Setting Fire to the Stars (a MM Sci-Fi Romance)

Chapter 26: Columbus

(Note: very little dose of sexual tension...really, just a pinch.)

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Peter
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The salty scent of the seaside drifted on the warm breeze as waves crashed against the rocky cliffs. I stood on the white sands of an unfamiliar beach, facing a spectacular sunset over a vast ocean. Seagulls soared above my head as briny sea foam lapped at my toes. Brilliant golden rays shone on the water as the sun set over the horizon.

"Isn't it beautiful?"

Turning my head, I saw a young man standing on the shore. Russet hair swayed in the breeze, occasionally falling into dazzling grey eyes. The young man stood in the ocean, his pant legs rolled up to avoid the tide as it submerged his bare feet. Bathed in the sun's warm glow, a familiar heart-shaped face tipped up and I promptly lost my ability to speak. Lauren. My heart swelled at the sight of him. The lapels of his unbuttoned shirt flapped playfully in the wind, his smooth chest exposed to the midsummer air. His otherworldly beauty was almost blinding.

As if a puppet on a string, I found my hand extending out to reach for him. "It's even better with you here."

His smile was radiant, lighting up his entire face as Lauren slipped his hand into mine. "Geez, that is so corny," he said, his warm fingers curling around mine.

"Only for you." I pulled him to me. Wrapping my arm around his waist, I relished in the heat that sparked through my veins as our bodies came together. "Besides, you know you love it."

"That is true," he chuckled, leaning his forehead against my chest. The sweet sound of Lauren's laughter tickled my heart. I never wanted to go a day without it. After a moment, he went silent as his mood shifted into something more somber. "I'm glad that you are here with me, Peter," he swallowed nervously, tightening his hold on me. "After everything that happened, I . . . wasn't sure you would want to."

My brows pitched as he voiced his insecurities and I brushed the hair back from his eyes. "Where else would I be except right by your side?"

Lauren beamed, hand lifting to cup my cheek while his moonstone eyes sparkled with stars. "How do you always know what to say to make me feel better?"

"It's a gift," I joked, covering his hand with my own. "And you don't have to worry anymore, Laurie. All that matters now is that we stay together."

His humorous smile faltered with a hint of anxiety, his chin quivered while tears pooled in his eyes, glistening like delicate jewels in the gilded rays of the descending sun. "Promise?"

My insides lurched. If making him this promise was the only way to reassure him, I would gladly tie my life to his; every day, every moment, vein by vein, heartbeat by heartbeat. He was mine, and I was his. Wiping away at the tear descending his cheek, I buried my nose in his neck, loving the way he smelled like honey and vanilla. "Always."

The tension in Lauren's shoulders relaxed and he sighed against my neck, pushing his weight further into me. Caressing his hair, I was truly grateful that he had broke down all my walls and found the real me again. For the millionth time, I turned my thoughts inward, hating myself for ever hurting him.