The view from atop Pedra Bonita was nothing short of breathtaking. Rio de Janeiro sprawled out beneath them, a city full of life and colour, bordered by lush mountains on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. Bunny gazed out at the vista, her heart racing with a mixture of excitement and nerves. She'd dreamed of trying hang gliding, but now that she was here, facing the edge, her thrill was tinged with a faint hint of fear.
Beside her, Wolfe was calm, though he surveyed the surroundings with his usual sharp eye. He wore a focused expression as he adjusted the straps of his harness, his fingers moving over the equipment with precision. His gaze flickered to the horizon, and Bunny noticed a glint of something in his eyes—a tension she couldn't quite place.
"Everything all right?" she asked, watching him as she secured her own harness. "You look… distracted."
Wolfe's attention snapped back to her, his features softening into a small smile. "Just checking the gear," he replied smoothly. "It's important to be thorough when you're about to run off a cliff."
Bunny rolled her eyes but laughed, her anxiety ebbing at the sound of his voice. "Always the practical one, aren't you?"
He gave a half-smile, stepping closer to adjust her straps, his fingers lingering for just a moment. "I'll take any excuse to keep you safe."
She felt a warmth rise in her chest, and she couldn't help but lean in, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. "You're sweet when you're pretending not to be worried."
He chuckled, pulling back slightly. "Sweet isn't exactly my aim."
"Maybe not," she said, her voice light, though a hint of curiosity lingered as she studied his face. He had that guarded look again, the one she was becoming increasingly familiar with, as though he were constantly calculating, preparing for something unseen.
Their instructor called them over, motioning for them to take their places for the launch. Bunny felt her pulse quicken as she stepped up to the edge, feeling the adrenaline surge through her as the wind rushed over the cliff. Wolfe stood next to her, his gaze steady as they waited for the countdown.
"Ready?" he asked, his voice barely a murmur, low enough that only she could hear.
"Ready as I'll ever be," she replied, her grip tightening on the bar as they prepared to run.
The instructor's voice called out the countdown, and with a final deep breath, Bunny and Wolfe sprinted forward, their feet pounding the ground as they launched off the cliff. For an exhilarating moment, there was nothing but freefall, the sensation of weightlessness as they left solid ground behind. Then the glider caught the wind, lifting them up into the sky, and they soared out over Rio, the city gleaming below them.
Bunny let out a shout of pure joy, the wind rushing past her as they floated in the air, suspended above the world. The vast ocean stretched out before them, sparkling in the sunlight, and she could see the famous Christ the Redeemer statue perched on the distant hill, watching over the city.
"This is… amazing!" she called out, her voice carrying through the wind.
Wolfe, just a few feet away in his own glider, offered her a brief nod, but his focus was somewhere beyond her, his gaze locked on something in the distance. Bunny's joy faltered slightly as she noticed his distraction, but before she could call out to him again, he made a sudden, subtle gesture, angling his glider slightly to the right.
A figure on a glider to his left was approaching, gliding through the air with practised ease. Bunny's eyes narrowed as she recognised the situation—a seamless approach, designed to look like an accidental drift towards one another but carrying an unmistakable intent. Wolfe's eyes met the other man's for a brief moment, and Bunny saw the glint of something pass between them.
For a split second, she considered calling out, but Wolfe's calm, purposeful demeanour held her back. She tightened her grip on her glider, watching as Wolfe leaned slightly to his right, their gliders drifting in sync for a moment. In a single smooth movement, Wolfe extended his hand, and the other man did the same. They brushed fingers, a small object passing from one hand to the other in a flash.
The man veered away just as quickly, pulling back and disappearing down towards the city below, and Wolfe shifted his position, resuming his original trajectory. The entire exchange had taken only seconds, so quick and seamless that if she hadn't been watching closely, she might have missed it.
A twinge of suspicion flared in her chest, and she felt her earlier elation give way to something more complicated. She kept her focus on the view, the sprawling landscape beneath her, but her mind raced. Wolfe had given her a plausible excuse before—a quick "errand" here, a "necessary detour" there—but now the pieces of his mystery were starting to overlap, revealing a pattern she couldn't ignore.
As they drifted closer to the landing site, Bunny's eyes remained on Wolfe, watching him carefully as he made his descent. They landed in the grass, their feet touching down as they regained balance. Wolfe moved to help her unfasten her harness, but Bunny took a step back, her gaze fixed on him.
"Wolfe," she said, her voice steady but probing, "do you want to tell me what that was?"
He met her gaze, his face giving away nothing. "What what was?"
She tilted her head, crossing her arms. "The little mid-air pass-off. Don't tell me that was 'just an old friend.'"
A flicker of something crossed his face—recognition, perhaps, or the slightest hint of tension—but he smoothed it over almost instantly. "You have quite an imagination," he replied, his voice calm. "Hang gliding brings out all sorts of tricks, doesn't it?"
"Wolfe," she pressed, taking a step closer. "I'm not imagining things. I saw what happened. Are you really going to just brush it off?"
He exhaled, his gaze softening as he looked at her, and for a moment, she thought he might finally tell her the truth. "Bunny, there are some things I can't explain," he said quietly. "Not because I don't want to, but because it's safer that way."
The words settled between them, their weight thickening the air. Bunny studied him, her chest tight with a mixture of frustration and curiosity. "So, that's it, then? You just get to keep dodging my questions?"
He reached out, his hand finding hers, and his gaze held a quiet plea she wasn't used to seeing. "I don't mean to keep you in the dark. But there's a lot you don't know, things I wish I could tell you, but—"
"Then tell me," she whispered, her voice barely above a murmur. She squeezed his hand, her gaze steady on his, willing him to let her in, to trust her with whatever it was he was hiding.
But Wolfe simply shook his head, his jaw tight. "Some things are better left alone," he said, his voice laced with regret.
They stood there in silence, the sounds of the city rising around them, a hum of laughter and music in the distance. Bunny felt her chest ache with the weight of his unspoken words, the secrets he kept hidden even from her. Part of her wanted to walk away, to demand answers he couldn't give, but the other part—the part that loved him, that saw through the guarded exterior to the man beneath—couldn't bring herself to let go.
After a moment, she took a deep breath, releasing the tension in her shoulders. "All right," she said softly. "I'll let it go—for now."
Wolfe's expression softened, relief flickering in his eyes as he pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. She leaned into him, feeling his heartbeat against her cheek, grounding her in a way that words couldn't. For all the mysteries he carried, for all the secrets he wouldn't share, he was still here with her, solid and real.
They stood like that for a while, the city's energy buzzing around them, and Bunny allowed herself to let go of her questions, at least for a moment. Whatever secrets Wolfe held, she knew that he was hers in this moment, and for now, that was enough.