“These all take place in Autreth. Well, mostly,” Alwyn said, embarrassment still obvious on his face. “Some of them are made up, but... some are real places. I thought it might be, well, fun. To go and see them. Kind of like an adventure.”
Krujha couldn’t stop the wide smile from stretching across his face. This secret side of Alwyn, small as it was, was one he was sure only he had ever seen. It was just for him. As prickly as the elf tried to be, Krujha discovered time and again how soft he truly was—he would never stop delighting in the discovery.
“I’ve had enough adventure for one lifetime, I think,” he said, affection making his voice warm. “But I’d be happy to be a tourist wherever you want to go.”
Alwyn rolled his eyes, huffing; but a smile still twitched at the corners of his lips as he placed the book carefully back into his rucksack. When he lay back down, he turned to Krujha, cupped his cheek, and pulled him closer to kiss him deeply.
Krujha sighed in bliss, sinking into the kiss. He never thought he could die happy, but this—
“I love you,” Alwyn whispered as he pulled away, and Krujha froze. The elf’s eyes were searching as he peered down at Krujha—so vulnerable, so sincere—that Krujha knew he hadn’t imagined it.
A slow grin spread across his face.
“My precious one,” he murmured. He placed his hand atop Alwyn’s, still cupping his cheek. “I never thought I’d hear you say it.”
Warm color flooded Alwyn’s face again. He said something unintelligible as he lowered his head, pressing his face into Krujha’s shoulder. Krujha laughed as he wrapped his arms around the elf’s smaller form, feeling like he might float away if he didn’t have Alwyn to anchor him.
“I love you too, of course,” he said, kissing the top of Alwyn’s head. His hair was soft against Krujha’s lips. Alwyn squeezed his arms tighter around him, and Krujha held him just as tightly.
For a long moment, they were both silent. Finally, Alwyn moved to push himself back up into a sitting position, and Krujha released his hold. The elf’s face was still a ruddy pink, and his mouth worked silently—the way it did whenever he was trying to say something that he didn’t know how to express.
“Thank you,” he finally said, brows furrowed, but eyes shining as he looked down at Krujha. “For... For seeing me. The real me. And the me I could become. A better version of me.”
If he smiled any wider, Krujha thought his face might fall off. But Alwyn’s voice was so serious—the words were clearly so hard for him to get out, and it only made Krujha’s heart melt more.
“You’re welcome. It helps that the real you is so very nice to look at,” he said, chuckling. Alwyn huffed in annoyance, looking away. The elf let out a small laugh, but he still seemed uncertain somehow. Krujha reached down to grasp his hand, entwiningtheir fingers. If reassurance was what he needed, Krujha was happy to give it to him—Alwyn had been sincere with him, so he would be sincere, too.
“And... thank you, little spitfire, for pushing me to be more than I thought I could be, too. I just wanted my vengeance and had no plan after that. Now I can see a whole life ahead of me. And, well, I think it looks much brighter than the life I left behind.”
Alwyn’s eyes were glassy in the dim light as Krujha spoke. He nodded vigorously, rubbing his face with his free hand. Krujha gently tugged him back down into the bedroll, then pressed a softer kiss to his lips. When they parted, the elf no longer looked on the verge of tears, but his expression was still more openly affectionate than Krujha had ever seen. How had he ever gotten so lucky?
“A whole lifetime ahead of us,” he sighed, meeting the serious little elf’s gaze. “I don’t think it would be enough. But I’ll spend whatever time I’m afforded with you, for as long as you want.”
He expected Alwyn to roll his eyes again, but his gaze only softened. “Promise me?”
Krujha’s heart squeezed at his soft voice. Had anyone ever made Alwyn a loving promise before, one that was backed with affection, instead of the threat of punishment or withholding? If this was the first, he was sure it would not be the last.
“I promise.”
They were both silent, eyes locked—it felt like their little tent was the world, and they were the sole inhabitants.
“Well,” Alwyn finally spoke, letting out a small, humorless laugh. “Let’s make it to Autreth first. Then we’ll see how it goes. I might have an Order assassin on my tail for the rest of my life.”
“I treasure the time we’ve already had together,” Krujha said, smirking. “Anything beyond that is just another gift.”
Alwyn sighed, his face flushing with annoyance, and Krujha couldn’t stop himself from laughing. The elf turned away, but pressed himself closer so his back was flush against Krujha’s chest, allowing him to wrap one arm around Alwyn’s narrow waist.
“How do you always know just what to say?” Alwyn mumbled. The annoyance in his voice was half-hearted. He might have meant just what to say to annoy him, or just what to say to make him feel better—or maybe, Krujha thought, he meant both all at once.
“Just one of my many talents,” he replied, pressing one last kiss to the top of Alwyn’s head. The air in the tent felt lighter, now, and safe. Eventually, he fell asleep to the sweet, steady rhythm of Alwyn’s soft breathing in his arms.
Epilogue
Alwyn
One Year Later
The streets of Gennemont were a constant bustle of activity, even in the heart of winter. After having been here for nearly three months, Alwyn still couldn’t quite wrap his mind around the sheer size of the city. Castle Aefraya was the largest city in the nation of elves; but Gennemont, capital of the human nation of Autreth, was roughly triple its size and perhaps four times as populated.
