ariana ♰

Suddenly, a voice was heard from outside; a man was asking if anyone was in the cabin, seeking refuge from the cold.

It wasn't unusual for travelers to get lost in that forest, and although you raised your head like a calm person receiving a simple visitor, he reacted as if someone had thrown ice water on him, getting up too quickly and retreating to the darkest corner of the cabin, that place where the light never quite reached. He didn't want to take the risk of being seen.

He knew what he was to others: a poorly armed shadow, a being who caused fear even before opening his mouth.

You opened the door just enough to speak to the traveler. There he was, soaked from the rain that had just passed, holding his backpack against his chest and with his face reddened by the cold.

"Excuse me… could I take shelter for a moment? The rain took me by surprise," he said, barely audible.

From that moment on, you let him pass, stepping aside to let him cross the threshold and quickly closing the door to prevent any more icy air from entering. The traveler stayed near the door, not daring to move forward, until you pointed out the space in front of the fire.

"Sit there, warm yourself up a bit," you told him in a kind but firm voice.

You kept talking to the stranger, offering him a slice of baked bread. He thanked you and warmed his hands for a moment. You talked about the basics: where he was coming from, where he was going, and if there were wolves nearby.

Meanwhile, Adam remained silent, pressed against the wall, hiding as if the sound of his own breathing might betray him. He wasn't looking at the traveler; he was looking at you. He was seeing how your face lit up a little when you were kind to someone, how your voice grew warm, and how that stranger stared at you, spoke to you with confidence, and smiled at you.

And something burned inside him.

It wasn't anger, but it was similar — a strange pang, as if his chest were too small for such a feeling.

Until something minimum happened, but for him it was huge.

The traveler touched your hand as he said goodbye. Adam felt that pang again, stronger this time. He didn't understand why; he only knew that something inside him was protesting, an uncomfortable pressure that seemed to want to push him towards you.

As soon as you closed the door, the tension dissipated a little. You turned around to look for him and found him where he was, pressed against the wall, with his shoulders rigid and his gaze lowered.

You walked slowly towards him.

"He's already gone," you told him, reaching your hand towards his arm.

Adam trembled when you touched him; it was a small tremor, as if your touch were the only thing capable of ordering what was jumbled inside him. His enormous, trembling fingers moved slowly toward yours, seeking contact and checking that you were there.

When you intertwined your hand with his, he let out a deep, relieved sigh.

He didn't speak, he didn't know how to describe what he had felt; he just leaned his forehead towards yours, breathing with you, letting your presence calm that feeling that had no name for him.

That night, when the sky was already dark, he suddenly got up from where he was sleeping. He approached you silently; it wasn't usual for him to wake you, but he did so with that excessive care he had, and he touched your shoulder as if he were afraid of scaring you.

"Come…" he whispered very softly, almost shyly.

You grabbed your cape and went out with him into the forest. He walked slowly, careful of every stone, every root, so that you wouldn't trip. He didn't explain to you where they were going; he simply kept walking until he reached a meadow hidden among tall trees. The air was filled with a soft mist.

And then they began to appear.

Fireflies, first one, then several, until the meadow seemed to fill with tiny lights drifting between you.

Adam stopped; he didn’t move. He only watched you while you set your gaze on this unexpected spectacle. He listened to the way your breathing changed with the surprise, that small sound you made when you grew thrilled without meaning to. To him, that sound was more important than all the lights in the forest.

“You… like it?” he asked, hopeful in a trembling way.

“Yes… it’s beautiful,” you whispered.

When you took a step to see the spectacle more closely, he took your hand — this time without doubts, without awkwardness. His fingers wrapped around yours with a new, gentle confidence, as if he had finally understood that he could take your hand without being afraid of hurting you.

"I saw them… the other day," he said, his voice low. "I wanted you to see them too."

You lifted your head to look at him, the fireflies' light reflected a little on the scars of his face.

"Is that why you brought me?," you said, smiling.

"Yes… because I saw it and thought of you," he said.

Adam didn’t know that what he was doing was a date; he didn’t know he was taking you to the most beautiful place he knew because something in him wanted to see you happy. He only knew he needed to share it with you.

You stepped a little closer. He stayed perfectly still. You let go of his hand to lift it to his cheek — cold, yet soft to the touch. His eyes widened at the gesture, as if the universe had stopped just to teach him something new.

"You were acting strange today," you said, caressing his skin.

He blinked.

"I felt… something when the man touched you here," he said, pointing at your hand. "I didn’t know what it was, it just hurt… here." He brought a hand to his chest, over his heart, wearing a confused, vulnerable expression.

Your other hand rose to his face, holding it gently.

"You don’t have to understand everything right now," you said. "You’re learning."

Adam lowered his head a little, bringing his forehead to yours, closing his eyes.

"With you… I’m not afraid," he whispered, with an honesty that seemed to strip him bare."With you… I feel good, and I don’t want anyone else… to pull you away from me."

There was an innocence in his words — without any intention of possessing you, only the fear of losing the one good thing he knew.

You stroked his cheek with your thumb.

“I’m here, and I’m not leaving your side,” you promised.

Adam drew in a breath as if your words were the most precious thing he had ever heard. His hands, large and awkward, settled on your waist with such careful gentleness it seemed he feared breaking you. For the first time, he embraced you of his own will, without hesitation, without you having to ask.

And while the fireflies kept glowing around you, he understood something.

That warmth he felt for you wasn’t confusion.

It wasn’t fear.

It was affection.

It was the desire to protect you.

It was love, even if he didn’t yet know how to call it that.