It happened on an ordinary afternoon.
That was the thing Velithra was starting to learn—important moments didn't always announce themselves. Sometimes they just… arrived.
They were sitting on the steps behind the school, the ones people rarely used. The air was mild, the sky pale and stretched thin above them. Kai sat one step lower than her, elbows resting on his knees.
Velithra traced the edge of her sleeve with her thumb.
"There's something I should probably tell you," she said quietly.
Kai didn't turn to face her right away. He just nodded once. "Okay."
No pressure.No rush.
She appreciated that more than he knew.
"I haven't always been good at… letting people stay," she continued. "Not because I don't want them to. Just because I don't always trust that they will."
Kai glanced up at her then. "You don't have to explain everything."
"I know," she said. "I just don't want you to think I'm distant because of you."
He was quiet for a moment. Then: "I don't."
She looked at him, surprised.
"You show up," he added. "Even when it's hard. That tells me more than any explanation could."
Her throat tightened—not painfully, just enough to make the moment real.
Velithra took a breath. "There were times when being close to people didn't feel safe. Not because they were bad—just… unreliable."
Kai absorbed that, his expression steady.
"I'm not asking you to fix that," she said quickly. "I just wanted you to know where some of my hesitation comes from."
Kai nodded. "Thank you for trusting me with that."
She let out a small laugh. "I didn't even say much."
"You said enough," he replied. "And you didn't disappear while saying it."
That made her smile.
They sat in silence for a bit, comfortable and unforced.
Then Kai spoke again. "For what it's worth—I'm not perfect at this either. I tend to keep parts of myself locked away."
She tilted her head. "Why?"
He shrugged lightly. "Habit. Easier than explaining."
Velithra considered that. "You don't have to unlock everything at once."
He met her eyes. "I know. I just… want you to know I'm trying."
Her chest warmed at that.
"Me too," she said.
When the bell rang in the distance, neither of them jumped.
Kai stood first, then offered his hand to help her up—not because she needed it, but because it felt right.
She took it.
As they walked back toward the building, Velithra realized something else had shifted.
She hadn't told him her whole story.
But she'd trusted him with a piece of it.
And for now—
That was enough.