November 22, 2020—Tel-Aviv, Israel—Two Days Later #4
Logan leaned back against the headboard, his eyes fixed on Adrian.
The way Adrian played was mesmerizing—the natural grace of his movements, the way his eyes closed slightly as the music took over, the emotion in every note and word.
And then Adrian began to sing. His voice, low and rich, filled the room, carrying the lyrics that Logan knew by heart.
By the fourth verse, Logan’s throat had narrowed to a pinhole, breath scraping through, while his stomach writhed, tangled and tight.
Tears slipped down his cheeks, unbidden, but he didn’t try to hide them.
He smiled through the tears, letting the music wash over him, letting Adrian’s voice wrap around him like a second heartbeat.
He lifted his hand, his shaking fingers brushing against the still-healing tattoo on his wrist. The skin itched like hell, but he hadn’t scratched it—not once.
He had listened carefully to the tattoo artist’s instructions, knowing how much this mark mattered.
The words permanently marked on his skin belonged to Adrian, imprinted where the bracelet he cherished once lay.
Now, they were a part of him in a way that no one could take away.
And as Logan watched Adrian now, his song spilling into the air like poetry, he felt the depth of that connection more than ever.
Adrian’s fingers glided over the strings, coaxing out the melody as though it were an extension of his soul. His voice was low, raw, and hauntingly beautiful as he kept singing, the words filled with a deep ache that vibrated in the small, intimate room.
“I saw the parts you keep hidden from the light,
“I loved you in your darkest, most fragile fight.
“I always wonder if you ever think of me,”
Logan’s breath hitched, and he couldn’t stop himself from answering, his voice barely above a whisper but cutting through the charged air between them.
“All the fucking time,” he murmured, his eyes locked on Adrian.
The words felt like they’d been carved from his very being, an echo of his truth.
Adrian’s lyrics, written with the blood of his broken heart, were a mirror to Logan’s own.
“Does my memory soothe you like the sea?” Adrian sang, his voice quaking slightly, his fingers steady on the guitar.
“Yes,” Logan whispered, his voice breaking. “It was reviving me, it was all I had.”
Adrian smiled faintly, though his eyes were wet with unshed tears, as he sang the next line, his voice dipping into something even more vulnerable, something almost sacred. “If you’re broken now, I can’t fix you.”
Logan straightened, leaning closer to Adrian. “Fix me by existing,” he said, the words spilling out like a prayer.
Adrian’s gaze lingered on Logan. “Nothing of my soul survived the final dive,” he sang, each word heavy with sorrow.
“Mine either,” Logan replied, his voice low, their confessions intertwining in the air like a fragile thread, binding their shared pain together.
“But if you’re damaged, maybe you need me as much as I need you?” Adrian’s voice was tender, yet laced with quiet desperation.
Logan’s hand reached out, brushing against Adrian’s knee as he answered, his words came wrapped in ache and heartbeats. “Of course, I do. More than anything in the world, I needed you then, and I need you now.”
Adrian’s voice wavered as he sang the next line, his eyes flickering with something between hope and fear. “I am fractured, but if you are whole, then I’ll find my peace in your joy.”
Logan’s reply came swiftly, his voice raw and aching. “I’m only fine when you’re whole. I am only whole with you. There is no joy without you.”
Adrian’s fingers slowed on the guitar, his voice softening but losing none of its intensity. “I believe my fate was to cross paths with you.”
“Our fate,” Logan corrected.
“To be the one who saves you,” Adrian sang, his voice trembling.
“Now it’s my turn to save you, my love,” Logan replied, his hand reaching out to touch Adrian’s cheek, his fingers gentle against his skin.
Adrian’s voice broke as he sang the final line, and Logan joined him, their voices blending together, rough-hewn and imperfect but deeply connected.
“So when the end draws near, and life leaves you, I’ll be here, waiting to save you.”
The final chord hung in the air, vibrating with the weight of their shared truths.
Adrian’s hand stilled on the strings, his gaze locking onto Logan’s as silence enveloped the room.
Without a word, Logan reached out, tenderly grasping the guitar from Adrian’s hands and setting it gently on the floor, their eyes never leaving each other.
Before Adrian could say anything, Logan’s hands were on him, cupping his face, pulling him closer until their lips met in a kiss that felt like it had been years in the making.
Adrian responded instantly, his hand sliding to Logan’s hip, the other cupping his cheek, grounding him as their lips moved together.
