Kairo found her in the kitchen.
It was late, the house was silent that only came after exhaustion. Naya stood at the counter, sleeves rolled up, hair pulled back,cooking ,chopping vegetables as if precision could quiet the storm inside her.
He watched her for a moment before speaking.
"I'm done being angry."
The knife paused mid-air.
She didn't turn. "You don't need to explain anything to me."
"I do," he said softly. "Because anger was the only thing I had left when you pulled away. And I don't want to live there anymore."
She resumed chopping, slower now.
He stepped closer, careful not to crowd her. "I know you think distance keeps me safe. I know you think giving up whatever this was… is the right thing."
Her shoulders tightened.
"But you don't get to decide alone," he continued. " Not when I'm still choosing you."
Finally, she turned to face him.
Her eyes were tired. Guarded. And heartbreakingly familiar.
"I didn't give up because I stopped caring," she said. "I gave up because caring made me dangerous."
"To yourself," he said. "Not to me."
Silence stretched between them, heavy and intimate.
"I miss you," Kairo said simply.
Not loudly. Not dramatically. Like it had always been true."I love you "
"I've loved you even when you stood ten feet away with a gun and wouldn't look at me. I've loved you when you told me to treat you like an employee. I've loved you when you walked out of my room and left me alone with questions."
Her breath caught.
"And I'm not asking you to change who you are," he went on. "I'm asking you to stop punishing yourself for surviving."
Naya's hand trembled against the counter.
"I don't know how to do this without losing control," she admitted. "Every time I let myself feel…people get hurt."
"I'm already hurt," he said gently. "And I'm still standing."
He reached out, stopping just short of touching her. Giving her the choice.
"I'm going to keep fighting for us," he said. "Not loudly. Not recklessly. Just… consistently. Even if you think you've given up. Even if you're afraid."
Her eyes brightened a little, and she looked away quickly, jaw tightening as if bracing for impact. she tried not to cry.
"I'm done letting anger speak for me. I'll be patient. I'll be calm. I'll be here."
For a long moment, neither of them moved.
Then, slowly, Naya exhaled.
"I don't know if I can give you what you want," she whispered.
Kairo smiled, small and unwavering. "Then let me want you anyway."
She didn't step into his arms.
But she didn't step away either.
And in that fragile space between restraint and hope, Kairo knew one thing with absolute certainty:
He wasn't walking away.
Not now. Not ever.