I lay quietly in bed, staring up at the ceiling of my apartment, slowly working my fingers through Aiden’s hair. He’s breathing slowly and deeply, hasn’t said anything for a long time - but I think he’s awake.

We’re both exhausted, but also filled with a kind of sweet restlessness. Thinking about our house.

My fingers slow their movements in Aiden’s hair, then stop. I hold still for a moment, then gently shift him off of me. Going slowly, in case he is actually asleep. I don’t want to wake him up.

I press a kiss onto his temple before I slip out of bed.

I find my sweatpants and a t-shirt, then pad quietly into the living room. I move to stand in the middle of it, hugging myself against the cold, looking around.

Aiden made fireflies when we got back here tonight, looking for a way to burn off some of his happy energy. A few of them still haven’t gone out. They float slowly around my apartment, tiny spheres of golden brilliance, casting their light wherever they go.

Moonlight spills down softly over the couch, the Xbox controllers, the rug. My collection of houseplants, grouped together so that they can all catch sunlight. The kitchen island, which is scattered with printouts and cuttings and scribbled notes about the case. The window behind the armchair, perpetually left open.

Signs of Aiden’s presence are everywhere. His snapback left on the couch, his Timbs kicked off by the door. Two mugs left on the coffee table, the faint scent of chamomile lingering in the air. Beside them, the flannel I took off earlier.

My apartment is a bit messy, but that’s how it always looks. Lived in, warm.

I walk around slowly, trailing my fingers over the countertops, the windowsills, the walls. Then I slip back into my bedroom and quietly unplug my phone.

I open the camera as I step back into the living room. I hold up my phone and frame the place, without changing anything. I don’t fold up the blanket on the couch, or put the mugs in the sink, or empty the ashtray of burned-out joints. I don’t straighten the pillows on the couch, which are stacked as they were when Aiden and I cuddled up there earlier.

I want to remember this place as it really was, so I don’t change a thing. I snap a photo of the comfy little mess it is. Between the moon and the fireflies, there’s enough light to see it all. To capture everything.

Afterwards I go back to my bedroom and stop just inside the door.

Aiden has rolled onto his side. He’s facing away from me, his chestnut hair tumbling onto the pillow. He’s cozied up deeply into the bed, but his bronze torso is bare of blankets, picking up the gentle moonlight.

The fireflies, which followed me into the bedroom, drift over to float around him. The malachite plant cutting has turned to face him in its jar of water, leaves reaching out for the sleeping Heliomancer.

I lift my phone and take a picture of him, being sure to get all of his surroundings, my whole bedroom in the shot.

When I’m done, I shed my clothes and slip back into bed with Aiden. Curl my body around his, fold my arms around him, and press a kiss to the back of his shoulder. I let out a sigh of bliss as his warmth begins to seep into my skin.

I bury my nose in his hair, take long breaths of him. Smooth my hand down his side, sinking in a little pressure. Then back up again, going slow, being gentle. I tuck my thigh against the back of his.

I let myself get lost in him. I paint his body with love in the form of light little kisses and touches. Appreciating every contour of muscle, every warm nook and graceful line, every rugged feature.

I drag my fingernails through his body hair, give him a gentle scratch. I knead my knuckles into that spot between his shoulder blades that I know gets sore when he’s been stressed out, like he was before he showed me the house today.

I love to do this. To drop completely into the current of loving him. I swim dreamily and effortlessly within it, nothing to anchor me down.

My heart beats for the soul enclosed in this body, and I let it show in every adoring touch I place on him.

I thought he was asleep, but when I cuddle my body up more closely with his, I feel his heartbeat pick up.

I stop, surprised. “Are you awake?”

A soft, sleepy, huffing laugh meets my ears. “Are you gonna stop doing what you’re doing if I say yes?”

“Probably not, no.”

“Cool. Then yeah, I’m awake.”

I laugh, and Aiden rolls over to look at me. His eyes are tired but blissful, their color like the waters of a deep blue lagoon. His body breathes out a wave of perfect warmth as he turns over, and I close my eyes to savor it.

When I open them again, Aiden is gazing intently at me, his cheek resting on the bicep of his folded arm.

“What’s the matter, Linden?” he rumbles, his deep voice vibrating through me. “Can’t sleep?”

I shake my head, then suddenly throw myself into his arms, so aggressively that it forces a startled breath out of him. His arms lock around me automatically.

I bury my face in his chest, helpless. “I’m too happy.”

Aiden, who froze up when I flung myself into him, relaxes again. He huffs out a soft laugh into my hair.

“You have no idea, man,” he murmurs, tightening his arms around me. “Can’t fucking believe this is really happening. I don’t know what to do with myself. Feel like I’ve completely lost my bearings.”

