Chapter 128
Haru looked down at his peacefully sleeping boyfriend, the pale afternoon light filtering through the sheer curtains and painting soft silver traces across Raiven's sharp features. His fingers moved instinctively, threading through Raiven's long, tangled dark hair, infinitely careful not to disturb the fragile sanctuary of his rest.
They had ended up drinking the entire bottle last night. Haru hadn't intended to, but seeing the quiet storm brewing behind Raiven's eyes, he had simply indulged him. When someone you love carries a mountain on their chest, you don't ask them to put it down right away; you just pour another glass and share the weight.
The night had been suffocatingly heavy. There was simply too much to process, too many old scars laid bare.
Haru shifted slightly, resting his head back against the headboard and staring up at the ceiling. His breathing remained slow and rhythmic, matching the gentle rise and fall of Raiven's head, which was currently resting over Haru's chest. Every soft exhale from Raiven seemed to drag him deeper into sleep, lulled by the steady warmth beneath him.
Haru considered himself lucky that his shoot wasn't until late evening. The luxury of sleeping in was rare these days, but today, he desperately needed it. He certainly wasn't looking forward to nursing a stubborn hangover while a high-strung director barked orders at him across a set.
It would be their very first filming location in Korea, and the pressure was immense. He had vowed to himself that he wouldn't be a burden to the production team, yet when he looked down at the man resting against him, he knew he'd make the exact same choice every single time. He couldn't possibly let his boyfriend drown his sorrows alone.
But as the silence stretched and the vivid memories of last night's confessions looped through his head, a dark, simmering anger began to coil in Haru's chest.
He wished, with a fierce and futile desperation, that he had come into Jae-wook's life much earlier. He wished there had been someone, anyone to stand by his side and pull Jae-wook out when he was drowning, instead of that manipulative serpent of a man who had taken advantage of his vulnerability.
The thought of what Jae-wook had endured made Haru's hands clench into tight fists against the duvet.
He closed his eyes, taking a long, steadying breath to push the fury down. He had to believe in the present. Now that their bond was stronger, forged through truth rather than secrets, he prayed that no matter what shadows lingering from Raiven's past relationships threatened to resurface, history wouldn't repeat itself. What they shared wasn't fragile. The love between them was grounded, raw, and strong enough to withstand whatever storm was waiting on the horizon.
A sharp vibrate broke the heavy silence.
Haru reached out carefully, grabbing his phone from the nightstand. Glancing at the digital clock on the screen, he blinked in surprise it was already well past noon.
The notification was a message from his manager, Alice, informing him that she had already ordered food for them and that the delivery driver was en route.
A small, genuine smile touched Haru's lips. Alice was always remarkably considerate, practically reading his mind before he even had the chance to form a thought. She knew him too well; without her intervention, he likely would have dragged himself onto the set with nothing in his stomach except a cup of scalding black coffee.
Sighing softly, Haru surveyed his current situation. He had stripped down to just his boxers during the hot, restless hours of the morning, though the plush duvet kept the chill away. The main obstacle, however, was Raiven's arm, which was wrapped securely around his waist like an iron band.
Haru gripped Raiven's wrist gently, attempting to slide out from beneath the weight.
Raiven let out a low, discontented groan, his grip instinctively tightening around Haru's waist, pulling him back down.
"It's fine… I'm just going to grab something at the door. I'll be right back," Haru whispered softly into the crown of Raiven's head, smoothing back his hair.
Raiven's muscles relaxed just enough for Haru to slide out from the warm bed. Before standing up, Haru leaned down and pressed a slow, tender peck onto Raiven's forehead.
Haru grabbed Raiven's discarded silk robe from the chair, wrapping it around his shoulders and tying the sash securely around his waist. Just as he pulled the knot tight, the soft chime of the doorbell echoed through the apartment.
Stepping out into the hallway, he unlatched the front door. The delivery driver had already left the neatly packed bags resting on the floor beside the threshold. Haru picked them up, carrying the fragrant food into the kitchen and setting it down neatly on the marble counter.
When he walked back into the bedroom, he paused.
Raiven was still lying flat on his back, but his dark eyes were wide open, staring intently at the doorway. He was completely still, watching Haru's every move.
Haru smiled warmly, stepping back toward the edge of the bed. But Raiven didn't return the gesture. His expression remained guarded, shadowed by a quiet, brooding anxiety that made him look painfully vulnerable.
