Reading Between the Lines [Ili]

[Iliana Tsankova]

Iliana stayed quiet once Rachel and Oliver arrived. This wasn't her conversation anymore. The Wrights had spent years carrying pieces of this burden separately, and for perhaps the first time, some of those pieces were finally being laid on the table where everyone could see them. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't comfortable. But it was necessary.

So she simply remained beside Nate. Her hand never left his. When Rachel looked at her and quietly admitted she was glad she was back, Iliana's expression softened immediately. She gave the younger girl a small nod. "I don't think I ever truly left, Rach." The words were simple, but there was a weight behind them.

Even after the breakup. Even through all the distance and hurt and silence. She'd still listened when Nate needed someone to listen. Still kept the things he trusted her with. Still worried. Still cared. The only thing she'd failed at had been letting him carry her burdens too. Her gaze drifted briefly to Nate before returning to Rachel, a faint smile touching her lips.

Then she let the conversation continue. Sophie's apology visibly pulled at something in her chest. Not because Sophie was wrong to feel guilty, but because Iliana knew exactly what it felt like to discover someone you cared about had been suffering in silence while trying desperately to protect everyone else. It was such a painfully Nate thing to do.

When Sophie finally seemed to understand at least enough for the argument to stop being an argument, Iliana let out a quiet breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. The tension in the group shifted. Not gone. But different. Less explosive. More sad than angry.

After a moment, she gave Nate's hand a gentle squeeze. "Nate?" Her voice was soft. When he looked at her, she tilted her head slightly toward the castle. "Can I borrow you for a minute?"

She wasn't really asking permission from the others so much as giving them space. Rachel and Oliver weren't likely to let Sophie vanish now, and Sophie herself looked rooted to the spot as she tried to process everything she'd learned. So once Nate followed her a short distance away, far enough for privacy but not so far they couldn't still see the others. Iliana finally stopped.

For a moment she simply looked at him. Really looked at him. The exhaustion. The fear. The relief. The years of carrying things alone. Then she reached up and brushed her fingers lightly against his cheek. "What do you need from me?" No assumptions. No advice. No attempts to solve it.Just the question.

Because everyone else had spent the last several minutes talking about what Nate had done for them, what he'd protected them from, what he'd carried. And very few people ever stopped to ask what he needed. So Iliana did. Her thumb brushed gently along his jaw. "I mean right now, at this moment..." Her eyes softened. "What can I do for you?" Being there was obviously a given for her, but she would do whatever else he needed as well.

[Nathaniel Wright]

Nate looked to Ili as she said his name, and he nodded, not resisting as she led him away from the rest. Her touch on his cheek had him closing his eyes for a moment, just taking a breath, and his brow furrowed as he tried to think of what his answer even was.

"I don't know," he finally said softly, shaking his head. He leaned into her touch a bit, putting his hand on the back of hers. "If the rest of the world could stop being so tiresome, that would be a start," he said with a little wry smirk.

"I don't know if anyone's ever asked... I genuinely don't have an answer," he shook his head, looking at her fully, "I suppose that sounds rather ridiculous. To not know something that seems so simple... But I don't spend much time looking in, I suppose."

He glanced back toward where they'd left the others for a moment before looking back to Ili, "Though I did not intend for this to turn into a soap opera on the front lawn." he rubbed the back of his neck with his other hand, clearly feeling a bit awkward about his rather public display.

[Iliana Tsankova]

Iliana listened without interrupting, her hand remaining against his cheek as he worked through the question. The admission that he didn't know what he needed didn't surprise her nearly as much as it seemed to surprise him. In fact, it felt painfully predictable. Of course he didn't know. Nathaniel Wright had spent years deciding what everyone else needed before ever considering himself. When he finished, she smiled softly.

"It doesn't sound ridiculous." Her thumb brushed lightly against his skin. "It sounds like someone who's spent so long taking care of everyone else that he forgot he was allowed to need things too." There was no judgment in the observation. Just understanding. At the comment about the world being tiresome, a quiet laugh escaped her. "Unfortunately I don't think I possess the power to fix the entire world."

A beat passed before she continued, "Though if I ever do, you'll be the first to know." Then his attention shifted back toward the others and the awkwardness creeping into his expression became impossible to miss. That earned a more amused smile. "Nate." She stepped a little closer. "Look around." Her gaze flicked toward the castle grounds.

Students were moving in every direction. Heading to dinner. Quidditch practice. Clubs. Study sessions. Their own dramas. "No one is paying nearly as much attention as you think they are." Her expression softened. "And the people who are paying attention?" A small shrug. "We'll survive." Before he could overthink that too much, she rose onto her toes and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. Not long. Not dramatic. Just enough to interrupt the spiral she could practically see forming behind his eyes.

