RAGNAR #3
"No. Don’t do that to yourself, Sun. Don’t think like someone broken by life. Don’t turn bitter. Don’t kill your own spirit with regretted actions. I know this sounds messed up, but if it weren’t for the hellish road you ended up on… we never would’ve met."
Sun leans into me hard, his lithe body, taut and alive against mine, pressed tight, invigorating me, waking something in me.
"Thank you… You always seem to know just the right thing to say to lift me up," he murmurs, and his lips graze my neck. It’s definitely getting warmer between us.
"And I might even know what to do," I whisper, "not just what to say."
***
When I wake on the fourth day, just before dawn, I know today’s the day I keep the promise I made to him. I’m going to take Sun on that ‘early retirement’ he kept joking about.
I check my phone and see the text I’ve been waiting for. Hunter, early bird as always, just messaged. Old habits from the military die hard. He has time to bring me my bike today. So I shoot him a quick reply asking him to swing by.
He says he’ll be here within two hours.
I glance at Sun. Still fast asleep. He’s definitely not a morning person. He could sleep till ten, maybe longer.
And he looks so peaceful. The stress is gone for good. His golden hair is scattered like spun silk across the pillow. His lips are slightly parted, soft breaths rising and falling with the rhythm of his dreams.
I just lie there, staring at him for a long moment.
Sometimes I can’t even believe how lucky I am.
Sun is so beautiful, like something out of a dream.
His face, those perfect features, long eyelashes…
and this guy is mine? I’m just a plain soldier.
I never even deserved him. If anything, I failed him.
But in my head, I make a promise to earn him every single day for the rest of our lives.
Finally, I get up quietly and start packing the essentials into my backpack. I carry it downstairs and leave it by the front door.
The sound of bare feet behind me makes me spin around fast. My nerves are still way too strained. Yeah, I probably deserve retirement too.
Summer is standing there, staring at me with those mismatched eyes, identical to mine.
I smile and walk over.
"Summer… it’s time," I whisper and put my hand on his shoulder. "I know I’m leaving you in good hands. And I don’t just mean safe hands, because with your power, you’re safe anywhere." I smile, bittersweet. "But I really believe Sun’s family is the right place for you."
I hesitate, then add, "Sun and I… we’re heading off.
Father and Dad are safe in Iceland. They have different names and bought a new house there.
If you ever feel like it, you can always join them.
It’s important Ferros can’t use them against us anymore.
If they show up, deal with them however you wish. " I tilt my head and meet his eyes.
Summer doesn’t say anything, just keeps looking at me. I lightly squeeze his shoulders.
Suddenly overwhelmed, I lean in and whisper, "I believe things will end well for you too! I really do. Moon was convinced this path would lead us there, and I know you're on it now. Here, you'll have the time to heal. After everything you’ve been through, you deserve that. We all do."
Then I whisper a secret in his ear, one I haven’t told anyone else, for fear of putting my twin brother at risk.
When I straighten back up, I see something shift in him for the first time. A faint smile touches his lips, and his eyes glisten.
"See?" I say softly. "Even his path led him to happiness. I was wrong, doubting him. Obviously, he got so much better at this over the years. Those gifts take time. So you too… keep that hope alive."
I kiss his forehead and pull him into a tight hug. I can hear his heart beating, steady and calm. And in that moment, I know, deep down, I’m doing the right thing by bringing him here.
***
I spend the next hour out on the porch, gazing toward the lake.
Above the water’s surface, high up, a bird circles. Looks like a falcon, if I’m not mistaken. I’ve always felt a strong connection to birds of prey; solitary and free, yet always ready to fight. Maybe, in some way, I even identified with them? That’s why I ended up getting a falcon tattoo.
My mind is surprisingly quiet, as I observe it. I’m resting…
At one point, I hear the patio door creak open, and Snow steps out.
He sits beside me without a word, just the typical him, then pulls a harmonica from his pocket and starts playing something soft.
I sit there with him in silence, the music rolling over me, drifting through a fog of half-formed thoughts about freedom, the road ahead, me and Sun, whatever’s coming next.
Then I hear tires on the gravel driveway.
I get up and head around the house, to the front gate. Hunter’s pulled up in a truck. And strapped in the back… is my bike.
A jolt of joy pierces me.
Hunter hops down from the cab, and right away, I notice something different. It’s very subtle, not a full transformation, but there’s a new energy about him. Lighter. More… alive.
We share a firm brotherly hug, and he says, "Congratulations. Mission accomplished, Sergeant."
I raise a hand to my brow in salute. "Yes, sir, Lieutenant."
I grin, then just have to ask, because I know something’s up.
"That shift I’m sensing in you, means something, right?" I tilt my head. "You went to that marriage contract fair, didn’t you?"
To my surprise, there’s the faintest blush on his otherwise stone-carved face. The fact that he’s even blushing makes me grin harder.
"I did," he says under his breath. Then he hops up into the bed of the truck, drops the ramp, and starts unstrapping the bike.
But I’m not letting this go.
"So what happened? Did you meet someone whose contract was worth buying?" I ask, wiggling my eyebrows at him.
