The world held its breath.[1]
Milo's thumb, still resting on the corner of Elias's lip, felt impossibly heavy. He was completely mesmerized by the profound, raw affection in Elias's eyes, an honesty so pure it was terrifying. All the fluster, all the confusion, all the desperate, hilarious lies he had told himself vanished.
There was no more oblivion.
There was only the truth, laid bare in the depths of Elias's gaze.
Elias wasn't just a powerful, wounded being he had helped.
He wasn't just a quirky, shy friend.
He was a person who loved him.
A deep, quiet blush crept across Milo's own cheeks, not from embarrassment, but from a powerful, overwhelming wave of emotion. His heart, which had just lived through a violent fight and a dizzying teleportation, was now pounding with a different, more profound kind of shock.
Elias, still staring at him, seemed to register the change in Milo's expression. The flicker of pure affection in his eyes was instantly replaced by a return of his usual vulnerability. His gaze dropped, and his wolf-like ears, which had been perked up with an emotional honesty, flattened against his head in profound, quiet shame.
He had been caught.
The secret was out.
Milo's hand, still on Elias's face, slowly pulled away, but it didn't leave. It moved, instead, to gently cup Elias's jaw. "Elias," Milo whispered, his voice a little shaky, a little in awe.
Elias didn't look up. He just stood there, a powerful, wounded giant suddenly made small and vulnerable. "The… the wound," he mumbled, his voice a strained rasp, the pain of the cut and the pain of his exposed feelings mixing in a toxic brew of discomfort. "It should be… addressed."
Milo's heart ached for him.
He understood that this was Elias's way of retreating, of trying to pretend the moment had never happened. But Milo wouldn't let him.
Not this time.
"I know," Milo said softly. He gently led Elias to the toilet seat, making him sit. "I've got it."
Milo rummaged in the cabinet, pulling out antiseptic wipes, gauze, and medical tape. The silence was thick with the weight of what had just happened. It was more profound than any conversation could have been. Milo worked in silence, his hands gentle and sure as he cleaned the gash on Elias's side. The scent of antiseptic filled the air, a stark contrast to the scent of blood and fear that had just filled the forest.
Elias was tense at first, his muscles clenched against the sting of the alcohol. But as Milo's hands, impossibly gentle, continued to work, Elias's body began to relax. He looked up, his gaze now fixed on Milo's face, a look of quiet admiration and trust in his eyes.
Milo finished bandaging the wound and, with a gentle finality, placed his hands on Elias's broad shoulders. "Okay," he said softly. "You're all set. But… we need to talk. About… all of this." He gestured vaguely to the bandages, to the front door that was now a smashed, splintered ruin, to the memory of the teleportation, and to the moment they had just shared.
Elias closed his eyes, a soft sigh escaping him. "I am tired, Milo," he said, his voice a low rumble of pain and profound exhaustion. "Can it… can it wait?"
Milo's heart went out to him.
This was not the time for a big, tearful confession. Elias had just saved his life, fought a bloody battle, and exerted an immense amount of energy.
"Okay," Milo said, his voice filled with a quiet, tender affection. "It can wait. But… just so you know." He reached out and gently, with a reverence that was completely new to him, tucked a loose strand of Elias's dark hair behind his ear. "I'm not leaving."
Elias's eyes fluttered open. He looked at Milo, and in his exhausted, wounded gaze, Milo saw a flicker of hope, of relief so profound it brought tears to his own eyes. Elias didn't say anything, but he reached out a trembling hand and, with a hesitant, almost shy grace, took Milo's hand, holding it in his. He was still the proud, powerful being he always was, but in his quiet, vulnerable moment, he was also just a person who was so, so very glad that he had not been left alone.
And in that quiet moment, in the apartment in Calin City, the foundation of their relationship was finally, truly, and irrevocably set.
It was no longer a matter of unspoken affection.
The truth was out there, and it was a truth they would have to face together.
[1] just like u guys HAHAHA- sorry, that was horrible- X.X