Unique Chapter: Refuge Among Mountains

Archive description

Refuge Among Mountains

♥ 0

The phone buzzed on the nightstand at seven in the morning, breaking the silence of Boom's apartment with the cold punctuality of a work reminder.
Boom lazily stretched out his arm, rubbing his eyes heavily before sliding across the screen. It was a message from Smart. Short, formal, almost institutional, accompanied by a blurry photo of a recording set in the middle of nowhere.
"Happy birthday, Boom. I know you had the day off today, but filming got complicated over here and I ended up pulling a double shift. I'll call you later as soon as I can get out. Have a good one." Boom stared at the letters for a few seconds.
A small knot of frustration and nostalgia settled right in the center of his chest. He knew the industry's schedules were relentless, and ever since they had stopped being an official couple in front of the spotlights, the windows of time for them to cross paths were measured with tweezers.
But having Smart far away right on his birthday hurt a little more than he cared to admit. He sighed, turned off the screen, and decided he would at least try to enjoy the day calmly, ignoring the congratulatory calls from his friends and the messages from fans that were already starting to pile up on his social media.
What Boom didn't know was that the photo of the set had been taken three days ago, and that the supposed geographic distance was the best-planned lie of the entire year.
At two in the afternoon, someone knocked on the apartment door.
When Boom opened it wearing comfortable clothes and with tousled hair, expecting the delivery service, he didn't find a box, but rather a man wearing a cap and a face mask who handed him a sealed envelope and a metal key with a simple leather keychain. —From production. Your transport is waiting for you downstairs in the basement, Mr. Boom. You have strict instructions that you cannot bring a phone.
Boom frowned, baffled. —What? What production are you talking about? I don't have a call sheet today. —Just go down, please —the man instructed with complete seriousness.
Confusion competed with a sudden spark of suspicion and hope. Without thinking about it too much, he left his cell phone on the kitchen counter, went down to the underground parking lot, and found a dark SUV with tinted windows. The driver didn't say a single word the entire trip.
The ride lasted about two hours. The city gradually gave way to highway asphalt, which in turn turned into a winding path surrounded by green hills, tall trees, and a light mist beginning to roll in with the afternoon.
They drove deep into an exclusive countryside area, completely away from the noise, until they stopped in front of a beautiful wooden and stone cabin hidden among the vegetation.
Boom got out of the car with his heart beating at a rapid pace. The air smelled of damp pine, wet earth, and absolute freedom.
He pushed open the cabin's front door with the key they had given him. The interior was in twilight, lit only by the warm glow of the fireplace burning in the living room and a trail of small scented candles meandering across the wooden floor.
He followed the trail with slow steps, holding his breath. The candles led him toward the back, where wide glass windows opened up to a private balcony and a garden surrounded by mountains. And there he was.
Smart was wearing a white linen shirt with the sleeves rolled up, barefoot, finishing setting up a small wooden table decorated with a simple dinner, wine, and a small cake with a single lit candle.
Hearing the footsteps, Smart turned his face. A mischievous, warm smile, loaded with infinite tenderness, lit up his expression.
—You took your time getting here —Smart said in his soft voice, setting the wine bottle down on the table.
Boom felt the air leave his lungs. The pieces fell into place all at once in his head: the lie in the message, the driver's complicity, the absolute isolation.
—You... —Boom managed to say, his voice trembling between disbelief and a burst of nervous laughter—. You did all of this? —All of it —Smart replied, shortening the distance between them with firm steps until he stood right in front of him—. Happy birthday, my Boom. I wasn't going to let you spend this day alone or locked up in the city.
Unable to hold back a second longer, Boom threw himself into his arms, wrapping his arms tightly around his neck and sinking into his chest. Smart caught him immediately, lifting him slightly off the ground and burying his face in his neck, breathing in his scent with desperation.
—I thought you were working... I was so angry —Boom whispered against his skin, half-laughing, half-crying with emotion.
—It was the only way for you not to suspect anything. Planning this with your manager and your team was absolute hell, but it was completely worth it —Smart murmured, pulling back just enough to look into his shining eyes before kissing him with a mixture of devotion and relief.
They spent the rest of the afternoon sitting on the cabin's terrace, with the sound of the breeze moving the treetops and the sun slowly sinking behind the mountains, dyeing the sky in shades of orange and violet.
They had dinner amid laughter, silently toasting to another year, to well-kept secrets, and to that refuge where cameras and outside demands simply did not exist.
When night completely blanketed the countryside and the mountain chill began to set in, they moved to the master bedroom, spacious and surrounded by large windows revealing a starry sky impossible to see in the city.
In the dim light of the fireplace embers that managed to warm the room, Smart gently laid him down on the bed.
The caresses ceased to be cautious and turned into an overwhelming necessity.
Smart traced every inch of Boom's skin with a despairing slowness, kissing his lips, his jawline, and every corner of his body, making time stand still completely amidst tangled sheets and whispered adoration.
They surrendered to one another in a perfect dance of heat and passion, burning away the mountain cold with the strength of a love that defied any contract or distance.
Boom clung to his back, feeling every deep thrust and Smart's comforting weight covering him completely, until the climax swept them away in a wave of absolute surrender and shared silences.
Late into the night, with the fireplace fire dying down to glowing embers, Boom lay on his back, with his head resting on Smart's shoulder and one leg tangled in his. The outside world kept turning, and they knew that the next day they would have to return to the sets, the interviews, and the discretion their reality demanded.
But in that moment, with the scent of the countryside seeping through the window and Smart's fingers drawing lazy circles on his shoulder, Boom knew that this birthday had been the best of his life.
—What are you thinking about? —Smart asked in a barely audible whisper in the darkness. Boom smiled against his skin, closing his eyes with absolute peace. —I'm thinking I hope this birthday repeats itself every single day of the year. Smart leaned in through the gloom to give him one last, tender kiss on the lips.