The city outside was alive with movement, but inside Karan's small apartment, time seemed to slow, condensing itself around them. The sunlight spilling through the window painted golden patterns on the floor, falling across Arthit's face, illuminating every sharp line, every freckle, every curve Karan had memorized long ago.
Karan couldn't breathe properly. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed this—being near Arthit without fear, without rules, without the shadow of anyone else's expectations. Just him. Just Arthit.
Arthit noticed Karan staring. His lips curved into a faint, teasing smile that made Karan's chest ache.
"What?" Arthit asked softly, tilting his head.
"You've been staring at me for… how long?"
"Since you walked in," Karan admitted, voice barely above a whisper. His eyes darted away, but he couldn't tear them from Arthit. "I… I can't help it. I've missed… everything about you."
Arthit stepped closer, shrinking the space between them until Karan could feel the warmth radiating from him. Every heartbeat, every subtle movement, seemed magnified. "Everything?" he asked, voice low, almost a purr.
Karan nodded, swallowing hard. "Every little thing. The way you smile when you're concentrating. The way you brush your hair back. The way you… just exist and make the world feel… better. I've missed it. I've missed you."
Arthit's chest rose and fell with a quickened rhythm. His hand reached for Karan's, tentatively, then confidently, their fingers intertwining. The touch was electric, familiar, yet new, carrying the weight of everything they hadn't said over three long years.
"You don't have to say it," Arthit whispered, leaning closer so that their foreheads almost touched. "I know. I've known every day. I've felt it even when I couldn't reach you. I've felt it in every heartbeat, every breath. And I… I've missed you too. More than I can put into words."
Karan's chest tightened. He leaned in slowly, almost afraid, almost desperate, and pressed his forehead against Arthit's. "Do you… want me?" His words were tentative, almost a question, but the hope behind them was palpable.
Arthit closed his eyes, letting the warmth of Karan's touch fill him. "More than anything," he whispered back. His voice trembled with honesty, with longing, with desire. "I want you. I've wanted you since the moment you left, since the moment I realized I couldn't stop thinking about you."
Karan's hands moved to cradle Arthit's face, thumbs brushing over his cheekbones, memorizing the way light caught in his eyes. "I never wanted to leave," Karan said softly, almost a confession. "But I had to… I had to make sure you were safe. I… I just never thought I'd get this moment back."
Arthit's lips parted slightly, letting out a soft breath that shivered over Karan's skin. "This moment… it's ours," he said. "Finally. No one can take it from us. Not the world, not time, not distance. Just… us."
Karan swallowed, heart pounding in his chest. He leaned in further, brushing their lips together in a tentative, searching kiss. The first touch was soft, delicate, almost tentative, like testing the waters after a lifetime apart. But it ignited something fierce, something undeniable.
Arthit responded instantly, closing the distance, tilting his head, deepening the kiss with a hunger that mirrored Karan's own. Their hands roamed carefully at first, exploring the contours of each other, memorizing each curve, each familiar angle. Every touch was a promise, every sigh a confession.
When they finally pulled back for air, their foreheads rested together, breaths mingling. Karan's lips hovered near Arthit's ear. "I've imagined this," he whispered, voice low and rough with emotion. "Every night. Every day. I've imagined holding you, feeling you, telling you I love you… and now… it's real. I can finally tell you, without fear."
Arthit's hand traced the line of Karan's jaw, thumb brushing gently over his lips. "Tell me," he murmured. "Say it."
"I love you," Karan breathed, each word deliberate, each syllable heavy with longing. "I love you, Arthit. I've loved you every single day since we met. I… I never stopped."
Arthit's eyes glistened with unshed tears, reflecting the sunlight streaming in. He pulled Karan close, lips pressing against his in a kiss that was slow, consuming, a declaration. "I love you too," he whispered against Karan's mouth. "I've loved you for longer than I can count. And I'll keep loving you… for everything that comes after this moment."
Karan's hands roamed to Arthit's back, pulling him flush against his chest. They swayed slightly, lost in each other, in the sensation of closeness that they had craved for years. Kisses deepened, teeth and lips brushing, soft moans escaping them in the quiet apartment. Every inch of distance between them dissolved into warmth and longing.
Arthit pulled back just slightly, resting his forehead against Karan's, eyes half-lidded with desire and affection. "Karan… stay with me," he whispered. "Don't let me go again. Not for anything. Not for anyone."
Karan's lips hovered near Arthit's temple. "Never," he promised. "I'll never leave you again. I'll hold you, love you, fight for you… whatever it takes. I don't care about the world outside. I only care about you."
They sank onto the couch together, limbs entwined, hands exploring, lips finding each other in soft, lingering kisses. Every kiss was a memory, a confession, a promise. Their breathing mingled, hearts racing together, synchronized in a rhythm that belonged only to them.
Arthit's hands traced Karan's shoulders, arms, and down to his waist, memorizing the feel of him after years apart. "You're here," he whispered. "I can feel you. And I'm never letting you go."
Karan smiled, pressing a gentle kiss to Arthit's lips. "You won't have to," he said. "I'm yours. Always."
The afternoon slipped away unnoticed. Sunlight faded into soft evening, casting the room in golden hues. They moved together seamlessly, exploring, learning, and cherishing each other with a slow, careful intimacy born of longing and patience. Every touch, every caress was tender, filled with emotion that words could never fully capture.
At one point, Karan traced patterns along Arthit's collarbone, lips brushing against his neck, leaving soft, lingering kisses that made Arthit shiver in response. "Do you know," Karan murmured, voice low, "how much I've dreamed of this? Of you? Of us?"
Arthit's hands cupped Karan's face, pulling him into a kiss that was both tender and demanding. "I know," he whispered. "Because I've dreamed too. Every night, every second. And now… it's real. And it's beautiful."
They lay together on the couch, bodies intertwined, hearts beating in unison, hands exploring, lips brushing in soft, unspoken promises. They spoke rarely, letting their touches and kisses convey everything their hearts had been storing for years.
As night fell and the city lights flickered outside, they finally settled into each other's arms, wrapped in warmth, safety, and love. Karan pressed his forehead against Arthit's, whispering, "I'm never letting go."
Arthit's hand traced gentle circles on Karan's back, thumb brushing along his spine. "And I'll never let you go either," he murmured. "Not now, not ever. You're mine. We're ours."
They drifted into a quiet, contented silence, wrapped around each other, the world outside forgotten. In that moment, there was only them, only love, only the soft, unshakable knowledge that they had finally found their way back to each other.
And as they held each other close, hearts beating together in the quiet apartment, they both knew:
Nothing else mattered. Not the past, not the world outside, not fear, not loss. There was only this. Only them. Only love.
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End of chapter 34