"Ah... so you both are dating again?" Lily tilted her head, her voice maddeningly casual.

North stared at her, waiting for the explosion. The barrage of questions. Instead, Lily just sat there, perfectly composed, one eyebrow slightly raised.

"Why..." North trailed, his voice dripping with skepticism. "Why are you so calm?"

Lily flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Because I already know."

North immediately retreated back into his chair, his shoulders hunching, his eyes narrowing. "What do you mean you already know?"

Lily turned back to him, and now her smile was fully formed-smug, knowing. Her eyes dropped deliberately, trailing across North's neck, lingering on the marks that his shirt collar couldn't quite hide. The bite marks. The bruises.

North's hand flew to his collar, yanking it up, his face flooding with heat. He rolled his eyes so hard his head hurt. "You're enjoying this way too much."

"I'm enjoying this exactly the right amount," Lily said, placing her chin on her hand, her eyes gleaming. "I see the relationship is going strong this time, if the, ah, evidence is anything to go by."

North's ears burned. He grabbed his matcha, taking a long, desperate sip, hoping the cool liquid would somehow cool his face. It did not. "Yes..." he mumbled into the cup.

Lily sighed, a long, theatrical exhale. She pulled out her tablet, scrolling through what North assumed was his schedule, but her expression was distant, calculating.

"Now I have to inform Prang that the fake boyfriend contract has been breached by real love," she said, her voice dripping with false tragedy. "You love making me do extra work."

North scoffed, the sound emerging more petulant than he intended. "Make yourself useful, then."

Lily's eyebrows shot up. "Oh... you want to get cranky with me now?"

North's pout deepened. He sank lower in his chair, bringing his matcha with him, sipping petulantly. "Tell me my schedule," he mumbled, changing the subject with all the grace of a teenager caught sneaking out.

Lily smiled, the warmth returning to her expression. She opened her tablet, her fingers moving across the screen with practiced efficiency. "Mmh, we have to go to the 5th floor for a meeting. Prang needs to talk to you about the Velocity campaign wrap-up and some upcoming opportunities. And then..." She paused, her finger hovering over the screen. "Oh."

North raised an eyebrow. "Oh what?"

"Next week, you have a pop-up event in China."

North's matcha paused halfway to his mouth. "Huh? How long?"

Lily was already scribbling on her tablet, her pen moving in quick, sharp strokes. "The event itself is just two days. Meet and greet, some brand appearances. But if you want to stay longer, explore a bit, your schedule is pretty much clear after that week. You could take some time off. Actually relax for once." She looked up, her expression softening. "You could use it."

North looked down at his matcha, swirling the liquid, watching the foam spin. His mind was already elsewhere.

Lily looked up at the sudden quiet, her eyebrows drawing together. "Something wrong?"

"No," North said quickly. Too quickly. He felt his face warm again, felt the smile threatening to break through despite his best efforts to suppress it. He looked down at his cup, then back up at Lily, something shy and hopeful flickering in his eyes. "Can I..."

He stopped. Bit his lip. Tried again.

"Can I bring Johan with me there?"

Lily blinked. "Johan?" She set her tablet down on the table, her full attention on him now. "You want to bring Johan to China."

North nodded, his cheeks pink. "Yeah."

"And you want me to... what? Third-wheel you both while you wander around Beijing holding hands and being disgustingly in love?" Lily's voice was dry, but there was a smile tugging at her lips.

"You can bring your husband," North grumbled, his face reddening further. "It's not my fault if you don't want to have a romantic trip too."

Lily stared at him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then she shook her head, a small, warm laugh escaping her. "Fine, fine," she said, waving her hand dismissively. "Do whatever you want, master. I'll book the flights. Two tickets. One hotel room. You're welcome."

"Young love," Lily murmured, already scrolling on her tablet, but her voice was fond, almost wistful.

North ignored her, pulling out his phone and opening his socials.

The app loaded, and the first thing he saw was his own name, trending alongside Johan's.

North's thumb paused. He stared at the words on his screen, at the hashtags that seemed to blur together, at the thousands of posts.

Curious, his finger moved without permission, tapping on the tag, pulling up the feed.

And there it was.

A photo.....

A photo of him and Johan.....

In the green room, on the day of the shoot.

