Sereena Woolfsven had no place to go after running away from her home.
Just then, Jayden Archerbol crossed her mind. After a year of not contacting with one an other, she went to Brooklyn in search of him. He was her safe place. That's where it all...
"Hello....? Ser.. Sereena?" "J- Jayden, I - I need your help" stammered Sereena. "Where are you? What's wrong?" asked Jayden without any hesitation. "I- I'm... I left home..." "Send me your location I'll come pick you up" "No no don't worry about me I'll be fine. It's nothing" "Don't you dare hang up, send me your location now! " " I- I came to Brooklyn by bus and I'm two blocks away from your apartment. And.." "Stay there, I'm coming " said Jayden interrupting Sereena. "Oh, ok." She then ended her sentence without explaining the reason why she's here in Brooklyn at this time.
It was passed 6 p.m. at Brooklyn and it has just started to rain. Sereena bought nothing with her other than her phone and wallet. By the time Jayden arrived it was raining heavily. They haven't seen each other for more than a year or so. Jayden saw her from across the street and ran to her in the pouring rain. She was sitting on a bench soaked and shivering. Jayden too was soaking wet and had no umbrella with him, just his leather jacket.
"Bby" he said. She stood up and leaned in for a hug, he grabbed her from her waist and pulled her in. The hug felt good for both of em. Not even the rain could disturb their hug. She was scared and Jay felt it. While putting his jacket up to cover her head, he took her to his apartment without asking any questions. They walked all the way.
On the way to the apartment there was nothing but silence. Jay kept overthinking of how he greeted her at first.
His inner thoughts "bby? Really? Was that the only thing you could come up with?" And also while holding her tight he thought "oh my gosh, she's not ok and she's shivering, stupid idiot! Why didn't you take a cab or at least bring an umbrella with you huh, stupid stupid stupid. She must feel like I'm not ok with having her"
Meanwhile Ser's inner thoughts "why did I call him, I think he still cares for me. He literally came running searching for me. Poor Jay's soaking wet because of me. I'm a burden to everyone. I should have just gone somewhere else."
-Complete silence other than the overthinking-
Finally they reached the apartment. Jay took his keys out of his pocket and opened the door and let her in.
"Can I make you some hot coffee?" Said Jay after the long awkward silence.
"Yes please! also would you mind lending me some clothes of yours too?" She was shivering soo much.
"Take anything you want, my closet is in the room Infront of the fireplace" said Jay while lighting up the fireplace. "Wear whatever you feel comfortable in ok?" Jay didn't hesitate to lend her his clothes.
"Thank you Jay" said Ser while running into the room for a quick change.
As Jay busied himself clearing the sofa, Sereena quietly approached. He had no idea she was now standing behind him, clad in that familiar shirt from their past. Her delicate frame was swimming in it, but it made her feel strangely at home — wrapped not just in fabric but in memories that still lingered between them.
She stood there for a moment, watching him fumble with the magazine, completely oblivious to her presence. The warmth of the fireplace danced off his face, contrasting the cold rain that still dripped from his wet hair. It was oddly comforting to her, this moment, as if time had slowed, giving her a chance to breathe.
Without thinking, Sereena spoke up softly, "Jay, you didn't have to keep this."
He froze, his back still turned to her, gripping the magazine tighter than before. He knew exactly what she meant. He'd kept her shirt — that faded piece of their history — tucked away, not out of nostalgia but out of something deeper, something he couldn't explain, even to himself. But now that she had found it, the vulnerability in the air was palpable.
Slowly, Jay turned around, and when he saw her in the shirt, it felt like the breath was stolen from his lungs. His heart raced, but his face remained calm, unreadable.
"I— I just couldn't throw it away," he admitted quietly, his voice soft yet filled with an unspoken weight.
Sereena bit her lip, feeling a wave of emotions crash through her. This wasn't just about a shirt — it was about everything they hadn't said in the past year. All the pain, all the moments left unresolved, hanging in the air between them.
Before she could respond, Jay cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to break the tension, "Your coffee's ready. Thought you might like it just the way you used to — extra cream, no sugar."
She smiled, despite the heaviness between them. "You still remember."
"Of course I do," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Some things you don't forget."
They sat down on the sofa, side by side but not touching. The sound of the rain hitting the window filled the room as they each took their coffee. For a while, they didn't say anything. It was the kind of silence that wasn't awkward but loaded — filled with unsaid words and buried feelings.
Sereena finally broke the silence, her voice trembling, "Jay, I didn't just leave home because of a bad day. I— I didn't know where else to go. I didn't know who else to call. I'm sorry."
Jay put his coffee down, turning fully to face her now, concern etched on his face. "You don't have to apologize. I'm just glad you're here. Whatever's going on, you don't have to go through it alone."
She looked down, her fingers nervously tracing the rim of the coffee mug. "But I feel like I keep dragging you into my mess. I didn't want to come back into your life like this."
Jay reached out, gently placing his hand on hers. The warmth of his touch sent a wave of comfort through her. "You're not a mess, Ser. You never were. And I'm here because I want to be. Not because I have to."
Tears welled up in Sereena's eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. She leaned her head against Jay's shoulder, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she felt safe. She hadn't realized how much she missed this — the feeling of being cared for without judgment, without expectations.
The fire crackled softly, adding to the sense of calm that began to settle in the room. Jay wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer.
And for a brief moment, it was just them again. No rain. No worries. Just two people rediscovering a connection they thought they had lost.
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