Chapter Text
The two summer fae sat at the edge of a clearing as dusk gently settled around them. One idly picked a tune from the lute sitting in his lap, his bronze skin and dark curls still glowing despite the steady disappearance of the sun. The other hummed along to the music slightly off-key, his attention drawn to the center of the clearing as if he expected something to appear out of thin air. His fair skin and blonde hair shimmered in the near-darkness as well, but the man with the lute would say the real beauty was found in the blonde's eyes, an endless blue that rivaled a cloudless sky in the height of summer.
"What are we waiting for, exactly?" The dark-haired man began to play a more melancholy melody now that twilight surrounded them on all sides, the glimmer fading from their skin as the minutes passed.
"Be patient, Chanse," the blonde murmured, his eyes refusing to look away.
Chanse strummed a minor chord that twinged with despair. "I might have more patience if you actually answered me, Shayne."
Shayne reached out and touched Chanse's arm, giving it a light squeeze, and the lute went quiet.
"Courtney told me everyone has been getting antsy waiting for the first true sign of summer. So, they put me in charge of watching for it. That's why we're here."
Chanse looked down at Shayne's hand, still laying on his arm. "That explains why you're here. But why this spot? And…why bring me with you?"
He could see a soft smile forming on Shayne's face. "Not sure. Just had a feeling."
"About the clearing, or me?" Chanse carefully plucked out a few quiet notes, the silence slightly unnerving him and making his heart race.
"Both," Shayne said.
Chanse stared down at the instrument he held, wondering how he should interpret Shayne's words. Shayne took his hand off of Chanse's arm, and Chanse already missed the slight comfort it had provided. He began to play a song he'd written long ago—he couldn't remember the words now, lost to the endless field of before, but he remembered that it was about being in love.
Shayne suddenly gasped beside him and Chanse startled a bit, his mysterious song coming to an abrupt halt.
"Chanse, look!" Shayne grabbed Chanse's arm again, rougher than before, and pulled him closer as if that would help hold his attention. He pointed to the middle of the clearing, where he'd been keeping watch all this time. Chanse's eyes swept across the scene, and saw nothing of interest.
"What am I supposed to be seeing?" Chanse asked.
"Just wait, it'll come back. I know it."
Chanse felt the warmth of Shayne's shoulder pressed against his, Shayne's fingers wrapped around his forearm. "Are you sure you saw something?"
"Do you trust me?" Shayne briefly glanced at him, the only time he'd looked away since they'd found their spot in the slightly wilder outskirts of this place.
"Of course I do," Chanse quietly answered.
Shayne huffed a nearly silent laugh. "Good. I'm glad."
Chanse decided to stay true to his word, staying right where he was and joining Shayne in his watch. Their arms were intertwined now, Shayne's hand curled around Chanse's wrist. Staring into the dark and basking in the natural warmth of summer fae skin slowly led to Chanse's eyes drooping a little.
But then he saw it—right in the center of the clearing, where moonlight cut through the canopy of the trees, there was an even more distinct glow. It flashed for a moment, then disappeared. Chanse sat straight up as he watched the ebb and flow, new lights appearing and floating around like tiny orbs in the dark.
"Shayne! Fireflies, right? That had to be what Courtney was talking about. I haven't seen any until now—"
He felt Shayne's hand slip into his, his river of words suddenly drying up. He cautiously looked over at Shayne and saw that his eyes were already on him.
"I knew you'd bring me good luck," Shayne whispered. He leaned into Chanse and starting sweeping his thumb up and down the back of Chanse's hand.
Part of Chanse wanted to take his hand away, stand up, and walk back home, with or without Shayne. But every other part of him wanted to be nowhere else but here. He settled for leaning in until his forehead was resting against Shayne's.
"Happy to help." It was all Chanse could think to say.
Shayne suddenly stood up, but kept hold of Chanse's hand. "Come here."
Chanse stood up silently and let himself be pulled into the patch of moonlight where the fireflies still danced. In this light, Shayne almost looked like another creature entirely, and not a fae of the Summer Court.
"You almost look like someone else," Chanse muttered.
"You too. Moonlight will do that." Shayne took Chanse's other hand in his, and looked up at him. "But I still love what I see."
"I…" Chanse's voice failed him, scared to admit to what he'd been feeling the whole night and for even longer before that. Shayne waited patiently, his smile never faltering.
"Shayne," Chanse uttered, his breath hitching in his chest.
"Chanse," Shayne whispered in response.
Before he could talk himself out of it, Chanse quickly dipped his head and kissed Shayne. Shayne immediately let go of Chanse's hands and moved to gently cradle Chanse's face, kissing Chanse back with fervor. Chanse put his hands on Shayne's waist and pulled him a little closer.
Out of the corner of his eye, Chanse could see something flashing, each pulse getting brighter. He reluctantly pulled away from Shayne and looked around them. The amount of fireflies had nearly doubled and they gracefully moved around Chanse and Shayne, surrounding them like a bright curtain.
"I guess summer is finally here," Chanse said, laughter bubbling up from his chest.
"It is," Shayne said, his hands moving down Chanse's neck before resting on his shoulders. "And I wouldn't want to be here with anyone else."
Shayne leaned up to kiss him again and Chanse met him in the middle—a perfect moment to begin a perfect summer.