Kael's lips parted before he could stop himself.
"Elior…"
The name escaped him quietly.
The figure paused.
Then, after a brief hesitation—
"Ka… Kael?"
Kael exhaled slowly.
He turned him around.
Moonlight fell across Elior's face, revealing tired eyes, slightly disheveled hair, and an expression that couldn't quite hide its worry.
For a moment, Kael said nothing.
He simply looked at him.
As if grounding himself in the fact that Elior was really there.
His hand lifted, almost unconsciously.
His fingers brushed lightly against Elior's chin.
Not possessive.
Not demanding.
Just enough to guide his gaze upward.
The night air moved softly around them.
Neither spoke for a while.
The silence between them wasn't awkward.
It was heavy with things neither of them was ready to say.
"You—...what are you doing here?"
Kael's voice was steady, but low.
Elior turned slowly to face him.
"And what about you?" he asked just as softly. "What are you doing outside?"
His eyes moved over Kael's clothes.
"You're dressed like you're going somewhere."
A faint pause.
"Are you?"
For a moment, Kael looked genuinely caught off guard.
Then his expression shifted.
His hand slid to Elior's waist and pulled him closer.
Not rough.
But firm enough to stop any distance between them.
"So," Kael said calmly, "you've started answering me with questions now?"
Elior's brows knit slightly. "I just asked."
Kael held his gaze.
His thumb pressed faintly against Elior's side.
"When I ask first," he said quietly, "I expect an answer first."
There was no anger in his voice.
Just certainty.
"It's late," he continued. "It's cold."
"And you're standing here alone."
Elior's pout appeared — small, almost stubborn.
"I couldn't sleep," he admitted. "I came to walk. To enjoy the night."
He tilted his head toward the sky.
"Look at it… The moon, the stars… It's peaceful."
For a second, Kael followed his gaze.
The sky was clear. Silver light spilling over the garden.
"…It is," Kael agreed.
Then his eyes returned to Elior.
Slower. Darker.
"But I don't like you being out here alone."
Elior blinked. "Why?"
Kael's fingers tightened just slightly.
"Because," he said evenly, "I don't like the idea of anyone else seeing you like this."
"In this light."
His gaze lingered on Elior's face.
"You look…"
He stopped himself.
Then finished more quietly,
"You look so good in the moonlight… it feels unfair that the whole sky gets to see you—I wish it was just for me."
Elior's breath hitched faintly.
Kael leaned closer — not touching his forehead, not yet.
"Next time," he murmured, "tell me before you wander off."
A beat.
"I'll come with you."
Not a suggestion.
A decision.
"I don't like the thought of anyone else thinking they have a chance."
Elior blinked.
"A chance…?" he repeated softly.
Kael didn't answer.
He stepped forward instead.
Closing the distance between them.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Elior instinctively took a half-step back — but Kael's hand at his waist stopped him.
Not forceful.
Just enough.
Kael lifted his other hand and brushed a loose strand of hair away from Elior's forehead.
His fingers lingered near his temple.
"You really don't understand," Kael said quietly.
Elior's breath grew shallow.
"Understand what?"
Kael's thumb traced lightly along Elior's cheek.
Then rested beneath his jaw.
His voice lowered.
"Because I don't share what's important to me."
Silence settled between them.
Elior didn't look away.
Instead, after a small pause, he asked softly—
"Kael… can I ask you something?"
Kael's eyes shifted slightly.
Not startled.
But alert.
A faint narrowing, then a subtle widening — like he hadn't expected that turn.
"…Go on," he said.
Elior hesitated.
His fingers curled lightly in the fabric of his sleeve.
"You seem… different today."
"Absent-minded."
"But also… careful."
"Like you're thinking about something serious."
His voice softened.
"Is something wrong?"
Kael's expression changed for a fraction of a second.
He hadn't expected Elior to say it so directly.
Elior continued gently,
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
"I'll understand."
"But… don't carry everything alone."
"I'm not asking to judge you."
"I just…"
He took a small breath.
"I want to know if you need anything."
"I'm good at listening."
"And I won't misunderstand you."
The night felt quieter after that.
Kael watched him.
Really watched him.
Then his gaze softened — just slightly.
"There's nothing wrong," he said calmly.
"But… there is something I'm thinking about."
"Something I don't fully understand yet."
His voice lowered.
"I don't want to say it without certainty."
He stepped a little closer — not possessive this time.
Just steady.
"When I understand it clearly…"
"I'll tell you."
"Until then…"
He held Elior's gaze.
"Trust me."
Elior looked at Kael for a few seconds.
He didn't get a clear answer.
But he understood that something was bothering him.
He didn't want to push anymore.
"…Okay," Elior said quietly. "I'll wait."
There was no complaint in his voice.
Only trust.
Kael looked at him for a moment.
Then he shifted the topic.
"It's late," he said. "Let's go back."
Elior glanced at the sky again.
The moon was bright.
The stars were scattered everywhere.
"Can we stay a little longer?" he asked softly. "I want to enjoy the night."
Kael noticed the cold air.
He saw the slight shiver in Elior's shoulders.
There wasn't a proper place to sit here.
His eyes moved upward toward the rooftops.
An idea came to him.
Without saying anything, Kael pulled Elior closer.
His arm wrapped firmly around Elior's waist.
"Kael—?"
Before Elior could ask—
The ground disappeared beneath them.
Elior gasped and grabbed onto Kael's clothes.
Wind brushed past them.
