Page 43 of Filtration Play
The opposite of Fin’s family.
Which was why the moment they’d met Meg and started working at Whipped, they’d embraced the crew there. Everyone could be nosy and interfering at times, even while they gave each other the space to crack and splinter, to come out of their shells on their own. But Fin loved them for their unique care with their whole heart.
“Come on.” They needed to move before their mind ran away with these restless thoughts. “Let’s get closer to the water.”
“Thought you were going to check to see if I was being good,” Ollie teased.
Fin smirked. “Someone wants to get fondled. Feeling needy, sweetness?”
“Just a bit.” He blew out a breath.
Fin took the lead as they walked closer to where the tides rolled in. Boats bobbed on the water, and the winds were stronger here, whipping around their strands. The slight sting of it felt right in a way little else did. Ollie walked close to them, close enough that their handsbrushed, and the urge to reach over and grab his flickered through them.
What the fuck? They had to be possessed, losing it, something. Fin wasn’t the hand-holding type, not even with friends. Granted, they hadn’t been the kissing type either, and all they could think of was the feel of Ollie’s lips, the taste of his mouth.
The sand was soft beneath their tread, their steps heavier.
“Why here?” Ollie asked.
“Why not?” Fin shot out, even though the truth bubbled up beneath the surface. It was their spot. They’d been coming here for years to view the city from a quieter vantage point. Fin couldn’t explain why this area had clicked with them, just that watching the boats with the backdrop of the city and the bridge soothed something raw and bleeding inside them. Maybe because it was proof mankind could still make beautiful things, even amid all the pain they caused.
“Your abduction spots are odd, to say the least,” Ollie said, his eyes crinkling. They loved the way he didn’t push when they threw up their warning flares, how he wove around them with ease. “We’re at the right time to catch the sunset at least.”
“Almost like I had it planned.” Fin lifted the strap of the pack on their shoulder.
“Of course, of course. Sure, you don’t need me to model for some sunset shots? Just roll around on the sand in nothing but my cage?”
Ngh. Lust flared hot and fierce through them. He was so damn attractive it wasn’t fair, and this close, his diesel oil scent mingled with the salt breeze, stoking those flames. “If I didn’t think we’d get caught, I would take those shots. That ass deserves golden hour lighting.”
“Suppose I should be flattered, but I’m mostly just horny.” Ollie plunked down on the sand, close enough to watch the tides roll in.
Fin sank next to him, the temptation to lean in burning in their chest. “Where are we on chastity? Want to try for the full week?”
Ollie tipped his head back, exposing the gorgeous line of his neck and Adam’s apple. Fin wanted to bite him so badly, mark him with their teeth. “I’ll probably regret this, but I want the full week. My curiosity’s gotten the better of me.”
Right, because they’d promised him something special.
Except what they had in mind, they’d never offered anyone else before. Still, they wanted to.
Fin offered him a grin and knocked their shoulder against him. “Well, I expect the flow of horny texts to continue then.”
“Oh, you’ll get plenty.”
They should’ve pulled their shoulder away, but instead, they remained leaning against him. And he didn’t withdraw from them either.
The first pink tendrils of the sunset crept across the horizon. Quiet settled between them, which was a rarity because most of the time they ran their mouth. However, Fin had shared more with Ollie than they had most in this short span of time, and the gravity of that shift descended. He was a complex mix—young and serious, sarcastic and sweet—and Fin was wholly addicted. The slow chill of evening settled in the air with a heaviness that felt right.
Tonight, the sunset marched out in full glory, a parade of purples and pinks splashed across the horizon like a painter’s lazy strokes to canvas. They weren’t sure if minutes or hours passed, but they remained there, leaning against Ollie, watching the sun’s transition, as it began to descend, as if submerging into the ocean itself.
Normally, they’d be itching to move, itching to leave, but right now, they sat here arrested, spellbound not only by the splendor of what nature had to display but also by the solace Ollie offered, simplyfrom his presence. They’d seen a thousand lonely sunsets by this spot, but this was the first time that a sense of peace settled over them like someone tugging a comforter around their shoulders. And they found they couldn’t pull themselves away.
All too fast, the sun’s light faded, and darkness swept in, a gradient of grays that wiped out the vibrant colors that had been there moments before.
“Thought you were going to capture the sunset?” Ollie said, his voice hushed.
They licked their lips. They’d forgotten to take pictures.
Because if they captured any fleeting moments, it would be these with Oliver Hale.
