Kairo flopped down beside her, chest rising and falling as he caught his breath. Sweat shimmered across his bare skin under the dim light. He turned his head to look at her, Sara, breathless, hair damp with sweat, lips swollen from his kisses, the sheets loosely tangled around her body.
He shifted closer, propping his head on one elbow, his other arm pulling her against him. She smiled softly, meeting his gaze, and he leaned in to press a tender kiss to her lips. His hand slid along the curve of her waist.
"You liked it?" he murmured.
She smiled, her voice low. "What do you think?"
A small, smug smile tugged at his lips, half cocky, half shy, as he nestled into her warmth. She wrapped her arms around him, fingertips gently tracing the lines of his back.
"Kairo…" she whispered.
"Hmm?" he hummed, eyes half closed.
"You really loved me back then?" she asked quietly.
He looked up at her, brows knitting slightly. "Why are you asking this now?"
"Just curious," she said softly.
He smiled faintly and kissed the tip of her nose. "Yes," he whispered simply.
She looked into his eyes for a long moment, searching for truth, and he chuckled quietly. "Stop looking at me like that, soda glass. My heart can't take that gaze."
Her smile deepened, and she reached up to brush a curl of hair from his forehead. It fell right back into place, making her laugh softly as she tried again.
"When I first saw you in college," she began softly, her voice carrying that quiet calm that always reached straight to his heart, "I was drawn to you, your charm, that cocky grin, your flirty, reckless self, just like every other girl."
Her eyes lifted to meet his, calm but full of truth. "That little spark of attraction made me follow you… everywhere. I wanted to know you, really know you, more, the side no one ever saw."
Kairo's heartbeat quickened as she continued, her fingers gently tracing his jawline.
"But you were so good at hiding," she said with a faint smile. "You wore that mask so perfectly, the college Casanova, the untouchable player. And even after watching you for months, I couldn't see anything beyond that image. Not until one day…"
Her voice softened even more as her gaze drifted, as though she could still see that moment.
"That one day… I found you sitting alone on the lakeside bench, throwing stones into the water," she said quietly. "You looked… different. Lonely. Angry. Lost. Like you were searching for something you couldn't even name."
Her fingers gently brushed over his chest, feeling his heartbeat beneath her touch.
"I remember you kept looking around," she continued. "Not at the girls who usually hovered around you, but at people, ordinary people, with something you didn't have. Your eyes stopped on an old couple sitting nearby… the grandpa was feeding ice cream to his wife, and she was laughing like a child."
A faint smile tugged at her lips, though her tone stayed tender. "Then your gaze shifted to a mother holding her little boy, trying to make him laugh. I could see it in your eyes… You weren't just watching them. You were yearning for that kind of love, the kind that's warm, simple, and real."
She looked back at him then, her eyes deep with emotion. "That was the first time I saw a different version of you, Kairo. The boy behind the charm… the man who just wanted to be loved."
Her thumb brushed his cheek gently. "In that moment, I realized you weren't what you pretended to be. Behind that cocky smile, there was a boy, hurting, misunderstood, and craving something real."
He looked at her, eyes soft, breath uneven, as if holding back the rush of emotions that were suddenly clawing their way to the surface.
"I wanted to run to you at that moment," she began, her voice trembling yet full of warmth, "to hold you and tell you that you were okay. That you weren't alone." Her lips curved in a sad smile. "But I couldn't. I didn't have the courage then. So I just stood there… watching you until you finally calmed down and left."
Her gaze met his again, eyes glistening, a small bittersweet smile flickering on her lips. "I don't even know why, but it felt like I could see through you, the pain you were hiding behind that charming smile."
She exhaled softly, her hand rising to gently caress his shoulder, her touch trembling but sure. "From that day, I stopped seeing you as just the careless boy everyone thought you were. I saw someone… broken, but pretending not to be. Someone craving love yet too afraid to reach for it. Maybe you didn't even know how it feels like anymore."
Her voice fell to a whisper. "And that's when I started falling for you, deeply, quietly. It wasn't just an attraction anymore… something else had already started blooming before I even realized it."
Her eyes glimmered as she whispered, "My heart chose you, Kairo. The real you."
She chuckled softly, the sound laced with nostalgia. "And finally that day, you caught me." Her eyes glimmered. "I don't even know where that confidence came from, but I confessed to you. And somewhere… it affected you. I could see it, even if you tried to hide it."
Her gaze returned to him. His face had turned slightly red, emotions rushing through him too fast to contain. His lips trembled, his breath uneven. Gently, she reached up, her fingers sliding through his hair, calming him like she always used to.
"And that night," she whispered, "when you finally confessed back and told me about your past… I realized how much pain you had carried all your life. How heavy it must've been to grow up with that silence, that loneliness." Her voice wavered as tears rimmed her eyes. "I could feel that pain, because I'd walked through it too. Maybe that's why I understood you the way I did."
Her thumb brushed across his temple, tender and steady despite her shaking hand. "That night, I promised myself, I'll give you all the love you never got. Every bit of warmth and attention you deserve. I told myself I'll never leave your side. Ever. I just wanted to give you every happiness this world could offer."
Her voice broke with emotion, and that was when his control finally gave way. His eyes blinked rapidly as tears welled and spilled, silent but unstoppable.
