I'd watched him bounce around the ranch with barely contained excitement, gathering firewood, buying supplies, checking the weather forecast obsessively on his phone. The others had indulged him with fond exasperation—Reid shaking his head but helping him stack logs, Nolan making sure they had enough blankets, Sawyer silently building a proper fire pit ring out of stones he'd collected from somewhere.
"Tonight's the night." Kol announced at breakfast, his amber eyes bright with anticipation, practically vibrating in his seat, his honey-blond hair still mussed from sleep and flopping across his forehead. "Weather's perfect. No wind. Clear skies. S'mores under the stars."
"You've said that three times already." Sawyer's voice was dry, rough with amusement, but there was warmth underneath it, his pale eyes soft as he watched Kol's enthusiasm from across the table, his scarred hands wrapped around his coffee cup, steam curling up toward his face.
"Because it's important." Kol leaned across the table toward me, his amber eyes shining like polished honey, his scent intensifying with his excitement—orange blossoms and warmth filling the space between us, sweet and intoxicating. "You've never had s'mores, Aster. This is a momentous occasion. A life-changing event. We have to do it right."
"It's just marshmallows and chocolate." Reid's voice was gruff, dismissive, but his dark eyes crinkled slightly at the corners as he sipped his coffee, his weathered face soft with amusement he was trying and failing to hide.
"It's not just marshmallows and chocolate." Kol pressed a hand to his chest, mock-offended, his amber eyes going wide with theatrical outrage, his mouth dropping open in exaggerated disbelief. "It's an experience. A ritual. A?—"
"If you say 'a journey,' I'm going to throw this toast at you." Nolan's voice was fond, his green eyes bright with amusement as he buttered his bread, his freckled face creased with a barely suppressed smile, his sandy hair catching the morning light.
"I was going to say 'tradition.'" Kol sniffed, lifting his chin with exaggerated dignity, though his lips were twitching with a suppressed grin, his amber eyes dancing with mischief. "But fine. Mock me. See if I share the good chocolate with any of you."
"There's good chocolate and bad chocolate?" I found myself asking, surprised by how easily the words came out, my voice lighter than it used to be, curiosity coloring my tone. Kol's face lit up like I'd given him the greatest gift imaginable, his amber eyes going bright and warm, his whole expression softening into something tender that made my chest ache.
"Oh, honey." He reached across the table and grabbed my hand, his fingers warm and enthusiastic around mine, squeezing gently, his skin soft against my palm. "There's so much I need to teach you. Good chocolate is essential for proper s'mores. None of that waxy stuff. Real chocolate. Expensive chocolate."He paused, his amber eyes going dreamy, a soft smile crossing his face as he stared into the distance. "I may have bought five different kinds so we can compare."
"Five?" Nolan's eyebrows rose toward his sandy hairline, his green eyes widening with surprise, his butter knife pausing mid-stroke.
"Research purposes." Kol's grin was unrepentant, spreading across his face like sunshine, his amber eyes sparkling with mischief. "Science."
The day passed slowly, anticipation building in my chest alongside a nervousness I couldn't quite name. I'd never done anything like this—a casual gathering around a fire, eating treats and talking under the stars. The closest I'd come was huddling near burn barrels in alleys during cold winters, trying to stay warm enough to survive the night.
This was different. This was chosen. This was family. The word still felt strange, foreign, like a coat that didn't quite fit yet. But it was starting to feel less wrong than it used to. As the sun began to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink, Kol corralled everyone outside. The fire pit was set up behind the house, far enough from the buildings to be safe but close enough that I could still see the warm lights of the kitchen windows. Sawyer had arranged logs around it for seating, and someone had dragged out a pile of blankets that I recognized from the living room.
"Okay." Kol was practically bouncing as he surveyed his domain, his amber eyes bright with excitement, his hands moving animatedly as he talked, his whole body thrumming with barely contained energy. "Reid, you're on fire duty. Sawyer, you're on log arrangement—make sure everyone has a good seat. Nolan, you're on supply organization. And Aster—" He turned to me, his amber eyes going soft, his voice dropping to somethinggentler, his expression melting into tenderness. "You just sit there and look pretty. Tonight is about you."
"I can help." The protest came out automatic, a reflex from years of needing to earn my keep, my hands already reaching for something to do, my body tensing with the need to be useful.
"Nope." Kol steered me toward one of the log seats, his hands gentle on my shoulders, his touch warm through my shirt, guiding me with firm but tender insistence. "Tonight you're a princess. You sit. We serve. That's the rule."
"There's no rule—" I started to argue, but Kol was already gone, bouncing toward the house to grab more supplies, his honey-blond hair catching the last of the sunset light, his footsteps light and eager on the grass.
Reid appeared beside me, a blanket in his hands, his boots silent on the grass, his presence solid and grounding. Without a word, he draped it over my shoulders, his calloused fingers brushing my neck as he arranged it, his touch lingering for just a moment longer than necessary, sending warmth spreading through my skin. His scent surrounded me—whiskey and woodsmoke, deep and comforting.
"He's been planning this since you mentioned you'd never had s'mores." Reid's voice was low, rough with something that might have been affection, his dark eyes soft in the fading light, his weathered face gentled by the golden hour glow. "Let him have his moment."
"Since the breakfast?" I looked up at him, surprised, my brow furrowing with confusion. That had only been about a week ago.
"He made a list that same day." Reid settled onto the log beside me, close enough that his shoulder brushed mine, his warmth seeping into my side, solid and real. His dark eyes were soft, warm like melted chocolate as he gazed down at me. "Researched techniques. Watched videos on the proper way to roast marshmallows." He paused, something flickering in hisexpression—pride, maybe, or tenderness that made my heart skip. "He wanted it to be perfect for you."
"He didn't have to do all that." My voice came out rough, cracked with emotion I couldn't quite contain, my throat tight with something that felt dangerously like tears.
"He wanted to." Reid's voice was simple, certain, his dark eyes holding mine with quiet intensity, his arm settling around my shoulders like it belonged there. "We all did."
The fire came to life under Reid's careful attention, flames crackling and dancing, casting warm light across the gathering darkness. Sawyer appeared with an armful of additional logs, stacking them nearby for later, his movements efficient and sure, his copper hair turned to burnished gold in the firelight. Nolan followed with a basket of supplies—marshmallows, chocolate bars, graham crackers, roasting sticks—his green eyes reflecting the flickering flames.
Then Kol burst out of the house carrying what looked like half the kitchen.
"I brought extras." He announced, setting down a tray loaded with additional treats, drinks, and what appeared to be a small cooler, his amber eyes bright with satisfaction, his chest puffed out with pride. "In case anyone wants variety."
"You brought enough for an army." Nolan observed, his green eyes amused, his lips twitching as he surveyed the impressive spread, his freckled face warm in the firelight.
"I brought enough for us." Kol plopped down on my other side, sandwiching me between his warmth and Reid's solid presence, his scent wrapping around me like a sweet embrace—orange blossoms and sugar. "This is important. We need options."
Sawyer took a seat on a log across the fire, his pale eyes reflecting the flames like pools of molten silver, his copper hair turned to burnished gold in the firelight, his expression soft ina way I rarely saw. Nolan settled beside him, close enough that their shoulders touched, their combined scents drifting across the flames.
