Chapter 12: Unexpected Reactions
Reese's POV
My mind was still stuck on that one damn sentence Raiden had said earlier: "I'll be waiting for that kiss, Kitten." Like, what the hell.
"What does he want?" I groaned, rubbing my forehead in exasperation.
"Hmmm." Yasha eyed me, clearly sensing my discomfort. "What did Raiden do now?" she asked, her tone casual but knowing.
"Nothing," I muttered. "It's just… our daily banter."
Yasha raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Oh, let me guess. You're here groaning because of that comment he made about the kiss?"
I shot her a glare, wishing I could vanish into the floor. "I was there, remember?"
I didn't reply, just groaned again, trying to distract myself with the crowd milling around us.
Yasha didn't let it go. She leaned in closer, her grin widening. "You know," she began, her voice dripping with mischief, "it's totally okay if you're starting to like him. I mean, it's Raiden. How could you not?"
I shot her a look that could've melted glass with its intensity. "What? No, I don't—" I stopped myself, realizing how defensive I sounded. And honestly, it wasn't like I had anything to prove. Instead, I just sighed, dragging my hands down my face in frustration.
I couldn't deny it. It was all so annoying, how much of this mess was making my heart race and my head spin. Why the hell did he have to go and say that? And why did it feel like I couldn't just shake it off?
I barely rounded the corner when a familiar presence loomed in front of me. My back hit the lockers with a soft thud, but I didn't flinch. I was used to Raiden's antics by now—his stupid smirks, his over-the-top dramatics, his habit of invading my personal space like it was part of some ongoing bit. So I kept my expression flat, unimpressed.
"You're in my personal space again," I said, glaring up at him.
"Correction," he murmured, eyes glinting with mischief. "You're in my space. I claimed it the moment you wore that fake girlfriend title."
"What?" I said, arching a brow. "Avoiding someone again?"
He leaned in closer, one hand braced above my head. "Nope," he said smoothly, his voice low and far too smug for comfort. He lifted my chin up, "I'm just here to reclaim that kiss you owe me."
My breath caught.
Wait—he's not serious, right?
Before I could open my mouth and sass back like I always did, he tilted his head, leaned down, and—
Raiden kissed me.
Right there, in the middle of the hallway.
It wasn't a soft, fleeting thing either. It was confident, sure, like he'd been waiting for the perfect moment to pull it off. The kiss was warm and electric, and I hated that my heart leapt into my throat.
By the time he pulled back, I was frozen in place, wide-eyed and stunned.
Smug as ever, he grinned. "That's one," he murmured, brushing a finger under my chin before stepping away like he hadn't just blown my brain circuits.
I stared after him, lips still tingling.
What. The. Hell.
I should be mad. I should yell at him. I should slap him or trip him or—
But all I could do was stand there, stunned, flustered, and annoyingly breathless.
And worst of all?
There's this annoying feeling that I wanted to kiss him again.
Stupid Raiden.
I stood there like a statue for a second gathering my thoughts then shook my head and stormed off.
I passed students staring at me like I was some soap opera lead, whispering behind their hands. The walls felt tighter. The air hotter.
By the time I reached class, I slammed my bag onto the desk, shoved my chair back, and collapsed into it with a groan.
Across from me, Raiden waltzed in like he hadn't just set my whole nervous system on fire
He dropped into the seat beside me, leaned over, and whispered, "You didn't slap me. That means I did good."
I shot him a glare. "You're insufferable."
"And you're adorable when you're flustered."
I wanted to throw my pen at his head.
Instead, I muttered, "That was only one. You said 'that's one.' What the hell does that mean?"
He just winked. "Keep playing the game, Kitten. You'll find out."
I hate him.
I hate him so much.
The class dragged on in its usual tedious rhythm, but all I could focus on was Raiden sitting next to me. He was annoyingly calm, tapping his pen on his desk as if we hadn't just had a moment—a moment that still made my heart race whenever I dared to think about it.
I tried to zone out, but his presence next to me was like an electric current, constantly buzzing, keeping my attention hostage.
"Reese," he murmured under his breath, just loud enough for me to hear, "I hope you've been practicing your kiss technique. You're going to need it for round two."
I froze, pen poised over my notebook. He couldn't be serious. Could he?
"Shut up," I whispered harshly, trying to suppress the blush creeping up my neck. "I already told you it's a one-time thing."
He leaned in just enough to make my skin tingle, his voice low and teasing. "Well, since it's a one-time thing, I should've made the most of it, huh?"
"Might as well redo it" he added.
