Rhys didn't anticipate much of anything changing between them after Lux confessed his feelings. While he prepped dinner, he and Lux discussed what that meant for someone who was demiromantic and experiencing a crush for the first time. Lux did his best to avoid the conversation, but when Rhys made it clear why he was asking, Lux reluctantly opened up.

He encouraged Lux to think about boundaries and what he might need to be comfortable, and when he figured it out, Rhys would be happy to hear and more than willing to respect them. 

Lux, of course, was a little unsure, and Rhys gave him ample space, communicating through the preferred method of contact and keeping conversation light and professional, unless Lux broached the topic. 

When his phone chimed at two in the morning, he happened to be awake, currently "one more chapter"ing himself into a day of fatigue. He didn't think much of it, believing it was more than likely his younger brother. He ignored it until another notification sounded. Seeing that it was Lux had Rhys scrambling to respond. 

[From Lux: I hope you had a great day, Rhysend]

[From Lux: And if you didn't, I'm sorry for reminding you of your terrible day]

Rhys chuckled at the message, his heart feeling light as he recognized Lux's attempt. 

[To Lux: I had an okay day. How was yours?]

Rhys had barely hit send before his phone rang. With an arched eyebrow, he answered Lux's call. "Hi?"

"I know I said I prefer texting, but it seems to take too long for–hold on a minute–oh..."

Rhys giggled softly, not bothering to hide his amusement at Lux's impatience. "Sometimes it takes a while."

Lux's voice was tight with embarrassment, the words snagging in his throat a bit. "I see. Well..." he trailed off. 

Rhys knew he had a small window of opportunity before Lux would turn tail and run so he smoothly changed the subject. "How was your day?"

Lux exhaled a small breath before answering. "It wasn't as productive as I'd like."

"No?" Rhys sat aside his novel, marking his place before closing it, and reached over to turn off the bedside lamp. He settled under the covers, turning on his side and placing the phone on the opposite pillow after switching it to speakerphone. 

"No," Lux huffed. "But, such is life. You don't strike me as the kind of person to have an 'okay' day. You seem as if your excessive use of exclamation marks would somehow come across in your daily life."

Rhys laughed. "You're never going to let me live that down?"

"I've considered it. However, you're a repeat offender." 

"Okay," Rhys launched into a defense, "but excitement is contagious!" 

"I've been working on this book for the past 11 months. Excitement? We don't know her anymore."

"I've heard that can happen with authors–losing interest in their stories. Maybe that's why you're struggling with productivity."

"Hmm, perhaps you're right."

Rhys went through periods of intense interest in a hobby only for the passion to become extinguished overnight. He had ways of overcoming the slump and shared his favorite. "Focus on doing something you really enjoy right now. The motivation will come back. I'm sure the deadlines are flexible. I've heard your editor is a pushover where you're concerned."

"Stupid of him, if you ask me," Lux joked. 

"Oh yeah? Why?" 

"I always get my way." 

***

Lux regretted uttering those words. 

Or, he would have, had he been able to focus on anything aside from the way each breath felt like he was swallowing molten lava. His thighs were on fire, and he refused to ask Rhys, again, for a break. Because, what kind of person would he be if he accepted Rhys' kind, yet pitying offer of, 

"You can rest here, and I'll loop back around to finish the lap with you."

He'd be the kind of person who admitted, through action, that he didn't always get his way. Rhys already told him it wouldn't be as simple as Lux thought. 

"I'm not as easy as I seem, Lux." 

He believed, like a fool, if he did all the right things (according to google), Rhys would give in because who in their right mind goes jogging in the morning in summer?! 

What kind of person agrees to go jogging with the individual clearly not in their right mind?!

Lux had batted his eyelashes, touched Rhys' forearm, and in the most heart fluttering and coquettish voice, wheezed out, 

"Stop. Tired."

What Lux really wanted, but was unable to articulate thanks to cardio whooping his ass, was for Rhys to take a rest with him. Instead, Rhys offered his suggestion and continued his pace slightly slower than before when Lux didn't stop. 

By the time they finished their jog, Lux had internally cursed Rhys out twice. He almost really tore him a new one when Rhys had the audacity to smile at him and say, 

"Nice jog, huh?" 

Lux's eyes narrowed up at Rhys. "Nice? I nearly died, Rhysend." 

In between large gulps of water, Rhys questioned, "Why didn't you ask to rest?"

Lux stopped walking. He stared at Rhys' back, his mouth slightly agape. "I did!"

Rhys looked over his shoulder, his eyes darkened with confusion. "When?" 

Google was a rotten filthy liar. For those tips to be "sure fire ways to make him weak in the knees," Rhys seemed awfully sturdy on his feet. Lux avoided Rhys' gaze. He knew it wasn't possible, but he also believed that Rhys would be able to look at him and see that was his poor attempt at flirting. 

Maybe he wasn't supposed to flirt while they were exercising. He could have plainly said he was tired. Lux knew Rhys would have taken a break with him. And yet, like a fool, he trusted online resources instead of himself because now that he'd confessed his feelings, Lux had no clue how to behave around Rhys. 

It helped that they've been texting more and having random phone conversations throughout the week, but being around him in person?! Lux had no clue what to do, what to say, how to act. 

If this was the beginning stage of romance? 

"Lux?" Rhys cut through his thoughts of swearing off romance. "Were you really not okay? Are you not okay now? Can I get you anything?" Rhys opened the passenger side door, holding it for Lux until he was completely seated and buckled. When Rhys was settled in the driver's side, he turned to face Lux. 