"What?" Haru asked gently. He reached out, carefully tucking a few loose, dark strands behind Raiven's ear before letting his hand rest flat against his back, feeling the steady rhythm of his breathing.
Raiven swallowed hard, his voice raspy from sleep and alcohol. "I thought you would disappear before I woke up."
Haru scoffed lightly, though his eyes remained soft. "I wouldn't do something so cowardly. Besides, I already told you I'm not going anywhere."
Raiven lowered his gaze, staring at the tangled sheets beneath him. "I have a lot of issues, Haru."
"Who doesn't have issues?" Haru stated effortlessly, brushing the heavy statement aside as if it were nothing more than a stray speck of dust.
Raiven looked back up at him, his dark eyes shimmering with an unspoken, desperate emotion that made Haru's heart ache.
"Are you not disgusted?" Raiven asked, the words barely a whisper.
Haru frowned, his thumb stroking Raiven's shoulder. "Why on earth would I be?"
"Because... anyone else would be," Raiven murmured, turning his head away. "Anyone normal."
"Well, I'm clearly not anyone else, am I?" Haru retorted, puffing out his cheeks in a exaggerated pout as he tried to break the suffocating tension. "I am Haru. A Global Icon's boyfriend! Honestly, saying something like that is deeply disrespectful to my status. Don't you know who my boyfriend is?"
A faint, breathless laugh escaped Raiven's lips, though the warmth still failed to reach his troubled eyes. He reached up, grasping Haru's hand tightly in his own.
"I really do love you," Raiven said, his voice dropping into a solemn, heavy frequency that reverberated through the quiet room.
Haru's expression softened completely. "I love you too, you idiot."
Raiven remained quiet for a long moment, his thumb tracing the knuckles of Haru's hand.
"Remember... a time when you asked if I would ever let you be on top?"
Haru's mind drifted backward, sorting through old conversations and late-night banter. A faint flush touched his neck as the memory clicked into place. He nodded slowly.
"What about it?" Haru asked, attempting a tone of casual dismissal. Truthfully, he had only asked back then to test Raiven's boundaries, to see how far the man was willing to bend. Over time, he had grown more than content with their current dynamic; feeling Raiven completely consume him was an exhilarating rush he never tired of.
Raiven cleared his throat, his gaze unwavering despite the faint color rising on his cheekbones.
"Would you... like to try it?"
Haru choked on his own saliva, coughing violently as his head snapped toward his boyfriend. "Right now?"
"No!" Raiven countered instantly, flustered beyond belief. The red flush rapidly spread from his cheekbones all the way to the tips of his ears as he scrambled to sit upright in bed. "No, not right now! Just... you know... whenever you feel like it."
Haru stood silently beside the bed, his chaotic coughing subsiding as he looked down at the man sitting before him. He saw right through it. He saw the subtle tension in Raiven's shoulders, the self-sacrificing edge to his offer, the quiet desperation to offer up every piece of himself just to keep Haru from walking away.
"You don't have to prove anything to me, Jae-wook," Haru said softly, his voice dropping all playful pretense.
Jae-wook snapped his gaze upward, caught entirely off guard by the piercing, absolute clarity in Haru's eyes.
"But - " Jae-wook started, his hands clenching in the sheets.
"Don't you like fucking me anymore?" Haru interjected boldly, a sly, wicked grin tugging at the corner of his lips as he deliberately tried to break the heavy mood.
Jae-wook's jaw dropped slightly, his face burning an even deeper shade of crimson. "I... Of course I do! I love it, but - "
"But nothing," Haru cut him off gently, stepping closer until he was standing right between Jae-wook's parted knees. He leaned down, cupping Jae-wook's jaw with both hands. "I love us. I love the way we are, the way we touch, the way we fit together. Everything about us."
Before Jae-wook could muster another word of protest or overthought apology, Haru captured his lips in a deep, reassuring kiss that left no room for doubt. It was slow, warm, and possessive a silent promise sealed in the quiet afternoon.
Pulling back slowly, Haru gave Jae-wook's reddened earlobe a playful tug before straightening his spine.
"Now, get your ass out of bed," Haru said with a bright, luminous smile, gesturing toward the door. "You need actual food in you before your mind starts making up more ridiculous scenarios."
Without waiting for a reply, Haru turned on his heel and walked out toward the kitchen, leaving Jae-wook sitting in the warm light, a genuine, undeniable smile finally spreading across his face.