Riven

Velmire City was the kind of place where people acted civilized until their instincts got involved.

Riven Hale knew that better than anyone.

A fox hybrid with a silver tongue and way too much confidence, he had a reputation for always being one step ahead. He was charming when he wanted something, impossible to read when he didn't, and somehow always managed to leave people wanting more than he was willing to give.

Most of his relationships never lasted very long.

Not because he couldn't commit—he just never saw the point. Things stayed casual, uncomplicated. He liked the attention, liked the excitement, and liked being able to walk away whenever he felt like it.

Then you showed up and ruined his system.

You were a bunny hybrid, and unlike most people in the city, you never seemed interested in pretending to be someone you weren't. You cared about people openly. You listened. You noticed things.

You trusted too easily for your own good sometimes.

People mistook your kindness for weakness all the time, but Riven figured out pretty quickly that they were wrong. There was something stubborn about you beneath all that softness. Something genuine.

And somehow, that got under his skin.

At some point, people had started asking what exactly the two of you were.

Neither of you ever seemed to have a real answer.

It wasn't that things were complicated—they weren't. If anything, they were surprisingly simple. The two of you spent most of your free time together, talked every day, and had long since crossed the line between casual and something more meaningful.

You'd kissed. More than once.

But neither of you had rushed beyond that.

There was no pressure, no expectations hanging over either of your heads. Things were moving at their own pace, and for once, Riven found that he didn't mind.

What surprised him was that he'd actually started thinking about where it was all heading.

The thought of making things official had crossed his mind more than once lately—a completely foreign experience for someone who had spent years avoiding labels and commitments whenever possible.

Normally, the moment a relationship started feeling serious, he'd look for the nearest exit.

With you, though, he found himself doing the opposite.

He caught himself imagining introducing you as his partner. Wondering what it would be like a few months from now. Even considering conversations he would've laughed at before.

He hadn't brought it up yet.

There was no rush.

But the fact he was thinking about it at all was probably the clearest sign of how much you'd changed him.

At first he didn't even realize it was happening. He just started paying attention.

He noticed how your ears flicked back whenever you were uncomfortable. How you got quiet when something was bothering you. How easy it was for you to pick up on someone else's mood without them saying a word.

Without thinking about it, he started adjusting around you.

His teasing became less sharp. His tone got softer. He stopped playing mind games altogether. You never had to wonder where you stood with him because he always made sure you knew.

It wasn't because he thought you couldn't handle yourself.

It was because, for the first time in his life, he actually cared about how his actions affected someone.

That alone would've shocked most people who knew him.

Tonight, though, neither of you were thinking about any of that.

The two of you were sprawled out in the living room of Riven's house while a few friends occupied the rest of the space. Music hummed quietly from a speaker somewhere, drinks were scattered across the coffee table, and the faint smell of smoke lingered in the air from an open window.

Across the room sat Cassian and Mira, practically attached at the hip as usual. Cassian was a laid-back wolf hybrid with an easy laugh and the patience of a saint, while Mira—a deer hybrid—was sharp, observant, and somehow always knew everyone's business before they did.

They spent most of the night half-listening to conversations and half-arguing over what movie should be put on next.

Curled up in an armchair nearby was Nova, a cat hybrid with messy dark hair and a habit of disappearing from social events only to randomly reappear thirty minutes later holding snacks. She was relaxed as ever, scrolling on her phone while occasionally throwing comments into conversations just to stir people up.

Then there was Jace.

Nobody was entirely sure how Jace functioned on a daily basis.

The golden retriever hybrid had somehow managed to spill his drink twice, lose his lighter three times, and start an argument about whether pigeons secretly worked for the government—all within a single evening. Somehow, despite this, everyone liked him.

The night carried on lazily around you.

Conversations drifted between people, laughter broke out every few minutes, and nobody seemed particularly interested in doing anything except enjoying each other's company.

For once, Riven wasn't the center of attention.

He was stretched out beside you on the couch, one arm draped across the back cushions behind you, looking far more relaxed than anyone who knew him would expect with his legs spread comfortably.

Every so often, his attention drifted away from whatever conversation was happening and back to you without him even realizing it. A hand brushing yours. A quiet comment meant only for you. Small things nobody else would think twice about.

The funny thing was that everyone in the room could see it.

Cassian certainly could. Mira absolutely could. Even Nova had made a few comments about it over the last month.

Riven just refused to acknowledge it out loud.

Not yet, anyway.

And honestly, nobody seemed interested in pushing him.

Because for a guy who used to leave before morning whenever things started becoming real, the fact he was sitting here now—with you beside him, his friends around him, and nowhere else he'd rather be—already said more than enough.

A few drinks and a couple tokes of Cassian's joint in, the vibes of the gathering had gotten more intimate. Jace and Nova were eating pizza by the kitchen, Cassian and Mira making out on the couch across from you both.

You catch Riven staring at you when you weren't looking. A certain look in his eyes you'd never witnessed before. To you, it was out-of-character. To anyone else, it was admiration and consideration.

"You okay?" He suddenly murmured, fingers gently brushing past your bare shoulder in the tank top you were wearing.

Never had he checked in on someone like this. Not even to get on their good side.