Later that night, most of their friends had already retreated into their tents. The fire had burned down to glowing embers, throwing only a faint light into the clearing. The air was cooler now, quiet except for the soft chirping of crickets and the rustling of leaves in the trees.
Eli sat just outside his tent, his legs tucked close to his chest as he tilted his head back to stare at the sky. Out here, away from the city lights, the stars seemed endless. There were so many of them—bright, scattered, shimmering like tiny specks of glass. He'd never seen the sky look like this before. It almost didn't feel real.
The crunch of footsteps on grass broke the silence. Eli's head turned quickly, and out of the shadows stepped Kai. His hands were shoved casually into his pockets, but there was something steady about the way he moved, like he belonged here. He stopped a few feet away, eyes settling on Eli.
"Can't sleep?"
Eli shook his head, glancing back at the sky to avoid the weight of Kai's gaze. "Too noisy inside the tent," he muttered, his voice softer than usual.
Kai walked over without hesitation and lowered himself to the ground beside him. Not too close, but close enough that Eli felt the faint warmth of his shoulder in the cool night air. For a while, neither of them said anything. The silence wasn't uncomfortable—just quiet, filled with the natural sounds around them. The soft hum of crickets, the whisper of the wind through the trees, and the occasional crackle of the dying fire.
Eli risked a sideways glance. Kai was leaning back on his palms, eyes fixed on the sky, his face calm and unreadable in the dim light. The fading glow of the fire barely touched him, leaving the stars to shine brighter above. Something about the sight tugged at Eli's chest, a strange pull he didn't understand. It felt familiar, almost like the dreams that had haunted him for weeks—dreams of standing next to someone who felt like home.
Quickly, Eli looked away, hugging his knees tighter. He hoped Kai hadn't noticed how long he'd stared. "It feels… different here," he murmured, his words slipping out before he could stop them.
Kai's gaze shifted to him then, steady and unreadable, but not harsh. His voice was quiet, almost thoughtful. "Yeah. It does."
Eli swallowed, his throat dry. He wanted to say more, but the words tangled inside him. Instead, he focused on the stars again. The vast sky stretched endlessly above them, and yet, sitting there next to Kai, Eli felt both small and seen all at once.
And in that moment, under the blanket of stars and silence, Eli couldn't decide if the strange ache in his chest was comforting… or terrifying.