I shot him a quick look, and his lips were twitching like he was holding back a full-on grin. I glared at him, fully aware of how distracting he was being. "This is why I can't stand you."
He shrugged casually, the smirk not leaving his face. "Oh, come on, Kitten. Admit it—you like me a little."
"No, I don't," I said, trying to sound firm, but even I could hear the uncertainty in my own voice. He was getting under my skin, and I hated it.
He raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying this way too much. "Sure you don't."
The professor was droning on at the front of the class, but the whole atmosphere felt suffocating with Raiden's teasing. I was so close to losing it. He knew exactly how to push my buttons.
Finally, I leaned in, whispering just loud enough for him to hear, "I swear to God, if you don't stop—"
He grinned wider, enjoying the power he had over me. "What? You'll kiss me again?"
I slapped my hand down on the desk with a little more force than I intended, causing a couple of people around us to look up. I could feel the heat of embarrassment rush to my face, but I refused to let him get away with this.
"I'll—" I cut myself off, not having any good comeback. What would I even threaten him with? That I'd actually kiss him?
Raiden was clearly enjoying my flustered state. "What? Go ahead, Kitten. You were about to say something, weren't you?"
I turned away from him, trying to focus on the board. The last thing I needed was for him to know he had full control over my emotions.
But of course, he wasn't going to let me escape that easily.
He leaned closer again, his voice now a whisper. "I like watching you try to act like you're not into it. Makes everything more fun."
I sighed, fighting to stay calm. "You're a pain in the ass."
He hummed in acknowledgment. "Yep. And you love it."
I wanted to punch him.
For the rest of the day I ignored him. Not because of what he did but because of what I felt. Whether I admit it or not Raiden didn't come off too arrogant infront of me anymore. Maybe Yasha was right.
After class, I decided to go to the rooftop to clear my head.
The rooftop was quiet—eerily so. The kind of quiet that made your heartbeat feel too loud in your ears. I leaned on the railing, staring out at the city skyline painted gold by the setting sun, doing everything I could to ignore the approaching footsteps behind me.
Raiden.
Of course he'd find me here.
"You're ignoring me," he said simply, no teasing in his tone this time.
I didn't respond. Not right away. I kept my eyes on the horizon.
He took a breath, then exhaled slowly. "Is this about earlier?"
Still, I stayed quiet.
"I wasn't trying to mess with you," he added, softer this time. "Well… maybe a little. But not like that."
I turned to look at him. He wasn't smirking. No smugness. Just Raiden, with his hands tucked in his pockets and uncertainty flickering in his eyes.
"I noticed," he continued, voice low now, "when you weren't talking to me… it kind of sucked."
My lips parted slightly, caught off guard. Raiden rarely said things like this—genuine things.
"I mean, I joke a lot. Tease you. It's fun. You're fun. But it wasn't fun not hearing your voice today." He rubbed the back of his neck. "So I came up here to say something, because I didn't want to go another day like that."
I blinked, heart thudding in anticipation.
He stepped closer, gaze fixed on mine. "Reese, I—"
Bzzzt. Bzzzt.
My phone buzzed violently in my pocket.
At the exact same time, Raiden's rang too.
We both cursed under our breath.
I pulled out my phone and checked the screen—Yasha.
Raiden's screen lit up with "Gared."
We exchanged a glance, the moment broken, suspended mid-air like a popped bubble.
"I…" Raiden hesitated, gesturing vaguely toward his phone. "I guess I'll tell you… later?"
I nodded slowly, the weight of the almost-confession sitting heavy between us.
"Later," I echoed, clutching my phone tightly.
As he turned to take his call, I looked away again.
The wind picked up slightly, brushing my hair across my face.
But even with the city lights starting to flicker on, all I could focus on was what he almost said.
And what it could mean.
The phone buzzed again in my hand.
"Reese," Yasha's voice came through, sharp and tense. "Selene escaped."
My entire body froze. "…What?"
"She's in the city—Belcourt. We tried stopping her but she's—God, she's destroying everything. We're here now. You and Raiden need to get here. Fast."
I didn't even bother responding. I snapped my gaze toward Raiden. His expression had hardened, jaw clenched around whatever Gared must've just told him. He locked eyes with me and gave a single, silent nod.
We both moved without another word.
As we descended the rooftop stairs side by side, our fake lover act was gone—replaced by the real version of us: sharp, focused, dangerous.
No teasing. No banter.
Only purpose.
Selene had resurfaced.
And this time, we were ready.
"Maybe one day, we'll get the chance to say what we couldn't... but for now, we do what we must."