Emerson took his time, his thrusts slow but deep, exactly what Luca needed. With both of them having already cometoday, they were able to last longer, until they were both damp with sweat, time stretching like taffy, Emerson’s lips just brushing Luca’s neck, their fingers intertwined on Luca’s hip.
Eventually, Luca couldn’t take it anymore, the pressure that had been slow to build now consuming him, his muscles burning. He slid his fingers from Emerson’s sweaty grip to touch himself.
“Baby,” he murmured, “Need to come.”
Emerson groaned into his hair. “Yeah,” he breathed, picking up his pace. “Me too.” And then it was fast, and hard, but somehow still wrapped up in whatever gauzy glow had fallen over them, and when Luca came he thought maybe he’d never breathe again, the air around them thick and salty, like fog over the ocean. When Emerson came a minute later, he collapsed onto the bed when he was done, his sticky forehead pressing against the base of Luca’s neck.
“Fuck.” His breath ghosted over Luca’s back. “Never gonna walk again.”
“Mm,” Luca agreed. “Just sleep. Right here. Forever.”
Emerson laughed the smallest, most exhausted laugh he’d ever laughed before slinging an arm over Luca’s side. With the last of his strength, Luca cuddled closer into him, pulling Emerson’s arm against him, trapping him.
“Never leave,” Emerson agreed. Even though Luca knew it was a lie. Emerson would be up with the sun again tomorrow, ready to take care of his world.
twenty-six
A week later,on a sleepy Sunday morning after breakfast, Emerson and Luca sat down with Daisy.
It was surprisingly easy, telling Daisy they were together. Well, Emerson was the one who really led the conversation, even though Luca was the one who had requested the conversation be had, a few days prior. But Luca nodded a lot, and made a lot of eye contact with Daisy, and when Emerson held his hand Luca held it back with what he hoped was calm confidence and assurance.
And then Daisy looked straight at Luca and asked, “So are you my da-dee too? I have three da-dees now?”
“Well,” Emerson said smoothly, “I think it depends on what Luca feels comfortable being called.”
Luca kind of wanted to turn to Emerson and say,Oh my god what?But he only continued looking back at Daisy instead, hoping his panic wasn’t showing on his face.
Because sure, he loved everyone in this room, which was why he’d asked Emerson if they could tell Daisy, but also—he and Emerson had only officiallybeen dating for a week. He hadn’t told Emerson he loved him yet, because he still felt kindof insane and scared all the time, and what happened when Emerson one day said,your book has many strengths but I just didn’t feel that spark.Or,having sex with you has been great but I’ve realized only Jayden still has my heart.Or, you know, some variation along either of those lines.
Also, Luca hadn’t seriously contemplated fatherhood since he was a kid, since he and every child alive had absorbed the societal expectation of the timeline. Youth → adulthood → work → marriage and babies → death.
But ever since he’d turned into the kind of gay adult who’d barely even tried to catch a committed relationship before, considering he was the kind of adult who couldn’t even afford his own health insurance anymore, the idea of that kind of responsibility had never fully returned to his brain.
He belatedly realized it maybe should have returned to his brain before having this conversation, and yet.
“Uncle Luca,” he blurted, when the weight of Emerson and Daisy’s patient silence became too heavy. Because he vaguely recalled a conversation with Daisy about uncles. Because hehadalways enjoyed the idea of being a guncle. Even if he rarely saw Enzo and Summer. Even if this wasn’t really the same thing. Fuck. “I mean, you can just keep calling me Luca, too? But if you wanted to call me something special. Maybe Uncle Luca would work. For now.”
“Hokay!” Daisy’s face lit up, and Luca’s entire chest almost collapsed into his intestines, his relief was so immense. “Uncle Loo-kah!”
Emerson patted their attached hands with his free one, and only when Luca looked down did he realize he was squeezing Emerson’s hand so hard he was probably hurting him.
“Sorry,” he said, releasing him. Emerson shook his hand out, but he was smiling. Almost laughing, even though Luca’s heart was still pounding.
And then Emerson leaned over and kissed Luca’s cheek, and Daisy giggled.
“Da-dee, can I watch TV now?”
“Sure.”
And Daisy slid off the kitchen chair she’d been sitting in, and hopped into the living room.
Luca waited until he heard the disturbing sounds of that weird ass show she loved on Netflix before he turned to Emerson.
“Did I just tell her that I’m like your brother? And then you kissed me? Iamgoing to fuck her up, aren’t I.”
Emerson giggled—a laugh Luca hadn’t heard before, a sound funnily similar to Daisy’s a few minutes before—and fell into Luca’s neck.
“No,” he said. “You’re perfect.” And his voice was so full of affection that Luca almost wanted to throw up. In like, a good way, maybe. Being in love was a lot.
