Chapter 2
Chapter 2 Blue Eyes And Bad Decisions
The music inside The Lantern had somehow grown louder.
Or perhaps it only felt that way because Kael's head was pleasantly light after the fourth mojito Adrian had insisted he sip slowly instead of gulping down like fruit juice.
He hadn't expected the night to last this long.
When Mira had dragged him here, she'd sworn she'd stay exactly one hour before disappearing with whichever handsome businessman bought her another drink. Kael had rolled his eyes back then.
Now she was nowhere in sight.
Not that he minded anymore.
Across the table, Adrian leaned back lazily against the leather booth, one long arm stretched across the backrest. He looked unfairly comfortable, like he belonged anywhere he chose to stand. Under the shifting lights, his navy dress shirt clung to broad shoulders and powerful arms, the sleeves rolled neatly to his forearms. His expensive watch caught flashes of blue and silver every time he lifted his glass.
Kael had never met someone so effortlessly attractive.
Worse...
He wasn't just handsome.
He was funny.
It had started with harmless teasing.
Then embarrassing childhood stories.
Then Adrian somehow convinced Kael to confess the reason he hated olives with such dramatic seriousness that Adrian laughed so hard he nearly choked on his whiskey.
By the end of it, Kael was laughing too.
Not politely. Not quietly. He laughed until his stomach hurt.
Until strangers turned around to look. Until tears blurred his vision.
“I can't believe you actually fell into a goldfish pond,” Adrian said, shaking his head.
“I was eight.”
“You insisted it attacked you.”
“It did.”
“The fish?”
“They looked aggressive.”
Adrian burst into another laugh.
Kael couldn't stop smiling. His cheeks ached from it.
When was the last time someone had made him forget himself like this?
Not since… No.
He refused to think about old memories tonight.
The alcohol softened every sharp edge inside him, leaving only warmth and an unfamiliar sense of freedom.
Maybe that was dangerous. And maybe it was exactly what he needed.
Still smiling to himself, Kael reached for his glass.
Before his fingers wrapped around it, another hand gently caught his wrist.
Warm. Steady. Firm enough to stop him without hurting him.
“I think you've had enough.”
Kael looked up.
Those impossibly blue eyes met his. It looked calm… Like the sea before sunrise.
His favorite color had always been blue.
He'd always thought it felt peaceful.
Now it suddenly felt distracting.
“I can still think,” Kael protested.
“I'm sure you can.”
“I'm perfectly fine.”
“You've been staring at the salt shaker for the last thirty seconds.”
Kael frowned. “...I thought it was my phone.”
Adrian laughed again. “You've made my point.”
Heat rushed to Kael's face. “You're laughing at me.”
“I'm enjoying myself.”
“That's even worse.”
Adrian only smiled.
It wasn't the confident smirk he'd worn when he first approached Kael earlier that evening.
This smile reached his eyes.
It made him look younger somehow. More real.
Kael's heartbeat stumbled.
This was dangerous. Very dangerous.
He barely knew this man.
And yet… He couldn't remember the last time he'd wanted to know someone more.
The silence between them stretched comfortably. It wasn't awkward but something else…
Their eyes were fixated on eachother. Neither of them bothered hiding anymore.
Around them, people danced. Bartenders shouted drink orders. Glass clinked.
Someone somewhere was singing horribly off-key.
Yet somehow the booth felt strangely isolated, as if the rest of The Lantern had faded into little more than distant noise.
Adrian finally glanced toward the time displayed on his watch. “It's late.”
Kael blinked.
Already?
“I should probably get you home.”
The words should have sounded dismissive.
Instead, they carried quiet concern. It was as if he was worried to leave him here.
Kael's chest tightened unexpectedly.
No one had looked after him like this in a very long time. “...Okay.”
Outside, the cool night air wrapped around them like rain after summer heat.
Kael inhaled deeply.
Everything smelled cleaner.
Less overwhelming.
The city lights reflected across the river that cut through Vesper City, turning the dark water into flowing ribbons of gold.
He stumbled. Only slightly.
Before he could regain his balance, Adrian's hand settled naturally against the small of his back.
It was innocent. Practical. Nothing more.
Yet Kael felt every inch of contact through the thin fabric of his shirt.
His skin tingled. “You okay?”
“Mhm.”
“You don't sound convincing.”
“I'm trying to preserve my dignity.”
“I think the tecquilas already declared war on that.”
Kael groaned dramatically. “You really enjoy bullying me.”
“I prefer the word teasing.”
“That's just attractive people trying to avoid accountability.”
Adrian chuckled. “I'll remember that.”
They walked slowly toward the curb where taxis occasionally stopped.
Kael found himself matching Adrian's pace without thinking.
