Winds of Forbidden Love

The sun was setting over the desert sands, painting them orange, purple, red. Zayne and Saif sat together on a rock, watching the sun go down.

"I'm going to miss this," Saif said. "This view."

"Me too." Zayne rested his head on Saif's shoulder. "But we'll see it again."

Saif looked down at him and smiled. "We will." He pulled Zayne close for a kiss, his hands resting on the back of Zayne's neck. "I didn't think something like this could happen to me," he said softly when they parted. "To us."

Zayne sighed. "Neither did I," he admitted, resting his head back on Saif's shoulder. "I thought I'd be alone forever." He smiled suddenly as he remembered their first meeting.

They had been working in the same smithy, under the same master. It had started out as nothing more than flirting, stolen glances while they worked side by side at their anvils, but then one day they had decided to ask each other out for a drink after work. When they met in the tavern that evening, it was almost like a dream; in all these years, neither of them had ever thought that they would meet anyone who would understand them and accept them for what they were--and who was so beautiful to boot. They had spent so much of their lives in hiding, afraid that someone might discover their secret love for each other, that it was hard to believe that they could be so brave now and show the world just how much they cared for one another.

"If you hadn't asked me out that night..." Zayne began quietly.

"I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I hadn't tried," Saif finished for him. "I'd have thrown myself off a building if I hadn't tried."

Zayne giggled and turned to look up at him. "You're such a drama queen." They kissed again, softly this time, and lay down together on top of the rock to watch the last rays of sunset fade into darkness as the stars came out above them.