Chapter 3 The Promise Under the Stars

The lake was quiet that night, the kind of stillness that made the world feel small, as if nothing existed beyond the stretch of water and sky. The moon hung low, its reflection rippling gently across the surface. Fireflies blinked like tiny stars caught between the trees, and the air smelled of pine and damp earth.

Mitchell pulled his jacket tighter around himself, watching as Michael stood at the edge of the dock, his hands tucked into his pockets. They had been coming here for weeks now, stealing moments between work and late-night phone calls, between kisses that lingered longer than they should and silences that spoke louder than words.

"You're quiet tonight," Michael said, turning slightly.

"Just thinking."

Michael arched an eyebrow. "Dangerous habit."

Mitchell let out a soft laugh. "Says the man who disappears into his own thoughts every time he plays the piano."

Michael grinned, but something about his expression softened. He took a step closer, the wooden planks creaking beneath his feet.

"Tell me what's on your mind."

Mitchell hesitated, unsure how to put it into words. The past few weeks had been the best of his life-Michael had slipped into his world so effortlessly, it scared him. It was too easy, too good.

"Do you ever think about the future?" Mitchell asked finally.

Michael studied him for a long moment, then looked back at the water. "All the time."

"And?"

Michael let out a slow breath. "And it's terrifying."

"Why?"

"Because I don't know where I'll be in a year. Or five. Or ten. Because I keep moving, and I don't know if I'll ever stop."

Mitchell's stomach twisted. He had known this about Michael from the beginning-he was a man built for motion, for music, for never staying in one place too long. But knowing it and feeling it were two different things.

"But you want to stop... eventually, right?"

Michael was quiet for a long time before he turned back to Mitchell, his gaze steady.

"I don't know. But I know that right now, I want to be here. With you."

Mitchell swallowed hard, the weight of those words pressing against his ribs. It wasn't a promise, not really. But it was something.

He looked up at the sky, at the endless stretch of stars, and felt the weight of the moment settle over them. He didn't know what the future held either, but he knew this-he wanted to hold on to Michael for as long as he could.

"Promise me something," Mitchell said, his voice quiet.

Michael stepped closer. "Anything."

"Promise me that no matter what happens, no matter where life takes us, we won't just disappear from each other's lives. Even if things get hard. Even if we get lost. Promise me we'll find our way back."

Michael didn't hesitate. He reached out, fingers brushing against Mitchell's before lacing them together.

"I promise."

The words felt solid, real. Mitchell wanted to believe in them.

And when Michael kissed him beneath the vast expanse of stars, he did.

For now.