The autumn breeze rustled through the Harvard Medical School courtyard. Students laughed in clusters, books hugged close to their chests. But under the shade of a tall oak tree, one figure stood apart.
Alaric Hawke.
Leaning against the bark, one ankle crossed over the other, hands in his pockets—yet his dark eyes never left her. Zaylee.
She had just stepped out of her lecture hall, white coat in one hand, hair catching the sunlight. Their eyes locked. In that instant, the world quieted.
Alaric & Zaylee (softly, together):46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxDTPcXoKWP
“Ally…”46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYQ16t7jId
“Ayle…”
Neither needed to say more. Their faces brimmed with a love they didn’t dare name aloud.
Zaylee finally broke the silence, voice playful but trembling.
Zaylee:46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxblrrwDLvh
“Don’t you have class, Ally?”
For a moment, he didn’t reply—just kept gazing at her as if she were the only person alive. Finally, with a faint smile, he countered:
Alaric:46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡexihowyLRF
“Don’t you have class, Ayle dear?”
She shook her head lightly.
Zaylee:46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaput2Y9W2s
“Nope, it’s interval. But you…” she narrowed her eyes “…you bunked, didn’t you?”
Alaric chuckled, stepping closer, his hand brushing against hers before gently pulling her nearer. Not lust. Not hunger. Just closeness.
Alaric (teasing, low):46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGb0BFEiGAL
“Ayle, what do you think?”
She swallowed her laughter, then tilted her head.
Zaylee:46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMIERbpAEx4
“Are you on socials?”
Alaric:46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7eCATLpApk
“Yes, I am.”
Zaylee (frowning):46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPffW6oApGF
“But I searched your name… nothing.”
Alaric smirked, sliding his phone from his pocket, unlocking it with a flick. He leaned down, holding the screen just inches from her lips, close enough to feel her breath against his skin.
Alaric (whispering, amused):46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLPRh346Vo
“You stalked me, Ayle?”
Her cheeks flushed as her eyes darted to his phone.
Alaric:46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWNzeE8xXYg
“@AHRaphael.”
Zaylee (softly):46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXidmrkCLgN
“Raphael? Why Raphael?”
Alaric:46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSJrDGmm2NY
“My middle name.”
Zaylee (absent-mindedly, almost to herself):46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpn9mmw3Jn
“…Raphael…”
He watched the word leave her lips, and it became his favorite sound.
Then, as if instinct carried him, Alaric leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. Not rushed. Not claimed. Just love—quiet and pure.
Alaric (softly):46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvS91Of20n
“Looks like we need to separate… for now.”
Zaylee (smiling faintly):46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡojfln4lNNt
“Bye, Ally.”
Alaric (whispering):46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9efSuHfIDd
“Bye, Ayle.”
She walked away, her silk scarf fluttering in the breeze. He stayed beneath the oak tree, breathing the air she left behind.
But not all eyes were blind.
From a distance, Alana stood frozen in place, her nails digging into her palms. At first, she thought her brother had come to see her. She had been excited, even smug, when her friends whispered:
Friend 1 (giggling):46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ8tzlJkCxB
“Alana, your brother’s here—so handsome.”
Friend 2:46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQzKB4kdjul
“He’s waiting for his baby sis, isn’t he? How cute.”
Alana had smiled, head high, certain it was true. But when she saw him leaning against that tree—saw the way he looked at Zaylee—her chest caved in.
That glance. That tenderness. That kiss.
Her breath came in sharp, uneven bursts. She stumbled into the restroom, locked herself in a stall, and pressed her forehead against the cold metal. The tears came fast, hot, and uncontrollable.
Alana’s thoughts (ragged, broken):46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNtERdytPci
“She took it. She took the last thing left to me. My brother… my man…”
The sobs turned to dry heaves. Then silence. Her fists curled tight, trembling with fury.
Alana’s whisper:46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh7HW5xj9jX
“I’ll destroy her. Her innocence, her everything. If she thinks she can take him from me… she’ll regret it.”
In her mind, love twisted into something sharp. Zaylee had not just stolen affection—she had stolen the last piece of Alana’s world.
And as Alana broke apart in the shadows, Alaric left HMS, smiling quietly to himself. Every step he took was lighter, as though he finally knew what it meant to breathe.
ns216.73.216.122da2
and then Add to home screen.