The next morning, they left their boards behind for a light hike. The path led them to a cliff overlooking the ocean, where the cold breeze brushed over Logan’s skin, invigorating and sharp. His eyes drifted to Adrian, standing just ahead of him, his long hair whipping in the wind like a dark ribbon. Logan smiled softly.
God, he loved that view.
On the way there, they had decided on their next destination—Sri Lanka. It had been Adrian’s suggestion, and Logan knew exactly why. They’d talked about it on the first day they met, Logan casually mentioning his dream of surfing the waves there. Adrian had remembered, just like he always did. He remembered everything about Logan.
And yet, Logan couldn’t deny how much he loved Australia. The beaches, the quiet beauty of its landscapes, and the way it made him feel untethered and free. He loved every second they spent here. But more than the place, he loved being with Adrian. Wherever they went, Logan knew it would always feel like home because Adrian was there.
Adrian had taken a seat on the edge of the cliff, his legs dangling carelessly over the drop as he stared out at the rolling waves. Logan hung back for a moment, watching him. He was so happy that he brought hiscamera as he took a few shots of Adrian sitting there. The ocean below was wild, with waves crashing against the rocks, sending sprays of foam into the air. It mirrored the storm of emotions flooding Logan’s mind. Adrian looked so peaceful sitting there, completely at ease, but Logan knew better. He knew the weight Adrian carried, the way he always tried to shoulder everything with a quiet grace.
Logan felt a shift within himself, a sense of rightness settling over him like the sun’s incandescence on his skin. Watching Adrian, he felt an undeniable need take root in his chest—to call him his, to claim him in a way that went beyond words. Because Adrian wasn’t just his best friend. He wasn’t just his lover. Adrian was his soulmate.
Moving forward, Logan carefully lowered himself to the ground, taking a seat behind Adrian. He scooted closer until his front was flush against Adrian’s back, his thighs straddling Adrian’s hips, their legs dangling together over the cliff.
He felt the moment Adrian’s breath caught, the slight hitch in his chest as Logan’s arms wrapped around him and he relaxed, leaning back into Logan’s embrace. Relief flooded through Logan at the simple, perfect way Adrian melted against him, as though they’d been made to fit together like this.
The sun hung high above them, the ocean below sparkling under its light. Logan hugged Adrian closer, his arms tightening around him as he felt Adrian’s heart racing against his chest, a perfect mirror of his own. Adrian was so warm, his body a perfect contrast to the chill of the breeze, and Logan reveled in the way Adrian’s presence anchored him, steady and real. He pulled out his camera once more, capturing some pictures of them together and recording a video of the view with them sitting there, before putting it away once more.
“You’re perfect,” Logan mumbled the words into his skin, letting his lips brush over the delicate curve of Adrian’s neck.
He felt the shiver before he heard the quiet, breathy exhale Adrian let out. Logan smiled against his skin, pressing a lingering kiss just behind his ear, where he knew Adrian was most sensitive. The reaction was instant, a slight tremble, a soft hitch of breath.
Logan loved this. Loved the way Adrian fluxed into him, the way his body gave away emotions his words never did. Loved that Adrian let himself be vulnerable like this, trusted him with that vulnerability. It was a gift, a privilege, one Logan never took for granted.
It wasn’t the first time he’d called Adrian perfect, but still, Adrian let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head as if Logan had said something impossible.
“You know, I never felt perfect.” His voice was softer now, contemplative. Logan could feel the way his heart had slowed, settling into something quieter.
Before Logan could protest, because Logan always protested, always argued when it came to Adrian doubting himself, Adrian kept going.
“I was always really self-conscious about my height,” he admitted, his voice somewhere between amusement and hesitation. “I was the tiniest kid in class, and I didn’t even start growing until I was fifteen. But even then… I’m still not exactly tall.”
Logan frowned, pressing his lips together. “You’re perfect. I love your height.”
Adrian made a sound that might have been a scoff, but Logan wasn’t letting him argue this. He shifted slightly, lowering his chin until it rested on Adrian’s head, holding him tighter.
“You have the perfect height,” he murmured, voice thick with quiet certainty. “You’re the perfect height to be tucked against me.” There was a teasing lilt in his voice, but his grip tightened slightly, like he wanted to prove the point not just with words, but with touch, with presence, with something undeniable.
Adrian chuckled, but Logan could hear the warmth in it, could feel the way his body softened slightly, how the tension he carried in his shoulders eased.
And then Adrian hesitated.
“Once…” he started, then stopped, as if deciding how much of himself he wanted to give away. Logan stayed quiet, just listening, waiting.
“I was meeting this guy,” Adrian finally said, voice quieter now, more introspective. “Some friends set us up on a blind date, and apparently, they hyped me up too much. So when I got to the date, he took one look at me and said, ‘Oh. I thought you’d be taller.’”
Logan stiffened slightly, the words settling uncomfortably in his chest.
“Then it just got awkward. I didn’t know what to say. I sat across from him at the restaurant, and after a moment, he just kind of shrugged and said he wasn’t into short guys, so there was no reason to continue the date.”
Logan’s jaw clenched. He wanted to go back in time and find this guy, to tell him exactly what he thought of people who dismissed Adrian as if he were less, as if he were somehow not enough.
Adrian sighed, as if he could sense Logan’s reaction. “I was nineteen. And I was already insecure about my height. And he… well, he had the right to be into what he was into, but it was the way he said it, you know? So dismissive. The way he looked at me. The way he just walked away, like I wasn’t even worth a second thought.”
Logan stayed quiet, his arms tightening protectively around Adrian, holding him like he could erase the memory from his skin, from his bones.
Adrian let out a faint, humorless chuckle. “Something similar happened when I was seventeen. I had a crush on this guy, he was from a different school, someone from the neighborhood. And I knew he liked boys. Ithought maybe I had a chance. But when I finally got the courage to tell him how I felt, he just looked at me and said, ‘You’re too short.’” The words hung between them, quiet but heavy, like a wound that had never fully healed. “It kept happening a lot…”
Logan exhaled slowly, pressing his lips against Adrian’s temple. “They were idiots.” His voice was calm, but there was steel underneath it, the kind of quiet, unshakable certainty that left no room for argument.