The kiss was slow at first, soft and tentative, but the hunger beneath it quickly surged to the surface, their shared longing pouring into every movement.
Logan parted his lips just a whisper, his tongue softly grazing Adrian’s in a quiet, loving caress, an invitation for more.
Adrian didn’t hesitate, his tongue sliding into Logan’s mouth, meeting his in a dance that was both familiar and electric.
Logan groaned softly, the sound pulsating against Adrian’s lips, and his hands tightened on Adrian’s face as though he never wanted to let go.
Adrian drew back briefly, his tongue retreating, only to slide back in again, coaxing Logan deeper into the kiss.
Their lips moved together seamlessly, their breaths mingling, their shared need palpable.
Logan’s hands slipped to Adrian’s shoulders, holding him firmly, grounding himself in the moment.
He had forgotten how good a kisser Adrian was, how Adrian could make the world fade away with just a touch, just a kiss.
The kiss deepened, their bodies pressing closer as though they couldn’t get enough of each other, couldn’t close the space between them fast enough.
It was more than a kiss; it was a reclamation, a promise, a surrender.
It was everything they hadn’t been able to say, everything they’d been holding back for years.
When they finally pulled apart, their foreheads rested together, their breaths mingling, their hearts pounding in unison. Logan’s voice was soft, almost reverent, as he whispered, “You saved me then, Adrian. And you’re saving me now.”
Adrian’s hand slid to Logan’s neck, his thumb brushing gently against his jawline. “And you’re saving me too,” he whispered back. “Always.”
Logan pulled away from the kiss reluctantly, knowing as much as he wanted to hold Adrian all night, he needed to let him rest. Tomorrow would be another long day filled with tests and the quiet agony of waiting.
He gently brushed a delicate strand of hair from Adrian’s face, his voice barely above a whisper as he breathed, “I love you.”
Though he was aware of how often he had uttered those words—perhaps too often—he felt no remorse.
Each time they escaped his lips, they carried the same aching sincerity, as if his heart had written them anew.
He longed for Adrian to feel the essence of these words, to hear them resonate within him, to fully embrace their truth.
He wanted to evanesce every glimpse of doubt from Adrian’s mind, for, to Logan, the sunlight’s true brilliance could only shine if Adrian genuinely understood the depth of his love.
With every proclamation, he reveled in the way Adrian’s gaze would soften, how a playful smile would dance upon his lips, and how a faint blush would grace his cheeks, infusing life back into his spirit.
Adrian craved those words, thrived on their warmth, and Logan would gladly scream them a hundred times a day if it kindled that radiant light in Adrian’s eyes once more.
“I love you, too,” Adrian whispered back, and it sent a wave of warmth through Logan’s chest. It was as though his very soul had been set alight, the words igniting something deep and profound within him.
He had waited so long to hear those words again, had longed for them in the emptiness of his nights.
Now they were here, and they were everything.
Logan leaned down, pressing his lips to Adrian’s one last time, a tender vow wrapped in a kiss. “It’s late,” he whispered, watching Adrian’s heavy eyelids. “And you are exhausted… tomorrow we have another long day.”
“Yeah. We must sleep.”
Logan gently kissed his nose as he stood up. He picked up the guitar and put it back in its place by the wall. Adrian crawled under the blanket, feeling his muscles relax as he lay down on the bed.
“I’ll see you in the morning,” Logan promised, leaning down to kiss his forehead. “Goodnight, my love,” he whispered before stepping away, flicking off the light, and opening the door.
“Lo?” Adrian called, a deep frown on his face.
“Yes?” Logan said, closing the door again instantly, and in the next moment, he was by his bed, leaning over him.
“Stay, please. I can’t bear the thought of spending another night alone now that you’re finally here.
” Adrian’s voice trembled with urgency. “I understand you’re trying to give me space—both now and earlier in the shower—but I don’t want space.
I need you, right here with me, close enough to feel your warmth.
So please, no more distance between us.” His plea was almost a cry, and Logan nodded, anguish flickering in his eyes.
How could he express his yearning for Logan to envelop him in suffocating love, to caress him with tender touches, to nurture him with devoted care, and to shower him with undivided attention?
To admit that he craved Logan’s presence incessantly?
That he was aware of his own neediness, teetering on the edge of annoyance, yet still, he longed for Logan to be there, always?