As the heavy door clicked shut behind Duke Rael, silence once again swallowed the room.
Shinomi remained standing, eyes still fixed on the closed door as if expecting another interruption. But when he turned, he found Ren watching him with eyes that shimmered with something more than tears—something raw, tender, and full of longing.
Ren stepped forward.
Without a word, he reached up and gently cupped Shinomi's face, then pulled him down into a kiss. It wasn't frantic or desperate—it was soft, slow, and filled with quiet sorrow. A kiss that said I missed you, I'm scared, and Please understand me.
When they pulled apart, Ren didn't let go.
"Can you really leave me here?" he whispered, voice trembling.
Shinomi stayed still, breath caught in his throat.
"I know what you said to my father," Ren continued, eyes searching his. "You were ready to fight for me… to go against the whole kingdom. And it means more than you know."
He stepped even closer, pressing his forehead against Shinomi's chest.
"But I don't want to be taken away like that," Ren said softly. "I don't want war. I don't want to be the reason people hate you—or hate us."
His hands trembled slightly as they clutched Shinomi's robe. "Maybe… maybe one day, people's thinking will change. Maybe one day, a prince can love another prince, and no one will question it. They'll accept it… maybe even bless it."
He looked up at Shinomi again, pleading now.
"Can you wait until that day?" he whispered. "I want to live a peaceful life. I want to walk outside with you, not in secret. I want my father to smile when he sees us together, not scowl. I want Celestia to be there… Cassian too… all of us happy."
Shinomi's jaw clenched slightly—but not in frustration.
It was heartbreak.
Because he knew Ren was right.
This world… it wasn't ready.
Not yet.
And forcing it could destroy them.
"I don't want to be your hidden lover, Shinomi," Ren finished. "I want to be your chosen one in the open. Can you… please wait for me?"
For a moment, Shinomi said nothing.
Then he let out a soft exhale, pulling Ren into his arms.
"If you want this…" he whispered, voice barely audible, "then I'm okay with it."
Ren's fingers clutched his back tighter.
"I'll wait," Shinomi promised. "As long as it takes."
The two of them stood there in the quiet embrace, a pair of hearts beating in sync—not racing with urgency, but holding on for a future they both dared to believe in.
And even if the world wasn't ready… they were.