Unexpected Meeting (alver x og cale)

Part 4

The simple and unavoidable truth.

The way he greedily wanted more than he could ever have.

The way Cale's cheek felt in the palm of his hand.

The way the world slowed down for just them, Cale's anger and hurt still raw for anyone to see.

The way that Alberu yearned to comfort him. To hug him. To just indulge in a moment.

The way nothing else really seemed to matter in that moment.

"Liar."

Cale's words were so scathing and raw. Alberu expected as much.

"Did you figure me out then?" Cale asked with increasing anger. "What is this then? Pity? Mockery? See how far you can push me?" Cale's hands were clenched and there was definitely a temptation there to hit him. "Hate to break it to you, your highness, but I'm not so easily mortified. Better luck next time."

It wasn't advisable or smart to proceed. He already knew this would only hurt them both.

But he couldn't do it. He just couldn't let this be. He couldn't help himself.

"You run a hand through your hair when you're nervous or frustrated." Alberu pointed out. "If that's what you mean by figuring you out, then I've got countless tiny mannerisms memorized."

This time he felt like Cale might really hit him. He didn't back down though. "Ah, should have fucking expected. This is all a goddamn joke to you, isn't it?"

"It really isn't." He reached out, hesitantly, and held one of Cale's clenched fists. "I don't know what happened between us before, not in any detail, but I know my own feelings."

"Oh?" Cale snatched his hand back as if burned, scorn dripping from the single syllable. "Are you going to say that you care about me? You've developed some sort of misguided crush?"

"Yes."

Cale scoffed openly. "Who the fuck do you think I am? An idiot? Why the fuck would I fall for the same bullshit–why do you keep doing this?"

Ah, that raw pain.

"What the fuck did I ever do to you to deserve being fucked around with like this?!"

"I'm not lying." How did he reach that closed off heart? That man who lashed out instead of being able to rationally find the answer. He already knew that Alberu had nothing to gain but even that didn't lead him to believe in sincerity. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Ha! Of course you don't–it's only that your ambitions are more important, right?!" Cale was spiraling. "Or what, are you aiming for a good fuck? Is that all it is? Maybe this is your new fun tactic to get answers from me–tough fucking luck, asshole! If I knew why you were here I would have already found a way to get you the fuck out of my life!"

Sense really wasn't going to reach him. Not in this state. Shaking and angry and lost in a heartbreak that Alberu could only understand the corners of.

It was just an impulse. A stupid impulse that he had difficulty controlling but could hardly make the situation worse.

Alberu pulled him into a hug, his heart in his arms as he held onto him in hopes of grounding him.

"None of that–god, none of that." He cut off Cale's protests, noticing that despite an ability to do so, Cale made no attempt to break away. His body melting against Alberu's like he'd been longing for this moment. "I'm sorry. Whatever I did to hurt you so badly–I'm sorry. I wish I could take it back–" He did, he really did, he wanted to smack his other self and demand to understand what was so important that he'd needed to leave Cale in this state. "I'm sorry."