kylie said, grinning. "You're definitely out of practice."
"Oi, I'm rusty, not useless," he laughed. "Bet I could still beat you."
"Dream on."
He threw again. Missed again. She burst out laughing.
"Alright, alright," he said, smiling. "You win. What's my punishment?"
She pretended to think. "Hmm… coffee's on you tomorrow."
"Deal."
As he walked over to pick up the ball, she watched him the way he moved, easy and grounded. Nothing like the chaos she'd been used to.
When he looked up, she quickly glanced away, cheeks warm.
"Oi," he said gently. "Don't start blushin' now."
"Shut up," she said, laughing again.
But deep down, she knew what was happening. It wasn't just comfort anymore. It was something more. Something dangerous and real.
By midterm, the whispers had become headlines at least in campus gossip terms.
"Iver and Kylie – the new it couple?"
"Devon who?"
Someone even drew their names on a locker door with a heart between them. Kylie had wiped it off instantly, but the mark stayed in her mind.
It was ridiculous, she thought. Love shouldn't have to survive rumours. But maybe that's how she knew it was real because it did.
Still, there were moments she'd catch herself wondering what Devon would think if he saw them.
Would he be proud she'd found her footing again?
Or would he just see the past repeating itself?
She never found out. Devon had been gone nearly a month, and no one had heard much from him just a few posts online, mostly about his new job.
But sometimes, when the campus got quiet, she'd feel a small ache. Not for him exactly, but for everything they'd all lost the simplicity, the laughter before things got messy.
And then Iver would text her something daft like, "You fancy grabbin' a cuppa or what?" and the ache would fade, replaced by something solid.
Something hers.
One Friday evening, they sat on the bleachers watching the sunset over the field.
"Funny, innit," Iver said. "All this time, we've been right here. Never thought it'd end up like this."
Kylie smiled. "Like what?"
He glanced at her. "Like you and me. Just… us."
She looked down at her hands, then back at him. "Yeah. Me neither."
He hesitated, then asked softly, "You happy, though?"
She didn't need to think long. "Yeah," she said. "I think I am."
He smiled that small, genuine smile that always reached his eyes. "Good. 'Cause you deserve it."
The last bit of sunlight slipped behind the horizon, painting the sky in burnt orange and violet.
Kylie exhaled, feeling the world slow around her. The whispers, the rumours, the chaos none of it mattered right now.
For the first time in a long while, she wasn't running from her past or chasing her future. She was just… here.
With him.
And even if tomorrow the gossip started again, she'd face it.
Because this time, she wasn't alone.