‡† The Unseen †‡

15 † Echoed Interpreter †

Devon muttered quietly, but loud enough for only Raven to hear.
“…I hate you.”

Raven smirked at him.

That's a blatant lie, but.. I'll let it slide..

So what came out of Raven's mouth was, “You’re welcome.”

There was a brief, comfortable pause, where Devon just stared at the smirking Raven, as if trying to think of ways to kill him slowly. Kaya eyed the two of them, then looked back at Devon as she spoke.

“You always let him do your talking for you?”

Devon murmured rather thoughtfully, almost as if speaking to himself, but they all heard when he said, “Only when he’s right.”

Ah. So you DO know how to give credit where it's due, huh?

Kaya chuckled, and Raven raised an eyebrow and sent Kaya a rather haughty gaze as if saying, “See?”

The trio stood there under the slowly dimming sky, a new part forming. As they remained there, a small smile tugged at Devon’s lips. Kaya noticed, and smiled as well. And Raven..

Well, Raven noticed her noticing, and just shook his head.

She is SOO whipped.

Raven sighed softly, stepping back as if to leave. Which was a lie. He just wanted to withdraw to the shadows so he could watch them better.

Yeah, yeah, call me matchmaker. Who cares?

He spoke as he turned. “I’ll leave you two to keep pretending I’m not the glue that holds this awkward puzzle together.”

He walked off toward a bench, but not before he caught the short, pointed glance Devon sent him. One that Kaya didn’t see—silent thanks, buried deep beneath that unreadable exterior.

Guess I'm getting better at reading people then.

Or maybe it's just Devon.

—————

Later that evening, the campus was now completely emptying out. Kaya and Raven sat on opposite sides of a wide bench near the fountain Raven had even forgotten existed. Devon was nowhere in sight, having vanished after that quiet exchange, probably for a decent recharge Raven knew he needed.

As they sat there though, Kaya turned to Raven, her legs curled under her, eyes searching.

Uhm.. okay..

“He’s… intense.”

Raven smirked faintly at that, nearly snickering. “You’re just noticing?”

Kaya chuckled with a mischievous glint in her eye that Raven had learnt to recognize, teasing.

“Well, I thought I was pretty good at reading people, but Devon’s like… encrypted.”

Raven leaned back, glancing up at her for a second as he thought of how exactly he'd help her understand.

“Well uhm.. That’s the thing. He’s not encrypted. He’s just.. layered like a badly written book that’s been through three tragic rewrites.”

Kaya laughed softly at his choice of words. “So, tragic literature. Noted. But I don’t get it. Sometimes he stares at me like I’ve hijacked his brain, and other times it’s like I don’t exist.”

Raven looked down, muttering, “Mm. That’s because you have hijacked his brain, and now he’s trying not to crash the entire system.”

Raven instantly regretted what he said. Did he just betray a fellow brother's feelings to a girl? Devon would kill him if—

Please don't tell me you heard that...

Kaya blinked. “What?”

Oh thank God, you didn't..

Raven looked up again, smiling, but this one was faint, thoughtful. “He notices you. Trust me. The silence? That’s not distance—it’s control. Devon thinks too much and feels even more. So when something shakes that… he builds walls. Fast.”

Kaya fell silent. She watched, alongside Raven, the ripples in the fountain solemnly. Raven then opened his mouth to continue, his voice softer now.

“He’s not cruel. Just.. cautious. There’s a difference.”

“He really doesn’t think he deserves kindness, does he?”

Raven smiled softly at her, glad she could at least notice that. “Nope. Which is why he notices it like it’s some.. rare mineral. That thing you do—smiling at him like he’s not broken? That’s... dangerous to him.”

Kaya retorted quietly, but firmly, “And still I want to try.”

Raven glanced at her, happy she could Devon a chance. Many people didn't. He opened his mouth to speak, didn’t tease this time. Just nodded and spoke.

“Then don’t stop. Just… don’t expect thanks, or a neat unraveling. Devon’s not a puzzle. He’s more like a labyrinth. And sometimes, being willing to get a little lost with someone is what brings them home.”

Raven caught Kaya staring at him, eyebrows lifting slightly. She smiled again—this one soft, a little sad, but full of resolve.

“You always talk like that?”

Raven grinned, yanking at the seriousness in the air a little. “Only when I care. Which is rare, so you better feel special.”

Kaya's laugh, this time, was iconic.

“I do.”

————

The evening air was crisp as Kaya and Raven continued to sit by the fountain, their conversation about Devon still lingering in the air as Kaya relentlessly—and admirably—kept on asking questions. Unbeknownst to them, Devon stood a short distance away, partially hidden by the shadows of the courtyard trees, his presence utterly unnoticed.

Kaya sighed softly, then spoke. “I just wish I could understand him better. It's like he's built this wall, and I don't know how to get through.”

Raven nodded slowly as if in thought, then chuckled softly, his smile small and fond, “Devon's been through a lot. He doesn't let people in easily, but that doesn't mean he doesn't care. He just... shows it differently.”

Devon listened from afar, his expression unreadable, yet his eyes betrayed a flicker of emotion at their words.

Kaya spoke again. “I don't want to push him, but I also don't want to give up. I feel like there's so much more to him.”

Devon watched as Raven stared up at the sky, smiling gently—knowingly.

“Then keep being patient. He notices more than he lets on.”

Devon stepped forward with a solemn expression on his face, the sound of his footsteps causing both Kaya and Raven to turn in surprise.

Devon stood there, staring at them. His eyes took in Kaya's surprise, took in Raven's knowing eyes, then glanced at his feet as he muttered quietly,
“You're right.”

Kaya and Raven exchanged glances, unsure of what he meant.

Devon looked straight at Kaya, then spoke. “I do notice. And... thank you.. for not giving up.”

Kaya offered a warm smile at that, and Raven's smile widened slowly, a nod of approval moving his head. The trio remained together, the silence between them now filled with understanding and the promise of deeper connection.

Raven couldn't help but feel excited for Devon—and for all the incoming embarrassing moments he'd be able absorb, of course.

This is going to be REAL interesting.

_____________

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Later.

~Anon.