Chapter Text
One Year Later — Manchester, UK
The sound of laughter echoed through the small café, warm and familiar. Elliot sat at a corner table, stirring his coffee absently as he looked up at the person sitting across from him.
Noah grinned at him, that same playful spark in his eyes that had first drawn Elliot in on that snowy mountain.
"You know," Noah said, sipping his coffee, "I still can’t believe I’m here. In Manchester. With you."
Elliot laughed softly, shaking his head. It had taken time, but here they were — together, in person. "I told you I could make the weather look a little less dreary," Elliot teased, gesturing to the foggy, rain-soaked city outside. "It’s a skill I’ve perfected over the years."
Noah raised an eyebrow, then looked back at the window. "Yeah, well... you’ve got me here, haven’t you?"
"I think I was the one who was supposed to visit first," Elliot said with a smile, but his heart swelled. "But I’m glad you came."
Noah’s grin softened, and he leaned back in his seat. "I’m glad I did, too."
The past year had been full of late-night video calls, plans, and visits. It had been far from easy — but it was real. Elliot and Noah had learned to balance school, life, and the distance between them, and now, finally, they were in the same place at the same time. The first time.
Elliot still couldn’t quite believe Noah was sitting across from him, as if they had only just met on that mountain, but their connection had only grown stronger with every passing day.
"So," Elliot said, his voice quieter now, the smile still on his lips. "What’s next?"
"Well," Noah began, his eyes dancing with excitement, "I think we should take a trip together. Just us. Somewhere new. Somewhere we’ve never been before."
Elliot tilted his head, intrigued. "You’re asking me to be your travel buddy?"
Noah chuckled, leaning in slightly. "If you’re up for the adventure."
"Of course I am," Elliot replied, a bit breathless, his heart already racing at the thought of exploring somewhere new with Noah. "I think we’ve got a lot more adventures ahead of us."
The two of them shared a smile, one that said everything. No more goodbyes. No more long waits or unanswered questions.
This was real. This was their time now.