Love in the Chaos

Chapter - 4

Rune slowly opened his eyes, feeling the weight of his head and the dull ache in his body. He blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the unfamiliar surroundings. His mind was a haze, memories of the previous night filtering back—thugs, the pain, and then… everything went black.

He sat up, wincing slightly as a dull pain throbbed through his side. "Ugh..." he muttered, rubbing his eyes, still disoriented. "Where am I?"

“You’re awake.” A voice, calm and steady, cut through his confusion.

Rune turned, startled, and saw Aaron standing by the bedside. The man looked too calm for the chaos Rune had just been through. His hand was placed gently on Rune’s forehead, and he was staring at him with those piercing eyes.

"You..." Rune’s heart skipped a beat, the memory of last night rushing back. "What am I doing here?" His voice trembled with uncertainty.

“I found you last night and helped you,” Aaron replied, taking a step closer. His hand moved from Rune’s forehead to gently feel his injured side.

Rune tensed at the closeness, his body stiffening as Aaron’s touch sent an unexpected shiver down his spine. "W-What are you doing?" he stammered, unable to meet Aaron’s gaze, his face flushed with embarrassment.

"Checking your wound." Aaron’s tone remained calm but firm. "How are you feeling? Does it hurt?"

Rune hesitated, still processing everything. "A little," he mumbled, though the throbbing pain in his side made it clear that it was more than just a little discomfort.

Aaron gave him a knowing look. “Alright, freshen up. There are clothes and everything you need in the bathroom. Come downstairs for breakfast, and after that, you can take some medicine. You’ll feel better.”

Rune’s gaze drifted to the bathroom door and back to Aaron, still trying to wrap his mind around everything. “I guess I owe you one,” he said with a half-hearted chuckle, attempting to break the tension.

Aaron raised an eyebrow. “Owe me one? You didn’t get yourself in this mess, did you? I had to rescue you from thugs who thought it was a good idea to beat up an innocent guy.”

“Hey, it wasn’t my fault! I didn’t exactly ask for a fight.” He shifted uncomfortably on the bed. “And I definitely didn’t ask to be carried here by some mysterious stranger either.”

Aaron smirked, crossing his arms. “Mysterious? You’re just jealous of my saving skills.” He glanced at Rune’s still-wounded side. “But don’t worry, I’m not looking for a ‘thank you’ or anything. Though a coffee wouldn’t hurt…”

Rune snorted despite himself. “A coffee? You’re lucky I’m not in the hospital right now with a broken bone from your ‘saving skills,’” he teased, though his tone lightened a little.

“Hey, I saved your life, remember? You’re lucky I didn’t just throw you in the dumpster and walk away.” Aaron grinned, clearly enjoying the banter.

Rune rolled his eyes. “Alright, alright, I get it. You’re a hero. But I’m still not sure about this whole ‘mysterious stranger’ act."
Aaron chuckled and leave rune for freshen up.

After cleaning up and getting dressed, Rune headed downstairs. He didn’t see anyone, so he approached a maid who was cleaning the kitchen.

“Where is he?” Rune asked, unsure of what to do.

“Sir left for the office. He got urgent call from office. He told me to tell you to eat breakfast and rest. He’ll be back tonight,” the maid explained.

Rune frowned. "But I need to leave. I can’t stay here."

The maid looked at him, her expression serious. "You shouldn’t leave. He’ll be angry if you do. He doesn’t like it when people go against his wishes."

Rune hesitated for a moment but eventually shook his head. "I’ll be fine. I should go. Thank you for your help," he said politely, leaving the penthouse.

When Rune finally arrived at his uncle’s home, he was immediately bombarded with questions.

“Where have you been? What happened to you? Do you know how worried I was? You could have at least called! Even your grandfather called, and he was furious!” his uncle exclaimed.

"Calm down, Uncle. I’m fine," Rune reassured him, gently guiding him to sit down.

He explained everything that had happened the previous night, about helping the woman and getting hurt.

"You should have called me! I know you’re strong, but that was reckless. What if something worse had happened?" his uncle scolded, his voice filled with concern.

“I know, Uncle. I’m sorry. I won’t do anything like that again,” Rune said quietly, looking down, feeling guilty for worrying his family.

His uncle sighed, his expression softening. "Don’t be sad. I’m just glad you’re safe. Now, let me make you your favorite breakfast."

Rune’s face lit up with a smile. "I love you, Uncle," he said warmly.

His uncle smiled back and headed to the kitchen to cook for him.

---

That night, Aaron returned home, expecting to see Rune. When he didn’t, he asked the maid where he had gone.

“He left earlier today,” she informed him.

Aaron ate dinner alone, feeling unusually unsettled. Later, he went to his home office to try and get some work done, but his mind kept wandering. No matter how hard he tried, all he could think about was Rune—his soft features, the way he looked so fragile yet strong at the same time. It was distracting, and Aaron was growing increasingly frustrated with himself.

With a groan of annoyance, Aaron shut his laptop and headed to bed, hoping sleep would come. But even as he lay there, Rune’s face kept appearing in his mind. He tossed and turned, unable to sleep for more than a couple of hours.

On the other hand, Rune wasn’t filing any better. He lay in bed, thinking of Aaron. Every time he recalled Aaron’s touch or his intense gaze, a blush crept onto his cheeks. He smiled shyly to himself, his thoughts swirling with feelings he wasn’t ready to confront.