“It’s important to you, isn’t it?” Jared asked. “Having children one day?”
“One day.”
Jared let out a heavy sigh.
Kyrone looked up sharply. “What’s wrong?”
Jared pressed his lips together and shook his head. “I’m just tired.”
“Liar.” Kyrone stroked his cheek. “I thought we weren’t afraid to tell each other what’s on our minds?” He rolled over, pulling Jared with him so their positions were reversed. “Does talking about kids scare you?”
“A little,” Jared admitted. “It seems like a huge conversation to have after only four weeks.”
“I’m falling in love with you,” Kyrone said.
“You’re…” Jared shook his head. “I don’t even know what being in lovefeelslike.” He had no clue what kind of relationships he’d had before the accident, but since it, this thing with Kyrone was the longest he’d spent with one man.
“I can tell you how I feel about you, if that would help?” Kyrone suggested.
Whether it would or not, Jared was too curious not to let Kyrone speak, so he nodded.
“I get butterflies in my stomach whenever you smile,” Kyrone told him. “I feel giddy when you kiss or cuddle me. I feel insanely happy when you’re around, and I miss you when you’re not. I love the feel of you.” He rolled them over again, this time straddling Jared so he was pinned beneath him. Then he kissed him, a slow, deep kiss that made Jared’s toes curl. “I am in awe of how brave you are and how together you are for a guy who literally lost everything eighteen months ago. You amaze me. Being with you makes me feel fulfilled.”
“You’re pretty filling yourself,” Jared said, needing a joke to make the air around him easier to breathe.
He’d been holding his breath through most of Kyrone’s words. Each statement had made his heart swell a little more and his head too.
Kyrone nuzzled his neck. “I like filling you up,” he whispered before looking up with a grin plastered on his face.
Jared chuckled.
“Does anything I said feel familiar?” Kyrone asked.
“Yes,” Jared whispered. “Lots of it.”
“Then maybe we’re falling in love with each other?”
“Maybe.” He caught his lip between his teeth.
He didn’t know what was supposed to happen next. Did that acknowledgement mean things had to change between them or would things carry on the way they’d been going? Did it mean they needed to have more serious conversations, about their futures as individuals, as well as together? Kyrone had already made a massive decision to give up on economics, and Jared knew he’d been instrumental in that process.
He didn’t have much time to think, because Kyrone began kissing him again, which pretty much left his brain incapable of functioning. Not that he had the energy to do more than lie there, being kissed. There were times he hated the weakness of his body, and this was definitely one of them. What he wouldn’t have given for Kyrone to make love to him again. It felt right after practically declaring they were in love, and he definitely wanted it, but exhaustion clung to him, making his limbs heavy.
Kyrone seemed to guess the way he was feeling because after a few moments, he stopped and settled down beside him. Jared turned so he was lying on his side. Immediately, Kyrone snuggled closer, spooning against him. Jared took hold of his lover’s hand and guided his fingers to his lips so he could kiss them lightly.
“Am I enough for you?” he asked, clutching Kyrone’s hand against his chest. “As I am?”
“Of course.” Kyrone pressed a kiss to his neck. “Why do you ask?”
“We’ve just talked about how we’re falling in love with each other… If we’re going to stay together… If wewantto stay together long term, it’s not just things like wanting kids we need to talk about.”
“Go on.”
Jared sighed and turned around so they were facing each other and he could look into Kyrone’s eyes. “I don’t know if I’m going to get any better or not.” He held his breath, waiting for Kyrone to react negatively.
His lover remained silent and maintained eye contact with Jared, allowing him to go on.
“The headaches and migraines might go away in time, but they might not.” Jared looked away. “They might get worse, or I might develop other side effects of the brain injury.”
