I push myself up from the sofa and cross the room so I can take his face in my hands and kiss him gently, pouring all my love into that kiss.
“Danny,” he breathes against my mouth as we break the kiss.
“I love you, Tris.” I hold his face firmly, tilting his jaw up slightly so his eyes meet mine and he can see the truth of my words. “I love you just the way you are.”
“I was so scared that–” He swallows tightly as his voice breaks slightly.
“That I wouldn’t understand?” I finish his sentence. “That I would leave?” He nods mutely. “Tris,” I sigh. “I’ve held back so many things I wanted to say to you because I was afraid I was pushing you too fast, but I don’t think we can gauge our relationship by some perceived timeline of what we think we should be doing or not doing. And for that to work, I think we need to be completely honest with each other. Do you agree?” He nods again. “You’re it for me,” I whisper. “I hope that doesn’t freak you out, but you are literally the air that I breathe, Tristan Everett. I can’t imagine my life without you in it.”
“You’re it for me too,” he says as he turns his head and places a soft kiss to my palm. “I never thought I’d have this with someone, especially not with all the responsibilities I had with work and my dad, but then you turned up, saved my life, then turned it completely upside down in the best way. I don’t want a future without you in it, but you have to understand life with me isn’t going to be easy.”
“I don’t want easy,” I tell him honestly. “I want real.”
“Oh, Danny.” He blinks back the tears.
I smile slowly. “I want to grow old with you, Tris.”
“I want that too,” he says quietly. “But what about all…?” He lifts his hands and makes a little circular motion. I assume he means the whole seeing-the-dead and helping-them-find-the-light business.
“It’s okay,” I tell him softly. “I mean, it’s going to take a bit of getting used to, I'm not going to lie, but it’s kinda cool.”
“Really?” That one word is filled with hope.
“Yeah.” I wrap my arms around him and draw him in close. “In a completely and utterly terrifying way.”
He wraps his arms around my neck, rising up on his toes to kiss me. “Don’t worry,” he says, smiling against my mouth. “You protect me from all the crazy murderers, and I’ll protect you from all the ghosts.”
“Now that sounds like the perfect partnership,” I mutter as I take his lips. Kissing him deeply, I sink slowly into the headspace where only he exists. All I can feel and taste is him, he surrounds me and fills all the spaces inside me until I want nothing more than to drown in him. I skim my hands up his sides, sliding under his sweater to feel the heat of his skin, when a thought suddenly occurs to me and I pull back.
He gives a little whine of protest and chases my lips.
“Are there any ghosts around now?” I ask.
“Nope.” He kisses me again. “Dusty’s gone to see her boyfriend Bruce, only don’t tell her I said that because she won’t admit he’s her boyfriend.”
“Her boyfriend?”
“He’s dead too,” he mutters and chases my lips again. “Danny,” he breathes against my mouth between kisses, “take me to bed. I need you.”
Helpless to resist him, I pick him up, and he wraps his legs around my waist. I carry him into the bedroom and kick the door shut behind us.
“There’s no one in here, is there?” I ask worriedly, not really wanting an audience for what we’re about to do.
“Nope.” He bounces slightly as I toss him on the bed. “Bedroom’s off-limits, especially when you stay over. Dusty knows the rules,” he says a little breathlessly as he strips his socks off and tosses them on the floor before shimmying out of his jeans and briefs.
“Have they ever caught us before?” I ask curiously as he rises up onto his knees and strips his sweater off, leaving him gloriously naked in front of me.
“Um,” he grimaces guiltily, “not exactly.”
“What do you mean not exact–” I break off and I suddenly know. “The other day when you had my dick in your mouth and then you suddenly rolled me up in sofa cushions and hustled me into the bedroom?”
He squirms slightly. “They didn’t see anything.”
“They?” My eyes pop.
“Dusty had her hand over Mrs Abernathy’s eyes. Honestly, she didn’t see anything.” Tristan begins stripping me out of my clothes.
I help him because I really don’t want to think about it anymore, I just want Tris naked and as close to me as humanly possible. It’s felt like a distance has been growing between us lately, but now that everything’s out in the open, I need him more than I’ve ever needed anyone in my life. I need to feel the connection between us.