Hunter’s face stays mostly unreadable, as always, but there’s a tiny twitch at the corner of his mouth. Like he’s fighting off a smile. And that alone, after how lifeless he’s looked for months, feels like a small miracle. There's definitely something different in his aura now. A careful hope.
"It’s a long story," he finally says. "And I won’t bore you with it now, you’ve got a big day ahead. But call me later, more… rested. It’s all still fresh. I may have a story to tell."
I nod, understanding. "Sure thing. We’ll talk."
We lower the bike down together. He checks it one last time and says, "Ready for the road!"
Then he gives me a pat on the shoulder. "I’ll leave you to it. Gonna go say good morning to the folks. Haven’t seen them since the funeral. Didn’t return their calls. Time to make amends!" He sighs.
He heads off toward the house while I give the bike a quick once-over, then strap my backpack to the back.
As I circle around the patio again, trying not to interrupt Hunter’s reunion, I spot Snow still sitting there. I slow down, hesitating.
"Listen," I say. "My brother, Moon, said that if Summer follows Sun , everything will turn out okay. But he added, until he no longer has to, and I think this is that moment. That’s why I’m leaving him with you. Please take care of him."
Snow lifts his strange pale-violet eyes to mine. For a second, he doesn’t say anything. I’m already halfway turned away, assuming he won’t respond, but then his low, deep voice surprises me.
"Thank you for bringing him here."
I pause, half expecting a goodbye or a safe travels, but instead, he just lifts the harmonica again and starts to play. The tune is a little brighter now, a little more hopeful. Like he’s saying something with the music that he doesn’t want to put into words.
I nod silently in farewell and head back inside. Sun’s dad is already in the kitchen, talking to Hunter. I try to slip by quietly and give them privacy, heading for the stairs, but he catches me with a warm voice.
"Ragnar, I made breakfast for you both, it’s on a tray. Maybe bring it up to the room?"
Then he gives me a gentle smile.
As I reach for the tray, he suddenly places his hand on my forearm.
"You guys are leaving, aren’t you?"
I nod. "It’s for the best. It’s something we both really want. And need."
"Of course. You know where to find us. Always."
Then he pulls his hand back and winks.
I head upstairs and return to the bedroom.
Sun is still in bed, freshly awake, stretching at the sight of me. He looks seriously tempting, but I resist the adorable pull and sit next to him, handing him the tray.
"Looks delicious," he mumbles, then starts stuffing his mouth with pancakes and maple syrup.
I take a bite of toast and egg. We eat in silence, exchanging glances.
My eyes wander to his neck, where the mark from my bite is still visible in a form of healed mating scar. I smile under my breath, then let out a long sigh and say,
"Backpack’s packed and strapped to the bike. Everything’s ready, Sun. Just like I promised you once: today that promise comes true. We’re hitting the road."
Silence. Sun’s whole body tenses in disbelief. His eyes blink fast, like his vision’s not working right.
"You’re serious? It’s here? Your bike?"
"Yep. Hunter brought it. It’s in the driveway, just waiting for us to finish breakfast and head out. No destination. No set route. No deadlines. Just you and me, doing what we love."
Sun’s lips tremble slightly, and then a single tear rolls down his cheek.
"You did it. You really did."
I close my eyes for a second.
"Of course I did."
Sun lets out a quiet whimper. "Freedom… shit, we’ll have it after all, and… it’s the most precious thing in the world," he whispers, his mouth trembling. "I don’t care how cliché that sounds."
"Yeah. Nothing’s tying us down now."
We sit like this for a while, I play with his fingers absentmindedly. Then I have a flash of realization.
"You and me… we were eighteen when everything changed for us.
After my grandpa was killed by the NFH, I joined the army, and my youth ended.
Death and stress surrounded me. You… got thrown into the fortress, into hell.
That carefree youth got ripped away from you too.
But I believe we can reset , Sun. Take it back.
Rewind. Be eighteen again, and not worry about a damn thing. Just… be young. Heal."
Sun stares at me, tears running down his face, one after another.
"I always thought you were just saying that, about the bike… just to comfort me."
I shake my head. "I was dead serious. And now it’s happening. So eat up, then hit the shower, let’s go downstairs and say goodbye to your family."
Sun’s whole face lights up like he’s actually turned into the sun. The tears are still there, sparkling on his cheeks, but there’s not a trace of sadness left, only excitement. All the energy in his body shifts like magic. He leaps out of bed and bolts to the bathroom.
A moment later, we head down the stairs together.
In the living room, his family gathers at the table: his parents, Snow, and also his famous brother Bay, a singer and musician.
Summer and Hunter are there too. All eyes are on us.
"We’re heading out," Sun announces, and Bay mutters,
"Yeah, we figured." He gives him a sarcastic side-eye.
Sun’s dad stands and pulls him into a long hug. Sun clings to him for a few seconds more, his eyes leaking a few final tears.
His father comes over and gives me a warm, solid hug too.
"Take care of yourselves, and stay in touch, okay? If you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to come back. You’re always welcome here."
I’m filled with this deep sense of peace. I made the right call. I glance at Sun and catch that wild, fiery look in his eyes.
It’s full of longing for the road. And I get it. I feel the same way.