Chapter 31
The embrace lingered, stretching into a silence that felt like a sanctuary. As Haru sank into Raiven's hold, he felt a phantom weight slide off his shoulders - a baggage he hadn't realized he'd been carrying
A sharp shiver wracked his frame as the night air bit through his thin clothes. He'd left his jacket in Haerin's car, leaving him defenseless against the 2:00 AM chill.
"We should get inside," Haru murmured, his voice raspy as they finally pulled apart.
Raiven didn't argue. He stepped forward and opened the passenger door with a quiet, uncharacteristic gallantry.In his past life, Sunghoon's ego would have bristled at the gesture, but Haru simply climbed in, grateful for the sanctuary as he let the plush seat cradle his exhaustion.. The biting cold had served one purpose, though: it had sobered him just enough to stitch his pride back together before he could unravel any further.
As he settled into the seat, he felt a presence loom close. He turned his head, his heart giving a sharp, traitorous tug as Raiven leaned across him. The proximity was electric, smelling of expensive cologne and the fading scent of the party, as Raiven's hand brushed his shoulder to click the seatbelt into place.
"Didn't you drink?" Haru asked, leaning his head back against the headrest. Exhaustion was beginning to pull at his eyelids.
"Not enough to matter," Raiven replied, his voice a low vibration as he started the engine.
Raiven had nursed a single glass all night. He hadn't even wanted to come, but the relentless pestering of his 'friends ' had worn him down. Now, looking at the slumped figure beside him, he was glad he'd stayed.
He reached into the back, pulling his own coat forward and draping it gently over Haru.
Haru stirred, a soft, unconscious sound escaping his lips, but he didn't wake. Raiven watched him for a heartbeat longer before shifting into gear and gliding out of the lot, leaving the sea of luxury cars behind.
The drive to the apartment was a tomb of silence. Raiven's eyes flickered to the passenger seat at every red light, checking for any sign of distress. He briefly considered taking Haru back to his own place, but the thought of a roommate and the late hour deterred him. His own apartment was the only logical choice.
When they arrived, the silence of the underground garage felt deafening. Raiven tried to shake Haru awake, but he only groaned, turning deeper into the leather seat.
Giving up, Raiven unbuckled the belt and carefully gathered Haru into his arms. He was leaner than he looked, but the solid weight of him was a grounding reality. Raiven moved with practiced grace, ensuring Haru's head didn't loll against the cold metal of the car.
As they stepped into the elevator, Haru's face tucked naturally into the crook of Raiven's neck. His breathing was shallow, rhythmic, and devastatingly trustful.
Raiven caught their reflection in the mirrored walls of the elevator. Déjà vu. A sudden flash of dread and frustration flared in his chest - a memory of another time, another person. He shoved the flashback down with a sharp exhale, grounding himself in the present as the elevator chimed.
Inside the guest room, Raiven laid him down with a tenderness he rarely allowed himself to feel. He worked efficiently, removing Haru's shoes and peeling away the restrictive denim and the cropped top.
He paused, his gaze lingering on the lean, fit lines of Haru's frame. A flash of Junos hands,possessive and wandering,seared through his mind. A surge of protective anger flared in his gut, hot and sharp, but he forced his hands to remain steady as he grabbed a towel. He wiped the grime of the party away before pulling the heavy duvet up to Haru's chin.
"Don't do it..."
The whisper was ghost-thin. Haru's hand shot out, his grip tightening on Raiven's wrist with surprising, desperate strength.
Raiven froze, his heart hammering against his ribs. "It's just a dream," he whispered back, his voice smoothing into a soothing silk. He covered Haru's hand with his own, his thumb tracing slow, rhythmic circles over his knuckles.
He hadn't realized Haru carried nightmares, too. On the surface, Haru seemed so unburdened, so blunt and fearless. But seeing the furrowed brow and the restless twitch of his shoulders, Raiven felt a sickening sense of familiarity.
Suddenly, Haru's eyes snapped open. They were glassy, swimming with a raw, ancient sadness that didn't belong to a twenty-three-year-old.
"Please," Haru pleaded, the word breaking in the middle.
"I'm not going anywhere," Raiven said softly. For the first time since they had met, he offered a smile,not a camera-ready smirk, but a genuine, weary expression.
The response was immediate. Haru lunged forward, pulling Raiven into a desperate, suffocating hug.
"Don't leave me, too," Haru whispered into his shoulder, the words sounding dejected,defeated by a past Raiven couldn't see.
Raiven felt the air leave his lungs. He let out a slow sigh and leaned into the contact.
"Okay. I won't." He cupped Haru's face, his thumb tracing the line of his cheek until the trembling stopped and Haru's body finally went limp, claimed by a deeper, more peaceful sleep.
Raiven stayed there for a moment, watching him. He wondered what kind of ghosts followed a man like Haru. He wondered what could possibly make someone so blunt and prideful tremble with such terror.