Eyana's POV
My phone buzzed.
4:03 a.m.
A message.
"Come out. I need you."
I blinked hard, felt a sudden butterflies in my stomach, the cold air already biting through the tent's thin walls.
What the hell is wrong with him? I thought, wrapping a shawl around my shoulders. The campsite was still, the campfire long dead, the moonlight casting silver shadows over the grass.
I stepped out, and before I could take a breath, I was pulled—gently but firmly—into the darkness between two tents.
My back hit the canvas wall, not painfully, but with enough force to make my breath hitch. His scent reached me first—smoke, pine, something dangerously intoxicating. And then his arms—solid, warm, possessive—wrapped around my waist, tugging my tiny frame into his muscular one.
Avyansh's POV
She was shivering, but not just from the cold.
I buried my face in the crook of her neck, lips brushing the curve of her collarbone. "You shouldn't have come out like this," I whispered, voice low, rough with sleep and something deeper.
"Then why call me?" she whispered back, breathless.
I pulled back, just enough to look at her—moonlight catching on her skin, hair tousled, lips parted like she was about to say something smart, but couldn't find the words.
"I needed to feel you," I said, my hand tracing up her spine. "Last night wasn't enough."
Her hands clutched the front of my sweatshirt as I leaned in again. I tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, my knuckles grazing her jaw. She didn't move, didn't blink. My thumb brushed over her lower lip—soft, trembling—and I felt her melt again.
"You're not afraid of anything, are you?" she asked, barely audible.
"Only of losing control around you," I said. "And I already am."
Then I kissed her—slow, consuming, the kind of kiss that didn't ask for permission but promised a thousand more.
She didn't resist.
Not when I tilted her chin. Not when I pressed closer. Not even when my hand slid beneath the back of her shawl, feeling the goosebumps rise against my palm.
When I finally pulled away, she was dazed, her lips slightly swollen, her breath uneven.
"Avyansh," she whispered, almost like a warning.
I smirked. "You dared me to kiss you last night, remember?"
Her cheeks flushed. "That was different."
I tilted my head. "Is it?"
She didn't answer. She didn't need to.
Because something had shifted.
And this time, we both knew—there was no going back.
Morning — Camp Breakfast
Eyana's POV
The sky had shifted from deep indigo to pale lavender, the early sun peeking gently through the trees as we gathered for breakfast around the long wooden tables. Everyone looked a little sleep-deprived from the previous night's chaos, hair messy, eyes half-lidded.
But I was the only one who knew the reason for my flushed cheeks and trembling hands.
Because he was sitting just across the table.
Avyansh.
Looking freshly showered, but still dangerous. His eyes met mine over the rim of his coffee mug—and something in them darkened, smirk tugging at the corner of his lips like a silent echo of our 4 a.m. moment.
I immediately looked away, my heart thudding like a traitor in my chest.
Avyansh's POV
She was squirming in her seat. Avoiding my gaze. But I saw the way her fingers fiddled with the edge of her plate, how she bit the inside of her cheek. I wanted to reach across the table, brush her hair back again, kiss that exact spot behind her ear where she melted like candlewax.
Instead, I said nothing.
Not here. Not yet.
I wanted this secret to simmer a little longer.
Tejal & Atharva
Tejal sat next to Atharva, poking at her sandwich but clearly distracted. Atharva leaned closer, murmuring something that made her shoulders stiffen.
"You're quiet," he whispered, lips just near her ear. "Didn't like the kiss yesterday?"
Tejal turned to glare. "You didn't even kiss me properly."
Atharva's eyebrow lifted, amused. "Is that a challenge?"
Tejal narrowed her eyes. "You wish."
But her cheeks said otherwise.
He smirked and casually rested his arm behind her on the bench—not quite touching, but close enough to make her breath catch. "I could change your mind. But not in front of everyone."
Her hand twitched, tempted to shove him off—yet she didn't.
Veeryansh & Jhanvi
"Still thinking about who my crush is?" Veeryansh teased, handing Jhanvi a steel tumbler of chai.
She tried to act unfazed. "I wasn't even thinking about you."
He leaned down a little too close, that signature lopsided smile of his gleaming. "Liar."
Jhanvi rolled her eyes. "Why don't you go crush somewhere else?"
"But what if she's sitting right here?" he murmured, voice low enough for only her to hear.
