Seren stared at Draven across the table, the weight of their conversation still hanging heavily in the air. He could feel the warmth of Draven's hand over his, and though it was a comforting gesture, a part of him still felt uneasy. There were so many questions left unanswered, so many things he still didn't understand.
"I need to know, Draven," Seren said softly, breaking the silence. "Why are you here now? Why come back into my life after all this time?"
Draven sighed, his gaze dropping to the table for a moment before he met Seren's eyes again. "Because I've been looking for you, Seren," he admitted, his voice thick with emotion. "For seven years, I've been trying to find you, but you just... disappeared."
Seren blinked, taken aback by the confession. "You've been looking for me? For seven years?" he echoed, disbelief and confusion swirling in his mind. "Why? Why would you do that?"
Draven squeezed Seren's hand gently, his eyes earnest. "Because I couldn't just let you go," he said quietly. "After you left the company, I thought you would reach out, that maybe you'd contact me when things settled down. But you didn't. And when I tried to find you, it was like you had vanished into thin air."
Seren felt a pang of guilt, remembering the decision he made to cut ties with his old life after losing his job. "I didn't want to be found," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I was so ashamed, so lost... I didn't know how to face you or anyone else after what happened."
"I understand," Draven replied gently. "But that didn't stop me from searching. I needed to know you were okay, that you were safe. I sent people to look for you, to find any trace of where you might have gone. But there was nothing—no address, no phone number, not even a social media profile."
Seren's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't realized the extent to which Draven had gone to find him. "You really did all that?" he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
Draven nodded. "I did. And for a long time, I thought maybe you didn't want to be found. But then, a few weeks ago, one of my men called me. He told me he'd seen you working at a bookstore in a small town far away from the city. I came as soon as I could."
Seren's heart raced as he processed Draven's words. He had spent so many years hiding from his past, from the pain of losing his job and the life he'd built. But now, here was Draven, standing in front of him, having spent years searching for him. It was almost too much to take in.
"I never expected this," Seren murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "I thought you'd just... moved on."
Draven shook his head, a soft smile playing on his lips. "I could never move on from you, Seren. You've always been in my thoughts, my heart. I've missed you every day, wondering where you were, what you were doing, if you were happy..."
Seren's breath hitched, tears welling up in his eyes. "I didn't know," he whispered. "I didn't know you felt that way."
"How could you?" Draven replied gently. "I never had the chance to tell you. And when I finally found you, it was like seeing a ghost. I was afraid that if I approached you, you might disappear again."
Seren wiped away a tear that had escaped down his cheek, overwhelmed by the depth of Draven's feelings. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice trembling. "I'm so sorry for everything."
Draven stood, moving around the table to sit beside Seren. He pulled him into a gentle embrace, his arms warm and comforting. "You have nothing to apologize for," he murmured, his lips close to Seren's ear. "I'm just glad I found you. That's all that matters to me now."
Seren leaned into the embrace, feeling a mix of relief and regret. For so long, he had been running from his past, but now, with Draven's arms around him, he realized that maybe it was time to stop running. Maybe it was time to face everything he had left behind.
A soft sigh escaped Seren's lips as he pulled back, meeting Draven's gaze. "Draven, I need to head back to the bookstore," Seren said gently, his mind shifting back to his responsibilities. "I still have work to finish, and I can't afford to leave things undone."
Draven nodded, understanding. "Of course," he said. "I don't want to get in the way of your work."
"You're not," Seren replied with a small smile. "But if you want, you can stay there while I work. It might be a little quieter than this place," he added, glancing around the bustling café.
Draven's expression softened at Seren's offer. "Stay with you at the bookstore?" he asked, a hint of warmth in his voice.
Seren nodded. "Yeah. It's not much, but... I think it might be nice. We can talk more if you'd like. Or you can just sit back and relax."
For a moment, Draven seemed to consider it, then a smile spread across his face, one that reached his eyes. "Let's go," he said simply, standing and offering Seren his hand.