He’s fast-tracking his degree so he finishes in two and a half years rather than four, so he’s almost halfway there. I’m so proud of him for overcoming his absence from the human world and jumping back into it, not letting his curse define him. He still struggles with some technological things, but for the most part, he has everything down.
When he graduates, he hopes to get more training to go into game development. He’s blown through all my video games, beating levels I’ve never even seen before. As he played and I watched, a contented feeling settled in my chest as he would explain things about the specs and graphics, about ways he can improve on a concept and expand it. His passion for the games always fills me with light. I’m so happy I get to be here to see this change in him.
The first day we stepped outside, he looked wide-eyed and afraid of everything around him, but now, he’s coming into his own, blossoming like a lovely flower.
“Of course you did,” I murmur, bending down to kiss those full, sexy lips. “You’ll ace all of them.”
“Because I have the smartest man in the world helping me study.”
I lie on his chest and sigh when he wraps his strong arms around me. His strong heartbeat is music to my ears. He once told me every beat of his heart thumps my name and it always makes me smile when I lie on his chest.
“I have two surprises for you,” I say, nuzzling against him like a cat.
“Yeah? What?”
“Your first year as a full-time student ends in a few weeks. In celebration, I got us flights to Guam.” My world spins and I giggle happily when he hovers over me.
“Really?”
I nod. “Yeah. We’ll be there for ten days. Since I landed the contract, Grady pretty much gave me what I wanted. I’ll be on the grind when I get back to curate more business, but he’s letting me rest before he works me into the ground.”
“Baby, thank you.” He kisses my claiming mark, pushing out that strong scent that makes me melt. I breathe him in, feeling my dick grow in my pants.
But I ignore my desire for him. I’m eager to see his face when he sees his other surprise.
With more willpower than I’ve ever had, I push him off, fighting back a groan of frustration at my own decision. “I have another surprise. Come on.” I hop out of bed, racing to the living room and the bag I left by the doorway.
Cade follows behind me more slowly, curiosity dancing in his eyes.
“Sit,” I say, not wanting to reveal what I have. “Close your eyes until I tell you to open them.”
“Okay.” He shuts his eyes without protest. I love that he trusts me so much without reservation. It makes me feel all warm and giddy.
It takes me a few minutes to get my surprise set up, making it harder because the adapters aren’t the same and I have to swap some shit out to get it to work.
Finally, I step back and smile, hoping he’ll like the surprise.
“Alright. Open.”
I spin around just as Cade opens his eyes and glances down at my surprise. His mouth drops open and he rushes off the couch, kneeling next to the Atari.
“Where did you get this?” he asks, awe lacing his tone.
I shrug like it’s no big deal, but I know to him, it is. I can feel his happiness and appreciation radiating through our bond. “I got it from this guy on one of those secondhand sites. It was the only one I found. They’re hot commodities.”
He touches the console, then the controller like he thinks they’ll disappear right before his eyes.
His eyes are shiny when he looks up at me. “Thank you. I never thought I’d see anything from my previous life again.”
I drop beside him, framing his face. “You’re welcome. I know how hard it’s been for you, so I figured some familiarity would help.”
“It does. Can I play it now?” He’s already grabbing at the controller, sitting cross legged on the floor.
“Under one condition.” I sit beside him.
“Anything,” he replies quickly.
“Teach me how to play? I’ve never seen one before, but it looks like fun.”
