Warm, spring night. Adam lay on his back, pointing at the constellations, absolutely in his element. The wind messes up his brown curls, which he doesn't seem to notice during his enthusiastic explanation of the night sky. Nigel, without intending to disturb Adam's train of thought, softly brushes the man's messy hair out of his face, his fingers gentle—a gesture completely at odds with the person he used to be back in Romania.

When looking back at his past self, he feels ashamed at how brainless he was in the name of macho culture. Jealous, possessive, aggressive—all the time, with no relief. It had annoyed not only Gabi, his ex-wife, but eventually himself too. It took a near-death experience, which left a visible scar, and meeting Adam to finally see his toxicity...or rather, to finally care about his toxicity.

Because well, he wanted to never care. But how could he? How could he, when Adam is so sweet, so loving, so kind? It melted the ice around Nigel's heart, leaving just a soft, warm yearning feeling. Love. It had to be love. No other explanation for Nigel's unusual behavior. He thought he wasn't capable of these things.

Yet there he was, on a soft blanket decorated with hearts, looking first at the night sky, then at Adam, admiring his knowledge and passion. He didn't even realize when the words slipped past his lips, spoken quietly enough that only Adam could hear them.