Johan's back was half-turned to the camera, but his face was visible in profile, his lips pressed against North's, his tongue-

North's eyes widened. His finger zoomed in without thinking, the image expanding, filling his screen. He could see Johan's tongue sliding against North's lips, could see the way North's head was tilted back, the way his fingers were buried in Johan's hair, the way their bodies were pressed together like they were the only two people in the world.

It looked too intimate. Too private. Too them.

He scrolled down, his hands trembling, reading the caption through a haze of panic.

I was working on the shoot that day, guess what? Johan showed up to his boyfriend's shoot, and then I had to call North to check on the photos only to get surprised by this scene. SJAHSHDB it was so hot, when I tell you I had to run away in one second to breathe. Throughout the shoot, they looked like they wanted to eat each other.

The comments were a blur-thousands of them, fans losing their minds, screaming in all caps, posting heart emojis and fire emojis and strings of letters that might have been words in another language.

THEY'RE SO IN LOVE I'M CRYING

THIS IS NOT A DRILL PEOPLE THEY ARE ACTUALLY TOGETHER

THE WAY JOHAN IS HOLDING HIM I CAN'T BREATHE

North's mind scrambled. His thumb moved again, zooming in on the photo, staring at the intimacy captured in that single frame. The way Johan's hand cradled his jaw. The way his own body curved into Johan's like he was trying to disappear inside him. The way their lips met, open, hungry, desperate.

He turned his phone off immediately, the screen going dark, but the image was burned into his retinas.

His breath was coming too fast, his face too hot, his heart slamming against his ribs.

Lily's eyebrows furrowed. "You.....good?"

North looked at her, his gaze trembling, his voice barely a whisper. "Did you... see the socials?"

Lily's expression shifted. Understanding dawned, and with it, a kind of professional calm that only made North more nervous. "Oh. Your and Johan's photo?"

"You knew?" North's voice cracked.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Obviously, North. The whole company knows. Most of the world probably knows by now. Prang has been fielding calls all day." She paused, her voice gentling. "She already tried to tone down the virality, but the photo is circulating out of control. There's not much we can do except let it run its course."

North's hand tightened on his phone. "And this is what Prang wants to talk about? In the meeting?"

Lily nodded, her expression serious now. "Probably. She'll want to discuss how you want to handle it and maybe about what's going on...."

North bit his lip, opening his phone again, his thumb hovering over the screen.

The photo was still there, still waiting, still burning.

He stared at it for a long moment, his face flushing red, his mind a whirlwind of panic and something else-something that might have been relief.

"You guys should have chosen a more private location," Lily clicked her tongue, already scrolling through her tablet again. "A green room with an unlocked door? Really, North...."

But North barely heard her.

His thumb moved on its own, opening Johan's profile. He didn't know what he was looking for.

He scrolled down the bio and then he stopped.

The newest post.

Johan had reposted it. He had reposted it. Their photo was there, centered on Johan's profile, shared for all his followers to see. And beneath it, a like. Johan had liked it too.

North's brain stopped functioning.

He stared at the screen. At Johan's username. At the photo that was now sitting on Johan's profile like a trophy, like a statement, like a promise.

His heart was pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears, feel it in his throat, in his fingertips where they pressed against the glass.

Lily was watching North now, watching the way his face cycled through a dozen emotions in the span of seconds flickering across his features like a storm.

And then, suddenly, without warning, North's forehead met the table with a solid, resounding thunk.

"Hey!" Lily shrieked, her tablet clattering as she lunged forward. Her chair scraped against the floor, her hands reaching for North. "What are you doing? Are you okay? North!"

North remained on the table, his face pressed into the polished wood, his hair splayed around him like a fallen halo.

He didn't move. Didn't speak. Just lay there, breathing, processing.

"North!" Lily shook his shoulder, her voice edging toward panic. "Answer me!? Did you pass out??"

North's voice came muffled against the wood, the words pressed into the surface, barely audible. "I'm fine. I'm just... processing."

Lily stared at the back of his head, her hands still hovering, her expression cycling through panic, confusion, and the particular brand of exasperation that only North could inspire. "Processing? You gave me a jumpscare!!"

North lifted his head slowly, his face red where it had pressed against the wood, his eyes wide, his hair sticking up in wild disarray. He looked at Lily, then at his phone, then back at Lily. His lips parted, closed, parted again. No words came out.

He looked down at his phone again, at the repost sitting on Johan's profile. His thumb hovered over the screen, trembling and then he moved.