His eyes were heavy, and the corners of his mouth turned down as he expressed his remorse. "When I run, I tend to block out everything. Nyx can keep up with me, but he's been an athlete all of his life, so his stamina outmatches mine, to be honest. If you're down to go running with me again, I promise to pay better attention. We can rest as often as you need."

Lux wanted the floorboard of the car to disintegrate and the earth beneath it to open up and swallow him whole. How could Rhys be this kind? He pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling slowly. "You have to promise not to laugh."

"Why would I?" 

"Promise." Lux insisted, staring at Rhys. He kept his eyes on the road as he eased the car into traffic. 

"Fine, I promise." 

"I–I–" Lux stammered, completely and totally unsure of how to say that he failed so miserably at flirting, Rhys was now genuinely concerned for his well-being? 

"If you're not comfortable–," Rhys began, but Lux couldn't allow him to finish. 

"This is all new to me and I don't know what the fuck I'm doing so I decided to Google how to flirt and found 'surefire tips' but they weren't nearly as effective as the internet made them out to be. You said you were a pushover, and I thought it would be...cute... but now that I say it out loud, it just sounds really stupid. I don't like running. I hate it, actually."

"When were you..." Rhys fell silent. His eyes narrowed slightly before shooting wide. The corners of his mouth twitched, but he stayed true to his word. "Why were you trying to flirt while we were in the middle of running?"

"Because," Lux grumbled his explanation, doing his best to make it sound as endearing as he thought it would be had he been able to actually execute his plan properly. 

Rhys chuckled softly, shaking his head. He pulled up to Lux's home, placing the car in park. He turned in his seat to face Lux. Rhys had his long hair pulled up in a sloppy bun, a few of the locs having managed to come loose. They trailed over his shoulder, the milky white wire wrapped stones in his hair glittering under the bright rays of the early afternoon. 

Lux was painfully aware of how physically close they were. If he moved his arm a few millimeters to the left, he'd come in contact with Rhys. They hadn't been this close since he shared how he felt. His brain decided that this moment would be the perfect time to remind Lux that he was, highkey, down bad for Rhys. He didn't want to admit that but after Kerin pointed out the way he smiled at his phone whenever Rhys would text or how Lux somehow managed to make every other conversation about something Rhys had said or done, he had no choice. It wouldn't be the first time Lux felt this way, but when Rhys slid his tongue along his bottom lip prior to speaking, the only thought in his head was what it would feel like to be kissed by Rhys. 

Would it be as gentle as his words often were? 

"Agreed?" Rhys came to the end of whatever point he was making, and unfortunately, Lux heard not a single word. 

He blinked over at Rhys. "Huh?" His lack of active listening caused another bout of guilt to wash over Rhys. He slapped a palm to his forehead, muttering apologies once again. Lux put him out of his misery and ushered in his own by admitting he didn't hear any of what Rhys just said. 

"Oh! Well, I was just saying you can be yourself with me, Lux. I'm not interested in the Google version of you. I'm interested in the real you, whatever that may look like." Rhys sounded a bit more bashful when he said, "Also, I'm not the best at subtle hints, so, y'know..." 

"That makes two of us."

"Next time, you pick the date?" 

Lux climbed out of the car, nodding. "Moving forward, we should agree that 'exercise' is not the best date idea. At least not in the beginning." Lux waved as Rhys pulled away from the curb. 

When he entered his home, he kicked his shoes off, not bothering to put them away. He needed water, something sweet, and an Epsom Salt bath. But all he wanted, no matter how hard he tried to not focus on it, was to know what it would feel like to be kissed for the first time. 

He was halfway to googling "How do you tell someone you want to kiss them without telling them you want to kiss them" when he remembered Rhys' earlier proclamation. Lux decided to abandon his search, instead repeating a mantra he used whenever he needed that extra push to advocate for himself as he sent a text.

"Closed mouths don't get fed." 

His doorbell rang while he was rummaging through the refrigerator. Lux hip checked the door closed, walking slowly, thanks to his stiffening muscles, to the front door. 

"What are you–" His voice gave out the minute Rhys' hand gently held the side of his face. 

Rhys’ reply was as soft as his touch. “Guess I really am a pushover.”

The light pressure on Lux’s cheek eased him forward. His breath caught in his lungs when he recognized that Rhys was slowly closing the distance in order to allow him the space to change his mind. However, Lux wasn't going to change his mind, and as anxiety inducing as that realization was, he embraced it.

Rhys’ mouth was a whisper against his, yet the gentle kiss sent sparks of electricity coursing through Lux's veins. Rhys lingered, his lips soft and pliant against Lux's. When Rhys moved to pull back, the thought that this would end as soon as it had begun had Lux eagerly chasing after him, rolling up to his tiptoes to close the growing distance.

Lux had no frame of reference for a kiss. He had nothing to compare this sensation to, and he tried to describe it in the way he would have had he put metaphorical pen to paper, but he was at a loss for words. He knew that he wanted to kiss Rhys again, which startled him into settling on the heels of his feet.

Rhys pulled away, smiling down at Lux.

“I’ll talk to you later?”

Lux nodded slowly, closing the door behind Rhys. His fingertips rested lightly against his mouth, and the feel of Rhys lips lingered on his. He didn't know what to expect from his first kiss, but Lux was not anticipating the warmth that built in his stomach or the heat that had blossomed and remained between his thighs despite the kiss being chaste.

This was new.