Chapter Twenty-Six
“These eggs are incredible,” Flynn said as he started in on his breakfast. “You’rereallygetting good at this.”
Zach smiled to himself, setting a cup of coffee down in front of Flynn—he’d learned to make that, too—and kissing the top of his head before sitting opposite him.
Flynn hadeatenZach’s first attempt at making him eggs, which, in hindsight, was a testament to how much he loved him.
He’d since learned that the perfect fried egg involved a lot more oil and a lot less heat, and now he liked to think he’d mastered the perfect half-set yolk Flynn liked. Pride welled up in his chest when Flynn cut into them and the yolk didn’tquitespill out, but wasn’t solid, either, like something from the cover of a cookbook.
The rest of his cooking skills remained… passable, but this had become a ritual for them over the past few months.
This was the one tiny thing he coulddofor Flynn, a gesture that he’d take care of him, too, that not everything was Flynn’s responsibility.
“I love you,” Zach said, like he always did on mornings when he woke up beside Flynn, because he spent the first few hours thinking about it.
This morning, though, he had another thought on his mind. He tapped on his glass of orange juice nervously, unsure how to phrase what he wanted to ask.
“Love you too,” Flynn responded distractedly, focused on breakfast.
Which was fine. It wasniceto be comfortable like this. That was why Zach wanted to ask what he wanted to ask.
And he knew, really, that the answer would be yes. He had a good grip on this whole relationship, he was pretty sure.
Once he got around to broaching the subject, Flynn would look up at him, and his pretty blue eyes would be so soft and warm, and he’d smile so they crinkled at the corners, and sayof course.
Because it wasn’t much to ask, and it was practically what they were doing anyway, and this would just be… a little more final and permanent.
“You might wanna just ask,” Flynn interrupted Zach’s thoughts. “You’re so nervous you’re makingmenervous.”
Zach met his gaze, too stunned for a moment to do anything other than stare, and then cleared his throat.
“I, uh… I was thinking… it’s the end of the semester, and my lease is about to expire, and… is it… maybe… okay if I move in here?”
As expected, Flynn’s eyes softened, a warm smile spreading across his face. “Obviously,” he said, which was almostof course. “I’ve been hoping you’d move in since I gave you the key.”
Zach breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that. Flynn hadsaidas much, but he hadn’t wanted to crowd him, hadn’t wanted to take over his life the way it sounded like everyone else did, and that had made him pause.
Now, though, he was ready. Flynn had changed, but in ways that only made Zach smile. He was more confident. He saidnowhen he didn’t want to do things, even to Zach, and that felt incredible. Zach knew now that Flynn wasn’t afraid of losing him, that he was convinced Zach would stay even if he was having a bad day or a bad week and just wanted to sit on the couch in his underwear and eat pizza.
Some of Zach’s favorite moments so far had been like that, when Flynn could lean onhimfor a change. He liked being someone Flynn could rely on.
Someone who he could love without being used.
“Yeah, okay,” Zach said, blushing. “It was a stupid thing to worry about.”
“As long as you’re not worried anymore,” Flynn said kindly. “I want you here. All the time.”
Zach sighed. No matter how many times Flynn said something like that, he was excited to hear it.
Because that was what he wanted, too. To be a part of Flynn’s life, always.
“So I shouldn’t worry about getting those divorce papers just yet? We did say the end of the semester…”
“I think we can hold off,” Flynn agreed. “I kinda like being married to you.”
“Weird, I kinda like being married to you, too,” Zach said, nibbling on the corner of his toast.
They could have this every morning once he moved in. Fill every single morning of their lives with love and warmth and laughter, just the two of them.
Zach could hardly wait.