He scrolled back to the original post-the photo, the caption, the thousands of likes and comments that had accumulated in the hours since it had been posted. His thumb found the repost button.

His finger hovered for a moment. A heartbeat. Two.

He pressed repost.

The screen flickered. The post went live. North's thumb moved again, pressing the like button beneath it, the heart turning red, another claim, another declaration.

His face was flushed, a faint blush spreading across his cheeks, but his eyes were clear. Steady.

He looked at his phone, at the photo now sitting on his profile too, at the two of them standing together in the digital world as they were in the real one.

Lily watched him, her expression shifting from panic to something softer. She shook her head slowly, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"Silly," she said quietly.

North looked up at her, his face still flushed, his hair still a mess, but there was something in his chest now that felt like peace.

"No more hiding," he said.

Lily reached out, smoothing down the wild strands of his hair with a practiced hand. "Well, at least let me fix your hair before we go to this meeting. You look like you've been through a war."

North laughed-a small, breathless sound-and let her fuss. His phone was still in his hand, the screen dark now, but he could feel it there. The proof. The promise. The beginning of something he'd been waiting for.

.
•
~***~
•
.

The afternoon sun hung low over the track, casting long shadows across the asphalt.

Arthit jogged ahead, pushing open the gate to the pit lane with his shoulder, already grinning. "Here," he announced, gesturing broadly like he was presenting a kingdom.

Behind him, Johan and Tiger walked in step, though Johan's stride was longer, more deliberate. Tiger moved with coiled energy, his hands stuffed in his jacket pockets, his eyes already scanning the empty grandstands out of habit.

Tiger immediately dropped onto the nearest bench, stretching his legs out, letting his head fall back. Johan came to a stop beside them, his gaze fixed on the garage where Miles was visible through the open bay door, hunched over a laptop.

"I'm going to talk to Miles," Johan said, placing his hands inside his pockets. The movement pulled the fabric of his shirt tight across his shoulders. He was already half-turned toward the garage, his focus narrowing.

Arthit shrugged, flopping down next to Tiger with casual disregard for personal space. "Okay. Till then, me and Tiger can go one-to-one, right Tiger?"

Tiger cracked his neck, a slow, audible pop. "Fine. But don't think I'll lose."

"You're talking to a professional racer." Arthit fist-banged Tiger's shoulder with enough force to make the bench shudder.

"Let's see." A smirk tugged at Tiger's lips, something sharp and competitive flickering behind his eyes.

Johan paused mid-step, looking back over his shoulder. "I'm placing a bet on Tiger," he said, his voice flat, almost bored.

Arthit's eyebrows shot up. "Hey, you asshole." He threw a wadded-up energy gel wrapper at Johan's head.

Johan sidestepped it without looking, a ghost of a smirk playing at his lips as he continued toward the garage. His boots made soft, rhythmic sounds on the asphalt until they faded into the background hum of the track.

Arthit sneered at his retreating back, arms crossed. "Look at him. All smirking and happy. Makes me sick."

Tiger snorted, leaning back on his hands. "Well, he's finally in a relationship with North. I'd be smirking too if I had someone like that waiting at home."

"Did you see his post?" Arthit side-eyed Tiger, one eyebrow raised. "No caption. Just... here's my tongue in my boyfriend's mouth, have a nice day. Who does that?"

"I've seen them in real life." Tiger rolled his eyes so hard his whole head moved. "He didn't even let me shake hands with North. Shake hands, Arthit. Like a normal human greeting. Johan acted like I was trying to steal his firstborn."

Arthit barked a laugh. "Possessive much?"

"Possessive doesn't cover it. He hovered." Tiger made a clawing motion with his hands. "Like a dragon."

Arthit shook his head, still grinning. Then his expression sharpened into something competitive. "One round?"

Tiger stood up, rolling his shoulders, his jacket falling away to reveal the lean muscle beneath. "Fine."
.
.
.
The race was quick, brutal, and deeply unserious.

They crossed the makeshift finish line with Arthit ahead by half a car length.

"Rigged," Tiger said immediately, breathing hard, his hands on his hips.

"The start was clean," Arthit shot back, also winded, but grinning.

"The start was yours. You counted."

"You want me to count for you? Three. Two. One. Go. It's not hard, Tiger."

Tiger shoved him. Arthit shoved back.

They walked back toward the benches exchanging half-hearted insults, their breath fogging in the cooling afternoon air, the adrenaline still humming in their veins.

