“Sure.”
He doesn’t believe me.
“But you can’t hide in here forever.”
I sit up, ready to tell him to fuck off, but it’s just Elias being Elias. Persistent and annoying and somehow impossible to stay mad at.
“Fine,” I groan. “What’s this adventure?”
His face lights up. “It’s a surprise.”
“I hate surprises.”
“You’ll like this one.” He’s already pulling me to my feet. “Come on, put your shoes on.”
Ten minutes later, we’re heading into the woods.
“This better not be some weird alpha bonding ritual,” I mutter, ducking under a low-hanging branch.
Elias laughs. “What would that even look like? Blood sacrifices? Howling at the moon? Comparing knot sizes?”
“Gross.” But I’m smiling.
He moves fast, holding my hand, and on the rough path, I have to jog to keep up. His energy is infectious.
“Would it kill you to slow down?”
“Where’s the fun in that? Besides, we’re almost there.”
“Almost where? The middle of nowhere?”
“Patience, little omega.”
“Call me that again, and I’ll show you exactly how patient I can be with my foot up your ass.”
He just grins wider.God, this male is gorgeous.
The trees begin to thin, and we step into a clearing. Elias stops, waiting for me to look up. I’m about to launch into another complaint when I see them. Hundreds of fireflies floating through the air, their tiny bodies blinking yellow-green against the darkness.
“Holy shit,” I say.
“Cat got your tongue, Blue?” Elias teases.
I try to recover. “Seen one firefly, you’ve seen them all.”
“Liar.” He steps closer, and I don’t back away. “You love it.”
I do. I fucking love it.
The fireflies dance around us, lighting and fading in their silent rhythm. Beautiful.
“Maybe,” I admit, sinking onto the grass.
Elias sits beside me. Close enough that I can feel his warmth.
“I found this place when I was a boy,” he says. “They come back every year, same spot.”
We sit in silence for a while, watching the light show. Peaceful in a way I didn’t know was possible around Elias. Usually, he’s all motion and noise and terrible jokes. But right now, he’s just present.