Third Person POV
Kaius Oziel and Lucien Klein settled in the park.
Unlike the lively lights sparkling all around, they were buried in silence.
Kaius was the first to break it. "How did you know about us?" he asked.
The question didn't surprise Lucien. Of course Kaius would ask; this was the first time they'd ever really talked, at least outside of Lucien's dreams and imagination.
"College. Same batch," Lucien replied quietly. It was true.
He had first met Kaius in college, on the very first day. Like everyone else in the orientation hall, Lucien was scanning the room for a friendly face, someone he could sit with and not feel so alone. That was when he saw Kaius.
He hesitated at first. Kaius had that stylish and confident look, the kind of student people whispered about, rumored to be selective about his friends. The idea of approaching someone like that felt almost out of reach. But before he could search for someone less intimidating, Kaius's eyes met his.
At that moment, Lucien thought, Wow. He looks ethereal. He admired the way Kaius carried himself, the effortless style and calm confidence. And, for a brief second, that was all there was… just quiet admiration, nothing more.
"Course?" Kaius asked.
"Creative writing," Lucien answered.
Kaius looked him over, considering. He knew a few people from the Arts Department, but Lucien wasn't one of them. "Why haven't I seen you around before?"
Lucien smiled, a little self-conscious but honest. "Maybe because you're too busy looking at everyone else. It's not like you'd notice me."
Kaius looked away, lost in thought. Of course he understood what Lucien meant.
College was where he and Julian had first crossed paths. Typical classmates who became close friends, until that friendship grew into something more. They gave it a try, and for a while, everything just clicked.
In so many ways, they fit together perfectly. Until, suddenly, they didn't anymore.
Kaius knew how it went. As you grow up, you start to see the differences between you and the person you love. The important part, he'd always believed, was learning to accept those differences, no matter what. Or so he thought. Because sometimes, those differences weren't just quirks; they could become the very reason for heartbreak and, eventually, betrayal.
"Kaius Oziel Varella," Kaius introduced himself.
"I know you. Fashion Designing, right? You had your own brand back in college. Everyone used to talk about your fashion sense."
Lucien was an enigma. But he was warm.
Kaius glanced at the man beside him, curiosity flickering in his gaze. He hadn't expected to run into someone from his college days, especially from a different department. He wondered how he could have missed noticing someone like him because, honestly, the man beside him was impossible not to notice. Ever since they stopped at the park, Kaius had noticed how people kept glancing their way, drawn by Lucien's presence as much as his own.
"I was just about to get a drink. I couldn't sleep. That café was actually our favorite spot. But I guess it wasn't just ours…" Kaius's voice was barely above a whisper.
I know, Lucien wanted to say, but he didn't dare interrupt.
"I always wondered, but I never spoke up," Kaius continued quietly. "We went to that café all the time. But every single visit, he never remembered which cake I liked or even my favorite drink, as if I'd never told him how much I loved strawberry and fruitshakes over coffee and chocolates. I'd mention it every day, but every time we'd go, he'd still forget. Now I get it. It makes sense." Kaius looked up at the sky, blinking back the tears threatening to fall.
"I feel embarrassed. Frustrated, angry, hurt. But what I can't understand is why I couldn't say anything to him. Why, even when I knew something was wrong, I just couldn't let go."
The sky over the park was muted, gray with the threat of rain, but neither Lucien nor Kaius seemed to notice. They sat side by side on a cold metal bench, feet restlessly tapping against the brick path. The air around them was heavy, heavier than the gathering clouds, heavier than anything they'd ever admitted aloud.
Lucien was the first to speak, his voice barely above a whisper. "Why?" he asked. "Why do you keep letting him hurt you?"
Kaius stared down at his hands, fingers twisting together in his lap. "Because I love him," he said, each word trembling.
Lucien sighed, the sound soft but laced with frustration. "But why do you keep going back when you know something's wrong? Why let him play you, again and again? Why won't you stand up to him instead of letting yourself hurt?"
Kaius let out a laugh, half bitter and half sarcastic. "I know. That line is so overused already. Some celebrity has probably cried over the same stupid reason in every movie. But what am I supposed to do?" He swallowed hard. "Is it my fault if the pain fades away whenever he makes me feel loved? Whenever he makes it seem like everything is okay?"
Lucien watched Kaius closely, seeing how much it hurt beneath his practiced smile. "Even if he's lying? Even if he's just taking advantage of you?"
Kaius shrugged, voice low. "Sick or not, real or not, whenever he tells me I matter, I always believe him."
