“Yeah, for a while now. I’ve been getting better, and Dad happened by one day I was practicing. That’s the reason he knows.”
“Uh, Nora, I wanted to do on more thing for your birthday, so, here goes,” Dad said, clearing his throat.
Makai sat on the couch, and Dad took Mom’s hands and led her to sit in his armchair. Then he turned to look at Emil and nodded.
Emil started to strum Mom’s favorite song, “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley.
She sat there while Dad knelt by the chair, still holding on to her hands. When Dad started to sing the song, her tears started to flow freely.
As he played, Emil enjoyed Dad’s shaky but beautiful baritone. Emil and Makai looked at each other, ignoring the romantic, touching gesture happening across the small room. It felt almost too intimate for them to be there, but Emil was the guitar player in the scenario, so he would just have to deal.
Makai smiled at him, and Emil offered one back even as he harmonized with his dad quietly. Once the song was over, he pointedly ignored the sound of his parents kissing and grimaced, making Makai laugh.
“Okay, I think that’s our cue to get going,” Makai said, and Dad looked sheepish while Mom blushed all the way to her neck.
“Thank you so much, honey. This was such a lovely present!” Mom came to hug Emil, and he handed the guitar to Makai.
They said bye and drove home, smiling still.
WHEN THEYgot home, Makai fed the cats, and Emil gathered his courage. They decided to shower separately to conserve hot water—they’d ended up in a cold shower a couple more times before they’d learned—and finally, while Makai was in the shower, Emil decided to just go for it.
He moved the cats into the living room and got the evil eye from both of them, but they settled on the couch instead of trying to come back. He then grabbed the guitar and sat on the bed in his underwear. He felt like he wanted to stay with Makai forever. That this was the beginning of that, right here, tonight. But he couldn’t really say the words like that; something inside him didn’t want them to come out.
So instead, he’d play Makai a song and hope he would understand. He felt oddly nervous, waiting for Makai to come from the shower. It all evaporated when Makai stood there by the bed, looking curious because of the guitar and the obviously closed bedroom door.
“I want to sing you a song,” Emil said before he could ask. “I… I think it says something I… can’t.”
Makai smiled and sat on the bed. “Okay.”
Emil started to strum the guitar like he had at his parents’ house. But this time, the song was City and Colour’s “Northern Wind.” It wasn’t a typical love song, but he knew Makai would pick out the parts that mattered.
Makai’s attention was fixed on him as he played and sang, but it didn’t feel wrong or awkward. Instead, the gentle smile and the slowly gathering heat in Makai’s gaze was welcome, like a caress, almost.
Once the song’s last note drifted into silence, Emil stilled the strings and put the guitar on the floor by the bed. Then he turned to Makai.
“I love you too,” Makai just said, and lay back to pull Emil against him.
They made out lazily, in a bubble of love and happiness and ease that Emil had never thought he’d have. Never thought hecouldhave. Suddenly, the words came to him, and he pulled away enough to look at Makai.
“You know, it might have been ten days for me to change everything, and ten years for you, but from now on, I’ll be hard-pressed to spend ten hours away from you.”
Makai looked at him, then pulled him into a kiss that curled his toes and went from zero to hundred in no time. The way they were touching each other was life affirming in a way Emil hadn’t known they still needed. It felt like they were sealing some unknown deal.
Makai rolled them over and slotted himself between Emil’s thighs. They were both wearing underwear, but it did nothing to hide the state they were in, not that it mattered anyway.
“Will you make love to me?” Emil asked, feeling the need to do this tonight all the way to his bones.
Makai looked at him, searching his gaze for something, then nodded. “Okay. Old rules apply.”
Emil nodded. Old rules meant saying no meant no and stop meant stop, and either of them could say the words. Even though they knew each other now, it still felt good that they always checked in with each other when they were doing anything sexual.
Makai took off their underwear and went to take out the lube they had bought together a while ago. It wasn’t like they’d needed it for anything other than some fun, slippery frottage, but they’d known the day would come when they’d need it for more.
“No condoms?” Makai made sure.
“No, I know we have some if we change our minds, but I don’t… I just want you.”Right now. Preferably forever.Emil was pretty sure his expression was telling Makai exactly what he was thinking, based on the fond smile.
“Okay.”
