Page 63 of Lavender and Honey

Finn's hand found mine under the blanket, his fingers intertwining with my own. The simple touch sent a flutter through my chest, and I marveled at how natural it felt to be here with him like this.

"What kinds of problems?" he asked, his voice a gentle rumble against my back. "Anything you want to talk about?"

I hesitated, weighing my words carefully. Opening up had never come easily to me, but something about the vastness of the night sky and the safety of Finn's embrace made me brave.

I took a deep breath, the cool night air filling my lungs as I considered his question. The stars twinkled above us, patient witnesses to my inner struggle.

"Just... life, I guess," I finally said, my voice soft against the backdrop of night sounds. "For so long, I've been trying to stay invisible, to blend into the background. Being an Omega in this world isn't always easy."

Finn's thumb traced gentle circles on the back of my hand, a silent encouragement to continue.

"I've spent most of my life hiding who I am," I admitted, the words coming easier now. "Using blockers, taking suppressants, keeping to myself. It became second nature, you know? A shield against the world."

"And now?" Finn asked, his voice a gentle rumble against my back.

I smiled up at the stars, watching as another meteor streaked across the sky, “And now a pack of four men seem to have this superpower of getting me out of my shell.”

I felt Finn's soft chuckle rumble through his chest against my back. "Not a superpower," he murmured, his breath warm against my ear. "Just patience and the desire to know you, Lydia. The real you."

His words settled over me like a warm blanket, comforting yet somehow exposing. I turned slightly in his arms, just enough to see his face in the fading firelight. His expression was open, earnest, his eyes reflecting the scattered stars above us.

"The real me," I repeated softly. "I'm not sure I even know who that is anymore."

Finn's hand came up to gently brush a strand of hair from my face. "Maybe that's part of the journey," he suggested. "Rediscovering yourself through new connections."

I let his words sink in, feeling their truth resonate within me. For so long, I'd defined myself by my isolation, by the barriers I'd built. But these men—Finn, Elias, Lucian, and Soren—were slowly dismantling those walls, brick by brick, with nothing more than kindness and patience.

"I think I'd like that," I whispered, surprising myself with my honesty. "Rediscovering who I am."

Finn's smile was soft in the dying firelight. "We'll be right here with you," he promised. "However long it takes."

The weight of his words settled around me like a comfortable embrace. It wasn't a demand or an expectation—just a simple promise of presence, of support. My heart swelled with an emotion I wasn't quite ready to name.

A comfortable silence settled between us as we watched another shooting star trace its luminous path across the heavens. I found myself relaxing deeper into his embrace, my usual wariness melting away under the vast canopy of stars.

"When I was younger," Finn began, his voice a gentle murmur near my ear, "my grandfather used to take me stargazing. He taught me all the constellations, told me stories about them. He said that looking up at the stars reminds us that we're part of something much bigger than ourselves."

I tilted my head slightly to look at him. His profile was outlined in the soft glow of the dying embers, his expression thoughtful as he gazed upward.

"Your grandfather sounds like a wise man," I said softly, watching how the faint glow of the embers danced across Finn's features.

"He was," Finn agreed, a note of fond remembrance in his voice. "He always told me that our connections with others are what anchor us in this vast universe." His eyes shifted from the stars to meet mine, their depth reflecting the night sky above. "I think he would have liked you, Lydia."

The simple statement warmed me from within, more than the blanket or the dying fire ever could. "I would have liked to meet him," I replied honestly.

"I'd like to hear those stories sometime," I said, my voice barely carrying in the night air as I looked at Finn with a smile, "About the constellations, I mean."

Finn's lips curved into a gentle smile. "I'd love to share them with you." His eyes met mine, reflecting the scattered stars above. "Maybe this could become our thing - stargazing."

The word "our" sent a pleasant warmth through my chest. I hadn't had something that was "ours" with anyone in so long. The thought of having regular nights like this, wrapped in blankets under an endless sky with Finn, filled me with a quiet joy.

"I'd like that," I admitted, nestling closer to him. His arms tightened around me in response, a silent acknowledgment of the moment we were sharing.

We fell quiet again, content to watch the cosmic show playing out above us. I didn’t know how long we sat there before Finn broke the silence.

"I should probably get you home," Finn said reluctantly as the fire began to die down, his voice a soft rumble against my ear. "It's getting late."

I nodded, though part of me wanted to stay in this moment forever, suspended in time under the vast expanse of stars. "Thank you for tonight," I said, turning slightly to meet his gaze. "It was magical."

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