A gust of wind swept through, tousling Kaius's hair. He didn't even blink.
Lucien leaned in a little closer, his tone gentle. "But for that happiness, all you get in return is endless pain, Kazel. Do you really think you deserve to be hurt like that? Is that what love means to you?"
Kaius was silent at first, Lucien's words hanging between them, heavy and unfiltered. He gazed out at the playground, watching empty swings sway in the cold breeze.
"I know I ignore all the bad things he's done," Kaius admitted quietly. "I just hold onto the good memories. But is it so wrong that those memories, especially when he says he loves me, make all the pain fade away even just for a moment?"
Lucien pressed his lips together, careful not to let his worry turn into harshness. "He knows you'll always come back, no matter what. And he's taking advantage of that."
Tears welled in Kaius's eyes. "Maybe that's true. Maybe I am a fool. But I just can't bring myself to walk away."
Lucien wanted to reach for Kaius's hand, but he held back, choosing instead to simply listen.
"It's hard to walk away from someone who makes you feel seen, even when you're at your worst," Kaius continued, searching Lucien's eyes for understanding. "I can't tell you it's perfect…" He paused and looked away, maybe revisiting all the reasons why he chose this kind of love.
"There are days when I wonder if it's worth it, when the pain feels heavier than the love," he admitted. "But then there are those little moments… when I wake up to every message from him, when I no longer have to explain myself because he accepts me…the mess, the flaws, all the things I sometimes hate about myself." Kaius sighed heavily. "I know it's foolish, but who else will remind me every single day that I matter? Who else will still choose me when the world turns its back? It's not the kind of love you see in movies, but it feels real."
Kaius looked back into Lucien's eyes. "It's not easy, but when someone becomes your safe place, letting go isn't as simple as it seems. I stay because, right now, it's where I feel most myself."
"Aren't you tired?" Lucien asked, his voice gentle but persistent.
Kaius's gaze fell. "Have you ever loved someone?" The question lingered, raw and heavy.
Lucien frowned. If only you knew, Kaius. Years. I've been in love with you for years.
"If you've ever loved," he said quietly, "then you already know. When you let someone into your heart, you end up staying, even when it hurts. Real love isn't painless, no matter what people say." He tried to smile, but it faltered. "Pain is just... part of loving."
"Even if he's hurting you?" Lucien asked.
Kaius nodded, voice steady but hands trembling. "It's not love without pain. I know it sounds foolish, but pain is inevitable when you love someone. Sometimes it's more than anyone should bear, and maybe that's wrong."
"But after everything," Lucien pressed, "is it worth endless suffering? Is it okay to be lied to, played with?"
Images flickered through Kaius's mind; gentle mornings, small gestures, and warmth he couldn't shake. Lucien shook his head, frustrated by how desperate Kaius sounded to hold onto a love he knew was flawed. "He doesn't love you, Kaius. He's taking advantage of your feelings. He keeps hurting you because he knows you'll come back."
Kaius's voice dropped to a whisper, barely audible over the fountain behind them. "Isn't that what loving someone means?" His eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "I always find myself returning, showing him I'll choose him, no matter how much it hurts."
Silence settled between them, both weighed down by raw honesty. Lucien spoke softly, almost pleading, "It doesn't have to be this way, being deceived, played with, made a fool of you. Cheating? You don't deserve it, Kaius."
"I'm not an expert," Lucien confessed, voice fragile. "But I do know how to love someone. If I ever got the chance, I'd show him he's my whole world. I wouldn't treat him the way your ex did to you."
Quiet settled over them, both lingering in the ache of their feelings.
How ironic, Kaius thought, we never get tired of loving someone who has done nothing but hurt us over and over again.
He looked up at the sky and whispered to himself, Maybe I lied when I said no one will love me, because I can't accept love if it's not from you. All I really want is your love. Just yours. No matter how painful it is, I am willing to take all the risk.
Meanwhile, Lucien watched Kaius, his heart heavy with longing. You don't know how lucky you are, he thought, to be loved by the person I've always dreamed of. If you can't take care of him and value him, can you just give him to me instead? He deserves to be more than just a toy.
Then Kaius finally shifted his gaze back to Lucien, something new flickering between them.
I can't ask how you can settle to love a person who isn't meant for you… when here I am, trying to settle for a love that's full of pain and unfaithfulness.
"Your name?" Kaius asked.
Lucien answered quietly, not sure if he could still pretend to be content loving Kaius from afar, especially now that he knew Kaius's lover couldn't treat him right.
"Lucien Klein. Call me Luke."