Chapter Eleven

CHAPTER ELEVEN

TY

I flip through the row of colorful comic books, my gaze jumping between the titles in my stack and the ones Slater is scanning by my side. Our weekly meeting at the comic book store to buy new issues has an added bonus competition to see who can find the most new artists to try out. The display of our books on a table near the window, with a sign noting local authors , is a thrill to see. I hope people give our book a chance.

We're still riding high from the launch. The Bedlam's media relations department mentioned the book on the team's social media sites and the hockey league picked up the story, and is running it on their website and social media too. They've asked us to do an interview that will run during one of the nationally televised games this fall. The wave feels like it's growing, and I wonder if this overwhelmed and exhilarated feeling is similar to what Craig and his bandmates are experiencing with their surge of success.

A soft stream of music echoes from the store's speakers. Aside from the few patrons scattered throughout the space, Slater and I have the back of the store to ourselves. To get the best selection, we time our visits to occur on delivery day, straight after Slater and Noah finish with hockey practice. Even during the off-season, we stick to this schedule, and hit the store once their daily training is complete.

"Guys," Noah approaches us with a to-go cup of tea in one hand. "I was talking to the owner. He said the stacks of your books on that table are the last from the five boxes he bought. They sold out of the rest."

"That's awesome." I high-five Slater, and he grins. His audience has really come through for us. Turning back to the comics, I spy a special anniversary collection of the caped crusader on an end cap, and my thoughts shift to Craig. But then again, I think about Craig every single day.

Slater jerks his head toward the comic. "I can't see that character without being reminded of Craig."

"Same." Heat flashes into my chest at the memory of waking up wrapped in his arms this morning. I want that every day. "We're having dinner together tonight. He's been working hard with the band all day. I thought I'd take him to that Mexican place we went to last month."

"Did you decide when you're going to talk to him?" Slater pauses his flipping, pulls out a book and scans it, but returns it and continues flipping through the titles.

I keep my attention on the books I'm sorting through. "We talked about it a little bit last night, but I was too buzzed and sleepy for a real conversation. So, hopefully tonight. I'm a little nervous, but I don't want to put it off."

A triumphant smile bursts onto Slater's face. After giving me a series of enthusiastic pats on the back, he wraps his arm around Noah's shoulders and pulls his boyfriend in close. "Good."

'Ty…" Noah's thoughtful tone goes no further .

My fingers needling the strap of the bag holding my sketchbook, I turn away from the wall of books. "What?"

"Craig's here."

"Here?" I whirl to face the direction Noah points me in.

Craig's tall form strides through the store, his long strides eating up the distance. "Hey, guys."

Slater waves, tucking Noah against his side. "Good to see you."

"I'm glad you're still here." Craig stands before me, clad in blue jeans, sneakers, and a gray T-shirt. He's holding a bag with the store's logo on it. "I got a call that my special order came in. Check it out."

He unearths a black T-shirt from the bag and holds it up. The image of our comic book's supervillain is across the chest. On the reverse side is the villain's shield, and below it, the logo of our series. I designed the merch, and we've partnered with the store to sell it on our behalf, but this is the first time I've seen our product in someone else's hands.

Slater leans in for a closer inspection. "The quality's the same as the samples we approved. Thanks for the brand rep, Craig, we appreciate it."

I'm a messy swirl of surprise and happiness. "You bought the villain!"

"Told you I would." He glances at the figure. "He looks good. A complex character, much like his creator."

Holding tighter to the strap on my bag, I scoff at him. "I'm not that complex."

"How about captivating?" He steps into my space, swoops in, kisses me, and wraps me in his arms. "Can't argue with captivating."

"Can't I?" I nip his lip.

Chuckling, he traces his thumb along my jawline. "I'm happy to spend hours convincing you how captivating I find you."

"We get hours together? Yes, please." The prospect of several uninterrupted hours is what I'm craving.

"We'll have a lot more of that soon. I've decided to be bi-coastal." Something I can't name swirls in those brown eyes and there's a catch in his voice, and an extra gentleness in the way he holds me. "Split my time between here and LA. And whatever touring comes up."

Surprise mixes with disbelief and I shift back until I can clearly see Craig's earnest, serious expression and kind eyes. I rest my hands on his strong shoulders. "You're moving here part-time? But I thought you said weeks ago, the night at the hotel lounge, that Devon might move to LA?"

"He is moving there. Cody's going now too. But you aren't there. I want to be where you are." The way Craig smiles and threads his fingers through my hair erases all my worries. "Short of splitting myself in two, this is the way to make that happen."

I swallow against my thickening throat and the threat of tears pricking the backs of my eyes. "I can't believe it."

He sweeps his hand back down and continues stroking my cheek. "I meant it when I told you there isn't much I wouldn't do for you."

"So did I." Happiness spins through me as the world shifts from muted, muddied grays into a brilliant rainbow of colors. I place my hand over Craig's heart. I now know what I need to do. What I want to do. What I was afraid to ask for before, when this was more up in the air. "The fact that you would've moved here means so much to me, but it makes more sense for me to move to LA. I don't have to stay here. You need to be there. Your band is there. So's the foundation. "

The softest, sweetest expression crosses Craig's face. He sucks in a breath. "You'd do that for me?"

"Absolutely. I want to. I need to be where you are." Leaning into his touch, I soak it up. "Long distance is hard. We're both busy. I was afraid I'd lose you."

"No way that's happening."

Smiling, I kiss his palm. "I'll need to find a job and an apartment."

