The young man shook his head, resting his chin on his entwined fingers. "Not a sign or a peep. Do you think something might have happened to him?"
A frown appeared on his face before he could stop it. Viren knew exactly what had happened to the elf. He was probably livid with Viren— or maybe Runaan felt crestfallen, as Viren had when he learned about Harrow's marriage.
"If you hear from him, please inform me immediately," Viren ordered and headed directly to Gren's annex. The HR rep was concentrating deeply on filling out the paperwork on his desk and jumped when Viren rapped his knuckles against the cubicle wall. "You startled me," he gasped, putting a hand over his heart. His hands gathered up the papers and he flipped them over so the information was kept private, then asked, "What can I do for you, Viren?"
He hesitated, but replied, "You haven't heard from Runaan, have you? He was spouting some nonsense about a transfer the other day."
Gren's eyebrows shot up in an alarmed response, which Viren took as a good sign. Clearly, the elf had yet to put in a transfer request, which meant Viren still had time to fix things. "A transfer? Why would he be interested in transferring?" Gren demanded, sounding more bewildered than upset about the news. Viren shook his head. "No, never mind. It was a stupid joke." He hurried to his office and started going through his files until he found the employee contacts sheet. His finger trailed down the names until he found Runaan and he jotted down the elf's address.
He needed to apologize for the harsh words. Even though what he had said was true, Viren never should have let Runaan down in such a manner. He had been unjustly taking out his anger over Harrow on him.
Just as he was leaving his office, Gren blocked his path.
"Viren," he started, evenly. It was clear that he was trying to keep his anger out of his tone. The man let out a soft laugh, masking his distress. "Why is Runaan joking around about a transfer? Because, I'm sorry, but that isn't funny in the slightest."
"Gren, relax. Everything is fine," Viren answered, stepping around him. "Or, at least, it will be. Now, if you'll excuse me?" He started for the door then turned to the Crow Master. "You're in charge until I get back, Crow."
The young man's face lit up. "Yes, sir!" he grinned.
Viren went to the parking lot then to his reserved spot. As he turned the keys in the ignition, he wondered if he was making a mistake. Runaan might want to be left alone for the day and, by going to his house, Viren could be making things a lot worse. Still, he had to at least try to apologize. The drive was a fairly short one. Runaan lived much closer to the office building than Viren did and he was surprised to see that the elf had a house, not an apartment. Houses were expensive in Katolis so either Runaan had sunk his savings into buying a home or it had been handed down to him from his parents. Viren took a deep breath and stepped out of his car. He walked up to the door, slowly, feeling his stomach twist sharply with anxiety. This was his last chance to turn around and head back to the office. Pushing down his worry, Viren knocked on the door.
It took a moment, but Runaan finally opened the door and narrowed his eyes immediately.
"What are you doing here?" he grumbled. Viren cleared his throat and explained, "You weren't at the office today and weren't answering your phone."
Runaan leaned against the door, frowning. "I thought it would have been obvious that I was taking a personal day." He met Viren's eyes and shook his head. "Seems like I can't even have one day without you barging into my life." He stepped back, motioning his arm into his home, inviting Viren inside.
Viren stepped into the foyer, looking around. The house looked like it was straight out of a magazine. Spotless, well decorated, filled with beautiful furniture, yet it felt empty— uninviting, somehow.
"Runaan," Viren started, watching as the elf closed the door behind them. "I just wanted to apologize for what I said. I was upset and I know that isn't a valid excuse to—"
The elf silenced him with a kiss. His long fingers grabbed Viren's arms so tightly that he winced from the pain of the contact. Runaan forced him to step back, until he was pressed against the wall. The shock finally wore off and Viren shoved him away. "What are you doing?" he shouted, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Runaan grabbed Viren's wrists, forcing his arms above his head.
"I've been thinking about what you said all day and maybe you're right. I know I can never fill the hole that Harrow left in your heart. You're so fucking obsessed with the bastard that left you, that you never even stop to think about the people who actually want to be part of your life." Runaan snapped. "You'll never love me, I know that. And Aaravos knows it, too. The only difference between us is that Aaravos— what was it that you said, again?— had the spine to take what he wanted." He forced his knee between Viren's leg. "So I am going to take your advice and I will take what I want." Runaan kissed him again, but pulled away when Viren bit down on his lip. The elf struck his cheek, making Viren's eyes water from the sting.
He looked at Runaan with a blank expression, feeling nothing— no anger, no affection, no guilt for making the elf taste his own blood. Just a sense of emptiness. He had driven Runaan to this. Runaan growled and threw Viren to the ground. He was on top of him within seconds, ripping open Viren's dress shirt with his bare fingers. The blood trickling down Runaan's chin made him look truly feral. He bent down, kissing Viren's exposed chest, taking his time to lick the nipples. His teeth gently closed around one of them, forcing a groan from Viren's lips. It felt good to be touched.
Runaan's body moved further down, so he was sitting on Viren's thighs, elf legs straddling him. His hands went to the belt buckle around Viren's waist and he slid it off without hesitation. "Runaan, stop," Viren ordered and the elf furrowed his brows, keeping his hungry eyes on the zipper of Viren's pants. Ignoring the human's command, he reached for it and pulled it down. He wetted his lips with his tongue and finally looked at Viren's face. There was hesitation in his eyes— already a twinge of regret in his gaze. "You're not Aaravos, Runaan," Viren said softly. "You're a better man than he is. We both know this isn't you."
Runaan looked away, expression hardening. "A better man? What does that get me in life? An okay job, an empty home. What does Aaravos have? Everything. Anything he wants." Runaan bared his teeth at the human, anger overwhelming him. "Including you, Viren."
Runaan trembled, leaning forward so his forehead rested on Viren's bare stomach. "I don't want to be a better man."
Carefully, Viren sat up, forcing Runaan to sit up with him. He put a hand on the elf's cheek and forced a weak smile to his face. "I truly am sorry, Runaan. I wish that I could return your feelings, but… I don't think it's possible for me to love anyone besides Harrow."
Runaan hit his hand away. He was still straddling Viren's legs and made no effort to get up. "So, what? You'll just live the rest of your life alone?"
Viren's thoughts immediately went to Aaravos' words: You are alone. I am alone. Perhaps we can be alone together? A genuine smile crossed his face. "Yeah," he answered. "Being alone isn't so lonely anymore."
Runaan gave him a sideways glance, clearly wondering what that was supposed to mean, but let it slide. He gently touched the red mark he had left on Viren's face and started shaking. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, leaning forward so he could embrace him. Viren placed a hand on Runaan's arm and replied, "Let's just put this behind us, okay? It never happened."
The elf nodded, the side of his head brushing against the side of Viren's. "I wouldn't have… I mean, I don't think I could have," he mumbled and Viren gently pushed him away. "I know," Viren said, warmly. "Now, let's get back to the office. Who knows what sort of trouble Crow is getting the company into."
"You left the Crow Master in charge?" Runaan asked, incredulous. "I was in a rush. I thought my best salesman had walked out on me," he teased, nudging Runaan in the gut with his elbow. A weak grin tugged on his lips, making the smile on Viren's face falter. Even though they had agreed to put this behind them, he doubted things would ever be the same between them after today. A wedge had been driven into their friendship and, eventually, Runaan would move on without him.
Runaan helped Viren back onto his feet and they both looked at the human's shredded dress shirt.
"Okay. First, we stop and get me a new shirt."