I squeeze his hand. “Because you’re surprising me. And you’re my boyfriend. And I love you.”
I’m having trouble stopping myself from repeating those last two, over and over. But after years of pining, Rafael is truly, actually my boyfriend now. We’re in love with each other, and the entire world is changed because of that.
His lips press to my cheek, and his beard tickles my skin. “Love you,” he says quietly, then stops. “We’re here.”
I hear him pushing a door open, and cool air flows out to meet us. We’re inside somewhere, maybe a store. There’s bad pop music on the stereo, and the scent of cleaning supplies lingers in the air.
I sense Rafael’s weight in front of me as his hands land on the blindfold, carefully untying. “I hope you like this,” he chuckles. “I woke up with the idea.”
A satisfied hum escapes my lips as I think about that morning. I woke up in Rafael’s arms and lay there while the sun rose, just thinking about the fact that I’ll get to wake up like that every morning now.
“You woke up with a couple of ideas,” I tease, thinking about the slow, gentle sex we’d rolled into, sleepy and happy.
Rafael pulls the blindfold off. I blink into the harsh, white light, but it only takes me a second to recognize the office supply store.
“Oh my god,” I say, then grab his hand. “You’re going to let me buy you a day planner.”
My boyfriend chuckles. He’s wearing his alien T-shirt, and his hair is nicely combed back, still a little damp from the shower. “I guess this is romantic for you after all, huh?”
I kiss him. “The most romantic.”
Rafael slides his hand into mine as we make our way over to the display of calendars and planners. “It’s more than just a planner, though. I’ve been thinking about this all wrong. I really want to take care of myself. I want to make it to work on time and take care of all my own responsibilities, but the truth is, I need your help, too.”
“Yeah?” I feel proud that he’s admitting this, but I bite my tongue instead of gushing over him, knowing that he has more to say.
He nods. “I don’t want to mess up my apprenticeship. I feel like I’ve finally found my path in life, and I’m not going to make the same mistake I’ve been making for years.”
“What mistake is that?”
He pushes his glasses up. “Not understanding how special you are.”
A thrill shoots up my spine. “Aw, Rafael.”
He kisses my cheek. “Really. It took me years to see that you’re my love, not just my best friend. I was so set on being independent and charting my own path, but the truth was, you’ve always been there with me. If I am going to learn how to be responsible, it will be a hell of a lot easier with your support.” He squeezes my hand again. “I just hope I can be there for you in the same way.”
“You are there for me, every day,” I tell him, and my mind flashes back to the visit from my dads and the advice they gave me over dinner. “And hey, you’re not the only one who needs to grow a little. I spent years afraid that I would mess up our relationship if I tried to change it, but sometimes, things need to get messy.”
“Wow,” he chuckles as he scratches his beard. “I never thought I’d hear you say that.”
“And I’d never thought you’d be the one to bring me into an office supply store.” I shake my head softly. “I’m trying to say I understand that it doesn’t always feel good when I answer your mail or take care of little things without even telling you. I think I’m helping, but there are more important things than deadlines. So I promise, going forward, I’ll be better.”
Rafael smiles. It’s a small promise, but I can tell how meaningful it is to him. “Cool,” he nods. “So I’ll get a planner, and you’ll help me keep the schedule.”
“By talking about it with you,” I nod, “and not by doing stuff behind your back.”
Rafael pushes his glasses up. “Thanks,” he says. “For believing in me enough to get me here.”
I touch my bicep lightly, the spot where he tattooed the heart. “Thanks for being you, weirdo.”
EPILOGUE
RAFAEL
One year later…
Alexander groans.We’re in Stone’s room at the tattoo shop, and my boyfriend is sprawled out on the chair, shirtless while I work on his back piece. We’ve been here over an hour, and I’ve lost myself in the meditative work, moving with steady focus as I ink the intricate illustration into his skin.
“You okay?” I ask.
