Vael's POV
I arrived at the Academy of Visual Arts fifteen minutes early, parking in the visitor lot so I could watch the main entrance. My eyes scanned the stream of students leaving the building until I spotted the familiar flash of silver white hair. Lirien stepped out with two others beside him, a girl with curly hair and a boy with blue glasses. He was smiling, gesturing animatedly as he talked, his sketchbook tucked under one arm.
My chest tightened with a warmth I was still getting used to.
He looked happy. Really happy.
I stepped out of the car and leaned against it, waiting. The moment Lirien saw me, his entire face lit up. He said something quick to his friends, hugged the girl briefly, and hurried toward me. I opened my arms without thinking, and he walked straight into them, pressing his face against my chest.
"You came," he said, voice muffled against my shirt.
