Chapter Twenty-One
Marco
I lit the last of the candles we’d set up around the apartment and tossed the matches on one of the side tables. Demir stepped behind me and tightened his arms around my chest. I leaned back into his embrace and felt the friction of his beard on my neck.
“You ready for this?” I asked. “Last chance to change your mind.”
I felt Demir shake his head. “I’m ready,” he whispered in my ear. “And we’re ready, too.”
The back buzzer rang out, and I stepped through the kitchen to let Grayson in. His hair was styled a little differently, combed a bit to the side, and he was wearing a nice blue Oxford shirt. I pulled him in for a kiss and then turned to bring Demir into our embrace. When we parted, Grayson noticed the candles.
“Oh,” he said softly.
I always did end up giving away the good surprises. I was just too sentimental to resist a little special lighting for the occasion.
“You want something to drink, Grayson?” Demir asked. The top of his shirt was unbuttoned, and a glance of his hairy chest was visible as he turned to the cabinet for a glass. “Wine, soda, water?”
Grayson’s eyes were still trailing across the candles. It gave me a thrill, watching the joy fill his face. “I guess I’ll have a little wine, thanks.”
Demir turned to the fridge, then came out with a bottle of champagne. Grayson startled at it, and Demir and I both broke out laughing.
“It’s okay, sweetheart,” I said, resting my hand on his arm. “We’re not going to tell you that there’s a baby in the next room or anything.”
“But we did want to celebrate,” Demir added.
Grayson blinked a few times, then sat down at the counter. There were a few tea candles in front of him, and he studied their flickering light for a moment. “Does this mean you want to have a kid?”
“It means we’re open to it,” I said, joining him. “We’re not ready to make the commitment yet, of course—”
“I’m not either,” Grayson reminded us quickly. “Not quite, anyway.”
Demir nodded, then set the bottle on the counter. “But if things keep going the way they’re going, and the businesses are doing well in a couple of years… Yes, Grayson. It would be a dream to parent with you.”
Grayson’s eyes got watery, and I thought about all he had been through in his life. He must have been so used to everything turning upside down and watching the people he loved as they walked away. But now, finally, we were going to be able to give him something more, something he could count on.
“My beautiful guys,” I said, looking between them. “How’d I get so lucky?” I draped my arm over Grayson’s shoulder, and he wiped his eyes while he leaned against me.
“I was so worried you were going to say no,” he said with a shaky voice. “I was so worried it would be the end.”
Demir took Grayson’s hand, and I saw the strength in his gaze as he looked on our boyfriend. “No end to this one, sweetheart,” he said. “Just more to come.”
Grayson took a deep breath, then nodded. “Alright, then. What are we waiting for? Let’s open that champagne and celebrate.”
Demir cocked a half-smile. “Definitely. But Grayson, the champagne’s not to celebrate this decision.”
“It’s not?”
I shook my head, then took his hand. “Come on. You’ll see.”
We led him down the hall, then into the bedroom, also lit by a few candles we had dug out of the closet. It was the same as always, pretty much, except for a couple of additions, including a new dresser along the wall and some additional shelving Demir had installed behind the headboard.
“What’s this?” Grayson asked.
“For you,” Demir answered. “We thought, considering everything else going on, it was time you moved in with us officially. Would you like to?”
Grayson got that look on his face again, like when he walked into the loft and trailed his eyes across the candles, slowly understanding what they meant. “You want me to move in,” he repeated.
“There’s more!” I said quickly, then grabbed both of their hands. “Check this out.”
