Saturday dawned like a promise. The sky was a vast, unbroken blue, stretched thin over the city like a perfectly ironed sheet. The sunlight filtered warmly through Liam's apartment window, catching the dust motes that danced lazily in the air. Outside, the city was just waking, birds calling, streets humming with life.
Liam's hand found Alex's, fingers sliding together like they'd been made for it. The tension from days of secrets and shadows tried to dissolve beneath the calm, but Liam knew better than to let his guard down completely. Still, this morning, with the promise of the amusement park and a day carved out just for them, hope stirred.
Alex's gaze caught Liam's, the usual sharpness softened by the morning light. "Feels like we're stepping into a different world," he murmured, voice low.
Liam smiled, brushing a stray curl from Alex's forehead, the touch gentle but full of the fierce protectiveness that never left him. "Just for today. No ghosts, no pasts, no games."