Jhanvi blinked, heat creeping up her neck. As she turned quickly, her foot slipped on the dewy grass, and before she could fall—
His arm snaked around her waist.
Tight.
Steady.
Pulling her upright.
He didn't let go immediately. Instead, he whispered, "Careful. My crush would be pissed if she saw me catching someone else like that."
Jhanvi shoved him back with a hand to his chest. "You are infuriating."
Veeryansh just chuckled and winked, "You'll get used to it, Jhanvi"
After the Fire
Scene: School Bus – On the Way Back Home
The same yellow bus that had once carried chaos now carried silence—and something heavier.
The hills grew smaller behind them, replaced by winding roads and overcast skies. Everyone was exhausted, slumped against windows, hoodies up, music low. But the quiet wasn't just from tiredness.
It was because everything had changed.
Eyana sat by the window again, forehead resting against the glass. The world outside moved faster than her thoughts could keep up with. Her fingers still tingled from a memory she wasn't supposed to be reliving—the way Avyansh had kissed her like she was the only girl on earth. The way he whispered her name like a promise. The way she melted.
Now he sat beside her.
Not touching.
Not talking.
But entirely too close.
His knee brushed hers every time the bus bumped. And every time, she didn't pull away.
"Still cold?" he asked suddenly, voice low.
She glanced at him. "Shouldn't you be the one sleeping like the rest of them?"
"I don't sleep when I've got too much in my head," he replied, eyes steady on hers.
She looked away, biting her lip.
From behind, Tejal and Jhanvi were not asleep.
They were fully awake and whispering like it was a CIA operation.
Tejal: "She sat with him again."
Jhanvi: "Obviously. After that tension last night? Girl's got main-character energy."
Tejal: "Do you think they kissed?"
Jhanvi: "Please. They probably burned down the whole tent."
Tejal snorted into her sleeve. "I'm going to interrogate her the second we stop."
"Bet."
Meanwhile, across the aisle, Veeryansh was half-asleep on Atharva's shoulder.
Atharva: "If you drool on me again, I'm leaving you on the highway."
Veeryansh, eyes closed: "I drool love, shut up."
Atharva chucked a chips packet at him. "Idiot."
They both laughed. The kind of tired, relieved laughter that only came after a perfect chaos-filled trip.
Back up front, Siddhartha sat two rows ahead of Eyana and Avyansh. His earphones were in, but he wasn't listening to anything.
He just sat still.
Staring out the window.
His fingers tightened every time he thought about the way Avyansh had pulled Eyana behind the tents, the stolen glances they exchanged now, the silence that said too much.
He should've held her hand when she almost reached for his.
He should've fought harder.
But now... he wasn't sure if there was still something left to fight for.
Back to Eyana.
She closed her eyes, pretending to sleep.
Avyansh leaned closer.
"I meant what I said, Eyana," he murmured under his breath, so no one else could hear. "You belong to me."
Her breath caught.
She didn't respond.
But she didn't flinch either.
Instead, she leaned her head just slightly to the side... letting it rest against his shoulder.
He froze for a second.
Then relaxed, just barely.
Outside, the bus curved into the highway. The hills disappeared completely.
But inside—
The fire hadn't died.
The return journey was... quiet.
Twelve long hours on the bus, most of them spent sleeping or zoning out, left everyone too tired to talk. Heads rested against windows, playlists ran on loop, and the occasional rustle of chips or whispered laughs were the only sounds.
But as soon as the bus parked back at school, chaos broke loose again.
Laughter.
Teasing.
Everyone buzzing with stories from the past three days.
Veeryansh was still relentlessly teasing Jhanvi, and Atharva—well, his eyes hadn't left Tejal for more than a few seconds.
Avyansh sat near the window, caught in a quiet moment, lost in thoughts of Eyana.
And Eyana? She was lost too. But not in thoughts.
She could still feel his lips on hers.
This trip had been chaos.
But somewhere in the middle of all that noise, something real had changed.
Tejal sat still, trying to pretend she didn't notice Atharva's gaze, while her stomach fluttered like it was full of butterflies.
Jhanvi? Still confused. Still unsure of who the hell her mystery crush was.
It was already 8:30 PM. One by one, the students left for home, dragging their bags and memories with them.
