Lucas didn’t mind the silence or even the meltdowns. He was no picnic either. Despite his meds and therapy, his PTSD was never far from the surface. There were nights he still woke up screaming and days he couldn’t seem to pull himself out of his depression. Helping Thomas with cases was surprisingly therapeutic. Being able to brush up against a target and know his guilt or innocence streamlined their process greatly. Though, it made Calliope cranky because she wasn’t required to work as hard.
Lucas made it to their spot in the library only to find it empty. He was looking around when he saw it. A small black box with a little red bow. He smiled, opening the box and finding the key fob for August’s Mercedes. Inside the box was a message:USE ME. Lucas closed his eyes, a perfect image of August walking into what used to be their coffee shop. It was now a florist. August was speaking to the girl behind the counter.
This was a scavenger hunt. A psychic scavenger hunt. A thrill ran through him. He made it to the florist on autopilot, parking across the street. Once inside, he found the girl he’d seen talking with August.
“Um, this is going to sound strange, but did anybody leave something here for me?”
“Are you Lucas?” she asked, voice hopeful. He nodded. “This is for you.”
He frowned in confusion as she handed him the tiny container that held August’s earbuds. When he wrapped his hand around it, a wave of warmth washed over him. Them standing in Lucas’s old apartment. August telling Lucas why he didn’t wear his headphones around him.
“I want to remember everything you say to me.”
Them falling into bed together, getting off together, cuddling together afterwards.
“These are for you, too.”
Lucas blinked his eyes open, pulling himself from another memory to find the girl holding a stunning bouquet of flowers in a riot of colors. Lucas smiled. “Oh, thank you.”
Was Lucas supposed to go to the old apartment? It was only just upstairs. He took the stairs two at a time, relieved that what he was looking for was stuck to the door. It was a note card that just said, JOIN ME.
When Lucas closed his eyes, images of August filled his head. He was at home, cheesecake from Rinaldi’s sitting on the counter. He couldn’t help but snort. Only August would decide to do a scavenger hunt to get Lucas to play hookie from work to go home and have sex and eat cheesecake. But fuck if Lucas was going to refuse because it sounded like a perfect fucking Wednesday to him.
He took his flowers and hopped in the car, breaking speed limits in his haste. He didn’t know why this somehow made anormal night between them seem even more thrilling than usual but he was weirdly excited and still very much turned on.
There was a sticky note on the front door, the images it contained leading him to the kitchen counter where there was a glass of champagne. Lucas picked it up, taking a tentative sip as he picked up the note that said, DRINK ME.
This note led him to the bedroom. Lucas took his champagne with him, looking for any hint of August, but the apartment was silent. He grinned at the rose petals that spelled out LOVE ME on the comforter. When he picked up one of the petals and rubbed it between his fingers, he gasped. There was an image of August on one knee, a small box open behind him.
He spun around, a surprised sob escaping when he realized August truly was there, on one knee, with a ring box in his hand. He looked sexy as hell in tailored pants and a crisp blue button down. Was this actually happening?
As if August could read his mind, he handed him a final note. MARRY ME.
Lucas couldn’t talk, he just nodded, holding out his hand. How was any of this real? August’s shoulders sagged in relief as he fished a satin band with channel set diamonds from the box and slid it onto Lucas’s finger.
Lucas launched himself into August’s arms. “How did you come up with this?”
“Noah and Cricket helped,” August admitted. “You know me. I’m bad at romance stuff.”
Lucas shook his head. “You’re really not. You are actually pretty amazing at it. But why at noon on a Wednesday?”
August frowned. “It’s our anniversary?”
“What?”
“Our seven month anniversary,” August clarified. “We celebrated seven weeks. I figured we should celebrate seven months.”
“I celebrated seven weeks with some kinky professor/student roleplay.”
August dragged his lips over Lucas’s, dipping his tongue inside. “I’m always up for a little roleplay.” He gripped Lucas’s ass, dragging him closer, humming appreciatively when he realized Lucas was hard. “Seems you might be up for some, too.”
“What did you think was going to happen when you were sending me images of us hooking up in the library?” Lucas asked, already reaching between them to unbutton his shirt, pulling it off before reaching for August’s. “Hurry up. I want you on your knees.”
They tore at each other’s clothes between kisses, Lucas almost stumbling in his haste, but then August was sinking down, his lips trailing over Lucas’s belly, the dip of his hip, first one, then the other. That was the other difference between them. August liked to go slow, liked to tease and taste and savor every part of Lucas before giving him what he wanted. Lucas was always so ready to just bury himself in August, to feel the tight heat of his body surrounding him.
He groaned as August ignored his flushed and leaking cock to nuzzle at the base and suck at his balls. “Stop teasing.”
Lucas hissed as August’s lips closed around just the tip, tongue teasing his slit. Fuck, he looked good like this, on his knees for Lucas. For as predatory as August was, he loved to serve, loved taking Lucas’s orders, loved when Lucas marked him. His name was permanently embedded in August’s skin, right on his shoulder so Lucas could look at it while he fucked into him.
