This felt right. Despite all the thoughts swirling in his head about what they would do, what he knew for sure wasthisfelt like the right place to be. Like he needed to be at Varen’s side, no matter where that brought him. They could figure out the details as they came. But he wanted to be with Varen—here, or in Aefraya, or wandering the wildlands.
Varen stirred, pulling him from his thoughts. The elf propped himself back up and smiled fondly down at Korik.
“I have to say,” he murmured, grinning at Korik, “I like this a lot better in a proper bed, don’t you?”
Korik chuckled, glancing away. “There is some benefit, yes.”
Some small part of Korik anticipated waking up alone the next morning, but Varen did not slip away in the night or hurry out at first light. When Korik woke, he was laying precariously along the edge of his bed; Varen slept beside him, his body pressed close to Korik’s, but his limbs stretched out across the mattress. He had to stifle a laugh, but when he cautiously got out of bed, Varen stirred awake anyway.
“Good morning,” the elf said, yawning and stretching. Korik’s gaze softened into a smile. His heart stuttered with emotion.
“Good morning,” he replied softly.
The cats were laying right in front of the door when they emerged. K’lir was all over Varen again, while Roz rubbed herself along Korik’s legs as he tried to walk to the kitchen—equal parts pleased at the turn of events and annoyed Korik had banished them to the other room.
They had a quiet breakfast, then Korik watched in amusement as Varen played with K’lir, dragging a ribbon across the floor as the cat chased and pounced after it. Roz’s eyes tracked the ribbon just as intently, but she only pounced when K’lir lost interest.
“You know, if you hadn’t said she was your familiar, I would have thought she was just a cat,” Varen laughed as he dangled the ribbon above Roz, who stood on her hind legs to reach for it, claws extended. Her ears pressed against her skull at his words; she sat back down, looking at him reproachfully, which only made him laugh harder. “Okay, maybe not. Sorry.”
They played for a little longer while Korik cleaned up and set out a pot of tea. Afterwards, they sat together and drank in silence for a moment. Eventually, Varen turned to him with a hesitant look.
“Have you had any other thoughts regarding our discussion yesterday?” he asked softly, looking nervous. Korik hesitated, looking down at his tea as his mind raced again.
He hadmanythoughts about it all, but how much should he share now? He wanted to be with Varen, but now that the heat of the moment had passed, the logistics of it all were giving him pause.
“I...” he started, only to trail off.
“Tell me,” Varen urged, placing one hand over Korik’s where it rested on the table. “I want to know what you’re thinking.”
Korik chewed his bottom lip for a moment before finally speaking.
“I do have some... concerns,” he finally said. His heart was pounding in his chest, but he knew he needed to be honest and vulnerable, no matter how uncomfortable it made him. “Varen... What I feel for you is more than just attraction. I don’t want this to be something... Casual. If we do this, if we travel together again, what would that make us?”
For a moment, Varen studied him, his expression carefully neutral. Korik had gotten much better at reading the elf’s face; but at that moment his mind felt frighteningly blank, unable to process the slight glimmers of emotion that crossed Varen’s face as they considered each other.
“I’ve come to care for you very much,” Varen quietly admitted, his eyes soft. “I will not take this lightly.”
Korik’s heart was pounding harder than ever now, so loud in his ears that he could barely hear himself speak.
“No, justcareisn’t enough,” he urged, pushing through all the fear and worry telling him to be silent. “I—I love you, Varen. But I won’t let you break my heart. If you can’t love me in return, we should end this before it ever begins.”
Varen’s whole body had tensed, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. Even when Korik clamped his mouth shut, heat rising in his face, he forced himself to keep holding Varen’s gaze—despite the sinking feeling in his chest, growing deeper the longer Varen stared at him in shocked silence.
“You,” Varen finally stammered, a pink flush now tinging his face, too. “You love me? Truly?”
Korik gulped and nodded. “Yes.”
“After all this? You can admit it so easily?”
Korik felt his brow furrow, and finally, he glanced away. “I... yes,” he murmured, already regretting his vulnerability. Had it been too much too soon? Had his feelings on the matter been more intense than Varen was prepared for? Maybe he should have given things more time, should have waited to see—
“Because I loveyou, Korik,” Varen said breathlessly, grabbing Korik’s hands again. When Korik looked back at him, his eyes were wide and bright and shining. “And I was too afraid to say it because I thought—I thought perhaps I had done too much to make you hate me.”
For a long moment, he couldn’t respond. The weight of the words between them felt heavy at first, but dissipated the longer they remained there, clutching each other’s hands. Korik’s eyes stung with tears that he blinked away rapidly, clearing his throat, before forcing himself to speak again.
“I don’t—I don’t hate you,” he said softly, looking down at their hands. “I wanted to, for a time. But I never hated you.”
Instead of responding, Varen released his hands, then leaned forward to cup Korik’s face and pull him into a kiss.
