The ride to the office was quiet, but not cold. Sion drove while Aiden sat beside him, occasionally sneaking glances at Sion's face. It was expressionless, unreadable—his usual mask was back on. But Aiden wasn't discouraged. Not anymore.
Today, he would try—gently, not desperately—to show Sion that his feelings were real.
At work, the usual buzz filled the office. Staff stole glances at the two when they entered together, whispering behind screens and mugs. But neither of them paid it any mind.
During the morning meeting, Aiden volunteered to handle Sion's presentation schedule—something he usually tried to avoid.
"Are you sure?" Sion asked, looking at him skeptically.
"I am," Aiden replied. "I want to help."
The day passed in bursts—emails, calls, team check-ins—and Aiden didn't miss a single chance to make Sion's day smoother. He brought coffee without being asked, made sure lunch was ordered before Sion got too deep into work, and when one of the junior staff made a mistake on a report, Aiden took the blame himself.
Sion watched all of it silently.
Not once did Aiden try to force a conversation. Not once did he ask, "Do you forgive me yet?"
He just stayed close, present, calm—sincere.
When 8 PM hit, most of the staff had left. Aiden quietly entered Sion's office with a file in hand.
"You're working late again," he said softly.
"I'm used to it," Sion replied, eyes not leaving his screen.
Aiden walked to the windows, looking out at the city lights. "Do you want to come to the rooftop?"
Sion glanced at him. "Why?"
Aiden didn't answer. He just smiled, then left the door open behind him.
Sion hesitated—but only for a moment.
---
Evening — Rooftop
The air was cool. Aiden stood at the edge of the rooftop, jacket wrapped tightly around him. His hair was tousled slightly by the wind. Sion joined him, standing a few steps behind.
"I always liked rooftops," Aiden said. "You feel small, but free. Like you're not trapped in a story someone else wrote."
Sion leaned against the railing. "Is that what this world is to you? A story?"
Aiden turned. His gaze was steady.
"It was. At first. But it stopped being a story the moment I saw you again."
Sion swallowed, looking away.
"I know I lied," Aiden continued. "I never told you I wasn't really Ren. That I came from another world. But the Ren you knew... he wasn't a lie. I lived that life. I felt those feelings. Every single one."
Sion didn't respond.
"I don't want you to forgive me just because I'm still here," Aiden said. "I want you to forgive me because you know I've never stopped choosing you. In every version of the world."
A silence stretched between them. Long. Quiet. Heavy.
Finally, Sion spoke. "Then don't say it. Show me."
Aiden stepped forward, closing the distance. "I will."
Sion stared at him, eyes softening just a little. "And no more bathtub ambushes."
Aiden chuckled. "No promises."
They stood there for a while longer, side by side in the night air.
For the first time in a long while, it wasn't just tension between them—it was hope.
---