And in a few seconds—
They landed gently on the rooftop.
Higher.
Closer to the sky.
The view was wide and beautiful.
Elior looked around, surprised.
"You could have told me first…" he muttered.
Kael looked at him calmly.
"You wanted a better view."
Elior looked at the sky.
It was beautiful.
The moon hung high, soft and silver. Stars scattered across the darkness like spilled light. The trees below shimmered gently, their leaves glowing under the quiet wash of moonlight. The whole forest felt still. Calm. Almost unreal.
"How beautiful…" Elior whispered.
"Yeah," Kael said.
But he wasn't looking at the sky.
He was looking at Elior.
Elior noticed. His cheeks warmed slightly, and he quickly sat down, pretending to focus on the view.
Kael sat beside him.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Then Elior broke the silence.
"When I was little… my father took me to a small hill near our house."
Kael turned slightly toward him. "A hill?"
"It wasn't very tall," Elior said with a faint smile. "But to me, it felt like a mountain. We went there at night. Just once."
His eyes stayed on the sky.
"We lay on the grass and looked at the stars. I kept asking him why they shine so brightly."
Kael listened without interrupting.
"He didn't give me some complicated explanation," Elior continued softly. "He just looked at me and said—"
Elior's voice lowered, as if repeating something precious.
'Stars shine because they don't hide what they are. Even from far away, they let their light be seen.'
Kael's gaze shifted fully to him.
"Then he tapped my forehead," Elior added, almost shy. "And said, 'You're like that too. No matter where you stand, your light will be visible.'"
A quiet breath left him.
"I didn't really understand it back then. I just felt… happy. Like I was important."
The wind brushed gently through his hair.
"It was the only time he took me there," Elior said more quietly. "After that… we never went again."
Silence settled between them — not heavy, but thoughtful.
Kael's fingers tightened slightly against the rooftop stone.
If you become something bright… don't turn your light where I can't follow.
His jaw shifted faintly.
I don't like being left behind.
Elior let out a small breath.
"I don't know why I'm remembering all this tonight."
"You miss him," Kael said.
Elior nodded once.
"But nights like this…" he looked up again, a soft smile forming, "they make me feel close to those moments. Like they're still somewhere above me."
Kael followed his gaze this time.
"I always wanted to travel," Elior continued. "To see places beyond my village. Big forests. High mountains. Maybe even somewhere the sky looks different."
He laughed quietly. "But I never went anywhere far."
"You still can," Kael said.
Elior turned to him. "You think so?"
"Yes." Kael's voice was steady. "If you want to see the world… I'll take you."
The words were simple.
But they carried weight.
Elior blinked. "You'll… take me?"
Kael nodded once.
Elior smiled — not wide, not bright. Just soft and real.
"Then I want to see a place where the stars feel close enough to touch."
Kael looked at him for a long moment.
"They already are," he murmured.
Elior looked at him in confusion.
Kael didn't explain.
"There are many things we don't know yet," he said instead. "Maybe one day… we'll see them."
Elior turned back to the sky.
"For the first time," he whispered, "I don't feel far from it."
Kael didn't answer.
But his hand shifted closer to Elior's.
Not touching.
Just close enough.
A soft wind passed over the rooftop.
Elior shivered slightly.
Without realizing it, he rubbed his hands together.
Kael noticed immediately.
He reached for his cloak, about to place it over Elior's shoulders.
But Elior caught his wrist gently.
"No… it's okay," he said softly. "If you give it to me, you'll feel cold too."
He looked at Kael with quiet sincerity.
"I don't want you to be cold… just like you don't want me to be."
For a second, Kael said nothing.
Something warm spread through his chest.
Slow. Unexpected.
He looked at Elior's hands still holding his wrist.
Then a small, almost dangerous smile appeared.
Instead of giving the cloak—
He stood.
Elior blinked. "Kael…?"
Without answering, Kael moved behind him and sat down again.
Close.
Very close.
Before Elior could react, Kael wrapped one arm around his waist and gently pulled him back against his chest.
The cloak fell around both of them.
Covering them together.
Elior froze.
"K-Kael—"
Kael leaned closer.
His breath brushed softly against Elior's ear.
"Now," he murmured quietly, voice low and teasing, "neither of us has to feel cold."
A pause.
"And neither of us has to worry about the other… like you said."
Elior's face turned red.
"You—"
Before he could continue, Kael's hold tightened just slightly.
"If you move away," Kael added softly, a stubborn edge in his tone, "I'll only pull you back."
"So don't struggle."
It wasn't harsh.
But it wasn't something easy to argue with either.
Elior hesitated.
Then… slowly…
He relaxed.
The warmth from Kael's body seeped through him.
The steady rhythm of Kael's heartbeat echoed against his back.
Above them, the moon watched quietly.
The stars shimmered.
After a while, Elior's breathing became slower.
Softer.
His head tilted back slightly.
Resting against Kael's chest.
Asleep.
Kael felt it.
The weight of him.
The trust.
His eyes softened.
For a brief moment, a faint pink glow flickered in his gaze.
Not dangerous.
Not sharp.
Just something deep.
Something that didn't need words.
He lowered his chin gently onto Elior's hair.
Careful.
Protective.
As if holding something precious.
I don't want this moment to end. He wished.
The sky stretched endlessly above them.
Time slowed, almost afraid to move.
And in that suspended moment—
Nothing existed except the space between their hearts.
—by Aurea; "It was not love declared. It was love decided."