Before everyone split up completely, the six of them—Eyana, Avyansh, Jhanvi, Veeryansh, Tejal, and Atharva—made a group chat to share photos and memories.
"Eyana, don't forget to send the daylight pictures of us," Jhanvi reminded, stretching her arms above her head.
"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry, girls. I'll send them in the group," Eyana replied.
Jhanvi grinned. "And Tejal, don't forget to share that sassy picture of Eyana."
Eyana blinked. "What sassy picture? Wait—what are you two planning?"
"Oh, you'll see," Tejal smirked devilishly.
"Don't you dare, Tejal," Eyana warned, pointing a mock-threatening finger at her.
"Alright, baby girl. Bye-bye!" Tejal said sweetly, walking away.
Eyana's eyes widened. Baby girl?!
She spun to look at Avyansh, but he only scoffed with a smug smile.
"I'll drop you home," he said, like it was already decided.
"There's no need. I can go on my own," she shot back.
"I didn't ask," he replied coolly. "I'm just letting you know."
Eyana's POV
When did he become so... dominant?
And why did I like it?
The way he pulled me in by the waist, whispered in my ear like he owned every breath I took—it sent literal shivers down my spine.
It wasn't just butterflies. It was fire. It was something I couldn't name but felt in my chest and in my stomach and everywhere.
He walked me to the alley near my house.
"Thanks for dropping me," I said, trying to sound normal.
Avyansh's POV
She didn't even know how beautiful she looked under the streetlights.
So small. So soft. So mine.
I couldn't look away.
Her tiny figure, those fluffy cheeks, the way her lips still held a faint pink from earlier... I wanted to freeze this moment. Protect it. Keep it.
"Thanks for dropping me. I'll go now," she said.
No. Not yet.
I pulled her gently by the waist and hugged her close.
She gasped. Froze.
I could feel her heartbeat.
I cupped her cheeks, kissed her forehead. Her skin was warm under my fingers.
And she still claimed she didn't feel anything?
I leaned closer, close enough that only she could hear.
"You can deny it all you want," I whispered, "but the way your body reacts to my closeness? You can't deny that, Love."
Eyana's POV
My heart stopped.
He called me Love.
What the actual hell?!
Why am I blushing so hard?
Why does that word sound like it belongs to me when it comes from him?
I stood there frozen. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't think.
Then he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, leaned in again, and whispered:
"Breathe, Love."
And I did.
He chuckled, kissed my forehead again.
"Good night, cutie. Don't forget to check my messages."
And then he left—like he hadn't just completely wrecked my emotional stability.
I reached home dazed, only to be greeted by my mom's dramatic monologue about being late.
I nodded, didn't argue, and dragged myself upstairs.
Changed.
Laid on my bed.
Stared at the ceiling like a dumb girl with a stupid crush.
What is wrong with you, Eyana?
His arms. His voice. That dominant side of his. Ugh.
My phone buzzed.
Group chat: Six Dumbass
Tejal had sent the picture.
Me. In my nightdress. Puffy cheeks. Hair a mess. I looked like a sleepy honeybee.
Me: "This is your so-called sassy picture, huh?!"
Avyansh: "My puffer fish "
Ugh. Butterflies. Again.
Me: "Shut up, idiot."
Avyansh: "Make me, baby girl "
Atharva: "Look at these two lovebirds flirting in general chat too "
Tejal: "They look so cute "
Attached: a pic of me and Avyansh eating fried chicken together.
Atharva: "We'd look cute too "
"Eating fried chicken... and then Tejal turning into the chicken "
Tejal's POV
I stared at the message, fighting a smile.
This boy.
I should be annoyed. I should roll my eyes and ignore it.
But instead, my cheeks were burning.
Not because of embarrassment. But because... he meant it. That tease. That we'd look cute too.
Still, I wasn't going to let him win so easily.
Me: "Watch it, Mr. Fried Chicken. Or I'll turn you into a drumstick."
Atharva: "Only if you feed me after "
Lord save me.
Meanwhile...
Eyana had casually dropped a picture of Jhanvi—eyes soft, face dreamy, clearly lost in thought.
Veeryansh pounced instantly.
Veeryansh: "Still thinking about my crush, Jhanvi? 👀"
Jhanvi: "Veeryansh, I swear I'll throw your phone off the roof."
But she didn't deny it.
And none of us missed that.
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