Page 29 of Finn's Solace

"Come on." Taking my hand, he led me to the blanket, then sat down on it. I lowered myself beside him, and he smiled before lying down. He tugged my hand, and I followed, our arms and thighs pressing together as I tried to stay on the blanket.

Levi was warm beside me, dressed in a sweater similar to mine—did he get cold too?—and I resisted the urge to throw my arm around him and cuddle into him.

We were still holding hands, and Levi raised our joined hands to point at something in the sky.

"See that bright star over there? That's Alioth. Along with six other bright stars, it forms the Big Dipper, which is a part of the Ursa Major."

"Great Bear," I murmured in a choked voice as my vision went hazy. Fuck, I hadn't thought about those nights in awhile. They'd been the few moments of brightness in a life of dark.

For a few precious moments in the night, I'd been able to let someone else take care of me. I'd lost myself in the tales of all the stars Levi had promised he'd show me someday.

Levi

Showing Finn the stars made my chest ache, and I could tell from the way his eyes gleamed so brightly that he was just as affected, if not more.

I was so grateful to Amelia for triggering me into remembering those nights. I couldn't believe I'd hidden those memories away. They were some of the best I had, if you ignored the darker aspects of them.

After we'd traced the Ursa Major in its entirety, I convinced Finn to have some food before we looked for another constellation.

As we ate, Finn brimmed with excitement as he talked about stars in a way he hadn't even as a kid. His delight was almost childish in its innocence, and I hated that I hadn't been able to give this to him when we were still kids. It was clear he'd read up on stars in the years since the last time we talked about them.

If I hadn't run away, if I'd waited it out for a few more months, how different would things be? We could've grownup together, been there for each other through all the ups and downs.

"Or we can do something else, if you're bored," Finn said, and the note of disappointment in his voice broke through my spiraling thoughts.

"What? No way. I love this—I promise. Are you having fun?" I asked, even though the answer was pretty damned obvious.

"So much! I can't believe you remembered."

I thought about letting him believe that, but it didn't seem fair.

"I didn't, not at first. Amelia contacted me, and I was having trouble deciding what to do for our date. She mentioned you like stargazing, and then I had a dream about one of the nights we spent talking about stars."

Finn winced, then nodded. "I can relate to that. There are a lot of things about that time I've forgotten, mostly the bad stuff. I only remember it when someone says something that triggers a memory."

I hummed, then felt the need to explain myself since I'd forgotten what was essentially a good memory. "After I came back and found the place empty, I thought the worst. I thought you were all dead, and it was my fault because I didn't take you with me. That's why I buried all my memories of that time. I couldn't livewith the guilt."

Finn's face softened, and he pulled me into an awkward, one-armed hug. "I'm sorry. If I'd had any idea you were alive, I would've made sure they found you."

"Okay, enough of this guilt fest. It's all in the past, and we're both here now. We should enjoy the present," I declared, hoping saying it firmly would make it easier to do.

"You're right—we should. How about we finish up and then you show me some more stars?"

"Sounds like a plan."

We finished eating, then lay back down. I showed Finn all the stars and constellations I remembered from my studies years ago, and he asked questions about each one, his face bright and beautiful under the open sky.

When I'd exhausted my knowledge bank, we started giving the other stars random names. We named them after ourselves, after Finn's siblings and our friends, after anyone we could think of. It was silly, but fun.

At some point, we turned on our sides and ended up face to face. Our eyes met and stuck, a million thoughts and wishes and memories passing between us without either of us uttering a single word.

I placed a hand on Finn's cheek, and he hummed, then pressed into my touch, his skin smooth and warm. Leaning forward, I nudged the tip of my nose against his, making him laugh.

"May I kiss you, Finn?"

He sucked in an audible breath, then gave a shallow nod. Smiling, I leaned forward and brushed my lips against his in a feathery touch. He sighed, his breath tickling my lips before mixing into the breeze around us. I ran my thumb over his lower lip, admiring how soft it was, then kissed him again, lingering a little longer this time.

"Stop teasing me," Finn murmured when I pulled back again, and I smiled.

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