Dawn hadn't even whispered its arrival when Kael came to collect Elior. Morning air cut through fabric like winter's last threat, mist hanging over the lake in delicate sheets. The eastern horizon held only the faintest promise of light, casting silver ripples across water that barely stirred.
Kael's footsteps whispered against wooden floors as he entered the lakeside house. Silence wrapped around everything except birds testing tentative songs outside.
Elior was buried under blankets when Kael's gentle touch found his shoulder. Dark hair stuck up in gravity-defying angles, eyes sealed against reality's intrusion. "Mmm... five more minutes," he mumbled, voice thick with sleep's hold, making Kael swallow a laugh at how endearing his boyfriend looked in morning's grip.
"Rise and shine, sl
