“Yeah,” Kevin said, almost shy now. “Someone strong and nurturing. Someone who sees through my nonsense and holds me accountable but lets me be soft too. I’ve never had that. Not really.”
Danny nodded slowly, his chest tightening with something he couldn’t quite name. Then, before he could second-guess the impulse, he reached into his pocket. His fingers closed around the smooth lapis lazuli stone. He hadn’t let go of it since he’d been gifted the stone, not really. Sometimes it lived in his pocket. Sometimes in the drawer by the bed. But he always knew where it was.
The weight of it felt different now. Lighter, maybe. Or maybe it was just time.
“I got this from Sam Denten,” he said, holding it out in his palm. “He told me it meant clarity and strength and… being here. He told me I was worth it. But I think you are too. And maybe even more ready than you believe.”
Kevin stared down at the stone, then back up at him. His lips parted, but no sound came out at first. “Thanks,” he finally murmured, reverently closing his hand around the stone. Kevin’s eyes flicked to him. For a beat, they just stood there, not quite friends but not quite strangers anymore either.
“Really, man, thanks.” Kevin rested his hand on Danny’s shoulder. “And good luck to you.” He gave Danny’s shoulder a light squeeze before letting go of him and turning around.
Then he walked off.
Danny stood behind the bounce house, the crinkle of laughter and squeaky rubber half-muffled by the hum in his ears.
Easton loved him.
Or at least… he wasn’t the only one feeling all twisted and full and scared.
Now how to tell Easton how he felt?
Chapter Seventeen
After an hour in the indoor play area, Danny had grown quiet.
Not the soft, sleepy kind of quiet he usually sank into when his Little headspace took over. No, this was different. His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. His laughter, when it came, felt rehearsed. And when Blake proudly showed him a sparkly sticker with the words “Certified Snugglebug” and a cute little bear, Danny offered a soft “cute,” but didn’t even ask for one of his own.
Easton noticed it all.
The way Danny lingered near the bouncy castle’s edge instead of diving in. How he seemed to keep one eye on Kevin without ever looking directly at him. How his posture, which was normally loose and silly in his Little space, was drawn tight.
Jealousy? Confusion? Something had shifted. Easton could feel it humming between them like static.
He didn’t push. Not yet.
By the time they left, it wasn’t Danny who walked beside him without talking, one hand trailing along the stone wall like it might whisper answers but Darian. Easton unlocked the apartment door, guided him inside, and kicked off his shoes.
“Do you want to watch a movie?” he asked as he sank to one knee to unlace Darian’s shoes.
The boy shrugged. “Fine.”
The tone didn’t match the word. It was too flat and indifferent.
Easton narrowed his eyes but let it slide. Whatever had taken root needed room. “Why don’t you pick something from the streaming service?”
Darian slouched into the couch and pulled a blanket around himself like armor.
Easton exhaled slowly through his nose and stepped into the kitchen.
When his hands needed a distraction, he liked to cook. But given the time of night, he settled on making a charcuterie board. The act of choosing, arranging, and balancing flavors helped him think. Selecting a heavy wooden plank with a nice handle, he added creamy goat cheese, smoky gouda, and a wedge of jalapeño-laced cream cheese he knew Darian liked. He topped it with a generous spoon of jelly, knowing sweet heat always brought out his Little’s happy hums.
Salami, thin prosciutto, and peppered capicola formed neat ribbons beside the cheese. He tucked in a small bowl of marinated olives and another with toasted almonds.
Berries went on next—blueberries, raspberries, a few strawberries for their color. He fanned out apple slices like a sunrise and added dried mango and figs in little piles. He filled two small ceramic ramekins with fig jam and a grainy mustard.
Darian loved the rosemary crisps with dried fruit baked into them, so Easton placed them front and center. A handful of chocolate-covered almonds tucked near the goat cheese was the final touch.
He carried the heavy wooden tray into the living room.
