{Whispers of Peace Part V}
The house was small. Tucked between the trees, hidden like a secret kept too long. The front porch creaked when Adrian stepped on it, but Kai loved it for that exact reason. Said it gave the place character. Adrian said it gave him a reason to fix something, and Kai told him to shut up and kiss him instead.
He did. Often.
Inside, the place smelled like cedarwood and fresh bread. Kai had been trying recipes again burning half of them, swearing at the oven, then laughing when Adrian licked the batter off his fingers anyway.
Their days were full of nothing and everything.
Coffee in chipped mugs. Morning walks where Kai pretended to get lost just so Adrian would throw him over a shoulder like some smug caveman. Evenings spent under a tattered quilt watching bad movies and pretending the world outside didn't exist.
It was almost too quiet... too perfect.
Kai sat by the window that night, legs curled up, chin resting on his knees. "You think we're really allowed to have this?"
Adrian was behind him before the question even settled in the air, his arms sliding around Kai like gravity. "We took it, didn't we?"
Kai hummed. "Feels stolen."
Adrian pressed a kiss to the curve of his jaw. "Then let them try to take it back."
They stood together in the doorway, staring out into the forest lit by silver moonlight. Crickets hummed. A breeze rustled through the leaves. And for a moment, it really did feel like the past had been left behind.
Kai leaned back into him and whispered, "We're not broken anymore."
Adrian didn't answer with words. He just held him tighter.
Later, under soft blankets and softer kisses, Adrian whispered promises into Kai's skin. Not grand declarations. Not poetic bullshit. Just truths.
"I love the way you burn toast."
"I love that you sing off-key in the shower."
"I love you."
Kai let the tears fall then. Not out of sadness. Not fear. Just overwhelming, goddamn love. The kind that felt dangerous in its softness. The kind that made him believe for the first time in his life that maybe he didn't have to run anymore.
They slept tangled up like roots, breathing in sync, hearts quiet and calm.
And somewhere outside, the world kept spinning... but it didn't matter.
Not here. Not in their home.