They lay on their sides, gazing into each other’s eyes. Logan’s palm caressed Adrian’s cheek, his touch as delicate as a whispering breeze, reminiscent of a wave softly kissing the shore, his thumb gliding over the subtle stubble. His fingers moved as if tracing Adrian’s features, not for the first time but still breathtaking like it was, memorizing every line, every contour. His eyes were dark pools, fathomless and searching, holding astorm that threatened to spill over. Adrian could feel it, the weight of something unspoken, as palpable as the humidity in the air.
Over the months, Adrian had learned to read Logan like the tides—every shift, every flicker of his eyes, a telltale sign of what he was feeling. Tonight, the waters were restless, swirling with a depth Adrian couldn’t ignore.
“What is it?” Adrian whispered, his voice soft as a breeze threading through the canopy above them. He slid an arm around Logan’s waist, pulling him closer, until their bodies aligned. He pressed a kiss to Logan’s lips, a tender, exploratory gesture.
Logan sighed against Adrian’s mouth, his breath trembling like the ripple of water disturbed by the wind, and he felt the strength he was able to gather by Adrian’s kiss. “Adrian…” His voice broke, the sound fragile but resolute, as he kissed him again, deeper this time. Their hips shifted, their bodies pressing flush, the contact sparking a warmth that cut through the cool night air. “I know you… said… that we don’t have to rush—”
Adrian nodded, his heart a steady drumbeat in his chest, grounding him. He understood without needing to ask. This wasn’t just about tonight; it was about every kiss, every touch, every moment that had led them here.
“Back in the river…” Logan’s words faltered, but his fingers didn’t. They slid into Adrian’s hair, threading through the strands with quiet desperation, tugging gently, grounding himself in the sensation. “That was the first time I—” His voice caught, and Adrian felt the tremor in his hand. “This was the first time you didn’t stop us since our first time.” Logan finally let it out. Over the course of the months they had shared, Adrian had been the one to voice what lingered in the spaces between them. His easy-going nature, the way he wore his heart on his sleeve like a badge of courage, made him bold. It wasn’t that Logan didn’t feel, far from it. His emotions were a deep current, swirling beneath the surface, hidden and powerful. But he struggled to bring them to light, to shape them into words that matched the intensity of what was in his chest. Adrian had spent time navigating his own depths, finding clarity and calm like someone who had learned to read the rhythm of the sea. Logan, meanwhile, held his emotions like a tightly wound knot, uncertain how to untangle them. Still, he wanted to say it. God knew he’d felt it rising inside him for weeks now, unspoken and raw. “I want you to lose control, Ad.”
Adrian’s breath hitched, his brow furrowing as he searched Logan’s face. There was something raw in Logan’s eyes, a vulnerability that cut through him. “Lose control?” he repeated, the words foreign and heavy on his tongue. He needed Logan to clarify because that was not something he could do with half words and half statements. He needed Logan’s clear instructions.
Logan nodded, his fingers tightening in Adrian’s hair, just enough to send a shiver down his spine. “When we’re together,” he began, his voice low but steady, “I can feel you holding back. The way you kiss me, the way you stop when things get too heated. Like you’re afraid.”
The dim glow of the lamp caught the blush that crept across Adrian’s cheeks, turning his skin the color of a setting sun. He looked away for a moment, his lips parting as if to speak, but no words came. Finally, he said, “I just… I wanted to give you time. I know this is new for you, I know you’ve never been with a man, and I didn’t want to push.”
“I know,” Logan said, his tone softening. “And I needed that time. I needed it to move slowly at first.” His other hand moved to rest against Adrian’s chest, right over his heart, feeling its frantic rhythm. “But now, I need you to stop holding back. I need you to let go.”
The words were a ripple that became a wave, crashing over Adrian with an intensity that left him breathless. He stared at Logan, the space between them charged, electric. Slowly, he cupped Logan’s face, his thumb brushing over his cheekbone. The kiss he gave him this time was different—not gentle, not hesitant, but deep and consuming.
“Are you sure?” His eyes searched Logan’s, needing the answer, needing certainty.
“Yes,” Logan said, and when he smiled, it was like sunlight breaking through the dense canopy above, a light that banished every shadow.
Adrian nodded but hesitated for a moment. “I need to say something,” he murmured, breaking the silence. His voice was steady, but his fingers twitched slightly where they rested on Logan’s hip.
“Oh no,” Logan teased lightly, though his voice was soft. “That sounds serious.”
Adrian huffed a quiet laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s not—it’s just…” He sighed, shaking his head at himself. “I need an unsexy moment before we… before this.”
Logan propped himself up on one elbow, watching Adrian with a lazy, lopsided smile. “An unsexy moment?” he repeated. “Okay.” Logan’s voice was all mock seriousness.
Adrian groaned, pressing his palm over his face, his laughter muffled. “I hate you.”
“No, you don’t,” Logan said smugly, lying back down, one arm draped over Adrian. “Go on. Let’s get this unsexy moment over with, so we can move on to the sexy part of the night.”
Adrian sighed but smiled despite himself. “It’s been a while for me,” he admitted. “Like… a… you know…. A long while. Before this trip, I got checked, you know, since I had to get a bunch of shots anyway, so… I guess they have checked other stuff too… and I just—I wanted you to know that.” He exhaled, his fingers toying with the hem of his shirt. “And I wanted to ask if… if you’re comfortable…”
Logan’s laughter came, and he squished Adrian’s arm warmly.
“What?” Adrian asked, brows furrowing.
“You,” Logan said, his voice full of something fond, something devastatingly gentle. “The way you get all flustered over something so simple.”
Adrian groaned again, covering his face with his hand, but Logan reached out and caught his wrist, pulling his hand away. Their eyes met, and suddenly, all of Adrian’s self-consciousness dissolved into the background, overshadowed by the quiet intensity in Logan’s gaze.
“For the record,” Logan said, thumb brushing against Adrian’s wrist, tracing slow circles against his skin, “same for me. I’m all checked out, and it’s been a while.” His voice carried the faintest hint of embarrassment, but his eyes never wavered. “Almost a year.”
Something in Adrian’s chest softened, uncoiling like a knot undone. He swallowed, nodding, before clearing his throat. “So…”
Logan smirked. “So…?”
Adrian narrowed his eyes at him. “We could…” he trailed off.
Logan grinned, all playful mischief. “We could what?” he prompted, knowing full well what Adrian meant.
Adrian groaned, but he was smiling. “Logan,” he warned, voice full of mock exasperation.
