AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Because Artair’s whole campsite had been recreated.
The tent.
The fire.
The fox.
All of it.
“Oh, hello sleepy head,” said Artair, as Luca came beside him.
The bark against his ass was much rougher than he was used to. “You moved the campsite?”
“Kind of! I made a new one. Even I’m not so stubborn to drag the old logs uphill.”
Luca looked at the edges of the trunks. The pine was freshly cut, the creamy fibers tufting out like his own unkempt hair. “How did I sleep through that being cut down?”
“It was impressive. I thought hammering in the tent pegs might’ve got you,” he said, pointing to his neatly arranged tools. “And it gets better. That’s the axe from the tower.”
“Wait... You came into the tower, and I didn’t wake up?”
“I could’ve tap danced on your butt. You were so out of it. Maybe next time I’ll see what else you’ll sleep through?”
Luca yawned. “You’re welcome to try, babe.”
Artair snorted. “Babe!?”
“Huh?” said Luca, realizing what he’d said.
“You just called me babe!”
“I don’t know!” said Luca, rubbing the back of his neck. His cheeks were flushed warm from more than just the firelight. After all the acceptance that Artair had shown him last night, the last thing he wanted was to push his luck and make their last few weeks together awkward. “I just woke up! Don’t make a big deal out of it.”
“Nooo, it’s super cute! You can call me babe if you want.”
Luca paused, trying to find the trap. “Really?”
“Of course. Why not?”
“Ummm, because you’re mister go wherever you like? Because you don’t want to be pinned down? Because you make up things as you go along? Because you don’t even have a phone, so I’m guessing we won’t be seeing a lot of each other after summer? Because you literally told me you didn’t want to get too close?”
Now it was Artair’s turn to look awkward. “Well... look... I’ve been thinking about that. For so many years, I’ve done all of this on my own. I’ve gone wherever I liked, and then left as quickly. Made friends and ran away. Had great experiences and moved on.”
And in Artair’s expression—nerves and vulnerability—Luca suddenly knew where this was going.
Oh my God . . .
How long had Artair been thinking like this?
How long had Luca missed that it was happening?
Artair breathed long and slow, as if steadying himself. “And... it’s not like I’m going to settle down in one location with a white picket fence and three kids for the rest of my life. But, after the last few months? I don’t know, Luca. It might be nice to have a partner in crime on the adventure for once?”
Luca’s chest glowed with a warmth he hadn’t felt in a long time. With the sensation of a million doors opening that he hadn’t even known were there. A million doors that he hadn’t let himself believe could be there.
Luca’s heart was beating so hard he felt he might collapse. After everything they’d talked about, he couldn’t believe what Artair was saying. “Like... boyfriends?”
Artair looked embarrassed. “This can’t be news? Why do you think I’ve spent every day with you for months?”
