her hollow heart

chapter 14: the moon to the sun

Lucy's POV:

I wandered deeper into the compound, past the broken-down rooms and into a part of the building I hadn't explored yet. The air was warmer here, tinged with the smell of metal and sweat. My footsteps echoed as I rounded a corner and stepped into what looked like an old forge. The place was a mess—tools scattered everywhere, half-finished weapons lying on workbenches—but in the middle of it all, surrounded by a glow of hot embers, was him.

He stood by the anvil, his broad back to me as he worked on something, muscles shifting under his shirt. I could see the scars along his forearms, probably from years of working with fire and steel. His dark curly hair fell just below his shoulders, and he wore a beard, unlike Kai's clean-shaven face. And those tattoos... they crawled up his arms in intricate patterns, the same ones I'd seen on Kai. They were brothers.

These two are seriously making me think I have a thing for tats.

I watched for a second, drawn to the way his body moved with confidence. He was lean, but there was strength there—strength you could feel even from across the room. His hands were rough, skilled, and for a moment, I just stared. He was... cute. No. Hot.

Suddenly, he turned, catching sight of me. His hazel eyes lit up with surprise, but then a slow smile tugged at his lips. "You lost?" he asked, his voice was low and warm. I blinked, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks. "No... I was just, uh, looking around." My voice sounded smaller than I wanted, but his smile deepened, and I caught a glimmer of something playful in his eyes."Looking for something, or just someone?" he teased, wiping his hands on a rag. His gaze was intense, but not in the way Kai's had been. This was softer, curious. His eyes trailed over me, and unlike with Kai, this felt... *different*. Not threatening, but like he was trying to figure me out."I wasn't looking for anyone," I lied, my stomach doing that weird twist again. "Who are you?""Moon." He extended a hand toward me, rough and calloused from work. "I'm Kai's brother."

I glanced at his tattoos again, noticing how they matched the ones I'd seen on Kai, and suddenly everything clicked. Of course, they were related. There was a similarity in the way they moved, the confidence that radiated from them—but Moon's energy was calmer, more grounded. "Lucy," I replied, shaking his hand, though my grip felt weak compared to his. "I didn't know Kai had a brother.""He's not exactly one to share personal details, is he?" Moon chuckled, picking up a sword from the table next to him. Three swords, each one finely crafted, propped against the wall. "He likes to keep things... chaotic." He smirked, clearly amused by his own words. "Chaotic?" I raised an eyebrow, feeling the corners of my lips pull into a slight smile despite myself. "Oh, you've met him, so you know." Moon's eyes twinkled with mischief. "He's all about drama. It's like a storm follows him everywhere he goes. You never know what'll happen next. Half the time I don't even know if he's pissed off or just trying to look intimidating." I laughed, thinking back to Kai's intense demeanour. "Yeah... I guess he does have that whole 'I'm-dangerous-and-I-know-it' thing going on."

Moon grinned, setting the sword down and leaning back against the table, arms crossed. "Trust me, he's harmless... mostly. All bark, little bite. If you knew him like I do, you'd see he's really just a mess of bad decisions wrapped in muscle."I hesitated, feeling a pang of defence rise in me. "He's not... all bad."Moon raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the little bit of protectiveness in my tone. "Oh? Got a soft spot for my chaotic brother, do you?" I looked away, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed. "I just... I don't think he's as terrible as you're making him sound." The memory of Kai, the way he looked at me in that hallway, came rushing back. There had been something more to him, something I couldn't quite pin down. I won't even lie, I would want them to pin me down. I could take them both... not in a fight, however.

"Careful, Lucy." Moon's voice softened, and I glanced back at him. He wasn't teasing anymore; there was something else there. "People like Kai... they don't always play fair. You might end up over your head." I didn't know if that was a warning or a friendly joke, but either way, it hit me harder than I expected. "Maybe I'm not as easy to mess with as you think," I shot back, but it lacked real bite. Moon's grin returned, and I caught him glancing over me again, more slowly this time, his eyes lingering on my face, my neck, my body. It was subtle, but the heat of his gaze sent a rush of warmth through me. "I didn't say you were," he said quietly, his voice dropping lower, making my stomach twist again.

I felt like I was on fire, the heat from the forge and from Moon's eyes blending into something overwhelming. He wasn't just cute—he was hot. Just like Kai, but different. Less dangerous, more playful. And just as intoxicating. I took a breath, trying to calm myself down. "What are you working on?" Moon broke into a grin, like he knew exactly what I was doing. But he played along, picking up one of the swords. "Finishing these up," he said, holding it out for me to see. "Want to give it a try?" I took the sword from him, its weight surprised me. He stepped closer, his chest nearly brushing against my arm as he adjusted my grip. "Hold it like this," he said softly, his voice sending a shiver down my spine.

His hands guided mine, his touch lingering just long enough to make my heart race. And I couldn't help it—I glanced up at him, finding his hazel eyes already watching me. Moon smirked. "You've got a good grip."I swallowed, my throat suddenly dried up. "Thanks."

Moon's POV:

She was adorable. The second she stepped into the forge, wide-eyed and out of place, I couldn't stop smiling. There was something about the way she carried herself—like she was tough, but didn't quite believe it yet. And the way she looked at me? Yeah, she was into me. I could see it in her eyes. The way they lingered on my arms, my chest.

Hell, I found her adorable. And sexy.

Lucy. Cute name for someone who walked around like she was trying to be untouchable. But under all that, I could tell she had a soft side. Maybe that's why Kai was messing with her head.

 Typical.

She defended him, of course. That was what people like Kai did—they got under your skin, made you see something in them that wasn't really there. Not that I didn't love the guy. He was my brother. But damn, he was a mess. I couldn't resist teasing her, though. "You've got a soft spot for him, huh?" I asked, watching the way her cheeks flushed. She was cute when she was trying to be tough.

But there was something about her. The way she stood her ground, even when she was nervous. The way she didn't back down. I liked that. More than I wanted to admit. And when I stepped closer, showing her how to hold the sword, I could feel the tension between us. It was electric, like the air just before a storm. I smirked as I watched her struggle to focus on the sword instead of me.

She was into me. And, yeah, I was definitely into her too.

Kai was gonna lose his shit when he found out.