Aiden kept his head down the next morning, headphones in, eyes on his screen, pretending the whispers weren't clawing at the edges of his patience. He hadn't said a word to anyone since yesterday. Even Miso, his tiny kitten, seemed to sense his gloom and had curled around his neck like a fuzzy scarf while he got ready, refusing to leave him alone.
He didn't notice Sion entering the floor—until the shadows shifted beside his desk.
"Aiden," Sion's voice was soft, but firm. "In my office. Now."
Every head turned.
Aiden stood up slowly. He could feel the weight of their stares burning into his back as he followed Sion down the hallway. Whispers flared behind them like wildfire.
The moment the office door shut, Sion crossed his arms and leaned against his desk. "You've been quiet."
Aiden shrugged. "Maybe I'm just working."
Sion's gaze didn't waver. "I heard what people are saying."
Aiden flinched. "Then you know how awkward it's been for me."
"They're cowards," Sion said sharply. "Cowards who talk about people better than them to make themselves feel important."
Aiden looked up at him. "But they think I'm using you."
"Let them," Sion said. "They can think what they want. We know the truth."
Aiden swallowed. "But that doesn't stop it from hurting."
That made Sion pause. He slowly walked around the desk and stood in front of Aiden. Not too close—but close enough.
"You didn't do anything wrong," he said quietly. "Don't let their jealousy change the way you walk through this company. You earned your place here. I saw your work before I even knew your name."
Aiden blinked. "You did?"
Sion nodded. "Your designs made it up to my desk weeks before we met. I only requested you because I knew you had potential."
Something in Aiden's chest loosened, just a little.
"I'm sorry," he said, voice cracking. "I just… I don't want anyone to think I'm taking advantage of you."
"You're not," Sion said, and his voice was so certain, it made Aiden's throat tighten.
Silence stretched.
Then Sion asked, "Want to get out of here?"
Aiden raised an eyebrow. "Right now?"
"Just for lunch. Or longer." A pause. "Someplace quiet. Where people can't talk."
Aiden hesitated, then slowly nodded.
---
They ended up in a quiet rooftop café that Sion said he used to visit during his intern days. The view overlooked the city, but it wasn't fancy—just peaceful. Aiden chewed on a croissant as Miso peeked out of his hoodie pocket (yes, he brought him), and Sion leaned back in his chair, arms folded.
"No one's stared at us for ten minutes straight," Aiden said.
"It's nice, right?" Sion smirked. "Just you, me, and your tiny lion."
Aiden snorted. "He's a kitten."
"He has claws. He's a lion."
Aiden looked at him, surprised by the warmth behind his joke. "Thank you."
Sion tilted his head. "For?"
"For bringing me here. For defending me. For not making this worse."
Sion smiled. A rare, real one.
"You matter to me," he said. "So I'll protect you—even from whispers."
Aiden's breath caught for a moment.
He lowered his gaze, cheeks pink.
Maybe this world wasn't so lonely after all