They rounded the corner-

And both stopped dead.

A figure stood near the benches, slightly apart, hands clasped in front of them.

The afternoon light caught in their hair, turned their shirt into something soft and golden. They were looking toward the track, toward the empty straight where Johan had disappeared, and there was something in their posture that made the moment feel suspended.

Arthit's voice came out strangled. "North?"

North turned, and the expression on his face shifted from distant to present, from waiting to warm.

"Hello," he said, and his voice was quieter than they expected, almost shy.

Tiger recovered first, though his voice still came out pitched a little high. "Why are you here?"

Arthit elbowed him so hard Tiger made an oof sound. "Obviously for Johan, duh."

A faint blush tugged at North's cheeks, pink spreading across the pale skin, but he didn't deny it.

His gaze flickered toward the garage, then back to them. He hesitated, fingers brushing against the strap of the small bag slung across his body. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

Arthit waved a hand dismissively, already moving toward the benches. "Interrupting what? Tiger losing? Please. Sit, sit." He gestured expansively. "Johan went to talk to Miles. He'll be back in a few minutes."

Tiger smiled, settling back onto the bench, making room.

North sat on the bench, the metal cool beneath him despite the lingering warmth of the afternoon. He placed his bag beside him, his fingers still curled around the strap, as if he wasn't quite sure he was supposed to be here.

Tiger looked at North, something shifting in his expression. He shifted closer on the bench, his movements casual, but his eyes were sharp, assessing. North turned to look at him, surprised by the sudden proximity.

"We couldn't talk properly last time," Tiger said, his voice lower now, meant only for North. The last time had been the bar, the chaos, the moment when everything had fallen apart and been put back together in the same breath. "How's everything going?"

North blinked, caught off guard by the directness. He thought about the past few days.

"...Good," He said, and the word came out softer than he intended. He looked down at his hands, then back at Tiger. "Everything is good now. Better than good."

Arthit shifted too, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees, his expression caught somewhere between curiosity and disbelief. "Can you imagine my surprise when I found out you both were exes?" He shook his head, as if still processing. "I thought Johan was just being a mean fuck to you for no reason during the velocity shoot. All that-" He waved a hand vaguely, "-whatever it was. I thought he just hated you."

North looked down, scratching the back of his head, a flush creeping up his neck. The memory of those days was still sharp-the cold looks, the biting words, the way Johan had seemed determined to push him away at every turn. "Uh... now it's different," he said, and the words felt inadequate for everything that had changed.

"Of course it's different," Arthit said, leaning back, his arms crossing over his chest. "My sister cried when she found out you and Johan were dating. She said you were too good for him. Johan earned himself a new hater."

North laughed, the sound surprising him, bright and unexpected. "Should I be happy or sad?" he asked, his eyes crinkling.

Arthit shrugged, a grin spreading across his face. "Both. Definitely both."

"She's loyal," Arthit said, pointing at North. "You've got fans in unexpected places."

North smiled, tucking his hands between his knees. The track stretched out before them, empty and waiting, and for a moment, they sat in comfortable silence. The sun was lower now, the shadows longer, the air cooling as the afternoon bled toward evening.

And then, through the open bay door of the garage, Johan appeared.

He was still talking to Miles, his head bent toward the mechanic, his hands moving as he explained something, gestured at something on the laptop screen. Miles nodded, said something back, and Johan's mouth curved into a small smile.

North's breath caught.

He watched Johan move, watched the way his hand came up to run through his hair, the way the dying light caught the edges of his profile and turned him into something unreal.

The track faded. The benches faded.

There was only Johan, moving through the world like he belonged in it, like he had always been meant to be here, in this moment, with North watching.

He didn't realize he was staring until Arthit spoke.

"I still can't believe someone like you would date Johan," Arthit said, his voice carrying a note of genuine wonder.

North blinked, turning to look at him. "Huh?"

Arthit gestured at him, a broad sweep that took in everything. "Like... a model. Disciplined. Innocent." He listed the words on his fingers, each one a small jab. "And you're dating him. I mean, is your type just scary-looking guys? Is that it?"

Tiger snorted, but he was watching North too, waiting.

North looked back at Johan who had moved closer to the garage entrance now, still talking, still unaware.

He was ethereal in the way a storm was-dangerous, overwhelming and impossible to look away from.

North looked at Arthit. Then at Tiger.

