Moonlight Beneath Arvan

Chapter 3: Forbidden Touch

Ethan lay in bed, staring up at the ornate ceiling of his room, a flickering candle casting faint shadows across the walls. He hadn't been able to sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Luca's face, the warmth in his gaze, the gentle brush of his hand against Ethan's. It had been a fleeting touch, something so small, but it lingered in his mind with a weight he couldn't shake.

Ethan had never felt anything like this before—a yearning that went beyond the duties and ambitions he'd grown up with, that surpassed the carefully constructed dreams his family had woven for him. This was something he couldn't put into words, something fragile and powerful that left him feeling both exhilarated and terrified.

What are you doing to yourself? he thought, a pang of guilt mingling with the thrill. But no matter how he tried to reason with himself, the desire to see Luca again was stronger. He knew it was reckless, that he was playing with fire by sneaking down to the lower quarters night after night, but he couldn't bring himself to stop.

Finally, with a resigned sigh, he slipped out of bed, threw on his cloak, and carefully exited his room. The corridors of his family's mansion were silent, the only sound the soft whisper of his footsteps on the marble floor. He moved quickly, slipping past guards and servants with the ease of someone who had done this many times before.

The city was quiet at this hour, only a few late-night revelers and merchants lingering in the streets. Ethan pulled his hood low, keeping to the shadows as he made his way to the forge. He felt a sense of urgency, a pull drawing him to Luca that he couldn't resist.

When he reached the forge, he found it dark and silent, the coals in the fire pit barely glowing. For a moment, he feared that Luca wouldn't be there tonight, that he would be left alone with his thoughts and his longing. But then he heard the soft crunch of footsteps, and he turned to see Luca approaching, carrying a small bundle in his hands.

"Couldn't stay away, could you?" Luca's voice was low, a teasing smile playing on his lips.

Ethan couldn't help but smile back, relief flooding through him. "I guess not. I... I wasn't sure you'd be here."

Luca shrugged, setting the bundle down on a bench. "I had a feeling you'd show up." He looked up, his gaze meeting Ethan's with a quiet intensity. "You've got that look about you. Like you're searching for something."

Ethan swallowed, his heart pounding as he held Luca's gaze. "And if I am?"

Luca didn't answer right away. Instead, he gestured to the bench beside him. "Come. Sit with me."

Ethan crossed the small distance and sat down, feeling the warmth radiating from Luca as he settled beside him. For a moment, they sat in silence, the night wrapping around them like a cloak, the distant sounds of the city a faint hum.

Luca glanced at him, his face softened by the fire's dying glow. "What is it you're looking for, Ethan?"

Ethan's mouth went dry, the words caught in his throat. He could feel the weight of the question pressing down on him, as if Luca were asking something deeper than the surface meaning. Slowly, he reached out, his hand hovering just inches from Luca's.

"I... I don't know," he admitted, his voice barely more than a whisper. "But I feel like I've been asleep my whole life. Like I've been living for everyone else, and never for myself. And then I met you, and..."

He trailed off, unable to put into words the turmoil of emotions that Luca stirred in him.

Luca's eyes softened, his gaze steady. "And now?"

"And now," Ethan continued, "I don't know if I can go back to the way things were."

For a moment, neither of them spoke, each letting the silence fill the space between them. Then, slowly, Luca reached out, his hand covering Ethan's. His touch was warm, grounding, and Ethan felt a shiver run through him as their fingers intertwined.