It was so good to be home. For so many reasons, really. But this one—this one was the most important one.
He felt Ollie’s fingertips brush along his jaw, and lips pressed gently against his temple.
“Sam . . .”
“Hmm?” He didn’t want to move from his spot—this spot in his boyfriend’s arms that was just so perfect and comfortable. But there was something in Ollie’s voice that made him pause, and he straightened up to look in Ollie’s eyes again.
His heart stuttered as Ollie touched his cheek one more time and stretched up to kiss him. This kiss was slower, tender, and had a different note to it. A... promise, maybe. It was warm and deep, and when Ollie pulled back after just a few seconds, his smile softened and his eyes shone with love.
“Sam,” he said one more time, and his fingers grazed low along Sam’s jaw, both hands coming to settle on either side of Sam’s neck. Ollie smiled again and leaned in to kiss Sam’s lips lightly. Then he pulled back and said four more words, sure and confident and without any hesitation. “I love you, Sam.”
Sam’s heart jumped and fluttered and skipped several beats, and his breath caught in his throat. “Ollie... I...”
Ollie grinned and brushed his thumb lightly along Sam’s cheek. “I love you so much. I’m so happy you’re home. I missed you, and I love you, and I’m—I love you, Sam,” he repeated, still smiling that huge brilliant smile that Sam just—god, he just loved.
He couldn’t speak to respond, and so he just dipped down and captured Ollie’s lips in a gentle, tender, slow kiss, and he pulled Ollie closer still. Ollie smiled against him, then pulled back and planted several small, fluttering kisses on Sam’s lips.
“I love you,” Ollie whispered one more time, as though he couldn’t get enough of saying those words.
Sam let out a shuddering breath and rested his forehead against Ollie’s. “I love you, too, Ollie. God, I just—I can’t... I’m so, so happy right now.” He shook his head, unable to say exactly what he meant. The feeling was so much more than just those words, and by the way Ollie’s hands slipped down around Sam’s waist and his head came to settle on Sam’s chest, Sam knew Ollie understood that.
He pressed a kiss into his boyfriend’s hair and closed his eyes. Perfect. Everything was wonderful and perfect, and he couldn’t imagine being anywhere else in that moment. Except maybe... Sam smiled and cleared his throat with a quiet cough. “We should go home, love.”
Ollie’s hands smoothed low along his back, and Sam groaned quietly.
“Yeah, yeah. We should go,” Ollie agreed, his voice low and a little husky.
Heat seemed to simmer in Sam’s belly, and he breathed deeply and tightened his arms around Ollie one more time before releasing him. Ollie’s hand almost immediately slipped into his, and the touch was warm and familiar and just... everything he wanted it to be. He lifted their hands to his lipsand then couldn’t resist pulling Ollie back up against him in another brief hug.
When they parted, Ollie glanced up at him with eyes full of love and joy. “Let’s go?”
Sam nodded and brushed another kiss on his boyfriend’s cheek. “Yeah. Yeah, let’s go home, love.”
He bent down to pick up his duffle bag, which he hadn’t even realized he’d dropped, and as he straightened back up, Ollie grinned, leaned in for one more short kiss, and then squeezed his hand lightly.
“I love you, Sam.”
His heart had never felt more full.
Chapter 29
Ollie shut his eyes and rested his head on Sam’s chest as the movie they’d been watching ended and the closing credits began to roll. He heard the TV click off, and then Sam’s hand settled on his forearm and began caressing gently up to his elbow and back down. He sighed deeply, feeling content and happy and just... like everything was finally right again.
After eight long weeks, there was nowhere else he’d rather be than here in Sam’s arms, and there was nothing else he’d rather be doing.
A soft breath warmed the top of his head, and he smiled as he felt Sam press a kiss into his hair.
“Mmm, it’s getting late, love, but I don’t want to move,” Sam murmured, his hand pausing at Ollie’s elbow. “I just want to stay right here with you.”
“You read my mind,” Ollie said.
He lifted his head off Sam’s chest and looked up at his boyfriend. Sam’s eyes held a softness to them that made him feel so loved in that moment, and he stretched up a bit as Sam dipped down to meet him. The kiss was slow, lingering, and an intense warmth spread through him, all the way into his toes. He moaned into the kiss, and he felt Sam smile in response. They parted, both slightly breathless, and Sam chuckled when Ollie whimpered in quiet protest.
“What’s wrong, love?” Sam teased, kissing him again—a fleeting, light touch that left Ollie wanting for more.
He groaned and pressed his open palm into Sam’s stomach, feeling as Sam’s muscles tautened under his touch. Stretching up again, he recaptured Sam’s lips, and a hot pulse of need and desire shot through him as he slanted his mouth to immediately deepen the kiss. His tongue ran along Sam’s lowerlip and then darted out into Sam’s mouth, exploring, tasting. Faint hints of red wine from dinner mixed with chocolate from dessert.
It was intoxicating.