"Look at him," North said, his voice steady, deliberate.

Arthit's eyebrows furrowed. He followed North's gaze to Johan, who was laughing at something Miles had said, his head tilted back, the sound carrying across the empty track.

"And look at me," North said.

Tiger and Arthit turned back to him, their expressions shifting, something in their eyes sharpening.

North met their gazes, and for a moment, he let them see-not the shy model, not the innocent boy, not the person they thought they knew. He let them see the man who had run from love for years and finally stopped.

"Do I look innocent to you?" North asked, and his voice was quiet, but there was something beneath it-something that made Arthit's grin falter and Tiger's eyes narrow.

He looked back at Johan, at the way he was moving toward them now, still unaware, still talking to Miles over his shoulder.

"I know exactly what I like," North said, and the words fell into the silence like stones into still water.

Arthit's mouth opened. Closed. Opened again. Beside him, Tiger made a sound that might have been a laugh or might have been a cough.

They stared at North-at the flush on his cheeks, at the steadiness in his eyes, at the way he was looking at Johan.

"Damn..," Arthit breathed.

Johan finally turned away from Miles, his hand raised in a brief farewell, and his gaze swept across the empty track until it landed on the bench....

..... On North.

He stopped.

His whole body went still in the middle of the pit lane. For a moment, he just stared, as if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing.

North lifted his hand. A small wave. A greeting.

Johan's face shifted. The stillness broke, replaced by something that looked like wonder, like disbelief.

He started walking, his pace quickening.

He crossed the pit lane in seconds, his eyes never leaving North's face, his chest rising and falling with each breath.

The distance between them dissolved, and then he was there, standing in front of the bench, looking down at North like he was the only thing in the world.

"What are you doing here?" Johan's voice was low, deep, rough with something that might have been surprise or might have been longing.

North smiled up at him, soft and warm, his cheeks flushing a deeper pink. "My work finished early. I had spare time."

Johan blinked. He watched North, watched the way he ducked his head slightly, the way his lashes lowered, the way his blush spread down his neck.

North was blushing and stammering and looking at Johan like he was something precious, and Johan wanted to kiss him so badly it was a physical ache.

His hand lifted, fingers reaching for North's chin, tilting his face up.

North blinked and Johan leaned in-

But North cleared his throat.

The sound was sharp in the quiet evening, and Johan stilled, his lips inches from North's, his hand still cupping North's chin.

North pressed his lips together, his eyes flicking to the side, tilting his head meaningfully toward the bench.

Toward Tiger and Arthit, who were watching them with expressions that ranged from amused to openly fascinated.

Johan's jaw tightened. He didn't move. Didn't pull back. His eyes stayed on North's face, his thumb tracing the line of North's jaw, slow and deliberate.

North's blush deepened. He cleared his throat again, more pointedly, and his eyes flicked toward their audience again. His expression was apologetic.

Johan's eyes narrowed. He straightened slowly, his hand dropping from North's face, but he didn't step away. He turned his head just enough to look at the bench, and his glare was immediate, sharp, cutting.

Arthit, who had been leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, immediately sat back. His hands went up. "What? We're just sitting here. We didn't do anything."

Tiger raised an eyebrow, meeting Johan's glare with one of his own. "Don't look at us like that. You're the one who was about to eat his face in front of us."

Johan's glare didn't waver. If anything, it sharpened.

Arthit shifted, suddenly interested in the state of his shoelaces. Tiger crossed his arms, his jaw set, but after a moment, he looked away too, muttering something under his breath that sounded like "unbelievable."

Johan turned back to North, and his expression softened. He held out his hand.

North took it, his fingers sliding between Johan's, warm and sure.

Johan pulled him up, and North rose from the bench, his body close to Johan's, their hands still intertwined.

"Let's go, then," Johan said, his voice low, meant only for North. He turned toward Arthit and Tiger, his tone shifting to something more casual, almost dismissive. "Bye."

Arthit's eyebrows shot up. "Bye? That's it? We're not even-"

Johan was already walking, North's hand in his, pulling him gently away from the bench.

North glanced back, his free hand lifting in a small wave. "Bye," he said, his voice polite, apologetic.

Arthit opened his mouth, but Tiger put a hand on his arm, shaking his head. "Let them go," he said, and there was something in his voice that made Arthit close his mouth.

North turned back, letting Johan lead him across the pit lane, toward the gate.

