Chapter 102 - Together

5 months before the kidnapping...

A week and a half had passed since Sato and his friends went together to the Grand Theme Park. Everyone had a blast, but most of all, Sato and Gray had finally confessed their feelings for each other.

When the pair were home and in a more private setting, Gray sat the young man down before revealing the truth to him.

He went back to the time when Sato was in highschool. Gray told him about their relationship back then and how he had been searching for him ever since the day he left Sato. Of course, without fail, Gray felt guilty throughout the entire process.

If it were not for him wanting to become a couple with Sato, the boy would not have lost his memory. If it were not for him abandoning Sato when he was most vulnerable, Sato would not have ended up in such a sorry state several years later. As such, Gray took Sato's absence from his life as a divine punishment. He thought he deserved every bit of suffering that he had caused himself.

At first when Sato heard about his past and their story, he couldn't actually believe or put out any words. Yet, when he taught back to the times where Gray understood him as if he was always around him, he knew that the man was not lying. More so, Sato started to pity the soldier in civilian wear. Gray had suffered because of him and that made it worse.

Sato slid closer to Gray on the sofa. With open arms, Sato wrapped himself around Gray like a warm blanket on a cold winter day. Sato consoled the older man, while leaning on Gray's shoulder.

"It's alright, Gray. I didn't actually suffer much. In fact, finding you has allowed me to feel less empty on the inside, " Sato spoke honestly, "Back then, I did not actually know what I was missing from my life. Without a direction or aim, I simply continued to walk forward, hoping that one day I would find that missing something."

"And today, I realised what I had been looking for all this time, was in fact, right in front of me." Gray turned to look over his shoulder. Sato was already looking at Gray with his signature warm smile. The distressed soldier lifted his hand and caressed the young man's smooth untainted face.

"Thank you, for everything."

From that day on, the pair got even closer than they were before. Although Sato could not physically remember everything that Gray said to him, without fail, the two would always catch up at night after work and school. Telling Sato a story of their past became a norm for Gray. The times they had spent together when Sato was in high school, was deeply engraved in Gray's head. To him, that was probably one of the best times of his life, excluding now.

On their first weekend of being a couple, although Gray supposedly had work to attend to, he had cancelled all meetings to go out and have a great time with Sato. This action of his had suprised everyone in the office working overtime. Thanks to their General's spontaneity, everyone had been allowed to go home in the early afternoon.

"Where are we going?" Sato asked anticipatingly. He looked at the handsome man that was driving the Gale X. Sometimes it was hard for himself to believe that this stunning, well formed man loved him.

"It's a secret." Gray answered with a mysterious smile.

Gray drove out of the suburbs and into the greener parts of Country Z. Here, the place was protected by the government from factories. The forest that the pair drove through had brown leaves scattered all over the floor. The environment was welcoming the eminent winter. The once lush green leaves on the tree, had become bare and naked. Yet, it didn't lower the overall aesthetic of the place. It looked like mother nature had covered the earth with a dark maple blanket. Sato had opened a small slit in the car window to let in a hint of earthly aroma, making the car feel homely.

Gray drove up the road that circled around a hill. The place was empty, without a sight of people. It was only them and the view. As they went higher, Sato got a better view of surroundings. The maple blanket spanned for many kilometres, as far as his eye could see. It was extremely picturesque.

At the end of the road, Gray stopped his car in front of the modern-looking house. After a short few seconds, the metal gates slided open, welcoming it's owner.

"What is this place?" Sato asked Gray. The house metallic sheen and cuboid shape design that was rarely seen. There were no visible glass that allowed anyone to see what was inside. It resembled a safe house that could withstand an air strike.

"It's my surprise to you." When Gray stopped his car on top of a circular platform, a light rumbling sound rose from below. Sato realised that the car was heading downwards, into the platform ground. Eventually, he was 2 storeys deep and the dark underground was lit up with ambient lighting on the wall.

Gray led Sato out of the car and up the cement stairs. The place had an industrial design with grey tones everywhere. On the first floor, everything was just as he imagined. Modern. Modern. Modern.

The living room, the kitchen, the bathroom, everything was modernly industrial.

Gray placed his hand on a tablet-like screen that was attached on the wall. After the hand scan, a bright green light shone, signalling the change in the house.

The once metallic cuboid building started to clank and move. Pieces of the structure started to relocate, revealing the glass that hid from the light. The surrounding started to become brighter with the welcoming of sunlight.

"Welcome to my secluded abode."