Epilogue
Two years later…
LAX seemed like a warmer, more vibrant place to Ben the second time he went to visit it with Sam.
Probably because he knew Sam was coming back this time. He was only going away for two weeks, although it felt like an eternity from where Ben was standing. They hadn’t been separated from each other for more than a day at a time since Sam had come back.
“What’re you gonna do for two weeks without me?” Sam asked, taking Ben’s hand and playing with his fingers.
“Wild orgies every night,” Ben said without missing a beat. “I’ve had them planned out for months.”
Sam chuckled, looking down at the hand he was holding. He’d been quiet most of the day, but Ben figured that was nerves over travelling again after so long.
“Take pictures,” Sam said. “And send them to me.”
Ben laughed at that. He was going to miss Sam, but it was only two weeks.
“I’m mostly gonna sit around in my underwear watching TV, alternating between feeling sorry for myself and waiting for you to reply to a text. I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you, too,” Sam murmured. He leaned in slowly, giving Ben plenty of time to dodge the incoming kiss. Ben had no intention of dodging it, no matter how many people were watching.
He wasn’t going to get to do this again for a while. Enjoying it while it lasted was all he could do.
“I wish you were coming with me, but since you’re not, I’ve got something for you,” Sam said before reaching into his carry-on bag and pulling out a plain white envelope. “Don’t open it until you get home, okay?”
“Okay,” Ben agreed, knowing he was going to open it the moment Sam wasn’t watching. He took the envelope and tucked it into his pocket.
“I gotta go.” Sam grabbed his suitcase and rolled his shoulders, taking a deep breath. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Ben said softly.
A lump caught in his throat as he watched Sam walk away, but he swallowed past it. It was only for two weeks this time. Sam had a life here to come back to, and he’d spent every day of the last two years making Ben feel loved, wanted, and secure.
Ben had actually felt guilty about that, since he suspected Sam had stopped travelling for his sake, so that he wouldn’t feel like this. That was why he hadn’t objected even once when Sam had said he wanted to go to Colorado for two weeks for an assignment.
Sam had said he should come, but Ben hadn’t wanted to get in the way. He was probably dying from the need for space by now. It was Ben who was clingy. Sam had always been a free spirit.
The moment Sam got through the check-in line and disappeared, Ben took the envelope out of his pocket and opened it.
All he found inside was a piece of notepad paper.
If Sam had left him a list of chores, he was coming home to sleep on the couch.
Ben turned it over to see Sam’s untidy scrawl filling up the entire space of the sheet. He had to turn it sideways to make sense of it, but once he did…
Marry me?
Ben stared at the words for a few, long moments, and then looked up to find the airline reservation desk. He marched over to it with purpose, remembering Sam promising him that the flight would be practically empty, and short, so it was a good first trip to go on if he wanted to come. Ben hadn’t bothered to remind him that he’d actually been further away from home before, since it hadn’t seemed like the time.
He got out his phone to text Eliot as he stood in the line.
I’m going to Colorado after all. I’ll still be available by phone and email.
His stomach flipped as he hit send. That meant he had to do this, now.
“Hi.” He smiled as brightly as he could at the woman behind the desk. It wasn’t all that hard, considering his current mood. “I need a ticket for a specific flight,” he began, then went on to rattle off Sam’s flight details and look as sweet and hopeful as he could manage.
He nearly passed out from relief when she said there were still plenty of seats available.