"You can stay with me." He bends so our foreheads rest together. We breathe each other in. The touch and scent of him grounds me. "We're hiring you to do our album artwork. I'll help you find a job, get set up for freelancing, whatever you need."

More and more good feelings wrap around me, weaving us tighter together. I bask in it. And in him.

Movement in the corner of my vision alerts me to my friends watching us. I release my hold, wait for Craig to do the same, then step back. "I'd still need to come here to visit Slater and Noah, and we have more comic books to bring to life."

With his arm slung around Noah's shoulders, Slater beams at me, his blue eyes twinkling. "We can work together virtually. Video chats, so it's like you're sitting across from me in the kitchen. But yeah, we need in-person visits, too." His gaze shoots to Craig. "Ty's our family."

Tears prick my eyes again, and I swallow hard at the protectiveness of Slater's declaration. It's what I imagined having a brother would be like. "You're my family too."

He and Noah both grin, and Slater pulls me toward them. He hugs me and Noah squeezes my shoulder. I'm beyond lucky to have them.

The bag in his hand crinkles when Craig slips his T-shirt inside it. As soon as Slater releases me, Craig tucks me into his side, like he never wants to let go. "You're welcome to visit us anytime you're in LA."

"We'll take you up on that," Noah pulls Craig into a hug, slapping his back, and I think I hear, "Take good care of him," before he releases my man.

Craig shifts closer, until we're touching once more. His fingers skate along my arm from my hand to my shoulder and back again. "Maybe you'd want to join me volunteering with the foundation again? I think the kids would like seeing a villain show up. Batman apprehending the Joker. Thor capturing Loki. Or, maybe you could be a superhero once in a while too. What do you say?"

"One hundred percent yes, I'm in. I'd love that."

Slater clears his throat. "If you need any other volunteers in the off-season, Craig, count us in. Noah and I still have the superhero costumes we wore last Halloween."

I glance at Slater and Noah, smile, and gesture toward my friends as I say to Craig, "These guys visit the hospital a lot, representing the Bedlam. The kids always light up seeing them." Turning to Slater and Noah, I continue, "I'd love to have you guys visiting with us, superhero style."

"It would be fun." Noah sips his tea and the faint scent of mint wafts my way. "You can also count on us for a donation."

Craig shakes both their hands. "That's awesome, guys. Thanks."

"No problem." Slater grabs Noah's arm and tugs his boyfriend forward. "We'll get out of your way now, let you talk more. Ty, we'll see you at home. Craig, I'm glad you're here and that you guys have worked things out."

And then my friends are gone .

I grip the strap on my bag as I stare at Craig. Part of me still can't believe this man was ready to uproot his life for me. But maybe I can, since I'm ready to do the same thing. "So… I'm moving to LA."

He nods and smiles. "Big changes."

My heartbeat flutters faster as the reality of my decision fully sinks in. I think about his offer for me to stay with him. It's where I want to be. "The biggest. Are we changing too?"

His fingers twisting the leather strap encircling his wrist, Craig bites his lip and his searching gaze roams my face. "The past two months, really getting to know you, has been incredible. I've never felt this way about anyone before, Ty. I want to call you my boyfriend. To keep exploring what we have together. To experience more with each other. To be there to support each other through the good and the bad and everything in between."

There's an ache in my chest, a yearning for everything he's said. "I want all of that."

He releases a breath and his hold on the bracelet, and there's an ease in his movements as he slides his arm around my shoulders. "Good."

I grab my sketchbook, the one I bought with him in LA, from my bag. "I want to show you something. How often you've been on my mind since we met. I got this book that day. It's filled with you. Us."

Craig flips through the book. Sketches of him dressed as Batman, and the two of us in our costumes visiting the foundation are first. Followed by more sketches of Craig with his guitar on stage and at home, another of him sitting at his piano, and another of him in the hotel room's bed. There's a sketch of us at the beach. One of our hands linked together. And the final image is of the two of us together in an embrace, sketched from a photo Slater took at the launch party.

He traces his finger over the page. "I love them all, but that last one is my favorite."

"Mine too." I quickly tuck away the sketchbook, and then grasp Craig's hand. "I've fallen faster for you than anyone ever."

He slowly draws me against his chest. "It was a free-fall for me from the moment we met, and I've never been happier."

Our lips touch, and the connection radiates throughout my body. I slide my arms around my boyfriend and hold tight. In the circle of his embrace, everything seems brighter and better, in my world and in my heart.

After a long moment, Craig lifts his head. "On my way here, I was thinking about us staying at Devon's house and how we could use the rooms, where you'd draw and I'd create music. I walked through it with the guys, and could see everything so clearly. But now, I'm thinking about my apartment in LA and how I can rearrange the music room at home. Create a spot for you that gets great lighting by the windows. I can picture you sketching there at a drafting table or on a couch, and me writing lyrics or playing my guitar or piano and looking up and seeing you there, sharing my space."

Planning a future for us together, I wholeheartedly approve. "I can't wait to share it with you."

Smiling, Craig strokes his fingers along my back. "Cody, Patrick, and Devon will be stoked it worked out this way. You have no idea what this means to me."

"I think I have some idea." The depth of my emotions for him catches in my throat. I clear it, and I'm sure what I feel for him is shining in my eyes. "After all, you were ready to uproot your life for me. "

"Totally worth it." He trails his fingers through my hair, and everything in his gaze tells me this is real, and this will last. "Ready to go share our news with them?"

I stretch up and kiss him again, sharing all of the hope, enthusiasm, and happiness overflowing from my heart. "I'm ready for anything."