It spread faster than wildfire.
By morning, half the team was already whispering, and by lunch, the cafeteria might as well have had Raven's name written across every table.
> "Did you see them?"
"Alone. In the gym. After hours."
"Bet it wasn't just basketball drills."
Forks clinked, sneakers squeaked on tile, trays slammed, and somehow everyone had something to say.
Raven sat at the end of her team's table, picking at her food like it hadn't turned to sawdust in her mouth. She could feel their eyes darting, sliding, sticking.
Maya leaned in from across the table, her voice dripping with fake sweetness.
"So, Captain… you and Chris, huh?"
Raven's fork stopped mid-air.
"Excuse me?"
"Oh, don't play dumb." Jace was grinning now, leaning back in his chair like he owned the place. "You disappear, he disappears, then bam—caught in the gym together. Kinda obvious."
Raven set her fork down very slowly. "Maybe the obvious thing here is you've got way too much free time."
The table snickered. Maya smirked. Jace opened his mouth for another jab—
And then a tray slammed onto the table right next to Raven's.
Chris.
He dropped into the empty seat beside her like he belonged there, hoodie hanging loose, hair a wreck, that infuriatingly calm grin already tugging at his mouth.
"Morning," he said, snatching one of Raven's fries without asking.
She gawked at him. "What are you—"
"Don't mind me," he cut in, popping the fry into his mouth. "Just figured if people are gonna talk, might as well give 'em a show."
The table went silent. Then exploded in muffled laughs, whispers, and wide-eyed stares.
Raven wanted to strangle him. Actually strangle him.
"Chris." She hissed his name through clenched teeth. "You're making it worse."
He leaned closer, voice dropping just for her.
"Relax, Captain. Worse is fun."
Her pulse betrayed her. Fast. Too fast. And judging by the smug little smirk tugging at his lips—he knew it.
Jace raised his brows. "So it's true, then?"
Chris didn't even blink. "Wouldn't you like to know."
Cue another round of gasps and whispers.
Raven slapped a hand over her face. This was it. The end. The gossip apocalypse.
But somewhere under the chaos, under the heat crawling up her neck, a dangerous little truth whispered back:
She wasn't entirely mad about it.
The cafeteria cleared out slow, like people didn't want to miss a single glance, whisper, or smirk. Raven kept her head down, shoving her tray away like she could hide inside it.
Chris, on the other hand, looked thrilled. He lounged back in his chair, sipping from her water bottle like he owned it.
"You're enjoying this way too much," she muttered.
He didn't deny it. Just leaned closer, close enough for her to feel his breath brush her ear.
"Careful, Fernandez. People are gonna think we're a thing."
Her cheeks burned. She whipped her head toward him.
"We're not a thing."
His grin widened, all sharp edges and secret softness.
"Could've fooled me."