Mountain [18+] ✔️ Complete

Four • Four Corners

We laid in our sleeping bags in a fan around the dying fire, staring up at the stars. My body had a pleasant fuzziness to it from the weed, and I was comfy cozy all wrapped up.

The moon was a sharp crescent above me, and when my eyes slipped closed, it was still there behind my eyelids, a crisp smile in

the darkness. The fire is taller than the four of us, our lithe bodies circling it in leaps and twirls. The grass in the clearing dances with us in a lush carpet, the very trees singing with our magic.

Our circling ceases and we hold up our arms to the bonfire, mouths open in song.

I am true North, calling the essence of the Earth, the mountain beneath us rising up to meet—the Air, at true South, where Lyla stands, head thrown back as she expels her song before the—Fire, rising and dancing with Damien's powerful hands at true East—and Archer reaching out to the crashing ocean at true West, feeling every molecule of Water in the wind grazing our faces.

The night is charged with magic, existence pulsating with our song, and as it reaches a crescendo, we scream.

The fire parts, opening like a flower in bloom, revealing a figure standing there. His skin is smooth and shiny, eyes glittering in the light of the flames, and as he looks upon me, my heart clenches.

I hold out my hands and he steps down to me, collapsing into my chest with a sigh. His arms encircle my back and he sobs into my skin, the act of being born in fire overwhelming.

I stroke his hair like a mother to a babe and watch the fire curl back up into its flower bulb, licking at the sky with grace. Archer brings a blanket woven from soft leaves and drapes it around us.

The three form a circle of protection around us and I lower him to sit with me, his ocean eyes searching mine.

I run a hand down his cheek and kiss his forehead. "Marius."

I snapped awake, sitting up in momentary disorientation. What a weird fucking dream. I remembered it with vivid clarity, and could still feel Marius' face against my chest, wet with tears.

Born in fire...

Tingles danced along my skin. Soft snores came from the sleeping bag adjacent to mine and I glanced around at the sprawled forms of my passed out friends.

Marius' bed was empty. I stood and turned around, scanning the clearing in the dim moonlight. I knew I shouldn't wander off into the trees alone but I felt a pull to him. It was almost a need to see if he was okay.

I figured if I picked a direction and stayed on course I could retrace my steps to the clearing and pick another direction and try again.

I picked out Polaris from the smattering of stars above me, and picked north. As I moved, I thought more about my dream. I had been at north in our strange fire circle, representing earth. I didn't know much about witchcraft and wondered if that was accurate in lore, the poles on the compass being affiliated with certain elements.

The trees thinned and I slowed when I saw him, sitting with his legs overhanging a rock. I stopped when I realized it wasn't a rock, it was a cliff. The forest below looked like an ethereal ocean.

"Come sit," Marius said, without turning around. I was startled he knew I was there, but I hadn't really been trying to be quiet when I approached.

"I, um," I stammered. "It's really high," I offered lamely, and at this, he did turn, and I could see the amused smile on his face. God he was gorgeous. It wasn't even fair.

"I can move back a bit," he said, and shuffled back so his legs were on solid ground. I gingerly crept forward, and lowered into a cross legged position next to him.

"Can't sleep?" I asked, and he chuckled softly.

"I don't sleep much," he said, and I felt a blush creep up my neck when I realized he was looking at me. I avoided his gaze, and wanted to punch myself for it. He was making me act like a tween girl with a crush. "Why are you out here, wandering alone in the dark?"

"I, um." Hotter blushing. "I woke up and you were gone." I shrugged.

"I wouldn't abandon your group," he said without a hint of offense taken in his voice. I almost felt as if he were trying to bait me into admitting why I came after him. I hadn't thought he was abandoning us at all, and it felt like somehow he knew that.

"I didn't think that." I couldn't help but defend myself just in case my gut was wrong. But I didn't know what to tell him. That I had a weird dream and wanted to see if he was okay? Another thought niggled at my brain and I gasped. "Is this the cliff? Like 'the' cliff?"

He leaned back on his hands. "Yes," he said, "like 'the' cliff."

"Don't make fun of me." I laughed and poked his arm playfully. As soon as my finger left his skin I felt the overwhelming urge to touch him again. Nervousness fluttered in my belly and I wanted to punch myself again.

"I'm not." He grinned, and I pouted. "Maybe a little," he admitted, and we shared a laugh. We were silent for a few moments, and I tried not to squirm. I didn't know what to say, what to do, how to proceed. I'd never felt so lost with a guy before.

"I've been trying to figure you and your friends out," he finally broke the silence, and I raised an eyebrow. "First I thought you were two couples, you with Damien. But you and Archer had a moment too, and it didn't seem like infidelity. I suppose my question is, who do you belong to?" Marius asked bluntly.

Many had asked some form that question over the years, and it usually pissed me off that people were nosy and ignorant to our group's dynamic, however unorthodox it was.

But I couldn't bring myself to be angry with him. He didn't seem nosy or ignorant, just curious. And I supposed if we were to spend so much time with him, it made sense that he should know.

"We kind of all belong to each other," I said, and he nodded.

"I thought it was something like that." He sighed almost inaudibly, but I didn't miss it.

"Don't worry, I'm pretty sure Archer wants to marry you," I teased, trying to break the heaviness that had fallen between us, and took the opportunity to poke him again. Definitely not because I wanted to touch him. Absolutely not.

This time he caught my wrist in his slender but strong hand, and I gasped at the contact.

Born from fire.

His eyes bored into mine and I couldn't breathe. I couldn't tear my gaze away.

"It's you that's dreaming of me." His voice was a low husk and I took in a sharp ragged gulp of air. How did he know that? He leaned forward in slow motion, it seemed, and my eyes slid closed.

I could feel his breath on my lips and I stayed stock still, wanting him to taste me, take me, consume me (like fire, born from fire) and my head swam and my world tipped and then I closed the gap between us.