The bed creaked under them, protesting under the weight of two grown men.
“We need a bigger bed,” Rusty murmured. “Our own place, too.”
Blake hummed in agreement, too preoccupied with having Rusty this close to him to argue. They could have whatever Rusty wanted, as long as he stayed.
Blake would have found a way to give him the moon if he’d asked for it.
“I’ll take care of you,” Blake promised. “I know what you’re giving up for me.”
Rusty shrugged. “Dad’ll get over it. He can handle being told no just once. He’s a grownup.”
“That… seems like a generous assessment, but I haven’t met him,” Blake said.
“He’s okay. I think you’ll like him once you get to know him,” Rusty responded. “I don’t hate him. I’m just not living under his shadow anymore, and I’m not apologizing, either. Families fight. They make up. That’s life.”
Blake wet his lips. “I think I learned that lesson recently, too,” he said. “But you’re still giving up a lot, if you’re staying. Your home…”
“You’re my home,” Rusty said without missing a beat. “IlikeMelbourne, but I love you. You’re gonna win every time.”
A smile spread across Blake’s face, so wide it made his cheeks hurt. “I love you, too,” he murmured.
Rusty blushed darkly, which wasn’t something he did often. “Right, well… glad we’ve got that sorted.”
“Can we tear up the divorce papers now?” Blake asked.
Riley lit up like Christmas. “Oh shit yes,” he said, rolling off Blake and going to his suitcase to get them out.
Blake turned to his side to watch him, glowing with happiness. He was getting everything he wanted, and he could hardly believe it.
Rusty produced the folder full of papers Blake had returned to him, holding them out. “Did you wanna do the honors?”
Blake reached out to take them, but then hesitated. “You should,” he said. “It’s your freedom.”
Rusty opened the folder, taking out the stapled-together papers and discarding the rest, which Blake remembered were mostly travel documents, from what he’d seen.
“This isn’t freedom,” he said, holding it up for Blake to see. “This is.”
Blake watched him tear the papers in two, and then in two again, tossing them in the waste paper basket once he was done.
He paced back over to the bed, sitting down heavily on the mattress and making it bounce under him.
“Happy?” Blake asked, sitting up to lean against him, reaching out to take his hand.
“Happy,” Rusty confirmed. “So happy,” he said, breaking into laughter. “I love you. I promise I’m not bad at saying it.”
“You don’t seem to be bad at anything you put your mind to,” Blake said, kissing Rusty’s shoulder.
“Yeah, well… you’re worth being good for,” Rusty said.
Blake tugged on his hand, pulling him back down onto the bed so they could curl up together, unable to stop himself from grinning.
“I have to text my mum and let her know you said yes,” Rusty murmured.
“In the morning,” Blake said, snuggling closer to him. “Your husband needs you to cuddle him now.”
Rusty’s heart clenched, his cheeks aching from smiling so broadly.
He could really,reallyget used to this.