She spoke further, her voice was trembling, but steady enough to slice through the silence."But then… that letter." She let out a faint, shaky breath. "At first, it didn't even feel real. I thought maybe you were pranking me." Her lips curved into a sad smile. "Even after my heart broke… even when I was carrying Zayn inside me, a part of me kept believing you'd come back. That one day you'd show up at my door, smile at me, and say, 'I'm sorry, darling. I didn't mean to hurt you. Come, let's go.'"
His tears fell before he could stop them, tracing quiet paths down his cheeks.
"But that day never came," she whispered. "As time passed, my hope slowly faded. And I thought maybe… You never really loved me. Maybe it was all just a game, just you wanting to win me." Her voice cracked, the pain in her throat raw and unhidden.
"Then Zayn came into my life," she continued softly. "And for the first time, I wanted to move on, for him. I wanted to forget you, to live only for my son." A small, tearful chuckle escaped her lips. "But the universe… it never really let me forget you."
Her gaze lifted to his face, glistening with tears. "Every time I looked at Zayn, I saw you. Those eyes resembled yours. Green, deep, full of mischief and warmth. The same eyes I once drowned in."
Kairo's shoulders shook as he tried to breathe through his sobs; tears continuously flowed from his eyes.
She reached up, her thumb wiping his tears, voice gentler than ever. "Don't cry, baby. I'm not saying this to make you feel guilty." Her tone broke, yet her smile was pure. "I forgave you, baby. I forgave you long ago. I love you, Kairo… so much."
But he couldn't stop crying, not this time. His tears came freely, raw and unguarded, as if every wall he'd built was finally collapsing before her touch.
She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close as his body trembled against hers. Her fingers traced soothing circles on his back, her voice low and soft."Don't cry, Kairo… I just wanted to share my feelings with you, not to make you feel guilty."
"I'm sorry…" he managed between shaky breaths. "I'm sorry, Sara… for everything."
"Shh…" she whispered, kissing his hair. "Don't cry, okay?" Her lips lingered there, gentle and warm. "Tears don't suit my big baby," she teased faintly, trying to draw a smile from him.
He let out a broken breath, still clinging to her.
"You know what?" she murmured with a fragile smile. "I'm still in love with that handsome Casanova, even though he once broke my heart."
He sniffled, still unable to meet her gaze.
"Stop crying already, baby…" she whispered, brushing his hair gently with her fingers. Slowly, his sobs began to fade, his breathing evening out.
She kissed his hair again, holding him close. "You okay?" she asked softly.
He didn't reply.
So she gently pulled back, cupping his face and making him look at her. His green eyes, red and glassy, kept trying to escape her gaze. She leaned in and pressed a feather-light kiss to his lips.
"Promise me you'll never cry again for this mistake of yours," she whispered.
Still no answer. His lips trembled instead.
She smiled faintly, brushing her thumb over his lower lip. "Don't look this cute, baby… I might bite you," she teased softly, voice melting into playfulness.
And finally, finally.., a small smile curved his lips. It was weak, but real.
She smiled softly and leaned in, pressing a kiss to his forehead… then his nose… and finally his lips."I love you, my love," she whispered against his mouth, "more than ever."
He looked at her, his chest rising with a shaky breath, then pulled her closer and captured her lips, slow, gentle, full of unspoken emotion. She smiled before kissing him back, When he finally drew back, his forehead rested against hers. "I love you more," he murmured, voice trembling, "and I'm sorry… for everything."
Her smile was small but full of warmth. "You're forgiven, darling," she teased lightly, brushing his cheek with her thumb. "And your love is accepted."
That earned her a faint smile from him, the kind that reached his eyes. It made her giggle softly."You know what?" she said, tracing lazy circles on his chest. "Zayn is ninety-nine percent your copy."
He raised an eyebrow, his eyes questioned what kind of statement it was, "Of course he is. I'm his father."
She nodded with mock seriousness. "Unfortunately…"
He looked at her, half-offended, half-amused. "What do you mean, unfortunately? I'm the reason he's born sweet and cute. And I know, when he grows up, he'll be handsome too, like me."
She laughed, nodding her head. "Good… but I just hope he doesn't turn into a little fuckboy like his handsome father."
He smiled and pulled her even closer until their noses brushed. "He won't," he said softly. "Because he's got a wonderful mother, one who'll teach him good manners and what real love means."
Her smile deepened, eyes shining as she whispered, "That's exactly what I'll do."
He smiled, kissed her one more time before tucking himself into her arms, his breath warm against her skin. She smiled, fingers brushing through his soft hair.
After a quiet moment, his voice came, muffled against her neck. "It's been so long we've been here… what if Zayn woke up?"
"He didn't," she murmured softly.
He lifted his head, eyes soft and lips a little pouty. "I missed him. Let me bring him here."
Before she could say something, he was already out of bed. A few minutes later, he returned, gently carrying their sleeping son in his arms. He placed Zayn on the bed beside her with such care that her heart melted, then crawled back on her other side, curling into her embrace again.
She smiled, kissing the top of his head. "You're loving my child too much," she whispered.
He hummed sleepily. "He is my child too," he spoke, voice low and possessive.
Her laugh was soft, filling the quiet room. He smiled too, eyes half-closed.
"You're heavy, big baby," she teased.
He grinned, not even opening his eyes. "But you love me, mommy."
That made her break into quiet giggles, and him too. Their laughter faded into a hush as the night wrapped around them, the three of them tangled together, warmth, love, and peace finally finding their home.