“You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for,” Kanetells him. “All I did was stand beside you. You’re the one who made the call and followed through.”
Rafael’s mouth curves before he realizes it. He pulls Kane in for a tight hug, and Kane folds into him without hesitation.
They stand together like this, the world thinning to his breath and Kane’s heartbeat.
When they part, the warmth lingers with Rafael’s hands still wrapped in his.
“Ready?” Kane’s eyes search his face.
Rafael nods, letting himself be led down the street. Lost in their moment, he only notices they’ve strayed from their usual route when familiar buildings come into sight. His steps slow.
This is Kane’s old block.
“Are we visiting Cipher?” he asks, eyeing the battered red house.
Kane’s smirk gives nothing away. “Not quite.” He guides them past Cipher’s lot to the grey row house next door with a rusted porch swing and cracked flower pots on the stairs.
The realization knocks the breath out of Rafael. “Kane?” He drops into a whisper. “This is your old place, isn’t it? Are we…”
“I talked with Cipher a few days ago,” Kane says quietly, pushing through an iron gate. “About the crew, the shifts I’ve made…their projects with the Veil press.”
As they reach the front steps, Kane turns to face Rafael, his expression softening. “It made me realize something. I didn’t just need to come here for closure—I wanted to.” His voice softens. “I want you here. With me.”
The words steal his breath.
Home. Not Kane’s safe house above the bar or a randomapartment, but their home.
He swallows hard. “Kane…You’re serious?”
Kane’s voice is steady. “Yes. I am.”
A grin breaks across Rafael’s face, and his body moves before his brain can catch up, pulling Kane into a tight embrace. “I love it!” His voice is muffled against Kane’s jacket. “Thank you, Kane.”
“You’re welcome,” Kane rumbles, his chest vibrating under Rafael’s cheek.
As their embrace lingers, Rafael thinks of the man he used to be. The one who stayed quiet, who let life decide for him. That version feels so distant now.
He pulls away slightly, catching Kane’s gaze. “I love you,” Rafael murmurs.
Kane’s smile spreads. “I love you too.” He leans in, closing the distance. Rafael meets him halfway, kissing him without hesitation.
There’s still so much waiting for them.
But in Kane’s arms, the future no longer feels like something to simply survive.
45
Epilogue - Kane
Kane steps onto the porch. His hand drifts over the railing, worn smooth where the paint has chipped away. The boards groan under his feet, even more than before. For a heartbeat, his uncle’s boots thud behind him. Aunt Tina’s laugh rings through the air.
The memory fades as he raises his hand to the security panel by the door. As the machine reads his palm, Kane’s focus drifts to the tinted window screen where a shadowed figure slips by. His lips tug into a smile, and the front door opens with a beep.
Inside, the walls keep their warm colors, the floor its old-fashioned planks.
Everything else has changed.
Furniture from his old place above the bar is scattered among sleek containers of Rafael’s belongings, half-unpacked and blinking with scrolling text of what’s inside.