Close enough that their shoulders brushed every few steps.
He didn't move away. Neither did Adrian.
The realization made Kael's pulse quicken.
What was he doing?
He'd never gone home with a stranger before.
He wasn't reckless. He wasn't impulsive.
He definitely wasn't the type to flirt with impossibly handsome men he'd only met a few hours ago.
Then again… He'd also never met another gay man in a place like Asterhaven.
The memory resurfaced.
The shock he'd felt when Adrian casually leaned against the bar and asked, “You're not here looking for women, are you?”
Kael had nearly dropped his drink.
How had he known? Had Kael been obvious? Was there really some invisible signal every queer person recognized?
When he'd nervously asked, Adrian had simply smiled. “Sometimes you just know.”
It still made absolutely no sense.
Yet somehow… Adrian had been right.
A taxi rolled toward the curb.
Kael's chest tightened unexpectedly.
He didn't want the night to end. Not yet.
Not while Adrian was still smiling at him like that. Not while those blue eyes looked at him as though he wasn't invisible.
His fingers moved before his brain caught up.
They closed gently around Adrian's sleeve.
Adrian looked down. Then back at him. “What is it?”
Kael swallowed.
His courage was almost certainly borrowed from alcohol.
If he waited until morning… He'd never say it. “...Would you…” His voice cracked. He cleared his throat. “...Would you like to come upstairs?”
The words sounded embarrassingly awkward.
Nothing like the confident invitation he'd imagined.
For one terrifying second… Silence.
Adrian searched his face carefully. “As yourself?” Adrian asked quietly.
Kael frowned, not getting what he meant. “What?”
“Not because you're drunk?”
The question surprised him. There was no pressure. No expectation. Only concern.
Kael looked directly into those blue eyes. “I know what I'm asking.”
“You won't regret it tomorrow?”
“I might regret never asking.” Kael chuckled.
Another long silence settled between them.
Then Adrian smiled. “...All right.”
He opened the taxi door.
*****
The ride lasted less than ten minutes.
Neither of them spoke much.
Conversation suddenly felt impossible.
Every accidental brush of their knees sent another rush of warmth through Kael's body.
Outside the window, neon signs blurred into streaks of color.
Inside the taxi… The air felt unbearably warm.
Kael glanced sideways. Adrian was already looking at him.
Neither looked away.
The invisible thread between them had tightened with every passing minute until it felt ready to snap.
When the taxi finally stopped outside Kael's apartment building, Adrian paid the driver before Kael could even reach for his wallet.
“You didn't have to—”
“I wanted to.”
Kael didn't argue. He simply nodded.
The old apartment building stood quiet beneath the streetlights.
They climbed the stairs together. Neither rushed. Neither lingered.
The anticipation between them filled every silence.
By the time Kael unlocked the apartment door, his heartbeat had become almost painful.
The apartment wasn't large. Just clean.
Books stacked neatly beside the sofa. Sketches pinned above a small desk.
A half-finished mug sitting forgotten beside an open novel.
Adrian stepped inside slowly, taking in the space. “It suits you.”
Kael laughed nervously. “It's...nothing special.”
“I disagree.”
Their eyes met again. Closer now. There was no crowded bar now. No music. No strangers watching.
Only the sound of two uneven breaths.
Kael became painfully aware of how close Adrian stood.
Close enough to notice the faint scent of cedarwood and rain clinging to his clothes.
Close enough to see tiny flecks of silver hidden inside those blue irises.
No one moved. No one spoke.
The silence stretched.
Kael's pulse thundered in his ears.
He wasn't sure who crossed the remaining distance first.
Maybe they both did.
Their foreheads brushed lightly.
A quiet breath escaped Kael.
“If you want me to leave,” Adrian murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, “say the word.”
Kael searched his expression.
There was desire. Undeniably. But there was patience too. Restraint.
That somehow affected him far more than confidence ever could.
Slowly… Almost shyly… Kael reached for Adrian's hand. Their fingers intertwined.
Instead of answering with words, he leaned forward until their lips met in the gentlest kiss imaginable.
It wasn't hurried. It wasn't desperate. It was soft. Careful.
When they finally pulled apart, Kael found himself smiling without realizing it.
“So…” Adrian said quietly.
“So,” Kael smiled, and leaned to give him a peck on his lips.
Adrian smiled.
The apartment seemed to disappear around them as Adrian lifted a hand to gently brush a loose strand of hair away from Kael's forehead.
The tenderness of that simple gesture stole whatever words Kael still had left.
“I'll show you how to do it.” Adrian smirked, his voice was almost a growl as he leaned in to kiss him.
Kael held the collar of his shirt as low gasps escaped his mouth. He didn't know what they were doing was right or wrong, but he wanted this moment to last.