{Whispers of Peace Part VII Finale}
They moved.
Not because they had to, but because they wanted to. A cottage nestled between hills and forest, where the mist clung to the treetops in the morning and the stars stretched endless above them at night. A place far, far from the bloodied memories they used to wear like second skin.
Kai stood barefoot in the small garden behind the house, warm sun filtering through the leaves as he tugged up carrots with dirty fingers. His hair was a mess, skin kissed by sunlight, and he laughed when Adrian leaned in from behind and bit his shoulder.
"Stop," Kai said, swatting at him. "You're gonna make me drop these!"
"Can't help it." Adrian's voice was all gravel and worship. "You're too damn edible."
Kai snorted and shook his head, cheeks glowing. "You're hopeless."
Adrian dropped his arms around him, mouth pressed to the curve of his neck. "I'm home."
And that was it, wasn't it?
They were home.
No shadows chasing them. No fangs in the dark. Just them, days slow and golden, nights tangled in sheets and whispers.
Inside, the little house was already becoming theirs. Adrian had carved a little bookshelf for Kai, filled with old paperbacks and romance novels. Kai had filled the kitchen with spices and sunlight, learning Adrian's recipes and making them worse but more "him." Their laughter echoed through the rooms, soaked into the walls.
At night, Adrian would wrap Kai in his arms like a shield. They didn't need to speak. Their silence was sacred.
But sometimes Kai whispered anyway.
"I don't want this to end."
Adrian would hush him, lips pressed to his brow. "Then it won't."
But even in the hush of peace, there were tiny shifts.
The birds were quieter one morning.
A broken branch near the fence.
A letter left at the gate with no footprints leading away.
Kai didn't mention it. He didn't want to disturb the magic.
Adrian noticed but didn't speak of it either. He just held Kai tighter at night. Kissed him deeper in the mornings. Took his time memorizing every inch of him like they might be running out of time.
And maybe they were.
But for now, the storm hadn't come.
And Kai,
Kai dreamed.
Of baby's breath.
Of names whispered against a slightly swollen belly.
Of a life that didn't ache.
But a future that lived.