The moon hung in the sky, casting an eerie and sad light on the forest below. It’s cold glow illuminated the twisted branches of the trees, casting long shadows that seemed to dance in the wind. The forest looked barren and lifeless, as if the moon’s light had drained its energy and vitality. The silence was deafening, broken only by the occasional hoot of an owl or the rustling of leaves in the wind. 

You silently stood beside a large tree with your eyes focused on a familiar figure in the distance. You didn’t need to see their face or hear their voice to recognize them – one look was enough. You wanted to talk to them and tell them just how much you missed them even after all these years but lacked the courage. Moreover, you feared that they might not want to see you. Against your heart’s will, you commanded your muscles to turn around and walk in the opposite direction.

“(Y/n).”

Your legs buckled as you heard them say your name, but you still didn’t turn around. They had moved closer during your moment of hesitation, their sharp eyebrows furrowing in what might be confusion or disappointment.

“(Y/n),” Mokuren said again in a softer voice. “Why are you running from me?”

You remained with your back to them, still in shock that they sensed your presence. Were they waiting for you to approach them? Had Mokuren known this entire time that you were watching them from afar? You could have told them then that you feared they didn’t want to see you, but you couldn’t bring yourself to say the words out loud.

“I can see the regret in your eyes, (y/n),” they said. “I can feel the hesitation in your breath…the anxiety in your heartbeat.” Mokreun reached out to touch your shoulder, making your muscles tense. 

“Look at me.”

You drew a deep breath and slowly turned to the side to look at them. Your eyes held a conglomeration of emotions, from regret to pain to sadness to hesitation, but the feeling that stood out the most was relief. You were relieved to see them doing well.

Their amethyst eyes held longing and warmth, and a small smile curled on their lips. Even after the decision you took, Mokuren was still kind to you. You meant to ask the question in your mind, but the word escaped your lips in a shaky whisper. 

“Why?”

Their skinny, long fingers touched your soft hair and gently brushed your strands lovingly. “Because I love you, (y/n). I always have.” Why do you think I let you go when you chose to rebel against me?”

The moonlight cast a faint shadow on their handsome features as Mokuren took your hand in their warm and soft hands. In a gentle voice, they added, “You meant the world to me.”

“Rebel? Was that how you saw it, Mokuren?” You asked, shocked. “You were adamant about having your way and refused to listen to anything I had to say. You focused on dancing to the point that you were causing harm to your mind and body. I asked you to stop pushing yourself to that point, but you…got upset with me. I asked why you were going to this extent, but you refused to answer my question. Did you honestly believe that I would not be able to see the sadness in your eyes?”

You lowered your gaze to your hands, missing the feeling of how their hand enveloped yours. Your voice dropped to a whisper so soft that the wind threatened to carry it away. “You kept secrets from me and refused to trust me with your past. You refused to listen to anything I had to tell you as you believed whatever decision you took was right. I was only concerned about you, yet you took my concern as interference in your personal matters. If you couldn’t trust me enough to open yourself to me…what was the point of being in a relationship? That was my reason for breaking up with you.”

Mokuren’s eyes widened, not expecting that to be your reason to break up with them. Their surprise was audible in their voice. “The secrets I kept from you weren’t meant to keep you away. I hid them from you because I didn’t want to burden you with my personal trauma.” 

After a slight pause, they said, “I never took the time to understand your point of view…and I truly am sorry, princess.”

Tears welled in your eyes as you squeezed them shut. The pain and regret in their voice were evident, but even then, your mind told you that an apology was not enough. You weren’t sure if they intended to turn a new leaf and get back together with you, but you needed to make sure of one thing before this conversation progressed any further.

“Mokuren…did you trust me? Do…you still trust me?”

They hesitated, and your heart sank. Silence stretched between the two of you as they processed your question and attempted to come up with a proper response.

“I couldn’t trust you completely,” they finally said with a shaky voice. “At least, not at the time. But that was my mistake because I was so consumed by my past…and dancing… that I allowed those things to overshadow everything else in my life. But…I trust you now.”

A sharp pain shot up in your heart when you heard his answer, but at least he was honest with you. So, all it took was you leaving Mokuren for them to understand your value? You sighed quietly and met his piercing purple eyes. 

“Then, let me ask you. What are your intentions now? What…do you want from me? From us?”

They released your hands from their grasp and gently cupped your face with a serious and sincere expression painted across their face. “I never stopped loving you, (y/n). All this time you were gone, I thought about you every day. You were the love of my life. But right now, I want nothing more from you than your forgiveness. Tell me, (y/n). What do you want from me? From us?”

“Were?” You slightly narrowed your eyes at them, but your voice held a teasing note. “So I am not the love of your life…I was the love of your life?”

“I knew you would focus on that.” They laughed and leaned forward, their face close to yours. “(Y/n), I’ve always loved you, and I will always love you. That will never change. But most importantly, I need your forgiveness. You are the only woman I’ve ever loved and the only woman I would ever love. Do you still love me?”

“Hm, do I still love you?” You teasingly questioned. “You know, I can’t remember now…but I have heard that a true love’s kiss can bring back forgotten memories.”

Mokuren’s eyes widened as your words sank in, and without wasting a second more, they pulled you closer. Their fingers touched your chin and guided your face toward them before leaning in for a passionate kiss. 

You felt butterflies in your stomach as if you had just fallen in love for the first time. The taste of their lips on yours was pure ecstasy, and you felt yourself getting carried away in the passion of the moment.

“Mokuren,” You pulled away slightly from the kiss, your lips brushing against them. “I forgive you, and I hope you can forgive me for walking away from our relationship. Let’s start from the beginning with no resentment, regrets, or pain. I want us to build our trust and then take it from there.”‘

“There’s nothing to forgive. I was foolish to push you away and would do anything to make things right between us. I’ll do whatever it takes to rebuild our trust, and then, we can restart our relationship.” Mokuren leaned in closer, their voice dropping to a whisper. “Can I have one more kiss?”

“Only one more?” A small smile tugged on your lips as a playful twinkle sparkled in your eyes.

They smiled at your words and caressed your cheek with their thumb as their gaze studied your face. “For now, yes. Just one more kiss.” 

They leaned forward again and kissed your soft lips gently and tenderly. Under the glow of the pale moonlight, Mokuren embraced you close to their chest, not wanting to let you go ever again.