“Yeah, me too.” I let out a hoarse laugh. “Fuck! What do we do, man?”

“We’ll be okay. We’ll calm down eventually.”

“Will we?”

“I mean - I think so? Probably? You will, anyways. We’ll see about me.”

“Yeah right,” I laugh, drawing away from him. “How did you even find that house, Aiden?”

He shrugs, smiling at me.

“It’s on the same street as my aunt’s house. I used to go for runs on that road all the time. Always saw the doorway in the trees, but I didn’t know there was a house there. After we went to look at apartments, I randomly got the idea to run it again, for the first time since I came back to Ketterbridge. So I did, and there was a for sale sign outside of the entrance to the path.”

Force of fate, I think, gazing affectionately at Aiden. You really can’t help yourself.

There’s a pause, and then he adds - “I didn’t even go in looking for us. I wasn’t planning on a house. I just wondered what was back there.”

Of course. My Companion Plant always succumbs to his curiosity, in the end.

I bite down on my smile. “And you just went in and found the house there?”

“Mhm. Then I went right back out and called the number on the sign, set up a time to see the inside of the house. Went back with Noah for the tour.”

I blink in surprise. “What - you set up the appointment to see it right then and there? Even though we hadn’t been planning on a house?”

Aiden breaks his gaze from mine, suddenly shy again. “I - had this feeling right away, like… I just felt so sure that...”

He trails off, struggling over his words.

“Just felt sure,” he says softly, after a moment. “That place was meant for us.”

Warmth and tenderness flow through me at the realization that the house cast the same spell over both of us. No wonder Aiden was so radiantly happy when he came back to me after being there.

I need a minute to recover before I can say anything else.

“Oh - you didn’t show me the place you had in mind for the ghosts.”

“I’ll show you when we go back.” Aiden leans in towards me, nuzzles his nose into mine. “I already showed it to Will. Wanted to see if he liked it for himself and Kasey.”

“You didn’t want to show Kasey, too?”

“Thought maybe…” Aiden pauses, chewing his lip. “I dunno. I thought it would make Will happy if he could surprise Kasey, too. I mean - how else can he give her a surprise? They’re ghosts, so it’s not like… and I thought Kasey would be happy to get a nice surprise, so. Yeah. Will thinks that she’ll love it. He’s super excited, taking her to see it tonight.”

I stare at Aiden, then roll onto my back, press my fingertips to my mouth, and close my eyes. I lapse into overwhelmed silence, my heart almost hurting with love for him.

“Where were you?” he murmurs, after a moment. “Just now?”

“Taking some pictures of my apartment.” I sit up and reach for my phone, so I can show him. “I want to remember it as it is.”

Aiden huffs out a laugh. “And you had to do that right now?”

“Yeah, because then I can get a picture of it in the sunlight tomorrow, and then I’m pretty much ready to start packing.”

Aiden blinks at me, a slow smile coming over his face. “You want to start packing tomorrow?”

“Why not? Is there something else we have to do first?”

“Yeah, we have to actually sign the lease.” Aiden sits up, rests his elbows on his knees. “I emailed you the link.”

“Sweet, let’s do it right now.” I open my email, impatiently tapping my thumb on the side of my phone as it loads. “I can just sign it digitally, right?”

“Um.” Aiden lets out another rumbling laugh. “Yeah, you can.”

I glance over at him, arching an eyebrow. “What’s up with y-?”

He leans over to cut me off with a sudden, impulsive kiss, one that melts through me so deliciously that I nearly drop my phone.

I give him a questioning look when I can think again, and his smiling eyes stare right into mine, filled up with affection.

“Just - love the enthusiasm,” he explains, touching his knuckles to my cheek. “What happened to Jamie the commitment-phobe?”

“You murdered him,” I laugh.

Aiden lets out a sputter of indignation, but we both keep laughing, looking into each other’s eyes.

I bite my lip, a nervous flutter moving through my heart. “Are you gonna sign, too?”

Aiden smiles warmly, then reaches around me to snag his phone from the night table.

“Oh, I got a voicemail from Noah,” he says. “I told him you liked the house.”

Aiden plays the voicemail and puts it on speaker. We both startle as soon as it starts playing.

“Yes!” Noah hollers, so loudly that it fuzzes the audio. “Bro, didn’t I tell you he’d fucking love it?”

“Fuck yeah!” Raj jumps in. “This means we get to go there and eat food that Aiden cooked! And that place is also a perfect hideout if we ever need to hide Noah from the cops. Which I’m sure we will, someday.”

“Nah, no need for me to hide. I can outrun the cops, easy. Let’s just go get the Shelby back.”

Raj lets out an agonized noise. “You want to get in a high-speed chase, Noah?”

