"Why are you here, My Lord?" Ren asked.
"Why? Can I not visit my new friend?" Zayden said, forcing a bitter smile.
Ren's heart raced. He wanted to say something—anything—but his mouth felt dry. His body still felt… exposed, and he could feel the remnants of his earlier heat pulsing through him. Yet being called a friend—that one word—quieted something inside him, even if only for a moment.
"I-Of course you can. I simply didn't know we were 'friends.'"
"Have you forgotten our conversation already?" Zayden teased softly.
Ren shook his head, his fingers brushing a few strands of his hair, curling them nervously. Zayden… his friend? The thought alone brought a faint, almost shy smile to his lips.
Maybe this wasn't a bad thing. Perhaps if they truly became friends, he could find a way to explain everything—slowly, carefully—before Zayden stumbled upon the truths he had been hiding all this time.
For now, that was enough.
"Hmm?" Zayden hummed, waiting for an answer.