When she pulled back, there was a faint smile lingering on her face. "There." Her fingers found his hand and squeezed lightly. "You don't have to have all the answers right now." Another squeeze. "You don't have to fix everything tonight either." She glanced toward where Sophie, Rachel, and Oliver still waited. "They've got a lot to process. So do you." Then her attention returned fully to him.

"But whatever comes next, I'm here." Simple. Certain. Whether that meant helping him navigate the conversation with his siblings and cousin, sitting quietly beside him afterward or distracting him from the weight of it all for a few hours. It didn't matter. "I'm not going anywhere." Her smile warmed slightly.

"So if what you need right now is for me to stand beside you while you figure out how to untangle this mess..." She intertwined their fingers. "I can do that." Then she gave him the choice, waiting comfortably at his side. Whenever he was ready, she'd follow him back. Or stay right where they were for another minute if that was what he needed instead.

[Nathaniel Wright]

He gave a small smile at her response, at her understanding why he just didn't seem to have an answer. When she drew his attention away from his growing self-consciousness, he looked a bit more closely at the other students. Sure, a couple had glanced that way, but they were worried about their own issues. Sure enough, his head was still taking him elsewhere before she kissed him, getting a surprised look from him for a second before he seemed to ease.

His worries weren't gone, but she helped him pull them back into a manageable box in his mind. He couldn't let these things become all-consuming because it would mean he was missing things. He looked at her as she said she wasn't going anywhere; his eyes read over her face. "I haven't really ever let you out of this mess, have I?" he murmured softly, thinking about what she'd said to Rachel, clearly. He lifted the hand she wasn't holding to her cheek, gently caressing it. "You could have said it wasn't your problem anymore... at any time... and there were times I didn't want to unburden myself on you because it wasn't... isn't really... your problem... I'm not saying that as another way to get upset with myself," he smirked ruefully, "But rather just... realizing I don't show you how much I appreciate you enough."

"Let me just... give this back to Sophie. I think she's got enough of the picture now to be more careful," he said, pulling out the notebook, "Then I think I'm rather...done for the day," he murmured, "Maybe we can find somewhere a bit quiet to find ourselves for a while?" he looked at her, seeing if that sounded like something she wanted to do.

"Dinner first, of course. Either you and I might find ourselves having to ask Nova to help us into the kitchens again," He chuckled a little.

[Iliana Tsankova]

Iliana couldn't help the small, satisfied smile that appeared when she saw the immediate effect the kiss had on him. There he was. The Nate she knew. Still worried. Still carrying too much. But no longer standing on the edge of being overwhelmed by it. Apparently she had discovered a rather effective method for resetting an overworked Nathaniel Wright. She filed that information away for future use.

His comment about never really letting her out of the mess softened her expression immediately. As his hand came up to her cheek, she turned into the touch without thinking, her eyes lifting to his. "No," she admitted quietly. "You didn't." A faint smile touched her lips. "But I never really wanted out of it either." Because that was the truth. Even after everything. Even after the breakup. She'd worried. She'd listened. She'd cared.

The shape of it had changed, but the feeling never had. His appreciation made her chest ache a little in the best way. "You don't have to keep thanking me for caring about you," she said softly. "I do it because you're you, Nate. Not because I expect anything for it." The rueful smile he wore earned a gentle shake of her head before she reached up and briefly covered the hand resting against her cheek with her own.

Then, when he mentioned giving the notebook back to Sophie and being done with the day, she nodded immediately. "That's probably for the best." The poor man looked exhausted. At the suggestion of somewhere quiet afterward, her smile returned. "Food first," she agreed firmly. There was no missing the amusement in her eyes. "Because tea still doesn't count as a meal in your mind, apparently, and I don't need a lecture about nutrition from you while you're trying to decompress." A teasing look.

Then she squeezed his hand. "After that, I'll see what I can come up with to give us both a little peace and quiet, okay? Somewhere away from gossip columns. Away from cousins and siblings. Away from fathers and expectations and responsibilities. Just for a little while.

Her smile softened. "I think we've both earned it." Then she tilted her head toward where the others still waited. "Go give Sophie her notebook back." A playful glint entered her eyes. "And try not to accidentally adopt another family crisis while you're over there."

[Nathaniel Wright]

Nate smiled softly as she said she didn't want out of it and that it was because it was him, "Too good to me, Ili," he murmured softly.

"It doesn't," Nate said when she teased about tea not counting as a meal, "Your brain needs more than caffeine to function." He said anyway, even though she was talking about not getting a lecture, "I'll be right back," he kissed her forehead before stepping away from her, going back over towards his siblings and cousin. He handed Sophie back her notebook, but she looked like she almost didn't want it back. She took it after a moment, muttered her thanks, and started to walk back inside. He turned to Rachel and Oliver, "It's not her fault what we go through," he pointed out, "It shouldn't be on her head that he's a piece of trash. Remember that."

