‡† The Unseen †‡

21 † The Return †

Raven took a deep breath.

He raised his head, offering a small, tired, understanding smile. "I guess."

Devon’s chest rose and fell, muttering a tiny, meek, "Okay."

Raven fixed his gaze at him. Devon avoided the gaze.

Raven couldn't help but let his lips curl at the corners. He'd never seen Devon look like that. Like a little child who was trying to gain back the acceptance of his father after making him mad.

It was.. adorable.

Raven let himself smirk.

Devon wouldn't like to hear that from him.

“You look different.”

Raven stared at Devon. His attempt to salvage the entire situation was.. funny.

Raven let loose a little laugh. "Yeah, I do, don't I?”

Devon remained in front of him, squatting, his lips twitching, his expression meek and subdued. "Yeah, like a pale, majestic nutjob of a prince."

Raven let out a snort.

Silence again. Raven tapped Devon's ankle with his toe. "Hey."

"Yeah?" Devon looked so innocently hopeful, it was ridiculous. Raven smiled.

"It's okay. We're okay. Okay?"

Devon blinked. His lips twitched as he muttered, "So many okays. But.. okay."

Raven saw Kaya rolling her eyes, then yanking Devon up. "You two are so cheesy."

Devon's default neutral face was back so fast, Raven's brows arched in question. All you could still see was a little pout that Devon directed at Kaya as he muttered, "We're not."

Raven chuckled as he stood, allowing the mirth breeze through him.

But he also allowed the storm inside him to rage on.

______

The PE gym echoed with the sound of sneakers squeaking and murmurs as the basketball, soccer, and track teams gathered, scattered into loose clusters. Raven leaned against the wall near Devon, arms folded, eyes trailing the glossy floor absently. He wasn’t in the mood for surprise assemblies—but then again, when was he ever?

There were still stares. Whispers. Giggles. Raven ignored them.

The cafeteria was worse.

Raven remembered how Tyler had leaned in and said, "Okay, you've gone from prince-hot, to mysterious prince-hot." Everyone stared at Ty. "What?"

Isaac had muttered, sulking, "What's the difference?"

He'd remembered noticing even more. Too much. Devon had sat beside him, Kaya on the other side of Devon. And Kaya was talking one hundred miles per hour about something Raven didn't bother to listen to. Devon pouted.

Actually pouted.

"She's good for you," Raven had whispered to Devon with a small chuckle. Devon had glared at him.

Not just that. He'd noticed Jace. How he was staring across the cafeteria at a girl named Kelsey. The old Raven would've called him out and teased him about him. But not now. He knew if he did, he would end up being teased on how he never dated and whether he was gay or asexual or something.

The thought of dating.. didn't sit well with him.

Not just that. Max was off. Totally off. He'd growled at Tyler.