Page 128 of We Are Just Us

“I was going to move it.”

“When? You’re not even dressed yet.”

Rory picked up the towel. Kieran expected the lecture again, the mold speech, the ocean humidity speech, possibly a PowerPoint presentation about thread count and moisture retention.

Instead, Rory snapped the towel tight between his hands, wound up, and whipped it across Kieran’s bare ass.

The crack echoed off the bedroom walls.

“Jesus Christ!” Kieran yelped, both hands grabbing his left cheek. “What the fuck!”

“That’s your reminder,” Rory said calmly, towel slung over his shoulder. “Hang it up or it happens again.”

Kieran stared at him, naked, still wet, hands on his ass. “Did you just threaten me?”

“I tried asking nicely. Four times.”

“I’m naked!”

“Should burn more. Lesson learned.” Rory walked past him toward the kitchen. “You want coffee?”

Kieran rubbed the sting out, torn between outrage and the fact that he was fighting a smile.

He hung the towel up.

He never left it on the bed again.

One Friday night, Kieran was in the kitchen attempting stir-fry and failing spectacularly when Rory wandered over from the couch.

“I think you’re supposed to cook the vegetables before they turn to charcoal,” Rory said.

“I’m aware.” Kieran prodded at the smoking pan. “This is an evolving disaster.”

Rory nudged him aside gently and took over, adjusting the heat, adding soy sauce and garlic without measuring.

“Britt was the real cook,” Rory said, not looking up. “I picked up what I could from her.”

“Lucky for me,” Kieran said.

They ate on the couch, plates balanced on their laps, some action movie playing on mute.

Later, in bed, Kieran lay with his head on Rory’s chest, listening to the slow drum of his heartbeat.

“I’m happy,” Rory said into the darkness.

Kieran lifted his head. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. I didn’t think I would be again. Not like this.”

Kieran put his head back down. “You’re the first thing I ever wanted that didn’t make me want to run.”

Rory went still. Under Kieran’s ear, his heart picked up—that was the thing about lying on his chest. He couldn’t perform calm.

“Kieran…”

Kieran kissed his collarbone. “That’s all. I just needed you to know.”

They fell asleep together, Hank sprawled across the foot of the bed.