the safe haven lived up to its name.

gone were the blistering suns of the scorch, the screaming winds, the fear. here, the grass was soft under your legs, the air smelled like clean water and pine, and for the first time in what felt like forever, you didn’t wake up expecting to run.

instead, you woke up with aris.

his arm was tucked under your head, his breath soft against your temple, and the morning sun filtered through the sheer curtains of your shared little cabin. it cast golden stripes across the bed, and more importantly—across him.

he was still asleep, lashes brushing the tops of his cheeks, chest rising and falling slowly beneath the threadbare shirt he refused to throw away. his curls were an absolute mess, one stubborn strand stuck upright. but what caught your attention the most were the freckles dotting his nose and cheeks—tiny constellations you’d memorized by now.

you reached out gently, brushing your fingers along his jaw.

“one... two... three...” you whispered, barely audible.

aris stirred slightly but didn’t wake. you kept counting.

“...four... five... six... wow, how do you have so many?”

he cracked one eye open, voice thick with sleep. “are you seriously counting my freckles again?”