HARLAND

When he finally opened his eyes again, his gaze locked onto Nikolas’s with a weight he’d never shown before. Not with him. Silence settled between them. The words on his tongue had never felt so heavy. He was hoping his eyes alone could convey what he wanted to say.

Ia menjadi bagian dari kerumunan yang bergerak ke luar aula itu, dan sesungguhnya dia tidak punya tujuan selain ruang kelasnya sendiri. Informasi soal pekan inovasi barusan mengisi kepalanya dengan rencana soal bagaimana ia akan mengikuti cabang robotik.

They adopted a new routine; grabbing snacks after school became their thing. But, for Harland, it was more than just another habit. No, scratch that. Nikolas’s very presence had turned his usual monotous days into something more 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦.

Harland caught that smile—the one that lit a possessive hunger that demanded Nikolas be 𝘩𝘪𝘴 alone. But when Nikolas just shrugged, Harland rolled his eyes. Fine. He wouldn’t make the nature of their relationship difficult. What they had now was enough.

Harland turned toward the familiar voice, his face lighting up instantly. But when Nikolas grabbed his hand, he stiffened for a moment, long enough to register the fact that their fingers thread together. Then his grin widened, and he squeezed Nikolas’s hand tightly in response.