Nathan picked up his fork and speared at a piece of egg. “Right.”
“Do you… remember everything clearly?” Storm desperately wanted to ask if he’d meant everything he said while they fucked, but he wouldn’t push if Nathan couldn’t remember.
The blush might become a permanent fixture at this rate. Nathan nodded, shoveling egg into his mouth and avoiding Storm’s eye.
“And… did you mean everything you said?”
Nathan plucked at the sheet that barely covered his lap. He nodded again.
Relief and triumph swept through Storm at equal paces. He made a choked noise that drew Nathan’s attention, then leaned in and kissed Nathan’s bare shoulder, cradling his face with his free hand. He worked his way up his neck, across his flaming cheek, and kissed his eggy mouth.
“I love you too, sunshine. You know that, right?”
“I mean, I-I thought so, but you didn’t exactly say it last night. Not in so many words.”
“Oh goddammit, I really do suck at this stuff,” Storm said, reeling Nathan in for another kiss, and another, and another. “I do, I love you so much. I didn’t know what it felt like until you came along. It drives me wild. You’re all I can think about, all I can focus on. All I want, forever. Do you really want my blood?”
Nathan’s nose scrunched. “Maybe. I don’t know how I feel about drinking blood.”
“It doesn’t have to be right this minute,” Storm promised, unable to take his hands off Nathan even when he leaned over to keep eating. “I’m just glad you’re considering it.”
Nathan nodded. “I’ve seen how this goes. I saw what happened to Alex and Luke. I… I want to solve this case. Once I’m sure the guild is safe from these possessors, I’ll leave. Disappear like Ira did, so we can be together.”
Storm blew out a breath. “I’m so happy to hear you say that, sunshine. But what about your house? They know where you live, don’t they?”
Nathan grimaced. “Yeah, they do. It’s listed on my paperwork with the guild. I can let it go; it’s just a house.”
“No.” Storm didn’t want him to give up the home he’d worked for. “You keep it. You can stay here for now, but keep the house. One day we’ll move into it together, when it’s safe.”
Nathan’s face twisted. “What if it’s never safe? There’s no way the guild will let us live in peace.”
Storm shrugged one shoulder. “Ira seems to think things will be better one day. Besides, Sloan can’t live forever. If you take my blood, one way or another, we’ll be free of them one day.”
Nathan softened, pushing the plate away and curling up against Storm’s side. “I’m glad I met you.”
Storm kissed the top of his head. “Me, too. Life would be so empty without you.”
* * *
Later that afternoon,they picked up food and headed toward the Rink. They didn’t really talk, but Storm sensed that something in their relationship had shifted. They were solid in a way they hadn’t been before. It didn’t matter that they hadn’t known each other all that long. They both understood that this was real, it was important, and it couldn’t be denied.
It left Storm feeling settled in a way he’d never experienced before. Like he’d been content before but never truly happy. He couldn’t wait for a time when Nathan no longer had to put on his guild ring and go to HQ. It wasn’t safe there for someone who loved a demon, and he wouldn’t rest until Nathan was free of them.
Just like last night, Nathan sat in the middle seat of Storm’s truck, their legs lined up from hip to knee. Storm rested one hand on Nathan’s thigh, delighted by the warmth of his skin through the denim. Bags of Chinese takeout sat in the floorboard on Nathan’s other side.
When they came to a stop at a red light, Storm turned his head, lips brushing Nathan’s ear. “Tell me you love me.”
Nathan shivered, leaning harder against his side. “I love you.”
“Tell me you want me.”
“I always want you,” Nathan whispered, turning his head to capture his lips.
Nathan’s phone rang, and they reluctantly parted. Storm turned to watch the light as Nathan answered.
“Hello?”
“Captain Accardi, good afternoon. I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time. I saw on the schedule that this is your day off, so I thought it might be a good time to contact you.”
