Kieran feels a tightening in his chest, the emotions swirling inside him like a storm he can't control.
His fingers twitch as he reaches out, gently brushing a stray lock of hair away from Ace's face.
The touch is so soft, tentative, as though he's afraid of breaking something fragile. He doesn't want to scare Ace, doesn't want to make him feel cornered or pressured.
But he can't ignore this pull toward him. He's spent so much time denying it, pushing it down, convincing himself that it wasn't real. But now, with Ace lying beside him, so trusting, so open, Kieran knows the truth.
His feelings for him are undeniable. They are powerful. They are more than just a claim, more than just fate_ it's love. And that's the part Kieran has been too afraid to admit, even to himself.