He watched their interlaced fingers, the way Johan's hand wrapped around his, thumb resting against his knuckles.

The skin was warm, the grip firm but not tight, and North found himself staring at the way their hands fit together, the way Johan's fingers curled around his like they belonged there.

Johan's voice cut through his thoughts. "You should have told me you were coming. I would have picked you up."

North looked up, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Can't I surprise you?"

Johan's steps slowed, just slightly, and he turned to look at North. There was something warm, something questioning.

North tilted his chin up, meeting his gaze.

"You surprised me that day," North said, his voice softer now, "by coming to my shoot. And then..." He bit his lips, the memory flooding back.

Johan blinked, and then a slow tug pulled at his lips. Not quite a smile, but something close. Something knowing.

North's face flushed. "You should have told me about that photo," he grumbled, looking away. "You just reposted it. No warning. Nothing."

Johan's steps slowed further, almost stopping. "You didn't like it?"

North's eyes widened. "Huh? It's not that..." He looked away, his ears burning, his free hand coming up to rub the back of his neck. "I reposted it too," he mumbled, the words barely audible.

Johan's hand tightened around his. He didn't say anything, but North could feel him looking, could feel the weight of that gaze on his face.

They reached the parking lot, Johan's car dark and familiar, waiting for them.

Johan opened the passenger door, and North slid inside, the leather cool beneath him, the familiar scent of Johan's car wrapping around him like something remembered.

Johan walked around the front, his silhouette cut against the fading light, and then he was sliding into the driver's seat, the door closing behind him with a solid thunk.

The car fell quiet.

North turned toward him, lips parting, something already forming but Johan moved first.

His hand came up, warm against North's cheek, fingers sliding into his hair as if he had done it a thousand times before, as if he had been waiting to do it again.

Then he leaned in, and the space between them disappeared.

The kiss landed soft.

Just a press of lips-testing, grounding.

North exhaled into it, his fingers tightening in Johan's shirt, and that was all it took.

Johan deepened the kiss, slow and deliberate, like he was relearning something he had once known by heart.

There was no urgency this time, no edge of restraint-just warmth, just certainty.

His thumb brushed along North's cheek, anchoring him there.

North leaned closer without thinking, closing the distance himself now, answering instead of reacting.

The world outside blurred-the dimming light, the empty lot, the quiet hum of the engine-all of it slipping into the background until there was only this.

When Johan pulled back, it wasn't far.
Just enough to look at him.

North's breath came uneven, his lips still parted, his fingers curled in the fabric of Johan's shirt like he hadn't quite remembered to let go.

Johan's gaze searched his face-slow, steady, like he was committing every detail to memory.

For a moment, he didn't speak.

His thumb traced once across North's cheekbone.

He had lost this once.

He wasn't going to again.

"I love you," Johan said, his voice low, roughened at the edges.

North stilled.

The words landed somewhere deep, somewhere that made his chest tighten and soften all at once. His gaze dropped for a second, his cheeks warming, his grip on Johan's shirt tightening just slightly.

"I love you too," he said, quieter, but sure.

Not hesitant. Not unsure.

Just... true.

The silence that followed wasn't empty. It settled around them, warm and steady, like something that didn't need to be filled.

Johan's hand lingered a moment longer before dropping away.

He leaned back, exhaling softly, one hand moving to the wheel-but he paused again, glancing sideways.
"What do you want to eat?"

North blinked, the question catching him off guard. He glanced at the clock. "It's still early, we could-"

Johan's hand came back, tilting his face toward him again.

His expression didn't change much-but there was something in his eyes now. Something deliberate.
"I don't want you hungry later."

North tilted his head slightly, confusion flickering across his face, but Johan had already pulled back, already reaching for his seatbelt like he hadn't just said something loaded with meaning.

The engine hummed to life.

North watched him for a second longer, trying to read him, trying to understand...But Johan only reached across the console, finding his hand without looking.

Fingers laced together. Familiar. Certain.

North let out a small breath, his thoughts quieting as he squeezed back.

Outside, the city lights flickered on, one by one, bleeding into the darkening sky.
Inside, Johan's hand was warm in his.
And this time...

North didn't feel like he was waiting for something to begin.

He was already in it.

____________________

A/N

This book is already 15 hours+ long and here I thought Tamed was my lengthiest book.

Nvm I am trying so hard to cut short all the convos but damn everything is important for build up.