“Duh? That’s a big part of the reason why God made fast cars, man.”

“Jesus Christ. The point is-” Raj’s voice grows louder, like he’s leaning closer to the phone. “We’re so happy for you, boys!”

“And someone else is, too,” chimes in Melanie. “Aren’t you, baby?”

There comes an excited squeak from Nikita, and then a cheer of delight from Raj, Noah, and Mel at her perfect timing. Baby giggles rise up from the phone as Nik gets worked up by everyone’s energy.

Aiden and I look up at the same time, staring into each other’s eyes, both of us melting at the little sound.

“Anyways, let us know when you need help moving, alright?” Raj continues. “Ripples said he’ll help, too. And he’s been going to the gym with you, so, uh - he might actually be more helpful with lifting the heavy stuff than we are.”

“That’s not embarrassing at all,” Noah grumbles. “Not like he’s a high schooler, or anything.”

“Yeah, it’s unfortunate.” Raj sighs deeply. “And us, picking up heavy things around Aiden? God. My self-esteem might be in shambles by the time we finish helping the boys move.”

“But you’ve got, like - construction muscles, man,” Noah protests.

“Oooh,” Melanie giggles. “Noah likes your construction muscles, Raj.”

“Do you really, dude? That’s dope.”

“That’s not what the fuck I said, Mel!”

“Oh.” Raj sounds a little hurt. “So - you don’t like them?”

“I-” There’s a silence as Noah struggles, and then, in a hushed voice - “Of course I do, man, I just don’t want to say that into Aiden’s goddamn voicemail.”

“You’re covering up the wrong end of the phone, Noah,” Raj informs him. “Mic’s on this side.”

“What the f-? Why are you holding it backwards?”

“So that Aiden and Jamie could hear you more clearly?”

“Oh, well, that’s just great. I’m sure they heard me very clearly. God fucking damnit. Is there a way to erase a voicemail? We should start over. We should really start over.”

“I think I can do it,” Raj says. “But I’ve gotta go fast, because if we hit the time limit, I’m pretty sure it sends automatical-”

The voicemail comes to an abrupt end.

Aiden lowers his phone and looks down at the screen. There’s a text notification there.

Noosh 10:59 PM: BRO DON’T LISTEN TO THE VOICEMAIL

I read the text, then lift my gaze to meet Aiden’s, my lips pressed tightly together. We stare at each other for a moment, then both burst out laughing.

“Jesus Christ,” Aiden groans, typing out a response to Noah’s text. It simply says: Too late 😊

I unlock my phone and type out my own text to Noah. Just the hammer emoji with the flexing bicep emoji, and send.

“He’s gonna be mad,” Aiden laughs, watching over my shoulder.

“Wow, he already responded.”

“What did he say?”

“I will kick the shit out of you, dude.”

“Sounds about right,” Aiden snickers.

“Oh, he sent another. Also, congrats on your new place. It’s sick. Can’t wait to do drugs there.”

“For fuck’s sake, Noosh,” Aiden groans, his voice full of warm affection.

I shake my head, fighting down another laugh, then close my chat with Noah. That leaves my email pulled up, with the link to the lease at the top.

I stare down at it for a moment, nibbling my lip, then open it up.

“Did you read it?” I ask Aiden, scrolling through the terms. “We’re not, like - selling our souls by accident? Contracts aren’t my specialty.”

I can feel Aiden’s gaze lingering on my profile.

“Yeah, I did,” he says, in a much more serious voice. “We’re all good.”

I stop at the bottom, where there’s a place for us both to sign. Two neatly labeled lines: Aiden Callahan and James Keane.

I look at them for a few silent seconds. Then I look at Aiden.

He meets my gaze with eyes full of love.

I take a deep breath, smile at him, touch my fingertips to his stubbled jaw. Then I turn back to my phone, add my signature to the lease, and submit it.

Aiden lets out the breath he was holding. He beams at me, his eyes radiantly bright, his cheeks rounded out by his smile.

He picks up his phone, adds his name, too, and submits it.

He looks over at me, and our eyes lock. We both just sit there, holding our phones, staring at each other.

Aiden lets out a sudden, happy little laugh. He drops his phone and pounces on me, flattening me against the bed. My cheeks instantly start to burn, heat flooding through me. I feel dazed with happiness, something incandescent melting my heart, setting it on fire.

I laugh until Aiden’s mouth on mine puts a stop to it. I can’t stop smiling, even when I gasp as Aiden sinks his body down against mine, puts his mouth to my throat.

Part of me is in disbelief. I honestly thought I might freak out about this, at least a little bit. I would probably be in a full-fledged panic right now, if I was moving in with anyone else.

But this is Aiden.

Just felt sure, he said. That place was meant for us.

And so do I.