Rachel huffed, "You always give everyone an out," she muttered, "Fine, you're right. Again," she threw her hands up and started inside. Oliver looked a little relieved honestly, but then waved at his brother and followed after Rachel.

Nate shook his head, waving after them before going back towards Ili. He gently took her hand, squeezed it, then started with her towards the Great Hall.

[Iliana Tsankova]

She rolled her eyes affectionately when he immediately ignored her request not to lecture her. "There it is," she sighed dramatically. "I was beginning to worry the stress had damaged your ability to fuss over me." The kiss to her forehead drew a softer smile, however, and she watched him head back toward his family without trying to follow. Instead, she lingered where she was. Watching. Listening. Not intruding.

She saw Sophie take the notebook back. Saw the guilt lingering in her posture. Saw Rachel's frustration and Oliver's relief. And she saw Nate doing exactly what Nate always did. Protecting everyone. Even now. Even after being scared half to death by what Sophie might accidentally stumble into. The moment he defended her, insisting none of it was her fault, Iliana couldn't help the fond shake of her head. She heard what his sister said and shrugged. Rachel wasn't wrong. He really did.

When the others finally headed inside, Iliana caught Rachel's eye briefly and offered the younger girl a small smile before her attention returned to Nate. The second he reached her, she let him take her hand. Her fingers curled comfortably around his. "You know," she said as they started toward the Great Hall, "your sister might have a point." A teasing glance slid his way.

"Most people would've at least let Sophie sit with that guilt for an hour." She bumped her shoulder lightly against his arm. "But there you were already making sure she knew none of it was her fault." Her expression softened. "It's one of my favorite things about you." And one of the things that worried her the most. Because Nate extended grace to everyone except himself.

As they crossed the grounds, evening settling around the castle, she found herself relaxing for the first time all day. The crisis hadn't vanished. There would be more conversations. More complications. Probably several involving Sophie. But for now? It was over. At least for tonight. Her thumb brushed absently over the back of his hand.

"So," she said after a moment, a hint of mischief returning to her voice, "what exactly constitutes a proper meal according to Nathaniel Wright?" She tilted her head. "Because if your answer is 'three vegetables and a lecture,' I'm turning around and asking Nova to smuggle us into the kitchens instead." The image alone made her laugh quietly. "And honestly, I think after today we've earned dessert first."

[Nathaniel Wright]

Nate gave a huff. "I just want her to be careful, not feel guilty," he shook his head. "My sister probably wishes I'd be meaner, which I can be when it's earned, but Sophie's just naive. Maaaaybe a bit malicious in her gossip, but nothing so bad as I think she deserves to sit in that kind of guilt."

At her question, Nate looked over at her, raising a brow at her mischief. "What do you mean, according to me?" he chuckled, shaking his head, "I wasn't planning on lecturing you anymore," he snorted, "But you almost seem to want me to as much as you keep alluding to me doing so."

"But I never said you had to eat in the right order, just that you need actual sustenance."

He walked with her through the crowd, glancing around to make sure they didn't walk into anyone before looking back to her. "Though maybe we walk a little slower and can sit close to the doors so we can slip out easier," he chuckled lightly.

[Iliana Tsankova]

Iliana smiled as he defended Sophie yet again, entirely unsurprised. "See? That's exactly what I mean." She glanced up at him. "Most people hear malicious gossip and stop at malicious. You somehow manage to get all the way to she's naive and doesn't deserve to feel guilty." There was a fondness in her voice that made it clear she wasn't criticizing him. If anything, she admired it.

Even when she occasionally wanted to shake him. His response to her teasing about food immediately earned a laugh. "Oh, don't put this on me." She pointed at him with her free hand. "You spent the better part of the break making sure I eat something that isn't tea." The accusation was entirely unserious. "And now you're pretending you weren't gearing up for another nutrition lecture."

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I know you, Nathaniel." The dramatic use of his full name was accompanied by a grin. "You get that look." Then she paused a beat. "The 'I've noticed something concerning and am about to become everyone's responsible older brother whether they asked for it or not' look." The fact that he actually was someone's responsible older brother only made it funnier.

By the time he suggested sitting near the doors, her expression brightened immediately. "Now that is the first excellent idea you've had all afternoon." She squeezed his hand lightly. "Eat quickly. Escape efficiently. Avoid being trapped by people who want to talk." A thoughtful hum. "Honestly, it sounds less like dinner and more like a tactical operation."

Which, knowing Nate, probably wasn't entirely inaccurate. As they approached the Great Hall doors, she found herself relaxing further, the tension from earlier continuing to fade. The evening suddenly seemed much simpler. Food. A quiet corner somewhere. No family crises. No gossip columns. No discussions about dangerous people.

Just them. Her shoulder brushed his lightly as they walked. "And for the record," she added, looking up at him with a small smile, "I think your sister only wishes you were meaner because she knows you're usually right." A pause. "Which is probably the most annoying quality a person can possess." Her smile widened. "Congratulations."