You didn’t plan to say anything. Not really.
But watching Illyana laugh with Kitty across the courtyard, her hand resting casually on Kitty’s shoulder, the way she smiled—so soft, so unlike how she was with you—it made something twist in your chest.
Later, when she stepped through your door like she owned the place, you didn’t look up.
“What?” she asked flatly, noticing your silence.
You shrugged. “Nothing.”
“Tch. You’re sulking.”
“I’m not.”
She narrowed her eyes, folding her arms. “Then what’s wrong?”
You looked at her finally, jaw tight. “Do you even realize how close you are with Kitty? You’re always around her. You laugh, train, vanish together. And then you come here like I’m just waiting.”
Her stare turned sharp. “So?”
“So maybe it bothers me,” you snapped. “Makes me feel like I’m just some backup.”
Illyana’s expression didn’t change, but her posture did—tense, guarded. “We’re not a couple” she said, accent thickening. “You knew that.”
“That doesn’t mean I don’t care.”
She looked off to the side, jaw clenched. “Kitty’s… always been in my life. You knew that too.”
“I know,” you muttered, quieter now. “Doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.”
A long silence fell between you. Neither of you moved.
She didn’t reach for her sword. Didn’t summon a portal. Just stood there.
“You’re jealous” she finally said, her voice lower.
You didn’t answer.
She took a breath, then stepped closer—but stopped just short.
And there it was again. That weird, fragile thing between you two. Not love. Not quite nothing either.